Page 19 of The Queen

“No, what I mean is, the only person who gives a fuck about that is Edeth, and it’s none of her fucking business.” Ghost paced ahead to open the door that let us into the wing my room was in.

I was huffing and puffing, having climbed more steps than I cared to count, while they continued to argue. They could bicker all they wanted, but I needed a nap.

Observant as always, Lex lifted me up and bridal-carried me through the entrance without missing a beat. “Edeth was raised in a different time. She remembers being a lady when land and titles meant something, a time when there was a court filled with gowns and parties before the kingdom fell. She’s doing her best in a world that’s changed. I don’t fault her for trying to preserve the old way of life.”

I squirmed half-heartedly wanting to walk, but also, I was very tired. I snuggled up to his chest, wrapping my arms around his neck, and running my fingertips through his hair. It wasn’t so bad, snug in Lex’s arms, just to catch my breath for a minute.

“Okay, I call dibs then,” Ghost proclaimed as he typed his passcode into the pad next to my cabin door.

“Not happening.” Lex set me on my feet as the three alphas systematically checked my room. I could only assume they were checking for intruders.

At this point, I didn’t really care who stayed or left. I was tired and sweaty and wanted a shower. I kissed Grey’s cheek and bid him goodnight. After the commotion in the cargo bay, there was little chance they’d leave me in the hands of a beta with no military training. I was sure I’d see him in the morning, though.

After the alphas checked the bathroom three times, I assumed it was safe enough to use, so I walked in and slammed the door closed on their bickering.

Water was in short supply, so I did my best to make it quick, soaping up and rinsing off in record time. The one thing I forgot, which I often seemed to forget, was my sleeping gown. I didn’t like the stupid thing anyway, but I wasn’t sure what I’d be walking into on the other side of the door.

With my towel wrapped securely around me like battle armor, I stepped out of the bathroom, ready for anything. Anything except what I found.

The lights were turned down. Only a faint, golden glow outlined the silhouette of a man slouched in a chair across the room. A large plasma rifle balanced on his lap. In the dark, I couldn’t see his face, but I felt the weight of his eyes on me.

The mingled scent of my mates threaded the air with bliss, but one was stronger than the rest. He smelled like home.

No matter how mad I was at him for keeping things from me, there was always going to be a connection between us. No matter how much I wanted to scream at him, I wanted to touch him more.

The carefully secured towel fell away, and I stepped out of the cloth, pooling at my feet. He shifted on the chair, hands tightening on the gun positioned on his lap.

“Looks like you finally decided who my babysitter is going to be.”

His only response sounded like a grunt covered by clearing his throat.

I was drawn to them all, but right now, it was only him. They were lodestones that I couldn’t escape even if I tried, and I had no interest in trying tonight.

The rifle he was holding was in my way, so with a single finger, I pushed it to the side. Like a good alpha, he lifted it from his lap and set it on the floor, making room for me to straddle his thighs. I leaned into him, my bare skin against the rough fabric of his uniform, and my lips found the pulse throbbing along the column of his throat.

He smelled like hot summer wind through old oak trees. Memories of running in a sun dappled forest washed over me as his firm grip landed on my hips. He was the key to everything locked up inside my mind. Memories of castles with towers and sprawling gardens under a sky that shimmered with rainbows.

“Lex.” His name was a prayer on my lips and I loved the way it tasted.

His quiet chuckle was a soft rush of warm air on my skin. If I hadn’t been sprawled on his chest, I may have missed it entirely. He pushed the damp fall of golden hair from my shoulder and his kiss replaced it with reverent warmth.

“I thought you were mad at me,” he murmured between teasing kisses.

I nipped his neck, not hard, even though my instincts were begging me to draw blood. The incessant whispers in my mind hissed at me to mark him and make him mine. I wanted to listen, but I wasn’t reckless or desperate enough to risk losing him. Not yet anyway.

“I was. I am.”

“Then what are we doing, love?” He soothed the gruff tone, trailing his lips along my skin.

“I might be mad at you for keeping things from me, but I still—“Hesitating, I searched for the right words. “I might be mad, but I’m still drawn to you. I can’t help it. It’s like I’ve been suffocating my whole life and you’re the air. With you, I can finally breathe.” An uncomfortable, vulnerable sensation washed over me as I admitted that to him, but maybe he felt it too. I hoped he did.

His calloused hands traced up my back, holding me to him like I was a fragile, precious thing. He breathed me in, and on the slow exhale, his whispered utterance fluttered over my bare skin. “This is like a dream and I’m already fucking it up. I want to be everything you need, but my jealousy and stubbornness push you away.”

It was so quiet I may have imagined it, but when I pulled back to look at his face, I saw those words reflected in his eyes. The regret and sadness of thinking he was ruining what we were trying to build. It made him seem younger, more vulnerable.

“You don’t have to be perfect all the time, Lex.” I traced his bottom lip with the pad of my thumb. “We’re only what we are. Fallible, and maybe a little bit broken.”

He nipped at my fleeting touch. “Why are you suddenly so wise?”

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