Page 116 of Forever Touched

“Among other things,” I heard Kade snicker. Great. Everyone was watching to see what King Ambrose would do to me. Which didn’t exactly help me focus.

The king finally dropped my chin, only to pick up my hand next. I stopped breathing when I saw what had caught his attention. Sweeping his thumb over the gold and ruby ring on my ring finger, he murmured, “So, you’ve accepted my son’s proposal of marriage.”

“I have,” I replied, then threw caution to the wind and blurted, “I love him. I love him very much.”

He slowly raised his eyes to mine, eyes that were now glittering with unshed tears. “Good,” he whispered, his voice slightly trembling. “That’s all I needed to hear.”

Just like that, he let go of my hand and stepped back.

I gaped at him in shock. “But . . . but what about last night? What about all the damage I caused? Mybetrayal?I deserve to be punished for what I did. You’re my king now, and I committed treason against you.”

He shrugged. “If my son has forgiven you, then so have I. We’veall made our fair share of mistakes and put this kingdom in danger. At the end of the day, there are only two things I truly care about: my family’s safety and their happiness. You kept them safe when it mattered most, and I can see that you make Everett happy, something I haven’t seen in a very long time.

“I’m sorry for the horrors you’ve endured at the hands of vampires,” he went on, “but I’m not sorry that fate brought you into our world. I’ve delayed passing the reins of this kingdom over to my son, sensing that something vital was missing from his life. And that something was you. He needed a strong female worthy of ruling by his side, and I’m thrilled to say, that’s exactly what you are.”

My own eyes welled with tears, and he smiled at me softly. For the first time, I didn’t see him as a powerful vampire king but as a caring father. Not wanting to hide how that made me feel, I let a tear slip free.

“Besides,” he added, his tone lightening, “I’m no longer your king. I’ve officially retired, and the first thing I’m going to do once you and my son have publicly been sworn in is take a long overdue vacation with all fourteen of my wives.”

A surprised laugh burst from me, and he joined in, his face alight with amusement. Soon, we werealllaughing, even quiet Rocky. Arms came around me again, and I gratefully leaned against Everett, his relief mingling with mine.

For the next several hours, we worked as a unit to finish cleaning up the mess the rogues had made. Most of the bodies had already been carried outside to be burned, but there was still lots of carnage left over from the battle. Instead of making the traumatized maids take care of it, we gave them the day off and did it ourselves. Which was a good thing for me, since my new instincts were urging me to take a bite out of them.

King Ambrose had already interrogated the Venturi and had allowed most of them to leave. Only a few were still struggling with the false thoughts I’d planted inside their minds and had been locked in the castle dungeons until their minds were their own once more.

As evening fast approached, Everett and I retreated to his bedroom for a much-needed shower and clothing change. We’d just stepped into the shower together when Loch burst into the bathroom without knocking.

Everett swiftly covered my naked body with his and barked, “Get out, Lochlan.”

Loch ignored the command to urgently say, “Rocky got a call. We found her. We know where Deloris Faircroft is.”

At the news, Everett’s annoyance switched to anticipation, an anticipation that I equally shared.

It was almost over. The dark nightmare that had been my life for the past six years was coming to an end.

All I needed to do was face this last piece. This last terrible piece that I was still holding on to. That kept me from fully moving on.

I’m coming, I whispered, the words eagerly dancing through my mind.I’m coming for you, my mistress.

* * *

The air was deathly still.

I’d never seen Dreamscape Lounge so lifeless. So devoid of the energy that had sapped so much from me over the years.

There was no music pulsing through my veins. No blinding lights demanding I perform. No bodies writhing on the dance floor and behind the curtained alcoves.

All was silent, holding its breath in anticipation. But, for once,the anticipation wasn’t for me.

I was no longer the fragile prey. I was the powerful huntress silently stalking the halls insearchof my prey.

She was here. With my newly heightened senses, I could hear her thundering heartbeats. A thrill shivered through me, the reaction wholly predator.

My companions were equally as silent, allowing me to take the lead. We’d already planned in advance how this would play out. Noah, his dad, and a few SCA operatives they’d called in had secured the front and back exits, while the rest of us were to confront the Faircrofts head on. If they scattered, we outnumbered them by far.

The numbers were overkill, but it felt good. It felt good to be the one in control for once. To be surrounded by allies instead of utterly alone.

At first, I’d been tempted to face the Faircrofts by myself. When they’d foolishly contacted Rocky to see how their coup had panned out, I’d wanted nothing more than to rush in and seek my revenge.

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