Page 111 of Land of Monsters

“Mroczny.”Dark one,I rumbled into her ear, my lips brushing her temple. “You are going to be the death of me.”

“Don’t say that,” she whispered hoarsely. Neither one of us had addressed the topic of what was coming tomorrow, or what was after if we made it. “Promise me nothing will happen to you.”

“I can’t promise that.” Reluctantly, I moved my weight off her, rolling to my side next to her. Wesley had disappeared, leaving the hallway empty, which I was grateful for.

Her lids squeezed as I slid out of her, her teeth biting into her bottom lip, her nose flaring.

“Did I hurt you?” I knew I went rougher than normal, and we hadneverbeen gentle in bed… or out of it.

“I liked it.” She lifted her head, turning to me. “That’s the problem. I like it all. I don’t want it to stop.”

“And you think it will?” I tucked my arm under my head, my legs still hooked over hers.

“Won’t it?” She went up on her elbows, her hair trailing down her bare back where patches of my blood smeared over her skin. “Let’s say this all goes off according to plan. What then? Will you go back to Budapest? Come with me to the States?” She frowned. “I can’t see you living at court, surrounded by rules and traditions, going to events, wearing suits and ties, small talking with elites at boring parties.”

“You don’t think I can dress up and charm the elite?”

“Oh, you can charmanyone, usually out of their clothes. I know for a fact you’d have the most pretentious ladies dropping their knickers for you by the time hors d’oeuvres were served.”

“Not the pretentious men?” I lifted a brow.

She rolled her eyes. “They’d be no challenge. Their underwear would already be flung at you when you walked in.”

“Sounds about right.” I curled more into her, my hand running over her ass. “So, what’s the problem?”

“You wouldn’t be happy there.” Her emerald eyes pierced mine with truth.

“Yeah, so you’ll have to have sex with me more to balance it out.”

“Ash…” She nipped on her bottom lip, which was already bitten into, her tone desolate. “I’ve seen that exact situation between my mother and father daily. Your family is here, your life is here.”

“Yours could be too.” I ran my finger through the ends of her hair. “Are you happy at those events and parties?”

“No, but it was the life I was born into.” She exhaled, looking off. “I can’t walk away from it.”

“Because you are the next in line.” My throat suddenly went dry at the thought of our paths being too different. Even if we were mated, it still was out of reach. She was a real-life princess. I was a tree fairy who’d dabbled in crime and debauchery most of his life. “And they wouldn’t allow you to be with me?”

“That’s not it at all. My family would never tell me who to be with. My mother mated with a dark dweller, after all. He’s still looked down on in some parts of court.”

“And I would be too.”

“I don’t care.” She shook her head. “But I see my father and I wouldn’t want to do that to you. He hates it, every part. He’s there for my mother and I know it puts a lot of stress on both of them.” She touched my cheek. “And I don’t want you to settle. Not for me. I don’t have a choice. You do.”

Though being mated to her wasn’t a choice either. It simply was.

“Well.” I struggled to swallow back the lump forming in my throat. “After tomorrow, we might not have to worry about this dilemma at all.”

Liquid watered her eyes, and she curled into me, burrowing her head into my chest.

“Whatever happens tomorrow, just know,” she whispered. “I love you, Ash Hemlock Rowan.”

My teeth clamped together, my eyes squeezed shut, and I pulled her into my body. Her words burned through my veins like venom, seizing my chest until my heart pounded in my ears and everything hurt.

I had told people I loved them before; I had even believed those words were true at various times in my life. But until I heardherutter them, the meaning slipping into my bones, I didn’t understand what they truly meant, and what the loss of that could be if taken away. And there was a good chance I’dlose her, whether it be by death or life paths. I couldn’t see how I could hold on to her.

She fell asleep in my arms.

“Rabul ejtetted a szívemet,”I whispered. You have imprisoned my heart. “It is completely yours, little beak.”

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