Page 55 of Gifted to the Frost King

A name my beloved Frost King taught me to spell.

With a gasp, my eyes fly open. I grasp his frozen face, not caring about the biting cold stinging my skin.

“Jack,” I whisper. “Jack, please wake up.”

There’s a stillness to the room for a moment before everything erupts. Ice cracks from his skin and melts in aninstant. The silver crown shakes before splitting in two and sliding from his head. Power pulses against my palms as more cracking echoes around the room.

Finally, his warm, blue skin meets my fingers. A harsh breath leaves his lungs. Tears flood my eyes as I watch his flare to life before settling on my face. His hands cup the back of my head.

“Dove,” he whispers. “My mate—my love.”

A sob gets lodged in my throat as I throw myself down on him. His arms wrap around my back as we hold each other on the bed. His hard muscles cradle every one of my soft curves. I sob into his neck. All the anger I felt towards the sorceress melts away, and only happiness and love radiates from me.

I won’t let myself get bogged down by thoughts of revenge. Not when I have Frosty—Jack—in my arms and my perfect future laid out before me.

A soft throat clearing has us both looking towards the end of the bed. She looms there, glowing with her unnatural power. Her eyes are severe, but I see a slight curl to her lips.

“You did well, young king. Any lesson worth learning is always difficult.”

I glance at Jack, watching a million emotions flood his eyes. His gaze meets mine, and he pulls me deeper into his chest. I get the feeling that we both can’t be burdened with thoughts of retribution.

“I’ve learned my lesson, sorceress. I will be a better king with my mate at my side.”

The sorceress's face twists into a grin.

“Excellent,” she whispers before disappearing into a glittering breeze of fairy dust.

Jack rises from the bed with me still locked in his arms. Finally alone—and very naked, I’m realizing—the air around us turns heavy. His hand reaches up and traces over the curve of my ear. A delicious shiver runs through me, and Jack smiles.

“There are so many things I want to say to you,” he admits. “Paramount among them is that I love you.”

Tears burn in my eyes.

“I love you, too.”

His mouth finds mine, and it feels like our first kiss. Our souls seal themselves together as our hearts beat as one. His hand slides down my back, groaning as he cups one cheek of my ass in his large palm. A demanding hardness presses against my stomach, and I wiggle against it. He growls into my mouth as his tongue dances with mine.

“Need you,” he groans.

I open my mouth to respond when voices begin rising from the hall. Jack sighs before giving me one last squeeze and shifting away.

“All of that will have to wait. Hundreds of confused frost elves are waking up from a five-hundred-year nap that I should attend to.”

“That’s probably a good idea.”

His eyes rove over my naked body. “Once they are handled, you aren’t leaving this room for at least a week.”

I chuckle and playfully smack at his arm. He pulls me from the bed and lays another devastating kiss on me.

“You should come with me—you're their queen now, after all.”

Apprehension threatens to overwhelm me, but it quickly dissipates. There is nothing I can’t face when Jack is by my side. My lips curl into a grin.

“Breaking a curse and gaining a royal title in one day?” I shake my head. “Life moves quickly in your kingdom.”

“Ourkingdom,” he gently corrects with a wicked grin. “I promise tonight will be deliciously slow as I make up for our lost time together.”

A hot shiver runs through me.

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