Page 91 of Red Queen

I trace idle patterns on his chest with my fingertips. “I wish we could stay like this forever. Just you and me, with no threats or responsibilities looming over us.”

Alexandru’s chuckle rumbles through me. “As tempting as that sounds, my Queen, I’m afraid our duties won’t allow for such luxuries.” He tilts my chin up to meet his gaze, eyes glinting. “But I fully intend to steal every private moment with you that I can.”

Heat rises to my cheeks at the promise in his words. “You’re insatiable, aren’t you?”

“Only for you, my beloved.” He brushes a tender kiss to my forehead. “Though I fear you may be my greatest weakness. The mere thought of any harm befalling you is enough to drive me mad.”

I press closer, savoring his solid strength. “I’m not some fragile flower, Alexandru. You know I’m more than capable of defending myself.”

“Yes, but it doesn’t stop me from wanting to protect you.” He tightens his arms around me possessively. “You are my heart, Eleanna. My very reason for existing.”

Tears sting my eyes at the raw emotion in his voice. “As you are mine,” I whisper fiercely. “Our fates are entwined now. Where you go, I go.”

He captures my mouth with a need that leaves me breathless and aching for more. “My feisty, beautiful Queen,” he murmurs against my lips. “Whatever did I do to deserve you?”

I smile up at him, my heart nearly bursting with the depth of my love. “You stole my heart with your arrogance and your charm. And I haven’t wanted it back since.”

His answering grin is both roguish and tender. “Ah, so you finally admit my charms are irresistible?” Alexandru traces the curve of my cheek, his calloused fingers impossibly gentle. “I must confess, from the moment I first laid eyes on you, I was captivated. Ensnared by your fiery spirit and breathtaking beauty.”

I lean into his touch, pulse fluttering wildly. “Ensnared? You make me sound like some kind of trap. Though I suppose I did lure the fierce General Amanar into falling hopelessly in love with me.”

“Hopelessly, irrevocably, eternally.” He punctuates each word with a kiss—my brow, my cheek, the corner of my mouth. “I am forever yours, my Queen. In this life and the next.”

Warmth blossoms in my chest. “I never believed in fate or destiny until I met you.” Tilting my head, I brush my nose playfully against his. “But now I know our souls are bound, two halves of the same whole.”

“My beloved Eleanna.” Alexandru’s voice is a reverent whisper. “I swear to love you with every breath in my body, every beat of my immortal heart. Not even the angel of darkness can sever the ties that bind us.”

Tears blur my vision, the shimmering trails cool against my flushed skin. “You are my strength, my solace, my guiding star in the darkness.” I lace my fingers through his silky hair, anchoring him to me. “And the best sex I’ve had.”

He laughs and kisses me into oblivion.

A breathless moan escapes me as Alexandru’s touch ignites sparks beneath my skin. “Is that so?” His voice is a sinful purr, eyes glinting with mischief and desire. “I’ll have to ensure I maintain that prestigious title.”

I arch into him, craving his touch, his closeness. “I have no doubt you will, my insatiable General.” I trail my fingers down the sculpted planes of his chest, reveling in the feel of hard muscle beneath smooth skin. “Though I may need frequent reminders.”

“Gladly, my Queen.” In a blur of preternatural speed, he flips us over, pinning me beneath the solid weight of his body. Alexandru grazes the sensitive skin of my throat with his fangs, sending delicious shivers racing down my spine. “I plan to worship every inch of you until the only name you remember is mine.”

My back bows off the bed, a needy whimper falling from my kiss-swollen lips. “Alexandru, please...” I barely recognize my own voice, raw and desperate with want.

He chuckles darkly, the sound vibrating against my flesh. “I do so love it when you beg.” His tongue laves the pulse point hammering wildly beneath my jaw. “Tell me what you need, my beloved. Let me hear all the wicked desires of your heart.”

“All of you, Alexandru. Any way I can get you. Now and forever.” Dragging his mouth back to mine, not knowing whatthe future holds and whether this is our last time or the first of many, I pour every ounce of passion and longing into the kiss.

Chapter

Nineteen

Eleanna

Icy winds howl around us as I ride alongside Alexandru, the relentless cold nipping at my exposed skin. Moros, Erebos, and Nyx circle above, their shadows darkening the snowy terrain beneath the moon’s pale luminescence.

We dismount before the looming silhouette of my former castle, now a bastion of darkness under Catarina’s rule, and tether our horses to a gnarled tree just beyond the perimeter of watchful eyes.

“We must infiltrate the castle unnoticed. The talisman will be heavily guarded.” My whisper slices through the silence, a dagger wrapped in velvet.

Alexandru nods while scanning the monolithic walls for any sign of movement. “Catarina’s forces will recognize our horses if we ride any closer.” He glances back at the steeds, their coats shimmering with a thin layer of ice. “We can’t risk being discovered before we reach the talisman.”

Stealing through the darkness, we’re nothing more than specters in a land once familiar but now foreign. Each step feelslike a betrayal against my own flesh and blood, even though I know the very castle that raised me has been turned into a fortress of malevolence.

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