Page 94 of Alien Prince

“I… I realize that, but… why?” I whisper.

“Because they know what you mean to me,” he says quietly, his voice rough, “and they’ll do anything to weaken me.”

His admission leaves me speechless.

Kael takes a step closer, his hand brushing against my arm. “I pushed you away because I thought it would be the best way toprotect you. With all of this upheaval, and the coup… But now I see what a fool I’ve been. Distance won’t keep you safe.”

I want to be angry, to yell at him for shutting me out, but the vulnerability in his eyes stops me. He’s as conflicted as I am, torn between duty and something neither of us can deny.

Kael didn’t regret making love to me. He was afraid for my life, and that he followed me to my room… was he afraid I would be attacked? Or had he wanted to give into his feelings?

“Distance isn’t allowed anymore,” I say.

Kael nods, his jaw tightening as he steps back, his protective mask sliding into place. “Stay close,” he says. “I won’t let anything happen to you.”

Somehow, I actually believe him.

Chapter Sixteen

Kael

The air in the hidden chamber I brought us to is thick, the only sound the faint hum of the palace’s energy systems running through the walls. Emily sits on the edge of the stone bench, her arms wrapped around herself, her brows drawn in frustration and concern. She’s beautiful even in her unease, her fire undiminished despite everything we’ve faced tonight.

I don’t know if the guards know we’re here, although they should. This is where royals should be sent if there is an attack.

That my father hasn’t been brought here… Does that mean he died? Have the guards been killed?

For now, we will remain here. It’s already been hours, but I would rather be certain that it’s safe to leave.

But the longer we’re confined, the harder it is to maintain the wall I’ve built between us.

“Kael,” she says softly, breaking the silence, “what are we going to do?”

“I will do whatever is necessary to protect you. Not just from the assassins, but from what it means to be with me. To be at my side.”

She frowns, tilting her head slightly. “You’re talking about the throne.”

“Yes,” I admit. “The throne. The court. The endless games of intrigue and manipulation. I need a queen to secure my rule, to stabilize Erythos in the face of rebellion, but…” I trail off, unsure how to put into words what I’ve been fighting to suppress.

“But what?” she presses, her voice trembling slightly.

I step closer, unable to keep my distance any longer. “But I never expected it to be you,” I say, my tone raw. “The vessel’s choice… I don’t know if you know this or not, but the vessel chose several women before you, and none of them… It wasn’t until now that it was right. If that’s not proof that the vessel is antiquated…”

“But if not for the vessel, we never would’ve met.” Her lips quirk before twisting into a small smile. “I guess some of your traditions aren’t terrible.”

Under other circumstances, I would’ve laughed, but this matter—matters of the heart—are far too serious. “You challenge me, Emily. You make me question everything, and it terrifies me.”

Her lips part, and she looks almost… sorrowful. “Why does it terrify you?” she whispers. “I don’t want to… How can I make you frightened?”

“Because I want you,” I say, the words spilling out before I can stop them. “Not just as a queen but as… you. As the woman who makes me feel alive in a way I’ve never known. I always knew I would become king one day and have a queen beside me, but I saw what can occur when the king and queen love each other. My mother died years ago, and ever since, my father has been sick time and again. Without her, he has become a shell of him former self, and I vowed to myself that I would always put my people and the kingdom first. Them before my heart. You’re making me risk a promise I made to myself, and I don’t know if I can accept that.”

The silence that follows is deafening.

Emily stands slowly, her gaze never leaving mine. “Kael,” she says, her voice soft but firm. “I want you too.”

She might have wanted to say more, but those words are enough to break my mind. The tension between us snaps like a live wire, and before I can think, I close the distance between us,my hands cupping her face as I claim her lips in a kiss that’s both desperate and consuming.

She responds immediately, her arms wrapping around my neck as she presses herself against me. The warmth of her body and the softness of her skin… Yes, I already had her once, but denying myself is not an option anymore. She is far more intoxicating than I ever imagined.

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