Page 142 of A Court Bright and Broken

“And I want to hear it all. I want to hear everything about everything. But first, I have to ask you. I can’t wait another minute.”

Here, I paused for a fortifying breath then dropped to one knee.

“I’m so in love with you, it’s painful. I need you with me always, Raewyn. Marry me.”

She drew back in shock. “We can’t marry. You’re Elven, and I’m human.”

“I don’t care. You’re the one I want,” I vowed. “The only woman I’lleverwant. I don’t want you to be my concubine or my consort. I want you to be my wife, and I don’t care what anyone else thinks about it.”

“Your father and brother will care quite a bit,” she said. “You saw the way Pharis reacted, and your father…”

“It doesn’t matter,” I said, and I meant it. I was taking a giant leap away from my lifelong commitment to duty and honor, but it felt so right.

Raewyn was worth any consequence that might follow.

“My father will either accept my decision and allow me to marry you, or I’ll abdicate, and Pharis will become Crown Prince. Either way, I get to be with you. That’s all I care about.”

“The king will never allow it,” Raewyn said, shaking her head rapidly. “He gets what he wants, and what he wants is for you toproduce a pureblooded heir and rule when he steps down. He’ll have me executed as soon as you tell him of your intentions.”

A surge of protective fury filled my veins.

“He’ll have to executemefirst,” I said, rising to my feet. “I’ll never let anyone harm you, Raewyn. You are the most important person in the world to me.”

Pulling her close again, I wrapped my arms around her and peppered her face with kisses.

“We’ll find a way to make it work,” I vowed. “Even if I have to go live in a human village, it doesn’t matter. Nothing matters to me except spending my life with you.”

I drew back so we could make eye contact. Hers were brimming with tears and maybe even a spark of hope.

“I can’t believe you’d give all ofthisup forme,” she said.

“Gladly,” I assured her. “All this and more. It’s all rubbish without you. So what is your answer? Will you finally admit you love me too… and do me the honor of becoming my wife?”

Chapter 38

Mine Forever

Raewyn

Unable to stop myself, I rose to my tiptoes and kissed Stellon.

Though I hadn’t admitted it out loud, he was right. Ididlove him—despite the terrible confessions he’d made.

When it came to my own truth-telling, I’d balked at the last second and stopped short of admitting to the assassination plot. When I’d agreed to attend the ball, I hadn’t known that was part of the plan, and I’d neverreallyintended to do it.

Of course I’d have to tell Stellon eventually.

At the moment, I was too caught up in the pleasure of his kiss and the intensity of the feelings he’d caused in me with his declaration of love—and his proposal.

Hisimpossibleproposal.

If he abdicated, where would we even go? He’d be as out of place in a human village as I was here in the palace. With the way my neighbors viewed him and his family, he wouldn’t be any safer among them than I was among the Fae.

But it wassotempting to just forget about that reality and let myself sink into sensation. Stellon knew just where to placehis hands, just how to move his mouth so that my every thought evaporated in a puff of passion-fueled steam.

Breaking our kiss, he moved his mouth to my neck and spoke to me between maddening kisses.

“Beautiful darling, I want to make you feel things you’ve never felt before. I want to hear you scream my name when you can no longer contain those feelings.”

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