Page 97 of The Umbra King

He scowled at her. “I have a whole soul.” His eyebrows drew together as he searched for the right words. “It’s like a blank puzzle. All the pieces are there, but the picture is missing. The picture makes it better and complete.”

What he said made sense. Kind of. “And I’m a picture without a puzzle? That doesn’t seem so bad. There are tons of pictures without puzzles.”

He pinched the bridge of his nose, and she fought a smile. “I am a book without a story, and you are a story without a book.”

“There are a lot of stor—”

“Damnit, Rory.” He was around the table and caging her in before she could blink. “You can give yourself an orgasm.” He leaned his head down so his lips brushed her ear, something she’d come to love. “But I can make you scream.”Thatshe understood. “You were made for me, and I was made for you, whether you like it or not.”

He pushed off her chair and moved away from her. “I will not force myself on you, but what I say is the truth. Take it or leave it.”

She crossed her legs and cursed herself for not putting panties on before charging after him. The wetness between her legs would likely show on the seat if she stood. Damn him and his filthy mouth.

She cleared her throat and lifted her chin. “What now?”

Surprise flickered across his face. “What do you mean?”

She hiked a shoulder. “What do we do now? How would this normally play out?”

It caught him off guard, and she smirked. “You don’t know, do you?”

“My parents and my father’s siblings were already married when my siblings and I were born. Gedeon and Adila have not yet met theirAeternums, nor had Atarah. I’ve never seen it play out,” he admitted.

They stared at each other, neither knowing what to say. “Well,” Rory said at last. “I suggest you get very good at wining and dining me if you want me to love you.”

He lifted his eyes to hers. They darkened as his pupils pushed outthe gold. “And fucking you.” His arrogant smirk returned, and she found she’d missed it.

Standing, she nonchalantly checked the chair and ran her hand down the back of her shift before turning to him with an appraising look. “We both know you’ve mastered that.”

She left him standing in her room and shut herself in the bathroom. If she was being courted, she needed to look damn good.

When Rory emerged from her shower, Caius was gone, but in his place was Bellina.

The seamstress took a bite of the pastry in her hand and smiled. “Good morning. Why does it smell like sex in here?”

Rory kept a blank expression. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Bullshit,” Bellina shot back. “Here.” She held out a second pastry, and Rory plucked it from her friend’s hand.

“It was the king,” Bellina said with confidence. “I knew you two would get together, eventually.”

Rory clenched her towel tighter and sat beside Bellina. “You won’t believe the shit storm that was this morning.”

Bellina swallowed the last of her food. “Tell me everything.”

Rory covered her face and lay back on the bed. “Apparently, I’m Caius’ eternal mate.”

Her friend stared at her like she’d grown a second head. “What?”

“You heard me,” Rory replied. “He called it…”

“Aeternum,” Bellina finished for her. She looked at Rory like she saw her in a new light. “I read about them once in an old fairy tale book. I thought it was made up.”

Rory threw her arm across her eyes. “I thought Samyaza was made up, and we’ve all seen him peacocking around the palace.”

“That’s rude,” a baritone voice said from the open doorway, making Bellina and Rory jump.

“Everyone in this palace needs to wear a bell,” Rory snapped, making Sam grin. “Have you ever knocked a day in your ancient life?”

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