Page 110 of Bane of the Wild Hunt

“What?” I gaped, since she was the last person I could have envisioned ever willingly giving up her control.

“He wants control and she doesn’t. It’s kind of what humans call a win-win,” she explained proudly.

“Perhaps,” my father conceded, although he did not sound very convinced.

Chapter thirty-one

RIORDAN CHOSE HIM TOO

Amira

The King’s Council was petty, and that did not change no matter how many times I joined Riordan with them over the course of the next few days. I quickly came to understand why he hated this aspect of his job as the king, although I did think he did a good job of getting them to focus when they wanted to fixate on the wrong issues.

My biggest frustration with them was how preoccupied they seemed to be with policing the rights that Riordan was enshrining for the Ktínos. And despite how unkind Orion had been to me, seeing the indignation hardening his face while he stood silently and listened as his people were discussed as if they were barbarians was absolutely gut-wrenching. Riordan, of course, was tireless in their defense and relentlessly challenged each and every cruel and unfounded concern that was raised by some of the more bigoted councillors. But there were so many times that I nearly bit off my own damned tongue trying to keep quiet since I knew my voice was not any more credible to them than Orion’s would have been.

As the demand on my time began to amp up the way Sofia warned me it would, I understood more and more why my mate had so little patience for the council. The days were long and filled with all the training and tutoring that Rhea, Helena, and Sofia had suggested for me. I also offered to oversee the relief program Riordan was implementing in the Rookery since I was very familiar with the realities of urban poverty and homelessness. And although I still felt like I was getting my feet under me, I was determined to match my mate’s ambition and commitment.

And despite everything else, Riordan was wonderful.

He and Orion worked long into the nights with a slew of advisors, both Imítheos and Ktínos individuals whom Riordan had carefully curated. Their task of taking over a kingdom that had been without a proper monarch since the king was cursed was monstrous. But they were also dealing with a resurgence of the Fuath and a mysterious food shortage in the midst of effectively turning all of the city-states upside down with reforms.

Nikos had also left the capital for Árgos right after his expulsion from the council chamber which was cause for concern to everyone. But Riordan insisted on letting him go so that they could have someone watch him and try to identify any supporters and collaborators he might have. We sent spies to the Four Courts in the hopes of fostering alliances and attaining information on the Autumn Prince, and an envoy had gone to the Sylvan Elves as well.

And somehow, amidst all of the chaos, Riordan still managed to join me in my room for breakfast every single morning just as he had promised.

But I really began to miss the quiet days which I had not properly appreciated when he was just a griffin and I was just a rogue witch. When he was the most beloved and trustedconfidant that I’d ever had, and I was his place of safety and companionship. I missed him from the moment he walked out my door to the second he returned to me. And I knew he felt the same about me because his hands lingered on me a little longer each time he had to go away from me.

It also seemed like I might be growing sensitive to his very scent. Not the airy, fresh smell of his magic, that was something that I’d always been able to sense about others. This was his natural scent, which was not something I had ever been able to detect before, but I could almost taste it. A warm, musky smell, like bergamot and clove, that I was now constantly catching hints of on my skin and clothing. His every touch, even a light brush down my arm was enough to bring my whole body to attention. I was often distracted thinking about him and could barely keep my hands off him whenever we were together. Helena and Ares found it highly amusing and teased me relentlessly. Sofia was a bit slower to get used to our open displays of affection, but she was still far more accepting of it than any of the other Imítheos that I’d gotten to know.

And of course, Orion continued to be unenthusiastic, but he was no longer confrontational. He had either taken his conversation with Riordan to heart or he was slowly beginning to accept that I really was going to be a part of Riordan’s life. I tried not to get my hopes up too much about him coming around.

But waiting to complete the mating ritual with Riordan was becoming increasinglydifficult.

The King’s Council had suggested we wait to perform the symbolic and public aspects of our union at Riordan’s coronation ceremony. Dio had pointed out that our private declaration to one another, which was apparently all that was strictly necessary before we consummated the union, might make some think the king was ashamed or coerced. All ofthe councillors agreed that if Riordan was going to choose such a controversial mate, then he should commit to me with confidence and transparency before everyone.

I was a little skeptical on whether they actually meant well with this recommendation after listening to how they spoke about the Ktínos. But we did agree to wait because Riordan was already being overwhelmed. And when he did finally make me his mate, he said he wanted to give me as much of his undivided attention as he could…

And I was completely unopposed to his plan.

That didn’t make it any easier to wait. Especially since I was always so surrounded by guards that tending to my raging desires on my own felt almost impossible.

“Your mind is wandering,” Riordan said with a hint of amusement in his voice, bringing me back to the present. We were in Ergastiri to train in the private gym in his old apartment since he did not want anyone else to know that I could use his magic.

“It’s a little difficult to focus when you’re standing so close to me,” I insisted without opening my eyes, as if I were still trying to focus on my magic. I grinned when he snorted a soft laugh at me.

“I am not even touching you this time.”

“Maybe youshould. Maybe that would make it easier to connect with your magic,” I pointed out.

Orion muttered something in Aeolian from the corner of the room. He had made the workout bench there his customary perch whenever he watched us train since we were not yet allowed to be unsupervised. I was keeping track of some of the foreign words he used the most to translate later. I knew he was not being mean to me since Riordan actually huffed a soft laugh at whatever he said. But one of these days I was going to take them both off guard and retort back in Aeolian.

The only other person who sometimes joined us as a supervisor was Helena who was the only other person Riordan had told the truth to about my ability. She had been a bit uncertain initially, for which I certainly could not blame her. The warrior had turned to look at me with a discerning and contemplating expression that reminded me of the way Riordan’s mother examined me. But at the end of it, Helena began to nod, almost to herself, as if she had carefully weighed all the information before she told him to train me. That was the last time that she and I had really spoken about it.

“I am more than willing to try using touch if you are,” my mate laughed, and I had to bite back a groan when he stepped up against me. Cupping my face gently, he tilted my head up and pressed several kisses to my forehead. “Are you focusing better yet?” he asked playfully before kissing my temple and then my cheek.

“Mhmm,” I grunted, happily soaking up his affection.

“I could orchestrate mortal danger. Maybe recreating the circumstances in which you used the magic will help,” suggested Orion drolly.

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