Page 115 of The Princess and Her Grand King

Uncertain, Aekeira fidgeted, shifting her weight from one foot to the other.

“You know I can smell you, right?”

Her eyes snapped up, startled. His head turned slightly, glancing at her over his shoulder.

"I can never sneak up on you, Your Highness, can I?” Aekeira asked, remembering two years ago when he'd said those very words to her.

His lips curved into a subtle smile, and just like that, her tension eased. His amusement, no matter how faint, undid her every time.

"Good evening, Your Highness," she greeted with a curtsy.

"A nice evening indeed." He sighed. "Lose the formalities and come here, Aekeira.”

Her feet moved at the gentle order before her mind could catch up. Crossing the room, she walked to him.

He reached for her, pulling her forward while stepping back to make room for her until she was wrapped securely in the cocoon of his arms.

The night breeze floated through the open window, cool and soothing against her flushed skin, but it was his warmth—his breath on her cheek, his presence surrounding her—that made her shiver.

“You seem tense,” his tone was a lazy drawl.

“I don’t know what to expect,” Aekeira admitted.

“Relax, young princess. I don’t bite.” His tone dipped, a guttural growl. “Unless you want me to.”

Flushing red, she tilted her neck to the side, his nose brushing against her skin, nuzzling her lightly.

“How did the ritual go?” she asked, her voice unsteady.

“It went well. Long and exhausting, as always. We can only hope it yields fruit.” He exhaled deeply, his breath warm against her skin. “Hades, you smell incredible,” he murmured under his breath. “It’s like coming home.”

Aekeira’s heart skipped.This male… Does he know how effortlessly he says all the right things? Everything a woman dreams of hearing?

“Is the night sky as beautiful in the human world as it is here?” he asked, eyes drifting back to the stars.

“Y-yes,” she managed, her voice raspier than intended.

She was so aware of him. Every nerve heightened and alive, it felt as though the rest of the world ceased to exist.

Forcing herself to stay present, she cleared her throat. “Sometimes, I go out just to gaze at the stars.”

“It’s calming. Freeing,” he said, his eyes tracing the constellations. “And when you free your mind, letting go of idle thoughts, and simply follow the stars with your eyes, you get lost in their beauty. It’s mesmerizing.”

I could never do that, Your Highness. Because whenever I stargaze, all I can think about is you. I worry about you, about your well-being. In my imagination, I wake to find you at the door, waiting to take me back with you.

“Let’s have a bonding ritual, Aekeira."

***

Daemonikai would like to say when Emeriel dropped her clothes, he got more concerned.

That his worry tripled at her very unexpected behavior, and he immediately demanded to know what was wrong.

But his mind went blank.

Bathed in the soft glow of moonlight filtering through the curtains, Daemonikai got a clear view of his woman’s body without the cloud of a rut… and almost swallowed his damn tongue.

She was exquisite. A goddess incarnate.

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