Page 168 of The Princess and Her Grand King

When his world finally came back into focus, he let out a slow, ragged breath, shifting back into his full male form.

Underneath him, his human treasure lay utterly still, her body spent, her breathing soft. She had lost consciousness.GRAND KING DAEMONIKAI

He lay beside his princess until she stirred. The sun dipped below the trees, painting the woods in shades of gold and crimson. He watched her eyelids flutter open. They lay so close, their noses nearly brushing.

"Hey…" he murmured, his fingers tracing a path through her hair. "Welcome back."

"Your Grace—"

"Daemon," he corrected softly.

"Daemon." A small, pleased smile curved her lips. "Was I out for long?"

He shook his head. "Come, let's get back. Night is falling."

Daemonikai rose first, then helped her to her feet. His eyes fell to her naked body, to the faint red marks on her hips.

She flushed, her hands darting up to cover her breasts as she glanced around at the shredded remnants of her clothing.

He slipped off his robe and draped it over her small shoulders. She slumped slightly under its weight.

"It's so heavy," she whispered in surprise.

Daemonikai chuckled lightly and retrieved the robe. He pulled off his shirt, guiding her arms into the soft linen. "Better?"

She nodded, wincing slightly as she took a step.

The primitive side of him felt satisfied, but he also felt remorse. He noticed the way she favored one leg in a limp.

"Why did you do that? You could have been hurt."

"But I wasn't." A shy smile touched her lips as she tested her weight, taking a small hop forward.

He caught her by the waist, pulling her into his arms and tilting her chin up to meet his gaze. "I understand the sexual desire that comes with the hunt, but this was different. Why would you provoke me like that, Riel?"

She averted her eyes, scuffing the ground with her foot. "You are always so guarded, and you wouldn't… uhm… touch me. And I… wanted you to, but I couldn't… uhm ask."

“So you thought provoking me that way was the answer?”

"Don’t beat yourself up. I… loved it. I enjoyed what we did.” Her cheeks reddened further. "I'm not as delicate as you think. I like… uhm… when you are not holding back so much.”

His proper, reserved princess was becoming comfortable enough to communicate her wants with him. Daemonikai felt a swell of pride.

But he didn’t like the hint of shame in her voice.

“Look at me,” he ordered.

Emeriel slowly raised her eyes to his.

“Never be ashamed of what we have. It’s completely natural to want this." He cupped her face in his hands, his thumbs softly stroking her cheeks. “You are mySoulbond, young princess. What we share is special, and I love knowing I’m not the only one who feels this way. You are like an addiction to me. If I took you every time I wanted you, you’d never leave my bed.”

The blush on her cheeks deepened, spreading down to her neck, but the initial shame began to melt away, replaced by a genuine smile.

“So you see, dearling, what you feel is perfectly normal. And you’re right—you’re not fragile.” He leaned closer, his breath warm against her ear. “Whenever you want it rough and hard, all you have to do is ask and I will give it to you exactly like that.”

Emeriel buried her face in his chest, mumbling against his bare skin. "Okay."

"That's Galilea, my slutty little princess, right there."

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