Page 33 of The Princess and Her Grand King

Her struggles ceased, and Aekeira sobbed against his lips. Crying uncontrollably, her tears mixing with the kiss.

Yet, he didn’t stop.

He kissed her,and kissed her, and kissed her.

Time fell away.

The world around them disappeared.

An eternity later, he broke the kiss, licking away her tears with such rare tenderness. "I apologize with everything in me for hurting you this way.”

The raw truth, the deep regret in his voice, made her open her eyes.

His face was a mirror of her own pain. "I'm so sorry, my little bird,"

"You hurt me," she cried helplessly, her breath hitching as the tears continued to flow. "You h-hurt me."

"It was never my intention. Giving you your freedom was the only decision I could make then. Letting whatever we had between us continue… it was ill-advised for so many reasons." His tone was overflowing with remorse.

"I’m soulless, Aekeira. That alone made it impossible. I’m also on a highway to madness, another reason. And you… you are human. You are not Syren. Even if I had my soul, it's not possible for a bond to take place between us. When Daemon offered to set you free, I thought it was best."

Hearing it laid out like that, Aekeira understood.

Frankly, she had thought all this herself over the years. She could understand why he did what he did.

Yet, understanding didn't lessen the pain.

“And now?” she whispered. “What about now?”

“Now, I regret that decision more than anything. I sent you away so you would not see me go feral, but when it came down to it, you were all I wanted by my side. As I battled against it, I found myself hoping—praying—that I would recover enough to cross into the human world and bring you back here, Aekeira, to where you truly belong."

He looked her in the eyes. "I wish I’d never let you go."

Chapter eight

EVIELYN’S WISDOM.

Standingbeforethegrandking’s residence, Emeriel took in the grandeur of the place. The sophisticated decorations, the massive double doors carved with two lions, their mouths open in fierce roars.

The last time she stood here, she had been a slave terrified of her secrets, carrying his dinner.

That was the best part about being back, the freedom from that strangling fear. There were no secrets now. No deception weighing her down. This was who she was.

"Are you ready?" Lord Ottai asked beside her.

She inclined her head and took a step forward.

“One more thing,” he said, halting her. "He does not like to feed. If you try, and his claws slip out, let it go. Don’t push him, or he may claw you up like the others. He’s… not in his right mind."

Emeriel gave a curt nod.

Led into King Daemonikai's bedchamber, she paused at the door while the Urekai maids departed. Then, with a deep breath, she opened it and stepped inside.

His scent hit her first.

It was overpowering. An assault on her senses after two long years without it.

She swayed on the spot, her knees buckling. Gripping the wall, Emeriel tried to steady herself.Everywhere smelled like him.

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