Page 27 of Bound By Wishes

“Tell them to step out of the room,” Ranen hissed in my ear.

“The tiger is not attacking me, and I suggest if you want to keep your limbs attached to your body that you take a step back,” I said, trying to force authority into my shaky voice. Surprisingly, they did as commanded and stepped back.

Ranen brushed against the soft skin between my ear and shoulder and my flesh broke out in goosebumps. “Now tell them that you will be keeping the tiger in your room,” he instructed.

“What?” I screeched too loudly, and all the guards' eyes shifted from the tiger to me.

“Tell them,” Ranen urged more forcibly, tugging on a strand of my hair.

“I will be keeping the tiger with me.” I glanced down at the beast standing next to me and noticed for the first time the raw, red skin around its neck and the stark outline of his ribs protruding through his fur. My stomach twisted as a pang of sorrow washed over me. The sight ignitedfierce anger. “I will not need your assistance anymore. You are dismissed.”

One of the guards stepped forward only for Namir to growl, and he quickly backtracked. “Princess. Namir is dangerous. The king will…”

“I don’t care. If the king has an issue with it, he can address me directly,” I snapped. “Now, leave us and shut the door behind you.”

A hush fell over the room as they slowly reached for the handles and shut the door. Namir’s tense body relaxed when Ranen reappeared before us.

“Would you like to tell me why I just told the guards I would be keeping a tiger in my room?” I asked, crossing my arms over my chest.

“Namir will keep you safe if ever I am not around,” he answered with a wave of his hand. One corner of the massive room turned into a tiger oasis, complete with an extravagantly woven bed, a small crystal-clear water pool, and mounds of fresh meat.

The poor, starved tiger rushed toward the food, tearing into the flesh ferociously. I watched him for a while. The image of him tearing into me like that plagued my mind. The whole idea of a tiger staying in my room didn’t sit well with me, but at least it would receive better care under my authority. Oh, my fickle heart was going to get me eaten.

My gaze shifted to Ranen. "Why did you name him 'Tiger' in your language? You couldn’t come up with a name?" I asked.

“Giving something a name implies that it’s important to you. As king, I don’t have the luxury of caring,” he replied, his gaze colliding with mine. His shoulders tensed, but hiseyes held a shadow of something almost like regret, a hint of sorrow he quickly masked. “And I never will.”

My chest squeezed with sorrow at his words. He must be a very lonely man.Ugh, stupid heart. Stop falling victim to every sob story you hear. That’s exactly why you’re in this situation.

We stood in silence, watching the tiger as it settled down after its meal, its fierce eyes now calm and content. I headed back to my bed and climbed beneath the sheets. I was exhausted, having gotten very little sleep between my bad dream and a tiger climbing into bed with me. I still had a few hours before the sun came up, and I hoped to get a little rest.

Someone banging on my door shattered that hope. The boom echoed through the room. I threw the sheets over my head. “Go away!” I grumbled.

When I heard the handle turn and the door swing open, I shoved the covers away, only to see the king standing in the doorframe. I sat up slowly as Namir rose from his bed, a low warning growl vibrating from his chest.

Razoul’s gaze flicked to Namir. “I see what the guards were telling me is true.” He shifted back to me, and I pulled the covers higher up my chest. “This beast is not a pet. It is very dangerous, princess.” He stalked closer to the bed, his presence threatening and intense. The tension in the room thickened as Namir eased forward, his movements fluid and predatory. In one swift motion, Namir jumped into bed with me, his powerful body landing with a gentle thud. He laid down beside me, his sharp gaze fixed on Razoul. Razoul stopped in his tracks. Maybe Ranen was right that having Namir in my room was a good thing. He was certainlykeeping the king at bay. “He goes back to his cage.” Razoul growled, his gaze never leaving Namir.

I sat up straighter, daring to run my hand along Namir’s smooth fur. “No.”

The king’s gaze snapped to mine, his body language screaming with anger. “You dare to say no to me?” Razoul growled.

I swallowed the rising panic that crept up my throat. “I don’t think granting me this small request is beyond you. I have, after all, traveled very far from home to be here, and I am all alone.” I hoped my expression portrayed a sweet vulnerability instead of nagging impatience. “Besides, the poor beast hasn’t been well taken care of.” Try as I might, I couldn’t keep the anger from slipping into my tone.

“Who set this up for you?” Changing the subject, Razoul motioned toward the corner of the room Ranen created for the tiger.

“The servants, of course,” I lied, hoping I sounded convincing. My eyes ventured around the room, wondering where Ranen had disappeared to. He certainly wasn’t on my shoulder at the moment.

Razoul’s regard shifted back to me, a sly grin pulling at his lips. “Of course.” Suspicion crept into his demeanor, and my mind grappled with something else clever to say to alleviate his suspicion.

“What’s his name?” I blurted out, motioning to Namir. That was clever, right? Because technically I shouldn’t know his name.

“Namir,” Razoul answered.

A servant burst into my room, throwing himself at Razoul’s feet. “Great king!” he stammered. Namir growled,rising to his feet, and my heart stumbled in my chest. “A thousand pardons for the intrusion, but the dig site has collapsed, and many men are trapped within.”

Dig site? The archaeologist in me perked up at the words.

“Your tongue wags too much for its own good,” Razoul’s voice was dangerously calm. “Remind me later to have it removed.” The man whose face was still planted on the floor trembled. Anger pumped through my veins, hot and unyielding. I had no doubt in my mind that tongue-cutting was something that Razoul did all the time to the poor Canaari. Razoul turned back toward me, his dark eyes pure steel. “The beast may stay with you for the time being, but if it eats you in your sleep, I will not be held responsible.” Razoul turned, stepping on the servant’s hand as he marched out of my room.

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