Page 13 of Mated

He stayed silent, but he had this almost curious look on his face, as if silently asking what I meant.

“A dusting to no longer being a vicinity of a cruel world. Adjusting to… beingseenas someone who is important and valued.” I lifted my hand, feeling bold and brash. I brushed my fingers down his jaw, where the scales gave way to smoother, warm skin. “For the first time in my life, I feel like I’mreal. Not just someone to be bartered off or spoken for.”

“Those who didn’t see your worth are fools. Those who didn’t see how important you are deserve death at the end of a rusty, dull blade.”

I’d never heard anything so… romantic before.

He growled, his barbed tail wrapping around my ankle, anchoring me close to him. “You werealways meantfor this throne. For this kingdom and… for me.”

A shiver of pleasure and acceptance ran through me.

I turned into him, draping a leg over his big body, pressing my chest to his side. I was keenly aware of how tiny I was in comparison, and I loved it. It turned me on.

His heartbeat was slow and steady, but heavy and strong.

Before I could speak, Draxus ran his tongue along my cheek in what I felt was an endearing sort of kiss, and rose in one fluid motion. I lay there nude for long seconds as he looked his fill with his strangely silted eyes.

Then, he helped me up and lifted me instantly before carrying me to the arched doorway I hadn’t noticed until now.

A stone balcony loomed before us as he stepped into the hot, smoke scented air.

The night air was thick with ash and darkness, the sky a churning mix of dark clouds and glowing red embers from the crackling and bubbling lava below. I could see a skeleton shaped forest in the distance, and onyx and jagged mountains beyond that.

The underworld of Blood Ash stretched far and wide—wastelands of darkness that we’d rule together.

And all of it was ours.

He set me down, but kept me close with his arm curled protecting around my waist. The dry and warm wind tugged at my hair.

“This world will know who you are. They’ll know you rule and now at your feet,” Draxus said beside me, his voice low and reverent, and so very proud. “And they willfearyou, Elowen. They’ll understand you hold their lives in your little hands.”

“I’m ready,” I said after a moment of letting his words sink in.

He let out a growl of approval, pulling me to his side even more firmly. His tail flicked behind him like a banner, the barbed end thumping hard on the stone floor.

“Tomorrow we celebrate you. Everyone in the kingdom will gather,” he said, his voice already slipping into that tone of command. “They will know Queen Elowen rules beside me.”

He turned to me then, gripped my jaw with one clawed hand, and stared deep into my soul.

This was such a heavy moment, and it didn’t scare me on a survival level. A part of me said run. This was too much. Too fast. But my feet were frozen in place.

I wasn’t going anywhere.

“My queen,” he growled.

I leaned into him, felt his paw curl around the back of my head, and while we stood there silently, while my king held me, I stared at everything the fire and darkness touched.

Mykingdom.

8

QUEEN ELOWEN

Istood beside Draxus in the throne room, the area cast in candlelight from the massive skull chandelier hanging from the ceiling, and bone sconces lining the walls.

The lava lines in the black stone walls flared and dimmed, the shadows stretching long and deep, snaking out and curling around everything it touched like demons reaching out to claim a victim.

Right now it was just Draxus and I in the room, with servants stationed around the room in wait ofwhowas coming.

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