Page 34 of Queen of Ashes and Scars
Alec’s head falls back to the duvet. “You’re really going through with this wedding?”
“Yes.” I pepper kisses over his silvery scars, from his shoulder to his navel.
The sound of the tub slowly filling up in the adjoining room rumbles in my chest, and I know I have to leave the safety of his arms, but I can’t quite bring myself to do it.
“Do you think you can get on board with my decision? I don’t want to lose you, Alec.” I press my nose to his. “Please.”
“How could I say no to you?” There’s a foreign softness in his words, but also a hint of resignation. “You’re my queen,” he adds with a grin, pulling me down for a slow, dreamy kiss.
I nuzzle the tender skin below his ear. “Play your cards right, Mr. Beaumont, and you might even get to walk me down the aisle.”
He freezes under me. “Are you kidding?”
My stomach flips, and I bite my bottom lip, wondering if I was joking or not. I thought I was, but he looks up at me with this wild, vulnerable gaze… and I’m suddenly curious.
“What if I’m not? Would you do it?” I have no one to give me away, my immediate family is dead, and I haven’t even had a second of peace to grieve that properly.
“Walk you down the aisle and give you away to that arrogant wise-ass?” he chucks out.
“Yes.”
“You’re asking for too much.” He sits up, his hand soft on the nape of my neck as he whispers, “But I’ll do it. For better or worse, I’m in love with you, Lucky.”
The only cloud passing over this fucking perfect moment is the fact that Alec said it with a hint of regret. My jaw hangs open at his admission, and in this beautiful, fragile moment, I know that this man has to be mine. I will keep him by my side. Forever. “I love you, too.”
We kiss again, and I’m tempted to slide him inside me again, but the curious glances of the servants tickle my naked back.
Alec rubs his face down, his demeanor melting into his professional, royal guard scowl. “I better go and get changed.”
I kiss him one more time before he goes. “We’ll make this work. I promise.”
Chapter17
Nearing the Edge
ARIELLE
The strong wind blows my hair forward, and the dark strands fly around my heated face. I’m standing below the edge of the cliff where Sebastian arranged for the ceremony to take place, panting hard like I jogged to get here. The Elder, my betrothed, and our handful of guests are waiting for me at the top.
The edge of a cliff. At twilight. With nothing but dark waters waiting for us at the bottom.
How poetic.
I’m out of view for now, which gives me a minute to collect my thoughts. The fresh, salty air calms my nerves as I breathe in and out, more nervous than I was for my Nightfall—which is saying something.
Alec hides in the shade of the trellis, grapevines sagging above our head. He’s wearing the same uniform he was wearing for my wedding to Pereira, the jacket freshly cleaned and pressed.
He looks so fierce in that uniform…
“You’re…radiant, Lucky.” His throat bobs, and the soft tremble of his voice softens my knees.
Emilia offered me a dozen lavish gowns, but I chose a short, light dress. The skirt finishes right above my knees and leaves my back bare, the long sleeves running down to my wrists.
My old handmaid, Selene, braided my hair to one side above my forehead and left the rest flowing down my shoulders, and Alec tucks a loose strand behind my ear. “You ready?”
“Yeah,” I croak, hoping my nervous brain is amplifying the angst in his golden irises.
My lover offers me his arm, and I take it, my other hand clenched around a bouquet of black roses. The spiky ends of the stems scrape the lace of my white wedding dress.
