Page 60 of Queen Takes King
Rage, despair, hatred, desperation, agony. But most of all, glee. I had come. Exactly as hewanted.
Leviathan was pissed, hungry, and so fuckingstrong. Not weak or failing. Certainly not near death. At least it didn’t feel likeit.
In fact, I was pretty sure there was no way in hell I’d be able to get anywhere close to him withoutdying.
“Then you won’t get close to him,” Rikretorted.
“I must,” I repliedsoftly.
“I thought you said he wasdying.”
I could only shrug. I’d felt urgency, yes, but maybe I’d misinterpreted it. Maybe it was my human upraising that had leaped to the conclusion that only I could save him. That he’d die withoutme.
Oh, the arrogance. The stupidity. He wanted me here for one reasononly.
So he could wreck vengeance on the world and destroy what Ra had wrought. And nothing was going to get in hisway.
Especiallyme.
26
Shara
Rik grabbedmy arm and pulled me against him. “Don’t dothis.”
I was scared. Sure. I was probably going to fail. But the hell if I’d stand here and let him tell me what I could and could notdo.
No matter how much I lovedhim.
He pressed his forehead to mine and held me tightly. “I know,” he whispered. “Myqueen.”
Daire pressed against me too, wrapping his arms around us both. “At least allow us to go withyou.”
“There’s no way I’m letting you die too. Besides, I need someone to protect our friends if something happens tome.”
“If you die, we die,” Rik replied, his tone as even and emotionless as if he’d said the sky was blue. “We won’t survive yourdeath.”
I forced my voice lighter, brighter, as if I wasn’t scared to death. “Then I had best notdie.”
He pressed his lips to mine in a soft, gentle kiss. He could have thrown me over his shoulder and hauled my ass back down to the cars. Or he could have tried to use my passion against me. He could have taken my mouth deep and hard, stirring my desire, or even nicking himself to tempt me with hisblood.
But he did none of those things. For being so big, my alpha could be especiallytender.
I kissed Daire and his rumbling purr made my eyes burn. I turned to Guillaume, my grim, silent knight. He shocked me by sweeping me up into a fiery kiss, his tongue twined with mine. He pulled me up against him and then twisted to the side over his arm, like an old fashioneddip.
“Shit, G,” Daire finally said. “You’ve been holding out onus.”
Guillaume smiled against my lips and pulled me back upright. Breathless, I stared up at him, shocked as much by the twinkling light in his eyes as the dramatic show of affection from the normally stoicman.
“I expect more kisses like that in thefuture.”
He inclined his head. “It will be my pleasure, myqueen.”
I turned to Xin. He took both my hands in his and kissed both my cheeks. “We all hunger for your blood, and he will be no different. But remember that your blood is also a weapon, my queen. You have magic that he will not be able towithstand.”
His words reminded me that my hand was bleeding. Might as well make use of it. So I lifted my palm to his mouth. His eyes darkened, his nostrils flaring, but he only took a quick swipe with his tongue. “Thank you, my queen, but save it. I have a feeling you’ll need every drop to bend the king to yourwill.”
If that was even possible.It has to bepossible.
