Page 26 of The Manticore's Human Queen
I reach through the bars to touch his face, tracing the strong line of his jaw. “That’s exactly what I am.”
“Annelise—”
I silence him by pressing my lips to his through the bars, kissing him with all the desperate hunger and determinationcoursing through my veins. He responds immediately, one hand tangling in my hair while the other grips the bar so hard his knuckles whiten.
When we break apart, we’re both breathing hard.
“One more day,” I repeat against his lips.
A growl rumbles deep in his chest, raw and hungry. “One more day, and then you’re mine. Completely mine.”
“I’m already yours,” I whisper back. “I have been since the first night I chose to defy them for you.”
“Tomorrow night, when this is over—” he begins, but I cut him off, slipping to my knees before him. My warm breath teases his cock, and it thickens in response. I take him into my mouth, my lips warm as the sun, my tongue gentle as a breeze, savoring him with slow, deliberate reverence.
29
TAREK
Dawn breaks on the day that will either set us free or see us dead. The wedding preparations echo through the ballroom like war drums, each sound sharpening my senses. Servants rush back and forth, their footsteps sharp against the marble floor. The scent of roses and expensive wine mingles with a metallic tang of fear that clings to everyone in this cursed place. My blood roars with anticipation.
I pace the length of my cage, each step measured and deliberate. The chains binding me to the floor allow just enough movement to keep my muscles from stiffening, but not enough to forget my captivity. Soon, these golden bars will be nothing but twisted metal and broken dreams.
Guests arrive as the sun reaches its peak—dark elves in their finery, silver-skinned and cold-eyed, filling the ballroom with cruel laughter. They point at me as they pass, joking about the “wedding entertainment” and the “beast hunt” to come. Let them laugh. Let them think they understand what they’re dealing with. Their arrogance will be their downfall.
“Magnificent specimen,” one lord remarks to another, examining me like a prize bull. “Should provide excellent sport.”
“Indeed. Though I wonder if it will last long enough to make the hunt interesting,” his companion replies.
I meet their gazes steadily, letting them see the predator behind my eyes. A few step back, some primal instinct warning them of danger, but most are too drunk on their own superiority to notice the threat.
The afternoon crawls by with agonizing slowness. My focus never wavers from the grand entrance where Annelise will appear. Every nerve in my body is attuned to her presence, waiting for that first glimpse of ivory silk and golden hair.
When the musicians begin the processional, my heart hammers against my ribs like a caged beast of its own. Then she appears.
The sight of her steals my breath. She moves down the aisle like a vision in white, her face a serene mask of bridal joy. But I know her too well to be fooled by the performance. I see the steel beneath the silk, the fire behind her demure smile.
Our eyes meet across the crowded ballroom, and for a moment, the world falls away. There is only her, walking toward what everyone believes is her doom, but what I know is her liberation. She is magnificent. Deadly. Perfect.
The ceremony begins, but I barely hear the words. All my attention fixes on her, memorizing every detail of her face in case this goes wrong—the way her lashes cast shadows on her cheeks, the slight tremor in her hands that only I notice, the moment she glances toward my cage with a promise in her eyes.
The feast that follows is a blur of cruel faces and mocking toasts. I watch as Zarren parades her around the room like a trophy, his hands possessive on her waist. Every touch makes my blood burn hotter, but I force myself to stay still. To wait.
When Zarren announces the hunt, his voice rings out over the assembled nobles. “My friends, as special entertainment for this joyous occasion, I present a rare prize—a manticore,captured in the northern wastes!” The crowd cheers as he gestures toward my cage. “Tomorrow night, we shall hunt this beast through the ballroom itself. And to the warrior who lands the killing blow—the honor of my bride’s wedding night!”
The roar of approval from the elves makes my vision go red. But when I look at Annelise, I see not fear but cold, calculated fury. She meets my gaze across the room and gives the slightest nod. It’s time.
Hours later, when the ballroom empties and only a few guards remain, she comes to me one final time. She moves through the shadows like a wraith, her wedding gown replaced by a simple dark dress that will serve her better in what’s to come.
“Are you ready?” she whispers, kneeling beside my cage.
I study her face in the candlelight, burning every feature into my memory. “I will fight to my last breath to reach you,” I say, meaning every word. “No force in this world or any other will keep me from your side.”
Her eyes shine with unshed tears, but her voice is steady. “Then I’ll fight to mine.”
Her simple promise ignites something primal in my chest. This small, brave woman is ready to go to war for our freedom. For us. The knowledge fills me with a strength I’ve never felt before.
“You understand what will happen when I’m free of this cage?” I ask. “The violence that will follow?”
