Page 23 of A Kingdom of Death & Darkness
He hesitates. “It was the easiest way to get you into the Dark Lands and away from the Blood King. If he’d known you were my bonded, he would have killed you. Claiming you as kin was for your protection.”
“But you didn’t tell me once we got here,” I point out. “You could have let me know your plan once I was safe. You could have told me everything then.”
He glances at Carver, who leans against the stone wall. The asshole simply lifts a single arrogant hand as if to say,do go on. Though Carver’s expression is serious, there is still amusement written there. Clearly, he likes watching his brother squirmunder my questioning. Thorn shakes his head when he realizes there’s no help coming his way from his sibling.
“You’re right,” Thorn admits. “I had hoped to protect you. The less you know, the better.”
“Bullshit,” I spit, glaring at him. “Only assholes with too much ego say shit like that. You should have told me.” I cross my arms. “Now, how are we soulmates?”
He sighs. “Unlike vampires, fae have bonded mates. Think of it like a red string you’re born with. You were born with my string and I with yours. That’s really all there is to it. It allows a bond between us that heightens power.”
“Your power?”
“Both of our power,” he corrects. “If the Blood King had known what he had in his kingdom, he would have made your death as gruesome as possible.”
I glance over at Carver. “Is all of this true?”
Carver nods. “It is.”
Thorn scowls. “You trust his word over mine?”
“He hasn’t lied to me.” I shrug. “Not yet. You brought me here under the pretense of a lie, and I’m really fucking mad at you about that.”
Thorn’s face falls. “I understand.”
“All my life, I’ve wanted a family,” I rasp. “When I came here, I thought that was what was happening.”
Thorn meets my eyes, and it’s hard to look at him when I feel so raw and exposed.
“You’re mine.You’re my family, Crymson. In every sense of the word. We’re bonded. You’re not alone here. You’re safe.” He holds out his hand. “Allow me to make it up to you.”
An ache forms deep in my chest at the thought of his claim.You’re my family, Crymson...
I stare at his hand. “And how exactly are you going to do that?”
Carver, suddenly at my back, makes me jump. His hands circle my wrists and stroke up as he leans in, and his lips trace the shell of my ear. “He wants to make you feel good.”
Desire pools between my thighs at his words, and I clamp them together to hide the evidence. Carver, however, seems to know, judging by the chuckle that slips from his lips.
“Take his hand, Crymson,” Carver goads. “Let me feel your desire for him.”
I can feel everything he does. Carver’s words echo through my thoughts. Does that mean?—
I slip my hand into Thorn’s slowly, taking the heat of his palm in mine. “I’m still mad at you,” I tell the King.
“Understandable,” Thorn nods. “But... allow me to try and convince you it was for the best.”
His wings open wide, touching wall to wall, drawing my eyes as the thorns on his shoulders catch the flickering candles around the room.
“So, if I touch him, will you feel it?” I ask Carver from over my shoulder.
Carver nods. “Yes,” he hisses. “I’ll feel every touch.”
I stroke my fingers down Thorn’s chest, and Carver shivers against me even as Thorn’s muscles jump beneath my touch. “Interesting,” I muse. My eyes fall on Thorn’s perfect body. The dark points of his curse mar his collarbones, the highlights of his jawline, and everything in between. And yet, he’s flawless in his strength. Every part of him is muscled and dipped in smooth tan skin. He’s infuriatingly handsome. My eyes meet his. “This doesn’t mean I agree with the whole soulmate thing. But I’m open to talking.”
Talking.How many times in my life has a guy offered to just talk and it ended in something else? I’m not naive. I’m not even playing his game. This game, this one ismine. It’s a test because what if... what if he’s telling the truth?
What if I am mated to the Thorn King?
