Page 84 of Conquering the King of Storms

Sirus didn’t want to come out and talk about the future. He was nervous about my answer—which I understood.

But he was making it clear where he wanted me, so I was completely on board.

“But, I imagine you’ve probably been saving that spot for your mate. Dove would probably be scandalized if you offered it to just anyone,” I said, pushing him to ask me.

To tell me what he wanted.

“This is true. Perhaps we would need to go through with the mating ceremony in my land before you could move into my room.”

“Is that your way of asking me?” I teased him.

“Depends,” he countered. “Is that your way of saying yes?”

My grin widened. “Guess the only way you’ll figure out is if you ask me directly,Storm.”

His chuckle rumbled my back, but he unwrapped his arms from around me long enough to lift me up and turn me around so we sat face to face. My knees were on either side of his thighs, and the boost prevented him from having to look down too much.

“Sway,” he murmured, taking my face lightly between his hands. “I would love nothing more than to wake up beside you at the opening of every day, and fall asleep with you in my arms at the close. Your presence will transform my kingdom into a place of more kindness and beauty; of that I am certain. Will youcomplete the mating ceremony with me and be my female in every way?”

My throat swelled.

When Steven had proposed, he’d done it in front of everyone I knew. I’d felt like I had to say yes, or I’d embarrass both of us.

But Sirus’s question didn’t come with potential embarrassment or shame.

It didn’t come with pressure.

Flood was the only other person in the room, and he was either politely ignoring us, oblivious to our presence, or insane once again.

I could say no to Sirus if I wanted to.

I… just didn’t want to.

Saying “yes” felt too much like accepting a ring and a proposal back on Earth.

So instead, I slid my fingers into his hair, and whispered, “I will.”

His lips captured mine, and we kissed slowly and sweetly. Neither of us attempted to intensify the kiss, and it was perfect.

I pulled away, and Sirus smiled at me. A pure, calm smile that made my heart swell.

The sound of sand moving ripped our attention to the center of the room, and when Dove’s little head shot back up through it, the wind flung us both to our feet.

She jumped out of the sand, and I grabbed Sirus’s arm to remain steady as the ground shook beneath her. “I’m an earth fae!” she exclaimed, throwing herself at us.

It might’ve been my imagination, but I thought she hovered above the ground a little longer than she should’ve before Sirus caught her and spun all three of us around.

“You’ll be the strongest fae our world has seen,” he teased her, tickling her side with the hand that was wrapped around her back. She laughed, and the arm that held me in the group hug only squeezed me tighter.

“Stronger than Quake?” Her voice was excited, and her eyes insanely happy.

“Stronger than all of us,” Storm promised her, plopping a kiss on the top of her head. “We’re proud of you for being brave.”

“I was always brave,” she informed him, wiggling a bit so he’d set her down. As he did, her eyes closed and her grin widened. “I can feel it, Storm. Everything. The world is sobig.”

“And it’s all yours, Little Bird.” He ran a hand over her braids.

“I want to go explore the caves,” she told him, opening her eyes and looking at him expectantly.

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