Page 89 of Hidden Fate

I know. I’m a premed student, remember?I tried to tease, but the joke fell flat. The pain hadn’t conveyed my humor at all.Just reassure them, and let's get out of here.

He nodded. “If you choose to leave your position as a warrior, there will be no repercussions. I want only people who are happy to protect my mate and me and who will find the position rewarding to stay on. There’s no catch, but if you’ll excuse me, I need to take care of my mate. She’s injured and losing blood.” He gestured at my shoulder, where my shirt was crimson.

“We’ll handle it from here,” Vlad assured Thorn. “And we’ll find a room for Saphira and Wyvern until they wake.”

For a moment, I expected the warriors to band together and prevent us from leaving, but they parted for us, and each bowed as we left.

* * *

I blinked a few times,trying to believe what I saw in the mirror. It was ten minutes before the coronation, and two staff members had finished helping me into my dress, styled my hair, and done my makeup.

Like our wedding, it was a complete makeover. Unlike my wedding dress, however, this dress was elegant but simple and far more my style. It was a flattering white, strapless dress with a sweetheart neckline and a gold wrap at my waist that blended with the gold-fitted skirt that brushed the marble tile. Silvery glitter dusted the gold, giving the fabric a regal sheen.

My blonde hair fell in gentle waves that complemented my features, and the makeup artists had used natural colors that brightened my eyes and complexion. They’d done an amazing job, including adding a slight red tint to my lips that I hadn’t wanted, but I was glad I’d gone along with it. It added the right touch. I almost didn’t recognize myself.

“You look gorgeous,” Thorn murmured as he stepped behind me.

I smiled, my hand running over the ginormous marble sink in our royal bathroom. The very one that had been the king and queen’s, then Drake’s, before he was carted off to prison early that morning.

I turned from the mirror and scanned my mate. He almost didn’t look like himself, either. He wore a fitted black suit with a white button-down shirt, a black vest, and a tie in the purple color of the dragon royal family. His normally messy hair was combed but not gelled into place, much to the hairdresser’s chagrin. I wouldn’t have liked it gelled, and I was glad he’d put his foot down.

In bed this morning, he and I had agreed that if we were going to do this, we’d do it with our own flair. We understood we had to look the part, but we hadn’t been raised regal, and our reign would be about helping our people, not ruling over them. We couldn’t lose the part of us that our people would relate to best.

“You don’t look so bad yourself.” I grinned, my body warming at his presence. “But seriously, this bathroom is so large, it’s atrocious.” I glanced at the marble tub behind him and the large rain shower to the right of it. The dual sink was as wide as the room, with more than seven feet between the two basins. To the right of the shower was a huge-ass walk-in closet where our clothes would soon be.

He waggled his brows. “We might not be too upset about it tonight when we get back to our room.”

He picked me up and set my bottom on the marble counter, and my legs wrapped around him.

It’ll be fun to make sure we violate every inch of this room and our new bedroom.His irises twinkled.

Warmth flared throughout my body. My dragon roared, not wanting to waste a minute before we got started. My human and logical side won out, but damn, it was hard…no pun intended.

A knock sounded on the bedroom door right before it opened. “YourMajesties,” Elliott cackled. “Your fans await, and of course, Mindy, Eva, Sol, and I wanna escort you out in style.”

Thorn tilted his head back and rolled his eyes. “You do realize you won’t actually be escorting us outside, right?”

“Hey! Why not? My sister is gonna be royalty,” he scoffed.

“Yes, Everly is.” Mindy chuckled endearingly. “Notyou.”

I unwrapped my legs and realized the front of my skirt was wrinkled. I cringed.I’m sorry.

I’m not.His pupils slitted.Anytime I have the opportunity to have your legs wrapped around me, they’d better be. I don’t care if our clothes get wrinkled.

My heart expanded. I loved him so damn much, it hurt.

He helped me off the counter, but when I started for the bedroom, he caught my hand.

Wait,he connected and tugged me toward him.I want to give you this.He reached into his suit pocket and pulled out the bracelet my mom had given me. I held my shaking arm out, and he fastened the bracelet around my wrist. “I figured we aren’t in danger anymore, and since this is a special occasion, you might want to wear it.”

My vision blurred. “It doesn’t go with the dress.” The white-gold bracelet with interchanging small hearts and diamonds and two dangling white-gold hearts—Everlyengraved on one andThe love between a mother and daughter is foreveron the other—was more humble than dressy.

“It’s perfect with your dress.” He ran his finger across the hearts. “And fuck it if anyone disagrees. Their opinion doesn’t matter.”

A tear broke free, trickling down my face, and I truly understood, more than I’d ever thought possible, what he meant every time he told me these words… “You own me.”

Hand in hand, we headed into the bedroom and outside to our people, ready to take the throne and crown that was rightfully ours.

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