“Milord,” Elvin said in a demure tone as he kept his head bowed. “May I speak to you privately for a minute?”
Elvin glanced at Becca, who didn’t try to pretend like she wasn’t listening. Cole was eager to return to Lexi, but Elvin was the only fae on the council he trusted a little.
Cole didn’t say a word as he stared at Becca. Eventually, she took the hint and slithered out of the room.
“What is it?” he asked Elvin when he was certain Becca was gone.
Elvin hesitated before lifting his eyes to him. “Milord, I know you have found your mate, and I understand how important that is to a lycan, but I think you should consider something.”
“And that is?” Cole inquired when Elvin stopped speaking.
Elvin’s dark skin paled a little, but he continued. “That since there has been an uprising, you should marry someone from a powerful fae family who would help unite the Gloaming. Someone such as Becca.”
Cole inwardly recoiled at the suggestion while outwardly he managed to retain a calm façade. “Absolutely not.”
Elvin’s chin rose a little, and steely resolve shone in his black eyes. The man knew he was playing with fire, but he wasn’t going to back down. As much as his suggestion irritated Cole, he admired the man’s determination to see this through.
“A marriage between the two of you would help unite the Gloaming, milord, which should be your priority,” Elvin said.
“My priority is to make sure the Lord doesn’t destroy us all,” Cole replied. “Do not question my loyalty to the dark fae or my right to sit on the throne. I earned the crown by surviving the trials. I put my life on the line for all of you throughout those trials and the rebellion. I will not tolerate less than complete loyalty from all the fae whether I marry one of them or not. Those who do not provide it, will die.”
Elvin gulped, but Cole’s warning didn’t deter him. “I understand, milord. I do not question your devotion to our realm or your right to the throne, but it might bring peace to the land sooner and reassure those who are nervous about your half-fae status if you marry a woman from our realm. If not Becca, then there are plenty of other beautiful, powerful women from good families who would make a fine wife.”
“A better wife than a half vampire half human?” Cole asked, but he wasn’t upset or offended by this truth.
The dark fae coveted power, he did too, and he understood they saw Lexi as weak, even though she’d raced across a battlefield to save him. What would Elvin think or say if he knew Lexi’s true heritage?
Would he and the others be more accepting of her once they learned she was one of the most powerful beings to ever walk the realms?
It was probably only a matter of time before that happened, but it wouldn’t be today.
“The fae in the courtyard bowed to her after she saved me,” Cole said.
“We were all very impressed by her bravery.” Elvin looked to the wall again before focusing on Cole. “But those in the courtyard are peasants, milord. To unite the more powerful families in the land, a powerful union would be best. Your mate is a strong, beautiful woman and obviously courageous, but she is not one of us.”
“Neither am I, not fully. That’s also part of the problem, isn’t it?”
Elvin’s chin jutted out. “You know how the dark fae are.”
“Are you the same way?”
“It doesn’t matter how I am. All that matters is the safety of the realm and those residing in it.”
And that was the truth, and probably why Cole wasn’t more annoyed by this conversation. Elvin wasn’t discussing this because he doubted Cole or disliked Lexi.
He was doing it because the Gloaming and its residents' safety were the most important thing to him. He would do whatever it took to protect the realm.
That was what made him loyal… it also made him dangerous. But since he couldn’t force Cole into marriage, and he would never get close enough to try anything against Lexi, Cole wasn’t concerned about Elvin doing something foolish to exert his will.
“That is important to me too,” Cole told him.
“I know, milord. But I think you should consider marrying another.”
“Lexi is more than my mate; I love her.”
Elvin closed his eyes as if this pained him. “I am not asking you to give her up. You could marry another and keep her on the side.”
That infuriated him. “You are well aware marriage does not work that way for immortals. Amongst us, marriage is a permanent, powerful bond that no one takes lightly.”
“I am aware, milord, but this is a special circumstance. I’m sure if you explain that to your dark fae wife before you marry, she will understand. Some women would be happy to have the throne, and status that comes with it. They would agree to a marriage in name only.”
“I am aware of that. I’m also aware Lexi is not one of those women.”
Elvin’s eyes darted away from him. “Milord—”
“I understand your priority is the Gloaming, and that is the only reason I’ve allowed this conversation to continue, but I will not hear any more of this, and I will not talk about it again. Lexi is going to be my wife. She is the one who will be your future queen, and I can assure you, Elvin, no one deserves it more than her. We will not talk of this again.”
Elvin opened his mouth before closing it and bowing his head. “Of course, milord.”
“I do hope for your counsel on other matters in the future.”
“Of course.”
Cole grasped his shoulder and squeezed it to show he held no hard feelings; he hoped Elvin felt the same. “If you’ll excuse me, I must find my mate.”
He didn’t wait for Elvin’s reply before leaving the room.
Chapter Forty-Four
Cole was nearly to the moon room when he spotted Niall standing in the doorway. His hand rested on the hilt of his sword while his attention remained on the moon room.
Hearing Cole’s approach, Niall turned toward him. Cole’s step faltered when he saw Niall’s parted mouth and the paleness of his friend’s skin.
Drawing his father’s sword from its sheath, he stalked forward, but even as he was moving, he knew there couldn’t be a threat. Niall would have gone after it if there was one.
Instead, he remained frozen in the doorway as he seemed to try to decide if he should attack or not. Cole arrived at his side in mere seconds and froze in the doorway.
When Lexi laughed, Cole suddenly understood Niall’s uncertainty. Part of him wanted to hack his way through the wall of green vines and colorful flowers encircling her. The other part was so riveted in amazement that he barely breathed.
He’d been with the council for so long that night had fallen. The four moons of the Gloaming were out, and the luna flowers…
Well, the luna flowers were in love. They’d always reacted to her, but not like this. The potion must be wearing off faster than they’d realized if the arach truly did possess sun and moon magic.
The luna flowers were lycan plants that reacted to the moonlight and lycans. But he’d never seen anything like this.
After his mother died, these flowers encased him in a warm, protective cocoon, but they’d never played with him like this. He originally believed the flowers reacted to her because they somehow knew she was his mate before he did, but now he thought they responded to her because she was an arach.