He was already scarred from the last war he fought; what would it do to him if he constantly had to fight his kingdom all while trying to fend off the Lord?
Lexi gulped and resisted tugging at the collar of her dress as sweat trickled down her neck. She loved the gown; it made her feel beautiful and special, but it suddenly felt as if it weighed a hundred pounds and was choking her.
“I now present to you, King Colburn of the dark fae!” Elvin declared in a voice that boomed across the crowd.
Despite the whispers and unease of the crowd, they erupted into applause and cheers. Loud whistles pierced the day, and they stomped their feet until the ground shook. Their exuberant response to Elvin’s words doused some of her unease.
Tears burned her eyes, but she didn’t shed them as she clapped loudly and cheered with them. When she caught Brokk’s eye, he grinned at her, and she beamed back at him.
Maybe things weren’t going to be so bad after all.
In the glow of the candles, Cole studied Lexi sitting beside him at the table. He had decided against the normal, lavish ceremony typically following a coronation. It was too close to his father’s death and memorial ceremony for a party that extravagant.
Instead, he’d opted for a more subdued feast for all who attended. The minstrels played their lutes, but there was no dancing.
Tables of food were set up outside the gates for all those who attended. He’d made sure to have his table placed so the dragon head was directly behind him. No one could miss it or the remains of Sindri’s body.
He wanted the fae to consider him a benevolent and fair king, but he would drill it into their heads that he destroyed the dragon. They needed to be wary of pissing him off.
Cole had insisted on making it so all those who came by would have the opportunity to speak with him. And so far, there were no problems. The fae came, they feasted, they talked, and they celebrated as Cole looked on with Lexi and Brokk.
Many of them came to the table to speak with him and to give their condolences and congratulations. Few of them did anything to hide their curiosity about Lexi, but she handled it well as she smiled at them and spoke with the ones who talked to her.
With him by her side, none of them were outright rude to her, but he didn’t kid himself into believing it would be that way if he wasn’t here. The dark fae weren’t known to be welcoming toward outsiders.
Many of the fae moved on to speak with the council after talking with them. Their table sat to the left of his. Ten feet separated them, but Becca sat closest to him.
He wasn’t sure if she would show up, but she’d sauntered up to the table as if nothing occurred earlier, and it looked as if nothing had as her face was already healed. She’d flashed him a smile and given her congratulations before settling into her chair, where she openly flirted with all those who stopped to speak with her.
The candle’s flames turned Lexi’s hair to fire as it caused the deep red highlights to shine. In the blue dress, she was an unrivaled beauty. Someone had taken her hair and created two small braids at her temples, and combined them behind her head.
She looked queenly as she sat there, smiling while she sipped her wine and talked with a fae woman who had stopped to meet him before introducing herself to Lexi. Soon, she would wear his mother’s ring and crown.
As the night wore on, he found himself watching her more and more. All four of the moons were high overhead, and all of them full. Their rays beating down on him, combined with the alcohol and Lexi’s sweet scent, had awakened the lycan.
However, he remained at the table until well after midnight when the last of his followers trickled away. The council remained at the table, but he told them they could go home as he rose.
“We will see you tomorrow,” he said to Brokk, who had walked over to talk with some soldiers.
Brokk bowed his head. “Good night, brother.”
Cole held his hand out to Lexi, and when her fingers connected with his, a thrill of excitement rippled through him. He didn’t look back to see if the council left before leading her through the gates.
He hungered for her, but unlike last night, he was able to take her back to his rooms before giving in to his desire. There, they stepped inside together, and he closed the door behind her.
At some point, the helots had come in to light some of the torches. Their flames cast shadows around the room. The silvery rays of the moon spilled through the windows, across the floor, and ended at the edge of Lexi’s feet.
He set the crown on the table near the door before tenderly turning her, so her back was to him. Lifting her hair, he draped it across her shoulder as he undid the numerous buttons running down her back. He was eager to have her naked and beneath him, but he savored undoing the buttons and gradually exposing more and more of her creamy skin.
When her dress fell open to reveal her silken flesh and the strap of the blue bra beneath, he ran his fingers up her spine.
“Cole, there’s something I have to talk to you about,” she whispered.
“Later,” he murmured as he kissed her nape.
He pushed the sleeves of her dress forward until they fell off her arms and the top half of the dress rested against the skirt. Last night, he was desperate to be inside her, and though that fiery hunger still burned in him, he would take his time with her tonight.
“Cole….”
Her words trailed off when he slid his hand down her belly toward the waistline of the dress. He pulled her back, so she was nestled securely against him and dipped his hand beneath the dress. Stroking her thighs, he pulled them further apart as his mouth discovered her nape again.
When his lips found his mark on her, he ran his tongue over his bite. The marks were still clearly evident on her, but he would mark her again when they healed. From now on, she would bear his mark.
Leaning over her, he pushed the dress lower. The material made a whispering sound as it fell to the floor. Turning her, he brushed the hair back over her shoulder as he drank in her slender, hourglass figure.
“Cole—”
“Tomorrow, Lexi. Tonight, I just want you.”
He lifted her into his arms and carried her into the bedroom to set her on the bed. Kicking off his boots, he undid his pants and tugged them off before tossing them aside. He unbuttoned his shirt and shrugged it off before joining her on the bed.
Tonight, he intended to explore every inch of her body. Starting with her lips, he kissed her from there to the tips of her toes. Once there, he turned her over and worked his way back up before turning her over again.
She was begging for release when he finally entered her. She wrapped her arms around his back and clung to him as her legs encircled his waist. Rolling with her, he gripped her hips as he positioned her on top of him.
His fangs lengthened as her head fell back and her hair cascaded down to brush against his thighs. When the moonlight caught her marking, it glowed silver.
She was magnificent and his.
When she came with a loud cry, he followed her over the edge. She shuddered before collapsing onto his chest and nestling closer.
Cole cradled her against him as her breathing slowed and she slipped into sleep. The moons shifted as the night deepened, but he couldn’t bring himself to release her. With her in his arms, he held a piece of heaven, and he was never going to let it go.
Chapter Fifty-Three