My stomach dipped as I stared out the window, the rows of homes and wrought iron fences nothing but a blur.
He hadn’t made it super official, but no way in hell would I say no. We would marry, and I would be his wife. A Queen. Would I have like queenly duties? What would the queenly duties even be? I gave a little shake of my head. I needed to focus. Right now, none of that was exactly important. Dealing with it could come later. What we needed to deal with was Benji, and then afterward, I would tell Caden about the pregnancy.
I glanced over at Caden as we turned on South Peters, experiencing a weird little hitch in my chest. A part of me still couldn’t believe that this was real—that we could be together.
Caden pulled around to the side of the rundown, brick and metal building that looked like something you’d see on one of those ghost hunters shows.
“This part is so cool.” Tink gripped the back of my seat as he popped his head between the two.
Caden drove up to what appeared to be a loading dock for deliveries—two wide metal doors that were covered in splotches of rust—and then right through the doors. I didn’t close my eyes, but I did tense. I’d entered Hotel Good Fae a few times like this, and it always freaked me out. I kept expecting to crash into a cement wall.
“Magic,” Tink murmured in my ear.
“Uh-huh.” My eyes adjusted to the fluorescent lighting of the parking garage.
He pulled into the first parking space near the elevator, one I was sure had been reserved for him. Killing the engine, Caden looked over at me, and his gaze met mine. There was a flutter in my chest and then my stomach. I smiled at him.
“Ready?” he asked, and I nodded. He glanced back at Tink. “You?”
“Why, thanks for asking.” He sat back, looking between the two of us. “I am ready for some answers to the questions that have been burning me up inside, but with my dark hair comes great responsibility, and a newfound maturity.”
I blinked slowly.
“So I realized that now is not the time to ask those questions.” He held up his hand. “But as soon as you guys are done with what you’re doing, I expect the three of us—no, wait. I’m sure Fabian would also like to be included. The four of us will have a sit-down.”
“It’s doable.” Caden grinned.
“It is.” I met Tink’s gaze. “But it’s going to have to wait a little bit. There’s something I need to talk to Caden about first.”
Tink’s eyes widened, and I was grateful that I could feel Caden’s gaze on me. “What do you need to talk to me about?” he said, drawing my gaze back to his. “We can make time now. Benji isn’t going anywhere.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Tink clasp his hands together under his chin. There was no way I was telling Caden that he was going to be a father in front of Tink. That would be like going on a reality show.
“It can wait,” I told him.
Caden’s gaze searched mine, and then he nodded. Exhaling roughly, I ignored the pout Tink sent in my direction and climbed out. I didn’t make it far before Tink curled an arm around my shoulders, pulling me against his side.
He lowered his head, whispering, “Is everything okay?”
“Everything is more than okay.”
Tink pulled back, smiling. “I am going to need an extremely detailed report. You know that, right?”
I laughed. “I do.”
“Good.”
It was then that I realized Caden hadn’t walked toward the elevator. He’d stopped halfway across the parking garage. Tink and I caught up with him. “Where are we going?”
“To a place where Tanner handles certain…unpleasantries.”
This is the first I’m hearing of such a thing. I glanced at Tink, and he shrugged. “There is such a place?”
Caden nodded. “Only a few know of it. I’m surprised my brother didn’t tell you.”
Tink snorted as he shoved his hands into the pockets of his sweatpants. “He knows I abhor violence unless it’s violence I’m causing.”
I frowned at him as we reached a nondescript white door. Caden placed his thumb against the keypad, and above, the red light turned green. The door unlocked, and he pushed it open. We stepped into a white hallway, and I could already hear Tanner speaking. There were also other voices I couldn’t make out. Caden turned to me, extending his hand.
My gaze dipped to his palm and then rose to his. He…he wanted to hold my hand? It was such a simple gesture that wouldn’t mean much to others, but it would be huge.
He was the King.
To the others who were here, I was just some human. They didn’t know what I was or what he’d done. Him holding my hand was a statement, and obviously, I hadn’t the chance to talk to Tanner or Faye or Kalen. They would be so confused.
But I placed my hand in his, and my heart did a back handspring when he curled his fingers around mine, squeezing.
“You guys are so adorable,” Tink said, tugging the hair I’d thrown up into a messy bun.
“You are,” Caden said. “Especially when you blush.”
“I’m not blushing.” I watched Tink walk ahead, his long-legged pace taking him around the corner of the hall.
“Your face is the shade of a rose,” he told me.
“It is not.” I could feel my cheeks heat even more. “We need to focus on what’s important.”
“I am.”
I glanced up at him and felt a little unsteady as my gaze met his. “Benji and finding out where they’re getting the Devil’s Breath is important.”
“It is. But you’re more important to me. You will always be the most important thing.”
“You…” I swallowed, closing my eyes. “I wish we had time for me to tell and show you how perfect I think you are.”
“I’m not perfect.” He touched my cheek. “But I don’t have a problem with you showing me later how much you think I’m perfect.”
Heat simmered in my veins. I planned on doing just that after I told him what needed to be shared.
But by the time we reached the end of the hall, I’d filed all of that away. What we were about to deal with needed our full attention.
The first person I saw when we turned the corner was Ren. Dressed in black, he leaned against the plain white wall, his back to us, ankles crossed. Tink was beside him. Fabian behind him, his blond hair draped over broad shoulders. He was the first to see us, his expression somber, and then there was a slight widening of his pale eyes.
Ren looked over his shoulder. “I was wondering when you were finally going…”
Either he trailed off, or I just didn’t hear what he said because my gaze had been snagged by those remaining in the hall. Faye and Kalen stood with Tanner. There was an older male fae, as well, his silvery skin pale. He’d been pacing while Faye spoke to him quietly.
Maybe it was my imagination, but everyone seemed to stop and notice our joined hands. The message Caden was sending out had been received. We were together.
It was Kalen I zeroed in on because one side of his lips curved up a moment before he bowed slightly. “My King.”
There was a flurry of the other fae beginning to do the same, but Caden stopped them with a slice of his hand through the air. “Is he in there?” He nodded at another nondescript door.