Total pages in book: 118
Estimated words: 120336 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 602(@200wpm)___ 481(@250wpm)___ 401(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 120336 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 602(@200wpm)___ 481(@250wpm)___ 401(@300wpm)
My cock was still buried inside her, softened now, but neither of us moved to break the connection.
It felt too sacred, too raw, to let go just yet.
I let my fingers drift over her scalp, the smoothness surprising me, grounding me in a moment I hadn’t expected to feel so tender. “You shaved all the newly grown hair?”
“My attendants did.”
I raised an eyebrow, though she couldn’t see it. “You had attendants?”
“Yes.”
“Did you like that?”
She shifted slightly against me and her breath brushed over my collarbone. “It’s odd. I don’t know if I can get used to it.”
“You will.” I slipped my fingers over her head, enjoying the smoothness. “I don’t want you to ever have to lift a finger for anything, Moni. Not even to wash yourself.”
She laughed softly, and the sound vibrated through me like music, but then it faltered, turning heavy with sadness.
She lifted her head.
My chest tightened at the emotion swirling in her brown eyes. “Lei. . .are you ready to fight your father?”
“I am.” The answer came without hesitation, though the weight of it settled like a stone in my gut.
“However. . .” My throat tightened. “Do you know why I gave you that ring tonight?”
She widened her eyes. “Why?”
I brushed my thumb over her cheek, feeling the warmth of her skin beneath my touch. “Because if I die tonight—”
“Don’t.” Tears welled in her eyes, glistening like two tiny diamonds. “Don’t talk like that. Don’t even fucking say it.”
“I have to,” I slipped my thumb down to her bottom lip and traced it. “If I died tonight, I needed you to know—without a doubt—that you have my heart. I just. . .needed you to know that I wanted you to be my wife and. . .the mother of my kids. . .”
A single tear escaped, sliding down her cheek, and I caught it with my thumb. “Before I left the Palace, I signed my legacy away to you. Even if my father wins, the throne is yours to share with your sisters—”
“My sisters?”
“Their names are there, right in my will. My aunts, Chen, Duck, Dima, Banks, and even Marcelo served as official witnesses. We did this under the very law my father wrote. He would honor it—”
“Y-you’re not going to die—”
“Still, it would be irresponsible to not make sure your sisters and you weren’t protected, if I did—”
“Lei.” Desperation hit her voice. “Let’s run away. Right now. Please, I’m begging you. I—”
“That’s not who I am, Moni. I wasn’t taught to run away. I was always taught to barrel towards the danger and face death no matter how much it scared me.”
“But. . .”
“When the battle begins—”
“Lei, you don’t have to—”
“Listen to me.”
She pursed her lips.
“When the battle begins, stay close to Chen and Hu, along with your ladies-in-waiting. They already know to make sure you can see the battle, but never get to close—”
“What the fuck does that mean?”
“It means that I know my future wife well enough—”
“If he comes close to killing you, I am coming over there—”
“You will not leave the stands.” I scowled. “Do you understand?”
“I can’t sit there and watch you die.”
“Stay in the stands. Maybe, I’m not dying in that moment. Perhaps, I’m letting him think I am and then flip him over or something.”
“Or something?”
“Stay in the stands. If you come out there on the battlefield, I will be distracted. You will have all my attention and he will kill me without hesitation. Do you understand?”
Her bottom lip quivered.
“Moni?”
“Y-yes.”
“Stay in your seat. Don’t try to help.”
More tears left her eyes as she lay her head back down on my chest. "Fine."
“I love you.” I cradled her in my arms.
And there she shivered as she sobbed against my chest so much that her tears began to soak my skin.
Dear God, if I die, protect her.
I held her tighter.
My throat burned with unshed emotion.
I wouldn’t shed a tear or allow myself to be sad anymore.
I’d done what I needed.
I told her all the things that were in my heart.
Now it was time to harden myself for the battle ahead.
My mind could no longer think about love, marriage, or the future.
All I could ponder was death and blood as I tilted my head up and gazed at the starry sky.
Will I finally kill him?
Chapter twenty-six
A Feast of Blood and Flesh
Leo
The orchestra played hauntingly beautiful notes that soared and dipped like the mountains surrounding us.
Crystal glasses clinked softly amidst the murmurs of conversation.
The guests were dressed in their finest formal blues—midnight suits and gowns of pale periwinkle to cobalt.
Yet, despite the outward elegance, the atmosphere simmered with uneasy anticipation, as if the very space of the Sapphire Sanctum could sense the inevitability of bloodshed to come.
He fucking ruined our entrance.
The roasted duck dumpling sat on my tongue, its golden skin slick with fragrant oil, but no flavor touched my senses.