Thorns of Frost (Fae of Snow & Ice, #2)(63)

Males always felt the mate bond more viscerally than females. It wasn’t unheard of for males to kill another male who in any way threatened their female. There were laws in the courts that allowed such acts, simply because the instincts were so strong that they were at times uncontrollable.

And that fact hit me like a thunderbolt. No wonder he’d tried to kill Vorl and Lord Waterline when they’d attacked me. And no wonder he’d nearly killed his guard when he believed Haxil was trying to claim me.

“Is your interest in me solely because of the bond?” I asked.

“No.”

I arched an eyebrow as I took in his broad shoulders and massive wings. He was as alluring as the underworld, dark and full of sin. I’d tried to fight my attraction to him, but I wanted him.

He inhaled, subtly, but I still caught it. “And is your interest in me only because of the bond?”

My chest rose faster, and I hastily took another drink. “No.”

He inched closer, his gaze like a predator. “I know we haven’t known each other long, but it’s not just the bond that attracts me to you, Ilara. You’re strong, brave, kind, and much more resilient than most give you credit for.”

My gaze whipped to his. “How do you know that?”

“I’ve seen enough to know that much, and I’ve heard things too. The servants speak of you, of your kindness and willingness to always help. They’ve never met a lady like you. You don’t see yourself as above them or them as merely there to serve you. You see them as fae, as individuals. It hasn’t gone unnoticed.”

“Because they are fae who deserve to be treated with kindness and are more than just servants. Since when do rulibs determine one’s worth?” I said vehemently.

His eyes flickered, an emotion shining in them before he veiled it. “You’re inherently good, Ilara, and I’ve committed more sins than Lucifer, but I’ll spend the rest of my life proving that I’ll be a worthy mate to you. I’ll cherish you, and I’ll show you that I’m not as evil as everyone believes—”

“I already know you’re not.”

He stilled.

“I’ve seen enough to know the same of you, my prince. You’ve sacrificed more than anyone in this kingdom knows, and you’ve done it all selflessly. You haven’t looked for recognition or gratitude when you’ve helped fae who’ve demanded your affinities be used for their needs. You created an entire village to shield innocents from your father even though it could lead to your demise. You’re not a monster, Norivun. I see that. I see you.”

His chest heaved, his mouth tightening, and then he squeezed my hand again, his fingers once more encircling mine. “I’ve waited so long to find you.”

I squeezed him back just as tightly. Tears began to fill my eyes, because it wasn’t fair. It wasn’t fair that he was hated when he gave so much.

A moment passed as thick emotion tightened my throat. My heart thundered. Everything in me was swirling, colliding, igniting. Being here, with him . . . everything about it felt right. I felt complete.

Crackling from the fire filled the quiet. Shifting, the prince’s wings splayed out more behind him. “I want you to be mine, Ilara. I never want to be parted from you. Let me claim you. Please.”

My stomach flipped, and everything in me wanted to say yes, to throw caution to the wind.

But everything right now wasn’t just about us.

I stood and took a deep breath before I faced the fire. Magic simmered inside me as energy in me began to build. I itched at my chest, trying to suppress the feeling that rose higher and higher, as a deep pulsing ache began in my core.

The prince’s nostrils flared as he watched me, his expression carefully veiled.

“I can’t accept you yet, only because of what lays ahead.”

“Why?” he asked quietly before coming to his feet and prowling silently toward me.

I worked a swallow. “Because I can’t be fully bonded to you. I have to concentrate on the Trial, on saving my family, on stopping your father, but it doesn’t mean I don’t want you.”

He stopped only inches away, and his snow and cedar scent clouded around me as his broad shoulders and pounding aura commanded my attention. “You can still be bonded to me and do all of that.”

I shook my head. “I can’t. You’re quite . . . distracting. I need to concentrate on healing fields and learning my magic better in the last few weeks that I have. And what if I lose the Trial? Then what? I’ll be bonded to you while having to marry another.”

His eyes narrowed as a deadly gleam filled them. “You will not marry another.”

“I’ll have to if the king orders it.”

His hands pumped into fists as a muscle worked in his jaw.

“We can’t, Norivun. Not yet.” As much as I knew the prince detested to admit it, we both knew that we couldn’t stop his father unless Norivun was willing to pay the price—the price being his mother’s safety or his own execution for defying the king.

Such a choice would destroy him. His life or his mother’s well-being for my safety and happiness. Those were his choices if he defied his father. I would never put the prince in that position.

“Let me win the Trial first, and then I’ll accept you as my mate.” I laid a hand on his chest. His muscles jumped beneath my palm.