“I said no. You cannot refute me. I have never lied to you. Never. Can you say the same, Your Highness?”
Her dark eyes widened, then narrowed. “That’s not fair. I couldn’t tell you who I really was.”
“Why?” She’d kept the biggest secret of all. I hadn’t known. Obviously, my parents hadn’t either. No one on Alera, except for a select few, knew who she really was. A female from Earth who was the daughter of Queen Celene. One of the lit spires belonged to her. Her life force illuminated it, and it would stay that way until she took her last breath. Which, if I had my way, would be at a very old age and in my arms.
“You know why,” she replied. “There’s a traitor in the Jax house, one who sent Zel to kill me and my sisters within hours of our transport from Earth. My mother is missing. Kidnapped. They dragged her out of bed and transported her to god knows where. They’re probably torturing her right now. We have to find her. I couldn’t tell you any of that.”
She was riled. Angry. Sad, too. Clearly, she loved her mother and worried for her. Because she was not happy, neither was I. I wanted to hold her, ease her upset and at the same time, go track down the fuckers.
“But while you kept your secrets, you could lie in my arms and let me fuck you. Let me fill you. Let me claim you as my mate and talk nonsense about forever? Did you plan a hundred ways to betray me while my cock was inside you? While I was filling you with my seed, feeding your Ardor with my life force, were you consumed with plans to leave me behind?”
“I didn’t—I’m sorry. I don’t know. I didn’t know you, Thor. You’re a Jax. I got arrested, and then you showed up at the station to save me, and then—”
“Then we spent the night in bed together. Then you screamed my name and begged me to fill you. And you still said nothing of who you really were. You listened as I promised you forever and you lied to me, Princess.”
“You’re a Jax,” she countered.
And there was the crux of the issue. “Yes. I am a Jax. My family has been loyal to the true queens for thousands of years. And you’re mine, Faith. My mate. I don’t care what your sister believes. I know the truth. I am innocent of this.”
“I need proof, Thor.”
“Release me and you will have it. I will not stop until I have found the traitor.”
She shook her head. “They’ll never let you go. Not now. They are convinced you are guilty.”
“With all due respect, I don’t give a shit about any of them. All I care about is what you think. What you believe. What is that?”
Her laugh was bitter, like a strangled cry coming from her throat as she paced before me. Back and forth. Shaking. With rage? Hurt?
Need?
“I don’t know what to believe anymore.” The hurt in her eyes made me feel as if she ripped my heart from my chest and stomped it beneath her heel. Still, she paced. Back and forth, faster and faster, her breath speeding as well. Her nipples were hard points beneath the smooth fabric of her gown. She wrung her hands together, twisting and contorting her fingers as if the pain of such abuse would distract her from what she needed.
There was no escaping this. Not for either of us.
She knew the answer, knew the truth, but perhaps needed some coaxin
g. Someone to soothe her in the basest of ways. To clear her mind so she could decide. For herself. Not for her sister, not for the crown.
Faith alone.
“Come here.” I made the words gentle, but still a command. She needed, I would provide.
She froze in place, but looked down at me with those unfathomable dark eyes. “What?”
“Come here.” I rattled the chains, flexed strongly, pulling against them to prove I could not escape their hold. “I cannot hurt you if that is what you fear. Come here, mate, and take what you need.”
The flush on her cheeks darkened to a deep crimson, but I held her gaze. I knew what she needed. We both knew. And chained or not, I did not want her taking what she needed to soothe her Ardor from another male. She was mine. Mine to care for. Mine to fuck.
Her Ardor was mine to feed. No one else’s. Her body would take my heat, my energy, my seed, and my life force would fill her up. My cock would stretch her open, fuck her. Fill her. Mine.
I was innocent of the crimes her sister had laid against me. Eventually, I would prove I spoke the truth. I would prove myself worthy of her trust. Faith would be mine. Forever.
But first, I would give her the soothing she required so she could think clearly, at least for a time, until her Ardor drove her yet again.
“Come here, love.” I calmed myself, relaxed my muscles, let a smile curve my lips. “I understand why you were afraid to tell me the truth. But I am not a traitor. I will prove it, I promise you. And when I do, I’m never letting you go. You are mine, my princess. My mate. So come here. Climb onto my lap, lift that pretty dress and ride my cock like I know you want to. Take me, Faith. Take what you want.”
She eyed me, then laughed. “You’re crazy. This is insane.”