Chapter 35

35

I ’m mid bite when Dax enters the kitchen. He looks around the room till his eyes land on me. My fork is still in my mouth when he smiles, making his way over to me. I’m frozen, which I’m sure is a vision with my cheeks puffed out with eggs and a fork hanging out of my mouth.

“ Good morning, Little Raven .” He presses a soft kiss to my forehead before popping a bite of egg into his mouth with his fingers.

Snapping out of my haze, I pull the fork from my mouth as I try to talk around my mouthful. “ Why are you in such a good mood this morning?”

“ Am I not allowed to be in a good mood, Little Raven ?”

I arch a brow as I wave the empty fork in his direction. “ You aren’t normally this… happy.”

He smirks and asks, “ Did you forget what today is?”

Brows pinching, I try to think. It’s been about a week since we returned from Arcelia . I briefly remember Dax mentioning that we need to join the kingdoms to prevent any uprisings. Wait … wait! My eyes flick to meet his as he smirks at me. His smirk grows when my eyes widen in realization.

“ No … it’s too early,” I whisper.

“ It’s never too early for a coronation,” Ash counters with a chuckle.

“ I don’t want to leave!” I say in a panic. If I’m crowned Queen of Arcelia , I would have to stay there until the people are under control. But I don’t want to part with my men.

The men exchange confused glances, then Rev asks, “ Why would you have to leave?”

“ We are doing the coronation for Arcelia , correct?”

Dax nods and replies, “ Yes . But I am still confused as to why you would have to leave.”

“ If I am to be crowned Queen of Arcelia , I would have to stay in the kingdom until my rule is accepted. We will be separated for an unknown length of time. I don’t want that.”

Kas arches a brow. “ Do you really think we would force you to go back and stay in that kingdom?”

Feeling confused now, I ask, “ Is that not how things are done?”

Mir shakes his head. “ That was never the plan.”

Dax reaches across the table to clasp my hand. “ The coronation today is for you becoming Queen of not only Arcelia , but Wylan as well.”

I feel arms wrap around me as a warm chest settles against my back. Mir’s voice is soft as he asks, “ Do you really think we could part from you now, Darling ?”

From beside me, Alair hums and asks, “ Do you really think we would risk losing you again?”

Dax’s grip on my hand tightens as my eyes meet his. “ You are ours, Little Raven . In a cage of our making.”

Warmth envelopes me, and I can feel the magic of our bound souls. Their love surrounds me in its obsessive and smothering hold. To others it may feel suffocating, but all I feel is safe and cherished within their cage, not trapped.

I can’t stop the smile that splits my face as I say, “ Then , I suppose we should hurry this coronation along.” I twist my hand in Dax’s , so my fingers are tangled with his. “ I do hope there’s a crown.”

He grins. “ Only the best for you, My Queen .”

I tap Mir’s arms as I say, “ Well , let’s get on with it.”

Mir presses a kiss to my neck before releasing his hold on me. Dax doesn’t release my hand as he guides me around the table. “ We have a dress laid out for you on your bed, as well as shoes.” Pressing a kiss to my knuckles, he releases my hand with a bow. “ We will wait outside your door once we are ready.”

Smiling , I give him a slight bow, then make my way to my bedroom. Though , I haven’t used it much in the last few weeks. The guys wanted me as close as possible, which meant we slept in Dax’s room.

I open the bedroom door to find the dress Dax mentioned, though, I’m not sure dress is the word I would use to describe it. The only fabric piece of it is the bodice, while the skirt is made up of sheer material and high slits. Next to the dress is a pair of three-inch stilettos. My eyes catch on something in the corner of the room. Looking over, I find a mirror adorned in gold filigree.

Smiling to myself, I quickly strip and make my way over to the dress. Slipping it on, I stare back at my reflection. My breasts are plump as they fill the cups of the bodice. I caress the handprint mark on full display over my right breast.

My mahogany eyes meet in the mirror, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen my eyes as bright as they are now. On bare feet, I rush to the bathroom. Pulling out drawers, I try to find the container of crushed coal I’d seen. It must have belonged to a previous queen or princess.

“ Found you!” I snatch the small tin of black powder and rush back to the mirror. Opening the tin, I brush a small amount across my eyelids with my fingertips. My smile is wide as I close the tin and meet my gaze in the mirror once more. My eyes are shadowed, but I look like a dark goddess.

Sliding into the heels, I take one last look at myself before heading to the door. The moment the door swings open, seven pairs of eyes shift to me. My body flushes at the sudden attention. I feel bare beneath their gazes on me. Clearing my throat, I say softly, “ I hope this is to your satisfaction.”

“ Is it not to your satisfaction, Little Raven ?”

I caress the edges of the sheer fabric, keeping my voice soft as I reply, “ It is a bit revealing for my liking. Especially considering there will be hundreds of eyes on me.”

I feel cold wisps wrap around my legs and caress me softly, and I know the moment they solidify that they belong to Mir . I can feel his essence as the shadows wrap around my waist. My eyes shift to his, and his cheeks are pink.

He arches a brow. “ Is that better, Darling ?”

I moan as I feel his shadows drift over my thighs, coming dangerously close to my folds. “ That is going to be distracting.”

He smirks. “ Then we shall make this coronation short.”

Taking a deep breath, I shoot him a smirk. “ Maybe we can have some fun after.” I begin walking past them, my heels clicking across the floor as I add a tantalizing swing to my hips. I wait until I’ve passed all of them before looking over my shoulder with a wink. “ Just imagine fucking me with only my heels and crown on.”

A series of growls follow behind me as the shadows caressing my thighs tighten. Between one breath and the next, I’m in the grand hall by the throne. I look around, confused to find all seven men surrounding me, but Reverie is right next to me.

My eyes widen when I realize what happened. With surprise, I ask, “ You can transport yourself through the shadows?”

He shrugs as he steps away with a soft smirk. “ I have many talents, Sunshine .”

I can’t stop an eye roll as I look around the room to find hundreds of people gathered. Wow . I wasn’t expecting this many people to be in attendance.

Dax steps up beside me as his voice echoes around us, “ Thank you all for gathering here. Today , we are blessed to crown the Queen of not only Wylan , but Arcelia as well.” His eyes shift to mine as the shadows around my thighs slide closer to my folds. I bite my lip and try to suppress a groan. His eyes glitter with mirth as he continues speaking to his people. “ We will keep this coronation brief.”

Extending his hand to me, I slip my palm in his. Tugging on my hand, he brings me closer to the throne. He releases me and turns to grab something behind him. When he turns back around, I gasp at the sight in front of me.

In his hands, rests a breathtaking crown. I stand frozen as he smiles, then lifts the crown and places it gently upon my head. I watch his lips move, but I’m too distracted by his soft caresses. My breath hitches as the tendrils drift past my center.

I catch the last of Dax’s words as he says, “ As the King of Wylan , I now pronounce you the Queen of both Wylan and Arcelia .”

Fire builds in my abdomen as the tendrils slide between my folds, and I moan. My vision shifts, and I know my eyes have turned black. My voice echoes as I command, “ Everyone , thank you for coming, but please leave now.” A smile creases my face as I add, “ Except for my men.”