Page 245 of Sky’s Edge

He was soothing me with his hands, still hard inside me, filling me full.

And then, for some reason, I started weeping.

Okay, that wasn’t true.

I knew the reason.

It was because I’d found my one.

And he was perfect.

His hands came to my hair, smoothing it back, gathering it, holding it at my nape as he whispered, “Baby, hey. Hey, hey, hey, baby.”

“I’m s-sorry. I’m b-eing stupid,” I sniveled.

“How are you being stupid?”

I pulled my face out of his neck. “Crying after the blood rite.”

“Well, my love, I’d hope it would mean as much to you as it does to me,” he murmured.

As much to you as it does me.

I fought wailing at just how much it meant to me, not only the rite, but that I knew to my bones it meant just that much to him too.

To assist me to not losing myself (completely) to emotion, I assured him, “It does.”

“You’re going to be my queen.” It was a statement, not a question.

He’d said this before.

It was different this time, and we both knew it.

And that difference wasn’t solely because, this time, I replied, “Yes, Tanny. I’m going to be your queen.”

He groaned and crushed me to him.

This display of how much this meant to him set me to crying again.

After a while, he asked, “Are you still scared?”

“Maybe just a little.”

“But are you still happy?”

I drew in a deep breath and replied, “That would be a whole lot.”

His arms squeezed.

I rested my weight against him.

He accepted it, no problem.

That was my Tanny.

That was my king.

Chapter 25