Lahat ng Kabanata ng The Crimson Accord: Kabanata 121 - Kabanata 127

The silence in the room is deafening as I stare at Abigail waiting for her explanation. Awkwardness brims through me as I contemplate running but my sister-in-law’s soft chuckle hardens my stance as I try to be lighthearted about what I just walked in on. A few weeks ago, I was on the opposite side of this during an outdoor exploration with Nathaniel. Somehow this was worse. But by Abigail’s smile, it was apparent that whatever was going on was pleasing in her eyes. She held out her hands to me as if to stop the thoughts that were running through my mind. “It’s not what you think.” I raised an eyebrow at her words and her voice grew giddy as she clarified. “Okay, well it is. But I think it might be more than just a fling.”“You don’t owe me an explanation!” I said, not recognizing my own laughter that bubbled up in me.“No. Honestly, it’s a relief. It’s been a heavy few days and then this happened and I want to be happy and tell someone but Ivan has been saying it’s unprofessional.”

He was everywhere. Ripping down my pants and underwear, holding me up against his chest, undoing his own pants. Yet his lips still found my neck. I held my breath for half a second, forgetting I was pregnant and he wouldn’t bite. Surprisingly, I found myself disappointed. I had grown to love the feeling. But for the next few months, there would be no biting. He didn’t seem to notice or care though. Too busy focusing on me. He lifted my ass with my one hand and slammed me down onto his cock that he held with the other. It wasn’t gentle and I let out a scream when he hit the sweet spot inside me. His hands sat on my hips as he moved me up and down. Standing up and fucking was new. I was not complaining. My head fell backwards as I held on to his shoulders for dear life. For a split second, I worried about the babies. But I remembered that women had sex during pregnancy across the world for the past several thousand years. The babies would be fine. So I leaned into the buildup between u

The staff corridor smelled faintly of antiseptic and old stone, a quieter artery of Tencrest that most guests never saw. I was halfway down it when the door to the staff quarters opened and Abigail stepped out, smoothing her jacket as if she had been caught doing something far more scandalous than checking on a wounded man.My sister froze when she saw me. “Abigail,” I said. “What are you doing down here?”She recovered quickly. She always did. “Checking on Ivan.”Something in the way she said it tightened my chest. Casual. Too casual. “Cassia has him stabilized.”“I know.” She shrugged, lifting one shoulder. “Stabilized doesn’t mean fine.”I studied her face, the set of her mouth. There were a hundred questions I could have asked and none of them felt appropriate in a hallway that echoed every sound. “You should let him rest.”“I am,” she replied. “That’s what I’m doing.”I held her gaze a moment longer than necessary. Then I stepped aside. “Go on.”She passed me, brushing my shoulde

Birthdays didn’t mean I could get out of my royal duties and I cringed thinking about the conversations that I would have today. Not only was I going to tell everyone about Julian and Elara’s marriage, but I also wanted to let them know that the other members of cadet houses who had been accomplices to Lucien’s treason were terminated. It was a heavy conversation, but a necessary one. I was King, but I still tried to make moves that wouldn’t rock the boat. Unfortunately, our boat had been in a hurricane as of late. Now I am cleaning up. But not everyone would see my decision to quietly get rid of the treasonous that way. Trials were expected. It was the way we did things within the Founding Ten. My decisions took that option away. I tried to muster up some regret or feelings other than relief, but felt nothing other than calmness. It was the right decision. I just hoped everyone else would see it that way. I walked towards the training grounds. I rarely came out here, but lately I