bride of vengeance
I wish that were true.
My pulse hammered so loudly I was certain he could hear it, standing this close. For one dangerous moment, I let myself imagine a version of this story where his words were simple, where I could simply lean into his hand and let this be exactly what it looked like — a king and his mate, nothing more complicated than that.
Then, from the shadows beyond the fountain, I caught the faintest glint of moonlight against metal.
My training took over before conscious thought even fully formed. A crossbow, aimed directly at Alejandro's heart from the cover of the hedges, the archer's finger already tightening against the trigger.