Total pages in book: 129
Estimated words: 119158 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 596(@200wpm)___ 477(@250wpm)___ 397(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 119158 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 596(@200wpm)___ 477(@250wpm)___ 397(@300wpm)
He said nothing. Just launched himself at me and I caught him in a tight hug that I wanted to never end. He hugged me back, almost cracking my ribs while I choked out a sob of relief.
“You’re okay? You’re not hurt?” he demanded.
“I’m okay. I—” He cut me off, his mouth covering mine in a desperate kiss that I gave in to. His hands wandered along my arms and across my chest. For a split second, I thought the man was groping me, but my brain caught up and I realized he was checking me over for injuries. I should have done the same, but I couldn’t. I wanted to hold him as tightly as I could. He was alive and in my arms. I didn’t care what happened with his brother Prince Jandar or the king. I didn’t care about anything else that was happening around us. The only thing that mattered was the elf in my arms.
A soft cough somewhere in the room pulled us apart.
“Someone is going to need to fill me in,” a low, rough voice rasped.
Nylian and I jerked toward the sound to find Orian staring at us with laughing green eyes and a fragile smile.
“I feel like I missed a lot,” Orian continued.
“My son!” someone else gasped. This one from the doorway. I blushed all the way to my roots to find the king and several guards standing there. Yep, they’d all seen me kissing the shit out of Prince Xeran while we stood over what could have been Orian’s deathbed, which was surrounded by corpses. Totally normal day for me.
Both Nylian and the king rushed to Orian’s beside while I stumbled back, trying to give them more room. Someone in the hallway shouted orders for the queen to be told the good news. I just tried to stay out of the way.
It was only when someone bumped by my arm that I glanced up to find I was standing beside the same guard who’d taken me to this room. “Thank you for saving my life and Prince Orian’s.”
With a grin, I held out my hand to him. “It was a team effort. I needed you to get me here and to help me give him the antidote.”
“Team effort,” the guard agreed, shaking my hand.
“Are you making friends or flirting?” Nylian’s voice cut into our moment, and I smirked at the elf as I released the guard’s hand.
“Only making friends. I save my flirting for you.”
Nylian’s smile widened, and he looked appeased. He jerked his chin toward the guard at my side. “That’s General Theo Wyn, head of the Royal Dragon Army of West Vale, protectors of the Elrich line, and my father’s right hand. He’s a good man to be friends with.”
And that would also make him the most powerful man in all of Wolfrest outside of the royal family. Just as my knees were threatening to turn to jelly at that bit of information, the general stepped back and bowed to me.
“Thank you again, Your Highness.”
I gulped.
Nylian seemed to guess that I was on the edge of being overwhelmed, so the asshole added frost to snow by ushering me over to Orian’s bedside. The prince’s color was improving by the second and he was more alert. The king sat on the side of the bed, clutching his hand in both of his.
“Orian, this is the man who saved your life, Prince Victor Montcroix, but his friends call him Adam,” Nylian introduced.
“I’m sure Your Highness knows better than to believe your twin brother’s nonsense,” I said.
“I do, but my brother also says some very smart things occasionally. Thank you for saving my life.”
I bowed my head to him and swallowed past the tightness in my throat. “It was my honor, but I didn’t do this alone. There was a group of us, all following Prince Xeran’s lead.”
We didn’t have a chance to speak more because the queen arrived and chaos ensued as she engulfed both of her beloved sons while shouting about the room being filled with corpses.
General Wyn took pity on me and quietly escorted me out of the room to a private drawing room where I could relax. I told him about Saida, Adeline, and Jasper at Nylian’s so-called private residence, and he immediately ordered a squad of guards to fetch them.
Once I sat in a chair, comfortable in the knowledge that Nylian was safe with his family, and Adeline and Jasper were going to join me in the palace, I just might have fallen asleep.
Chapter 32
Happy Chipmunk
A Few Days Later…
The world fell into an odd routine for a while as news spread across Wolfrest, and eventually across the continent, that Prince Orian was alive. There was also sadder news that Prince Jandar and his mother, Consort Keya, had died in the battle to stop an assassin from finishing the attempt on Orian’s life. It was only through the quick action of Prince Xeran, along with his companions, that Prince Orian was saved.