AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Very good crown elect.”
“Call me SaKura.”
“I will until it becomes necessary to call you monarch.” SaKura shivered. He never wanted to be in control of a planet.
“Yes, Thad is my father.”
“Father?” It took all his considerable might not to stare or gasp for breath. He crossed the living room and took a seat.
“How old are you? How old is your father?”
“We both remember you being born.” Her eyebrows lifted, and she got a twinkle in her eyes as SaKura struggled to breathe that time. “Not as easy as you thought it was, is it?”
He threw his head back and laughed. “You got me there. I have a deeper understanding of what my mate went through when she learned how old I was.”
“I love a male who can learn.”
“Why are you here?”
“My papa tells me your mate can’t cook. His exact words were ‘I watched her burn water once.’ I expect you can cook, but you can’t cook.” He tilted his head at her.
“I can do enough to get by. My Manan wouldn’t have lived with herself if I couldn’t cook, but I never had the patience to learn the more intricate dishes.”
“I am Cleo. I’m your new chef.”
“Not so fast. It will be Jenna’s choice if you stay or not.”
Cleo winked at him. “Take my word. She’ll keep me. I’ll rearrange your sad kitchen and then start with lunch. She’ll be down soon.” She stood and turned around to show him the tail he was looking for.
He murmured she had to be related to Thad when she was in the kitchen.
“I heard that. I’m a watcher I hear everything.” He shook his head before closing his eyes, debating if he should go to his mate or wait for her to come to him.
SaKura wanted to go to his mate, but forced himself to sit still. If he didn’t allow her to come to him, she’d never understand or feel that she was equal in this relationship. A king must be intentional in his moves, his Manan once told him. He could easily make those he cared about feel inferior to him.
That was how his mate was feeling, less than. Did she realize they were mated, or did she think he was using her? It would take time and patience, but she would understand that no one and nothing were as important as she was. He was willing to bet she would argue that his people and his kingdom would be more important. He would… his thoughts stalled as he heard her light steps on the stairs. If she wanted, he was sure she’d be able to move without being detected.
“I don’t know what’s happening.” Her voice was soft, but it was also filled with pain. He turned on the couch to face her, stretching out his hand. The choice was hers.
Jenna looked at SaKura’s outstretched hand like it was a snake ready to bite her. What did he want from her? All she wanted was her freedom. Freedom to do what? She’d spent so much time hiding from the world that she couldn’t imagine suddenly becoming part of it.
When had she stopped living? How had she allowed the trauma she went through in her youth to consume her life, and did she want it to always dictate her actions? Being safe was one thing, being scared to leave the house was different. Taking his hand meant taking a bigger step than she might be ready for. What would rejecting him mean? The voices said she will regret it for the rest of her life. The voices other than Bella were the one thing she put her trust in. This wasn’t their call, it was hers.
Calling herself a fool, she walked over and placed her hand in his. She’d been walking alone for a long time. It might be time for some company.
SaKura smiled and guided her around the couch. She sat on one end of it, and he sat on the other end.
Jenna took the time to really look at the living room. The walls were white, and the furniture was beige. It was all nondescript and in ways reminded her of a pleasant hotel with little personality.
“Talk to me.” It was the best she could do. Parts of her trusted him and other parts saw a monster waiting to devour her when her guard was down. Who was the real Sakura? Was he a monster, or the crown-elect who cared for no one other than himself? Could he be the male his sister saw him as? She didn’t know.
“You accused me of binding you to me so that I could use you as a baby-making machine and then throw you away and get another. That’s not a far-fetched thought. My Papan has many children all with different Manan’s. My older sister, Traure, and I shared the same Papan and Manan. Rakha and I only share a Papan. All the different females that my Papan had were gifted with the same longevity he has until the Tan-ge.” The spikes on his shoulders and wrist popped out. The claws on his fingers grew, breaking the skin of his palm as he fought to keep what he was feeling at bay. “If they had been human like you when my Papan bit you, he would have used his lancur teeth. Using those would bind your life cycle to his. I don’t know how it works, but it does.”
“You didn’t do that to me. I’ll die and then you’ll get someone else. Probably a thinner model.”
“Come with me.” He held his hand out again. This time, when she took it, he led her upstairs to one of the walk-in closets in their bedroom. There was a full-length mirror they stood in front of. He was behind her. “Look. Let me tell you what I see. On this reflective surface is a beautiful, thick female. Any male would be happy to call her his. This male,” he pointed to himself, “is ecstatic to call you his.”
She lifted her head to stare into SaKura's eyes. They were black with a line of red in the middle, not a pupil as she knew them, but something different, exotic. They were also telling the truth.
