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Rolling onto my back, I drape Malia over my chest and kiss her sweaty temple before tucking her head under my chin. My fingers glide along her spine in calming strokes, soothing her trembling body and covering her with my strength.
“You okay, mate?” I murmur into her beautifully untamed hair.
“So good,” she mumbles, making me smirk.
“Me too.” Malia sighs contentedly and wraps her arms around my torso, hugging me close.
After a few minutes of comfortable silence, my mate pops her head up from my chest, her green eyes filled with love. “So, what’s on the agenda for today? Now that I’m about to be queen, I will definitely need a closet filled with fancy soaps and at least three greenhouses added to the grounds,” she teases.
“Of course, my queen. Anything for you,” I promise, kissing her nose. “But there’s one thing I need to do before making any more plans.”
Malia gives me a questioning look, then nods her head, rolling over so I can grab the little box from the bedside table, opening it to reveal an antique ring I had refurbished with several diamonds added. Her eyes go wide, immediately filling with tears. I hope they’re happy tears.
“Malia,” I start, not sure how to put into words everything she means to me.
“Yes!” she squeals, tackling me back onto the bed. “Queen, mate,andwife?”
“You didn’t let me ask you,” I say with a chuckle as I wrap my arms around her.
“Too late,” she sing-songs, grabbing the ring and putting it on her finger. “You’re stuck with me now.”
“Good,” I grunt, rolling her onto her back as I lean over her. “I love you so much, Malia. With my whole heart. My whole being. I’ll always protect you, always support you. You’re my entire world now, mate. Everything I do is for you.”
“I love you, Ryker. No one has ever made me feel so… seen. So cherished. Thank you,” she says with a watery smile.
“Never thank me for loving you,” he whispers before covering my mouth with his.
I taste forever on his lips, and I know this is just the beginning of my happily ever after.
TWELVE
Malia
Five Years Later…
“And then thePrincess became trapped in the tower,” Ryker tells our daughter as she hangs on his every word.
Ryker is telling her a bedtime story, our story, and I smile as he embellishes a few key details.
“How did she become trapped, daddy?” Maria asks.
“The castle was very old, and sometimes the doors got stuck,” Ryker tells her, and I snort.
Ryker grins over at me, and I shake my head at him.
“Then what happened, daddy?” Simone asks as she moves closer to her sister and father.
“Then the dashing King came in and rescued the Princess. The Princess was so overcome by how handsome the King was that she fell in love with him right then and there.”
I hide my smile behind my hand and listen as Ryker finishes the story.
“Did the King love the Princess too?” Simone asks, and Ryker nods.
“Oh, yes. He loved her more than anything.”
Maria and Simone share a wide smile, and my heart melts as I watch our daughters.
We had them a year after we were mated and married. The pregnancy with the twins was rough, and I wasn’t sure that we were going to be able to have any more kids, but we just found out that we’re expecting again.
