Bound to the Elvin King (51 page)

“There is that.”

Silence blanketed the room. Maggie peeked through her lashes at him. He appeared to be staring ahead, but she swore he stole sideway glances every so often. Her nerves wound tighter and tighter. She needed to say something to him, but how? Just blurt out she loved him? What if he laughed in her face?

No, he wouldn’t do that, even if he didn’t love her. She never wanted to look the fool, though. If he loved her, why couldn’t he say it first?

She sighed and turned her head toward him. “Talion—”

“Maggie—”

Great, they both wanted to talk at the same time. She cleared her throat. “You go first.”

He slanted her a considering look. “No, ladies first.”

Grr, she didn’t want to. “That’s quite alright. Kings take precedence.”

He laughed, and the rich sound slid down her spine like a warm caress. “Since when does me being a king mean anything to you?” he asked.

“It always meant something. Something I wanted to avoid.”

He gazed at her with an understanding in his eyes that shook her. “You cannot avoid it any longer,” he said.

What—what couldn’t she avoid? Her position or admitting her love for him? Or both? Because she’d been thinking of both.

“I know I can’t avoid taking up my official role. I’m still not crazy about—”

“No, Maggie, that’s not what I’m talking about.”

She gulped. Damn, what did he know?

“I know how you feel about me. In your delirium you were quite…enlightening. I also learned much that happened during your captivity.”

Relief and embarrassment flushed her face. Shit, what had she said? She could well guess. At least it had already been said. God, would he want her to say it again?

She almost laughed at her silliness. If they were going to be married for the rest of their lives, she’d have to get used to admitting she loved him. If she told him at least once or twice every year and multiplied that amount by next-to-forever, she’d be saying she loved him a
whole lot
of times.

“So…so you know I love you, huh?” She paused and forced herself to ask nonchalantly, “How do you feel about me?”

He raised a brow. “How do you think I feel?”

Damn, not this guessing game. “Well, I know you like and care for me. I can feel it through the bond. You protect—”

Talion chuckled ruefully and shook his head. “Maggie, it’s so much more than mere liking and caring. Didn’t you know that?”

Not really.
“I—I guess so.”

He angled himself so he faced her. Cupping her face in his hands, he gazed deep into her eyes. “I love you. From the moment you stepped into my life, I knew there’d be something between us.”

Her heart soared to her throat. He leaned forward, and she met him. Their lips touched in a gentle kiss, one that promised much more once she was healed. Just thinking about it caused heat to kindle in her lower regions.

She drew away first, and his hands dropped to her shoulders.
Guess the time has come to say it back
. “I love you, too, even when you’re being a jerk. Which is often.”

“Is that so?”

She nodded, her mind shifting subjects. Had he known she would be his mate? “Alalise said you always knew your bond mate was human.”

His brows drew together. “Oh, she did?” he asked, displeasure coating his voice.

“Yeah.”

He frowned. “I never told her. She must’ve done some snooping. One more thing she has to answer for.”

“What do you mean?”

“She had strong suspicions concerning her brother. And I know she’s been pouring some kind of poison in your ear, so don’t try to deny it.”

“Trust me, I won’t. But why did you protect her for so long? You practically left me at her mercy.”

“I’ve come to see that was the wrong thing to do. You only mistrusted me all the more. But sometimes you were so headstrong that I didn’t want to comply with your demands. Most importantly, I didn’t want to reveal the true nature of my relationship with her—which is merely a business one now—because she’s a spy. ”

So Alalise was a spy and nothing more? “Huh, why wouldn’t you want to tell me that?”

He sighed. “Maggie, your face gives many of your thoughts and feelings. I didn’t want to endanger you or Alalise by taking that chance.”

She should feel insulted but didn’t. He was right. She was pretty much an open book. Still, how was she to learn if he didn’t trust her? “Well, as queen, at some point, I’m going to know something that’s dangerous.”

“Yes. I need to start entrusting you with information.”

Maggie filled in the blanks. “And I need to step up to my role.”

He froze and then shook his head before he gave a small smile. “By being a true queen who rules by my side.”

When he put it that way, her new position didn’t sound so bad. She opened her mouth to mention that, but stopped. Talion’s smile had disappeared, and he gazed at her with something approaching nervousness.

He fidgeted with his hands. Yep, he was definitely agitated about something. Whatever it was, it better not be major. The sinking sensation in her stomach told her otherwise.

“Maggie….” he began.

“What is it?” she asked, her voice sharper than intended. The sorrowful yet hopeful and—dare she say it—proud expression on his face freaked her out.

“When you were injured, Avrin discovered you are with child. Did you know?”

Maggie stared at him stupidly. With child? What did that mean? It couldn’t mean…. Oh, hell, it did. She screeched, “I’m pregnant? You got me pregnant?”

“Tell me you’re not completely dissatisfied at this prospect and want the child as much as I do,” he said, and the tone of his words were halfway between a demand and a plea.

How did she truly feel? She’d never particularly wanted children. Though she’d been knocking boots with Talion plenty, she hadn’t even considered the possibility. So her being pregnant wasn’t totally Talion’s fault. The blame rested on her just as much.

Fright and wonder rolled through her veins. The thought of having a child was scary, but not as distasteful as she believed it would be. “I’m not used to the idea, but the idea isn’t as bad as I’d thought it would be. We’re bonded, so we have a stable family unit in which to raise a child.” She shivered. “I definitely think we’ll make better parents than my mom and dad were to me.”

An inquiring look crossed his face, and she held up a hand. “Not right now. I’m not feeling up to a trip through my past. That’s a story for another day, as is the full tale of your marriage to Serrina that I want to know all about.”

He grabbed the hand she had up in the air, and brought it to his lips. After placing a kiss there, he said, “Yes, let’s not dirty the moment with painful reminiscences.”

She bit her lip and watched him through hooded eyes. His old-fashioned way of talking was hot. Too bad it was the only kind of action she’d be getting for a while. She groaned. Why was she always so horny about Talion? Was it the bond, or was it just him? Maybe being pregnant made it worse.

“How far does Avrin think I am?” As a thought occurred, her hand went to her stomach automatically. “Is the baby okay?”

“The little one is safe and sustained no setbacks that Avrin can tell.”

She let out a sigh of relief. Though this baby hadn’t been planned, it was still hers and Talion’s to protect and love.

“You’re around six weeks along.”

She did the math. “So it happened in the first few days after we bonded?”

“Probably the first night.”

“Oh.” The night she couldn’t remember, but the one that had forever changed her life. “For some reason, that seems fitting.”

He brought his face to hers, and touched their foreheads together. “It does.” A slow grin spread across his lips.

Something Cal had said about elvin children floated back to her, and she pulled back. “Wait, wait, wait!” She pointed an accusing finger at him because this part was all his fault. “Don’t elvin kids stay babies or toddlers for like fifty billion years?” Okay, she was exaggerating, but it was some long amount like that, minus fifty billion years.

Talion stared at her, his mouth quirking in such an adorable manner she couldn’t easily maintain her indignation. When he laughed and caught her lips with his, she was a goner. She sighed dreamily. He could stop her rants this way anytime he wanted.

In fact, she was counting on it.

Chapter 27

“Nervous?” Talion whispered in her ear. They waited in the anteroom of the throne room before they made their entrance.

“No.” She caught his knowing look. “Yes. I can’t hide anything from you, can I?”

“You never could,” he said, his voice smug.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I could feel you to some degree right from the beginning.”

So he knew everything she felt? Right from the beginning? Well, that sucked. She didn’t know whether to kiss him or deck him on his nearly healed nose. Guess some things never changed. “Why are you in such a good mood? I thought Eamon’s trial would have the opposite effect.”

“I’ve waited for this day for the last two weeks.”

His satisfaction was so strong, it swept through the bond like a burning-hot wave. “You really want your revenge.”

Talion’s smile held a hint of cruelty. “And I’ll get it. No one hurts you and gets away with it.”

Maggie placed a hand on his arm. “I don’t think we’ll have to worry about him getting away with it. I want to see him get a harsh punishment, too. My heart nearly stopped when I thought Eamon was going to kill you. What he did was totally horrible…but death is so final.”

He frowned at her. “That’s the whole point.”

“I guess.” She sighed, not wanting to get into this with him. But if she didn’t right now, it would be too late. “You know, there are—”

The door opened, and Relian and Cal’s arrival cut off her words. Maggie shrugged. Eamon’s future was out of her hands. Why did she even care what happened to him? She had no answer for that.

Cal walked over to Maggie while Relian drew his father away to speak to him. “So are you ready for this?” Cal asked.

“As ready as I’ll ever be.”

“Me, too. How are you feeling?”

“Eh, except for the lingering pain in my side, the morning sickness and mind-numbing tiredness, I’m peachy.”

“Well, you have less than seven months left.” Cal laughed. “After that, your child will be a baby or toddler for only forty to fifty years.”

“Damn it all, Cal, it’s not funny. When are you going to be knocked up?”

“We’re in no hurry, unlike some people.” She ignored Maggie’s growl. “We’re not trying to prevent it, though, so it’ll happen when it happens.”

“I hope it happens sooner than later,” Maggie muttered.

Interrupting, Talion said, “It’s time.” He strode toward Maggie and held out his arm.

She forced a smile to her face. “Let’s get this show on the road.”

When they entered the throne room, all those already waiting stood up and bowed or curtsied. Talion handed Maggie onto the smaller throne before seating himself on the larger one.

“Bring those awaiting trial in,” Talion said.

The guards near a side door bowed and went to retrieve the prisoners. They herded in Eamon, Andrian, and Alanon, and seated the three in simple wooden chairs before the dais. Eamon looked worse for the wear, his hair sticking out wildly and his face dirty. He cradled his right palm. Maggie squinted, and the angry red of his palm snagged her attention. Unwilling sympathy welled. That had to hurt like hell.

Trying to take her mind off Eamon’s hand—the hand
she’d
cut—she turned her focus to the other two. Andrian and Alanon’s skin and hair matched the cleanliness of their clothes. It seemed some people were getting special treatment.

Talion addressed his court. “Let us begin Lord Eamon’s trial first, though all those accused will have a bearing upon each other’s cases. My lords and ladies, Lord Eamon has conspired against our great kingdom by corrupting the darkindred and seeking to kill your king and queen. Relian, the orb please.”

Relian, who stood to the left of his father’s throne, handed his father a little velvet pouch. Talion took the pouch and emptied it into the palm of his hand. The crystal orb, reflecting all the colors in a rainbow, glittered in the natural light streaming through the windows and skylights. Maggie found it hard to take her gaze off it. Funny that such a small thing could control a whole race.

Cradling the orb between his fingers, Talion held it up for everyone to see. “This is the orb that controls the darkindred, and the one Lord Eamon stole from the veil.”

The crowd broke out in loud whispers, but quieted when Talion gave Maggie the orb to hold. Energy thrummed through the material of the pouch and into her hand. Unease raced through her. This wasn’t an item a human or even an elf was supposed to grasp, let alone possess. Talion, though, was showing his faith in her by entrusting her with the orb, even if only for the duration of the trial.