𝑩𝒓𝒂𝒊𝒅𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝑮𝒐𝒍𝒅

chapter sixty-nine

Zander

I noticed Emriana's breathing slowly becoming regular and glanced down to see her sleeping against my chest. Her long hair curtained her delicate face perfectly as her fingers were twisted into the fabric of my shirt.

I shifted, moving her head up so she wouldn't be uncomfortable. My left hand was still on her soft breast, loving how it fitted perfectly in my hand. She was becoming used to this intimacy quickly, and I couldn't help but feel proud that she trusted me like that.

"She asleep?" Zeke asked in a hushed voice. I nodded.

"Been for long?" Drakkar said, and I shook my head.

"Just a few minutes," I muttered under my breath.

I glanced to see Zeke and Drakkar glaring at my hidden hand under her dress, and I smirked.

"Jealous?" I snarled, and they scoffed, looking away.

"Why would I be when I was buried inside her soft pussy a few days ago?" Drakkar chuckled, and Zeke  sent him a powerful kick in the stomach. He groaned, letting out a low chuckle. I rolled my eyes, looking back at the girl nuzzled against my body.

Drakkar stopped laughing when she started shifting, moving even closer to my body. Zeke scooted closer to us, stroking the hair away from her sleeping face. His knuckles brushed her cheek softly, and he frowned.

"Why is her skin so fucking cold?" He whispered-yelled at us, and Drakkar scowled as he touched her arm.

"What the fuck?" He whispered, and her breathing stopped briefly before starting again. My hand on her back moved to her cold cheek, and I frowned.

"There's a blanket under your seat, Drakkar," Zeke said, and Drakkar grabbed the large wool blanket. I moved my hand away from her chest and pulled the blanket over her body, tucking it tightly around her.

"Why is she so cold? Is she sick?" Zeke asked as he touched her forehead with the back of his hand. He sighed, kissing her eyelashes.

We traveled for the rest of the day without stopping. She never once woke up, which started to worry me, but hearing her breathing against my skin was a constant reassurance. Drakkar had made us stop at one point to make Akira come inside with us. He lay on the floor by our feet as soon as he stepped inside the carriage. Emriana was right. He was a lot weaker than before.

The night fell upon us, drowning us in his shadows. Zeke had fallen asleep beside me at one point while Drakkar watched the shadows of the tree pass by. I couldn't fall asleep, like always; too much lingered on my mind.

The entire time we'd traveled, I'd tried to solve the problem we had. I had gone through hundreds of scenarios that always ended up with someone not getting what they wanted. All my life, I had always thought that once I was crowned King of Ekudal with my brothers, all my problems would be solved. I never thought that being King would actually be the source of my problem, that it would actually be the thing standing in the way of something I wanted.

I hadn't said anything to my brothers, but I had made up my mind on what I would do if she turned down the crown. By the looks in Zeke's and Drakkar's eyes, I knew they had too. She was the onl—

"You okay?" Drakkar asked, and I saw the side of his face lit up by the moon's crescent.

"No," I answered, and he sighed.

"I feel you," he replied, shifting a little in his seat. As cushioned as our carriage was, after nine hours of sitting, everything fucking hurt. "I can't sleep since that ball night. Every time I close my eyes, I see the sadness and pain in her eyes as she thought I was going to kill her,"