"I need to go," I mumbled. Before I could take another breath, he had me pinned against the wall.
"You aren't going to move another inch," his voice grew husky, and I watched his crystal blue eyes begin to cloud.
"Your majesty," I began. I felt t...
"That's for thinking that I would sleep with any man other than my betrothed. Despite what the Council says, I'm your mate, Damien."
I began to stomp away, but I was twirled around and pressed against his chest.
"Does this mean we're making it official?" he smirked.
I looked down at the ring in the box that he had so cleverly wedged between us, and gasped at the sight.
Don't get me wrong, I may have not been a fan of the Royal Family growing up, but I went to a public high school, and there were always rumors. One of these rumors was made after it was announced that Damien would be taking the throne when he came of age; not his brother. The Royal Engagement Ring was the most expensive in the world. I had seen pictures, but the true ring put them to shame.
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"Damien..." I mumbled. Our marriage may have been slightly arranged and slightly rushed, but the gesture was still from his heart. Rushed marriages seem to be a part of the deal when you're saving an entire supernatural species from an evil egotistical bastard.
I looked up through my eyelashes to see him nervously biting his lip. He never got nervous. Ever.
So naturally, I decided to have some fun with it.
"Nervous, pretty boy?" I smirked.
He rolled his eyes, a look of annoyance on his face. I saw the thin layer of content as his confidence returned.
"Say yes, my love," he sighed.
"Say the magic word," I teased.
"You're going to make me beg for this on my hands and knees, aren't you?" he chuckled. I smiled up at him triumphantly, and he placed ticklish kisses on my neck and all over my face. "Say yes."
"It would be my honor," I smirked into his stubble as I placed a soft kiss on his jaw.
A knock on the door drew us out of our moment, and we both turned to see Lyon in the doorway. His eyes quickly floated to the box, and he erupted in shouts of joy.
"Ace, you owe me 50 bucks!" he screeched.
Ace raced to the door, his eyes narrowing in on the ring.
"Dammit, you couldn't have waited one month?" he growled.
"You thought it would take me one month to propose to my mate?" Damien scoffed. "You don't know me very well, Ace. Remind me never to take you gambling."
Damien hadn't broken a smile as he looked down to slip the ring on my finger. He pressed his forehead against mine, and now I couldn't help but smile.
"Let's save the baby making until after she becomes Luna, yeah?" Ace chuckled.
"Get out of here," Damien lunged a pillow towards him, and I covered my face as I felt heat rise to my cheeks.
"I should go break the news to Alessia so she knows whose wedding she's planning," I murmured.
"I'll see you tonight," he whispered into my hair.
___________
"FINALLY," Alessia groaned as she fell back on my bedspread. Her blonde hair splayed out across my sheets. I looked at her with one eyebrow raised. "Oh, I totally knew. You think that a boy could pick out a ring like that? Please."
"I should have known," I sighed as I laid beside her. She got silent.
"I'm totally happy for you, you know that right?"
I looked at her curiously.
"Is there any reason I should believe otherwise?"
"Xander's...friends came to the castle. You know me, I kind of babble to everyone, and I ended up talking to Serena."
"Where is this going, Alessia." I clenched the comforter tight as I sat up, running a hand through my hair.
"I just think...I think you don't know Xander's true motives here, or his intentions."
"I just got engaged to my mate, and you want me to go talk to his mateless brother who wants to marry me out of spite?" I frowned.
"The Council postponed the wedding three months for a reason, I just think..."
"He was mated to you!" I spat. I stood from the bed, clamping a hand over my mouth. Fvck.
"....What?"
I turned to her with wide eyes.
"I shouldn't have said that, I shouldn't have said that..." I proceeded to pace the room as I felt all color drain from my face.
"I'm mated to Ace, Cyan, how could you even suggest that? Cy, look at me, you can't just say something like that and not explain!"
"He saw you, but you didn't see him. He knew, and he knew what the Royal Family was like, and he didn't want to bring you into that. So he got drunk, and he marked another girl by mistake. The Moon Goddess punished him by taking you away from him."
"Cyan..." she murmured.
"I'm sorry, Less, I shouldn't have said it, I should have kept my mouth shut."
"No, Cyan," she repeated. I looked up, and saw Xander frozen in my doorway.
