Page 36 of His Stolen Queen
Hammon and Henk exchanged glances, their expressions still masked. “It could be nothing,” Hammon slowly started.
A growl of displeasure escaped me. I detested ambiguity. “Do not waste my time. What have you learned?”
Hammon took a nervous breath before stepping forward, his hands clasped behind his back. "Elder Amos has shared some…interesting information with us."
My brow furrowed further at his reveal. Amos was one of the three Elders from Ameros, King Damon’s Territory. Elders usually sought permission from their King before sharing information between Territories, in case a war broke out. We could not allow our Kingdom to be open to vulnerabilities that could be used against us. At present, we have all co-existed peacefully for hundreds of years—yet that did not mean we had to remain complacent.
“King Damon is aware of this?”
At Hammon’s nod, I made a rolling motion with my hand. “Stop talking in riddles and tell me.”
He cleared his throat, hesitating briefly before continuing. “Until recently, we were under the impression that all recordsduring King Artemis and Queen Sarai’s reign were destroyed when their rule was overthrown.”
I nodded slowly. “Yes, everything was destroyed when they and their children were killed,” I acknowledged.
“It is true that an intentionally lit fire destroyed the south wing, where Ameros kept their records. However, there were rumors—unfounded at the time, may I add—that a few crucial scrolls were smuggled out.”
Shock rocked my core as my stare bounced between my three Elders. Even though King Artemis and Queen Sarai’s murders were caused by Vladimir and his followers, it was a common suspicion that they had acquired inside help. The fire had been deliberately lit; the wing struck first before the royal family was murdered. Knowing now that important documents may have been saved led me to more questions than answers.
Who had the foresight to save them? Where were they now, and what were their contents?
“These rumors…they are no longer unfounded?'
“I am afraid that is all the information we have at present,” Styro added, regret etched in his voice. "However, we are working with Elder Amos and Elder Isa to uncover the truth.”
“Why do you need Alice’s DNA? What am I missing?”
More glances were exchanged between them. Henk unfurled his arms from behind his back.
“We are unsure at present," he remarked. "But we hope that Alice will hold the key to the answers we seek.”
I rubbed at the ache between my eyes. Fates, I missed Alice. My soul was tethered to her and protested at having to leave her so abruptly. However, I could see the end in sight.
“I will get you the DNA,” I vowed.
Chapter 13
Alice
Rough blades of grass tickled my skin as my fingers stroked against them. A gentle, warm breeze fluttered my skirt; the soft wind whispered along my smooth thighs.
I sighed contentedly, wriggling my body against the cool ground. I felt a little guilty that I was wasting the day away by daydreaming in a field filled with wildflowers, but I had a perfectly valid excuse. It was hard to be productive after a night of passionate and lengthy lovemaking. It made a girl utterly boneless and exhausted.
Even now, all I could think about was the way my lover's tongue felt against my swollen clit. The way his fingers squeezed my breasts and scraped his teeth against my hard nipple. The way my neck arched as he sank his—
A shadow moved over me, blocking the sun and sending a small chill through me at the loss of heat. But instead of being annoyed, a flirtatious smile curved my mouth. “You’re back.”
I opened my eyes and stared up at my handsome mate, my gaze heating as I raked him from head to foot. He was wearing black pants and a white dress shirt, with a few buttons undone, revealing his smooth, strong throat. I licked my lips as I homed in on that beating pulse.
He smirked, knowing where my mind had gone. He lowered his powerful frame beside me before pulling me close. My body instantly curved up against his, my head resting on his strong shoulder. He gripped my waist before running his large hand down the curve of my hips, and I shivered against him as I felt his fingers brush my ass.
“Do you remember the first time we met?” His voice rumbled through me. I smiled lazily as I planted lingering kisses against his exposed skin. His voice purred in his throat. A sound of pure male satisfaction.
“How could I forget?" I licked up the side of his neck, savoring his intoxicating taste. "It was on these very fields that you accosted me.”
“Accosted? Is that what you call it?”
I giggled, my mind going back to that fateful moment. The night I turned eighteen. For as long as I lived, I would never forget the image of him storming toward me—hair blowing in the wind, shirt unbuttoned and flapping behind him; his gaze determined and mesmerized.
