Hive Queen by Sinclair, Grayson (ereader iphone .TXT) 📗

glanced down at her perfect breasts and chuckled. “They’re actually not as fun to have as you’d think. Especially with my hollow bones. They cause my back no end of strain.”

I pursed my lips, not entirely convinced, but at seeing my sour expression Raven laughed, and I couldn’t keep a smile off my face.

“C’mon. There’s something you need to do,” I said and offered her my hand.

She took my hand without question, but after walking back inside and down the castle’s long stone hallways, she did get curious.

“So where are you taking me?”

“To see Sam.”

“Oh.”

We wound our way through the castle’s three levels and stopped just outside Sam’s room. I knocked, which felt silly, but I also didn’t want to barge in and spring this on him.

He opened the door a moment later. He’d changed clothes. He wore a dull emerald tunic with three buttons at his chest and a pair of black trousers. His bright copper hair hung down to his collar, and he had a brush in hand. He scrunched his eyes together and scratched his clean-shaven face at the sight.

“Eris?” He looked up. “And Raven. This should be good. Well, come in, both of you.”

He stepped aside, and I let Raven’s hand drop, my heart beating faster as I picked at my nails, trying to work up the nerve for the conversation I’d been meaning to have since Sam returned.

“We need to talk,” I said and went to sit on the bed.

Sam chuckled at that. “Feels like we’ve done nothing but talk since I got back, and all of it bad news. I’m guessing from your expression it’s more of the same, so let me have it.”

“I broke your trust.”

His face darkened, and his half grin slipped into a grimace. “You did, but I also forgave you for it.”

He couldn’t stop the emotions that welled in his heart and slipped through our connection. He was conflicted by so many different emotions that I couldn’t read them well; they flowed and mixed and churned chaotically inside his heart. You say as much, but your heart can’t lie to me. You haven’t truly forgiven me. I wanted nothing more than to fix what I’d broken, but there was nothing I could do.

I’d broken his trust, and I had to face the consequences of that.

“You said so, but you haven’t not in your heart.”

Sam went over to his nightstand and reached for his crystal decanter. He had it in hand when he looked at it and stopped himself.

He set it down and turned to me. “Maybe you’re right, but you were right about everything else too. You were very clear about your preference for bringing others into our relationship from the beginning. I think Reina took advantage of you when you were weak after having been stabbed. That’s not exactly your fault.”

“I still broke your trust. I knew you wouldn’t have approved, but I slept with her anyway. I’m sorry.”

He ran his hands through his hair and tied it all back with precise, practiced motions. “You’re right, I wouldn’t have approved. Don’t approve. But that’s me putting my human ideals on you. You said it last night. You’re not human, Eris. It’s not fair of me to expect you to conform to a different species’ ideals just because I can’t be a little more open-minded.”

I couldn’t help it. I laughed, giggling with a wide smile on my face. It was in such conflict with the heavy atmosphere a second ago, but I couldn’t help myself. Sam looked at me like I’d gone insane, but his frown faded, and his eyes lit up once more.

“What?” he asked incredulously.

“You’ve changed, my bonded. She’s been a good influence for you. The you I met when I first came out of my prison would’ve never said those words. You’d have stormed off in rage and likely marched to the Darkwoods yourself and attacked Reina.

“I’ll always love you no matter what, but I was right about Raven. She’s good for you, for us.”

He rubbed the back of his neck and looked up at Raven with warmth in his eyes. “She’s all right, I guess.”

Raven laughed. “You see what I had to put up with?”

I hopped off the bed and went over to Sam. He let me pull him down in a kiss, and his lips tasted of forgiveness. I’d hurt him; however much as he’d gotten over it to forgive me didn’t change that I’d hurt the person I loved more than anyone else.

It wouldn’t make up for what I did, but I had an idea that might help smooth things out.

“I love you, Sam. But I can’t take back that I hurt you. And I’m truly sorry for that.”

He smiled and nodded. “Still love you, though. That will never change.”

“I know, but I think I have a way to not exactly make up for it, but for you to balance the scales. It’s the only thing I can think of that might come close to making up for it.”

He caught my meaning and looked over to Raven. His eyes went wide. “You can’t mean what I think you mean─”

“Yep, consider it an order from your queen, my one and only knight.”

I kissed him once more on the lips and turned, giving Raven a smile as I left.

Chapter 25 - Uncertainty

Sampson

“So,” I said, stretching out the syllable as Eris shut the door behind her. “I’m not sure what to do here.”

That brought a smile to Raven’s lips. “Well, I think Eris wants us to fuck.”

“No, I got that part loud and clear,” I said as I walked over to the edge of my bed and sat, staring up at Raven.

“What? You don’t want to?”

I let out a snort. “Not that simple.