Bride of the Emperor (The Prophecy of Sisters Book 4) by Hayley Faiman (the gingerbread man read aloud txt) 📗

He chuckles. “Until we have the family that we desire. Boys, girls, a whole domum full.”

Lifting my hands, I cup his cheeks and look into his beautiful eyes. “I don’t know what the future is going to hold, what any of this prophecy means for us, but I can’t deny that I am happy all of this craziness brought me to you.”

I mean the words too. I’m not just saying them, I am happy. Happier than I have ever been in my life. The only thing that would make this complete, that would make me blissfully happy, would be to have my sisters near me.

“The next mission, once we have dealt with Decima and Diaboli, is your sisters. Do not think I have forgotten about any of them,” he announces as if he can read my mind.

Licking my lips, I dip my chin in a nod. “Okay, Tiberius.”

His lips brush mine again. “Let us sleep, melculum. I have missed being close to my mulier.”

“I’ve missed my husband,” I confess.

“Never again, Drucilla. Nothing will come between us, ever.”

I don’t make the promise, because this world has things like magic and witches that do just that.

However, I do close my eyes and pray to my god that it never happens again. Because now he’s not just some hot guy I can’t understand, he’s my husband in every sense of the word and I love him.

TIBERIUS

Leaving Drucilla sleeping in bed this morning doesn’t feel as heavy as it did yesterday or the day before. As I break my fast, I tell the cook to prepare a platter for Drucilla and have her girl take it to her in a few hours.

Marcellus appears at my side, as usual, to talk to me of the plans for the day and demand that I attend certain meetings and things, of which I never do. I am the emperor, but the mundane things that accompany the title are not conversations that I particularly care much about.

“You did not join last night,” he needlessly points out.

With a shrug of my shoulder, I reach for a piece of bread and bring it to my lips to busy my mouth. A moment of silence passes before he clears his throat, impatiently waiting for me to comment on his observation.

“My mulier does not wish to share. I cannot say that I blame her. The idea of sharing what is mine leaves something to be desired,” I truthfully admit.

Marcellus tilts his head to the side, though I doubt he would ever understand my position. He will no doubt have a mulier who enjoys our orgias just as much as he does.

Last night, I wasn’t sure how I would feel watching the activities around me and not joining in. As the emperor’s son and now the emperor, I have always been awarded whatever I have desired.

I left the celebration feeling nothing but content, and that feeling multiplied once I walked into my cubiculum, my contentment turned into complete euphoria.

“You are in love,” Marcellus announces.

Taking another bite of bread, I dip my chin, my eyes finding my brothers. “I am, frater.”

Admitting it aloud, it does something to me. It makes my insides feel warm. It doesn’t make my blood feel hot the way that it does when I need Drucilla, when I am on the edge and can no longer stand not being inside of her, not reaching my climax. It’s different and I think that it is indeed love.

Never have I imagined myself a man who could love. A family was something I knew that I needed, but it was a duty and nothing more.

I knew that I didn’t want to be like my father. I didn’t want to create children with countless women and leave them destitute when I died. Though, I did make sure none of them were that. It’s not the legacy that I wished to leave behind.

I didn’t think that I would fall in love with my mulier though, god created for me or not. There is a sharp crack of thunder and I wonder if my mulier is awake and angry. Frowning, I watch as a couple of people run toward the gardens haphazardly.

Standing, I follow them. Running outside I freeze at the sight before me. I was hoping that I would not see her again, that her payment had been received and that neither of us would need one another again.

I was wrong.

Standing in front of me is Aeliana with Decima.

“What is this?” I demand on a roar.

Aeliana frowns. “I don’t have premonitions,” she oddly announces.

She takes a step toward me, Decima still attached to the metal pole. Decima does not look tortured, but she does look tired. I don’t know what Aeliana has been putting her through, neither do I care, however, I do care deeply as to why they are here.

“You’re here to tell me something, I wish to hear it,” I say, tilting my chin up slightly.

“I do not have premonitions,” Aeliana says again. “However, I had one. It is my powers, they are different since this has started. Since the prophecy is going full-fledged and not in the way the gods intended.”

“Is it not?” I ask, knowing that I am indeed in love with my mulier.

She shakes her head. “The sisters are going to come together. They are going to gather and it will be disastrous. I need to be there.”

“You need to be there?” I ask, then jerk my chin in the direction of the woman on the pole and arch my brow. “Decima as well?”

She clears her throat, her lips curving up. “Decima is here because I am not finished with her yet. I haven’t decided how I will use her, but I will, and eventually she will aid me in all of this.”

“Never,” Decima hisses.

Aeliana puts her hands on her hips, turning her head to look back over her shoulder. “You will. Your powers already drain from you to me. In the end, you will aid