The King (Black Dagger Brotherhood #12)(90)
Author: J.R. Ward

“Worry not, my love,” he said, clasping her hand in his. “I shall take care of everything.”

And blood will run like the tears you shed in your pain.

He was King, yes. But first and foremost, he was the hellren of this magnificent female—and ahvenge her he would.

THIRTY-FIVE

“Of all the things they had to be right about…”

As Trez lay flat on the slick floor of his bathroom, he put his forearm over his eyes. He was acutely aware that his c**k was deflating, all that meaningless sex he’d had taking the wind out of his sails and then some.

But he was even more clear on who was next to him, naked on the fur rug.

Shit, he had to get that towel back on his hips and—

“Who is ‘they’?”

Grabbing for the terry cloth, he couldn’t even look at Selena. “My people.”

“What are they right about?”

“Why are you still here?”

When he realized what that sounded like, he sat up—and caught her recoil. “Sorry—I just mean, how are you putting up with my crap.”

Goddamn, she was utterly edible sitting there, that robe covering nothing but her shoulders, her br**sts still peaked, her legs arranged so that if he moved just a little, he could see her …

Selena pulled the draping across herself—and as much as it pained him, it was the right thing on so many levels. He had ruined what had been happening between them.

But for the right reasons.

“I’m sorry,” he said, thinking that he should have that tattooed on his forehead so he saw it in the mirror every morning, every night.

He should never have taken things as far as they’d gone. Ever.

“For stopping?”

“No, I’m not sorry about that.” As she winced, he wanted to kick himself in the balls. “What I mean is … fuck. I don’t know. I don’t know anything right now.”

There was a long silence. And then she said calmly. “You need to know that there is nothing you can’t tell me.”

“Be careful with that—Pandora’s box is hard to close.”

“Nothing.” Her eyes were totally clear as she stared over at him. “I have nothing to fear—from you or by you. I do think you owe me an explanation, however. Assuming that you have no intention of continuing—and if only so that I do not blame myself for this.”

Wow, okay. If he’d thought she was hot before? Now, she was in goddess territory: Physical beauty was one thing; having a spine was even more attractive.

And she had a point.

“All right,” he said, feeling like a total reject. But she did have a right to know. “I’ve f**ked a lot of human females in the last ten years—and none of that mattered to me until tonight with you. And I think I’m about to condemn my parents to a torturous death. Other than that, I’m fine.”

Her brows rose. But she didn’t recoil; she didn’t run. There were a number of deep breaths, however. “Maybe we’ll just take the second half of that first. What on the Scribe Virgin’s Earth are you talking about?”

“It’s a f**king mess—I’m a mess.”

She waited, clearly expecting him to continue. “And you have told me nothing.”

Staring into her eyes, he felt such respect for her. “God … how is it possible that you exist?”

“Still not telling me a thing.” She smiled slowly. “Although I like the way you’re looking at me.”

Trez shook his head, knowing she deserved so much better than he could ever offer her. “You shouldn’t. You really shouldn’t.”

“That’s for me to decide. Now speak—if you’re so determined to put me off of you, then use your words to persuade me of your ugliness.”

“The sex life didn’t do it already?”

“I am trained as an ehros. It is my expectation that males have carried their seed far and wide.”

He narrowed his eyes: Her face had suddenly become impassive, and that was a serious-ass tell. “There’s one other thing.”

“Which is.”

“I’m promised to someone.”

She almost hid her wince. Almost. “Indeed.”

“Yeah. Indeed. And if I don’t show, my parents are going to get slaughtered.”

“So you are not in love?”

“I haven’t met her. And I don’t want to.”

Some of the tension left the Chosen. “You have no knowledge of her at all?”

“None. Except that she’s the queen’s daughter.”

Those incredible eyes got wider. “You are to be royalty, then.”

He thought of how much fun Wrath was having on his throne, and all the kicks and giggles Rehv was rocking as imperial head of the symphaths—and at least they were allowed out into the night. Well, kinda, in Wrath’s case.

His future was going to be all about the gilded cage.

“My parents sold me when I was very young,” he heard himself say. “I was never given a choice—and now? Unless I go back to the Territory, the pair of them aren’t going to live long.”

Selena’s head eased to the side, her mind clearly working. “There is no chance for negotiating?”

“None.”

“Can your parents not give the price paid back?”

He thought of his mother’s cynical smile that night he’d last seen her. “Even if they could, I don’t think they would.”

Her brows rose again. “Are you certain?”

“It would be consistent with them.”

“Have you not asked?”

“No, I haven’t. But it would involve going back to the s’Hisbe, and that’s not possible.”

“Is there not someone you could send on your behalf?”

He pictured iAm going into the Territory. The contract was specifically for Trez, so it wasn’t as if the high priest, or even s’Ex, could do a bait and switch. They could, however, take his brother hostage. Or worse.

And that would get Trez back.

“I don’t think so. My brother’s the only one, and I can’t risk that. I won’t risk him.”

“And you think your parents will be…”

“No, I know they’ll kill them.” He massaged the nape of his neck. “You know, so much of this is sad—but I think the worst of it is the fact that I can’t even pretend to be emotional about those two. It’s, like … they made a deal with the devil. If something bad happens, they’re just getting what’s coming to them.”