Page 42 of Renegade Queen
In the end, we’d agreed to sleep on it, and decide what to do tomorrow. The others had gone to the second room, even though I could tell they didn’t want to. But I wouldn’t be able to do what needed to be done with all of them watching over me.
“You know we have to try, right?” Tank whispered.
It seemed I wasn’t the only one still stuck on what was happening in this place.
“Yeah. But what?” I leant up on one elbow, so I could see his face, idly pushing his hair away from his forehead as I took in the sight of the beautiful man lying in the bed with me. “This is one of those tasks we’re wildly unqualified for. How are we supposed to take down an entire regime? You don’t understand how evil this man is. He was supposed to be my parent’s friend. He came into our home, ate our food, danced with my mother… and then killed them all.”
The tears burned in my throat as images of that fateful night flashed through my mind. I’d never talked about this. I’d never told anyone. Only Fizzle knew the truth about what had happened in the Spring Court, because he and I were the only two to survive.
Tank’s hand came up to wipe away the tears I hadn’t even realised I’d shed before he gently cupped my cheek, his massive hand covering the side of my face. He could so easily break me, but I knew he never would. Tank was the shelter I’d sought all this time. He was the safe refuge I’d needed, and having him here at my side gave me the courage to face the memories I’d desperately been trying to bury.
“For starters, you’ll break into that palace and rescue their brother. And when all of Nymeria knows it’s possible, they’ll start to talk about how maybe the king isn’t all-powerful. If you want to win back Nymeria, you need to start with the people. No one can change the world on their own.”
It was… actually a really good idea.
All the people saw the king as something more than an ordinary man. We needed to show them that it was possible to stand against him. To move against his will and tear down the things he was trying to build. That winning wouldn’t be an impossibility. Only then would they even think about fighting at our side.
Surprising myself possibly more than Tank, I leaned down and kissed him. That kiss said so many things. How much I appreciated him, how much I loved him, and how hard I’d fight to have him at my side.
As Tank’s arms came around me and pulled me against his chest, I knew he’d heard every unspoken word.
He poured so much feeling into that one kiss. Dedication, love, courage.
Whenever I doubted myself, I knew he’d be there to remind me that I could be enough.
When we broke apart, something had changed between us. An unspoken acceptance of each other.
“The others…” he started, and I silenced him with a kiss.
I didn’t want to talk about them now. I had this perfect man in my arms, in my bed, and he deserved every ounce of my attention.
“They would be strong mates,” he told me when I broke away. “You need their strength at your side.”
“Will you just shut up and keep kissing me.” I laughed. “Let’s not talk about other mates right now. Be with me, Tank. Everything else, everyone else, can wait until tomorrow.”
He didn’t need telling twice as he flipped us quickly, bracketing his arms on either side of me as he devoured my lips.
Dang, this bear could kiss.
There were no soft, questioning kisses. Tank dominated every second. His tongue slipped between my lips and stroked against my own, licking over my mouth like he was tasting me for the first time. Sucking my bottom lip, his teeth grazed across the soft flesh as he ground his hips down, pushing that fucking impressive cock I’d tried not to look at in the past against my core.
And damn, I wanted it.
Even if it did scare me a little bit.
Our hands became a flurry of motion as we quickly peeled the clothes from each other’s bodies. I needed to feel his skin against mine to know this was real. That it wasn’t some cruel delusion, my mind had cooked up in my dreams.
As the cold night air danced across my skin, Tank stared down at me with love in his eyes. Slowly dropping his head, his lips met every inch of my skin he looked at, and I writhed in anticipation for what was coming next.
“You’ve no idea how often I’ve thought about running my tongue over your entire body,” he told me as he trailed the tip down between my breasts. “Claiming every piece of you as mine.”
He moved to my nipple, sucking it into his mouth as he rolled his tongue around the peak.
“Tank,” I whispered, but he stole the words that would have come next as he bit down on the tender flesh between his teeth.
“My bear wants to claim you, mark you, so the entire world can see we have the honour of being your mate.”
“Yessss,” I hissed as he started to trail those kisses down my stomach, his hands coming to my hips as he held me firmly in place.