I felt another rush of magic, and smiled as I felt jeans hug my ass and a long sleeve black blouse with a turquoise scarf that was perfectly fitted around my neck took the place of the dress. Soft slipper boots with fur trim that matched the scarf covered my feet.
“Anything else, Princess?” He asked, but this time he was no longer in my head.
I gave him a crooked smile and shook my head.
“Sit. You shouldn’t be out of bed yet, Synthia,” he said as he sat back in his wicked skull throne.
“I’m not a weak female, Ryder. I can handle walking,” I mumbled and sat on the feather soft pillow on the silver throne. It wasn’t apparent to me that sitting there was any big deal until the crowd hushed and looked at me as if they’d just witnessed something huge.
What the hell had I just done? Oh yeah, I’d sat in the Horde Queen’s seat…with the Horde King’s permission…Fuck a duck. I started to stand up, but Ryder grabbed my hand and held it in his. His eyes scanned my face and then he turned back to the crowd, as if nothing had happened. I glanced briefly and nervously at Zahruk and Ristan behind him. Zahruk looked like he was going to have heart failure, and the Demon looked entertained; like he wanted to pull up a chair and have popcorn for the show.
“Princess,” the Shifter said, bowing low at the waist. When his head rose, I noticed his blue eyes were sharp and glowing. Yup, Fae. “I am, to see that you have been found alive. My King has chosen a brave lassie to start his dynasty with. Your story of courage and survival inside the human world has traveled fast.”
“Peachy,” I groaned, and the Shifter grinned to reveal a beautiful smile.
“As I was saying, my King, Silan has no wish to challenge your wisdom of the choice to scout for the Mages. Our thought was to offer our trackers. As the alpha of the wolf pack, I am more than willing to use the pack to assist you in any way you need us,” he said and bowed his head to Ryder.
“Silas, your father served my father. I understand the need to get the King’s attention. Make no mistake, I am not my father. Your father was much like my own, and I have no plans of accepting the favors of those who think to gain it through the ways of our fathers.”
“I took my father’s head soon after you did the same to your own,” Silas said and looked briefly at me. “You took the Blood Princess as a Gift, did you not?”
“I did, but only because my Seer had a vision of our child healing this world. Had it not been seen, I wouldn’t have asked for her. I have not asked for a female since the day I made the contract with the Blood King.”
“This child, the one she carries, it will mend our world?”
“I was told this by Ristan, who was given the information by Danu. She gave him the vision and so it shall be,” Ryder said, narrowing his eyes as he dared the Shifter to challenge it.
“Then so shall it be.” His ice blue eyes swung to me and then lowered to my stomach. I lifted a brow at him, because there was nothing to see.
When his head slanted and an amused grin lifted his lips, I got an uneasy feeling that he was doing more than just looking at the flatness of my stomach. I watched as those beautiful eyes slowly rose to my face and his head righted. “Your pregnancy is definitely blessed of the Goddess, Princess.”
I sat beside Ryder in silence, with Darynda smiling like an idiot nearby. Several more cases were heard by the King before he finally stood and announced that he was done for the day. We had to wait until every last creature left the room (and there were a lot of them) before we could leave. I couldn’t, however, get the look of the Shifter’s eyes, and what he had said, out of my head.
“We need to talk,” I said, barely above a whisper.
“We can talk at dinner,” he said, turning as he leaned his head against the back of the throne.
“Who the hell said I was having dinner with you?” I glared at him to get my point across.
“You did,” he said smugly, and grabbed for my hand with a smile plastered on his lips. “Sinjinn, next time, tie her to the bed and gag her. She wasn’t supposed to be up yet. She’s carrying the heir, which makes her health your number one concern.”
“Syn is very persuasive,” Sinjinn replied, smiling.
“That she is. Come.” Ryder held his hand out for me to accept. I stared at it for several seconds before I lifted my head.
“Remove this collar,” I demanded.
“No,” he replied easily without even considering it.
“Afraid I will leave you?”
“No, Synthia, I should just mark you. It would allow me to be able to find you anywhere you go; you already know how that works. The collar is necessary for now, and it is there for your safety. I told you, I won’t allow you to run from me again.”
“I didn’t run from you, Ryder. You handed me over the Dark King with a freaking bow on my head.”