The Queen's Conquer

Chapter 18 : Unification

Stellify • [stell-î-fai]
To turn into a star; place among the stars.

🖤

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My feet don't meet the floor again until we enter the empty foyer of the manor where the chandeliers above continue their sparkling show against the polished stone floors and thousands of flowers. And for a moment, I escape Samuel's arms just to dance in the center of the vacant, elegant opening, allowing this raw happiness to devour my spirit.

I only stop when I catch my mate watching me intently from across the room, hands in his pockets and a dark, devilish look spreading over his features. I give him an innocent smile before teasing, "Care to join me, or would you rather stare?"

His eyes flicker to the floor before returning to my emerald ones, finally stalking closer. But his steps are precise and calculated as he says, "I don't think I was ever able to tell you how enticing you look tonight." Samuel's only five feet away now. "How much it killed me to not prove to all of our guests how much you belong to me...how much I love you."

His body lures me towards him, some invisible command that I can't fight. But I don't want to fight it. I don't want to fear the things I know are meant to be—including this moment with him.

With only a foot between us, I purr, "As much as I would've loved that," I grab ahold of his tie, "I think I'd rather want you to demonstrate that caged desire freely. Just you and me." It's an effort to tilt my head up and meet his burning gaze of lust. But I hold his eyes regardless, watching them churn with their relentless cravings as those dark and light hues begin to swirl and intermix with one another.

Samuel stills into a statue and it's almost concerning—as though my words have stunned him in place. But then his hands are removed from his pockets to catch my waist and guide me towards one of those wide, curved marble stairs, picking me up again just to save any unnecessary, extra time. I release a small, startled noise that turns into a quiet giggle as I grip onto him in fear of being dropped.

Not a single word is spoken until we reach the second floor where I'm set down to walk again, my mate gripping my hand as we continue our journey down a long hallway of enormous wooden doors. Everything is covered in similar florals and vines from downstairs as if the intoxicating life has infected the entirety of this property.

When we approach one of the large double doors, he reaches for the handle and I blurt out, "Samuel, what are you—?"

But one of the heavy doors swings open, revealing a bedroom covered in even more alluring, flickering candles. A large platter of an assortment of foods sits on top of a rich coffee table in the small sitting area on the right where a fireplace is lit, making the colors of flavors into a focal point. The entire room is themed in colors of greys and blacks, fitting the dark ambiance. The elegance of it all is what leaves me breathless, though.

Gold trims and beautiful fabrics cover nearly everything from the bedsheets to the plush, dark carpet; it's all so much more delicate and refined compared to Samuel's bedroom, matching the classic style of the manor. My eyes catch the thick curtains that are parted to reveal a balcony beyond the tall windows and open glass doors. I turn to face my mate in hopes of finding any answers, but I only witness that equal darkness glimmering in his now ocean blue irises.

"The manor is rented out until tomorrow," he begins, a hand tightening against my dress—my hip bone. "It'll just be the two of us for the rest of the night since most of the guests will be going home after exhausting themselves with dancing."

I look back at the sensual bedroom. "Did you...?"

"I requested to stay in a room tonight on top of the extra additions," he replies, already knowing what I was going to ask. "You'll have to thank the workers, though, for setting this all up." He motions towards the candlelit scene.