Bride of the Sea (The Prophecy of Sisters #2) - Hayley Faiman Page 0,43

look down at her. “Liv,” I reply.

“What are you doing?”

Grinning, I tilt my head to the side, watching her. She becomes shakier, fidgetier. “You have lost your fight, víf,” I grunt.

I watch as she licks her lips, then lifts her arms and crosses them over her chest in an attempt to shield herself from me. She’s trying to close herself off, but it’s not working. She has already let me in, not just inside of her body, but also inside of her soul.

She may not wish to admit it, but the reason that she is hurt by my mention of her age is because she is falling for me. If she did not want me, she would not care at all what I say or think of her.

“Why should I fight? You don’t want me. Why did you marry me? Just because you think it’s part of the prophecy?” she rambles.

She is angry, hurt, and upset with me. I don’t blame her. Gunnar said I was being unkind and although I am angry that the gods would give me someone of her age, it is not because I don’t like her or want her. It is because I want her to be able to have more of my children. It has nothing to do with the woman she is.

“You are beautiful, Liv. Otherworldly. I have never seen a woman in my life that could compare to your rare looks.”

“But I’m old,” she announces.

Nodding my head once, I watch her. She narrows her eyes on me and I find it odd that pointing out her age angers her so greatly. It cannot be a surprise to her that she is almost too old to bear children.

“You’re not young, Liv. You know this,” I say, choosing my words carefully since this is something that upsets her greatly.

She shakes her head a couple of times and I watch as tears fall from her green eyes. My stomach twists at the sight of her sadness, and my heart thumps faster and harder at the realization that I am the one who caused this sadness she feels.

“Do you not realize this, that you are not young enough to have as many children as I desire?” I ask.

She flinches, turning her head slightly. Slowly, she shifts her gaze back to meet my own. “I realize this, Aaric. I’m not sure how old women are when they marry here. In my world, we typically don’t marry young. We aren’t adults until we’re eighteen and then usually we go to some kind of college and begin our careers, then we marry. I’m not too old where I’m from. I’m not too young, but I’m most definitely not too old.”

Closing the distance between us, I lift my hand and cup her cheek. She is tenderhearted, my brúõr. Dipping my chin, I look into her watery gaze.

“The gods brought you to me for a reason, Liv. I have not been fair. I was surprised and I took my shock out on you as anger.”

“Is this your apology?” she asks on a sniffle.

My lips turn up into a small smile. “I do not apologize. I am a king.”

Chapter Fifteen

AARIC

Liv narrows her eyes on me. She tries to pull her face away from my hand, but it is a fruitless endeavor. There is nowhere for her to go.

“You’re an ass,” she snaps.

Frowning, I shake my head once. “You are comparing me to an animal? Why?” I demand. “If you are going to compare me to a beast, compare me to my steed, to a lion, to a dragon.”

“Dragon?” she exhales, blinking.

“Dragon,” I say, nodding my head.

“Do you have them here? You’ve got to be joking.”

Slowly, I shake my head a couple of times. “Why would I joke of such things, especially when you are arguing with me and calling me such names?”

“Aaric,” she snaps. “You have dragons?”

“Liv,” I bark back at her. “Yes.”

“Wow,” she breathes. “I just. That’s just folktale stuff, it’s fairy tales and make-believe, it’s not really real.”

Dipping my chin, I touch my forehead to hers. “Liv, I know not of most of the things that you’ve just spoken to me. I thought that being able to speak and understand your language would make things easier, but it does not.”

“No shit,” she sighs.

Running my nose alongside her own, I guide my hand from her cheek to around the back of her neck. Gripping her hair loosely, I grunt as I wrap my other arm around her back and tug her