“I can’t leave you like this.” He rubbed his hand down his face while studying me.
“I can lead the army,” Zahruk announced, frowning while taking in Ryder’s shoulder, and the way he cradled my face as if I was a child.
“Stop that this minute.” I pushed Ryder back enough to look him in the eyes. “You have that monstrous bastard at a disadvantage, one we need to capitalize on. There is nothing you can do here. You being here won’t end this war, and that’s a fact. You have to take this chance to hit the mages where it will hurt them most. The pain doesn’t last long, just long enough to be a nuisance. Now, everyone else out so Ryder can help me get dressed for dinner. It might be our last meal together for a while, and I’d like to enjoy it with you, so out.”
Two hours later, I sat beside Ryder as his brothers told their mates of random battles they had fought, excluding details that were hard for them to speak about. The entire table was filled with family, our family. Savlian and Sevrin spoke at the same time, recanting battles where they’d changed places on patrol or did something else to piss Ryder off. Cailean snorted, shaking his head as he laughed over the story Ristan told Olivia.
Blane and Remy told Ryder of the places they’d hidden from the horde, describing the monsters they’d fought to survive. Blane held Fury on his lap, feeding him morsels of meat while Ciara fed Phoenix, laughing, then eyes wide in horror from the details of the creatures they’d faced off against to survive. These beings had gone from enemies to lovers, lovers to friends, and now a family sharing their tales of horror and survival, as if the experiences had been nothing more than trivial events.
“You’re quiet tonight,” Ryder whispered against my ear huskily. He pushed his hand against my leg before his fingers lifted the skirt I wore, dancing over the inside of my thigh seductively. It sent a ripple of heat racing to my belly, pooling in my sex with need.
“Look at what you have accomplished as the king,” I stated, turning to look into his beautiful heated gaze.
He peered around the room as a frown tugged at his lips. “What did I do?”
“You made me love you, and now I have fallen in love with our family and your world. I’d planned to murder you the first day I met you. Now, I can’t stand the thought of you not being a part of my life. A world without you in it would never make sense to me.”
Ryder’s stare held mine as heat smoldered within the inky depths.
“We’ve brought men who hated the horde into our family, and guild librarians that never imagined having enough pictures to fill their frames. Your sister married a dragon. The lesser courts are now working with us because you offered marriages to their daughters, who became queens. You did this, Ryder. You’ve done so much good in what little time you’ve been King of the Horde. Imagine what we can do with a lifetime of ruling?” I smiled, leaning over to kiss him. “You’re a good king, an amazing husband, and the best father I could have ever envisioned for my children.”
“Don’t let our enemies hear you,” he chuckled, kissing me back.
Chapter Twenty-One
Fires burned across the courtyard, stretching as far as the eye could see, but not from the camps. Torch fires were being used to ward off the morning fog as the horde mounted warhorses, preparing to ride into the valley for battle. The warriors showed no fear nor worried about facing off against the coldhearted prick trying to destroy us in his grief over losing my mother.
The war drums beat endlessly, signaling to the settlements around the stronghold that the invincible creatures of the horde were preparing to ride out to battle against our enemies. Steel clanged against metal as they fit horses with armor before the riders took their seats on the mounts. Ryder had instructed me