Adolph hadn’t known what kissing Laurel would do to him. Heat rushed through him, the need to mark her was near overwhelming, but he restrained himself, pulling back before he got lost in her scent. “I… don’t want to mark you with the door open.”Laurel gasped, her eyes widened as she pulled away from him. Her face was bright red. He almost winced at his words. That probably wasn’t the best thing to say, but he meant it.“We should… close the door then.”Adolph’s heart leaped looking down at Laurel who couldn’t meet his gaze. “What?”She huffed and glared up at him, “If I have to repeat myself, I’m leaving!”Adolph moved before he had fully realized what she’d said, dashing around the desk to close and lock the door as if she would find a way to escape. His wolf was growling, urging him to hurry up, but he looked at her. She was nervous, he expected her to be, but she wasn’t afraid. Laurel stared at him across the room, watching him as he approached her slowly. She let out a little

Laurel sank into her seat, still giddy from the picnic. They had been out there for several hours that morning, enjoying each other’s company until Adolph had to get back to finish up a few things before the ministry’s meeting. She smiled looking at the bouquet on her desk. Adolph told her that he’d had it replaced. The sight of roses still stung a bit, but she thought back to the picnic and found herself able to carry on with her work. She had a bit of paperwork to review regarding the orphanage and she still hadn’t gotten a chance to speak with Basil about the orchard. A knock sounded on her door. “Come in.”Gavin Mirabelle entered with a cold expression, sneering down at her. He wasn’t a bad looking man for his age, but his malice and greed had disfigured even the color of his eyes in her mind. He was nothing but a greedy man, pulling his grandson’s strings. As he walked in, he saw several other ministers standing outside Adolph’s office. He closed the door behind him and she wa

Adolph led Laurel away from the ballroom into a nearby parlor and pulled her close with a sigh, nuzzling her. Her scent was as warm and sweet as ever, soothing in ways he hadn’t ever thought anything could be. The exhaustion that had been dragging him down for years had vanished practically overnight since he’d marked her. “I’ve missed you,” he whispered. Laurel laughed a little, “You saw me this morning.”“It was too long ago,” he said with a little chuckle, before dropping a kiss to her temple. “A gift.” She frowned as Adolph took her hand a put a chain of gold around her wrist with a few charms. One looked like a blue lake made of sapphires under a mountain. Another was a tree made of gold and tiny emeralds. The next was a rose made of rubies. Another was an azalea made of rubies. The last charm looked like a lunar flower made of diamonds so clear they sparkled in the dim light. “Y-Your Majesty, I…” He smiled at her and kissed her forehead. “It’s beautiful but…”“You can’t retu

Laurel left the parlor after having a light meal and several stories about Adolph in his youth that made her reel. It was hard to reconcile a little boy chasing frogs in the garden with his sister with King Adolph the Vampire Destroyed. She had tried to avoid thinking any more about Olivia and Adolph's relationship, but Raven’s words were echoing through her mind. A marriage of convenience? How could a marriage of convenience have such a love story around it? What about the portrait in the office?*Easily made and easily broken…* It sounded a lot like her marriage and bond to Basil. When Olivia died, had Adolph felt it at all?She walked with Lynn quietly around the grounds, just trying to get some fresh air until she reached a pair of gates that hadn’t been there when she’d been in the castle as Laura. She looked up at the gates. They were heavy iron and new.“Where do these gates lead?” Laura asked. “To the late luna’s orchard.” Laurel gasped. She knew Basil issued a decree again

Adolph kissed her cheek before standing and offering her his hand. “It’s getting late, darling. Let me escort you back to your room.”She nodded and took his hand, warm and giddy. The cool air of the night felt warm around them, cozy and romantic. The moonlight that spilled through the tall windows filled the night with an ambiance that made her draw closer to Adolph. When they reached her door, Adolph pulled her close. Her breath stuttered as she got close enough to share air with him and pick out every strand of blue in his eyes. “I don’t… want to let you go, just yet.”She worried her lip, “O-Okay.”He smiled, dragging his lips against hers and whispering, “Is this okay?”Laurel nodded, her stomach flipping and filling with butterflies as he kissed her gently and leaned into her. He groaned, tilting his head to deepen the kiss. She gasped and he slipped his tongue between her teeth, licking into her mouth with a ticklish zing of pleasure that went straight to her stomach and poo