Phoebe's POV
My heart jumped when the king stepped closer.
I caught the hunger burning in his gaze and understood what was coming. This wasn't new territory for me.
I'd always known this moment would arrive, but anticipating something and living through it were worlds apart.
The king's desire for me was obvious.
He was determined to possess me entirely, and there was no escaping it.
This day was always inevitable. Somewhere deep inside, I craved it too. I ached for the king's touch, for him to make me his.
The mate bond stretched taut between us now, strained by the days we'd spent apart. It wasn't natural for newly discovered mates to remain separated this long, especially when the king hadn't fully claimed me yet.
