The Crown's Fire - Chapter 212

Chapter 212: Cruel Betrayal
Katelina readied herself for bed and dismissed Asura early. She was already on her makeshift bed, ready to sleep, but she remained sitting up. She wondered if Ezekiel had already sneaked into her tent.

“This is frustrating,” she murmured to herself as she looked around. Being of dragonrider blood, she was sure there had to be a way for her to see through the invisibility of a golden dragon. But the problem was her limited knowledge of dragons and the scarce information and spells in their archive.

“I wonder if there’s a way for me to see him even if he’s invisible,” she murmured, scratching her fingers.

“There is,” Ezekiel’s voice whispered in her ear, making her flinch.

“Seriously!” she hissed as Ezekiel became visible, standing at her side.

“I’m sorry, did I startle you?” he asked with a smile.

“Since when have you been here?” she asked him with raised eyebrows.

“Just a while ago. You didn’t notice me coming in since you were busy thinking about something. You were in deep thought,” he casually commented while comfortably sliding his body onto her bed as if it were his own.

Katelina sighed, trying to calm her racing heart. “You really shouldn’t sneak up on me like that,” she chided.

Ezekiel chuckled softly. “I’ll try to remember that. But you were talking to yourself about seeing me while I’m invisible. Why?”

“I was just thinking,” Katelina admitted, “about how I have dragonrider blood and there should be a way to see through your invisibility, but I don’t know enough about dragons or the right spells.”

Ezekiel’s eyes softened as he looked at her. “There is a way, but it requires more than just knowledge. It requires a deep connection with the dragon.”

“A deep connection?” Katelina echoed. She turned to her side to face him and found him already on his side, facing her and staring intently at her.

“Yes,” Ezekiel said, reaching out to gently touch her hand. He then kissed her hand, and she felt a sudden warmth spread through her. She gulped, trying to ignore the tingling sensation his lips left behind.

“So tell me, how can I see you even when you’re invisible?” she asked curiously. Ezekiel chuckled in response. “Hmm, it wouldn’t be as fun if you could see me while I’m invisible. That means I couldn’t sneak in to surprise you anymore.”

Katelina’s face twisted into a pout. “Sneaking in invisibly, like now, is just creepy. Besides, why would you need to sneak up on me when we’re bound to be together? Didn’t my ministers inform you of my acceptance of your marriage proposal?”

Ezekiel’s eyes sparkled with joy at her words. “Yes, I received the message. But sneaking in is half the fun,” he teased, his tone light but his eyes sincere.

“You’re impossible,” Katelina murmured, her cheeks still flushed from his touch. Ezekiel raised his hand and gently caressed her cheek, locking eyes with her. “You’ll be able to see through me even in my invisible form once we complete the flame bond, where we’ll mate and I will mark you at the same time.”

Katelina’s blush deepened, and Ezekiel couldn’t help but smile. “I love it whenever you blush like that. Don’t worry, I will not do the flame bond if you don’t want me to. We can simply proceed with the consummation of our marriage, following our kingdom’s customs.”

“But consummating our marriage means mating too. So why wouldn’t I want to do the flame bond when the only difference is that you’ll mark me? I want to see you even when you’re invisible,” she reasoned with a pout.

Instead of answering her, Ezekiel silenced her with a kiss. “I’ve been wanting to kiss you nonstop, and you don’t know how long I’ve been waiting to do this,” he whispered hoarsely against her lips, his touch sending shivers down her spine.

Before Katelina knew it, Ezekiel was hovering above her, his lips trailing down her neck. “You…” she gasped as his touch sent waves of pleasure through her. “Why do I feel like I won’t be able to run away from you?” she voiced her thoughts, feeling helpless against the pull he had over her.

“You can’t escape me. There’s nowhere in this world where you can hide from my reach,” Ezekiel whispered, his breath warm against her neck, his lips leaving a trail of fire on her skin.

Her heart raced as he held her chin, urging her to meet his intense gaze. “I’m here to make you remember every detail of the agony you’ve caused me,” he declared with a smirk, sending a wave of confusion through her.

“Agony?!” she protested, frowning at his words. What was he talking about?

“Yes, your cruel betrayal. Leaving me, breaking your promise…” he playfully stated, his smile turning devious as he teased her.

“I don’t even remember a thing about the promise you’re talking about,” she scoffed, her expression incredulous. He chuckled softly, leaning in close until his lips brushed against hers. “Right, hmm, sorry, it’s my bad. How about I give you a glimpse now of what we shared before you lost your memory?” he whispered teasingly, his breath warm against her skin.

Katelina’s body tensed with a mix of excitement and apprehension as Ezekiel’s touch sent shivers down her spine. She gasped as his hand roamed over her curves, his words igniting a fire within her.

“Can I just rip your nightwear? I want to see you bare…” Ezekiel’s husky voice whispered in her ear, sending a thrill down her spine. She responded with soft moans as he nibbled and licked her earlobe, his breath hot against her skin.

In that moment, words seemed unnecessary as desire coursed through her veins. With a single nod, she silently gave her consent, feeling the fabric of her nightwear rip away under his touch. His warm hands caressed her bare skin, sending waves of pleasure through her body.

“Kiel,” she whispered, her voice filled with longing and anticipation.