"More wine, my Queen?"
I didn't even look at the servant. "No. Just water."
The grand dining hall was suffocating. Dozens of aristocrats were packed around the massive, candlelit mahogany table, laughing, clinking silver goblets, and tearing into roasted meats. It was a standard royal dinner, but tonight, the air felt so thick I could barely force it into my lungs.
Because he was standing right behind me.
Korren hadn’t moved a single inch in an hour. He stood perfectly rigid exactly two steps behind my chair, his hands resting on his weapons belt. I couldn't see him, but I didn't need to. His scent—dark pine and biting winter frost—was entirely consuming my senses. I could feel the heat radiating off his massive body. Every time I reached for my goblet, I felt his dark eyes tracking th
