Vicious Prince (Royal Elite #5) by Rina Kent

“Hey.” He cradles my hand in his good one. “It’s not your fault, Teal. Besides, I’ll be as good as new tomorrow. I’ll only lose use of my left hand for a few weeks, so you kind of have to do everything for me.”

“Anything.” I nod frantically.

He grins. “Anything?”

I nod again.

His grin falls, but he strokes the back of my hand. “Let’s start with you not leaving my side ever again.”

“You…” I swallow the lump in my throat. “You still want me?”

“Still? Did I ever stop?” He brings my hand to his mouth and brushes his dry lips against the skin. “I’ll never stop wanting you, belle. You’re made for me.”

“You’re made for me too.” I wrap my arms around his neck, my tears wetting his skin. “I love you, Ronan. I love you as I’ve never loved anyone before.”

He lowers his voice. “Even after what Eduard the fucker said?”

I pull back to stare at him. “I told you, his words don’t matter, okay? You do.”

His sensual lips move in a heart-breaking smile. “I do?”

“Of course.”

“Don’t you dare leave me, Teal, or I’ll pull an Astor move on you.”

“An Astor move?”

“Yeah, it involves chasing you to the end of the world, and that’s kind of not fun.” He grins. “For you, not me.”

“Now I’m intrigued.”

“Why am I not surprised?” He tugs me to him and plants a soft kiss on my nose. “I love you, Teal. Now and always.”

Now and always.





Epilogue 1 - Teal





One year later





There’s something about seeing the world through different lenses.

Before, it was blurry. Now, there’s sense to it, a clarity I wasn’t able to feel before.

There’s something called happiness, and there’s something called joy.

For my whole life, I never actually understood what happiness meant and why people would crave to be happy. It felt like a high that would just eventually wear off.

That is, until Ronan became a constant in my life. He’s happiness incarnate.

He’s a high that will never wear off.

After we graduated, we spent the summer travelling. Just that, travelling, from one country to another and from one city to the next.

We were free souls discovering the world and people and cultures. He called me a nerd whenever I asked about museums, and I called him a gigolo whenever he wanted to go to the trendiest bar.

Ronan will be Ronan no matter what happens. Fun and parties are in his soul. Whenever anyone needs a party thrown, he’ll be at the front of the line planning his next ‘epic’ event. The last was Aiden and Elsa’s marriage. He was so extra in his speech, acting salty because he wasn’t the best man.

Since then, he’s been bribing Xander to be chosen as the best man, threatening to delete them all from his chat.

He won’t.

What he doesn’t tell them is that the horsemen saved him from his head several times in the past. They weren’t there just for the parties, like most other people; they were there for him, and Ronan would never forget that.

To say we’re both over Eduard would be a lie. Sometimes, it feels as if he’s still the shadow looming over our lives, even after his death.

Ronan and I still have the nightmares, but they’re sparse and far in between. We go to joint therapy now, and it’s the best therapy I’ve had in my life.

When it gets to be too much, I just say it. However, it usually doesn’t, because I know I have my family, and most of all, I have him.

Ronan.

The moment he strokes my hair off my face or kisses me, I usually climb on his body and demand he fucks me.

Of course, he obliges, and he makes it dreamier every time, rougher, harder. Ronan has never treated me as if I’m a delicate flower, and I love him the most for it. Even when he fucks me slow, it’s to make me feel him — feel us — not because he’s afraid of touching me.

Ronan and I are never afraid of touching each other. If anything, it’s what brings us closer and makes us calmer.

We started with a touch. The first time he did it in RES’s library, I kind of fell under his spell and he fell under mine.

Today, I have a surprise for him.

We came to his parents’ house for dinner. Charlotte is finally out of the danger zone. Those couple of months after Eduard’s death were complete hell.

Edric had to make his brother’s death seem like an accident, and Charlotte’s illness was taking its toll on him and Ronan. I held my fiancé’s hand through it all until the results came out and the doctor said the last surgery had been a success.

She had to do a lot of recovery therapy, and Edric didn’t leave her side through it all. Ronan didn’t either.

One of my favourite memories about that time was when Edric asked Ronan for forgiveness for not seeing Eduard’s actions, and Ronan said he was sorry he hadn’t seen his mum’s illness.

Edric and Ronan grew so close during Charlotte’s recovery journey. I think seeing them together by her side helped her mental state more than any doctor would tell them.

Ronan and I were supposed to leave after dinner, but he said he needed to grab something from his room.