Free Claimed by the Elven Brothers: Decision (An Elven King Novella Book 1) by Cristina Rayne Page B

really
aren’t so very different than humans physically in some very fundamental ways.
The flipside of a coin, remember? However, although it is easier to conceive
with a human, it does not mean that it is easy or that it will happen
right away. Our king has been allowing a few of us to seek human brides for
almost twenty years now, and in all that time, not a single child has been born
other than those he has conceived with the Royal Wife. Understand, if you choose
to become our mistress, it is a status I doubt will change for at least a few
decades, if not a century or two.”
    I raised my head. “You really don’t think I would get pregnant right
away?”
    He smiled. “We would try every moon-cycle of course, but I would not be
surprised or even particularly concerned if a child were not born after even
twenty years.”
    “But Emily said that she got pregnant within the first month after
marrying the king,” I pointed out. “How do you know I won’t be the same?”
    “The king and the Royal Wife are a special case,” Seren replied. “You
would know it just from the appearance of their son, Prince Thaylan, alone. His
Majesty says it is a result of them soul-bonding almost from the very beginning
of their relationship.”
    “What’s so different about their son?” I asked curiously. I wondered
why Emily hadn’t brought any of that up yesterday.
    Once again he flashed me that enigmatic smile that could make even the
coldest heart swoon. “If you decide to come to the realm, I am certain Emily will
introduce you. You must see him, stand in his presence, to truly understand.”
    I huffed in frustration. “You’re not playing fair again, neither one of
you does, but I think you know that. Fine. I’ll just have to wait and see for
myself.”
    Seren’s eyes suddenly widened, and I felt a huge amount of satisfaction
in knowing that I had managed to catch him completely off-guard.
    “You mean…” He said it softly, trailing off as if he didn’t dare allow
himself to believe where his thoughts were leading.
    I smiled wryly, “Yes, you win. After that incredible night we spent
together, there’s no way I could walk away from something like that. No matter
who I was with in the future, they would never measure up to the way you and
Locien made me feel. You’ve ruined me for everyone else, so now you both will
have to take responsibility and take me with you to the elven realm.”
    For one alarming moment, his eyes seemed to shimmer and became so
filled with emotion that I was afraid he was about to burst into tears, but
then he slowly reached both hands down to cup my face almost reverently, making
my chest tighten as an unfamiliar emotion began to swell within me. No one had ever looked at me like that, as though I was something precious, and for one
horrifying moment, I felt my eyes begin to burn as they threatened to well up
with tears.
    “You are certain about this?” Seren asked, his voice thick with
emotions that he couldn’t quite contain.
    “I was hesitant only because I wasn’t sure I could handle being a
mother,” I finally admitted, to both him and myself. “I didn’t have the best
childhood, and it soured me on the thought of having any children of my own.
But if you really think it won’t happen for a few decades then, well, to me, a
few decades is practically an eternity. It would give me a long time to come to
terms with the idea. Hell, who knows the kind of person I’ll even be in ten
years. What you and Locien are offering me is well worth the effort to change.
You are offering me the chance to see a whole new world, to finally become a
part of a family. How can I not say yes?”
    “Then it will be done,” he promised. “Locien is going to be very cross
with me when he returns as I shall have to send him right back.”
    I laughed, feeling giddy suddenly. “Somehow, I don’t think he’ll mind
it this time. What are you sending him back for?”
    “Before we can go any farther,