He kissed me before I could finish, and I felt my hand shake. Before I could push him away or kiss him back, he pulled back. “That was a lie, Odette, but it still hurt to hear, I must admit.” “Gale, please...” Please, don’t pull me back to you. Why couldn’t I just say that? I hung my head, whispering what I knew to be true. “They will rip me apart, Gale. I am not a queen.” I bit back the tears in my eyes. “They will try, but I will not let them close enough to do so,” he replied, gently lifting my chin back up. “Because you are my queen,”
