Her Mountain Prince Read online

  I nodded distractedly, I did want to know every detail of what had happened - but my attention was on Ruby. On the soft noises she was making, on the way her eyelids were fluttering.

  “I left to call the police. I barely even let them out of my sight..I turned round and saw them leaving. They, jeez, they started the fire as they left. Man, that one guy, I don’t think I’ll ever forget the way he was just so calm as he set fire to my bar.”

  I nodded numbly. That sounded like Luka’s men.

  Ruby opened her eyes, blinking slowly and then, when she saw me, waking up and trying to sit up. One of the fireman covered her mouth with a clear plastic oxygen mask as I helped her sit upright. She felt so good, moving and conscious.

  I had almost lost her.

  I pulled her back to me, pressing her to my side, feeling nothing but overwhelming relief. I had been stupid to leave her behind in Beauville. I was never going to be parted from my Queen, my precious Ruby, ever again.

  She pulled her oxygen mask off, looking up at me with raw love. There was a smudge of soot on her cheek, and I put my hand to her face to wipe it off.

  “Gabriel,” she said, her voice hoarse from the smoke, “You came back for me!”

  “Always, sweetheart.”

  I held her face in my hand. I’d never spoken truer words.

  She needed another lesson in what it meant to be mine. I smiled, just imagining it. I was going to get us out of Beauville, and then I was going to book us into the nicest hotel I could find and I was going to claim her again and again.

  I was going to claim her every day for the rest of our lives until she realized that she really was mine.

  Epilogue

  Ruby

  One year later…

  I slipped off my shoes with a sigh of relief and flopped down onto the comfiest couch in the world! It was so good to get off my feet! Gabriel laughed at me, but I just closed my eyes and basked in the feeling, one hand resting on my swollen belly.

  When Gabriel first called me his Queen I hadn’t really understood the magnitude of what he was saying. I understood later, after he’d rescued me from the fire at the Corral and swept me away.

  He’d proposed to me that very evening. Asking me to be his wife and the future Queen of Askovia.

  Of course, I’d said yes. I knew that I’d love Gabriel for the rest of my life. And now, a year later, that was more true than ever. Nothing would ever make me question my love for him.

  When Luka’s men set fire to the Corral bar it changed a lot of things. It made both of us realize how precious life is and how we all have to cling to the things that we love. That’s why, as soon as I was recovered from the fire, Gabriel brought me with him to Askovia.

  He had a whole plan, already set up and ready to put into action, to overthrow his uncle.

  Originally, he’d wanted to kill Luka but, after that fire, he changed his mind. Gabriel let Luka live. He had Luka arrested instead, just like Gabriel’s youngest brother had hoped for.

  Luka’s trial had been pretty straightforward. There was so much evidence against him that it was an easy decision for the court. Now Luka was going to spend the rest of his life in prison. That meant that Gabriel got the revenge he wanted and we could get on with our lives.

  Being Queen of Askovia, was incredibly rewarding too and I love my life here. The Askovians welcomed me with so much warmth and love, accepting me as their Queen and taking me into their hearts.

  Gabriel settled down on the couch next to me and I snuggled into him.

  Being Queen meant getting involved with a lot of charities, most days I’m working in the community, trying to make life better for my new people. That afternoon was different though. The two of us had unveiled a statue of Gabriel’s parents to the public.

  The crowd had cheered wildly to see us, the Askovians waving flags and flowers at us.

  Ever since our wedding, the Askovians have been eager to see me and Gabriel together in public. But since we’d officially announced my pregnancy, the crowds had become more exuberant.

  Gabriel put his hand on my belly, the gold of his wedding band glittering.

  “The people love you, almost as much as I do.”

  I was so happy, I never imagined that I was capable of feeling this much happiness. This safe, this comfortable, this complete.

  Of course, we still found time to slip away from our Royal duties and take a vacation every now and again. Whenever Gabriel would ask me where I wanted to go, I think he always expected me to say Paris or Fiji, but there was nowhere else I wanted to go besides back to Arrowhead Mountain, to where I fell in love with my mountain Prince.

  Thank you!!

  Hope you enjoyed the story as much as I enjoyed writing it!

  I love hearing from my readers, so please take a second to leave a review and make sure you don’t miss the next one by signing up for the newsletter.

  See you soon!

  xoxo

  Val

  Also by Valerie Wilde

  Available now!

  The Baker Brothers

  A Giant Mountain Surprise

  Coming Soon!

  My Billionaire Boss’ Secret Baby

  Free Books!

  Looking for updates, free books and more? Sign up for my newsletter now! It only takes a second, guaranteed no spam, we won’t share your email with anyone.

  Signup here!