“My... room?” I was imdiately wary.
“Pack up, and we need to get going.”
I let out a breath of relief....
What was I worried about? Theo had no interest in as a woman. He only wanted my blood.
However, his words still made my heart catch in my throat. By going, he ant back to the palace, of course. He was taking back. Despite the fact that I didn’t want to marry him, and he most certainly didn’t want to marry , he was going to drag back to the castle—when I was trying to get back to my pack lands where I could check on my people.
“Lead the way, Ciana.” He gestured toward the stairs.
I said nothing, only climbed the stairs as quickly as I could.
The room I’d shared with Warren was unlocked. The mont I walked in, I missed him already. I’d had such a heart-felt discussion with him not long ago, and I’d anticipated a nice journey with him, where we could get to know one another even better.
Now, all of that was ruined, thanks to Prince Theo.
But there was one thing I was right about. Theo wouldn’t harm . It had been proven again and again. As long as he hadn’t gotten his dreamberry, he would have to keep intact.
With that, I felt a little more secure about my own life and was willing to push the boundaries if I felt the need to.
Sulking, I went over to the dresser and began shoving items into my bag, trying not to mutter under my breath. The window was open, and a breeze wafted in, making the hair on my arms stand on end. I needed to get my emotions under control.
Raising my eyes, I looked at Theo, who was standing behind , an irritated look on his face as he glared at the bed.
“Did that mattress do sothing to offend you, Your Highness? Or is that scowl just a permanent fixture on your face?" I had to let my negative emotions out sohow, right?
He lifted his eyes and t my gaze in the mirror, a frown on his face.
I couldn’t help but smirk as I turned around, my bag packed. “What? You don’t like it when people are honest with you, do you? You want everyone to walk around telling you how lovely it is for you to treat them so terribly?”
The urge to continue speaking was overridden by his dangerous deanor.
“I was just thinking about how brazen you and my brother are, sharing a bed when you were my personal attendant and ant to be part of my court.” He folded his arms and looked down at , judging , as if he were the most virtuous person in the world. “I know you prefer his company to mine, but I had no idea it had gotten this... heated.”
What was he talking about? Fury ran through . “Why don’t you just go ahead and accuse of being a whore, Your Highness? Is that word too simplistic for you?”
He only stared at . His lips pressed tightly together.
“If you must know,” I began, placing my hands on my hips, “I was quite ill by the ti we arrived here, no thanks to you and the lovely accommodations of your dungeon. You might want to get an exterminator in there, by the way. At any rate, your brother was kind enough to nurse back to health.”
“Sick?” He repeated the word in such a way that I couldn’t tell if he didn’t believe it had happened or if he was actually slightly concerned.
I might’ve found the latter endearing if I wasn’t fully aware that there was only one thing the prince wanted with .
“That’s right,” I told him. “No food or water for days, a long walk over rough terrain, and a rainstorm. Turns out, I’m human after all.” I cocked my head to the side and made a face at him, and I thought I saw a flicker of guilt cross his face as he dropped his eyes slightly.
But then they were right back even with mine. “Sorry if I didn’t have a whole lot of empathy for the woman who tried to stab in my own garden and ran away with my brother.”
“Oh? Is that what you think happened? Seriously?” All I could do was shake my head at him. “It’s one thing for you to continue to accuse of trying to kill you, but you know, it’s just plain wrong for you to think that your brother would sabotage your efforts in finding a wife!”
“Is it? Are we talking about the sa man who snuck down into my dungeon and released a prisoner of mine? Yes, he seems quite loyal.” He took a step closer to so that only about three feet were between us now.
It made my heart flutter in my chest, partially because I was growing more and more scared of him by the mont, but I also felt a tingling sensation deep in my gut, one I seed to only feel when Prince Theo was around.
“Prince Warren was trying to help because he is a kind man. You could learn a thing or two from him!” I lifted my hand and pointed at him, but when his eyes focused on my finger, I imdiately dropped it.
“One thing you should know.” He studied my face like he couldn’t figure out how I’d managed to live this long without pissing off the wrong person. “No one talks to the way that you do, Ciana—no one.”
“Well,” I said, folding my arms and looking down at the faded blue carpet between my feet. “Maybe... other people should.” Since I felt like my life wouldn’t be taken from at that mont, it made say things I would ordinarily keep to myself.
He stepped forward, his gloved hand taking hold of my chin and forcing to look him in the eyes. He didn’t have to use much pressure to get to comply, and when I looked into his eyes, I thought I saw sothing shimring behind his irises.
“You’re very lucky that you ate the dreamberry.” His voice was even and still, but it left quivering. “If you hadn’t, I would’ve killed you after the first ti your smart mouth betrayed you.”
Realization sank in as I continued to stare at him. A loud guffaw escaped my lips as I pushed his arm away. He let go; otherwise, I wouldn’t have been strong enough to free myself. “That’s right!” I said. “You can’t kill . You need ! My precious blood is so important to you! I bet when you go to bed at night you think about that kiss we shared—”
“I do not!” he bellowed, his face turning a little red.
“Oh, I bet you do! I bet you think about how you kissed —and how disgusting it was! How it’s the worst thing you ever had to do because soone ate your treasured berry!”
He took a few deep breaths and stepped away. “I have no interest in arguing with an insane woman.”
“Insane? Maybe I am! But I’m an insane woman that you can’t touch because I have useful blood—or sothing like that.” He turned his back to , which inspired to continue to mouth off. “So... if you can’t kill , what are you going to do?”
He spun around and glared at . His eyes narrowed, and his jaw clenched.
Then, before I knew it, I was pressed against the wall by him. His face was right next to mine and his hot breath blew on my face. There was no way for to get away now.
The worst thing was, his powerful and slender fingers were circling around my neck—they didn’t touch my skin, but I knew that if he squeezed, I’d be dead.
My heart was pounding. Did I overestimate how much he needed that berry? I didn’t want to die yet!
“You... you can’t kill .” I reminded him. “Not until after you use my blood. Otherwise, all of this lovely, crimson juice will go to waste!”
“I might not be able to kill you, but...” He leaned even closer, and our lips were almost touching. “Do not test again. You don’t want to know what I would do.”
With that, he backed away, and I sucked in the air greedily. Not that he choked or anything–it was just that I was so nervous that I held my breath on my own.
Neither of us spoke anymore. I took a few monts to calm my racing heart when I heard a slithering sound. Then, I saw a familiar form peeking through the open window.
“Perceval!” I exclaid, and the snake took my greeting as an invitation and slithered his way into the room, making his way to as quickly as he could.
“Really? You ca all this way... for ?” I stroked the snake on the head. He gave a gentle nudge to confirm my guess.
“Percy, co!” the prince ordered. The python turned his attention to his owner, and then looked at , seemingly having a difficult ti choosing a side.
Seeing that Perceval didn’t imdiately follow his order, Theo’s expression grew even darker. Eventually, after a short hesitation, Peceval moved to Theo, nudged him gently, and licked his hand using its fork tongue, like a kid who had made a mistake and was begging for forgiveness from his parent.
Theo pinched the bridge of his nose, and then he walked over and sat down on the bed, turning to stare at the wall. I realized then that all of the anger had gone out of him. It was the most defeated I’d seen him.
By then, the tense atmosphere in the room had changed thanks to Perceval. Maybe the previous quarrel had also helped to let out so of my build-up resentnt. I was in a better mood now.
The snake returned to and danced around . I continued to pet him, so glad to see him again. I might not have had a lovely ti while I was at the castle, but at least I’d made so animal friends.
After a few minutes, I went around to the other side of the bed and sat down so that my back was even with his. If I leaned back, I could see his face, but I didn’t want to, not to tell him what I needed to say.
Perceval continued to wind around as I spoke. “Luther told that my pack was in danger,” I explained to him. “My parents aren’t there, and I am worried that so sort of upheaval is going on. That’s why I attacked you in the garden—I thought it was Luther who ca back and didn’t expect it was you. And... that’s why I needed to leave.”
Theo was quiet for a long mont. He probably wouldn’t believe so just based on my words. To my surprise, he didn’t make any nasty comnts. He only asked, “Do you know what Luther is planning? Has he told you anything... about ?”
I shook my head. Feeling his eyes on the side of my face, I knew he could see . “No,” I finally said. “We aren’t friends or co-conspirators. I have no idea what the situation is between the two of you. I simply need to get back to my pack to see what the problem is.”
He pursed his lips together, a look I’d co to recognize as the prince in deep thought.
I had to press my luck. “I know I’m important to you—because of my blood. I get that. But... if you’ll just let go back to my pack and check on the situation, I promise you that I will return to you by the ti you need my blood. I give you my word.”
“You want to let you go off to your pack, on your own, without knowing if anything you’ve told is true?”
“I know it’s a lot to ask.” I had to try, interlacing my fingers in my lap. “But please... just let go.”
“No,” he said, and I couldn’t hold back the sigh of distress that shot out of .
“Unless soone goes with you.”
“Really?” My eyes widened as I looked into his. “Who?”
I prayed he’d say Warren. But I wasn’t that lucky.
“.”
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