I’m shocked that I had been enjoying myself so much I hadn’t noticed how late it was getting.
“Sure,” I reply as he grabs my hand and pulls me towards the door, tossing Ned a quick wave as we leave.
“So,” he says once we’re outside, swinging our joined hands between us. “Scale of one to ten, how much did you regret coming out with me out tonight?”
I laugh. “Maybe a three at the start. Negative five by the end.”
“Negative five?” His grin widens. “That’s basically saying you owe me another night out.”
“That’s not how numbers work.”
“It’s exactly how numbers work,” he insists, squeezing my hand.
As we round the corner of a building, we hear shouting and laughter.
“Oh Gods …” Heller sighs, nodding towards a group of three men coming out of the building in front of us. “Looks like he’s been enjoying the pleasures of Madam Eden and her girls.”
Being held up in the centre of the other two Fae males, Prince Kiernan is staggering towards us.
My heart drops into my stomach as he looks up, his eyes unfocused until he realises who stands in front of them.
“Alaya?” he slurs, standing up a bit straighter and shrugging off the two Fae beside him. A flash of something suddenly changes his features into a hard tightness as he looks between Heller and me. “What are you two doing out together?”
“Just been to the tavern for a few drinks,” I reply. “You were the one that suggested I let my hair down a little.”
“Is this the bitch you’re being forced to marry?” one of the Fae asks. He’s tall, well over six feet with short brown hair, a menacing glint in his dark purple eyes. “What’s she doing holding this idiot’s hand?”
“So, Alaya has a little boyfriend.” Prince Kiernan scoffs, his lip curling in a mocking grin. “I wonder if he’ll have better luck prying her legs open than the rest of the Thorn Court.”
The atmosphere chills. Heller doesn’t move, but his hand gripping around mine crushes with bruising pressure, his pulse thrumming violently against my palm.
“Come on, guys, we were just out for some fun like the rest of you. I’m walking Alaya back to the castle.” He drops my hand, puts his arm around my waist.
As we turn away, I hear a low growl from behind us, and Heller is wrenched away from me.
“Keep your filthy hands off her!” Prince Kiernan yells into his face, and as I stand there staring in shock, he throws a punch into Heller’s face, catching his nose, which explodes with blood and sends him sprawling to the floor.
“What the hell are you doing?” I shout, trying to go to Heller, but a rough hand jerks my arm. The other Fae with Prince Kiernan, equally tall as the other, with long black hair, blue eyes and broad shoulders, holds me back.
The Prince kicks out at Heller on the ground, his black boot crashing into his stomach. Heller lets out a cry as he curls into a ball around the pain. He looks up towards me, blood spread over his face and terror in his eyes.
“Run, Alaya,” he mouths.
I look between the three Fae males and quickly jab my elbow back into the stomach of the Fae holding me. He lets me go with a wail, and I run.
We are nowhere near the castle yet, and my sense of direction is muddled with panic. I run blindly, anywhere away from them. My feet pound the packed earth and my legs start to tremble as I dart in-between two houses down a long-shadowed path. As I come to a dark stone wall and a patch of bare grass, I realise my mistake.
It’s a dead end.
Processing where to go next, I feel a hand bunch my dress at the back and wrench me off my feet, throwing me onto my side. I quickly turn and see Prince Kiernan and the two Fae looming over me. Their faces are shadowed, the flash of their eyes and the smirk on their lips the only features I can make out in the weak moonlight. I scramble to my feet and back away, right into the dark stone wall.
“What’s wrong, Little Princess?” the Prince drawls. “I thought you wanted some fun. You know, running off like that gets the blood pumping. We all love a good hunt.”
I’ve never seen him like this. He’s wild, almost primal.
“And we like to share,” the black-haired Fae leers as he walks towards me. “Does she need to learn how to be a properPrincess, Ky?” he asks as he stalks towards me, running his tongue over his bottom lip.
I press my back closer to the wall as he approaches me. He leans down, lying his two hands flat on the wall either side of my head. I smell Fae Wine on his hot breath as he nuzzles my neck. His tongue darts out and licks down from behind my ear down to my neck, leaving a wet trail. I recoil with disgust.
