Holding her in my arms, feeling the press of her soft body against mine, tasting her sweetness on my lips and wondering how she would feel naked,bondedto me.
I stumbled back, hand going to my side. I lifted my gaze from the shifter, whose hand was covered in my blood, to the stands.
I found the cage almost immediately, the Princess within standing, staring at me in horror.
Princess…She was more than just a brief, hazy memory now.
Her name formed on the tip of my tongue. A name that had lived on in my dreams.
Ivy.
Three letters that exploded into a world of horror, guilt, andlove.
And then it all came crashing down.
35
Ivy
There was so much blood. It flowed through his fingers where he tried to stop the bleeding.
But I watched, despite the distance between us, as something changed in his eyes. They went from dark and unseeing, to something else.
Something familiar.
I choked on a gasp as he stumbled back, and several soldiers rushed into the ring. There was a flurry of action and commands. Dante was out of his seat, radiating a rage that was now becoming too familiar.
Hawk hadn’t betrayed me. Dante had stolen his mind.
And somehow, despite it all, Hawk figured out how to break free.
I saw it all so clearly now. His eyes locked on mine, and it was like he was seeing me for the first time.No, recognising me after being without sight for so long.
I held my breath as guards dragged him from the ring. Hawk didn’t even try fighting back; he just watched me until he was pulled from the arena, taken out of sight.
Beside me, Dante cursed. I turned to him, feeling more like a fool. How had I not seen it? Had I been so blinded by my anger towards Hawk to notice the control?
Dante looked at me, jaw clenched, shaking his head. “Keepher here,” he said, pointing at my cage, directing his words to a set of guards who’d appeared behind me. “I need to deal withthem.”
A shiver rolled down my spine as I took in my captors. They were soldiers I hadn’t faced before, a couple of males who were clearly Fae—they had the pointed ears and striking features, but also their skin was marked with glowing tattoos that probably meant they belonged to the same court. I just wasn’t sure which one.
Maybe Winter with how icy they appeared. They stood either side of the cage while Dante led another group of soldiers off towards the back of the arena where Hawk had been taken.
My heart pounded with fear. What if Dante got into his head again? What if Hawk had only broken part of his hold?
What if Dante killed him for that act of rebellion?
I fell into my seat and pressed a hand to my racing heart as bile rose in my throat. All I could do was watch the darkness beyond the arena as the pain demon tried to regain control over the fights. He said something about team fights, which gained some attention, but there were many too distracted what happened.
My breathing became harsh in my own ears as pressure built in my lower abdomen. It felt like a seriously bad cramp during a period, the clenching of everything in my belly until it caused an ache that radiated through my entire stomach and around my lower back. Tension locked my body as the pain spread through me, making my breaths shaky, vision hazy.
But I shouldn’tbecramping. Not like this. Not with the way it felt like someone had reached inside of me and twisted my uterus in their fist.
I doubled over, pulling in deep breaths as the pain receded just enough for my body to loosen from the shock of the cramp.
“What the hell is wrong with her?” one of my guards asked, a hint of concern darkening his voice.
I blew out a breath and sat up, touching my fingersto my heated cheeks. “I’m pregnant,” I said, glancing towards the Fae male, who looked almost shocked. His ice-blue eyes darted to where my arm was wrapped around my stomach. “Oh, you didn’t know? I thought yourkingwould have told everyone by now.”
