And maybe a little desperate.
“I will tell you everything when I return. For now, I must get you to Cielo and back through the portal.”
“Rath—”
“Please,” he says, his voice low and serious. “My Everest, I need you to obey me now.”
He’s never asked like that before. He’s demanded. He’s expected. He’s always known I will defy him.
But this time, it’s not the same.
“Okay,” I whisper. Something in my gut tells me I should be afraid.
Maybe he reads that from my mind, because he dips his head in and kisses me again. “You will always be able to find me,” hetells me in my head. “Just reach out. I will be back as soon as I’m able.”
I close my eyes and search, and a moment later, I find him. His own mind is quieter than mine, I realize. It hums with his voice and is filled with a measure of affection I can’t quite understand. But I know it’s for me.
Shit.
Shit.
This is probably bad, isn’t it?
“We must go,” he says again.
And at this point, I have no other choice but to follow.
When we reach the portal, I see a collection of Vyastil there. Most of them I don’t recognize, but I feel familiar and unwanted eyes on me, and it takes me a second to see the prince. He’s watching me, his gaze flickering between me and Rathyn, who isn’t holding me in any way, but is standing slightly in front of me.
Protective, domineering.
It makes me shrink back a little more, trying to cut off the vision of him staring.
I’m still wearing the cloak, which covers most of me, including the bite mark that Rathyn left behind, but I feel strangely seen, and it makes me nervous.
There’s an air of anxiety in the room which I don’t understand, and no one is speaking English, so I’m completely lost. I can’t ask, either. Not even in Rathyn’s head.
I understand now why we have to be kept a secret, and I think giving away that we can communicate with one another via our minds would be dangerous for both of us.
I spot Cielo near the portal, and I feel a bit better. He’s not wearing his pink human coat, but he’s standing a little taller and gives me the slightest nod when our gazes connect.
“Rathyn.” I don’t realize the prince has come close enough to touch me until he speaks, and something in my gut squirms. “You did not introduce me to your companion earlier.”
Rathyn stiffens. “It was unnecessary.”
“I wish to meet him now.” His dark eyes pin me to the floor.
Rathyn is quiet for so long that I feel the tension around us rising. I have a feeling ignoring a prince’s orders is probably a bad idea. And after what feels like forever, he lets out the smallest breath.
“Everest, my human companion. Human,” I almost flinch at the way he says it. Nothishuman. Just a description of what I am. “This is Prince Jyrion.”
He leans in and sniffs, then pulls back and smiles wide enough to show fang. “You must be very important to him.”
“Uh. Well, you know. He needs a lot of my cum.”
“Indeed.” Jyrion looks over at Rathyn again, then turns and walks off without another word.
My stomach is still squirming, and I want to leap into Rath’s arms, but I can’t. A moment later, however, another friendly face appears, and I exhale in relief. Eissa steps through the portal, his ears flicking in worry, a crinkle between his brows.
