Although being a princess hadn’t always been fun, and in hindsight, it had been lonely. There had been endless formalities and carefully measured conversations where everyone said what they thought I wanted to hear, rather than anything honest. I’d existed in a bubble of isolation.
The colorful fabrics and expensive decorations had been a cold comfort during nights when I stared at the ceiling, wondering if anyone knew the real me. I had everything except genuine connection.
“At least I don’t have to worry about you kicking me in the middle of the night.” Nico dropped his bag in a chair, walked over to the bed, and flopped back onto it. “Holy shit, this is comfortable.”
“It doesn’t seem like anything has changed.” I walked overto my desk and ran my finger across the top. No dust. “It’s certainly cleaner than I left it.”
I walked over to the closet and opened the door. All of my clothes were still hanging inside. In fact, many of the dresses that I would wear to formal gatherings were in protective bags.
“Maybe one of the staff took care of the room for you.” Nico sat up and fixed his bun. “What do you think the council members are going to say about you staying in the castle?”
I shrugged and sat next to him. “Who cares what they have to say? They can’t make any decisions unless all the council members are present, and even then, they fear Reve.”
He took my hand in his and brushed his thumb over the side of my hand. He had a serious look on his face. “You know you have my support if you want to claim the throne, right?”
I bit my lip and looked at our clasped hands. My hand was much smaller than his and lacked the tattoos. I had never had the desire to brand my skin, and Nico more than made up for my lack of ink.
“Women don’t have a claim, you know that. I don’t even know if Taylor is alive or dead, or if he had children.” I stood and went to the window. “Right after you found me and took me to the elders, I sent a message to him, and he never responded.”
I was never as close to Taylor as I was to Reve. Taylor was always quiet and focused on his studies. When Lilith came, he was away at school. She would have gone after him too, and he had been less powerful than Reve.
Nico joined me at the window, wrapping his arms around my chest and putting his chin on the top of my head. I leaned back against him, feeling the solid warmth of his body supporting mine. I closed my eyes briefly, savoring theweight of his arms and the subtle scent of nuts that always clung to him.
It was moments like this, when he was affectionate without hesitation and when his touch felt so natural and right, that I didn’t understand why we couldn’t take our relationship to the next level. The question hung between us constantly, unspoken but persistent.
Enough time had passed since Becca’s death, and I’d promised her I would take care of him and get him to move on. I didn’t know if she had wanted it to be with me, but in my heart, I knew she would be happy.
If only Nico would see that living as a shell of himself was the last thing Becca had wanted.
It was hard for me, especially when I’d catch myself tracing the tattoos on his forearms with my fingertips. Sometimes I thought I could feel him wanting more too, in the way his breath would catch slightly when our eyes met, or how his hand would linger just a second too long when we touched.
He had an unwritten rule that he had never been brave enough to break. I wondered if he even realized how contradictory his signals were. He gave me everything except the one thing I truly wanted from him—his heart, fully present and accounted for, not just the carefully rationed pieces he allowed himself to share.
CHAPTER FOUR
SAMARA
It had been a few days, and the council was at a standstill until Valentino and Winston arrived. I wasn’t looking forward to seeing the old vampire, Valentino, again. He had been one of my father’s allies, but something was unnerving about him.
Nothing was unnerving about his son, also named Valentino, though. Most called him Val because he was nothing like his stuffy father. I knew that better than anyone else.
I walked down the hall, my mind drifting to what needed to be done around the castle to get it back to its former glory. Would I even be allowed to stay if the council members voted me out? The likelihood of them upholding Reve’s wish of me having his seat was slim.
The fact was, Reve left. His desires were meaningless until he returned.
The library door was slightly ajar as I passed, and the two figures inside caught my attention. I backed up, and my eyes went wide.
A man with rich brown skin stood with his bare asstoward the door. His back was pure strength, the muscles flexing with each subtle movement. Contrasting sharply against his skin were a pair of pale hands digging into his ass cheeks. One hand was over his crack, and the middle finger plunged into it.
The hands were male.
I was intruding on a private moment between two lovers, but I couldn’t tear my eyes away. My core clenched as I watched the man get his dick sucked like it was the end of Inferna.
“Oh, fuck yeah.” The man’s voice was rough, and I could see his triceps pulsating as he grabbed the head in front of him. His hips thrust forward, his ass cheeks clenching as he grunted.
A second finger slid into his hole, and I bit my lip. My thighs pressed together instinctively, a futile attempt to ease the throbbing ache building between them. Each twist of those pale fingers as they disappeared into the man’s body sent a corresponding pulse through mine.
Why had they left the door open? Had they known some unsuspecting man or woman would pass by and be unable to help themselves?
