The aggravating woman stood her ground. “Like I said, I’m bound by my word to keep you safe. I can’t leave.”
“You mean youwon’tleave.” He crossed his arms and glared at her.
“Correct.” She mimicked his position, and even though she was shorter than him, it felt like she was looking down on him. “I will remain by your side until you return to the ball.”
“I won’t be returning,” he blurted.
Damn.
He hadn’t meant to say that out loud, but the words slipped out before he could stop them.
His cheeks burned. Luna had a habit of speaking her mind, and eventhough Marius prided himself on not being as outspoken as his sister, he apparently still had a way to go.
The vampire’s eyes widened, and panic flickered through them for the first time since she came upon him.
“Your Highness, you can’t leave.” There was a frantic edge to her voice.
“Oh, I assure you, I can.”
He was leaving, whether she liked it or not.
Giving up on his ridiculous plan, Marius resumed marching through the woods. Dawn was coming, and there was no time to waste.
That iron grip clamped down on his arm again, and she spun him around.
Damn vampires and their strength. Damn bodyguards. Damn it all.
“No, you can’t,” she insisted.
“I can,” he said through gritted teeth, trying to yank back his arm. “Release me.”
The vampire didn’t comply.
“I don’t understand. Why do you want to leave?”
Such a ridiculous question.
“Why?” A bitter laugh escaped him. Was it truly that surprising? “I’m a fully grown Mature halfling who is as trained as any of my sister’s soldiers. And yet, unlike them, I’ve never been allowed to experience life. Not really.”
Luna had kept him safe, and he’d grown up in Castle Sanguis, but he’d never trulylived.
“The queen?—”
“Doesn’t understand.” He was starting to think that no one understood where he was coming from. He glared at his bodyguard. “This isn’t a request. I won’t be returning to Castle Sanguis.”
Not if he had anything to say about it.
The vampire’s grip was unrelenting. “Where are you going?”
“There’s a… matter that requires my attention.”
Her jaw ticked, and her gaze dropped to his tunic pocket. She pulled her hand from him, flexing her fingers. “The message.”
A curse slipped from his lips.
How long had she been following him? He’d been so careful to avoid notice as he slipped out of the party. He slid his hand over his pocket, covering it protectively, before realizing that he was confirming everything.
Huffing, he recrossed his arms and glowered. His bodyguard’s presence was becoming more problematic with every passing second.
