Frost Bound (Entangled with Trickery #1)

Neve

Chapter Nine

Neve

This was not where he wanted to be.

The tiny valles in his arms flailed and scratched at his forearm with her blunt, clawless nails.

It was pathetic.

As if she could get away.

He cocked his head, tracking the sound of the queen and her entourage.

They were right outside the nook. If Neve didn’t get the human under control, they’d both be exposed. And that was something he couldn’t afford.

“Don’t fight or I’ll kill you,” he growled softly in her ear, her language feeling uncomfortable on his tongue. While he’d learned their common tongue as a child, it wasn’t often that Neve had spoken it.

She froze, terror perfuming the air so much that his eyes watered.

Godsteeth, he hated that stench, but at least she believed him.

He pulled the valles farther into the dark, easily dragging her away from the partition. He loomed over her, scowling as she managed to wrap her fingers around his pointer and middle fingers, yanking with all her strength.

Did she really think he’d let her go that easily just for her to scream?

Her cheeks hollowed beneath his palm and the female began to struggle harder. His claws flexed against her cheek, one pricking the bottom of her left earlobe. Iron tinged the air, along with another dose of fear.

Neve rolled his eyes and tipped his head back to stare at the ceiling. Now he’d have to contend with the scent of her vile blood. Humans were just the foulest…

He flinched as a soft, fleshy wet tongue licked across his palm. His grip loosened enough for her to wedge eight of her fingers between her cheeks and the top of his hand.

His lip curled upward is disgust.

Saloes were vile.

The female sucked in a ragged breath. “My nose,” she whispered. “Need to breathe.”

Neve blinked slowly down at the valles , particularly at the way his hand wrapped around her tiny, pale face. He’d been suffocating her. His fingers flexed. Part of him wanted to cut off her air again just so she’d pass out but not enough to kill her. At least then he could leave her in the alcove and slink back outside to meet up with his men.

A muffled. “ Please .”

There was something in her tone about the way she pleaded that made him hesitate.

Hesitation was always a mistake and yet … he didn’t tighten his grip.

He tilted her head back so that she was staring up into his face, tears dripping from her wide fearful eyes. Eyes that unnerved him with too much color—her white sclera opposite of his black. Little flecks dusted her nose and cheekbones, standing out against her creamy complexion. She looked like the dead. Sallow and dull.

“Close your eyes,” he commanded softly.

She obeyed immediately, shaking in his grasp.

A smug grin tipped up the corner of his mouth. Neve wasn’t worried about her seeing his face—human eyesight was poor compared to Loriian, especially in the dark. But he certainly didn’t want to stare down into her off-putting eyes.

He turned his head and listened to the progress of the queen. She’d almost reached the corridor leading from the pleasure hall. Soon enough, he’d be able to leave the valles behind.

She sniffled and he glared down at her.

“Be quiet.”

She nodded, exhaling heavily against his palm.

Neve shuddered. An odd sensation that he didn’t like one bit. It made the hair along his arms rise.

He shifted, his left hand flexing on the female’s rounded hip. Valles —human women—were soft, nothing like the angular strength of the frost kin females. If his princess was anything like this woman, how would he be able to bed her? Neve grimaced. It would be an unpleasant event to be sure. That’s if he didn’t break her first.

Then again…

He mentally slapped himself. A death like that would be unfair to the princess and scarring on him. Better to leave the princess to die in the tower he’d prepared for her.

Tears seeped underneath his palm, wet and sticky.

Enough is enough.

He could barely hear the queen and her sycophants any longer. They were at least two hallways down. Time to play the beast.

Neve traced one of his claws over her pallid cheekbone. “You will be silent about my presence here, won’t you?”

The valles nodded, her eyes still squeezed closed.

“I hope so or I will find you.” He released her mouth and wrapped his fingers around her neck. The human’s pulse thrummed against his thumb like a little bird. Neve squeezed once, just enough so that her breath stuttered. “And I always keep my promises.”

She swallowed hard and gave him one sharp nod.

“Now be gone with you and don’t turn back.”

Neve released her roughly and she stumbled forward. The little female crashed through the curtain, not looking back. He sighed as he listened to her flee from the alcove, slippers slapping against the stone floor.

Good riddance .

Rolling his shoulders, he glided out of the alcove and straightened his cloak. Maybe he’d do just a little bit more exploring before he returned to his people.

Discover just what secrets the humans wanted to keep from him.