Chapter 37 #10
“Why don't I see the same man in your eyes I saw earlier today?” she questioned, though she remained solidly in my arms, every curve of her body pressed against the hard planes of mine and driving a desperate need in me that screamed to be acknowledged.
I needed to cover Drake's arse and there was only one way I could do that now. “I put on a front sometimes, that's all. If I'm an arsehole tomorrow, don't pay it too much attention.”
She burst into laughter and the sound brought a devilish grin to my mouth.
“Oh, there he is,” she said with a wild glint in her eyes.
She tip-toed up and fuck I was actually going to do this. There was no stopping me now. My demons were free and urging me on. Regrets were for tomorrows.
Her eyes fluttered closed, her lips so tempting I knew I would have to drive a sword into my chest to stop myself from crossing this line now.
There was no way out of it. I was a slave to my urges, needing to feel the press of her mouth to mine and fulfil this maddening want for her, if only for tonight.
“Have you kissed a man before?” I asked, my lips almost brushing hers as I pressed my hand firmer to her back.
“Never,” she answered, and a growl of possessiveness left me as I moved forward to claim it from her, to be her first kiss and make it worthy of remembering. At least it would come from someone who revered her down to her bones.
“Gracious Austyn!” Magdor’s voice cut through the air, and I released the princess in alarm, turning to the empress with hatred coursing down my spine. “Whatever would the other suitors think if they saw you behaving so uncouthly?”
Of course it was her. Of all people to steal this from me, it had to be the vile woman who destroyed everything I loved in this city.
Austyn glared at her, drawing her shoulders back, a fire blazing in her eyes as she stepped out of my hold and moved to my side. “I'm not sure that's any of your business, Magdor. Leave us immediately.” She pointed to direct her away, but Magdor didn’t move an inch.
The empress’s gaze flitted to me, her lip curling as she took in the cut of me.
“It is best if you return to your chambers, Count Nazari, we wouldn't want any gossip circling, hm?” Her tone was light, but there was a warning there which I needed to heed. I couldn’t put Drake in the firing line of this witch.
I had no idea what she was truly capable of, and I did not want her eyes turning his way too often while I conducted my investigation.
“Yes, Your Highness,” I bit out, brushing my fingers over Austyn's spine in one final farewell. Because that was it for me. I would never get this close to her again. And the knowledge of that drove a splinter of iron deep into my heart, never to be removed.
I pinned my eyes on Magdor as I walked towards her, bowing my head.
I'm going to take you down, you monstrous bitch.
I plastered one of Drake's cocky smiles onto my face and her cheeks grew red with anger in the same way that her son’s had earlier.
I sauntered back into the dining room, snatched a bottle of Cartlanna wine off the table and drank right out of the neck as I strode from the room.
Kahn and Hariot were gone, no doubt having slipped off to join the secret sex party happening in the city. Fucking rats.
I heard Austyn following me, but I didn’t look back as I left the dining hall, my mood descending into a dark pit.
I had been so close to tasting her lips, to kissing her the way she deserved to be kissed for the first time. But the ache I felt over that didn’t come close to the guilt that was building up inside me like water against a dam.
What the fuck had I been thinking?
I drained a long swig of wine from the bottle, trying to drown out the weighted feeling inside me. I wasn’t worthy of the princess, and I certainly wasn’t worthy of claiming her first kiss. But the mere idea of someone else taking it made my blood run cold and an icy rage course along my limbs.
I headed down the corridor, walking back to Drake's chambers with heavy breaths falling from my lips, jealousy tearing into me at the images running through my head of her in another man’s arms. As I rounded another corner, I snapped, hurling the bottle of wine at a wall, the glass exploding and wine splashing everywhere.
I came to a halt, taking in the destruction and running a hand down my face. I was trained in restraint, so why did I keep acting like some wild animal tonight? Why was it so hard to hold myself in check when it came to her?
Footsteps thundered behind me, and I frowned, turning back to see who was charging through the royal palace this late at night.
But before I could tell who the shadow at my back was, a force collided with my skull like a tonne of bricks.
My vision swam from the savage blow, and I hit the floor on my knees, trying to get up and fight, but the wine I’d consumed had dampened my wits.
The thwack of the same hard weapon struck me again and this time, the attacker took no prisoners, pain ricocheting through my skull before nothingness descended on me.