CHAPTER FIVE #2
She’d known Cyan would eventually find out that she was Red Riding Hood taking down wolves one by one. Though she’d simply thought she had a few more years before her brother uncovered the truth, or at least have killed the prince, burned the cloak, and then never have had to reveal any of it.
Now that he knew the truth about her scars and their grandmother, a weight had lifted from her. She’d kept it a secret so he could grow without fear in Bloodstorm, but perhaps it had made him too soft.
Winter’s smug face crept into her mind, and as wicked as he was, he was more dangerously attractive than she remembered. But a vicious wolf would never tempt her, even if he hadn’t been the leader of the ones who murdered her grandmother.
If the prince discovered she was Red Riding Hood, he would do much worse to her than put a noose around her neck—he would make her suffer, perhaps starting with tearing off each one of her limbs. Revenge would come before that day—she vowed it.
Red and yellow leaves drifted to the ground around her in their own rhythmic autumn dance. As she reached her cottage, the chickens squawked and the two goats bleated from the back of her home.
Sterling opened the door to her cottage and went straight into the kitchen, her throat parched.
She drank a full glass of water and, after the earlier stress, needed a good orgasm before gathering her things to hunt.
Nareth was no longer available to help with pleasure, and she wouldn’t tumble just anyone.
She had to be quick to allow enough time to track decent game, so she slid her hand down into the waistband of her trousers.
As she circled her clit, she closed her eyes, pretending it was a man’s fingers.
Whose? That was anyone’s guess since she couldn’t put a face there.
Just as the coil of pleasure stirred, growing bolder, Prince Winter’s features slipped into the faceless image.
Fuck, she better not lose this orgasm because of him.
A chair creaked from inside the sitting room, and she yanked her hand out of her trousers and whirled around, the potential pleasure within her ceasing.
Her gaze met the bright blue eyes of the prince.
Winter’s expression was just as bored as it was at the hanging, as it had been when her grandmother lay torn apart and dying.
Several of his shirt buttons were unfastened, exposing his tan chest.
“Don’t mind me,” Winter drawled. Even though years had passed since they’d met, his hair was the same—shorn close to his scalp just above his ear on one side, dark locks hanging to his chin on the other.
Hot blood boiled through Sterling’s veins while she stared the bastard prince down.
Her enemy had just seen her touching herself, but worse than that, the look in his eyes was unreadable.
Had he learned who she was? No, that wasn’t possible—he was here because he knew she’d lied to him at the hanging.
She had to act, to pretend as if she worshipped the prince to get him out of her house before he could discover who she was, so she fell to her knees and bowed before him.
“Your … Highness. How honored I am to be in your presence. How may I … serve you?”
“Look at the floor, not at me.” His voice was just as bored as his expression.
What a fucking piece of shit. “Yes, Your Highness.”
The chair creaked when he stood from it, his boots thudding against the wood, drawing closer. Sterling didn’t tremble, only thanked the gods that Cyan wasn’t with her. If she’d had her bow, she could’ve pierced his throat as soon as she’d seen him. Even then, his wolves might not be far.
“You caught my eye at the hanging today, didn’t you, human?” Winter purred.
“It was only because I wanted to capture your attention, Your Highness. I find you very … handsome. Otherwise, I know that you never would’ve noticed me. A pathetic, lowly human.” She held back from rolling her eyes and spitting on his boot, and she was rather pleased at how sincere she sounded.
“Oh? Is that so?” His voice came out amused.
“It is. Very much.”
“So would you kneel before me and suck my cock in apology?” She could hear the smug smile in his voice.
For the love of gods, no. “Of course.”
“And what would you do if your oral skills weren’t enough to make me cum?”
“We would fuck,” she said, forcing herself to sound breathy, aroused when she really wanted to say she would bite it off.
“I think you can get more detailed than that,” he said. “I am your prince after all.”
If she truly had to fuck him to get out of this situation, she didn’t know if she could keep the charade up. Perhaps if he got off quickly and left her alone after, she could easily slide under the radar again to hunt him down.
“Once I ripped off your clothing, you’d sit on my settee. I’d straddle you, sink down on your huge cock while you sucked my hard nipples. I would ride you better than any harlot ever has.”
“Mmm,” he mused. “Stand up, human, but keep your eyes down.”
Sterling slowly pushed up from the floor, doing as he asked, keeping her eyes trained on the floor.
“Lying to royalty is an offense, you know.” Winter chuckled darkly, then ran a finger down her cheek, over her scar.
She flinched but didn’t look up. “If you really wanted my cock, this wouldn’t be your reaction.
” His finger hooked under her chin and forced her face up, her eyes snapping to his.
“Did you think I didn’t recognize you? That I forgot about the girl who I allowed to run off with her brother and newly marred face?
You should’ve left things alone. Disappeared like I told you to.
But you just couldn’t help yourself, could you, Red Riding Hood? ”
Sterling’s heart thundered against her rib cage, and she leapt backward, away from him. He knew. Not only that they’d met before, but her secret.
Winter brought his other hand out from behind his back, presenting her red cloak clutched in his fist. Slowly, he let the material slip to the floor, pooling between them in a heap.
There were no lies she could spew at that moment—he wouldn’t believe them anyway.
“I love a good hunt just as much as you do.” He grinned. “So I’ll give you a fifteen-second head start.” When she simply stared at him in shock, he added, “If I were you, I’d run.”