Page 34 of Hateful Prince
“But I didn’t have the sex.” She leveled me with a look, and my cheeks burned. Well, not in the rec room, anyway.
“Didn’t you?”
Oz laughed as Joffrey shot Sorcha and me a glare.
As usual, Sorcha lost her patience with me immediately. “The orgy, you dingus. He wants to talk about Merri’s accidental orgy.”
“I figured. I just don’t know why I have to be here.”
“Are the two of you quite finished whispering to each other?” Joffrey droned, looking impressively buff as he crossed his arms over his barrel chest. With the exception of his red hair, he looked like a tiny Popeye. All bulging biceps and forearms. All he needed was a corncob pipe and maybe an anchor tattoo.
“Yes, troll daddy,” Sorcha said sweetly.
“I am not a troll. I am a—you know what, never mind.” Joffrey rolled his eyes.
“Such a tease.”
He glared again. He was really a champion glare-er. “Whilst Merri is here, it is of the highest import that you all keep your wits about you. She has broken no rules and cannot, therefore, remain locked in No Man’s Land.”
“Broken no rules? She used her power on us without our consent,” an angry wolf shifter snarled.
“That may be the case, but she’s not fully in control. It wasn’t done intentionally. She will do the work on her end, but you all need to take precautions. We’re lucky no one was killed.”
“What were we going to do? Fuck to the death?” Cas called out, a smirk in his voice.
Joffrey’s face went stonier than it usually was. “Yes, Caspian. That’s exactly what could have happened. Why do you think she’s here?”
I wondered what she did. Did she fuck someone’s soul out of their body? She was drop-dead gorgeous; maybe that was something I needed to take literally?
“Did, uh, everyone make it out okay yesterday?” I asked, realizing I didn’t really know what happened after Cain and I left.
As if he knew I was thinking about him, Cain’s shadow touch trailed along my ankle, then up my calf, making me squirm. Surely he’d stop there, right? Nope. That phantom caress continued all the way up my leggings until he was touching my inner thigh. I sucked in a gasp, and Sorcha turned her attention to me.
“What the blazes are you doing over there?”
“Nothing,” I squeaked. Instead of a growl, this time I was certain I heard a snicker.
“No one was harmed,” Joffrey said, oblivious to my plight. “But a few lines were crossed, and two alpha wolves were sent into rut. They’ve been isolated until it... works itself out.”
“Knotty,” Oz said under his breath, laughing at his terrible pun. “Get it? Cause alphas have knots?”
“So do dragons,” I muttered.
“Oh really? We’re going to talk about that later.”
“No we aren’t.”
A bone-deep shiver worked its way through me as Joffrey continued his lecture. I couldn’t make sense of what he was saying as Cain’s touch crept closer to the apex of my thighs. God, this was really hot. So why was I shivering?
“In conclusion,” Joffrey said, his breath visible in the freezing room, “we won’t be allowing anyone within?—”
The lights flickered out, casting us in complete and utter darkness. In that moment, I knew exactly what was happening. The oppressive hum of furious energy, the weight of malevolence coating me like a deadly shroud. She was here.
Several shrill screams filled the air, followed by a couple of angry growls. Almost on cue, familiar hands shackled my shoulders.
“Tor,” I breathed, recognizing him by touch alone.
“Nobody move!” Joffrey shouted, shocking me with his rare display of emotion. Even he was frightened.