CHAPTER 4

Pov: Marshall Ackerman

The naked woman by my side rolled sleepily on the bed. I cussed myself because it had been futile just as everything else I’d tried since meeting the princess. She had come into my life and tampered with something she wasn’t supposed to and now I felt different. I’d tried everything to wipe her prints clean but nothing seemed to work. Sleeping with multiple women was a last-ditch attempt and even that had failed.

Fuck! I cussed as the memory of our encounter flashed through my mind. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

I dropped their money on the bedside table and left the room feeling worse than I’d felt when I walked into the brothel. I made my way back to my apartment and I saw the last person I wanted to see there waiting for me just outside my door.

“You look terrible,” Jack said with a disapproving nod.

I wanted to tell him to fuck himself and drop dead but instead, I said, “Can you leave me alone. Find a cemetery to haunt or something.”

“You smell like booze and—” He sighed. “And strippers.”

“Nice sense of smell, Alfroy.” I moved past him and opened the door.

He followed me in before I could stop him. “I hate this as much as you do, trust me. You’re my least favorite person too but since you haven’t been answering the Alpha’s call I’ve been forced to come in person.”

“He couldn’t send a text or better still send someone more—not you.” I sighed, hating how my morning was turning out.

I hoped Drago had recovered enough to return to the arena because I was feeling the need to let out some of my pent-up frustration. I set the timer on the coffee machine and waited patiently for the one liquid that might be able to set everything back to normal.

“There’s a prisoner in the Hillburgh cell. He needs you to break this particular prisoner and get her to confess.”

“Her?” I mused. “That’s new. What’s her crime?”

“High treason.” He said usually like it was nothing.

I blew a long whistle. “That’s a damn shame. Who’s the broad?”

I poured out the coffee and blew on the fumes before sipping the foam and feeling the first thrill run through my spine. Coffee was heaven.

“A princess. I think her name is Kira Jansen.”

I almost dropped the cup of hot coffee as the name echoed in my head. I remembered the name of the woman that had cursed my life and hearing it again this way was unexpected. Before Jack could say another word I ran out of the room.

The Hillburgh cell was the worst place in the entire kingdom and the guards there acted like they had traded their humanity in for a gold coin. If she was taken there then she was in big trouble. I remembered the woman I’d met at the party and I would bet my left arm she couldn’t hurt a fly on purpose even if she tried. She didn’t have it in her.

The guards greeted me with the utmost respect because I was their head superior. My authority was only second to the Alpha’s. I ignored them and made my way to the cell. It was dark and smelled worse than I did.

“Open the cell,” I told the guard on duty standing in front of the steel cage.

“But sir—”

“I said open the cell or are you deaf!” I bawled at him.

He flinched and stumbled forward with the keys to open the cell. I stood trying to see if I could make out her figure in the darkness. The guard opened the door and stood aside to let me in.

“Leave us,” I said as I rushed to a crumpled figure on the floor.

The guard was about to say something but thought better about it and moved to leave.

“Wait. Bring some water. Not the shit you give the prisoners. Bring a jug from the station.”

“But that’s for us—”

“You’ll drink water from a straw for a long time if you don’t fuck off and do as I say.”

When he left I tried to get her to wake up but she was too weak to respond. I could barely read her pulse accurately. She was in a terrible state and I could see she was badly wounded.

“What did these animals do to you? I’ll kill them I’ll—”

“Mr. asshole?” Her voice was barely above a whisper.

“Yes,” I said, forcing the tears not to drop from my eyes. She didn’t deserve any of this and seeing her in that condition broke me into a million pieces.

She laughed and I could tell that it hurt her sides performing such a simple act. Her ribs must be broken, I thought as I tried to pay attention to her breathing to see if she was wheezing.

“If I didn’t know any better I’d think you cared.” She said in a frail voice.

I wiped at the tears in my eyes. She couldn’t see my face because of the darkness in the cell and I was grateful for it. The lump in my throat made it impossible for me to talk.

“I’ll get you out of here. I promise, princess.”

She started crying and her head swayed. “No.”

“Huh?” I could barely hear her.

“No.” She repeated. “There’s nothing you can do for me now.” 

She cried bitterly as she said, “It’s too late.”

“But—”

“Get the guard.” She begged. “I’d like to confess to treason.”