Nicholas continued to hold me, even as the ship neared the dock of the familiar island. By this point, Julian had also joined us and was pacing back and forth in the small space in front of us. Veronica sat quietly nearby, observing all with watchful eyes. Jessica was still laying down, clutching he
Julian glanced back at me. I gave him the best calming look I could muster. He closed his eyes and inhaled a deep breath in through the mouth, out through the nose. “You had better listen to her, Julian,” Bridget said. “Calm yourself and act like a gentleman to me for a change.” Julian’s calm fa
My breath caught. I braced myself. I didn’t know what would happen next. Nicholas had gone very still beside me. His arm around my waist tightened slightly. Then he removed it and stood. “Nicholas,” I said. He didn’t acknowledge me. He puffed out his chest and faced down his brother. He didn’t
He was demanding, his tongue insistent, his lips melding with mine. I clutched at his shoulders, holding on, as his hands traced long paths up and down the length of my back. When we broke for air, I sighed against him. He laughed lightly as he kissed along my cheek to my ear. “No more fears of
The rain poured down so heavily that it was even starting to reach us in the covered deck. Elva dove to cover her precious coloring book pages. “Everyone, inside!” Nicholas said. We grabbed our things and hurried inside. I helped Elva with her crayons and coloring pages, careful not to get t
Julian immediately took another step backwards, adding more space between him and me. We both nervously glanced at Nicholas who mostly seemed confused by his own reaction. He cut off his growl with a sharp grunt. “Sorry,” he said. “Don’t worry,” I replied. “It’s my fault,” Julian said. “No,”
Ever since I had been brought into this competition, I had been mocked, ridiculed, shoved around, bullied, set up, nearly killed, and threatened at every turn. Bridget’s arrival hadn’t helped the situation at all. While I could blame the underground organization for much of what happened to me in
And, frankly, Bridget was far too selfish to be a good queen. She cared about the title and the power. But what good would she actually bring to the nation? If she only cared about herself, how could she possibly empathize with the kingdom’s people? I shook my head. I was still furious. “If you