For the rest of the day, Bethany measures me and works on a dress. Aside from showing me her designs and asking for my input, she does not speak to me. But then, I don’t speak to her either. She’s my friend more than my servant, and I don’t understand why as either of those things, she would refus
I try my best not to think about Caleb sleeping with some other woman, yet the image of it still creeps into my mind again and again. My stomach turns, imagining him naked with another woman, thrusting inside of her or doing all those wicked things with his tongue… This shouldn’t bother me. The ma
Both the rage and passion in his face grow in equal measure. As he takes a step closer, I’m unsure if he wants to hit me or kiss me. I’m starting to think it might be both. Delight coils through me, imagining him bending me over and spanking me. Quickly I shove away those thoughts. I’ve never want
The next morning, I’m sluggish and satisfied, naked in the bed. The covers are over me, but only from the waist down, leaving my breasts exposed while I stretch my arms over my head. Maybe I’m just more comfortable like this. Or maybe I’m putting on a bit of a show because Caleb is still here an
Entering the Hall for the Grand Ball, I’m once more amazed by the room’s transformation. This time, golden chandeliers dip down from the high ceiling. Shimmering chains of crystal and glass weave around them, connecting them to each other with delicate grace. When the light passes through the crysta
“You are asking me to deny the King of the kingdom,” I tell him. “The man who does not take no for an answer.” “Threaten to kill yourself if you have to,” Samuel says. That slices through me like a blade. Samuel would rather I hurt myself than be ‘spoiled.’ How can this cruel, apathetic man be t
“You are staring,” he says, catching me. I quickly look away. “You should have covered that up.” “Why? You were bold enough to mark your king, but not bold enough to own it?” “People don’t think it’s mine,” I say. I refuse to tell him that they think it’s his fiancé’s. I’m not ready to talk ab
Caleb glowers at me so hard, so suddenly, that I immediately regret asking my question. “The King’s personal business is none of yours,” he says sternly. I nod, embarrassed again. Even curious as I am, and jealous as I am, I can’t force him to answer if he doesn’t want to. He’s the King. He hold
That’s… odd. I was expecting more fight from him. At the very least, I thought he might just storm off and leave me alone. But now he wants to… help? Maybe my words got through to him. Does he now see how important it is for us to work together to survive? Containing my pride, I return to my wor
For a brief moment, Caleb’s entire face goes slack with shock. In that instant, I feel vindicated, like maybe he’ll learn something now. However, in the next second, his face hardens instead. His words like ice, he says, “What did you just say to me?” Any other day, maybe I would have backed dow
My main worry is for Tristan and his safety on his dangerous mission. My second worry, however, is for myself, as I’m now alone with him in this farmhouse. There are no other slaves, or servants. No cooks. No cleaners. No other harem women to sate his needs – although that makes me more pleased than
Tristan and Caleb, talking lightly. I also notice that the clothes I left on the coffee table for Caleb are gone. Standing from the couch, I cross the room, closer to the door. “You can’t just go back storming through the gates,” Tristan says. “We don’t know the state of anything right now. Geor
Bethany keeps her head down, completing her work scrubbing the blood from the balcony while trying to not to panic about the very clearly bear soldiers still in the capital, posing as King’s guards. All the while, she waits for her chance to come forward and warn the Gamma about what she’s seeing.
Eventually, once the shooting and the screaming ends, Bethany crawls out from under her bed. There are so many safe rooms in the capital but each one she tried was taken with people of higher rank than her, unwilling to share their space with her. In the end, with nowhere else to go, she retreated b
Caleb pats his thigh like he wants me to come sit on his lap. He can’t be serious. The man could barely walk across the room on his own and now he wants to have sex? “We should wait,” I start to say. His eyes narrow. “You dare deny your king?” He adds a frown. “Or do you think your king incapabl
Caleb gently twists his body this way and that, feeling each poke of discomfort. “That explains why I feel like swiss cheese. Help me to the couch then, damn it.” Tristan and Harper both help Caleb to his feet and together they shuffle toward the floral-pattern couch against the wall. “A bed wou
Caleb’s vision is red as he closes his hands around the traitor’s throat. He has her up against the wall, her feet dangling, kicking wildly. She claws at Caleb’s hands with her dull human fingernails, as if that would ever be enough for him to not see justice done. “C-Caleb…” she gasps, the villai