even when it gives me no protection against Caspian.
“You shouldn’t go,” he coldly states. His golden eyes watch me intently.
“Good thing you’re not my boss then,” I reply. “You know what the word partner means, right?”
He raises an eyebrow. “The other hunters are going to try to psych you out. It’s not a celebration party or an introduction meal or whatever the shit they’re calling it, it’s for the other hunters to figure out if they can kill you. That’s it. Because if you’re killed, then you’re out of the trials that only ten people can win. There’s hundreds of hunters desperate to be in that top number, and murdering a pretty wolf would be easy for them.”
“Got it. So you’re saying I should treat everybody like they’re trying to kill me?” I rhetorically question, trying to walk away, but he catches my arm.
“In your case, you literally should see every hunter as someone who is trying to kill you. Scratch that, songbird, the whole world is a hunter trying to kill you because of the alpha chasing your ass.”
“I get it,” I snap, pulling my arm away. “But hiding in here will only make me look guilty of something.”
“Have fun then,” he growls, clearly not agreeing with me. “See you later.”
“You’re not going?” I ask.
“No,” he replies, heading to his room. He shuts the door and he shouts, “But if you like me, you could bring me a plate of food back.”
“I’m not bringing you food!” I shout before opening the door and walking out. “And I don’t like you!”
If only that were true. This damn half-demon knows I like him, have always liked him, and I’m beginning to wish he didn’t. Now he just uses it against me as if it’s all a big joke to him.
Stupid, sexy jerk.
The door slams behind me as I head out of the building and straight down to Dove, who’s waiting outside. She hooks her arm in mine, and we walk straight to the courtyard. The once quiet place now has loud music playing and is lit up by lanterns all the way around the square courtyard, mixing in with the greenery. Down the middle of the courtyard are two massive buffet tables littered with loads of different foods and drinks. My gaze strays towards the prince, once again slouched on his throne, but I quickly snap it away from him.
Everything seems wonderful until I notice all the people standing around the tables staring our way. Each one of the hunters in the trial looks intimidating, to say the least, and I wouldn’t like to try to fight them. It’s nearly all men, except for one black-haired woman who stands out like a drop of white paint on a blank canvas. If the men aren’t peering at us, they all seem to stare at her like she’s the abnormal thing in their gathering.
That woman seems like she doesn’t give a shit, which makes me instantly like her.
This must be Dove’s roommate.
I clear my throat and turn to Dove. “How are we going to beat these massive shifters? They seem like they eat demons for lunch.”
Dove shakes her head before whispering in my ear, “Just ignore that they look tough and intimidating. I try to remember they probably have small dicks from all the steroids.”
“I like your theory.” I chuckle.
“That’s my roommate.” She points over to the other woman.
She stands silently by the table with several other people who appear like they are trying to talk to her, and she just simply stares. She looks hella bored.
“I’m going to go see if I can get her to be sociable. Come find me if you need me,” Dove says.
The second she has left, my eyes snap to the food because it smells amazing and my stomach rumbles. I head straight to the table and grab as much as I can fit on my plate before finding a table in the corner where there’s no one else. I sit and tuck into my food, oblivious to the world until a guy sits next to me, his big shoulder pressing against mine.
There are four empty seats around this table, and he didn’t have to choose the seat so close to me. What the heck is his problem? My wolf instantly growls, and the stranger laughs as I take him in. He’s massively built, like a frigging Viking or something. With soft curly blond hair that falls around his sharp face and expressive eyebrows, he really has