names that start with A. It’s like the Crescent Mother brought us together.”
“Why are you hiding?” I ask, ignoring his comment about our goddess. I fail to see why she’d bring a shameless, albeit handsome, blackmailer into my life.
“Secrets, darling.” He winks at me. “We can share yours but not mine.”
I just manage to keep my temper from seeping out. I don’t want this asshole to see he’s getting under my skin. “What do you want from me?” I demand instead, my tone only slightly harsh.
The male thinks for a moment, then he says, “I need someone to have my back, and there’s no better person than you, the other person hiding here. And in exchange, I’ll have your back and not tell anyone you’re here.” He lowers his voice and leans closer until his masculine, watery cool scent washes over me. “Fun deal, right? We could even add in some special benefits, if you like. I’m not opposed to that.”
“Well, I am. And I already have someone watching my back,” I counter, feeling breathless for all the wrong reasons.
“You mean the half-demon who’s been kicked out twice in these trials? Did he ever mention the reasons why he’s failed the trials twice?” He pauses and smirks when he finds the answer in my expression. “He’s a deadly fighter. Quick as can be, close friends with the prince, too. Doesn’t it make you wonder what exactly he did?”
In all honesty, it has, but I choose to lie. “No.”
“Trust me, it’s bad,” the male whispers, once more grinning at me. “Makes you and I seem like goddamn angels.”
“I thought you were the guy with the secrets?” I counter.
“Be a good girl and come when I tell you,” he warns me in a voice laced with dark promise. “Because otherwise, I’m giving in your secret as a distraction for my escape.”
“Fuck you,” I growl at him.
He leans in closer, until our faces are inches away. He really is flawless. “Not yet, but I do have a weakness for redheads.”
With that, he stands. I glance away for a second, feeling someone’s eyes on me. I start when I see the prince and Caspian are talking, both of them watching us, making it clear their conversation is about me. When I look over, Alaric or whatever his real name is has gone. I search around to see he has completely disappeared.
“What did I say about talking to people, songbird?” Caspian demands when he walks over a few seconds later. “Let alone flirting with a wolf who looks deadly as fuck.”
“Night, Caspian,” I reply, walking around him. “You’re right, parties are not my scene.”
I feel Caspian’s eyes on me, as much as I feel the prince’s as I pass by him on my way back to my room. Dove is right, there are too many guys in the DHT, and it turns out I need to watch my back around every single one of them.
Everyone here has secrets.
But only mine will get me killed.
Chapter 11
Eziel
“Well, well, well. Would you look at that?” I mutter.
“At what, Your Majesty?” Aamon drawls, his nose buried in the ancient book he’s always carrying around with him.
He fucking knows I hate when he uses that title.
I ignore him and keep my focus on the female walking away. The wolf my father is hunting just so happens to be the pretty little wolf I’ve been thinking about all week.
Lilith Thornblood.
I never would’ve guessed she’s the one my old man’s searching for. He wants her blood, but from the moment she entered my courtyard, I’ve wanted to kiss her. Now I want to know exactly why she’s on my father’s shit list, and then I’ll not only kiss her, but claim her as my own. I’ve been itching for a fight with my father for years. The fact that she was able to escape from him is enough to pique my interest in her. But managing to hide in plain sight amongst his own damn pack?
Now that takes guts.
Real fucking guts.
Only a female brave enough to do that can be my mate.
She thinks she has nothing left to lose if Father finds her. From the way she looked at Caspian, she has more to lose than she thinks. Taking that away from her is the kind of shit my father gets off on. He’ll kill Caspian just to get to her. There’s no way I’m going to let that happen. As much as the wolf pisses me off sometimes, I’ve grown to