Princess of Frost - Mila Young Page 0,24

such revulsions.

I let the gust of wind blow my hair over my face and steal away my tears.

"They will impregnate them,” Eryk tells me. “If they survive the birth of the child, another of those fucking hobgoblins will claim the woman again."

His words echo in my head, and I'm shaking with anger, with pity, with so much emotion I want to tear down the mountain and kill every last one of those fucking bastards.

"I know you’ve got power, Licia. Let me help you use it. Think of the good the two of us can do."

I pull away from him, barely able to hold myself together. I don't want to crumble and show emotions that I shouldn't possess. I'm in control, yet my power already rushes through me, seeping from my fingertips. I tuck them into my pockets, watching the horrific scene before me, my mind consumed by what I'm witnessing.

This whole time I’ve worried about myself, my future...me, me, me. But I was wrong, because when I look down at those women, all crowding in one corner together, my heart bleeds. I’ve been selfish to hide while power echoes within me and the darkest kinds of savagery are happening right on our doorsteps.

But I need to be smart about this and think about how to spin my ability to make the prince believe I'm worth helping and not tossing into the dungeon.

"That’s only one camp." He stands behind me, whispering in my ear. "Dozens more litter our realm. They are building up to an ambush that will take down all remaining courts. Do you want to find yourself in one of those corrals? What about your friend, Rin?"

At his words, something invisible slithers up my spine. I'm too late. He found my housemates. Are they sitting in his dungeon right now?

Why was I dreaming earlier about kissing him when he instead deserved a fist in his face?

I look back out to the hobgoblin camp and chew on my lower lip, pain surging from the bruise, and I curse myself again for always doing that.

I feel cornered between indignation at the prince using my friends as a bargaining tool, and my consciousness of all those innocent women about to be raped.

"Are you going to send your men to save them?" I ask, hugging my middle tightly to stop shaking.

"A handful are already in place."

"That's all you spare for those women's lives?" I gasp and look over my shoulder at him.

He doesn't seem to hear my words but straightens his posture, his gaze locked on the camp in the distance. Right then I see a new expression on his face... gone is the dominating prince, replaced with someone who cares. Then he blinks and shakes his head as though the feeling is foreign to him.

When I turn back to the camp, I realize that I have no other option. I just pray the prince has enough empathy in his heart when he uncovers I’m not the answer to end this war.

8

Eryk

She's elusive and coy and incredibly sexy. Fuck, these thoughts are driving me to insanity, but I can't get her out of my head. I picture her stripped and me pushing myself between those gorgeous thighs. I long to hear her moan, to have her beg for me, except fantasizing about desires isn't helping one goddamn bit.

My heart thunders in my chest, all the blood from my body rushing down to my cock, hurting with fucking need. Thank the gods for the guard's coat to cover myself, though I can think of a few ways to alleviate the problem.

What the fuck has she done to me? I've been with my fair share of women, fucked them and walked away because that's all I'm capable of giving. All I want to give...

But with Licia, something crawls into my mind, a longing that I crave… except I won't let myself go there. Not with the pathetic cold heart in my chest. I'll claim her in my bed, and that is all I've ever been able to offer.

Earlier, I merely pinned her to a tree and leaned in close until I was able to see her attraction equalled mine. When she closed her eyes, waiting for my kiss, I almost did and stopped when my head refused to allow it. I’m a strong man, but the longing she stirs in me leads me astray. I hunger to consume every inch of her, except right now, this isn’t about my carnal desires but getting her to