Underworld Bride Trials 1 Playboy King - Meg Xuemei X. Page 0,47

at least for now, Raina and I shared the spotlight, so I wouldn’t be the sole target.

I darted a glance at the other contestants, and they stared back at me instead of at Raina, who was doing a joyful tap dance with the king now. Veronica shot daggers at me.

The Duke of Envy gestured at them. “This way, ladies. I’ll escort you out.”

“I’d prefer to stay,” Veronica said.

“The king has danced with you already,” said the duke. “He won’t dance with you or anyone again.”

“His Majesty would want me to stay,” Veronica insisted. Then she pointed at me. “I’ll leave when that one is gone. The gamekeepers should favor no one in these trials.”

“We don’t,” the duke snapped. “We won’t favor you either, Princess Veronica. That one you pointed your vampire finger at is in the middle of negotiating with the Princess of Earth and Hell, as the great princess fancies the bracelet on her wrist.”

I kept a blank mask in place, even though I was surprised at his lie and the purpose behind it, as he was covering up for me. I also wondered if he’d recognized the bracelet as a disguised weapon I’d bought for a high price from a more advanced planet.

“The bargaining is going to take a while,” he continued. “What Princess Marigold wants, the princess gets, and her demigod mate will make sure of it. But that’s none of your business. All of you can either let me escort you out politely, or I can have the giant demon guards throw you out. I don’t have patience for catty arguments, and they’d love to tear off a few of your pretty clothes.”

All the contestants jumped to their feet. Veronica rose slowly and cut me another malevolent glare. I flipped her the bird in return.

“How’s your leg?” I mouthed.

She’d already marked me, so why not further ruin her night? I only hoped other clans wouldn’t join her in hunting me, but I’d deal with it either way. There was no turning back now.

Breaking his routine, the king took another dance with Raina. As soon as he released her, he thanked the wolf girl, her face flushing from excitement, while Esme escorted the beta to a side room for an after-midnight tea.

A thought came to me. The king and his team were making sure I wasn’t the only target. I glanced at Marigold, and she smiled at me.

I might’ve smiled back, but Loki strode toward me, shadow and hellfire trailing behind him.

My heart beat erratically, and my breath caught.

In his dark, bright eyes, there was only me.

CHAPTER 18

Loki

I had her in my arms.

Music flowed. I’d specifically ordered the Duke of Wickedness to pick a romantic song from 80’s Earth, highly recommended by him anyway. If it didn’t work, I’d strip his duke title, and he knew it.

Every action had consequences!

My current DJ also limited the length of the music to two minutes tops when I danced with the other queen wannabes, at my instruction, but he’d better make this romantic song last for a long time until I gave him a cue to stop.

I gazed down at Tessa’s lovely, alluring face, and my wits flew out the window. I’d never been like this before, and Héctor had warned me twice not to think with my dick. That stupid, crude advice wasn’t helping while the ice maiden was in my arms, her icy feminine scent twirling under my nostrils, taunting and teasing and challenging me.

I wanted to bury my nose into the crook of her neck and inhale her all I wanted.

I straightened my spine so I wouldn’t lean into her like a creep, or even fall on her ungracefully. I needed to resist this insane pull from her. So I forced myself to draw back a couple inches, even though the distance between us offended me.

My beast rose angrily, demanding I eliminate the space between us and press my erection against her belly. I almost listened to the stupid monster, since my cock had never been so hard.

I longed to drag Tessa to a small room, where the two of us could twirl and turn with no one watching. I could probably try to grope her to test the water, even at the risk of getting kneed in the nuts. I blinked at my own creepy thoughts. I was anything but a creep. When had I stooped so low?

Bunny wouldn’t have it.

She wasn’t like the other women who fell all over me. She had dignity and carried