m

rned lowly. "D

ut he wasn't as fast as he had been last night. I smirked

weak," he c

warned, meaning every word. I might not be able to kill him,

nd desperate. "But he wants you

opped a few feet away from him, poin

ecause not even ten minutes ago, he had been going on about how I trapped him-blah, blah, blah.

told me that before last night, his intentions were to stay

cause I was not in the mood for another ball or

like that, Ambe

rated with his crap. It's never "like that," yet he does

ysical contact with me, even if I don't want to, it'll

?" I huffed. I just wan

thin myself to kill him. If there were a way to erase last night from existenc

actually was a way. But then his face grew stern, his jaw clenched, a

eased either that I'd "touched him,

in a deep, detached tone. "Ther

took another step toward him. "Ther

a royal bloodline, I hadn't given myself the luxury of l

, I told my tutors to skip those

e said, avoiding my statement. "Is that really the type of blood you

in disbelief. "Is this some reverse psycho

. By this point, I was right

have. I. Will. End. You," I gritted out slowly but loud enough for him to hear. "Trust me, the level of adr

on my heels and made f

tunity to add more to my threat. "And I promise to make it slow and painful. Wha

e door shut. Luckily, my room was on the far side of the castle, a

d down my shoulders. If the Duke was really downstairs, that meant

an was here, wasn't he? So that meant it probably didn't. Nat

Nathan walking past me flashed in

w tell him? To forge

r

to me, but ever since I met him,

threatened him moments ago resur

That w

did I fe

gure out what he did to me, and w

my shower and grabbed a towel, furi

or and proceeded to straighten my hair. Luckily for me and my sanity, m

condescending comments every time I got ready for

to these tasks, but I didn't always b

mascara and lip gloss, then peered at the door leading ba

pty. I tried to suppress the disappointment creeping into m

e of his intoxicating scent to determine if he was st

ing it with my white wedge heels. I preferred trousers and comfortable shoes, but the

etimes I wanted to tell her that this was the 21st century and that my clothes were alw

g the duke was here, I c

I wouldn't be bound by corsets and

t my door, and Ruby stepped ins

ul today," Ruby said, her hands neatly folded i

was always contagious. She was the only perso

I smiled as I took one

e to have a word with you. I've arranged for you

uby. Thank you. I'l

he room. I searched frantically through my sheets fo

, resting beside my dagger. As I picked it up, I noticed

. That was it. No signature, no e

e I could allow myself to process it, I c

Great, actually! I had been

a harsh tug in my c