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“She’ll heal.”

And then his mouth covered the wounds, and he began to suck. I hated it. Hated him more than I thought I would. I couldn’t see her face from my position, but I could hear the pained noises she tried to hide.

He wasn’t giving her any venom. I couldn’t tell which was worse—having to watch him make her feel things she didn’t for him or for him to hurt her like he was.

Pity. Anger.All of it swirling inside me and not directed at her…but for her. I had killed so many in my time on thisearth, but this was the first time that I had ever wanted tosavesomeone. Let alone a vampire.

This time, when he pulled away, I closed the space between us and grabbed the princess’s arm. He wasn’t going to stop me, I could see it in his eyes. It didn’t matter that he had feeders around him—he wanted to make a point that he could do whatever he wanted to the princess.

“That’s enough,” I commanded.

His eyes snapped to me, and he was up in an instant, his hand wrapping around my throat and squeezing so hard, I feared it would snap.

“You work for me, youbitch,” he hissed. “If I want some time with my wife, I can fucking take it.”

The princess forced herself up with far less strength than I’d ever seen in her, and pushed him away. He let himself be moved by the pitiful display. His hand unwound from my neck, and I took a big gulp of air that stung my lungs.

“I’m not your wife yet,” she reminded him. “And she’s right. Father would be displeased. We’re leaving. I’ll visit you at the scheduled time.”

Icas glared at me but didn’t say anything as the princess pulled me away.

As soon as the door shut and we were out in the hallway, she leaned against me. Her breathing was heavy and her skin clammy. She needed blood.

Instead of going straight to her room, I walked us back down the hallway and into a random closet. It wasn’t glamorous, and the princess probably would’ve complained if she wasn’t so out of it, but I didn’t want anyone to see this.

It was cramped, filled with cleaning supplies, and forced us closer together than I ever would’ve liked. I pulled her to me and positioned her near my neck.

I shouldn’t be doing this. I should separate myself.My mind knew clearly what Ishouldhave been doing, but I couldn’t stop my actions.

“Princess, drink,” I ordered. She shook her head.

“I have some blood back in my room. Just get me there,” she murmured, but her voice was weak.

It caused a panic to burst through me.Is this how she would die?

The killer in me already had a plan. To leave her in the closet, wound her while she was weak, and leave without a trace.

It was my chance. She couldn’t fight back, even if she wanted to.

But she trusted me to save her from him…and foolishly, I did.

“Just drink, goddamn it,” I growled. “You think I like offering myself as a feeder? I wouldn’t do it if you weren’t on the brink.”

“You could kill me right now,” she noted. “A dark closet; no one comes down this hall except for the feeders and the prince. It would be a while before they found me.”

She was leaning against me, unable to hold herself up. Her breathing was getting weaker.I need to move quickly.Instead of tangling my hand in her hair like he had done, I placed it on the back of her neck and positioned her face against my neck.

“Aurelia,” I forced out. “Drink.”

Please.The wretched word was almost out of my mouth in my panic.

I held her there, and at some point the hunger must have gotten to her because it wasn’t long before I felt her fangs sink into my neck. It was gentle this time. She wasn’t ravenous like when I cornered her.

She was calm, careful. She wasn’t trying to hurt me like he did to her. The stark difference between the two made the feelings in my chest even more confusing.

You’re doing this because you still need time to prepare, I lied to myself. Even in my own mind, the excuse sounded absurd.

I tried to focus on anything but the heat running through my body, igniting everything I had tried to forget from that night. Tried to focus on how my hand felt on her hip. On how my blood felt as it soaked my shirt.