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“Oh… oh shit…”

Dammit, it was a really inconvenient time to be naked.

Elias barked out a laugh, covering his mouth and then turning away as he got the chuckles out of his system. Nolan just shook his head and smiled, while Julian whistled and walked away, pretending like he couldn’t see anything.

Archer, meanwhile, was annoyingly smug.

“You don’t have something smart to say?” I growled, wrenching my wrist back from the vamp once he’d taken his last pull and detached his fangs.

“Why would I? It’s well documented that vampyr saliva has aphrodisiac properties. I’m simply surprised you weren’t better prepared for the side effects.”

The color had returned to Kian’s cheeks, from both my blood and his own embarrassment. “I’m sorry, I can’t really control that.”

“It’s fine!” I snapped. Hopefully the erection would go away once I’d shifted. “All right, let’s roll out.”

51

MARLOWE

Alaroth had ripped Ezra off me, and we both shifted back. I lay panting on the ground. Completely naked.

His pupils dilated, and then he sighed, taking his shirt off and handing it to me. I put it on quickly, thankful for a minute that our size difference meant it went well past my ass.

He helped me back up and clicked his tongue disapprovingly while he picked leaves out of my hair. “Now, now, is this any way for the future queen to act?”

“I don’t know, maybe you should tell me what you did with my scarf?”

He turned his head slowly towards Ezra, who averted his gaze and fell to one knee.

Suck up.

Alaroth vocalized his displeasure, and then face me again. He placed a hand on my cheek and dipped his face low into my neck, inhaling deeply. “Can you really blame me? I wanted to know if the prophecies about your potency were true.”

I really wanted to slap him across the face, but I’d be undoing all my work from the previous night, and I needed him happy to protect my pack.

So instead, I gave an exaggerated pout and batted my eyelashes. “No, I suppose not.”

He patted me patronizingly on the head and then scoffed at Ezra, still kneeling on the ground. “Well, at least you’re here together, it saves me some time. We need to leave within the hour.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Where are we going?” I asked.

He blinked away his fleeting agitation at having to explain himself. Apparently, His Majesty wasn’t used to being questioned.

“To inspect the alphas. By the way, there was a disturbance early this morning at one of the havens.” He eyed me suspiciously. Knowingly. “Would you have heard anything about that?”

That must have been my guys. We hadn’t spoken since late last night, since I was afraid of distracting them, but I’d wondered what exactly they’d gotten into. At least I could assume they were safe for the time being. If they’d been hurt or captured, I would probably not only feel it, but the king would be gloating.

I shrugged. “Beats me. Can I take Wasabi?”

Alaroth scrunched his face in confusion.

“My vryscral?”

“Oh, right. As long as you can keep her under control.” I turned to head back towards the barn when he grabbed my arm and pulled me into his chest, taking my chin to force me to look at him. “And as long asyoustay undermycontrol.”

He closed his eyes and breathed in, his pupils once again fully dilated when they reopened. “The sight of you wearing nothing but my shirt also wears my patience thin, beloved. Do not think for a moment I am not aware of the games you are playing with my affections. As long as you obey me and behave, I will entertain them.”