Page 30

Then you need to think of me fucking you.

Soleil froze.

A moment later, she shrieked, “Are you insane? How can you make jokes like that? Don’t you see this is—-”

Oh.

This wasn’t for real.

It couldn’t be.

Ilie Marcovici was a lot of things.

Playboy, killer, deceiver—-

Half-wolf, half-demon—-

Arrogant aristocrat hell-bent on seducing her—-

He was all of those things and more, but he was also a soldier like her, and people like themnevermade a joke at times like this.

Soleil closed her eyes.

This. Is. Not. Real.

When she opened them again, the world was back to normal. The Woods of the Wraiths was still creepy, but the mist wasgone and replaced instead by the tall and impressive form of the Marquis of Lunare. His white blond hair was combed away from his face, and his silver eyes gleamed with amusement as he stared down at her. In his cobalt blue coat and tight-fitting breeches, he cut quite the dashing figure.

He looked like he was on his way to a ball, Soleil thought, only he had been forced into making an unnecessary detour to save a damsel in distress.

And of course, said stupidly helpless damsel had to be her.

Soleil’s lips pursed. She hated, hated, absolutely hated when she had to ask for this man’s help. She had been fighting since she was fifteen, so why was it all of a sudden she was unable to survive without being rescued?

Chapter Two

Ilie Marcovici didn’t mind waiting for Soleil’s mental grumbling to finish. It was vastly entertaining, especially since his heartkeeper had once again forgotten the bond between them, which allowed him to listen in on her thoughts. When she looked up, as if suspicious of why he was content to merely stand there, he only smiled and instead offered one gloved hand to her, murmuring, “May I?”

Properly distracted, Soleil was now wondering whether she should accept or reject the marquis’ help. She could stand on her own, after all. But in the end, years of etiquette were too much ingrained in her, and Soleil reluctantly accepted the marquis’ hand.

Ilie repressed his smile as he took hold of her small, soft hand in his, knowing exactly how Soleil was feeling.

As he drew her up, she asked urgently, “My sisters?”

“They’re fine. The battle was more than half over by the time I arrived, and I left the wolves to help them before coming after you.” He looked down at her with a frown. “And you? Are you hurt anywhere, ma lisse?” The wraiths had infinite means to inflict harm, and sometimes such wounds weren’t the type to immediately manifest.

“I’m fine. Thank you for your concern.” The words were automatic, falling gracefully from her lips, but the way she yanked her hand from his hold was not. His presence alonemade her feel all tingly, but his touch was worse, making her feel the need to—-

She would not think about that,Soleil decided prudishly. Looking up, she told the marquis severely, “I have told you before, have I not? I amnotyour lily.” As far as Soleil was concerned, being any man’s lily was a ludicrous idea, considering how she killed for a living.

But all the marquis said was, “Mm.” He was frowning, his gaze running over her form. “You are certain you’re unhurt?”

When he started checking her for injuries, Soleil opened and closed her mouth, eventually deciding against telling him off. She knew, from experience, that alpha otherworlders – who weren’t too demonic, that was - were all the same, with the way they considered themselves personally responsible of their heartkeepers’ safety.

But then the marquis’ hands brushed her breasts—-

Face flaming even as her nipples pouted into life, she slapped Ilie’s hands away. “W-what do you think you’re doing?” She wished she could’ve sounded angrier, but even to her ears her voice sounded anything but, with its breathless and husky tone. Curse him and his wandering hands, and curse her body for being so blasted sensitive!

“I told you, milady. I’m merely checking for injuries.” But the wicked gleam in the marquis’ silver eyes belied his words, and when his gaze trailed down suggestively, focusing on her swelling and aching breasts, Soleil could feel her body stirring even more, shamelessly begging for his touch.