Page 106

Without a word, he strides over, and Verity tracks him with wide, terrified eyes. “Oh, god, not you, too.”

But Lex is already grumbling, “Goddamn it, Wick. The whole wing can hear her!” Grabbing my ankles, he yanks me back with one sure jolt.

“Hey, no, just–” Panting like a dog, I claw my way back between her thighs. “Just cover me for five minutes. I’ll make it quiet.” Pressing a palm over her mouth, I appeal to her furious, green-eyed glare, “You already hurt, right? You won’t even notice. What’s the big fucking deal?”

But she shoves and bucks, her muffled scream gnashed through my fingers.

“Get thefuckoff of her,” Lex barks, clamping a hand around the nape of my neck. His next words are hissed urgently, into my ear, “He’s going to see this, you idiot!”

It’s like being doused with ice water.

Deflating, I drop my head to bury a groan into the crook of her neck. She smells soft and warm, and ithurts. It’s fucking agony to feel her beneath me like this and know that I can’t have her. Every nerve in my body is alight with the necessity of sinking inside, but when Lex wrenches me up, I follow, balls aching.

He looks over at Verity, who scrambles wildly up the length of the bed to curl her knees to her chest. “You’re–are you awake?”

Lex’s stare is flat. “Despite all efforts.”

“You fucking cockblocking shithead!” I plant both hands on his chest, shoving him back. “How long is this bullshit going to last?”

Lex looks distinctly unimpressed. “Four or five days.”

“Four or five—” I grip my hair, muscles rippling with need. “You can’t be fucking serious.”

“It’s the average time, Wick,” Lex says. “Some women go longer, but according to her records, the Princess’ average menses lasts four to five days.” He looks over at Verity. “And even if it’s an inconvenience, it’s an indicator that her body is shedding the lining of her uterus to prepare her for the next cycle of fertility.”

“Jesus Christ,” I shove my fingers in my ears, “you made my dick limp at ‘shedding.’ Fuck, you’re as bad as Father with your clinical, boner-deflating commentary.”

Verity is still bracing herself against the mattress, like either of us may change our minds and pounce on her. She’s not wrong, but I’m over this bullshit. I’m so fucking horny all the time. Only getting off two days a week can’t be healthy. I’ve never had limitations on my sexual activity. It’s the one luxury I’ve always been given free rein over. And now Father wants to put a chastity belt on my cock.

It’s the worst torture he’s inflicted on me yet, and that?

That’s saying a whole fucking lot.

“One.” I shoot her a final look, holding up a finger. “I’m giving youoneof my days this week. Bleeding or not, I’ll be back on Tuesday to take what’s owed to me.”

I storm out, slamming into Lex’s shoulder on the way. When I get back to his bedroom, Danner is standing in the middle of the doorway, the tray of breakfast food in his hands. I guess the whole wing really did hear us if we’re getting served at three in the morning.

Through the doorway, I can see Pace still in the bed, snoring away, and I’m so sick of it. Sick of how easily he and Lex can take this. Sick of being told no. Sick of waking up every night with my heart in my throat and my dick in my fist, staving off the only morsel of satisfaction available to me in this fucked-up world.

In a fit of rage, I knock the tray out of Danner’s hands, watching as it falls against the hardwoods with a loud, jarring clatter. “Fucking bullshit!”

Pace shoots upright, shirtless, hair sticking up in a million directions. Even barely awake, he looks menacing as fuck as he springs to his feet, his tattoos stretched across his muscles. “What the fuck?” he asks, surveying the mess on the floor. He looks between me and Danner, a shadow falling over his face as he comes to his conclusion. Danner doesn’t fuck up. Ever.

“Are you for real?” He shoots Danner an apologetic look. “He’ll clean it up.”

Danner frowns at the eggs on his shoes. “I’ll go get another tray—”

“No,” Lex says, striding up from behind us. “We’ll come down to eat later.”

“Yes, sir.” Danner takes a wide step over the spilled eggs and coffee, passing Lex, who manages to keep his expression in check until the minute he’s gone. Then he turns to me, eyes burning with rage. “You’re throwing a goddamn tantrum over something we can’t control?”

I explode, “I’m throwing a tantrum because we have another three weeks of this bullshit! If not more!” I glance between them, feeling like I'm losing my goddamn mind. “How are the two of you so fucking calm about this?”

“What are you two talking about?” Pace asks, reaching up to scratch his bare chest.

“The Princess is on the rag,” I snap, “bleeding like a stuck pig,andshe’s invoking her right to a dick-free cunt.”

Pace’s shoulders tense and he runs his hand through his hair, sliding his gaze to Lex. “She’s not pregnant?”