Page 48 of Kingdom of Betrayal and Unknown (Kingdom of Bellhollow #1)

“ N ice to see you again.” I smile, brushing off her comment and walking toward the stream.

“It’s a serious question.” She stands in my way.

Sighing, I look up at her, glaring. “No, they won’t.

My mother and I sew clothes, which means we need water to wash the fabric so it doesn’t shrink as much after.

They know we go through a lot of water, and the guards don’t like us going to the well to get it, so we resort to the stream. It’s clean, so don’t worry.”

She chuckles and takes a step to the side.

“And before you go on about the time of day, it’s different every single time. I’ve changed up my schedule,” I tell her.

“So I’ve heard. I’ve heard quite a lot about you in the past couple of days.” She walks by me as I make my way to the stream.

I don’t say anything, not wanting to give her the satisfaction of piquing my interest.

“You aren’t curious at all?” she asks, tilting her head to the side.

“Yes, but no,” I honestly reply. “I can guess what you’ve heard about me.”

I set the bucket down by the stream and see several broken pieces of ice on the bank, waiting for me to pick up like Kieran told me. My heart warms, and I can’t help but smile.

“So tell me what you think I heard about you.” Zahra starts to put some ice into my bucket.

“You don’t have to do that.” I shoo her hand away, but she continues, and I give up.

“Tell me,” she replies.

“That Kieran killed someone last night because we almost got caught in the middle of the night,” I blurt out.

I take a deep breath in and slowly let it out, trying not to let the guilt eat me alive. Kieran told me it wasn’t my fault, but I can’t help but feel like it was.

“That I did not hear.” She stands up straight and stares at me. “What happened?”

I shake my head and look away. I can’t believe she didn’t hear about it, yet the whole town knows Marvin died.

“Tell me,” she insists.

“I came out in the middle of the night, and Kieran met me here. He had his arms wrapped around me when Marvin.” I let out a shaky breath.

“We weren’t expecting anyone to come into the forest but there he was.

He was yelling for him to let me go, and Kieran kept my face in his chest so Marvin didn’t see who I was.

But Kieran walked up to him and killed him because Marvin would have told anyone that we were together, that couldn’t happen. ”

Zahra hums as I put the last bit of ice in the bucket.

“Kieran was nice enough to have Marvin put in a grave and treated with respect.” I mumble as I stand straight.

But the guilt is still eating inside of me, threatening to come out with each passing second.

“He would do anything for you,” Zahra gently says. “He will do anything to keep you safe.”

And I know that now. When she told me before, I thought there would be limitations to what he would be willing to do, but I was wrong. If he is willing to kill someone for me, what else will he be willing to do?

“You can’t help but feel a little aroused, attracted to Kieran more after that, can you?” Zahra bends down so we are face-to-face.

“I—”

“Don’t even think about lying.” She raises an eyebrow.

My cheeks turn pink as I think about it.

Yes, while it was jarring that he killed someone in front of me, I can’t help but feel even more attracted to him.

He killed someone to protect me, which is something I never thought I was going to be attracted to, but I am, and part of me isn’t mad about it.

“What are you doing to my mate?” Kieran asks, and my shoulders relax.

“We were just having a friendly conversation about how she was turned on after you killed for her,” Zahra says.

“Not right after!” I raise my voice and turn to Kieran. “It was later when I thought about what happened. You know how sad I was when it actually occurred.”

Zahra cracks a smile and shakes her head. “I’ll be seeing you later. Don’t get into any trouble, Adeline.”

Kieran steps forward, and it takes everything in me not to take one back. I’m not afraid of him, but he does make me nervous.

“Was Zahra right in what she said?” Kieran asks, his voice smooth. “Was my mate all hot and bothered? Did you want me to touch you? Show you how I can take care of you?”

I open and close my mouth before settling on a nod. I admitted to it earlier, so I’m not going to deny it now. Kieran lightly trails his knuckles against my skin as he stands in front of me.

“Don’t be all shy about it now. I want to hear you say the words,” he growls. “I want to hear them come from your lips.”

My cheeks get redder as I stare at Kieran, trying not to remember that Zahra is close to us and can probably hear everything Kieran says.

“Sweets.” His voice rumbles. “Was she right?”

“Yes,” I breathlessly whisper. “She was right with what she said.”

“Was I right about you wanting me to show you how well I can take care of you? How you want me to touch you and never stop?” His finger hovers over my skin, and I can’t help but push my face forward, making him touch me.

Kieran grins and shakes his head.

“Yes, you were,” I finally reply as I lean into his hand that is now cupping my cheek.

“Good girl,” he purrs. “My good little Sweets.”

I close my eyes and moan.

“I will do anything for you,” he whispers.

“Within reason?” I arch an eyebrow, not able to stop myself.

He cracks a smile. “Within reason, but when it comes to your safety, I will do anything to keep you safe. No matter what, you are always going to be safe.”

“No one can promise that.” I slightly scoff. “That is impossible to promise.”

Kieran can’t be around me all the time, and I know if the prince wanted, he could have me killed before I even knew what was happening.

“True, but when things change, when the curse is broken, I will be able to protect you at all times.” Kieran cups my cheek. “And there are people in the town who would be willing to help keep you safe.”

We gaze at each other for several seconds, enjoying the silence around us.

“What are we going to do about this?” he asks.

My eyebrows furrow. “Do what about what?”

A smile blossoms across his face as he leans forward, his face inches from mine. “What are we going to do about you getting turned on by me killing a man?” he mumbles, his lips so close to mine I can lightly feel them brush up against mine.

Whimpering, my eyes flutter shut for a brief second as I stand on my tiptoes trying to get his lips to touch mine, but they don’t.

“Such a naughty girl.” His husky voice fills my ear as I feel him nip on it. “My naughty girl.”

I open my eyes and drop to my feet as I look up at him, a smirk flying across his face. His hand is still on my cheek, and I can’t help but lean into it.

“And if I am?” I ask, feeling brave.

But before Kieran can say anything, a twig snaps and we both still.

“You need to go,” I hiss, pushing at his chest.

Kieran just looks at me like he doesn’t want to leave.

“I don’t want you to go either, but you need to. You can’t get caught.” I push at his chest. “Please.”

Kieran kisses my forehead before disappearing behind the trees, leaving me all alone with my bucket full of ice.

I stand there, waiting for whoever is hiding to come out, but as I wait, no one comes.

My eyebrows pull together. Did we hear something?

Both of us stopped to look over, which means it wasn’t something we made up.

Pushing that thought to the side, I pick up the bucket and slowly start walking back home. The further I walk on the cobblestone road, no one comes out. We must have been hearing things, because what else could it have been?

An animal.

After last night with Marvin, we are all on edge. But I would rather be on edge and a little paranoid than be found out and killed. Maybe Zahra is right, and I need to change it up even more. But I can’t meet Kieran anywhere but the woods.

Sighing, I place the bucket on the ground and flex my hand, giving it time to rest before I have to carry on. What will Mother be doing when I get back? Will she be pleased to see me? I push the thought to the back of my mind when I see Prince Archie walking toward me.

Bowing, I stand tall as he plants himself right in front of me.

“Prince Archie,” I kindly say.

“Adeline,” he replies. “I was just coming in to check on you. I couldn’t find you anywhere in the town or at your house. That’s when Skylar told me you were most likely getting ice.”

“She would be right.” I chuckle and look at the bucket.

I love being able to go out and get the ice, but it is absolutely exhausting carrying it home. Kieran has made it a lot easier by breaking up the ice and leaving it on the side of the bank and I need to remember to thank him for that. No more cuts on my fingers or my hands getting frozen.

“Do you go to the stream at the same time every day?” Prince Archie asks, tilting his head to the side.

I shake mine. “No, sadly, I don’t. Sometimes it’s early in the morning, and sometimes it’s late in the afternoon. Just when we need it,” I explain. “Sometimes I don’t go for several days. It just depends.”

And now I’m seeing why Zahra told me to adjust my schedule when I try to visit Kieran. This is getting trickier by the minute, and I want to go back in time so it can be easy again.

Prince Archie looks thoughtful as he hums. “But you go into the forest every day for your walk?”

“The past several days, yes, but it is likely to change again. I don’t know I’m going to be able to go until just before,” I honestly reply.

Even though I can guarantee I will be able to go on a walk every day for the rest of the week, I don’t want to say something that will bind me to it.

The prince just looks at me for several seconds, searching my face. I keep it neutral, not wanting to give anything away.

“Is there anything else I can help you with?” I ask, briefly looking at the bucket.

“Yes, your lessons are going to start again next week. A guard will be outside your house to collect you. In a few weeks, I am going to ask for a progress report to see if you are able to have dinner with me and my father,” Prince Archie explains.

My lungs seize as I stare at him, hearing his awful words. Lessons are starting up, which wouldn’t throw me for a loop, but it’s the dinner with him and his father that is. How am I going to postpone it? How am I going to get out of it?

“Right,” I mumble, not knowing what else to say. “I’ll be there unless I get sick.”

Which is a total possibility, given that snow is still on the ground and the amount of time I spend out here. I’m surprised I haven’t gotten sick yet.

“You are not to get sick again,” he orders.

“I will try my hardest, but I can’t promise anything,” I gently reply.

How can he order me not to get sick? Does he know everything I have to do outside or in a day? How exhausted I am and how my sleep has been terrible lately. Those are all things that can lead up to me getting sick.

Prince Archie eyes me, a look of disgust painted across his face. “If you do sick, you will let me know immediately.”

I slightly bow. “Of course.”

Prince Archie turns and leaves, his guards following, leaving me shocked by the exchange and his ultimatum.