Page 48 of The Ballad of the Vampire Prince

There is nothing mortal in her eyes. They are fierce and penetrating. It’s like the goddess of the hunt itself has possessed her. For the first time in my existence, I feel naked without a proper weapon by my side, like I’ve finally found an equal in the battlefield.

I swallow hard. “Rhianelle?”

My voice startles her.

One blink and my soft girl returns.

I shake my head, wondering if I had imagined what I saw a second ago.

“I can’t do it for a third time, though,” she says.

I quirk an eyebrow.

“This position, it strains my back. After two arrows my balance goes… wonky.” Rhianelle demonstrates how this one barely made it past a foot away from us.

She suddenly stumbles forward and crumbles to her knees.

I am beside her in an instant. “Are you all right?”

She nods with tight lips. “I’ve been building up my core strength like Aelfric taught me, but I still need more practice.”

Hearing her utter Eyepatch’s name for the second time today makes me feel downright murderous. But she sounds so proud with her improvement.

“Can we work on my endurance next?” She lifts up her head and smiles.

“Yes.” I tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

She stares up at me and a visceral emotion lights up in my chest. Her eyes sparkle with a certain innocence, the kind that makes me want to tarnish. It’s her lips that draw my attention most, curved in a divine—

Thunder cracks through the sky, the roar reverberating through the ground below us. It’s almost as if the heavens themselves are pissed at me for daring to touch a creature that belongs to them.

“It’ll rain soon,” Rhianelle mutters, looking up to the sky.

“Come with me,” I tell her. I guide the girl and the Noctrals to the nearest hollow cave. It’s supposed to be a bear’s den during the winter, but the occupant is not home right now. If it is, I’ll just kill it.

We enter our shelter just before it begins pouring.

Instead of bundling herself under the heavy cloak, Rhianelle is making sure our mount is covered and well protected from the cold.

I stalk her silently in the dark.

I now have her all to myself. Silly little fawn.

There will be no interruption here if I make a move. I’ll slide into her to the hilt, feel very shuddering convulsions as she tightens on my cock. The gasps and moans she will make. It will all be for me, because of me.

What the fuck?

I shake the thoughts from my head.

All the depraved, darkest fantasies playing in my head are magnified, thanks to the goddamn bond.

Rhianelle’s ears twitch and she nervously avoids my gaze. An awkward silence descends as she distances herself to the other side of the cavern, near the entrance. My prey seems to be able to recognize the threat to her wellbeing.

Clever girl.

I gather flint to light up a fire. Once I’ve gathered enough wood, flames erupt from my fingers.

I lift up my brows in surprise.