Page 76 of The Broken Prince

“They were just worried is all.”

“Then why didn’t you come to me last night?”

“Just because their concerns are warranted doesn’t mean I like them.” I didn’t want to live in a world where my safety was always a concern, but unfortunately, that was our reality. And until we defeated our enemy or they defeated us, it would remain that way.

“Want to shower with me?”

“A hot naked guy in the shower…sign me up.”

A small smile moved on to his lips before we began our walk.

“I could train you as well—if you’d like.”

“I don’t know… I’m already pretty tired after having my dad kick my ass.”

“With all due respect, he hasn’t fought the demons.”

“Are they that different from humans?” I asked.

“They’re taller. Taller than both your father and I.”

Whenever they were mentioned, I was reminded of the horror we were doomed to face. If I were ever cornered by one, my skills might not be enough to keep me alive. “At this point, I don’t think there’s much that can be done. They could strike tomorrow.”

“That’s not the attitude I’d expect you to have.”

“Just being realistic. My mother is good with the blade, and they treated her like a rag doll.”

He turned to me as we walked, his gaze hard and sympathetic at the same time. “I’d never let anything happen to you, baby.”

I’d been called that nickname by lovers before, but they never made me melt. They never made me crave to hear it again. But with Aurelias, I wanted to be his baby always. I wanted to be his always. “I know.”

We entered his cottage and headed upstairs where his bathroom was located. The shower was a tight fit, but that wasn’t a problem for the two of us. The warm water started to fall on our naked bodies, and his powerful chest had rivers running down. He grabbed the soap and rubbed it into my skin, starting at my shoulders then moving down my chest. He was careful to avoid the bruise that had already started to form. His eyes watched his movements, focused on the soap against my skin, the way the bubbles dripped to the drain below.

“Aurelias.”

His eyes hesitated before they came back to me, like they didn’t want to leave the sight of my naked body.

“Can I ask you something?”

He never answered, only stared at me.

I couldn’t believe I was going to ask the question because it felt ridiculous. “Ca—can you read minds?”

His expression hardened slightly, but he gave no answer. “Why do you ask?”

“You knew the guards were at the door before they knocked.”

“I have remarkable hearing.”

“When you battled my father, you seemed to know every move before he made it…like you knew it was coming.”

My father had grown frustrated and yelled “How are you doing that?” Others had also noticed what I noticed. “And you said something a long time ago…that your plans changed when you knew I was attracted to you. But how could you know?”

“You know I’m attracted to you, and you can’t read my mind.”

“You’re evading the question.”

“I’m correcting your assumptions.”