Page 39 of The Forsaken Heir

brIELLE

S ometime later, I awoke with my head nestled in the crook of Aurelius’s arm.

For a moment, I stared at his sleeping face.

It hadn’t been a dream. We really did have an amazing night together.

If lying naked against his body wasn’t enough to confirm that, the pleasantly painful ache between my legs told me the truth.

A smile formed on my lips as I watched his muscled chest rise and fall slowly with each breath.

For several seconds, I replayed the previous night over in my head, and despite my exhaustion, lust flared within me once more.

No man had ever taken me the way he had.

The carnal aggression had been such a turn-on.

I’d fed on his desire, and he’d fed on mine.

Biting my lower lip, I contemplated for only a few seconds waking him for a second round, but that would be crazy.

We’d worn each other out, and I needed to get back to my room.

Damn it. Delphine is probably freaking out . Shit .

I slid from beneath Aurelius’s arm and eased out of bed as quietly as I could.

He grunted, snuffled, and rolled over, still asleep.

Shit, I had nothing to wear. I couldn’t very well go traipsing back to my room completely naked like some nudist hippie.

The ballgown lay in a heap on the floor, several seams torn from when I’d ripped it off.

My bra hung from the headboard like shed snakeskin, completely useless.

The only thing I could wear was my panties, which I slipped on while trying to figure out what to do.

Deciding it was easier to ask forgiveness than permission, I wandered into Aurelius’s closet and found a T-shirt and a pair of sweatpants.

I dressed quickly, surprised the clothing was baggy on me even with my larger frame.

With one final look at Aurelius, I crept out of his room and closed the door softly.

I hurried down the halls toward my room, the floor cold beneath my bare feet.

As I walked, I could hear muffled conversations.

The scandal of what had happened at the gala had spread to the servants, and I was sure the other noble families were having hushed discussions about what to do next.

I felt awful. This was all my fault. If it weren’t for me, none of this would be happening.

The thought put a damper on what had happened between Aurelius and me.

Those few blissful minutes had been enough to wipe away thoughts of my family—Bastien looking at me like I was something to be scraped off his shoe, the way he’d raised his hand as if to strike me, the sanctimonious glare my parents had given me. Aurelius had washed all that away.

Part of me wished I was back in the sewing shop, dutifully stocking, cleaning, sewing, and ringing up customers.

Lorraine had been concerned when I’d called her and explained I wouldn’t be back at work for a few weeks, but she hadn’t pushed.

Now, as I crept down the hall of a massive mansion and castle, I wondered if I’d ever get back to that life, or if everything had changed.

And if it had, was it going to be a change for good or bad?

At my door, I glanced around once more, paranoid that someone might have seen me leaving the prince’s room.

That paranoia, as well as the irritation at my family, dulled my exhilaration, but it didn’t stamp it out completely.

When I stepped into my room, it was like I was walking on clouds, and I replayed what Aurelius had done to me again.

“Where the hell have you been?”

Jerking in surprise, I slammed the door shut. The bang resonated through the room.

“What?” I said, spinning around to find her staring daggers at me, her fists jammed into her hips.

Delphine rolled her eyes. “You heard me. You and the prince vanished from the gala, and that was hours ago. I asked everyone where you went, but no one would tell me.

“Oh. Yeah. That. Uh…”

Delphine’s eyes skimmed away from my face and traveled down my body, taking in what I was wearing. Her mouth fell open and she pointed a finger at me. “I knew it,” she hissed, though she didn’t look wholly upset or outraged.

“Knew what?” I asked, crossing my arms over my breasts. I felt naked under her gaze.

“You and Aurelius,” she said. “When you left the gala, I saw the way he was looking at you. I had half a mind to go barging into his quarters to find you, but I thought something might be going on in there. I didn’t want to walk in on that.”

I thought back on Aurelius slapping my ass and fucking my brains out, and my cheeks burned. Yeah, probably good she hadn’t done that.

Seeing my blush, Delphine crossed her arms and gave me a self-satisfied grin. “Well? At least tell me how it was.”

“Can I sit down?” I said, gesturing toward the couch.

“Fine, fine, let’s have the talk,” Delphine said.

“Are you serious, Delphine?” I said, flopping on the seat. “Really? I know tab A goes into slot B.”

She gave me a stern look as she sat beside me. “Don’t be a smart-ass. Were you careful? That’s what I mean.”

Careful?

“Uh, yeah, I guess.”

She heaved out a sigh. “Well, that doesn’t put my mind at ease.”

“Oh, come on, Delphine. Shifters don’t carry sexually transmitted diseases, I’m on birth control, and even if that fails, I doubt a dragon can impregnate a wolf. Even if I don’t have an inner wolf, we’re still kinda like different species. How much safer can it get?”

“I wouldn’t be sure about that. I’ve heard of shifter crossbreeds before,” she said, sounding affronted.

“Really?” I scoffed, narrowing my eyes at her. “Name one.”

She opened her mouth, paused, then closed it and pressed her lips together in a tight line. “I can’t think of any at the moment,” she said, shaking her head and sounding flustered.

“Because there aren’t any. That’s an old wives’ tale. Rumors and stories, nothing more.”

She straightened her spine. “Forget the sex, then. The physical stuff can take a backseat. What about you? How do you feel about it?”

That was a much more difficult question.

The lust and sensuality had taken center stage.

It had been an outlet for the stress of the last couple weeks.

There had been emotion was there, sure, but it hadn’t been discussed at all.

Aurelius and I had skirted around each other for over two weeks, both wanting to get closer, but each of us too nervous or uncomfortable to give voice to what we were both thinking.

I hadn’t said anything because I was a noble outcast, with no chance at bedding a prince.

For him… Well, I had no idea what Aurelius had been thinking.

He was powerful, charming, gorgeous, rich, and sexy.

Though, those were mostly outward things.

Even the biggest, baddest person could still have insecurities.

Had he really thought I’d turn him down?

Or had he held off approaching me because I was an outcast?

Could the heir to the dragon throne risk being tied to me?

Delphine snapped her fingers in front of my face, and I blinked.

“Elle, you’re zoning out.” She wrinkled her nose. “Oh, you aren’t thinking about what you did?—”

“No. It’s not that.”

“Well, what is it?” She put her hand on my thigh. “Is it more than physical? Are you developing feelings for Aurelius?”

Licking my lips nervously, I looked into Delphine’s eyes, trying to tell the truth, but I couldn’t. I did think I was falling for him, but I didn’t know how to verbalize that.

Reading in my face what I couldn’t say out loud, Delphine smiled sadly, and a mixture of emotions washed across her face in quick succession. Happiness, pity, sadness, worry, then back to happiness.

“This is very complicated,” she finally said, squeezing my knee with her hand.

“You can say that again,” I muttered. “It’s probably too complicated. He’s a prince, and I’m nobody.”

“Don’t say that,” Delphine said, that motherly and chastising tone creeping into her voice. “You are not nobody.”

“Yeah,” I said, though I wasn’t sure I agreed with her.

“I don’t like you talking about yourself like that.”

“Like what?” I asked, forcing myself to look at her.

Delphine smoothed out her pants, avoiding my eyes.

“The way…” she sighed. “The way your family talks about you. It’s awful and derogatory, and I don’t want my girl thinking of herself like that.

” She finally looked up at me. “The prince obviously sees something he likes. Something that’s worth his time. ”

Her words drew me out of the hole of self-pity I’d burrowed into.

“I guess that’s true,” I admitted, then leaned forward, lowering my voice conspiratorially.

“Did you see how everyone was looking at us when we danced? Lots of the dragon ladies looked jealous. Jealous of me .” I pressed my palm to my chest. I could still hardly believe it.

“It was hard to miss,” she said, then shrugged and blew out a breath. “It could make your life difficult, though. A wolf with a dragon? Even for a short time, it could make things rough.”

“I really don’t see the harm, Delphine. It’s just a little fun between two consenting adults.

Nothing will probably come of it. We’ll probably fu—uh, hang out a few more times before all this blows over.

Then I’ll go back to my life, he’ll go back to his, and maybe we’ll keep in touch on social media or something.

He’ll end up betrothed to some high-ranking noblewoman, and that will be that.

We’ll both have some fun memories of us sowing our wild oats together. ”

It was most likely what would happen, yet saying it out loud sent a pang of hurt through my chest. Disappointment and sadness for what could be, but most likely wouldn’t be.

Delphine got to her feet. “I need a shower,” she said, putting her hand on my shoulder. “I’ll trust you and your judgment, but promise me one thing?”

“What’s that?”