Page 61 of Hunt Me

“Shush, Ezra. You should be grateful that someone cares for you.”

“Don’t address me so formally. It’s Lord Gustafson to you,” he corrected.

“That’s nonsense. You took arrows for me. We are friends now. The best of friends. Roll?”

“Dr. Blackwood, please be merciful and end me,” Ezra pleaded. He hissed when the doctor ripped one of the arrows from his back.

“No worries, Ezra. You only have a few more to go. Pain is only temporary,” Matilda cooed in support.

Luka entered the infirmary and snarled when he found his queen giving his advisor special attention. “Stop touching him. He’s not a child who needs to be soothed by his mother.”

Matilda smirked. “How could you be jealous at a time like this? Someone tried to kill me.”

Ezra grunted when another arrow was dislodged.

“I can assure you I am not jealous!”

“Good. Because you have nothing to be jealous of. She doesn’t have the necessary parts to excite me,” Ezra said with a huff.

Matilda glanced between her betrothed and his advisor with wide eyes. “You’re… you fancy men?”

“Is that a problem?” Ezra snapped.

“No, not at all. I thought you didn’t have a woman because you were annoying, but this makes so much more sense. How do you feel about orcs? Belzar fancies women, but he once drunkenly ranted that a tight, wet hole was a tight, wet hole, and it didn’t matter who it was attached to.”

“I don’t want some beastly orc manhandling me!”

“A bottom, then. Wait… have you two ever…,” Matilda trailed off, pointing between King and Advisor.

“The dungeons you will go if you continue that sentence,” Luka threatened.

“There was no need to intimidate me. A simple yes would’ve sufficed,” Matilda said with a pout.

“Be silent, huntress!” King Alesi boomed.

“As you wish,” she whispered.

“I said silence.”

Matilda was itching to say something to be petty, but the look on Luka’s face convinced her otherwise. To the men’s surprise, Matilda curtsied politely and didn’t speak further. Luka eyed her suspiciously before addressing the injured man.

“The vampire who made an attempt on Matilda’s life is dead,” Luka reported.

“Has he been identified?” Ezra questioned.

“No. No one wishes to testify out of fear that their families would be targeted.”

“Ezra,” Luka said solemnly.

“Whatever it is, no,” Ezra said, knowing Luka was about to ask him to do something against his will.

“I’m tasking you with an important assignment.”

“Please don’t say it,” Ezra pleaded.

“Your bravery today was admirable. Until sentiment towards Matilda becomes more favorable, you’ll be her personal bodyguard.”

Luka ignored Matilda’s theatrics. She shook her head furiously, crossing her arms into an X as she remembered to keep her protest silent.