Page 71 of The Hunted

Did she even know his name when he didn’t know hers?

Fuck.

He might enjoy teaching her it, though.

Eryx swallowed back the conflicting violence and lust warring in every beat of his heart at his throat under the tight scarf and the hood of his cloak.

“It is her,” he said.

Finally confirmed it.

“The hunter will be happy to finally get his payment, then,” Mattue noted.

Eryx pretended as though he didn’t notice how the advisor’s gaze raked over the merwoman in her human form. A violent swell of anger washed through him, but he pushed the irrational emotions down.

“I certainly will,” Corval called from the deck of the ship. “They all will. This has been quite the season for these men.”

Eryx cleared his throat, finally tearing his stare from the red-headed mermaid who still hadn’t looked away from him. Overhead, Corval leaned over the railing of the vessel with a smirk that said he was quite pleased with himself.

He should be.

The prince was happy.

A large payment was on the way.

Everything had gone exactly as it should, and if Eryx got his way, it would continue to remain that way. All these men, the captains of the ships … and anyone else involved in these hunts, well, they would be paid very well for their business with the prince. But especially, to keep their mouths shut about what had happened between them all.

“The king would appreciate a look at her,” one of the men on the wharf muttered.

Eryx scowled at the man. “Pardon you?”

“I’m just saying, Prince, she’d be particularly interesting to him … given his tastes, and all. She’d be a worthy piece in his harem.”

His jaw clicked when he clenched it harder.

“And how do you know that?”

“All you gotta do is look at her. Look at her.”

Eryx had.

He did again.

She simply looked like his.

“And I’m sure,” Eryx said, meeting the silent mermaid’s violet eyes again, “that we’ll all let the king know the final hunt was unsuccessful, won’t we?”

Boots shifted against wood.

Throats cleared.

Water lapped at the ship and wharf.

Overhead, Corval finally replied, “That was the agreement, Prince.”

Good.

Then, that was all he needed to know. Everything else was just … details. No one cared at all for those.