Page 29
Not a shadow.
A man.
That’s not Godric, I think sleepily as a male with a much more refined frame blocks out the morning light. His movements are fluid and graceful, mesmerizing me as I watch him enter.
The tent flap closes behind him, and all my grogginess rushes away as I recognize the light blue eyes staring into mine just before the distinctive scent of bergamot and cardamom wraps around me.
Arwan is here.
Pulling a sheet of furs over my bare legs, I wonder when I must have kicked off my pants in the night. It had been warm, but now the fire is nothing more than cooling coals as I stare at the gorgeous intruder.
At least I’m still wearing a shirt.
Although I don’t remember lumping the furs around me in haphazard piles.
“Can I help you?” I ask, attempting to keep my voice calm as I shove one of the piles away. Panicking won’t do me any good in this situation. Plus, if Arwan wanted me dead, I have a feeling I would be.
The royal gives me a positively charming smile. I might feel completely safe with this gentleman if not for the sharp edges of his canines that give him away.
He’s not human. But he’s not like Godric or the other members of his pack, either.
There’s something powerful that emanates from Arwan like an invisible wind that sets the dust alight all around him.
“Aren’t you a compliant little thing?” he purrs. His words have a cultured, yet lilting cadence I can’t quite place. I’ve never heard anything like it.
“I’d hardly describe myself as compliant,” I murmur, then I bite my cheek to keep myself from saying anything else.
What is it with me lately, blurting my inner thoughts out loud?
His tongue flashes out to wet his lips, a tactic that has my gaze dipping to his mouth.
An intentional flirtation, one I’ve seen work at court a million times.
Forcing my gaze back up to his breathtaking eyes, I count to three before I allow myself to blink, then I slide one leg innocently from the blanket. He’s not the only one trained in seduction games.
“You’re a Monster Isle Royal,” I state.
Arwan confirms the information with a polite nod as he walks around, then eases down onto one of the piles of furs, which I don’t like. “I am.”
“And you’re in the Blood Moon Alpha’s tent with his new purchase, alone,” I clarify as I glance at the tent flap, which is missing the three large silhouettes that should be there.
What has Arwan done to my Alpha guards? He couldn’t possibly have taken them all on by himself, could he?
His hair doesn’t look like it even has one piece out of place. The dark strands are swept back in perfect waves. As if he can sense my admiration, he sweeps his fingers through them in a trained maneuver.
“Don’t worry, my dear. I’ve only come with a proposal, and then I’ll let you get back to your…” His gaze rakes over me, lingering on my exposed leg, before he purrs, “Beauty sleep.”
He doesn’t reach out to touch me, nor does he move out of my personal space. He’s just close enough to make every hair on my body stand on end.
I tilt my head, which sends my unruly hair tumbling over my shoulder. Arwan smiles, showing off those canines again. “What kind of proposal?” I ask.
Apparently, I have something that Arwan wants.
But what could a newly acquired slave girl have that a Monster Isle Royal would risk life and limb for?
The ground thumps, and my heart thumps with it. Is that Godric rampaging back here?
Or… does he even care? Maybe he dismissed the guards when Arwan arrived in the night.
