SEDUCTIVE PREY

IMPRESSIVE PRETZEL

Ethan keeps his distance from me, which frustrates me to no end. Instead, he busies himself with kingdom business while I am forced to endure his silence and his mother who insists on shoving everything I need to know about being a princes, then a future queen, then a wife to the future king of the Vampyric order which mostly requires me to smile, be supportive, and be seen rather than heard.

Which is complete and utter bullshit.

But I have to remind myself that this is the life I chose. That Ethan is the one I chose to be with and that means adhering to certain protocols because of who he is.

And apparently that even goes for the way I dress. Because everything I packed for the trip here is somehow gone and replaced with a new wardrobe.

I hate it here.

"You look just as stunning as your mother." My grandpa walks in.

Because on top of being forbidden from asking someone to turn me, I am also forbidden from leaving this apartment without Ethan and the Syndicate to accompany me.

All for my protection.

Tristan, Celeste, and the Syth follow him inside.

"How are you holding up, Aurora?" Tristan asks.

"Aurora?" I frown.

"Sleeping beauty... also locked in a tower for her own safety," he deadpans. "Although it was by her family, not her husband."

"I hate you."

Tristan laughs and hands me his phone to show me Kaia sent him a message saying Lucas has somehow escaped and so has all of his daemons.

She never has good news for me.

"How the hell did she let that happen?" I sigh.

"Don't know," Tristan shrugs. "I just thought you should know."

Suddenly, a thought occurs to me and quickly head for the door with everyone in tow. Bolting down the hall as fast as my feet will take me to Eden's room. There's a loud thudding sound coming from inside, only when I burst through the door, the last thing I'm expecting to see is my two best friends going at it like their lives depended on it.

Retinas... meet my worst nightmare.

Without even looking at me, Lucas shoves us out into the hall and slams the door in our faces with a flicker of his hand.

Thank God.

"If it wouldn't make me go totally blind, I'd bleach my eyes." I say to no one in particular.

At least we now know where Lucas has skipped off to.

Now we must wait for the thudding and moaning to stop before getting some answers out of him. Which, as it turns out, takes hours.

Seriously... how much sex can a person have?

"A lot." Ethan startles me by answering my thoughts. His eyes delving into mine with a promise to show me exactly how much sex a person can have. Which let's be honest, I will probably tap out before he ever would, because he has an endless supply of energy, and I don't. "Can we talk?"

As long as it leads to the end of my prison sentence, I am all for it.

I follow Ethan back to our quarters where he pours himself a glass of fermented blood, I've seen Vampyrs use like a human would use alcohol. It's the first indication I have that this conversation may not be a good one.