GOLDEN POISON - BOOK 1 DOMINA - {MXM}

Caprice

He floats, mounted above the calm water. His white horse walks slowly on the surface. A sailing boat awaits him in the distance, he turns his head to the left and sees a whirl pool forming in the sea. He turns his head to the right and spots a woman with dark brown skin like tree bark tending to the wounds of another woman with blue hair. It is daytime, but there is no wind. The red-haired lady turns around,her pupils are completely white with no iris, she calls to him, buther mouth has no teeth and no sound emerges.

''I can't hear you !'' He exclaims, surprised by the sound of his own voice, and stops.

Why does he have a woman's voice ? He looks at his hands and sees that his skin is black like the inhabitants of Erath. He is dressed all in white and, taking a strand of his hair, sees that it is orange.

''Aranke, he whispers, am I Aranke ?''

The beloved sea replaces the red-haired woman with a sound. He looks upat her and, without thinking, calls out:

''Nodite !''

A hand covers his mouth, and his eyes snap open to the dimly lit room. He sees women dressed in black, their hair hidden by hoods and their faces covered by masks. There are several of them, the prince and heare startled, realizing they are about to be abducted. The open window of the balcony shows how they climbed in.

Damn it.

They hadn't thought to close it before going to sleep. Alex quickly count sand sees that there are four women. Two stay near the exit, and the other two deal with the prince and the marquis. The one holding the former commander is about to place a foul-smelling hand kerchief overhis face while keeping a dagger close to his neck. Without hesitation, the marquis grabs the handle with his dagger and twist sit, causing the criminal to scream, alerting everyone. He doesn't waste time and throws her forward, lifting her, she falls violently on her back. The other two arrive, and the alpha doesn't hesitate todeliver a powerful kick between the legs of the newcomer before adding a final blow to her jaw. This almost fatal strike causes her to turn her face in a nearly satisfying fluidity as her body collapses, unable to retaliate.

The third woman delivers a series of punches and kicks, but Alex dodges them all until she grabs him by the hair. The alpha's nerves are onthe edge, he moves closer and bites her ribs savagely. She screamsbut doesn't let go, and he puts all his strength into it, acting as quickly as possible before she can have the same idea. He feels blood between his teeth, a sign he's penetrating her flesh. She releaseshim, throwing him violently towards the dresser. She holds her ribs feebly while cursing him as he struggles to rise, his head still ringing from being roughly handled upon landing on the furniture.

He gets up suddenly and moves towards the one holding the prince. He noticed that her attention was not on him for a few seconds but o nher colleague, so he seizes the opportunity. He runs, she hears his footsteps, and a violent punch lands on her nose, causing it to bleed instantly. He executes the same maneuver as with the first woman, twisting her hand to force her to drop the dagger. He grabs the weapon and drives it into the young woman's shoe, causing her to scream in agony as she collapses on the ground. The third woman,still standing, pulls out a dagger and heads towards the still-dazed prince. What she doesn't know is that Aleksander is very skilled with throwing knives. He watches her approach the heir as if time slows around them, throws the dagger, and it lands easily in her thigh. She collapses in turn, screaming in despair. The guards burst through the door, and Aleksander extends his hand towards the prince, who takes it, visibly embarrassed. He signals to the soldiers not to intervene just yet and turns to the marquis.

''You are definitely more than I hoped for, and I apologize.''

The blond thinks he is referring to what they discussed before going tobed.