Page 26 of A Game of Love and Betrayal

“I shall endeavor to make you laugh again.” If Brynleigh had to become a fucking comedian to make the captain fall in love with her, then she’d do it. She would be whatever he needed.

He chuckled. “Tell me, Oh Humorous One, what’s your name?”

Had she forgotten to give it to him? Brynleigh blinked. Isvana help her, she must have been more affected by his voice than she’d originally thought.

She ran her hands over her braid, which hung over her shoulder. “Brynleigh de la Point.”

He repeated her name slowly, like each syllable was a delicacy, and he was savoring each taste.

The vampire ground her teeth at the sound. Her name had no right sounding so good in his mouth.

He added, “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Why did it sound like he was being earnest? And why did she like the sound of his voice so much? A low, pulsing headache formed as Brynleigh puzzled through these new, troublesome developments.

“Agreed.” Hoping to get back on track and regain control, Brynleigh took a large swallow of the blood wine she’d grabbed after lunch. Crossing her leggings-clad legs, she leaned back on the couch. “So, Ryker, how’s the process agreeing with you so far?”

If any of his dates had been like hers, he’d already endured a hundred “get-to-know-you” questions. Brynleigh wanted to stand out and be remembered. What better way was there than to take a different approach than everyone else?

Several seconds went by in silence. Brynleigh imagined this faceless man with the intriguing, attractive voice mulling over his words. Was he on a couch like her or on a chair with his legs slung over the side like Yvette? Or maybe he was strolling up and down the length of the ballroom. The options were endless.

“It’s been… more than I ever expected. This morning, I was nervous. I’m never nervous. It’s not something I usually do. In my job, I need to be in control. But this is different.” A choked sound came from him, and he groaned, “Gods. Why am I telling you this? We just met. It’s strange, but I feel?—”

“Comfortable,” she provided before she could stop herself. The word slipped out of her mouth, and she cursed herself for speaking.

Stupid, stupid, stupid. Even though something innately easy came from speaking with this fae, she never should have admitted to it.

She was definitely going to hell.

“Exactly,” he said on an exhale.

The problem was that Brynleigh felt it, too. It was like they’d known each other for years, not minutes. The vampire had felt varying degrees of awkwardness with all the other men. Aside from the first moment, where the sound of Ryker’s voice made her forget how to speak, she didn’t feel anything like that with the fae.

But maybe it was because she knew him. Not personally, but she’d been aware of Captain Ryker Waterborn’s existence for years. She’d met him, not in person, but in the form of the magic he wielded.

That horrible night, with its sky-high waves, burning lungs, and floating bodies, was forever imprinted on her mind. Jelisette found her that same night, half-drowned and soaking wet.

After her Making, Brynleigh learned all there was to know about the captain. She had studied him like he was a difficult equation, and she was the mathematician determined to solve it. Even after he’d become a virtual ghost, she’d searched for him across the continent. She spent every waking hour trying to find morsels of information about him. Jelisette, Isvana bless her soul, helped Brynleigh as best she could.

Every detail they unearthed, no matter how big or small, was like a nugget of gold as Brynleigh sought to familiarize herself with the captain she planned to kill.

Brynleigh knew Ryker was under constant guard, both because of his position as the son of a Representative and as a captain in the army, and he was extremely private. He had a sister—River—who was almost two decades younger than him. She wasn’t even Mature yet. His mother was a Fae Representative and worked closely with Chancellor Ignatia Rose. Brynleigh even knew that Ryker’s father was ill. He’d come down with the Stillness over a decade ago and hadn’t been the same ever since.

Maybe that was why when he spoke, she felt drawn to him.

Yes. That had to be it. There was no other reason he made her feel this way. None at all. Certainly, it had nothing to do with the way her fangs burned with the need to bite, nor did it have anything to do with the curling ball of want in her core.

It was just because Brynleigh knew who the captain was.

He’s a killer.

Jelisette’s voice echoed through Brynleigh’s mind. Yes. That was a good, solid reminder of who she was speaking with. Brynleigh could never, ever forget why she was here.

It was time to get the conversation back on track.

Twisting her pendant through her fingers, Brynleigh asked, “What do you do when you’re not seeking a wife in the Choosing, Ryker?”

“I’m a captain in the army.”

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