Page 27 of Their Witch Bride

“Probably all night too.”

His entire body stiffens.

What did I say now?

“If you get bored, we should try it and see how long you can last.”

Very slowly, he slides me to the ground. And it’s strange how much I like my body rubbing gently against his. It sends goosebumps racing across my skin, and makes my body feel warm and uncomfortable.

“You should stretch your legs. We’ll be moving again soon.”

I nod, my mind turning over anything that could get us to continue talking. “Maybe I should make a new game where I can see how long your men can pick me up.”

A low growl rolls from his throat. It’s animalistic. Not at all what I’d expect from a man. “Not a fucking chance.”

Okay, so he doesn’t like games. “Got it.”

He turns and marches away, and I get the feeling I’ve pissed him off somehow. How? I have no clue.

Prince Arlys is suddenly in front of me. He hasn’t shaved in the past three days, at least I don’t think he has, so now his clean face has a scruff of a beard. His jet-black hair is also wavy and wild, like the wind has been threading her fingers through his hair all day. I like the look. He feels like something wild and untamed and beautiful all at once.

My cheeks heat, and I attempt a smile, fighting through the butterflies in my stomach.

“We’re stopping for a short break to take care of personal needs, eat, and rest,” he grumbles, then turns to leave.

“Is this the pace we’ll keep until we reach wherever we’re going?” I ask, the words tumbling out of my mouth in an attempt to make him stop and talk to me for even a moment.

He glances back at me, those incredible green eyes of him seeming to peer through me. “No, we’ll slow a bit when we reach shifter territory.”

“Do you guys really think the witches would go through all the trouble of making a peace treaty with you only to kill you on your way home?” I kind of wish I didn’t ask the question, but now it’s hanging between us.

He gives me a strange look. “Witches have done a hell of a lot worse.”

Fair enough. “And when we get wherever we’re going, will you, Prince Drogo, and Prince Rinan stay together? Or do you intend to go back to your respective courts?”

“We’ll stay together,” he says, and I can tell he’s wondering where I’m going with all of this.

I take a step toward him. “I’m just trying to get a sense of what my life is going to be like.” To my surprise, the words come out softer and sadder than I planned.

Something unreadable flickers in his eyes.

My stomach knots up. “Will I be safe there?” May as well just ask.

To my surprise, he walks back toward me, closing the space between us. He lowers his head so that I imagine he intends to whisper in my ear, and I lean up to hear whatever he’s about to say. But instead of speaking, he inhales sharply, then takes several slow, deep breaths.

The hair on my body stands on end, and I shiver. I don’t know why being smelled feels so intimate, but it does. I take a deep breath too and imagine he smells like pine trees and a roaring fire.

Then, he jerks back and takes a full step backwards, looking at me with so much suspicion that it makes my heart ache. “Take care of your personal needs, we’ll be traveling again soon.” With that, he turns on his heel and strides away, leaving me feeling confused, and for some reason, vulnerable.

Something about these three men is different from any men I’ve met before. It must be that they’re shifters. But it’s like they make my stomach feel hollow and empty at the same time. I’m scared to see them, and I want to see them all at once.

If I didn’t know better, I’d think it was magic.

I scan the group of shifters for my other husbands. That’ll never sound normal. I spot Prince Drogo, but when he catches my gaze, he bares his teeth and quickly strides away, getting lost in the crowd of shifters milling around.

“Hello to you too,” I mumble to myself.

A servant silently places a plate of food in my hand.

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