Page 64 of Their Blood Queen

An insane urge to curl into myself overcomes my senses. I release one of his hands so I can press my fingers to the throb on my stomach. It’s almost as if I can feel the slice through my corset.

His power is inside me.

That explains why my nightmares have taken on their strange form. The magic woven by the King himself has taken root in me.

A tic of my jaw threatens to release the bubble of hysterical laughter from my mouth, so I clamp it down hard.

“I was given little choice in the matter, Lord Cain,” I say. Even though a trained apology was lingering on my lips, a suicidal tirade of truth seems to be coming out instead. I straighten as I cling to one of his hands, knowing that if I let go, I could be lost to this dreamworld forever.

But I keep my other hand plastered to my stomach as if to keep myself from bleeding out. The mark throbs so badly now that my toes curl against the pain.

He raises a brow at my defiance but doesn’t strike me down. Instead, he seems amused by my lack of self-preservation. “We always have a choice, Scarlett. I’m simply curious about what yours will be.”

A flare of anger in my chest surprises me, but I don’t care for the notion that I’m a curiosity to the God of our city. My life isn’t the subject of entertainment for others.

Yet, that’s how Monsters Night always seems to go. Selections are called to become Offerings for the monsters who will come to this world in search of a mate. Many moments are documented throughout their travels to Monster City. Their wide eyes are put on big screens when the monsters hunt them down.

We all know they are the ones who have it easy. The objective of Monsters Night is for monsters to find their compatible mates. If successful, they will treasure their mate and protect them against any threat.

In a world like ours, that is a boon indeed.

The Offering always has an option to say no. Those pairings aren’t mandatory, but I can’t ever recall seeing a rejection. Resistance, perhaps. Fear, naturally.

But eventually, that sort of bond roots itself in incomparable love.

While I find myself growing fond of Earl Rinhold, I haven’t seen any such sort of vicious protection in his eyes.

And now this monster looks at me like he wants to devour me.

Because I’m in a courtship with one of his citizens? Men always want what they can’t have.

I would have thought monsters were above that petty tendency.

“I’m afraid I will only disappoint you, Lord Cain,” I say, unable to hide the sneer in my voice. It doesn’t matter how beautiful this monster is. How safe I might feel in his arms against the cold of the outside world.

He’s the reason I’m here to begin with.

He’s the reason I don’t have a choice at all.

Something aggressive flares in his eyes. I’m not sure how to name the surge of unexpected emotion that makes the shadow above him grow taller.

He pulls me in close so that I’m forced to lean on my toes as he presses his lips against my ear.

“The only one who is a disappointment here, dear Scarlett, is me.”

CHAPTER 16

CAIN

I don’t give the delicious peach-flavored treat time to ask me what I might mean as I slip away from her.

Because I’ve already disappointed myself by my lack of control.

I shouldn’t have gone anywhere near Scarlett, but the instant I saw her sparkling like a gem on the ballroom floor, I had no power over what happened next.

The Dream Realm descended the moment I spotted her.

I’m not a dreamwalker, if such a species even exists. I can only travel into the Dream Realm when I have an anchor to pull myself in.

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