Page 44 of Princess of Draga

Giselle sighed and hugged Adelina. “We will do what needs to be done little sister. Rae will listen and if she doesn’t we will make our own backup plans. I promise I will help.” She pulled back and inspected Adelina. “Now, rest while I work off all the wonderful food I justingested.”

“Go, enjoy your secret lover.” Adelina gave her sister a wink and then watched her sister disappear down thestreet.

Giselle deserved every moment she could manage with her lover. It wouldn’t be long before war would taint everything ittouched.

Chapter Twelve

Adelina

Stella diDraga

Planet DragaTerra

As soon asthe street was empty Adelina looked up at the first moon. It was more east than it had been before they’d entered the tavern. There were only a few more hours until the twilight of dawn, the hour of theWolf.

Adelina wrenched the cover open and slipped into the tunnel. She held onto the ladder and reached up to close it. Something brushed against her arm and she stilled. A chill ran down her spine and the familiar feeling of being stalked struck her. Adelina wasn’t imagining it;somethingwas following her even if she couldn’t seeit.

Quickly she closed the cover to the tunnels and then dropped the last few steps to the floor. Her boots splashed in a puddle as she landed and then she held her breath. There was a tingle on the patches of skin exposed to the air. Her wrists and neck could feel the presence. Her eyes searched the pitch-black blindly. Finally, she gave up and closed her eyes, giving in to her other senses, the senses given to her by thewolves.

Her instincts screamed there was a predator at her back. Adelina whirled around, cloak billowing behind her. It brushed against something and her hand reached out, quick as lightning. Her fingers wrapped around fabric and an electric shield stuttered. “Show yourself,” shedemanded.

The shield stuttered again, lighting up the male’s face briefly before dropping them both back into the utter darkness. “You have interesting friends,” Prince Nash stated. His deep voice rumbled in the smallspace.

Adelina felt cold. And then hot. Fear washed over her as she realized Nash had been following her ever since they’d left the palace. He had some kind of stealth tech Draga had never managed to replicate which meant he had been able to go wherever he wished since the first day he’d arrived on the DragaTerra.

Fury rippled through her. It ran through her veins and fueled her anger. How dare he follow her? “You didn’t trust me,” she spataccusingly.

“Iwantedto trust you,” he said. His voice was devoid of emotion. “But I needed the proof I could. More than just my life is atstake.”

Adelina shoved against his chest as hard as she could. He was too large for it to work normally, but it caught him off guard and he stumbled backward. “Adelina, please be reasonable.” Surprise colored his voice. It was too dark to actually see his face and that worked to heradvantage.

Those damn eyes couldn’t entrance and hypnotize her if she couldn’t see them. “I am sick and tired of males following me!” she shrieked. “Thinking they always know better, thinking they need to protect me or huntme.”

Those large, warm hands wrapped gently around her upper arms and held her with enough control not to hurt her, but still kept her from pushing him again. “I wasn’t huntingyou.”

Adelina leaned forward until she could feel his chin against her forehead. “Oh really, you weren’t tasting my scent? You weren’t sizing up my skill and strength?” The venom in her words didn’t seem to touch him and that only infuriated hermore.

Nash bent his head so his forehead pressed to hers instead and she could feel the heaving of his chest as he breathed. “Yes, I was doing all of that and more. I made sure you were safe though you didn’t need my protection. And let me tell youLina, I liked what Isaw.”

His hands cupped her face and pulled her closer. Nash’s lips met hers hungrily and it felt like he would devour her if she didn’t do something. Adelina finally gave in to the feeling, the pull she had felt since she’d first laid eyes on him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and returned thekiss.

In the darkness, she could feel him. She could feel the strange pull in her gut that told her she was connected to Nash in ways she couldn’t yet understand. He was the sun and she the moon. Every bit of him pressed against her and it was like a bolt of lightning. It woke her up. Adelina kissed him hard enough to bruise. She opened her mouth when his tongue licked her lips and danced with hers. The taste of him was wild spice;addictive.

Nash stood straight and pulled her up with him. He was so tall her feet didn’t touch the ground as his arms wrapped tightly around her waist. The kiss seemed to go on forever as he held her. Adelina buried her hands in his silky hair and nipped his bottom lip. She wantedmore.

It was as though he could read her mind. Nash set her gently back on the ground and took a shuddering breath. “I think we should head back to the palace.” His voice was thick and husky telling her that was the last thing he wanted todo.

There was so much more Adelina wanted and going back to the palace was on the bottom of that list, but answering her desires was not a possibility even if she had forgotten for a moment. “I wasn’t finished yelling at you,” shemuttered.

His chuckle warmed her pleasantly from the inside out. “You can finish yelling at me on the way back if youlike.”

Adelina didn’t want to curse at him for following her anymore, she wanted to scold him for quitting what he’d begun and she suspected that had been the intention. “I’m still angry you didn’t trust me.” Though Nash had replaced the fury in her veins withdesire.

“Princess, my kingdom, my life, and my people are at stake. Would you trust me at my word if our positions were reversed?” His hand remained on the small of her back, gently guidingher.

“Can you see in the dark?” she inquired. Her gloved hand used the wall for support and direction, but it wasn’t the first time she had wished she could see without a light or thepaint.

“I can,” Nash admitted. “Though it wasn’t easy to hide from you, I’ve never had someone so aware of my presencebefore.”

---