Page 92 of The Reign of Blood

“Yes.”

I scoff, disbelief rippling through me. She’s using her damn air magic to try and cool me down while I literally turn into a puddle before her instead of running for the hills as she should.

“I don’t let people close for a reason,” I admit, the words slipping from my lips before I can reconsider.

Sensing her getting closer, I catch sight of her out of the corner of my eye, tilting her head at me in confusion. “I’m trying to understand why.” The way she says it feels like she doesn’t understand any more than I do, yet I still find the words to answer her.

“Because the other side of me is always right beneath the surface, and I lose control really fast.” My spine stiffens at the truth as my hands ball into fists.

“Sometimes losing control isn’t all that bad,” she muses, glancing out over the kingdom, and my heart clenches.

“Sometimes, it’s not safe.”

“Do you want to explain that?” she asks, shifting to face me.

My lips twist as I instinctively turn to face her. “I don’t get close to anybody like this because the second my blood heats with my desire, my… my creature bubbles to the surface, and I’m scared of hurting someone.”

My cheeks heat, embarrassment coursing through my veins as the admission takes over. Her hand lifts to my arm, squeezing in comfort as concern dances in her pretty eyes.

“Have you ever hurt someone?”

I shake my head, the word heavy on my tongue. “No.”

“Then—”

I wave my hand, cutting her off as I stare deep into her eyes. “I haven’t hurt someone because I’ve never allowed myself to get close enough.”

“I don’t understand.” She rubs her lips like she’s trying to piece the jigsaw puzzle together, but she’s a curved edge out of place, and the picture is distorted.

As pretty as her confusion is, instead of leaving her to twist around the words I’m not saying, I take a deep breath and blurt them out instead.

“I’m a virgin, Princess.”

35

ADRIANNA

Avirgin.

A fucking virgin.

Those words were spoken to me on Saturday, and they still have me reeling now, on Monday morning, when I should be focused on the classes I have today.

Fuck.

It takes everything I have to try and push it all to the back of my mind, and even then, I come up short.

I can recall the soft smile that accompanied the words before he tossed all the excuses at me to take me home. I didn’t argue, even though I really fucking wanted to, but it wasn’t about my wants and needs, it was all about him.

I wanted to peek beneath his unbuttoned shirt, I wanted to trace his ink with my tongue, and I wanted to touch him in a way he never had before, but I chickened out in fear of scaring him off. I’m a lot, too much, really, especially if you’ve never…

Fuck.

He offered me the most wistful kiss at my front door, where another red rose was waiting, before disappearing like a dream I’d made up.

I know shifters keep everyone at arm’s length, but seeing it and feeling it myself for the first time threw me off kilter. I haven’t seen him since, but I know he’ll be at breakfast this morning. I’m just praying things aren’t awkward.

A knock sounds from my bedroom door, pulling me from my thoughts. I quickly throw on my gray cloak, letting it fall around my shoulders before opening the door to reveal Flora on the other side.

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