Page 67 of Foretold

I scoot over to sit next to him, resting my head on his shoulder. “How long until they find us?”

“I don’t know,” he admits, swallowing hard. “But we just need to stay alive until they do.”

No one comes for us that night, and we fall asleep together.

Cold.

Hungry.

And fucking angry.

CHAPTER THIRTY

Astrid

I’m not going to lie.

By the second day, I’m starving.

The old me was used to not eating a lot, and August and I were happy with a chunk of bread, some cheese, and dried meat most days, but after being spoiled in the palace, not having any food is a struggle. Also, I really need to pee, but I don’t want to pee in a bucket in front of Bane. Soon, I know I won’t have a choice, but until then, my bladder is being tested to its limits. Bane keeps me warm with his body, wrapping his arms around me. It’s intimate, but I feel comfortable with him.

“So, you’re a seer,” he says into my ear. I was wondering when he was going to bring it up.

“Yes, I never told anyone. I only told August before I came to the castle, and I only just told Rave recently.”

He nods, absently stroking my hair. “I think that was smart. They’d be fighting over you even more if they knew.”

“I had a vision of you,” I admit, my voice a low whisper. “I was sitting with you… you and your fated mate. She was beautiful, and you looked so happy, Bane. And you were wearing a crown. We were all friends.”

He stills, holding his breath. “I have a fated mate out there waiting for me?”

“Yes. The future is fluid, always changing, but I saw her,” I say, smiling as he squeezes me tighter. “I don’t know when you will meet her, but you will. And it will be perfect.”

I note that the hair stroking stops, and he almost puts up a bit of an emotional wall between us. I don’t like it, but I know it’s for the best for both of us.

“Thank you for telling me,” he finally says, clearing his throat. He lifts me off him and stands in front of me as a light-haired vampire opens the cell, placing some bread and water on the floor before quickly locking it shut once more.

“You will be set free when the king trades you both for his queen,” the vampire says, and I want to knock the smug look off his face. He tilts his head to look at me around Bane’s big build, his red eyes scanning over me, and he licks his lips. “Although maybe once the king sees you for himself, he might want to keep you.”

Hard pass.

“She’s a Fae Queen.” Bane scowls, his hands clenching to fists. “You will show her respect.”

The vampire smirks and walks away, and Bane mutters something about wanting to kill him with a lightning bolt the second he can use his magic again. He grabs the bread and water, and we both sit back down. He rips the bread in half, giving me the bigger piece.

“Bane—”

“Eat it,” he orders me, taking a bite of the smaller one. And I do, but only because I’m going to offer him my blood to give him his own strength.

We sip on the water, while I decide the best way to get him to stop fighting his hunger and take what he needs. In the end, I just go with being honest.

“Bane, I want you to bite me,” I blurt out, putting up my hands. “And before you argue, you need to be at your full strength for us to get out of here. It’s nothing personal. You need to eat, and I have what you need to feed you. Don’t fucking overthink it, and just bite me. Stop being stubborn and—”

He cuts off my rant by sliding my hair off my neck and shoving his canines into my neck without any warning. It hurts a little at first, but after that, pleasure hits me, and an almostorgasmic feeling takes over me.

Fuck.

Each pull on my neck sends tingles straight to my clit, but I ignore that and think of other things.

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