Page 99 of Thorns of Deceit: The Beast Within

Skylar stared at his outstretched hand, then at the lifeless body of King Lyinell. The sword—her sword—still protruded from his chest, a macabre marker of the line they had crossed. There was no going back from this. No pretending it was all a misunderstanding or a bad dream.

The weight of it all came crashing down on Skylar at once. Her deepest secret exposed. Her identity laid bare for all to see. The King dead by Arye’s hand. And now… this offer. This declaration.

It was too much. Too fast. Too intense.

“What did you—” Skylar whispered, her voice breaking. She took a step back, then another, her eyes darting wildly around the room. The walls seemed to be closing in, suffocating her.

Without thinking, Skylar turned and ran. She pushed past shocked nobles and stunned guards, her bare feet slapping against the blood-slicked marble. She had to get away. Had to escape the piercing stares and the weight of expectations.

“Sky!” Arye’s voice rang out behind her, a mixture of confusion and command. “Wait!”

It didn’t stop her.

Her legs carried her swiftly through the balcony, to the palace gardens, muscle memory guiding her even as her mind reeled.

“Leave us!” Arye’s words echoed off the broken stone walls, the command clear even from afar. “Anyone who follows will lose their life.”

Skylar didn’t slow. She ran faster, her heart pounding in her ears, desperate to put as much distance between herself and the ballroom as possible.

She heard Arye’s footsteps behind her. He was following her. Of course he was. But Skylar couldn’t face him. Not now. Maybe not ever.

Shame and confusion warred within her as she fled, tears blurring her vision. Everything had changed in the span of a heartbeat.

The world as she knew it had shattered, and she had no idea how to begin picking up the pieces.

And as Skylar ran, she couldn’t shake the feeling that no matter how fast or far she went, there was no escaping the consequences of what had just transpired. No escape from Arye.

41

“You knew.”

The words hung in the air, heavy with accusation. Skylar’s chest heaved, lungs burning from her frantic flight through the palace gardens. The heady scent of night-blooming jasmine mingled with the metallic tang of blood still clinging to her skin.

Arye’s grip on her wrist was iron, his fingers digging into her flesh with an intensity that matched the storm in his eyes. Skylar wrenched her arm free, stumbling back. The cool grass beneath her bare feet was a stark contrast to the heat radiating from him.

“All this time,” she spat, anger burning in her throat. “You knew, and you said nothing. You let me believe—” The words choked her, rage and betrayal clawing at her insides like a feral beast.

Arye stepped forward, his face a battlefield of conflicting emotions. “Sky, I?—”

“Don’t.” Skylar held up a hand, stopping him in his tracks. Her voice dropped, dangerous as a drawn blade. “How long? How long have you known?”

Arye’s shoulders sagged, the fight seeming to drain out of him. “Since we were children. During sparring. I noticed… things.”

The world tilted on its axis. All those years of careful deception, of binding her chest until she could barely breathe, of pitching her voice low and affecting masculine mannerisms… and he’d known all along. A cold, bitter laugh escaped from deep within her.

“So everything—our friendship, our bond—it was all a lie?” The words tasted like ash on her tongue.

Something dangerous flashed in Arye’s eyes. He narrowed the gap between them in two quick strides. Skylar instinctively backed away, her spine pressing against the rough bark of an ancient oak.

“No,” he growled, the word rumbling through his chest. “You were my Duke, my friend, my comrade. And the woman I wanted. All of it, Sky. All of you.”

Skylar’s heart slammed against her ribs, a war drum pounding out confusion and desire. “Then why?” she whispered, hating the tremor in her voice. “Why didn’t you say anything?”

Arye’s laugh was cold enough to freeze hell itself. He braced one arm against the tree, caging her in. “Because I’m a selfish bastard, Sky. I wanted you for myself. If I kept your secret, no man would approach you. I could wait…” He trailed off, shadows dancing across his features. “But I didn’t account for how much my desire would grow. And then you were going to be engaged, and suddenly?—”

“There was nothing you could do,” Skylar finished, pieces clicking into place with sickening clarity. She shook her head, a mirthless smile twisting her lips. “You played the long game, didn’t you? And I must have looked so foolish, constantly worrying about my secret.”

Shame and anger warred within her, heating her cheeks. She ducked under Arye’s arm, pushing past him, needing space to breathe, to think. Her tattered gown swirled around her legs as she moved, the silk whispering against her skin.

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