Page 93 of Alien Prince

When I reach his door, I hesitate for only a moment before knocking firmly.

“Kael,” I call, my voice steady despite the rapid beat of my heart.

No response.

I knock again, harder this time. “We need to talk.”

The door swings open abruptly, and Kael stands there, his expression hard and unreadable. “Emily,” he says, his tone clipped. “What are you doing here?”

“What am I doing here?” I snap, stepping past him into the room. “What areyoudoing? One minute, you’re pulling mecloser, and the next, you’re acting like I don’t exist. I deserve answers, Kael.”

He closes the door, his shoulders stiff as he turns to face me. “This isn’t the time—”

“No,” I interrupt, my frustration boiling over. “You don’t get to decide when it’s the time. I’ve been patient. I’ve given you space. I know there’s a lot going on, but I’ve been trying to help, and… You’re pushing me away, and I need to know why.”

His jaw tightens. “Leave my chamber now,” he orders.

“Kael—”

“Now!”

His anger… I don’t know him when he’s like this.

Feeling very much like a dog with my tail between my legs, I hurry around him and rush to return to my room. I barely have time to close the door behind me when a deafeningcrashshatters the tension.

The window explodes inward, shards of glass raining down as a dark figure bursts into the room. I shriek and reach behind me for the door as a blade glints in the dim light.

The intruder lunges, and I risk turning around to finally close my hands around the knob. I throw open the door, and Kael’s there. He must’ve followed me to my room. With his arm, he shoves me to the side, and I watch in horror as the dark figure advances toward us.

Kael moves like a force of nature, his silver skin gleaming as he blocks the attack with a fluidity that takes my breath away. The fight is quick, brutal. Within moments, the assassin is disarmed and pinned to the ground, Kael’s knee pressing into their back.

“Who sent you?” Kael growls, his voice low and dangerous.

The assassin doesn’t answer, but their silence speaks volumes. Kael’s grip tightens, and I can see the raw fury in hiseyes, the protective edge that’s always there, even when he’s pushing me away.

Another sound—fast and heavy footsteps—echoes from the hall. Kael curses under his breath, releasing the assassin and pulling me toward the door.

“We’re not safe here,” he says, his tone urgent.

He thinks there are more assassins, that those coming aren’t guards.

My heart is in my throat. Kael yanks on my arm, and we’re running. His hand finds mine, gripping me tightly as we navigate the palace’s winding corridors. My heart pounds in my chest, the adrenaline coursing through me making it hard to think.

We burst into a passage I never noticed before, the stone walls cold and damp around us. I stumble, unable to keep up, and Kael practically drags me along.

After what feels like an hour, Kael finally stops, pressing a hand against the wall to catch his breath.

“What the hell just happened?” I ask, my voice shaking.

“Wasn’t that clear enough?”

“An assassination attempt,” I mumble.

“Yes” he says grimly, his gaze scanning the shadows, “and there will be more.”

“More?” I repeat, my frustration shifting into fear.

His gaze meets mine, and his unguarded expression makes my throat dry. “I wasn’t the target, Emily. You were.”

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