Page 123 of The Slave in A Princess Disguise

If I do... my secrets will be exposed.

There would be no hiding she was a female. That Emeriel was Galilea. That she was hisSoulbond.

Could she do it? Could she summon the courage to reveal everything—to risk everything?

Wouldn't it be better to just die?

Death would mean silence.

No rejection, no humiliation, no disgraceful execution.

If she died now, no one would ever have to know how she lived, her secrets and lies.

It was tempting, so tempting…

But if she died, she would never see him again. Never feel his arms around her.

If I'm found out, I will lose him anyway.Emeriel squeezed her eyes shut, tears slipping down her cheeks.I can't call him. I can't!

"Our orders were to kill her, you fool," the angriest of the group snapped. "Keep it in your pants. The kingdom is overflowing with female holes you can stick that in. Find one of those!”

"Enough!" a commanding voice boomed from the back, silencing the others stepping closer. "We have wasted enough time. Why are we arguing? No one's touching her. G, control yourself. The orders from R were to kill her, not have fun. Now light the damn fire!"

A sob escaped Emeriel's lips. Resting her head against the rough wood, she closed her eyes, resigned.

Deep within her soul, she reached out, calling with all her heart silently through the bond:

"My Beloved, I need your help. My Beloved... please, help me."

Chapter thirty-four

THE SUMMONING

GrandLordVladyastoodin the doorway of his chambers, his mind clearer, his body refreshed. A court proceeding was ongoing, yet he found it difficult to leave. His body still hummed with satisfaction, as he watched Aekeira curled beneath the sheets, sleeping peacefully in his bed.

The sight of her there, inhisterritory, vulnerable and unguarded, didthingsto him.

He feltpossessive. Protective.

His instincts buzzed and thrummed with pleasure and lightness, instead of the darkness and void he had come to know.

Vladya should have already been in court, attending to his duties, ones he had left neglected for a while now. Yet here he was, lingering at the threshold.

Yaz stood beside him, surprisingly making no attempt to hurry him along even as they ran late, because Vladya couldn't tear his gaze away from the sleeping figure on the bed.

He let out a deep breath. When it came to his episodes, the memories were always… vague at best. Some he remembered,others elusive. Vladya still could not believe he had utterly disrespected Daemonikai. And as if that weren’t enough, Vladya had attacked himtwice.Attacked with the intent to kill.

Then, he had gone ahead and reject every female brought in to satisfy him. That, at least, did not surprise him. Vladya had known for some time who his body truly desired, even before his symptoms began to worsen.

Aekeira sighed softly, murmuring something incoherent before shifting and settling back into sleep.

She was disgustingly pretty.

Annoyingly stunning.

I could watch her sleep all day.

This thought, like many others Vladya was starting to have about her, alarmed him. But she had listened to him. Had offered comfort without judgment.

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