Page 13 of Blade's Princess

"Most people," I correct softly. "Not you."

His eyes meet mine and I feel that gaze run through me like liquid fire. “So, you have a fondness for animals.”

I hesitate, then decide to risk the truth. “It’s my dream to someday work with animals. I want to become a veterinary technician." I duck my head, suddenly self-conscious. “Maybe. Someday."

Blade finishes with the bandage and starts putting supplies back in the kit. "Someday?”

“Aunt Margaret…um... She doesn't believe in education for... for servants," I explain, the familiar humiliation washing over me. "She pulled me out of regular school when I was twelve. Said homeschooling would be better, but there was never any actual schooling. Just chores. She said academic education was wasted on someone of my…um…limited capabilities."

The last words catch in my throat. I'd never believed her—not completely—but hearing the same message for years wears down even the strongest resistance.

His eyes darken with anger again, but his voice remains gentle when he speaks. “Anytime you want, we can check out local colleges and see what’s offered. I’ll help you enroll in classes."

My pulse speeds up at the possibility. "Really?"

"Abso-fuckin'-lutely," he confirms, the curse somehow making the offer more genuine. “And whatever else you need—books, tuition, anything, I'll take care of it."

I shake my head, overwhelmed by his generosity. "I don't understand why you're doing all this. You barely know me."

Blade sets the first aid kit aside and takes my hands in his. His are so much larger, calloused and strong, but they hold mine with exquisite gentleness.

"Because from the moment I saw you, I knew," he says simply, directly. No flowery words, no practiced lines—just raw honesty that steals my breath. "I don't have pretty words for it. I just know that I’ll protect you. Care for you."

"But I'm nobody," I whisper, giving voice to the belief that's been hammered into me for years.

Anger flashes in his eyes and I shrink away slightly. "Don't you ever say that again." His voice is low, intense. "You'renotnobody. You're brilliant, kind, and strong."

My chest tightens at his words and although I try to fight it, a smile spreads over my lips.

"You're never going back to that bitch," he continues, each word a solemn vow. "Ever."

The certainty in his voice makes me tremble.

"I'll take care of Max." One large hand moves to cup my face. "She has no claim on you anymore."

I want to believe him. God, how I want to believe him. But hope is dangerous.

"What if she comes looking for me?" I ask, voicing one of my many fears.

"Let her," Blade says with a sinister smile that I suspect would frighten anyone in their right mind. "She'll find out real quick that Shadow Reapers aren't people you fuck with." His thumb traces the outline of my uninjured cheek, feather-light. "No one will hurt you again, Sophie. Not while there's breath in my lungs."

Exhaustion crashes over me suddenly, the adrenaline of the night finally wearing off. I sway slightly where I sit, my eyelids growing heavy.

Blade notices immediately and rises to his feet. He turns down the covers on the bed. "In."

I don't argue, sliding beneath sheets softer than any I've ever felt. The mattress cradles my aching body, and I sink into it with a small sigh of pleasure.

He looks down at me. "Sleep now, princess. We'll figure out the rest tomorrow."

Princess. The nickname sends a warm flutter through my chest.

As my eyes grow heavy, I watch Blade settle into the leather chair, his large frame looking uncomfortable in the confined space. I should feel guilty, taking his bed while he sits upright, but selfishly, I'm grateful. I feel safe for the first time in years.

Just before sleep claims me, he says, "You never answered me when I asked how old you are."

On a groggy yawn, I tell him the truth, “I’m nineteen. I turned nineteen today."

Chapter 6

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