Page 17 of The Winter Prince

Kienna hummed, her eyes twinkling in a charming way. “That sounded like it hurt to say. Whatdoyou think of me?”

Revi opened his mouth—choked on his words and swallowed. Answering that would only embarrass him. “You’re quiet.”

“That’s a statement of fact, not your opinion.”

Revi cast around again. “You… are very attractive.” Her eyes widened, and he found himself blurting out the only other thing he could think of to save his pride. To hide his heart behind. “By human standards.”

Kienna’s lips twitched. “I think that was almost a compliment.”

“Are you sufficiently convinced of your theory?” Revi asked gruffly.

Kienna studied him for several moments, making Revi shift. “What’s your favorite color?”

Revi blinked. “Why does that matter?”

“Humor me.”

“White.”

“Favorite food?”

“Meat.”

“Do you prefer it raw?”

Revi hesitated.

“You always eat the least-cooked pieces from your plate at dinner.” Her tone was level, no hint of the disgust or fear Revi would have expected to accompany such a statement.

“Yes,” Revi agreed reluctantly. He could hardly deny it, no matter how he might want to.

She tilted her head. “Why is it cooked at all, then?”

He shifted. “My cook thought it would scare you off if I ate it raw around you.”

“You should tell them I don’t mind.” She gave an encouraging smile at his look of disbelief. “Really. Eat your food how you prefer it. It won’t be the strangest thing I’ve seen here.”

It was a tiny thing, but his chest tightened all the same. How could she act so nonchalant about the idea of him taking his meat entirely raw? It was a clear mark of his beastliness.

Kienna, oblivious to his roiling mind, continued her rapid questions. “Favorite time of day?”

He blinked himself out of his thoughts. “Sunset.”

“Have you ever met an elf?”

“Not since I was a child.”

“Have you ever climbed on the roof of your castle?”

“Of course.”

“What’s your name?”

“Rev—” He cut off with a growl. He jerked to his feet and jumped from the sofa. “You tricked me.”

Kienna tensed, her shoulders coming up around her ears. “On the bright side, if you could lie about your name, I doubt you’d be so angry right now.”

The growl that rumbled from him made Kienna flinch, and a faint swirl of fear entered her scent. It stabbed through his frustration, bursting and dispersing it. He didn’t want to return to the tension of before, to the way her fear made his beast instincts hungry.

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