Page 14 of Hidden Kingdoms

You’ve got to have some limits.

And consent.

Everything stopped. Time froze, I froze, they froze. All parties suspended in place in those precious first seconds. Were they here to rob me? What did they think I had of value?

The familiar flutter of panic started up once again and I had no clue what to do until a simmering anger overpowered it.

My heart tugged, beating painfully hard, but I held in the wince of pain.

“Who the fuck are you two?” The words were out my mouth before I could think better of it, the shock of finding them flooding my system with adrenaline that was filling me with a very false sense of confidence.

How are they in here? Have I messed up my wards somehow?

I wasn’t surprised when neither of them offered up a name.

Frantic to think up a way out of this, I knew my phone was in my bag in the hall. I couldn’t call for help and I was certain I couldn’t outrun them.

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

Their masked faces were focused unnervingly on me, though they hadn’t moved a muscle. Body heavy with exhaustion, I was acutely aware I had no chance of fighting them off. That didn’t mean I wouldn’t try.

“There’s a pretty big TV out there, so if you want to head on that way and leave my room completely that would be great.” My voice was surprisingly even as I kept my eyes on them, hand slowly creeping down the side of my unit.

I’m sure I kept a bat here at some point in time.

The larger of the two males straightened sharply to an even greater height, his broad shoulders snapping back, a light grating sound following the movement.

Yeah, he definitely has a sword on his back.

A small smile curled at the corner of what I could see of the slighter man’s mouth, eyes glinting with mischief I needed no part in as my heart lurched again. I resisted the urge to cover myself with the blankets, aware of how little clothing I had slept in but needing both my hands free.

At least I hadn’t gone to sleep naked, though that isn’t going to matter once they’ve murdered me on my own bed.

“We are not here to steal a TV,” Big Man spat out like I was the wrongun’ for suggesting it and he hadn’t just broken into a sleeping girl’s room dressed like a fucking mercenary.

“Right…” I countered, trying not to consider what else they could be here for as I subtly brushed my hand around, hoping to feel the comforting wooden handle against my palm. “So, what kind of burglars are you, then?”

I had a shit tonne of gold and jewels stashed in the house, but I was counting on them not knowing about that. I still hadn’t quite recovered from the trauma of my nightmare as I attempted to come up with a plan.

Where was that fucking bat?

“It wasn’t supposed to be like this!” the big angry one hissed at his friend, hands balling into meaty fists.

“Well aware. Don’t worry, we’ll just go with plan B,” the friend replied, patting his shoulder and making him wince slightly.

“There is no fucking plan B!” he growled, his mate rolling his eyes at him.

“What are you doing?” It was Big Man again, voice demanding in a way that told me he was used to getting his way.

No manners, this one.

Tug.

“Me? Nothing.” I stilled the hand that had been feeling around blindly for a weapon to use on these weirdos as both their gazes focused on me. I’m sure I kept one right here, though with a ridiculously strong ward covering every inch of the property and a six foot monster dog as a guard, I didn’t really need to. The realisation hit me like a punch to the gut; I got rid of the bat once Titan came along.

That puppy is better than any bat.

Titan. My stomach clenched, a slight ringing in my ears—he wasn’t here. I looked closer at them, at how the angry one washolding his arm slightly awkwardly. Hadn’t he winced when his mate touched it a second ago?

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