Page 17 of Cursed
What she does next takes his breath away. Her lovely face lights up with a genuine smile. “You have gravy on your chin.” She looks back down at her food. “When was the last time you’ve eaten a real meal?” Smiling at her joke, she continues eating.
Wiping the gravy from his chin, Ryland thinks to Bade, “When exactly was the last time a woman smiled at me?”
His wolf is too shocked to reply.
He should be questioning her about who she is, where she’s from, why she’s here, and who put those gods damnedmarks on her. But Ryland also wants her to relax and continue talking to him. So, he answers her question.
“We received an urgent notice of Rogue attacks from a town east of the castle. It took us a few days to locate and eliminate the threat. We stayed an extra day to help the pack members clear out the bodies and bury their dead. The last real meal I had was before we left.”
Nori leans forward, interested in the attack. She had never heard of an attack in her lands, but she had heard of Rogues attacking other Packlands. “How many Rogues were there? Did they kill anyone? I’ve heard their bite is deadly; was anyone bitten?”
“We took out a horde of about thirty Rogues. Several wolves in the town had been killed. And yes, some were bitten.” He frowns at the loss of those pack members to the horrible beasts.
Nori makes a breathy, whistling sound. “So many? I’m pretty sure we would not have survived thirty Rogues at once. And why do you have one in the dungeons?”
Ryland finishes his plate and sets his napkin down. “We plan to interrogate him. We don’t know enough about them, and we are experiencing more frequent attacks. Where do they come from? How are they made? Do they have a leader? Any information will be useful.”
Nori cocks her head, raising her eyebrows. “So, they speak? I didn’t think they could speak.”
“Yes, they speak, sort of,” the Prince says simply. His turn to question her. “You must be an excellent fighter to have killed two Rogues by yourself.”
Nori bursts out laughing, then quickly regains her composure.
Bade interrupts his thoughts. “Her laugh is fucking beautiful.”
Ryland rolls his eyes.
Nori leans forward with her arms crossed on the table, looking at everything but the Prince, and says, “No. Not at all.”
Ryland is suddenly annoyed that she ignores him when all he can do is stare at every part of her. He leans forward, clenches his fists, and growls. He watches her lean back, crossing her arms over her chest at the same time. “Please explain how it is that you took down two Rogues with no fighting experience at all.”
She glances at him and frowns, considering her response. “It’s difficult to explain.” Nori looks in his eyes briefly, then at his right shoulder, then at his clenched fist. “When you moved forward just now, the muscle in your shoulder tightened first, then the muscle in your forearm, and lastly, you clenched your fist.”
She slowly lowers her arms and places her hands on the table. Blowing out a breath, she continues to stare at his clenched fist. “That movement happened in the blink of aneye. My special skill...” She huffs out a laugh, knowing this skill is a direct result of years of studying when one of her Pack Leaders is about to hit her. “...is being able to see those muscle movements and anticipate where my...” She pauses, reaching for the right word because she can’t say, asshole, who’s about to hit her. “...opponent is going to strike.”
Ryland immediately releases his fist and leans back in his chair in a more relaxed pose. Nori releases the breath she was holding.
Bade whispers, “Is she saying what I think she’s saying?”
Ryland ignores him, and his voice softens. “You want to tell me about the scars on your back?”
Nori sucks in a breath, her eyes still downcast. “Not really,” she whispers.
“OK,” he says, his voice taking on a more formal tone. “You have officially requested asylum here, correct?” He doesn’t wait for a response. “Let’s begin with easy questions. What is your name, and where are you from?”
chapter fourteen
Nori stops breathing. Her eyes snap up to meet his, and her heart rate picks up again. Her fight-or-flight mode kicks in, but there’s nowhere to run, and fighting this Alpha Male is not an option.
Aylin’s nervous voice echoes through her brain. “Well, I guess we’ve delayed this moment as long as we can.”
Nori relaxes slightly and replies to Aylin, “Wait. I have an idea.”
She takes a deep breath and folds her hands together on the table to keep them from trembling. “Before I answer your questions, I would like someassurances.”
Ryland leans back, resting his ankle on the opposite knee. “Assurances?”
“More like promises.” Nori squirms in her seat, forcing herself to maintain eye contact with the Prince. “I am happy to tell you my story, but I want your word as the Prince of All Wolves that you will not kill me, nor will you send me back to my Pack, and you will do your best to keep me from harm while I am here.”
