Page 48 of Princess of Thorns and Ruin

Violent shivers rake through her body, and Sebastian holds her down so that she doesn’t fall from the seat. “Good girl.”

I shiver at the pulse of her blood in my mouth, and take a few extra gulps before letting go. My undead heart gives a hard thud as though it’s alive again, and tingles buzz in my face, neck, and arms as I spot Alec there, the presence of the royal guard suddenly creeping back into my conscious mind.

I fight to catch my breath, my breasts so full and sensitive under my corset that dark spots dance in front of my eyes. “That was—”

Sebastian squeezes my neck and pulls my mouth to him, sealing his lesson with a quick, bloody kiss as Fred catches her breath, still sandwiched between us. His tongue tastes of her, and we withdraw before I can dwell too long on the bitter memories of our first kiss.

Fred staggers to the chair next to the loveseat in a daze, and Sebastian jumps to his feet. “Let’s dance.” He laces our fingers and wrenches me out of the shadows to the dance floor.

His proximity unnerves me more than before, the absence of a human body to unite us making this an entirely different affair, and I clear my throat, trying to appear unfazed. “Thank you for the tips, it’ll make my life easier.”

He presses his nose to mine almost tenderly. “Don’t let them marry you off.”

“I don’t know how I could change Victor’s mind.”

He grips my waist with both hands, his touch rough and unrestrained. “You don’t have to change his mind. Just kiss me.”

I push him back with both palms flat over his chest. “Are you mad? In front of all these people? I’m engaged to be married.”

It would be like a slap in Victor’s face. It would destroy my chances to be accepted by his court. I can’t.

“Kiss me and spend the night here.” His voice is needy, almost brittle. “Pereira is old-school. He wants his wife to be a maiden. If rumors fly around court that you’re not a virgin anymore, he might call off the marriage.”

“I don’t want to sleep with you, Sebastian,” I breathe.

He chokes up, the sound almost savage. “Ah! Alec, then. Or your greek hunk. Anyone will do, as long as it’s a very public fuck.”

Alec is suddenly inches away, and he cleaves an arm between Sebastian and me to separate us. “Come with me, princess. Now.”

Sebastian squeezes my sides harder, not letting go. “Relax, Beaumont. I’m just trying to—”

Before I can move, Alec wraps himself around me, the muscular planes of his chest caging me in. I wriggle to break free, but the acrid, metallic scent of vampire blood assaults my nose as a burgundy wave splatters my face and trickles down my neck.

A tall man with thick brows and a beard flashes into view. He’s holding a crossbow, the tip of the bolt aimed directly at me.

“He’s here to kill the princess! Seize him!” Alec shouts.

A string of gunshots pierce the air, the loud pow, pow, pow of his gun so loud in my new eardrums that I stagger. Shrieks and panic take hold of the crowd, dancers running for the door, the smell of fear thick in the air. The sum of it all short-circuits my rational brain to the point of helplessness, and if it weren’t for Alec’s soothing iron grip around my midriff, I’d rush into the fray like a fly that keeps banging itself into a clear window.

Sebastian bares his long, white teeth and dashes into action.

A silver bolt sticks out of Alec’s shoulder, and a fresh one buries into his back as he whisks me away, his movements fast and slick. The royal guard plies me to his will, my head and arms tucked in, one arm supporting my weight and holding me to his chest. His body shields me from the projectiles as he heads for the servants’ corridor.

“Where are we going? This isn’t protocol,” I ask, finally understanding what’s happening.

“Fuck protocol.”

Chapter 19

Outside Protocol

ALEC

After we reach the servant’s corridor, I tear the two bolts out of my shoulder with a grunt and dump them at our feet. The flesh itches as it starts to heal, but blood mars the princess’ face and neck. One sniff reassures me that it’s all mine, and I maneuver my charge deeper inside the maze of doors and narrow hallways.

Silk hugs the curves of her round breasts, her red dress simply sinful. The low-back cut finishes right above her ass, and my hands are pressed flush against her skin as I usher her along the corridor.

“Stop pushing, I’m going to trip.”

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