Islinda only realized she had been holding tightly onto Aldric as if he were her lifeline when they finally broke apart for air. They gazed into each other’s eyes, sharp blue orbs meeting aroused brown ones, the silence between them speaking volumes as they savored this rare moment.
Aldric lifted his thumb to brush across Islinda’s lower lip, sending a shiver of excitement through her body. She suppressed the ache growing between her legs, knowing that this couldn’t keep happening.
Breaking the silence, Aldric’s voice was husky with desire as he spoke, his gaze smoldering with the intent to ignite her. "If you’re going to speak nonsense with your mouth," he murmured, "then do something better with it."
Islinda swallowed hard, her mouth twitching as she challenged him, "Like kissing you?" Despite her outward appearance of anger, her heart was pounding in her chest. "You broke the rule," she accused him.
"Oh, honey," Aldric drawled in a low, sexy tone, sending shivers down Islinda’s spine as he leaned closer. "We both know who first broke that rule."
Islinda blushed furiously as she recalled the night she had unintentionally crept into his bed and slept with him. Except, she had been possessed that night. Not that he knew.
Sensing the direction of her thoughts, Aldric winked at Islinda, leaving her feeling flustered and flushed. It seemed like payback for her earlier actions. Fine, she thought, an eye for an eye. From now on, they wouldn’t break the rules any further. No more, no less. And she was definitely keeping out of his bed—possessed or not.
However, the tenderness in Aldric’s expression quickly faded, and he reverted to the cold, unfeeling dark Fae prince as he turned to address the company Islinda hadn’t realized was present until now.
"You should thoroughly check her and ensure nothing is wrong," Aldric instructed Zaya, the healer.
"Of course, my prince," Zaya responded, bowing before him.
Islinda expected Aldric to leave immediately, but instead, he surprised her by running his hand through her hair and locating the white streak, letting it slip through his fingers with deep contemplation. Islinda’s heart began to race. Had he discovered something?
Their eyes met, and Islinda felt a sudden unease wash over her. Even a mere human could sense she was hiding something, let alone Aldric. What was the significance of her hair having blonde streaks again?
Though Aldric said nothing and eventually left, Islinda knew this was not the end of it. It was only a matter of time before he uncovered her secret.
Left alone with Zaya and her two maidservants, an awkward silence descended upon them for a while before Islinda attempted to break it.
"Hello, Zaya," Islinda said awkwardly, offering a small wave. "Fancy seeing you here. Though I wish we met under better circumstances than when I’m injured or on my deathbed."
"Perhaps if you stopped getting yourself injured, we would meet under better circumstances," Zaya joked, closing the distance between them.
Islinda frowned, muttering under her breath, "I don’t find trouble, it just seems to find me."
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