Page 94 of The Ice Prince's Fated Mate
“It’s not?” Milly yelped, slamming a hand on the seat cushion next to her. “Details. When? How?”
The fierce burning in my cheeks increased as I realized I had to tell her about the hidey-hole sex sessionandlive through her commentary.
“We may have, you know, when we were out doing surveillance.” I fake-coughed into a hand. “Anyway, us having sex isn’t why I came here.”
“It should be,” Milly said, shaking her head. “That’s a darn good move on your part. And I’m glad at least one of us is having fun like that.”
“You don’t need to take that off to have fun,” I said, pointing at the slave collar.
“I know.” She smiled. “I’ve been thinking about that. Maybe I’ll flirt a bit with Kolar. He’s been looking cuter the stronger I get.”
“See. There’s the Milly I know. Maybe you should take it off, though. You may end up being claimed like I did.”
Milly shot to her feet in excitement. “Officially like? You let him?”
“Let him?” I shook my head. “I told him to do it. And he did.”
“Show me. Now.”
I pulled my hair back to reveal the dots. “They look just like the ones I left him on his chest.”
“That’s amazing!” Milly said, sitting down and hugging me tightly. “I’m so happy for you. Dirk really is a good guy.”
“I know.”
I knew it now.
I should have listened at the start. But if I had, it might not have worked out this way. So who knows.
Milly reached up and played with the shiny silver band. “Maybe itistime I sucked it up and got this thing off.”
I nodded. “It would be good for you, but also for the others in the dungeon. Who knows what might happen if all the Elites in the citadel are suddenly exposed to us desirable Grounded. They might start being nice.”
We laughed.
“Maybe when Anna finishes her heat, I’ll ask Caz to remove it,” Milly said, a lick of her lips the only sign of any nerves.
“You don’t have to rush into it,” I reassured her. “But I hope you do. Everything else is looking up, after all. So why not add to it?”
Forty-Four
Dirk
Leaving Ella toshower, I walked to the balcony and paused to look at the closed door. My mate was in there. I could feel her happiness and contentment humming along the link that joined us.
It was infectious. I should have wanted to smile. The change in Ella—from shocked and scared I would reject her to fulfilled and joyful—was incredibly satisfying to myself and my dragon.
Or it should have been.
Clamping down on my emotions, I focused on nothingness …calm, empty.
With a thought, wings sprouted from my back once more, and I took to the air, soaring high above Kylma and toward the far side of the huge capital city. I needed the distance from Ella so she wouldn’t be able to pick up on my emotions. But what’s more, my destination lay there.
My joy and happiness stayed behind with her, replaced by cold rage.
I did not want to be leaving so soon after finally claiming my mate. It wasn’t logical. But I couldn’t stop myself. Not this time. My mind was elsewhere as I flew. In the past.
A past that had suddenly become much more relevant. The memory, long locked-up tight, came back to me in a rush, bringing with it all the anger and frustration from that night and the many nights that followed. Ten years of rage and darkness welled up inside me once more and laughed at me.
