Page 32 of Royal Hunt
Trenton snorted, but he went quiet when Gregory shot him a look. Viana focused her gaze on him, silently acknowledging him as the one in charge over his father. Trenton’s face went red, but Viana stopped him before he could say something stupid.
“We have already gone above and beyond by providing you with half our supplies.” Viana said calmly. “We will do our best to come up with a strategy to protect everyone. You are aware we are faster and stronger than you, so we can help.” Viana made deliberate eye contact with everyone.
There was a beat of silence, then Trenton sneered. “You’re the reason the fae are even here to torment us! I think we’ve had enough of your help.”
None of the other humans contradicted him. Viana growled, and one of the triplets stepped forward.
“Don’t be stupid,” he warned in a low voice. “You all are being used as fodder. You will die quickly, and then the real hunt will begin for us. We should take back our supplies since they’ll be of no use to you when you’re dead.”
Viana pushed him back. “Don’t be a dick, Maven.” Her gaze shifted to me, sweeping my body dismissively. “You have potential. I hope you don’t die too soon.” She flicked her ebony hair over her shoulder and spun on her heel. Most of the others followed, leaving behind Ellis.
As soon as they were gone, the other nobles and guards rushed around me, grabbing the supplies for themselves. I didn’t care. I only had eyes for Ellis.
The bags under his eyes looked worse, and his skin so pale it was translucent. I could see purple and blue veins snaking under the skin on his arms and neck.
I wasn’t sure why I gave a fuck. He’d been just as surly to me as Gregory had been recently. And yet, it was different, wasn’t it? Gregory was kind when things were easy, but he’d been nothing but possessive and nasty since everything had happened.
Ellis was the opposite.
He’d been unpleasant and insulting the entire time I’d been with him, except when he wasn’t.He was a jackass at the party, but when it all went to shit he’d changed. He could have mocked me when I’d been afraid of being left behind in the dark tunnels. Instead, he’d pulled me from danger and defended me without belittling my choices. So far, he’d done much more to keep me safe than Gregory. He looked ready to beat his ass for roughing me up.
It was odd.
Gregory’s temper was raw and frustrated. Ellis’s was ...sad.
I reached him as the other heirs fussed over the pile of meager supplies left after donating half to the nobles and guards.
“Are you alright?” I asked him. He glanced at me, and a dark laugh sputtered from his lips. He ran a hand through his dark hair ... dark like Viana’s. His golden eyes were a good match to her silver ones. They’d make a handsome couple. The thought irritated me for some reason.
Ellis’s expression grew thoughtful. “You always ask me that when you can clearly see I’m not.”
He had a point. “I guess you’re right,” I admitted. “It’s a dumb question. Habit, I suppose. I hate it when people do it to me. I’ll stop if you want.”
He grabbed my hand, holding it tightly with both of his. “Never say that. It isn’t dumb. It’s ... nice. When someone actually means it, that is.”
I blinked at him, my muscles relaxing as the pad of his thumb stroked the underside of my palm. “You didn’t answer the question,” I finally mumbled.
He shot a look toward the delegation of humans, who were now fighting over supplies while trying to figure out how to use the canvas I’d given them to create a shelter.
His lips thinned in displeasure. “Stay with us. We can protect you better. I told the others I’d be dead without your help. I saved a fur for you. You can have it.”
I’d never heard him so serious before. Mocking, irreverent, and every shade and tone of disrespect in between. But pleading? Hopeful even?
It made me uneasy and nervous. I glanced back at Gregory, but he was busy trying to grab the fur back from Devya. Because that was the biggest issue in his world at the moment.
I wanted to help them all, but I was finding it difficult to summon any specific reasons why I should. I was an underaged orphan who had no rights to my own family lands or manor due to my gender.
“Why don’t we share the fur? It’s only fair,” I offered instead, then blushed at the unintentional forwardness of such a request. He was embarrassed, but it brought another scenario to the forefront of my mind with the subtlety of an ax to my skull: Gregory would likely want—no,expect—me to sleep near him tonight. To share heat.
The thought of having his arms around me all night made me slightly nauseated. It wasn’t that Gregory wasn’t a dear friend (or had been), but I knew that he would take such a situation to mean more than it did. It would never be about sharing body heat with him.
And why did that make him a villain? Hadn’t I already done as much with Ellis? What made it so different?
My expression must have looked serious because Ellis prodded me in my side.
“What, a king can’t offer to share what he has with his queen?” he scoffed, his tone dry and amused. A grin twisted the corner of my lips. I could handle sarcasm. I could handle a battle of wits. I couldn’t handle reality.
“I suppose I’ll allow you the honor,” I conceded, not missing the flash of quick joy that lit his face, covered a moment later by his default haughty expression. He held out his arm, and I placed my hand in his. Quickly, he guided me over into the back corner where the triplets worked on getting a fire going. Furs were laid out on the ground right up against the fence, directly in the corner.
