Page 22 of Slaying the Shifter Prince
My muscles hummed pleasantly. It wasn’t the revenge they called for, but it was enough to keep them occupied for now.
I rose into a handstand, counted as I held it, each part of me involved in the micro-adjustments that balanced my body. After ten seconds, I lowered myself and slowly, slowly tilted, until my hands were level with my waist, my weight on them as I lay on my front in mid-air. My arms burned and trembled a little. But it was a good burn.
“Whatareyou doing?”
Holding my balance, I looked up and found the prince sitting up in bed, watching. His hair pooled around his shoulders, sleep-mussed, and his eyebrows bunched together. I couldn’t decide if it was in confusion or irritation that he’d been woken.
I hoped it was the latter.
With a long breath, I returned my attention to my exercises. Legs pulling apart, I pushed my torso upright, until I was in a sitting position, with only my hands in contact with the floor.
I could feel the prince’s scrutiny. Maybe he really was confused. After all, I doubted hard work came into his vocabulary.
On the count of ten, I swung into a handstand, then flipped to my feet.
He huffed and rolled his eyes. “Trust you to ruin mornings with”—he waved his hand at me—“whatever that is.”
I gritted my teeth and arched back into a bridge. I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of my attention. This was my morning routine, and I wasn’t going to let him spoil it.
“I should’ve known you’d do something like this. You even ruin sex.”
Then he’d sent his partner away early because he’d been unable to enjoy it without my discomfort. Kicking back into a handstand, I grinned. My day was rapidly improving.
I lifted one hand from the floor and spread it to the side in presentation. But when I flashed my triumphant grin at him, he wasn’t wearing the irritated expression I’d expected. Head cocked, eyes narrowed, lips parted, he watched me,fascinated.
His gaze trailed over my body as I held my balance, arm trembling a little now. At last he met my eyes and sucked in a quick breath as he saw I’d caught him. A frown crashed into place like a door slamming shut.
Slowly, his mouth curled. “Very impressive. It would be a shame if you were to lose that hand, wouldn’t it?”
My heart leapt to my throat at the reminder of the dangerous game I was playing.
I righted myself, graceful, but quicker than usual.
My life was his. Under the stupid rules of this country, I belonged to him. The stories said fae hated slavery, but apparently this didn’t count.
Smirking, the prince strode past me and through a large door I hadn’t noticed amongst the room’s marble panels. I caught a glimpse of a bathroom before he closed it.
By the time he emerged, naked, I’d finished my exercise routine. I refused to look at what swung between his legs as he sauntered around the room. The way he walked made me wonder if he’d prefer to be naked all the time. I certainly didn’t doubt he’d mind everyone seeing his cock. I didn’t need to look directly at it to know it wasn’t something to be ashamed of.
Neither was the rest of his body—perfect, like a book of anatomy studies I’d once seen.
Except for his tail. It wasn’t that his body was marred by the fact it existed, but that the smooth perfection of his golden skin was interrupted by a jagged scar halfway up it. And now I looked more closely, I could see it was slightly crooked there, like it had been broken.
He rifled through a wardrobe. “I’ve set out toiletries for you in the bathroom. Cleansers and lotions, shampoo and conditioner. Celestine mentioned your…plumage”—he flashed a grin as though he found his own joke terribly amusing—“requires some maintenance.”
I was loath to admit anything fae was in any way good, but after Celestine’s bath, my skin felt incredible and I’d never seen my hair so shiny. Even the cut in my shoulder had smoothed to a thin, red line. It had barely twinged during my exercises.
“You’ll wear this today.” He pulled a dress from the wardrobe, flipping it to show me the front and back. Dreamy dawn pink layered with gold and powder blue, its gauzy fabric created a complex interplay of colours that tugged on me.
I wanted it. The sleeveless cut would show off my toned arms, and the low back would hint at my muscled shoulders.
He hung the dress on the front of the wardrobe before turning to a dressing table. “This scent will complement your own.” He indicated a bottle, then gave me a long look, eyes narrowed in calculation. “And, yes, these will be perfect.” He pulled out a velvet jewellery case.
I couldn’t help the steps I took, drawn closer, closer like a fish being reeled in.
Inside glittered a pair of pale gold bracelets, each shaped like a wing, with feathers picked out in perfect detail. I let out a little breath.
The prince smiled.
