by Erin Hayes
She tensed.
Holding her hand was Conall Baran, the crown prince of the Baran clan.
A Wolf.
Chapter Five
THE HAIRS ON Allyn’s exposed arms stood on end as she walked behind Prince Conall Baran from the VIP lounge. He didn’t glance back at her as they walked down the long hallway lit with neon lights that trailed along the grooves of the floor. The sound of the music faded farther and farther away as they approached the far door that led to the elevator.
Once they reached the elevator, Conall pressed the button and it opened. They stepped inside and she stood far from him, watching him select the eightieth floor at the very top of the building. Why he chose to take her far away from her friends she was uncertain of. But, as they rode the elevator to the top, she could feel sparks of electricity between their bodies.
It was odd. She’d never felt such magic just by standing beside a man. Her brows furrowed as she glanced at him. The urge to touch his face was almost unbearable.
Did he have magic as well?
When he met her gaze, she looked away, fixing her eyes on the glowing buttons on the elevator panel.
“What is your name?”
“Allyn.”
“Allyn, what?”
“Allyn Carmody.”
“Oh, you have Irish ancestry. Nice.”
“Thank you. There aren’t many of us in Central Elastria.”
“Don’t worry. We are all blended. There aren’t many Scots outside of my clan anymore either.”
The world was a mixture since the wars of the old days. The old countries and kingdoms were no more, but some still liked to hold on to their ancestor’s heritage. Allyn knew she was of Irish ancestry. She just wished she knew a bit more than that. Above all, she yearned for more information about where her power came from.
“You’re the first shy girl I’ve met at this club,” he said. “You seem more like the stay at home and read type.”
His observation was uncanny. It caught her off guard just how accurate he was. “You’re right. I would have rather stayed at home.”
He lifted a brow just as the elevator doors slid open. “But then we might not have ever met.”
She swallowed as he reached for her hand and led her outside the elevator to another long hallway. She wanted desperately to tell him that they had met before, once when they were children.
“This is true,” Allyn said, walking hand-in-hand beside one of her greatest enemies. She knew this to be a fact, she just wasn’t sure how much he knew. “Where are you taking me?”
“I want to show you something. You see, I’m like you. I’d rather stay at home with a book. But, a prince must show his face once in a while. I saw that look in your eyes like you were uncomfortable amidst the wild partygoers, and I asked my assistant to bring you to me.”
“Oh,” Allyn said, taken aback by his candid response. Then again, there was a tiny thought that he would say anything to get her to his bed. She hoped he was honest. Being taken away from the party wasn’t the worst thing that could happen. She never wanted to be there anyway. “Thank you.”
“No problem. I know of a quiet place. I think you’ll like it.”
The door ahead looked to lead outside.
Unsure of what to expect, Allyn began to dread going outside, knowing that the biting cold would chill her bones. She held her breath with anticipation as Conall opened the door and held it for her.
“Come now,” he said, a mischievous glint in his blue eyes. “I promise I won’t bite.”
“Good one,” Allyn said under her breath, and he chuckled.
Conall’s laugh was nice and disarming. Despite all of the warnings within, he made her feel comfortable.
Instead of being met with cold, the temperature never changed as Allyn stepped into an indoor garden lounge. Her eyes widened at the glass room that had the best view of Elastria that she had ever seen.
Mouth open, she spun around as she looked at the stars above, and the snow that fell like rain. There was a bar in the middle of the empty room, two female bartenders ready to serve.
“Is this another lounge?” Her eyes went to the flowers that lined the circular path that surrounded the bar.
“It is. Beautiful,” Conall said. “Isn’t it?”
There were tables and leather sofas lining the walls, except for one area where the people could step out onto the balcony. It was closed at that moment, but Allyn imagined how wonderful it must be during the warmer seasons.
Nodding her head, Allyn stood before him. Her eyes narrowed as she looked at his face. “Why did you really bring me up here? We could have talked in the VIP lounge, with my friends.”
He took a step forward, making her uneasy by his proximity to her body. “I like beautiful things,” he whispered, his breath warming her neck. “And you are the most beautiful woman I’ve seen in a long time.”
“So,” Allyn said, turning to Conall. “You really think I’m beautiful?”
He grinned, his brows furrowing as he looked down at her. “What kind of question is that? Of course. Don’t you?”
Allyn’s eyes widened. No one had ever asked her that before. “I don’t know,” she whispered. “Only one person has ever told me that. Before you, that is.”
“That is a shame. You deserve to hear those words every day.”
Wow. He is good. Allyn twirled a ringlet of hair as she looked up at him. Too good.
“Who was the other person?”
“My boyfriend,” she said and cringed at her mistake. She sighed and pushed her hair from her face, tucking wild strands behind her ear. “My ex-boyfriend. He left me a few days ago.”
Conall leaned in close. “His loss.”
“I’m sure he thinks otherwise. He has grand thoughts of being a rock star. He doesn’t need a girl like me holding him back.”
“A girl like you? I don’t think you give yourself enough credit. I’ve known you for less than an hour and I can tell you deserve better.”
“Do I deserve a prince?” she asked, batting her eyelashes, a demure smile on her lips.
He gave her an amused look and they laughed. “That remains to be seen.”
She bit her bottom lip and inhaled. Never had the presence of a man stirred her desire so easily. She stepped away and turned her back to him.
“Would you like a drink?”
Allyn nodded. “Sure. I’ll have what you have.”
He walked over to the bar and a tiny bud of hope was buried within her heart that maybe he wasn’t trying to trick her. Maybe he was just as attracted to her as she was to him.
She squeezed her eyes shut. Such thoughts were dangerous. It was too soon. Her heart was still broken by Byron.
Byron—the man that promised her the world and left her with nothing.
She opened her eyes and scowled at the glass. Why should she waste another minute thinking about him? He wasn’t thinking of her. If he had, she wouldn’t be homeless right now.
“We are in the same boat,” Conall said. His hands lifted her hair. “I’m newly single.”
Allyn watched him touch her hair, only wanting him to come closer. “I know,” she said. “I may be new to Central Elastria, but I can read the papers, and the entire kingdom knows about you.”
He stepped to her, his chest an inch from her face. She looked up at him, noting how his face had turned serious, his smile fading, his eyes narrowed. She also noted how alluring he smelled.
He lowered his voice. “What do you think you know about me?”
Allyn swallowed, once again intoxicated by his presence alone. His cologne was mixed with the smell of evergreen, as though he’d hiked through the woods before coming to the Digital Underground.
Her face paled when she realized just how true that could have been. He was a Wolf after all.
“Well,” she began, licking her lips, surprised by how boldly she was speaking to the prince. “Everyone knows about the actress you were dating. And how you
broke up with her when she told you she was pregnant.”
Conall laughed. “Do people actually believe those stories?”
Shrugging, she looked up at him and lowered her voice. “I don’t know.”
“Don’t believe everything that you hear,” he said. “I broke up with her for selling stories such as the one you read in the papers. Like you said, she was an actress. A good one.”
Allyn hated to see him frown. She wished she hadn’t made that accusation, but then she might not have seen his candid, vulnerable side.
“I almost believed she was genuine.”
“I’m sorry,” Allyn said. She found herself believing everything he said to her. It was difficult not to. She’d learned the difference between truths and lies in a person’s eyes.
Conall didn’t speak. He tilted her chin with the tips of his fingers and leaned down to kiss her.
Though surprised by his sudden kiss, she didn’t resist. Her body awakened the instant his lips touched hers. Allyn’s eyes fluttered closed as Conall turned her to the window and pressed her body to the glass. With his body pressed against hers, she surrendered to his kiss. He took her bottom lip between his teeth and sucked it, as his hands cupped her face.
Conall tasted sweet, like honey. He slid his tongue against hers, devouring her mouth. She didn’t care that they weren’t alone. Her focus was on the handsome man before her, and how she could get more of his affection.
When he pulled away and took her by the hand, Allyn was dizzy. Breathless.
Her chest heaved as she opened her eyes and looked at him. Not even Byron’s kisses left her so disoriented and yearning for more. Butterflies filled her belly as she realized that this could be the beginning of something incredible.
“Listen,” he said, his forehead pressed to hers as he held onto her waist. “I leave tomorrow, but I’d like to spend these last few hours with you. What do you think?”
Allyn’s eyes were fixed on his lips. A night with a handsome prince? More like a night to make him fall and make her a princess. She knew that she was silly to even think such a thing was possible. Still, she was up for the challenge. She didn’t want to be a princess. She just wanted someone to be good to her.
“Sure. I don’t have anything else to do.”
“Good,” he said and kissed her again. He stroked the small of her back and she melted into his chest.
Delicious little sparks.
“How about we get out of here? I have a loft on the top floor.”
Allyn didn’t hesitate, despite her fears that he just wanted to sleep with her. Aude and Khia were right. She needed to get over Byron. Perhaps a night with a prince was just what she really needed.
“Yes.”
As those words fell from her lips she began to wonder who the witch was in this scenario…because she was sure Conall had her under a spell.
Chapter Six
PRINCE CONALL’S LOFT was located on the top of the skyscraper. The entire top floor belonged to him, and when they walked inside, Allyn was taken aback by the amount of room. Inside, a fire burned in the center of the living room in a white, stone fireplace. A loft bedroom with a glass half-wall overlooked the lavish living space with plush sofas, glass tables, and a full kitchen.
“How long are you staying here?” Allyn asked. A family of four could live in that loft, comfortably.
“Just the night. I only come here when I have business in the city. I return to my castle tomorrow.” He walked over to the kitchen and pulled wine from a closet. “Where do you live?”
Allyn shrugged. “I’m in between places right now.”
“What does that mean exactly?” Conall asked as he poured wine into two glasses.
“It means that I am living with friends until I figure out what I’m going to do next.”
He turned on music and Allyn couldn’t help the smile that came to her face as soft, classical music came from the speakers installed on the ceiling.
She stood there in the foyer as Conall took off his suit jacket, revealing a black vest over his navy blue collared shirt.
When Allyn opened her eyes, she glanced over her shoulder. “This makes me miss my violin.”
Memories of playing her violin in the living room of their wood cabin came to her. Her mother used to knit her sweaters before the fire, a smile on her face as her dear girl played her favorite songs. Father would take a break from grading papers for the high school in town to critique her. She used to hate it when he’d find the smallest error in her playing but missed those evenings more than anything.
“Well, aren’t you full of surprises?”
“My father used to play this song a lot when I was growing up,” she said, closing her eyes and humming along with the melody of the violin.
“Did he? I’d like to hear about him.”
“He’s a music teacher,” she said. “He used to play for your father. You may not remember, but we’ve met once before.”
Conall turned to her, a smile on his face. “I wondered if you remembered me.”
Allyn spun around to him. “What?” Her hands fell to her sides. “You actually remembered me…this entire time?”
He nodded and her face flushed. “You’re kidding me.”
“I’m not.”
They’d only been ten years old when her father brought her along to the central palace for a private concert. She’d been allowed to play with the young prince in the gardens and playrooms for just one weekend, and she never forgot the fun they’d shared. That was one of the last good memories she had before her life took a turn for the worst.
“Wow,” she said. “You’re the one that’s full of surprises.”
“How could I forget the girl with the red hair? I noticed you immediately when you came down the stairs tonight.”
“Conall,” Allyn whispered. “I think you might be right about the whole fate thing.”
He shrugged. “I told you.”
“Okay. So, tell me more about Prince Conall Baran.”
“What is there? Everyone knows of the curse of the Wolf. It is a part of my clan and part of Elastria’s history.”
Allyn sat down on one of the bar stools at his kitchen island. “I’m sure there is more to you than your subjects know. Like your twin brother, Lennox. What’s his deal?”
The way Conall’s face paled at the mention of his brother made her wish she hadn’t brought him up.
“I’d appreciate if you didn’t talk about him,” he said but didn’t elaborate. Instead, he walked over and handed her a glass of red wine.
She took a sip. “I’m sorry. I just thought with the two of you still living in the original Baran castle, you’d be close,” she said.
“We aren’t,” he snapped.
Allyn held onto her wine glass, the tension thickening in the room. Even when they met as children, Lennox wasn’t around. She didn’t understand the division between twins but knew better to press the issue. She didn’t need to learn all of his secrets in one night.
For one, she wasn’t ready to tell hers.
She smiled and tried to lighten the mood. “I haven’t had so much alcohol in all of my life. Are you trying to get me drunk?”
“If you need to take it easy, my feelings won’t be hurt. Would you like some water?”
Allyn drank a bit more. “I’m fine.” Her mind went to Aude and Khia and what they would think if she didn’t return soon. “I should probably tell my friends where I am.”
“Don’t worry. I sent Edan a text. He told them where you are and will make sure they are taken care of.”
“Oh,” she said and sat up straight. “What do you want to do now since we have a few more hours together?”
Conall shrugged. “We can just talk if you’d like. I haven’t seen you in years and would love to know what you’ve been up to. Hannah was never much of a conversationalist. She seemed to enjoy the sound of her own voice that nothing she said had much depth.”
“But, you stayed wit
h her for nine months. There must have been something you liked.”
“She was pretty, and there’s always been a lot of pressure to settle down.” He leaned back against the counter with a sigh. “But, like I said, she was a great actress. It was hard to tell when the act was over and when she was being real. You know?”
Allyn stared at him. He tried to hide that he was hurt, but she could see right through his façade. She saw her own pain reflected in his ice-blue eyes.
“Yes. I know exactly what you mean. My ex did nothing but lie to me. On top of that, he’s probably with another woman right now.” She made light of it, though the idea ate at her each night.
“Damn. As far as I know, Hannah never cheated. She was just a liar.”
“Well, lucky you.” Allyn drank her wine down, no longer caring about how drunk she got. As long as she didn’t become sloppy, she didn’t care.
He picked up the wine bottle and poured her some more. “I’m the cursed one,” he said. “There isn’t much luck involved.”
I know more than you think.
She watched the red liquid fill her glass. This wasn’t the way she envisioned her night. Just hours ago, she thought she’d be sitting in her dark apartment with a bunch of candles and a bowl of canned soup.
Now, she was drinking wine with the prince of Elastria…the future king.
The music changed to a more upbeat song and Allyn’s body warmed from within. She smiled, suddenly wanting to dance, but not quite drunk enough to do so alone in the middle of the Prince Conall’s living room.
“This is weird,” Allyn said, her smile fading as she looked up to Conall.
He lifted a brow. “What is?”
“I can’t get over that I’m sitting here with a prince, talking about my ex. What is happening right now? Is this real?”
Conall’s charming smile returned and he took her glass from her hands. She watched him set her glass on the black marble countertop and turn her barstool to face him. He leaned down to her level and looked her right in the eyes.
“Allyn Carmody. This is real, and I think you’re done drinking.”
Her head spun and she could barely keep her eyes open. “Why?” she asked in a whisper and nearly fell from the stool.