by J. N. Colon
Damn it.
I marched toward him and drew it out of my pocket, hesitating. “Why do you want it?”
“To keep it safe and out of enemy hands.” He reached for the dangerous weapon. “There’s no telling what else this blade is capable of.”
Which was the exact reason I didn’t want the Unseelie king to have it.
Too bad I didn’t have a choice.
I slapped it in his palm and then pivoted, striding to the door without another word. Caleb’s gaze burned me long after I escaped into the hall.
Once I made it to my room, I didn’t waste any time grabbing my bags and tossing my meager belongings on the bed to pack. I needed to get the hell out of this place. Too many shadows churned inside of me, and there was no telling what I’d do with as much temptation as Shade offered.
“You’re leaving already?”
I jumped at Caleb’s husky voice and found him leaning against the closed door. I hadn’t even heard him come in. “Uh, yeah.” I swallowed thickly and turned away. I couldn’t handle looking at him. He’d almost died tonight. And I’d sacrificed another piece of my soul to save him.
I had to get as far away from the fae prince as possible.
Too bad Caleb had other ideas. His presence closed in, bringing with it that intoxicating fusion of bergamot, leather, and warmth.
“I get it,” he said, his breath blowing my hair as I continued to shove clothes into my bag. “I’d want to get away from my father too. I’ll make sure a car is downstairs to take you home.”
I glanced up, making the mistake of meeting his eyes. They were dark and tumultuous. And completely unreadable. “Are you going to leave Chicago?”
A line developed between his eyebrows as he considered my question. “I don’t know.”
The shirt fell from my hands. “But I thought that’s what you wanted. You did all of this to get free of him.”
He picked up the garment that had fallen and tossed it in my bag. “I know, but leaving isn’t that simple, especially now.”
“What do you mean?”
“Demons have already screwed with the fae. What if another group tries?” He rubbed his nape as he studied the pristine white rug. “I can’t stand being under my father’s thumb, but I do care about our people, no matter what he thinks.”
Was Caleb Blackwood not the selfish, cocky, reckless prince he acted like?
Of course not. After working with him, I knew there was a lot more to the prince than that arrogant bravado. He had a heart, and it had been crushed by grief and pain.
No one came out of losing a parent and a sibling unscathed—not even the Unseelie prince.
I zipped up my bags and tossed one over my shoulder. “I better go.” Before I did something regrettable like kiss him.
That signature smirk melted over Caleb’s lush lips. “Oh, Rose Thorn, did you really think I’d let you go that easily?”
My head jerked back. “What—”
The prince lifted the bag off my shoulder, dropped it to the floor, and yanked me forward. His mouth crushed mine, giving me a fiery kiss that sent my temperature soaring.
I had no choice but to surrender to his passionate storm. I was a tiny dinghy in the ocean of Caleb Blackwood.
My hand wrapped around the back of his neck, fingers tangling in his hair as I pressed against him. He was all hard lines and muscles. Heat and power. The softness of his tongue mixed with his piercings liquified my insides with every slow, tantalizing caress.
A moan slipped out of one of us, maybe both. Caleb’s hands roamed my curves as he drove his hips into mine.
Sparks ignited in my stomach, slithering down to my nether regions. I felt every throbbing inch of him, and it only deepened my longing for the fae prince.
I wanted to finish what we started in that alley. Aches rolled through my body only he could soothe with his hands, his mouth, that tongue—every part of him.
We were alone in my room, nothing to stop us.
Caleb broke away, his ragged breath mingling with mine. “You’re not ready for me, Rose Thorn.” His hands rested on my back beneath my shirt as his damp lips hovered over mine. “I’d turn you inside out within ten minutes.”
I punched his side. “As if, Tinkerbell. And I only let you kiss me because you almost died tonight. I felt sorry for you.”
The fires still burned inside, but part of me was relieved he had enough sense to stop. If he hadn’t, we’d be rolling around on my bed, half our clothes already gone.
Caleb grabbed the bag from the floor and lifted it onto my shoulder, chuckling. “I’ll be seeing you real soon, Rose Thorn.” He ran his finger over the scar slicing my eyebrow, a line of fire burning from his touch. “Try not to stab too many people with those thorns.”
I slung the other bag over my shoulder. “I’ll make sure to keep them sharp just for you, Tinkerbell.”
A layer of warmth melted the winter from his eyes, and his smile softened. “See you later, Thorn.”
My heart tightened as I turned away, heading out the door. If I knew what was good for me, I’d never see him again.
I exited Shade, the frigid night air slapping me in the face and cooling the heat Caleb had triggered. Like he promised, a sleek black sedan idled near the sidewalk.
My shoulders slumped as I marched toward it. Thank the gods I didn’t have to walk home because I wouldn’t hold up much longer.
“Thanks for the ride,” I muttered, tossing my stuff onto the soft, buttery leather seat in the back.
The male pixie nodded politely from behind the wheel. “No problem. Prince Caleb gave me the address.”
Just the mention of that name had my body tingling again. I opened the passenger side door to hop in when a different kind of tingle radiated over my scalp.
My gaze searched the pre-dawn streets where most of the citizens were tucked away in their beds. Even nightworlders would be home by this hour.
Except for her.
The scarlet patch on her jacket screamed through the night like a vengeful wraith.
But she was no phantom.
Every drop of moisture evaporated from my mouth as the venator slinked within the shadows, searching for the runaway witch.
Killing the necromancer had not only tainted my soul beyond repair, but the dark deed brought Ellexia’s trackers.
The grand witch had finally found me.
And Nightworld just became a hundred times more dangerous.
To be continued…
Thorn is paying a hefty price for saving Nightworld. Not only has the darkness come calling, but so has her coven…
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About the Author
USA Today Bestselling author J.N. Colon writes fast-paced paranormal romance and urban fantasy. As a bona fide bookworm and paranormal junkie, she’ll snatch readers from their cozy couches and drop them in a perilous world ripe with mystery, danger, and romance. While sipping mocha lattes and devouring sweets, she crafts chilling adventures starring snarky heroines and brooding bad boys. Binge-watching reruns of Supernatural and Vampire Diaries help her create the perfect blend of thrilling action and epic romance.
www.jncolon.com