Page 42 of Lethal King

Instead, I might just be in the wrong spot.

And that would be almost as embarrassing as losing my crown on my coronation day.

Fuck.

The flicker of rage that follows that thought reminds me why I’m here. Gone are the days where I listen to my advisors; if I’m going to rule a kingdom, I’m going to have to listen to something stronger. Something far more ruthless.

My heart.

And my heart says hunt. It says capture. It says devour.

It’s time to end this.

Reaching into my pocket, I shove aside my pulsing phone and pull out a black rubber ball. It only takes a little squeeze to activate the hardware inside, and when I throw it into the weeds at my feet, it shakes and rattles until a wave of nearly invisible red-light washes from its seams.

For as eager as I am to repay the Black Cat for what she’s done to me, I’m equally as cautious. I will not be embarrassed again—even if I’ve already had enough time to second guess my rash decision.

No. Fuck that. You’ve made your choice. Follow through with it.

That inner voice gets louder as my little black ball picks up on a few tripwires hidden around the ancient property. With a quick whistle, I recall the device to my hand.

“Good job,” I mumble, patting it like a pet before stuffing it back into my pocket.

Rozalia Dorn thinks she can outsmart me. She thinks she can lead me into a trap and dance over the bars of my cage. She thinks I’ll let her do it.

She’s going to learn what happens when you corner a lion.

Putting away the black ball, I take out my pulsing phone and double-check the signal it’s tracking for me.

Sure enough, the black arrow on the screen points straight ahead, into the dark and dilapidated woodland castle.

“You better be here, kitten. And you better be ready.”

It barely takes any effort to dance around the snares and tripwires. When I’m about halfway across the overgrown lawn, I spot the first security cameras. Two of them are fixed into the faded grey bricks of the old castle’s west tower, while three more crawl up the side of the eastern wall.

To my delight, they aren’t mobile. And I easily figure out how to crawl between their blind spots.

Before long before I’m at a dusty back door. The chipped wood and rusted metal hardly puts up a fight as I wedge my switchblade between the hinges and push.

With a deep groan, the door pops open, and I’m given my first look at the insides of my enemy’s lair.

And what a fucking lair it is.

Shit. I don’t know what I was expecting. Maybe a deceptively well-decorated interior, or at least a half-hazard attempt at comfort. Rozalia is a woman, after all, and all the women I know enjoy some level of luxury.

But the inside of the castle is the furthest thing from luxury.

It doesn’t look like the Black Cat has put any work into making this place feel like a home. Instead, the place feels more like a museum.

It makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. My grip tightens around my gun.

With a sneer plastered on my lips, I move forward.

There’s no going back. I’ve made my announcement. Delivered my intentions to an attentive empire. Bended the truth for my father and anyone else who trusts me. I’ve given in to my most primal desires and dropped everything to go hunting.

I will be dragging Rozalia back to my kingdom. There’s no question about it. The only obstacle is catching the elusive Black Cat.

But my prey is somewhere nearby. I can literally smell her. It’s how I’m certain this is the right place.