The woman walking toward us with the grace of a hunter is stunning beyond mere words. But not in the quiet, subtle way. Not in the beauty that grows on you over time. No, she’s beautiful in the way that screams for you to acknowledge it. To bow down and obey. The kind that causes men to go to war.
But the malevolence is in the eyes.
They never lie.
There’s a lingering brutality among hers. The crimson-colored orbs sweep over us, taking in the scene before her. A half-frozen woman hugging a tree for support and a perpetually stoic Noctryn in full battle gear.
She stops a few feet away, her red dress flowing around her sinuous form. The deep color is a stark contrast to the straight white hair falling to her waist. Her full lips pull into a saccharin grin as she looks from Kingston to me and back again.
“Hello, King,” she says in a velvety voice.
He dips his head. “Constance.” His body is rigid, and shadows hover along his fingers.
With raised eyebrows, I look back and forth between the two. They clearly know each other. I just haven’t figured out on what terms.
Her eyes remain on Kingston as she moves toward him, slowly circling his much larger frame. She reaches out and runs her fingers down the length of his arm.
My fingers curl slightly at my sides.
“It’s been a while,” she says, stopping in front of him.
He lowers his head to look directly at her. “It has,” he replies in a flat voice.
“One would think you haven’t missed me,” she comments, a lethal edge to her tone. Her crimson eyes are locked on his face.
I snort under my breath.
Kingston raises his eyes to look directly at me, a warning lingering in the amber depths. He turns his attention back to the woman in front of him. “What are you doing so far east?” he asks, his dark voice surrounding us in the quiet forest.
“Foraging. Why do you ask?” she taunts, moving her hand to his armored chest.
His dark eyes follow the movement before his gloved hand captures hers. His glare is sharp and fixed. “What do you want, Constance?”
“Were you going to fuck her?” she asks bluntly.
I bristle behind her. I knew from the moment I saw her that she was trouble, but now she’s just pissing me off.
Kingston casually dismisses her. “That’s none of your business.”
“So you’re done with me, and you’ve moved on to—” she begins, turning and roaming her eyes over me. Eyes that clearly want to hurt me. “Lesser quality.”
I’m about to show her exactly what kind ofqualityI am.
I push off the tree, but before I even take one step forward, a dark voice echoes through my skull.
Do not fucking move from that spot.
I whip my eyes toward Kingston. But his eyes remain on the woman who’s now looking up at him. Did he just telepathically order me around?
Okay then. Let’s have a conversation, asshole.
Stay out of my head!
Also, how about you wrap this little reunion up? I’m a freakin’ icicle over here!
A muscle jumps in the corner of his jaw.
Working on it.
