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Harper gives me a small but genuine smile, and damn, does my stomach flip in the most ridiculous way. I’ll never get used to her smiling at me like that.

The two bitches pull me out of my moment by snorting loudly, in a really undignified way. Tillie scowls as she says, “That’s not likely. She will, however, be the biggest slut in the room. I’m sure the Eagles will let her in if she spreads her legs for them.”

Hearing them call my girl a slut in the negative sense of the word sends a flood of fire through my veins, which is only made worse by the thought of her spreading her legs for anyone except me. I’m seconds away from exploding, but before I can say anything, Harper takes a small step away from me, pulling her shoulders back as she edges closer to Tillie and Sienna.

They’re both wearing matching anxious expressions, their gazes flicking between me and Harper, and I don’t blame them for being cautious. Harper is holding her head high, her back straight, displaying more confidence than I’ve ever seen her have in front of the two girls who seem to love making her life hell.

“They’ll be too busy trying to fill your baggy cunt to care about me, I’m sure,” Harper replies, not even a hint of unease in her voice.

My dick fucking twitches to life as I watch my beautiful girl stand up for herself at last.

The looks on Sienna and Tillie’s faces are priceless, and they’re both too stunned to do anything at first. It’s like their slow brains are taking their time to register exactly what Harper said, and you can see the moment the insult hits.

Sienna’s face scrunches into an ugly scowl, and she lets out this fucking awful screech that I’m pretty sure only other dogs can hear, as she takes a threatening step towards Harper, her hand raised as she prepares to slap her.

Everything seems to move in slow motion once we all realise what Sienna is about to do. Harper hardens her face and turns slightly, bracing herself for the impact, while I try to move in front of her, hoping I can block the hit.

Luckily for Sienna, Ryan is the quickest to respond, and he grabs her wrist mid-motion, stopping her before she’s able to make contact. Sienna turns to glare at Ryan, not even trying to hide the betrayal that’s written across her face.

Before either of them can say anything, I make my feelings known, ensuring my voice has the dangerous edge people fear. “Be glad he stopped you. If you ever lay a hand on my Prize, I’ll pull each finger off one by one.”

All the colour drains from Sienna’s face as she takes a step back behind Ryan, using part of his body as a shield between us, though that wouldn’t be enough to stop me if I wanted to get to her.

Tillie’s face wrinkles, as if she smells something nasty, her gaze flicking between me and Harper, before settling on me. “She must have a fucking magic pussy for you to lose your mind like this. You’re the High Crow, for fuck’s sake. Your father is a high-ranking Obsidian Council member. You are destined for greatness. She’s nothing but a poor, has-been traitor. She’s a worthless nobody.”

Tillie shakes her head in disbelief as she glares at Harper, and I see the impact her words have on the girl beside me. They hurt her more than any slap ever could, and she almost deflates beside me as the words burrow beneath her skin, taking up residence as she gives them power they don’t deserve.

I wrap my arm around Harper, pulling her close, and it fucking kills me when she flinches at my touch. I turn my death glare on Tillie, and though I speak the words to her, I hope with everything I have that Harper truly hears them and believes them.

“Harper is more than just my Prize; she’s mine. She is worth a million of you, and is most definitely not a nobody. She is who I chose, and I don’t give a fuck what you say or think. Now, leave us the fuck alone.” I don’t even wait for them to respond; I turn and exit the room, pulling Harper along beside me.

Just as we’re exiting the sitting room, I hear Tillie’s voice, low and threatening, “This isn’t over.”

She’s fucking right about that, but not in the way she thinks. The only reason I’m walking away now is because I need to do damage control with the broken girl beside me. I need Harper to forget about everything they just said, and get back the confidence she had when she stood up to them.

When the time is right, I plan on pulling both Sienna and Tillie down one peg at a time, until they’re begging me to show them a mercy they neither deserve nor will get. Nobody messes with my girl and gets away with it.

As soon as I pull Harper into my bedroom, slamming the door behind us, I spin her around to face me. My heart aches at the tears in her eyes. I push her back against the door, caging her in with my body as she drops her gaze to the floor, refusing to look at me.

I reach out and wrap my hand around her neck, spreading my fingers out and pushing up her chin until she has no choice but to meet my gaze. I hope she can see the fire shining in mine that matches my words.

“Forget about everything those jealous bitches just said. You are the most beautiful girl in any room, and they’re fucking bitter about that. I don’t care about anything they said, because it doesn’t change the fact you’re mine.”

A tear slips down her cheek, but it’s the lack of any genuine emotion in her expression that kills me. It’s like she’s trying to hide from me, and I never want that.

I press my lips to hers. It’s the briefest of kisses, but I want her to feel everything. So when I kiss her again, it’s a little harder and for a bit longer. Each kiss builds in intensity until Harper kisses me back. Her lips seeking mine every time I pull away.

Her pulse is racing beneath my fingers that are wrapped around her throat, my cock twitching as I steal her oxygen with both my kisses and my necklace that she wears so fucking well.

Her cheeks are a vibrant, flushed red, emphasising her adorable freckles, and her lips are lusciously plump—both visual effects of our heated exchange. The sight alone pushes me until I’m hard as steel. I press my body flush against hers, feeling the warmth radiate between us, showing her the potent effect she has on me.

“You are mine,” I tell her again, my voice deep and gravelly, thick with emotion.

She kisses me once more, and it almost feels like she’s claiming me with her lips, but that’s nowhere near enough for me. I don’t think; I just let the words spill from my lips, from my soul.

“You are everything I could ever want, and nobody will ever compare to you. I can tell by the look in your eyes that you don’t believe me, but I will not stop until you do.”

“Lawson…” Her sad voice trails off, like she doesn’t know what to say, but that’s okay…I don’t need her to talk.