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Or better yet, would she fuck him out of spite?
"I will gladly kill him for you, Your Highness," Elan said, "but I can't protect you from the consequences if he dies before the wedding. I apologize for letting my emotions get the better of me."
"There's no need to apologize for wishing to kill this pathetic excuse of a man," Ianora said, not taking her eyes off Castor. "I too, dream of slitting his throat. Alas, death is not yet in the cards for my future husband."
Elan withdrew the blade from Castor's neck, sheathing the sword in one swift motion and returning to Ianora's side.
"I am so pleased that you're willing to restrain yourself on my behalf, darling. I'd hate to be dodging daggers to my back while eagerly awaiting our wedding night. You are looking forward to that too, aren't you?"
Ianora's eyes flashed, and her hands so subtly clenched at her sides. "As much as any lamb looks forward to being devoured by a beast."
An unexpected bout of boisterous laughter bubbled from Castor's stomach, and he leaned further back to let it all out. "Oh, but you are no lamb, are you, darling? You're a wolf in sheep's clothing. You always have been. It's one of the things I've always admired about you. Had I seen it sooner, perhaps we would not be in this mess today. You would already be submissive in my bed."
"Is that all you care about? Bedding me?"
"Having you is about far more than that, no. Surely, your virginity will be a prize to savor, but ..." Castor trailed off, his eyes darkening as he stared at Ianora. She was so beautiful, and she used that beauty as a weapon as much as her words and wit. She was strong, too, as all truly worthy female vampires were. But her strength was something else entirely. It was more than physical. It would take a strong woman to tame him, and he wanted nothing more than to be tamed by her.
"What?" she demanded, clearly not liking the way he was looking at her.
"You're going to be my wife, Ianora," he said softly, "and I am going to make you bend to my will. You will scream my name in ecstasy as I fuck you senseless, and you will beg me for mercy when I make you come until you can't take it anymore. Claiming you will be a victory unlike any other. A trophy I have spent nearly thirty-five years chasing. In one week, I will finally conquer the one woman who has always been out of my reach. This isn't just about your body, sweet Ianora. You will be mine in all ways."
"Never," she spat. "You might take my pride and my body, but you will never own my heart. My soul."
"We'll see about that. Forever is a very long time."
Her anger turned him on even more. He loved that she wasn't afraid to show her true colors around him. It made the game all the more fun.
"You're a disgusting man, Castor," Elan hissed. "It is a miracle you ever wormed your way into King Kel's esteem long enough to seal this arrangement."
"There was no worming necessary," Castor said sincerely. "I merely offered Kel the one thing he could never refuse. So much so, that he would beg to givemehis most prized possession, his daughter, to achieve it."
Castor steepled his fingers, examining Ianora and Elan closer. Neither of them responded, but despite the unflinching glare, Ianora would never miss the ammunition he'd just provided if she knew what it was. "So, you truly don't know what he traded you for?"
"No, and I don't care," Ianora said.
"You should, but that's okay. I tire of this conversation anyway. There's plenty of other days to discuss that particular detail." Castor rose to his feet, striding down two steps from his throne, closer to Ianora and Elan. "Regardless of why you decided to come early, I am pleased to see you. It will give us more time to reacquaint with each other, perhaps."
"There is no motive. I merely decided to surrender myself to you early because the magic used to seal the arrangement is impenetrable."
He smiled a pleased smile. "You would know, wouldn't you? I bet you tried everything, and you're here searching for another way out of the deal."
She was cold and calculating, a passionate creature hidden beneath those pretty eyes and dresses. She was perfection personified in one feisty bundle, and he couldn't help but feel drawn to her, even after all these years apart, even though all that time had spoiled love into hate.
Just then, he realized the only reason she would have come early instead of basking in her last few days of freedom. "Oh, you don't possibly think you could convince me to cancel the wedding, do you? Darling Ianora, you must know better than that."
A sly smile spread across Ianora's face, and she shrugged her shoulders in a half-hearted attempt at innocence. "You accuse me of being so simple, Castor. Perhapsyoushould know better."
A deep chuckle rumbled through him. "Guards, escort Elan out of the castle and to a portal back to Rainada," Castor said. "The princess will not be in need of his services."
Her demure mask at once dropped into a visage of alarm. "What? No! You can't send him away. I have the right to a bodyguard until our wedding night."
"On the contrary, my love, you do not need a bodyguard at all. I cannot harm you physically, nor can I order anyone to do you ill on my behalf. Every guard in this castle has the explicit instructions to die before harm comes to you by an outside party. You will not come to any injury in my palace, and that is how it should be. Elan is dismissed."
"He will stay with me until the wedding," Ianora said, this time more firmly. She stepped closer to Elan as if she needed him to protect her, but Ianora was no docile princess in need of a bodyguard.
She had her fair share of blood on her hands.
And he was going to have a delicious time breaking her now and after their wedding night. He wanted to make her see the true damage her actions had caused. Not just to him ... but what she'dmadehim do when she broke his heart.
