AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I’m not going to fuck you,” she spat, shifting away from him.
“What a dirty little mind you have.” Rush chuckled. “You couldn’t handle my cock, kitten, but what youwilldo is pretend. Hang on to my every word, stay by my side, and most importantly—lookpleasedwhile doing it.” He traced a fingertip down the side of her neck. “You’ll also write a letter to your fiancé to officially end things once you leave the ballroom. Be sure to tell him why and don’t mention where you are. You can also write one to your family members. Short and sweet or it won’t be delivered.”
She gripped the garment tighter and pressed her lips into a tight line to keep from cursing him until she was blue in the face.
“I take your silence as agreement.” He tilted his head and shifted backward, still wearing that infuriating smirk of his.
Releasing an ugly sound between her clenched jaw, she stormed past him and out of the ballroom. Why couldn’t he have been pierced through the heart while out on his short journey? Or if anything, he should’ve stayed away longer.
Before the king returned to the palace, Aura hated to admit it, but the day hadn’t been quite as bad as others. The guards weren’t uptight as usual even though they hadn’t spoken with her when they’d followed her into the ballroom. She’d heard a piano melody drifting through the air and had found a guard playing the music for his little boy. The young boy, Radley, had been spinning a wooden top as if it would somehow teach him to dance before asking her to show him how, to which she’d politely refused. However, when he’d appeared crestfallen, she couldn’t help but oblige for a few songs.
As Aura stomped into her bedroom, she slung the garment into the back of the wardrobe filled with clothing that guards had brought into the room for her. Beside the bed rested a new night table with blank paper, ink, and a quill. The bastard just knew she would write Pax his damn letter. After sending word to Pax, she hoped the party would be canceled or that Rush would forget she existed.
As Aura thought about the prince, anger reared its ugly head, and she snatched the quill while sitting on the bed. She ripped straight through the first sheet of paper by pressing too hard. Easing up, she gritted her teeth as she wrote the letter to the deceiver of a prince.
Prince Pax,
If you are searching for me, don’t any longer. The wedding will not take place. I would’ve loved you until my last breath, but I know your filthy secrets, how you tumbled women behind my back. I won’t be returning home, nor do I want to, and I am living a new life with someone else.
Aura
And then for the brightness in this moment, she took the quill to another sheet of paper and wrote one to her family.
Dear Father and Mother,
I’m sorry to have hurt you all, but I can’t marry the prince. I have my reasons and I’m better off here than with him. Hug my sisters for me and tell them I’m sorry.
Love,
Aura
With a steadying breath, she folded both letters and went to peer out the barred window. In the middle of the gardens, Brix walked a chocolate mare toward the stables. Since their moment of pleasure that ended with Rush threatening Brix, she hadn’t seen him, too embarrassed by what had happened. Because of her boldness, he’d almost lost his hand, or worse, been killed. She at least owed him an apology.
Aura left her room and handed the letters to Tanix to give to Rush before venturing outside. The sky was already darkening so she lifted her skirts and hurried through the garden’s labyrinth until she caught up with Brix.
His blond hair was draped over one shoulder, the shorn side facing her as he kept his head down and his gaze averted from her.
“I wanted to apologize for yesterday,” Aura said hurriedly. “I shouldn’t have thrown myself at you like that when we only just met. I’m sorry that I did it for all the wrong reasons. But I would like to be your friend.”
Brix lifted his head and glanced toward the palace, a nervous tick in his jaw thrumming. “We usually share one another here. The king doesn’t generally care who pleasures who. It’s my fault for not knowing you were his, my lady.”
“I’m nothis.” Aura scowled.
“His Majesty would say otherwise. I think it’s best we keep our distance unless you need a horse. I will always help you with that. And, for what it’s worth, I’ve never seen the king react that way about a woman.” Brix pulled the reins of the horse and walked away from her.
It wasn’t as though she was in love with this man. She’d practically used him to forget about Pax, to make her stop thinking about the prince pleasuring other women. But because of her recklessness, she’d lost one of the only people here who might’ve been a friend.
Aura turned toward the palace and stilled. Standing on the balcony with his arms dangling over the ledge as if he were watching a fool’s performance was Rush, smirking.
If she could flee the gardens without a spell putting her to sleep, she would do it just to irk him, even if he could catch her. But if she did it now and passed out, it would only give him the pleasure of reminding her that she couldn’t leave.
Balling her hands into fists, she trekked back through the shrubbery and inside the palace, not looking at any of the servants’ or guards’ faces. She slammed her bedroom door behind her and found her usual spot on the floor where she rested at night. Tears stung her eyes as she curled up on the stone. The only thing keeping her from sobbing uncontrollably was that Hana was safe in Starnight.
A prick pierced the pad of her finger and she yawned. However, like before, nothing was there. Even though she was tired, the motion had come from somewhere deep within her chest. Her eyelids fluttered shut, lulling her into sleep as it had the other instances. She didn’t fight the spell this time. Instead, she allowed it to simply take her away where she wouldn’t have to remember she was a prisoner in Moonstone.
The darkness of her dream pulled back like a curtain, the world gaining color. She stood in front of a lake, surrounded by white and pink flowering trees.
The warm breeze ruffled her hair, and she stared at the shimmering blue water.
