Chapter 157

What was he going to do to me? I took a step back. Not in fear, however. He didn’t look like he wanted to hurt me. He looked more like he wanted me, and he wasn’t going to take no for an answer.

Fuck!

Somehow, I knew men didn’t take rejection well, and he was no ordinary man. He was a privileged, powerful man. Even so, if he thought he could force me, he’d have another thing coming.

My heart fluttered like nervous wings, and I struggled in Canary’s grip, ready to defend myself. While he held me, I’d stolen a small dagger from the sheath strapped on his left thigh.

The younger prince wasn’t as smart as he thought.

“Put her down! Now!” Sideburns shouted before he reached me. “And don’t ever touch her again!”

That sounded unnecessarily possessive.

He shoved Canary away, grabbed me to him, and put me gently on the ground. Well, he’d done the job for me, so I didn’t need to wrestle with Canary or issue harsher demands.

My eyes darted wildly as I estimated how far I could get from my new captors if I bolted now. But then Sideburns’ scent of pure male musk and honeysuckle hit my nostrils.

A spark of fire leapt within my belly, warming and waking up something within me. A lick of liquid flames materialized out of nowhere and caressed the tender flesh between my thighs. Lust swirled to life, coursing through my veins.

My pussy was suddenly slick, and Sideburns suddenly appeared to be the most attractive man on Earth.

I parted my lips in surprise.

What the fuck?

I stared back at Sideburns. Lust stormed in his glowing eyes. If I didn’t run or stop him, he might just mount me right there in front of everyone. At least, he looked like he wanted to.

My body urged me toward him, but my will pushed me to stagger back a step.

“Fuck me. How can it be?” Canary murmured to himself, his eyes widening in shock and bitterness.

“Fuck me indeed.” Going-gray echoed his younger cousin’s opinion as he darted his gloomy gaze between Sideburns and me.

A realization bloomed in me.

Sideburns and I had a connection. It was more than a physical link. It was biological. I didn’t want to admit it, but I knew what it meant.

He was my fated mate.

Sideburns sniffed again, inhaling my scent. His gray eyes never left me, then he nodded as if to confirm what he already knew.

“What happened here stays here.” He lowered his deep voice and said in a curt, commanding tone, “No one shall know about it.”

Canary and Going-gray traded a glance, hesitated for a beat, and nodded solemnly.

Okay, so everyone thought this connection and chemistry thing between Sideburns and me was bad. It wasn’t difficult to draw a conclusion that Sideburns might feel attracted to me, but he wasn’t going to follow his urge, or even acknowledge it.

He was basically a stranger to me, no matter how Fate wanted to link me to him, and I didn’t even like him that much, so his subtle rejection shouldn’t hurt.

But hell, I still felt the sting.