Chapter 29: Watched Like Prey

*Olivia*

I swallowed hard, my head spinning from the world rushing around me when I lost my footing and fell. I could feel my heart pounding hard against my ribcage, my limbs shaking as I struggled to right myself. I was still recovering from Daemon’s scent and was still dizzy, so figuring out which way was up was challenging.

I caught my breath before clearing my throat so that I could thank the stranger as they righted me to my feet. “Thank you,” I said, my voice shaky.

A male voice scoffed right by my ear. “You are so careless.”

It took me a moment to recognize the voice as belonging to Daemon, and I felt my whole body stiffen as he held me upright.

“You can’t just take a ‘thank you’ gracefully, can you?” I muttered, but then I shivered as Daemon’s hand grazed the bare skin of my back. My breath caught, and I cursed myself for choosing a dress with such a low back.