Chapter 197

Later, in the safety of my room, I asked Mark to summon Nicholas. Yet, just as he arrived, Veronica arrived too. I wasn’t unhappy to see her, exactly, but there were things I had hoped to speak with Nicholas about that I hadn’t wanted others to overhear.

When I heard Veronica’s reasons for visiting however, I quickly decided that what I wanted to talk to Nicholas about could wait.

“I want to check on Elva,” Veronica said.

“She’s playing,” I said, and motioned where Elva played dolls with Charlotte and the nanny.

“I don’t need to interfere. I can observe from a distance.”

I waved her forward, and she moved closer to Elva and the rest. Nicholas stepped into the room behind her.

“You alright?” he asked. He must have seen how shaken up I was. I’d been rattled since those flyers dropped on Julian and I. But I couldn’t worry about that now.

“I’ll feel better if Veronica tells us Elva is okay.”

We both wait and watch while Veronica quietly studies Elva from a distance halfway into the room. She watches only a few minutes before turning away and returning to us.

“She is okay for now,” Veronica said, and I exhaled the breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding. “But…” she added, and I sucked that breath straight back in.

“The curse is still a threat,” Veronica said. “I’ve pushed it down as far as I can, but it will continue to eat away at her immune system until the curse wield is either killed or permanently removes it.”

My chest felt hollow. Jane wouldn’t remove the curse willingly. I sideways glanced at Nicholas. His face was grim. He’d agreed to end Jane’s life if it came down to it. I hated having to make him do that, just as I hated the thought of anyone killing my sister.

But she wasn’t my sister anymore, I reasoned. She was a monster who wanted to kill a child. Her own child.

“One more reason for us to trap Jane, then,” Nicholas said. “The sooner the better.”

I agreed. Even dormant, the curse would eventually kill Elva. I couldn’t let that happen.

“Jane will likely attend the next event in an effort to wreak havoc,” I said. “That might be the best place to lure her out.”

Nicholas crossed his arms over his chest. He couldn’t make this easy. I knew he was about to argue.

“Then you will sit this event out,” he said.

“Nick…”

“I will not have you endanger yourself, Piper. Not this time.”

“But it’s okay for you to endanger yourself?”

“I’m a prince. My life will always be in danger.”

That did not make me feel better. In fact, it only stoked the fires of my anger. “Jane has been purposefully targeting the people I care about. She came for you, and then came for Elva. I am not going to sit on the sidelines and let her get away with it.”

“She came for us to get to you,” Nicholas said. “She wants you, Piper. You can’t just deliver yourself on a platter for her.”

I lowered my voice, so we would not accidentally be overheard. “She is my twin. She has my wolf. If anyone should trap her, it should be me.”

Nicholas lowered his brow. He frowned. But he did not argue further.

Veronica glanced between us impassively. “I’ll be prepared by then for the wolf exchange.” She waved as she pushed through us on her way to the exit.

Nicholas looked after her until she was gone, then turned his attention back to me. He wasn’t done arguing, I knew. Not by far. But for now, at least, he seemed to be letting the matter rest.

“Nick-lass?” Elva called.

“I’m here.” Nicholas walked to her, hugged her, and then joined in her game. I followed, eager for any moment of normalcy, no matter how fleeting.

Later, I followed Nicholas to the guest room he was using. We hadn’t finished our conversation.

As we crossed the threshold and closed the door behind us, I expected him to start arguing again. Instead, he pulled me into his arms and kissed me.

The kiss stole my breath, and my thoughts, away. For a long moment, I was in a land of bliss and contentment, surrounded by warmth and the man I admired.

Too soon, it ended. Anything short of forever would have been too soon.

“I’m worried about you,” he whispered.

My heart ached. “I’m worried about you, too.”

“About me?”

“I saw the flyers. Even Julian was upset. Things are bad, Nick. You can’t keep that from me.”

“I don’t mean to,” Nicholas said. “But Piper, I wasn’t lying before. As prince, my life is always in danger. There are always threats.”

“Not dropped from airplanes.”

“No.” Nicholas sighed. “That’s not as common.”

“Nick, if anything were to happen to you…”

“Stop that thought right there,” he said. “I’m here.” He took my wrist in his and brought my hand to his chest, palm flat over his beating heart. “Feel that?”

I did. The steady, sure pulse of his heart.

“I’m alive, Piper. And so are you.”

His eyes were earnest gold. The flecks of green within them shimmered in the red-orange light of sunset outside the windows.

“The threats on my life don’t scare me half so much as the thought that Jane might try to take you from me,” he said.

“She can try,” I said, feeling braver now. Bolder. I could feel his heart, and mine fell into rhythm. “She won’t succeed.”

Steady. Strong.

One.

“Nick…”

Nicholas inched closer to me. He cupped one of my cheeks with his hand. Closing my eyes, I leaned into him.

“Tell me what you want from me, Piper. Whatever it is, I will give it to you.”

I licked my lips. Fear ebbed, and in its place swelled a burning desire. I knew what I wanted but I was too nervous to voice it. I wanted to hear his thoughts. Hear his commands.

That always made everything so much easier.

“What do you want?” I asked.

He inched forward and simultaneously pushed me back until I bumped against the wall. Then he came in closer, pinning me there.

“I want you, Piper. I want to taste you. And touch you.” He lowered his mouth to my ear. His voice dropped low, husky. “I want to have you writhing beneath me. I want to have you beg for more, and when I finally give it to you, I want you to scream.”

I pressed my thighs hard together, to give some relief to the ache in my core.

God, that sounded so good. I wanted that too. All of that. Whatever he would give me.

I wanted him to meld into me until we were one person with one heart, one breath, one soul.

It couldn’t last. I knew that. It would never last.

But for now… I wanted to be his.

“Your turn, Piper,” he said, and kissed the shell of my ear.

I shuddered. “Please,” I said. It was all I could manage in my current state. My knees shook, my legs were sure to give out soon.

“Say it, Piper. Say the words.”

Desire was a wildfire under my skin. Any moment I might fully ignite.

God, I wanted to.

“I want… I-I…”

He held my earlobe with his teeth. He didn’t bite down but the touch sent a jolt of pleasure through me.

“I want you, Nick.”

“Good,” he said and kissed me again.