Chapter 25

I break out of my surprise in about half a second and sneer at Orion, gripping the door tight and swinging it hard, trying to slam it shut.

But Orion’s too fast – his broad hand is already there, smacking hard against the wood as he laughs.

“Princess!” he says, forcing the door open despite my attempt to use my whole weight to push it closed. Indeed, he pushes me back with it, my feet skidding across the marble floor. “How inhospitable for you to not greet me properly when I come for a morning visit!”

“How inhospitable for you,” I growl, dropping my hands from the door and crossing my arms over my chest, summoning what dignity I can, “to come for a morning visit unannounced. Oh, also! To kill one of your guests every week as part of a twisted competition to find your wife!”

Orion grins at me, clearly entertained. I just scowl at him, thinking that Anton is right – that this guy really does have a masochistic turn for mean girls.

Quietly, I wonder just how far I can push him. And just how fun it would be to find out.

“I like your pajamas,” Orion says, smirking, his eyes flicking down over me.

I blush beet red as I remember my foolishness in ordering these up last night. God, I should have seen this coming and conjured up something sexy to sleep in.

Because now I’m standing with my hair a mess before the Prince of the Underworld - who last night I told to his face that I thought he was too pathetic to lick my boots - in breakfast-print pajamas.

Orion’s smirk deepens, because he knows he has the upper hand. “What are those things printed all over your pants?” he asks.

I stare at him like he’s crazy. “They’re donuts.”

Luckily, Anton comes to my rescue, jumping down from the bed and snarling as he comes to my side.

“Hey man,” Orion says, lifting his chin to Anton in greeting.

Anton pauses for a moment, stopping in his tracks before he does the same – a ridiculous gesture from a wolf. I roll my eyes and put my hands on his tingly starlight scruff. “What do you want, Orion?”

“To come in,” he says, leaning against my doorframe and cooly slipping his hands in his pockets.

I clench my teeth because…damn it, it’s not fair for him to look that good when he does that.

“Why?”

“Because,” he says on a happy sigh. “I want to find out what a donut is.”

I go a bit still. “You…don’t know what a donut is?”

“We don’t have a lot of variety in the Underworld,” Orion says. “And even if we can call up what we want magically, it takes knowing what something is to order it to appear.”

“And what, you don’t have the internet to give you any ideas?”

He turns his head to the side, curious. “What’s the internet?”

I lean closer, studying him. “Are you fucking with me?” Honestly, I can’t tell.

Orion bursts out laughing, stepping into the room. A little too shocked to protest anymore, I step aside and let him. Orion reaches out a casual hand, pushing the door shut behind him.

“Look, Juniper, as I tried to say before, we got off on the wrong foot –“

“Oh, and would that be when you tricked me into getting drunk and spilling my secrets, or when you entered me in a competition where I die if I don’t strip naked in front of you and one hundred of your dad’s besties –“

“Enough,” he snarls, his eyes flashing as he turns his head back to me.

To my surprise, my words still on my tongue.

Orion steps forward towards me, dominant and in charge. A growl echoes in Anton’s throat, but Orion ignores him, looking seriously down into my face.

“I get why you’re upset, Juniper,” Orion says, dead serious, stern. “And if you want to know the truth, I agree with pretty much everything you’ve said since you’ve been here – except when you accused me of being ugly and unable to get a girl. Because we both know that’s not true.”

I just stare up at him, shocked.

“Now I understand that you’re getting the bad side of this deal and I’m the one reaping all the benefits,” Orion continues, pressing a hand to his chest. “But if you would just listen to me, for about fifteen seconds, I think you’d finally find out that we’re on the same side. Okay?”

I take a deep breath, standing up straighter and stepping back once so he can’t loom over me anymore. I tilt my chin up and shake my hair back, mustering as much pride as I can. “Fine,” I say. “Take your fifteen seconds. I’m listening.”

“I will,” Orion says, giving me a nod. “Tonight.”

My mouth falls open a little as he turns back towards the door.

“I’ll send your Herald for you at about six o’clock –“

“Wait, what the hell is going on!?” I sputter, striding after him as he pulls the door open. “What are you –“

“I’m taking you on a date, Juniper,” Orion says, quite sharp, turning to me with the knob to the open door clenched in his hand. “So that we can get to know each other and I can maybe begin to try to convince you that I’m not the selfish murdering jerk you think I am –“

“Fat chance,” I mutter, narrowing my eyes.

Orion just smirks, his eyes flicking over me, and honestly I don’t really know what he sees. A spirited girl who refuses to be put down? Or a pathetic whiny princess in donut pajamas? I shift uncomfortably, not liking the mystery one bit.

“Just come, June,” he murmurs, sighing and stepping out the door. “I am trying. Just…let me try.”

I follow him to the door, peering out as he strides down the hall.

And as I watch his tall form go, his broad shoulders shifting as he hangs his head, I can’t help but…believe him. Just a little bit.

Because why – why would he come here? Why would he try, when he could just…eliminate me?

Clearly, there is more to this man than I’ve judged. I mean, he’s still a jerk who’s murdering his twenty girlfriends one-by-one but…

Well, obviously it’s more complicated than that.

“Orion!” I call on impulse, starting down the hall after him, my bare feet slapping on the cold marble.

He lifts his head and pauses, turning back to me in the hall, surprise all over his face.

As I get close I lift my hand, looking at it as a tiny white plate conjures there, a single donut with chocolate frosting and little star-shaped sprinkles appearing on top. “This is a donut,” I say, offering it to him.

He stays still for a moment but then reaches for the plate, deftly taking it with one hand and lifting the donut with the other, peering at it.

“I hate you,” I sigh, peevish. “But…you shouldn’t be twenty-four and not know what a donut is. That’s really sad.”

Orion smirks at me and then takes a bite. I watch him as he chews for a second and then his eyebrows go up. “Wow. That’s…that’s really good.”

“I know,” I bite out, glaring at him. “I wouldn’t wear it on my pajamas if it was bad. I’m not a psychopath.” Then I turn and stalk away, back towards my room.

His laughter echoes in the hall behind me. “I’ll see you tonight, June!”

“I haven’t agreed to that yet!” I call back, waving a hand over my shoulder and not looking at him as I reach my door.

“Oh, I’ll see you,” he sighs, confident.

And I slam my door for real this time, hating him again. Even if…

Well, even if he was cute with a little chocolate frosting at the corner of his lip.

“The donut was a nice touch, June,” Anton says.

I turn to see him leaning against the wall next to my vanity, lounging quite calmly. And I scowl because…

God damn it, he looks really good too, all long-legged with his hair hanging cooly into his face. My eyes move immediately to his full lower lip and –

I snap them shut, clenching my jaw, my hands balling to fists.

“I’m done with boys, be a wolf for the rest of the morning,” I snarl, storming towards the bathroom.

Anton laughs but does as I suggest, shifting into his wolf and trotting after me into the second room. He pressing his face against my palm for a moment before trotting towards the terrace, giving me my privacy as I turn on the shower.

Blythe, I say to myself in my mind, between my teeth. You’re engaged to Redman Blythe. You turned your world upside and are risking your life so you can bring him back to the world. Blythe. These other boys – they don’t matter.

Even if they are…very cute.

My wolf turns innocently away from me in my soul, her nose held high, refusing to comment.