Page 59 of Heartbreak Prince

“There was a note included from one of the monks,” I reply. “He said the materials had been donated. The monastery does receive frequent donations from various wealthy believers, and my father has endeared himself to everyone there. Still, I was shocked by their generosity to give him the leather and things. Of course, he still has his own tools, and his labor is free.”

“Labor is the largest part of the cost for any luxury item,” Vawn says. “Do you ever visit him?”

“Not for two years. I’ve been training, studying, and working, and I haven’t been able to spare the money. Besides... I don’t like seeing him. It’s not good for either of us.”

Vawn’s thumb strokes my bare shoulder. “Not good?”

“I look too much like her. The unique hair color.” I point to my short crop of lavender waves. “Every time I see him, he gets confused and acts like I’m her, which can get fairly awkward. When he realizes his mistake, he cries, sometimes for hours, or he becomes angry. The first time I cut my hair short, it was after one of his episodes. She always had long hair, so I thought maybe if I chopped mine off...” My voice trails into silence.

“Did it work?” Severin asks curiously.

“No. After that I kept it short for practical reasons. Less maintenance, no need to braid or tie it back for training.”

Vawn dips his nose into my hair again. “I like it. The style shows off your profile and that lovely little neck. And those perfect ears.” He tugs gently on one of my earlobes, fingering the studs there.

Every touch sends a delicious and terrible thrill of panic through my lower belly. This intimate proximity with him, with all his naked muscles and maleness, his damp hair and his soft lips—it’s more than I can handle. I keep seeing him kneel before Steros, over and over.

“You shouldn’t kneel to anyone,” I say tersely, pulling away from him.

“What an abrupt change of subject.” Vawn’s eyes narrow. “And where is this coming from?”

“You know.” I stand up, moving out of the shelter of the carpet and stepping across the dirt and leaves. The dawn chill sends goosebumps over my skin.

Vawn rises, too, crossing his arms. He’s only wearing his undershorts, and I try to ignore the fact that his crotch area is bulging like he’s half-hard.

“I was trying to secure us an escape route. To save our lives,” he says. “And I was attempting to do it without violence. How would it look if I, the surviving prince of House Molloi, killed the last descendant of a Zeletas founding family while trying to escape mercenary assassins?”

“So you thought it would look better if you sucked his cock.”

The carpet stirs with interest, floating behind Vawn, soaking in every word.

Vawn circles the fire, prowling toward me. “What do you care if I suck someone’s cock? You’ve watched me fuck. You played a very naughty role with me at the Lycan. You know how I operate—the same way you do. When there’s no alternative, my body becomes currency. I excel at sucking cock. I’m better than you, most likely.”

“I doubt it,” I retort.

“Fine. You think you’re better? We’ll have a test. A competition.”

“A cock-sucking competition.”

“Why not? Do you have something against men enjoying other men?”

“Of course not! I mean, I didn’t know that you—”

“I prefer pussy,” Vawn hisses, his eyes snapping. “I expanded my horizons that summer because I was expected to. Since then, outside of a few playful kisses with Tolgan and Loxley, I’ve taken women to bed.”

“That doesn’t matter to me. I couldn’t care less.”

“Then why were you so upset when I offered to take Lord Steros’s cock in exchange for our escape?”

“Because...”

“Because fucking why, Syth? Why?”

I shudder with the force of everything I’m holding in, everything I’m trying not to say. I hug myself tighter, turning away from him.

Above the tall trees, beyond the cliff from which we fell, clouds shift and part. The sky between them is peach-pink, soft and tender as skin. Morning light bathes the glimmering surface of the pool where I nearly drowned. The pool he rescued me from.

A faint heat from behind me betrays Vawn’s nearness. He has come right up to me, his body nearly touching mine. His fingers hover against my upper arms, not touching, but shimmering there. Waiting.