Page 51 of The King's Maiden

Did they have any idea how many positive affirmation Post-Its Gia had crafted for me? Okay, probably not. But I had too much riding on winning The Quest.

Not to mention, the simple matter of pride.

I refused to take their dismissal sitting down. No, fuck that.

I was scaling that goddamn wall.

Dropping the bag on my shoulder, I secured my crossbody over my chest. I stepped back, eyeing the wall and the gate. Left withabsolutelyno other choice, I grabbed the iron bars and hoisted myself up.

A voice crackled over the intercom. “Miss, you’ve been asked kindly to leave.”

I secured my hold on the fence with one hand and lifted my other—middle finger straight up—to the camera. Climbing the rest of the way, I bypassed the pointy rods at the top of the gate and grabbed onto the brick wall beside it. Swinging my leg up and over, I pulled myself to straddle it before repeating the process onto the other side of the gate.

If anything, these rich assholes should’ve thanked me for highlighting a clear failing in their security system.

But thank me, they did not.

As soon as my feet hit the ground on the other side, a low and vicious growl rumbled behind me. I turned around, finding a giant dog licking its jowls across the lawn. Black fur rose along the ridge of its spine. Saliva dripped from its mouth.

“Holy shit.”

Glancing quickly at the gate, I tossed the idea of climbing back over. Before I could even lift my leg, the dog whizzed toward me. His massive body moved faster than I expected. I panicked immediately, bolting away from the gate.

A scream tore from my throat as I sprinted. His huge, heavy paws thudded into the ground behind me.

But I didn’t look back.

I wasn’t a complete idiot, even if the last five minutes said otherwise. Running as fast as I could, I beelined straight past the side of the main house.

“Help!” I screamed, pumping my arms and legs harder.

My lungs burned. My airways constricted as I fought to pull in air. Skidding around the back of the building, I cried out in relief. A tree with low-hanging branches heralded safety.

IfI could get there in time.

As soon as I reached it, I swung my leg up and over the first branch low enough for me to grab. Momentum brought the rest of my limbs with me.

Teeth snapped beneath my foot. I pulled it up and scrambled quickly to get higher. The beast jumped at the tree, his claws digging into the trunk and shredding the bark when he slid to the ground.

“Good doggy! Go away, boy!” I wheezed, wrapping my arms around a branch out of his reach. Sweat dripped down my face. And my heart pounded furiously.

I tried to breathe, coughing as my airway constricted.

My inhaler, stowed away in the bag squashed between my breasts and the branch, might as well have been back at the gate for all the good it did me. I needed it, but I had no idea if the branches could bear my weight. The fear of slipping and ending up as puppy chow kept me from maneuvering the bag out from under me.

But if I passed out, I’d fall.

He’d get a nice little snack, either way.

The branch shook as I wiggled one arm between my body and the tree, holding as tightly as I could with the other. Something dropped to the ground, landing with athump.

I would’ve rolled my eyes at the predictability if not for being scared for my life. It was just so perfectly fitting.

Fucking lemons.

The dog barked, bounding after the fallen fruit before giving up and returning for the bigger treat. Loud and jarring howls came from the ground as I shifted, finally reaching the zipper of my bag. I wrapped my fingers around the plastic canister and wrenched it free.

But my sweaty grip fumbled over the inhaler.

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