Page 13 of Cursed
chapter nine
After climbing one last set of stairs, they finally stop in front of a grand set of ornately carved wooden double doors. The Prince picks up a bag from the floor and shoves the doors open, leading her straight into a luxurious room that serves as both a sitting area and a dining area.
Thick velvet curtains frame the windows, and the dining area features a large wooden table that seats four. The sitting area is furnished with plush brown leather accent chairs, matching ottomans, and an enormous leather sofa. On the far side of the room, a giant fireplace warms the air, the flames casting shadows across the walls.
Nori stops and slowly turns in a circle, taking in the opulent space.
Aylin whispers her earlier exclamation, “Holy shit.”
A smile gradually spreads across Nori’s face. “Aylin. We’ve stumbled into a damn fairy tale. This is the most beautiful place I have ever seen.”
Ryland notices that she’s stopped to admire her surroundings. Irritated that he is never going to get that shower, he calls to her gruffly, “This way!”
Nori quickly regains her composure and follows him through to his bedroom, where she stops again. Her jaw practically drops to the floor. “That is the largest bed I have ever seen!”
Aylin’s excitement momentarily overwhelms Nori. “It’s enormous! It has a real mattress. It’s covered in sheets and furs, and just how many pillows does one Prince need? Oh, look, another fireplace.”
Nori turns her head to the fireplace and side-steps back into the other room. “I think…it’s the same as the one in the sitting room. It goes through to both rooms. We’ll never be cold again.”
Frozen in her spot, dumbfounded, Nori inhales deeply, then sighs involuntarily. “Shit!” She exclaims to her wolf.“This whole place is filled with his smoky, whiskey scent. We have got to keep it together. Under no circumstances are you to look at his wolf! Got it?”
Aylin responds in a daze, now also affected by the Prince’s scent, “Got it. Yeah, no, I got it. Keep it together. Don’t look at his wolf! Check. But damn, his scent is delicious!”
Nori sighs again. “Yeah. Agreed.”
She hears the Prince calling to her again. “The shower is in here!” She turns her head, walks through a set of double doors into the bathroom, and almost bursts into tears.
Giving her directions, Ryland says, “Shampoos and soaps are on the ledge in the shower. The towels are to the left.” He turns to leave, then pauses as he sees her looking around with giant, unshed tears in her eyes.
He sighs, knowing what’s coming next. “Here we go,”he says to Bade.“She’s thoroughly repulsed by me and is regretting her decision.”
Bade replies hopefully, “You cannot know that. Maybe she’s never seen a bathroom before.”
Embarrassed, Nori says to Aylin, “Oh my gods! I’m getting emotional over a bathroom. For fuck’s sake! What is wrong with me?”
Aylin replies sadly, “This is the bathroom we should have had instead of the sink and toilet in our tiny room back home.”
Still berating herself, Nori continues, “He’s gonna think I’m crazy if I don’t get a grip, but would you look at that shower? It’s bigger than our room back home!”
Watching the she-wolf’s reaction, Ryland frowns. “Look, instead of torturing yourself any further, why don’t you goahead and get the Mate Bond rejection over with? I can see that you regret your decision not to do it earlier.”
He pauses when she looks up at him with those tear-filled eyes. Ryland swallows hard and continues, “You can still shower and get something to eat.”
Nori opens her mouth to respond, but no words come out. She looks down and blows out a ragged breath to settle herself, wiping her eyes with the blanket. She raises her head and looks him directly in the eyes. “My current emotional state has absolutely nothing to do with you or this Mate Bond.”
She places one finger on his chest, urging him backward out of the bathroom. “Now, if you would please leave, so I can get to it. I apologize in advance for how long it’s going to take me to get all of this mud out of my hair. I’ll try not to make a mess.”
Ryland stares at her in a daze. He has no idea why she didn’t take him up on his offer. He staggers as he retreats out of the bathroom.
“Oh, and some clothes would be great if it’s not too much trouble,” Nori says.
Then she closes the doors.
chapter ten
Bade’s confusion is apparent when he asks, “Do you know why she was so upset?”
Ryland sighs heavily. “Who knows? It’s not like I have a whole lot of experience with females anymore.”
