Page 64 of Pretty Little Prey
She had to.
She…wasn’t choosing the dragon? Bastille gaped at her. Any moment now, she would scream out for him; Daxton would find her, take her with his army, and whisk her away to a fancy palace or penthouse or whatever the materialistic oaf called his “abode.”Pretentious ass.
But she did not make a sound.
Maybe she does not want him, he thought.Maybe she is still winnable. Maybe…she could wantme.
For the first time in so long,hopeblossomed and warmed his cold-blooded chest.
Suddenly, the prophecy of sharing a mate with Daxton did not matter anymore.Because I will not let the Dragon have her. Ever.
Chapter 26
Kobe, Bastille, Sly, Nikolai, and Luna slinked further into the forest to hide from the dragon’s search team. She still did not know whether she regretted not getting the dragon’s attention and switching “kidnappers,” but there was no going back now.
Find another opportunity to escape and do it.
After she did not call out to the dragon at the cabin, Bastille had cast her curious glances throughout the hike in the dark. Little “who is this woman?” and “do I hate her or not?” expressions from him. Occasionally, she flipped him off, and the sound of a rattlesnake’s tail rang out.
But right now, she was exhausted. It had to be past two in the morning. She had barely slept earlier in the week due to nightmares of Rohan. They always got worse the longer she stayed in one place.
When she began swaying on her feet, her head unable to stay up much longer, Kobe snared a strong, thick arm around her waist and told the other men, “We make camp and sleep.”
“We should keep moving—” Nikolai began.
“Camp and sleep,” Kobe grunted, turning caveman and wolf-like on them. He gestured to Luna, who could scarcely keep her eyes open.
The men nodded. Camp and sleep, it was.
The four predators formed a circle, each one surveying a different patch of forest around them.
Kobe bent and quickly kicked away sticks and rocks. He gathered leaves to cover a rectangular shape on the ground. Looking at Luna, he pointed to it. “Sleep,ma chekka.”
She did not know whatchekkameant and she did not care. It was as close to a soft bed as she would get.
“The dragon’s princess won’t be able to sleep on anything but feathers and rose petals,” Bastille remarked, but the insult seemed to be delivered less harshly than normal. Like Bastille was testing out his ability to still read and understand her.
Princess? Feathers and rose petals? He has no idea who I am.
She all but launched herself down onto the makeshift bed of dirt and leaves Kobe made for her. She stretched on it, curling into herself, and prepped for sleep to overtake her. After years on the run with little money, she had slept on the cold, hard ground of the outdoors before.
She closed her eyes but couldfeelBastille gaping at her.
Screw you, Basilisk.You have no idea who I really am.
She passed out within minutes.
Kobe stared at his sleeping mate’s form on the ground. He wanted her on a soft bed made of clouds and silk sheets wrapped around her.She deserves better than to sleep on dirt.
“I can’t believe she didn’t yell out for the dragon,” Sly said, staring up at the night sky through the overgrown treetops as he laid on his back. “I thought for sure that would be it.”
“Just because she didn’t choose him does not mean she chose us,” Bastille replied.
Nikolai’s red eyes burned as he assessed the forest for threats while the others relaxed. His thirst for blood had been utterly calmed after drinking from her the day before, his frantic mind finally back to normal after sipping from Luna’s slender neck.
Nikolai…liked having her around. “What if shedidchoose us?” the vampire asked the group.
“Won’t happen,” Bastille said.
