Page 90 of Tricky Princess
The sun had set over an hour ago, and Ros still wasn’t back. Ellea tried to not worry; no matter how mad she was, she still cared if he was in one piece. What if Belias got to him? What if his father didn’t let him leave? What if several things happened while she wasn’t there to keep him safe? She sighed and shivered against the chilly night air. Sam had lit the bonfire without Ros, and she was thankful. She felt so cold without him. She stepped closer to the warmth of the flames dancing before her. It was smaller than a celebratory bonfire, and all the wolven could manage in a short time. Tonight was a full moon and the perfect time to celebrate the alpha coming home. It was also a great way to give thanks to all the wolven who had stepped in to help while they were all gone.
There were only minor attacks while they were in Hel. A water demon trying to drag a child to its cold depths, a minor vampire attack, then a minor scuffle between the packs. All events were quickly taken care of, and even the child was unharmed. Ellea had met the boy earlier with the rest of the town’s children. He told her of his battle, making it sound like an epic fairy tale. Ellea listened intently as he told his tale and then showed him a few simple defense moves. With him being so small, it would be best to go for the eyes or scratch as much as he could.
Ellea actually spent her night with the children, turning her nose and eyes different shapes and colors, and creating miniature versions of their favorite creatures. She even helped some kids make crowns out of wildflowers and fall leaves. But she didn’t understand how they kept them on the entire night; they itched something horrible. She wouldn’t admit she was hiding from her friend’s sad looks, but she was.
Where the fuck is Ros?
Maybe they needed to fight it out; maybe she should tell him how she felt. Maybe he could stop being such a stubborn old bastard. Yes, Hel was cut-throat, vicious, and dangerous. You couldn’t walk down a dark hallway without wondering if some demon from Belias’ court was going to snatch you up. But she had managed, she’d learned, and she was stronger than ever. Then there were the politics, the rules, and the separation. If she wasn’t there to help drive Hel to a new path, who would? Azzy helped her, but he was only one king. In order for change to happen, it has to be constant moves along the chessboard. It would take time, meaning she needed to be there often. Ellea scoffed out loud; this was stupid. Ros wasn’t here. Maybe she could steal a horse or car and go back to her cabin. She glared at the fire, thinking how she could sneak out before her friends could stop her. Turning quickly, she went to stomp away, but ran right into a hard body.
“Fuck,” she said, falling back. Powerful hands caught her.
Ros.
Ellea looked up into his handsome face, and his eyes were wide with wonder.
“I think I prefer the flowers over the shiny crowns my father made you wear.”
Her breath caught at the sight of dimples and fangs. He was too handsome—and too happy after their horrible night and morning.
Did Azzy kick his ass when he went home?
Ellea hoped so.
“I don’t know.” She scratched her head. “The kids picked the flowers and leaves, and I’m pretty sure I have bugs in my hair now.”
“Bugs and all, you look like a queen.” Compared to what she’d worn in Hel, her outfit was hardly worthy of royalty. It was just her beloved boots, leggings, her new favorite sweater, and the jacket he’d given her for motorcycle rides. But she was glad he liked this too; it was way easier.
He ran his thumb across her cheek, and she leaned in to the touch, swallowing her bratty retort.
He shouldn’t say things like that when he didn’t see a future for them. She wasn’t striving to be a queen, but she wanted to be with him, to help him with Hel, anything to be in his life for as long as she could.
“I was about to go home.” She sounded breathless as he kept stroking her face.
“Can you wait for me? I wanted to make the rounds and then I’ll take you home. We need to finish what happened this morning.” She huffed a breath, and he must have taken that as a yes; he grabbed her hand and led her toward a group of wolven.
“What took you so long to get here?” And why are you so happy? “I was worried.”
He gave her another smile and kissed her hand. “I’m sorry, but I think it will be worth it later.”
“More secrets?”
“No.” He laughed as she grumbled. He seemed so calm, almost content. “A present you will have to wait for until I show my face to the wolven who have been taking care of things while we were gone.”
“I don’t need presents.” She stomped her foot and stopped him before he could keep dragging her. “I need—”
“I know what you need,” he interrupted. “Be patient, we have time.”
Ellea pressed her lips into a thin line, but he only smiled at her. Maybe his father really had kicked his ass.
Ros seemed to have left his grumpy pants in Hel as he graciously met with every small group and talked with each of them for a few minutes. All the wolven greeted him with smiles and hard punches to the shoulder. One even put him in a headlock and gave him a rough rubbing on his head before he growled and twisted the man’s arm behind his back. The encounter ended in laughs, and Ellea had to walk away to find some semblance of sanity.
She found Florence and Billy spread out on a blanket near the fire, both looking up at the full moon. Ellea dramatically threw herself down next to them.
“I see our prince has arrived in one piece,” Florence said with a wave of her hand.
“I’m not so sure it’s him.” It came out as a grumble, and she didn’t have the energy or desire to reel in her attitude. “Do you have shapeshifters in Hel?”
“Only you and Loki, from what I remember,” she answered, and Billy chuffed in agreement. “Maybe it’s your father? We haven’t had word of his whereabouts in a while.”
