Page 50 of Wicked Grace

Alys slung an arm around his shoulder. “Maybe we should have a talk about kissing and kink.” The doors slid shut behind them, cutting off the conversation with a dramatic thump.

Eddie nudged her with his elbow. “The kid has taste. Still want to go to the training room?”

“Yeah.” Although she felt better after her conversation with Tai, she needed some alone time. “If that’s okay?”

“Wherever you want to go.” He led her through the twisting halls to the promised destination.

She liked how this gym didn’t have a mirror, unlike the ones she’d seen in movies. Nor did it have rows of intimidating equipment. Slipping off her sandals, she sank her toes into the vinyl softness of the floor mats, not minding the squish and squeaks her bare feet made. The harsh scent of disinfectant burned her nose, and cool air from the fans made the silk of her outfit ruffle. The punching bag in the corner presided over a bunch of partially destroyed dummies, some with gouges that looked like axe marks bunched in odd constellations of barbed stars.

Running her fingers along the deep grooves and split wood, she glanced at Eddie. “What do you think made these?”

“Not what,” he said. “Who. I did.”

“With a blade?” She couldn’t imagine him wasting time by carving patterns so perfectly uniform.

“With my tail.”

Tingles trickled up her spine, and her thoughts stutter-slammed to a stop. “Your—” No, she couldn’t have heard him correctly.

“Want to see?”

What a dumb question. “I do.”

“How about I trade you a demonstration in exchange for you telling me what upset you earlier?”

She didn’t want to talk about it, but given the situation she’d walked away from, it would only be a matter of time before everyone knew. “Yulia came here for more than a political alliance. She wants Alexei in marriage.”

“Yeah, that won’t happen. Their parents tried to match them years ago when they were teenagers. It would’ve been the safest way to bridge the rift between the two kings, but he didn’t go for it. He won’t now either.”

“I don’t know. She seems to have come around given whatever happened with her mate.”

“Doesn’t matter what she wants. Alexei won’t agree. He’ll tell her no in a hot second.”

“He didn’t.”

“What do you mean?” he asked.

This was the part she didn’t want to talk about—the humiliation. The mere thought had her skin heating over her silly crush, no better than a friggin’ schoolgirl who’d fallen for the bad boy. “I didn’t stick around, but he hadn’t told her no.”

“He can’t match with her when you’re his mate—”

“I’m not.” Embarrassment had her stomach dropping, the fight-or-flight instinct kicking in. “He told her so last night at the house in front of me.”

“He did what?” Eddie’s voice dropped to a deadly half-hiss.

“He rejected me.” She needed to say the words aloud because her heart hadn’t gotten the message. “Again.”

Eddie curled his mouth into a snarl. “He’s an idiot. You don’t walk away from a mate if the gods bless you with such a gift.”

“I’m not one of you. As Yulia put it, only demon hybrids matter.”Unless you’re a mate. Not that she would add that last part. “For them, only their kingdoms count as a priority. He’ll never want me.”

Eddie stepped close so quickly she jumped. She hadn’t sensed him moving, and then he was in front of her. “I want you,” he said, brushing her hair away from her shoulder. “You can accept our monsters. You’re incredible, a miracle really.”

She was so sick of the comparison to heavenly creatures. “I’m not an angel. You might’ve noticed that I don’t have wings.”

“Don’t need them. I have my own.” He smiled, his face fiercely handsome. Still, her heart didn’t do the same flip-flop it did when Alexei walked into a room. “Let me change, and I’ll give you the demonstration that I promised. Wait here.”

The rustling of fabric as he changed behind a partition in the corner would’ve driven her mad if it’d been another demon hybrid stripping out of his clothes to give her a show—the prince who had refused her how many times now?Stop. She’d promised herself to leave that fantasy behind.

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