Page 74 of The Demon Prince

He wanted her more than he’d ever wanted anything in his life. This woman who was so lovely, but who had no idea just what she was.

Gluttony caught up to her halfway to her room. She was muttering to herself, words he couldn’t quite catch, but he relaxed the moment he heard her voice.

“Katherine,” he called out, rushing a bit to join her in the dusty, dark hall. “I wasn’t expecting you to return so soon.”

She whirled around and he saw the frantic panic in her eyes before she burst out, “Are you sure you’re not killing anyone lately?”

Gluttony froze. Hadn’t they already had this conversation? “I am not.”

“You’re not sleepwalking?”

“No.” He scratched the back of his neck. “I don’t sleep.”

“Then I know I am right. Someone is impersonating you, trying to kill as many people as they can, and then get away with it.” She shook her head, tiny furrows appearing between her eyes that he wanted to smooth out with his thumb. “But I cannot puzzle out why they’re doing it. You’re an easy target, certainly, but do they simply just enjoy killing? It’s a gruesome way for someone to die. And yet, nothing seems to make sense.”

He approached her, arms raised like he was trying to tame a wild horse. “I’m not following what you’re saying, Kat.”

“I’m saying there are so many new people in town. Ten? Twenty? More men than I saw, I’m certain of that. They’re all swarming that town and bringing in these mangled dead bodies while saying you did it. It doesn’t make sense.” She tapped her lips before her shoulders rounded in on themselves. “I’m sorry. I can’t figure it out.”

“Someone clearly wishes for your town to rebel against me. It’s not the first time it’s happened.” Gently, he reached for her hands and took them in his own. “It’s not your job to fix this, you know.”

“I feel like it is.” She stared up at him, those big green eyes seeing far too much. “I’m the only one who can tell them the truth. You cannot defend yourself. They won’t believe you. And every single one of them wishes to paint you as some kind of demon, and I just won’t let them.”

He squeezed her hands and tried to smile. “Kat.”

“What? Don’t use that tone with me.”

“I am a demon.” He tugged her a little closer, because how could he leave her so far away from him? She was a lioness, protecting him until the bitter end. “My brothers and I are all the villains in these stories. I’ve accepted it a long time ago.”

She let him reel her in, but she didn’t come into his arms as he’d expected.

Of course she didn’t. His Katherine was not the kind of person to take comfort in a time like this. Instead, she braced her hands on his chest and stared up at him with determination and strength.

“Someone needs to tell them the truth,” she said. “Someone needs to show them that you are not the monster they believe you to be.”

“How are you so certain of that?”

“Because I have been here for a while now and I see how hard you struggle. How much you work to make sure that your brothers are safe even when they give you no reason to treat them so well.” And then, as if she couldn’t help herself, Katherine reached up and traced her finger across his bottom lip. “And I have seen how gentle you are. I know what it feels like to have these hands on me. To touch you as I wish and to know what it is like for your fangs to be in my neck. You are not a killer, Gluttony. I truly believe that.”

Oh, and how that hurt. She had to know that he’d killed before. The rumors were rampant in his kingdom about the young woman he’d murdered in cold blood.

“You know that’s not true,” he whispered.

But he’d expected her to withdraw from him, and instead, she only took another step closer. Their hearts beat as one, thundering against each other as though struggling to touch through their ribs. “Tell me the truth of it,” she said. “I want to know.”

And for the first time since it happened, he wanted to tell someone.

“It is not a pretty story,” he murmured. “That part of my life is not something I am overly proud of. Nor is the ending happy.”

“I saw her body.” Katherine didn’t even stiffen when she said it. Just allowed the words to come out of her, so pragmatic and simple. “I was there when they brought her back to town. I remember her father crying and shrieking. I remember everyone in town believing that they should hunt you down.”

“They likely should have.”

“You didn’t let me finish.” This time, she put those gentle fingers over his mouth to keep him silent. “I remember what she looked like. How peaceful and serene her expression was. How her eyes were fluttered shut like she’d just closed them and how there were only two twin drops of blood on her neck. So pale and graceful she might have been asleep.”

Oh, the words hurt to hear. He remembered how she’d looked. Gluttony had been the one to bring her back home after he’d done... what he’d done.

It still hurt to think about. It still killed him that he’d had to do it, and now, he had to tell this other wonderful woman. She’d look at him differently after this, but... It was the right thing to do.

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