Page 53 of The Nightbound Soldier

I look up at him, and he locks his dark eyes with mine. He’s a vampire guard. A quick glance at his ears tells me he still has pointy fae ears, meaning he’s newly made. I haven’t met one so young in… I’m unsure if I ever have. Notturnos train the young vampires before they’re reintroduced into fae society.

“Colnis?” Winter asks as if she recognizes him.

“You are not allowed outside,” he says.

I offer Winter my hand and give her a side-eye when she doesn’t take it. Once she takes my hand, I intertwine our fingers. “She is escorting me.”

“I wasn’t talking about her.”

It takes me a moment to understand that he’s sayingIam not allowed outside. “On whose orders?”

“The general’s.”

“You mean Nottuza’s?”

The vampire nods.

“You must be mistaken. Your general doesn’t command me.”

The vampire frowns. “Those are the orders.”

I step closer, and the male lowers his head, his eyes flashing red. He’s hungry and soon to be horny.

“Can you tell me exactly what he ordered?” I whisper. “Word for word, please?”

He licks his lips, inviting me to rise onto my toes. “The Summer princess stays inside the tower.”

“And what happens if you open the door and I walk outside?”

“I will get released from duty.”

“And you want to serve the court?”

“I want to serve under the general.”

Hm. I trail a finger down his cheek. “Open the doors, and I promise I’ll stay inside.” My magic makes his eyelids heavy, and his fangs descend, tips pushing at his bottom lip.

“Open the doors. Trust me. I won’t compromise your station.”

The male opens the doors and steps aside.

The cold wind carries shouting lycan voices from the frozen water beside the square where they’re still playing. I hold the lapels of my robe closer together at the same time that the notturno guard shrugs off his jacket and places it over my shoulders.

“Thank you, soldier.” I sniff, and although his scent is different, there’s an unmistakable trace of Nottuza’s scent on the male’s jacket as well.

It turns me on. I bring the lapels closer to my nose.

The lycans playing their game start cheering and draw my attention back to them. One group cheers while the other group throws obscenities at one another. I spot Duane wearing leather pants that are sliding off his hips. He grabs them and pulls them up, holding them with one hand while laughing at the arguing bunch.

The moment our eyes meet, he drops the stick and skates toward me. I know he’ll do something sexy and obscene right before he drops to his knees and uses the lack of friction provided by the ice to slide on his leather pants all the way to the door, stopping just before he knocks me down.

I stand between his legs, his crotch touching my feet. He lets go of his pants, and they loosen and fall lower, revealing his pubic hair. He’s sweaty, which means his alpha lycan scent is trickling into my nose.

And Winter’s.

Beside me, she whimpers.

“Duane,” I greet him.

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