by Elena Gray
Before the masked guy could put it away, I swiped it from his hand and slid it on my finger. At first it was too big and I could see how it had fallen off. Then it seemed to shrink in size until it hugged my finger perfectly. I held it out and twisted my hand from side to side, admiring how nice it looked on my finger.
I didn’t know what was going on between me and my new boyfriend, but it had to be pretty intense for him to give me something this nice.
I rested my hands on either side of his mask. The sudden urge to kiss him flooded me. As soon as I lifted the mask off his face, I felt my heart stop. He was hot.
The slight stubble on his cheeks tickled my fingers when I placed my palms there. I looked into his eyes, then leaned forward, pressing my lips to his. His body tensed against mine. The reaction confused me, but it wasn’t long before he gripped the back of my head to deepen the kiss.
I didn’t think anything could match the feeling of Declan sucking on my neck, but this guy definitely won in that category. I melted against his body, letting him take control. Just when I was getting into it, he pulled away. Thankfully, he didn’t let go or I would have fallen into a messy heap on the floor.
He looked from me to the ring on my finger with a panicked face. I should have cared about what had him worried, but I couldn’t stop staring into his eyes or thinking about that kiss. My fingers pressed against my lips, wishing he would kiss me again.
“You should leave the mask off. You look better without it.” I smoothed my finger over his pinched brow. Was he worried that I wouldn’t like what I saw?
“What the hell are you doing here in disguise, Prince Ashton?” Declan growled.
Ashton drew his gaze from me and glared at Declan. “Not that it’s any of your business, but it is a costume party.”
My mouth fell open in disbelief. Prince? I was engaged to a prince? That would make me a princess once we married. And hadn’t Trevor said something about his friend Ashton owning this house and others around the world?
I sagged against Ashton at the realization of how rich he was.
Concerned eyes met mine. Ashton’s touch was gentle when he brushed my hair off my face. He cupped my cheek and I leaned into the warmth of his hand.
My prince.
No way was this real. Why wouldn’t I remember being engaged to a prince from birth? I was nobody. Then again, after everything that had happened tonight, I didn’t know what was real and what was fairy wine induced.
Zarina had said that the prince was looking for me? If he was my fiancé, then it made sense why he’d be worried if I was missing.
My head began to throb as I tried to dissect what was happening. This had turned into a long night. I yawned and rested my head against my fiancé’s chest. Wow, it felt weird to think of him that way.
“You know this isn’t over.” Declan smirked. “She will be mine. This won’t last. She’s human.”
Ashton’s thumb swept over the ring on my finger, his lips set in a hard line. He glanced up at Declan and said, “She is under the Crown’s protection. If you attempt to harm her, you forfeit your life.”
“Don’t worry, prince,” Declan spat. “She will come to me willingly.”
The slam of the door alerted me to the fact that Declan had left. I lifted my head and tugged my lip between my teeth. I’d really screwed everything up for Ashton. “I’m sorry that I let him suck on my neck. I’m not really sure what came over me.”
The prince sighed and led me toward the door. “It’s not your fault, Claire. When I find out who invited you here, I’m going to kick their ass.”
I wanted to tell him it wasn’t Trevor’s fault, but I knew that for once, I better keep my mouth shut.
Chapter 10
Light burned through my window, warming my face beyond comfort. I rubbed my eyes and blinked several times before checking my clock. It was already ten. Morning was almost over, and I’d spent it sleeping.
I rolled onto my back and stared at the ceiling. That was the last time I binge-watched horror movies and drank obnoxious amounts of wine before bed. It didn’t help that I’d eaten a tub of ice cream either.
All three—horror flicks, wine, and ice cream—had contributed to my crazy ass dreams. From now on, I needed to slip in a comedy before going to bed. Or, better yet, I should stop watching the scary stuff all together.
I flung my arm over my head to block out the annoying daylight. I should have invested in room darkening shades. They would be useful today. So would an eye mask.
At least I didn’t have to leave the house today, or my bed for that matter. I had zero tasks on my calendar. It looked like romantic comedies were on the schedule, or maybe a kick-ass action flick. Either way, I was finished with horror movies for a while.
Rubbing my neck, I thought of the vampire’s teeth sinking into it. He was just one of the many supernatural creatures I’d encountered in my dreams. The mind was a mysterious thing, and mine had fabricated every character from every movie I’d ever watched.
There were a few parts that I wouldn’t mind dreaming about again—the prince being one of them.
If only I’d accepted Trevor’s invitation to the costume party, then my subconscious wouldn’t have dwelled on it enough to cause such a ludicrous dream. Maybe the dream was a sign that I should get to know my neighbor better. He was no prince, but he was sweet and seemed to have a kind heart. And he was sexy as hell.
I rolled over to grab my phone off my nightstand, but it wasn’t there. I must have forgotten to bring it to bed, which meant the battery was probably dead. Great.
Instead of searching for it, I grabbed the remote and turned on the news. Lying in bed all day wasn’t the best idea, but I had zero energy to move right now. I still needed to go through the guest room closet and dresser so I could box up what clothes Mike left here. I swear he’d left them on purpose so that he would have an excuse to come back. Good luck with that. The first chance I had, I’d dump it at his place, preferably while he was at work. If he even still had a job. What I ever saw in that guy was a damn mystery.
Here I was again, dwelling on my ex. I needed to get over it and move on. Too bad my pride wasn’t on the same page as my common sense.
There were better things to think about, like Trevor and the prince. Something about my dream prince intrigued me enough that I wanted to close my eyes and dive back in. The prince was dark and mysterious, the complete opposite of Trevor. Not that there was anything wrong with that.
I lifted my hand in front of my face, wishing the ring was on my finger. For some reason, I felt a twinge of disappointment. It was just a dream, so why did it bother me so much? Like I would ever be engaged to a prince in this lifetime.
The part where he’d saved me from the vampire left me breathless. No one had ever made me feel so safe. He was my knight in shining armor, and just like the heroes in romance novels, he had a hard exterior. It enticed me to the point I wanted to dig deeper and see what was under the mask.
Being a prince couldn’t be easy. It had to be difficult, always trying to please people. The mask allowed him to be himself and let go of his responsibilities. Maybe there was a subliminal message in there for me. That I needed to remove the mask that I hid behind and not be afraid to take risks.
I pressed my fingers to my lips as I remembered the kiss we’d shared... My ex couldn’t come close to turning me on with just a kiss. The prince screamed of sexiness in not only his demeanor, but in his well-toned body, too. Why couldn’t the dream have lasted until we finished the down and dirty part? Or at least until I got his shirt off? Seemed only fair.
I still had a chance with Trevor. He wasn’t someone made up in my dreams and he was right next door. I had the perfect opportunity to talk to him. If he was home, I could go and thank him for the invitation to the Halloween party, then apologize again for not making it. If he didn’t slam the door in my face, I’d ask if I could cash in the rain check now.
Dinner would be nice, because
there was no way I was dragging my body out of bed in time for lunch. Except, I needed to pee. Then I was going to chug a gallon of water and sleep for another four hours. Hopefully, my hangover from hell would be gone by then.
Groaning, I flung back the covers and dragged myself out of bed. I braced myself against the mattress until the spots filling my vision disappeared. I needed some aspirin to dull the ache in my head. Since when had I become such a lightweight when it came to drinking? What’s worse was that it hadn’t even been social drinking. I’d gotten drunk at my own pity party.
At least I hadn’t spent the night throwing up.
I took a step forward and ate my words when my stomach bubbled. Ice cream and wine definitely didn’t mix.
The remaining steps to my bathroom were a challenge; the urge to drop to my knees and crawl the rest of the way was so tempting. The moment I saw my reflection in the mirror, I regretted looking. My hair was a tangled mess of knots, and the smudges under my eyes were more pronounced against my fair skin.
The brush would have to wait. This headache was top on my list of priorities. I dug through the drawer in the bathroom, finding the bottle of aspirin underneath a pack of razors. I tipped two pills into my hand, then changed my mind and added a third. Better to be safe than sorry.
Water streamed from the faucet. I popped the pills against my tongue and scooped a handful of water into my mouth. Attack of the hangover would be over soon.
As I went to dry my hands, the light reflected off something shiny. I caught sight of a ring on the counter. The instant I picked it up and turned it over, I nearly dropped it in the sink.
The gem was a green emerald, the same color as the prince’s eyes. It caught the morning light coming through the bathroom window and glittered.
It was identical to the one from my dream.
I shook my head. This was impossible. There was no way any part of my dream had happened. The fairies, the vampire, the witch...all were created from my overactive imagination.
When I stumbled toward the bathroom door, my toe brushed something soft. Dropping my gaze, I found my witch costume in a wrinkled pile. The striped stockings were lying on top.
I was going to be sick.
Rushing to the toilet, I emptied my stomach. Tears streamed down my face from the force of my retching. I rested my head on my arm as I tried to piece together everything that had happened.
Trevor. Now, more than ever, I needed to find him. If there was a chance that what had happened was real, he would be the only one who could help me. Then again, he might not know about the vampire or the prince.
Once I pushed myself off the floor, I rinsed my mouth and brushed my teeth. I could feel the ring digging into my palm. When I opened my fist, I studied the strange symbols etched into the gold band, surrounding the stunning emerald.
Was I really engaged? It had happened in my dream, but I couldn’t remember how. No matter how hard I searched my memories, I still came up blank.
Then it hit me. Ashton had told the vampire we were betrothed at birth. How could I not remember something so significant?
I crossed the bathroom, heading back to my room. I didn’t get far before I screamed and clutched my chest. The massive dog from the party was lying on my bed, his head resting on his paws.
“Oh shit,” I whispered.
I’d stolen a damn dog.
All I could do was stare at Rogue where he lay on my bed. How was I getting out of this one? His owners would be furious.
Rogue leapt off the bed and stared at me. I swore his eyes looked concerned. I was about to move toward him when he howled.
Within seconds, he morphed before my eyes. Rogue disappeared, and a man stood in his place.
Trevor.
“We need to talk,” he said.
That was the last thing I heard before everything went black.
Coming Soon: Immortal Crown Book 2.
Visit the Immortal Crown Series page for details
About the Authors
Elena Gray has always had a vivid imagination. It took entering a writing contest to finally put her stories to paper, and that is how her first novel was born. She’s always coming up with new story ideas and she has pages and pages ready to be written.
She loves staying up late, and sipping vanilla lattes while devouring as many books as she can.
Read more from Elena Gray
www.ElenaGray.com
Kelli McCracken is an author of rock star-themed contemporary and paranormal romance. She loves penning a good, sexy story that stirs emotions and tantalizes the senses.
Most days you’ll find Kelli knee-deep in chocolate bars, coffee, and kooky characters. She is a connoisseur of chocolate, professional percolator, and a master in the art of procrastination.
Find more by Kelli McCracken
www.kellimccracken.com
