“You are the first woman who has ever refused our prince.” He shook his head and repressed a smile. “But admit it. Being bit by a handsome vampire prince was quite a birthday gift.”
Was he serious right now?
I fisted my palms, my nails digging into my flesh. Anger heated my face.
“Your prince’s gift killed me. Literally killed me. I died slowly and painfully. My body felt like it was thrust into an inferno for three gods damned days. Three days!”
He snickered. And it made me want to reach out and claw his perfect face.
He stopped and raised his hands in front of him. “Listen, I get what you’re saying, but just remember, you’ll always have an out. All the running could stop if you consider his offer.”
I scowled at him. “It sounds as if you’re trying to sell me on bonding with your prince.”
Leaning back against a tree, he crossed his arms over his chest. “I’m simply providing you with some facts. Being a princess is not such a terrible thing. And securing the blood bond could relieve us of senseless complications.”
“Like what?” I huffed.
“Like war and possible death.”
I shrugged, but inside my belly knotted. “It seems that in this new world, war is inevitable, and death is imminent.” Yes, war and death were some significant obstacles, but I was prepared to fight and remain on the run to be free.
He resumed walking, so I followed.
I cleared my throat. “If you are truly who you claim you are—a skilled assassin to the king and his household—then I shouldn’t have anything to worry about, right?”
Kylan flashed a dashing grin. “Right.”
My temples started to throb so severely my eyes were seeing dark spots.
Kylan took hold of my arm, stopping me. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” I sighed. But I wasn’t. I felt like I was going to pass out. “I suppose I’m just overwhelmed. Three days ago, I was a mortal, and today I woke up a vampire. I was left a letter ordering me to run for my life and then provided a flask of blood from a vampire prince. On top of that, I was nearly molested in a disgusting tavern by some old, smelly drunks. Other than that . . .” I shrugged, presenting him with a large, cheesy grin. “Everything’s just fantastic.”
Kylan’s brow crumpled, his head tilted back with a bellowing laugh. “I’m pleased to see you have a good sense of humor. Most newborns are wickedly moody.”
Kylan was charming and handsome in every respect, making my stomach twist with butterflies. If Trystan hadn’t bitten me, I wondered if — “Could I ask you a question about the bond?”
“Anything,” he replied.
“Trystan said he claimed me by biting me.”
“Yes.”
“What if I refused him? Could I be claimed by someone else? Do I have a choice?”
His brilliant turquoise eyes examined my face, appearing to analyze my words carefully. “You will always have a choice, Calla. Trystan would never force you. But if you choose to bond with another, it could never be with anyone within his kingdom. Trystan has already marked you, and once a pureblood prince marks his mate, it is law that no one from that same coven can claim them. If they do . . . let’s just say, it won’t end well.”
I stopped abruptly, forcing him to stop too. “Wait, wait, wait. Did you say mate?”
“To mark or claim an individual is a serious matter, especially by royalty. But it is not our position to dispute our prince. In all honesty, his father did not take too kindly to the news.”
My head was spiraling. Not only from discovering who Trystan truly was and what he did, but also thinking about what his father—a vampire king—felt about his son’s impulsive choices. I wondered if Trystan informed him about his trip to Sartha, to claim a girl he’d never met, but felt a connection with. A connection from seeing my name on a sheet of paper. The same girl whose grandfather was the assumed murderer of another vampire prince. I didn’t blame the king one bit for having negative feelings toward me. I was a nobody. But I still required an answer.
“When you said it wouldn’t end well . . . what did you mean, precisely?”
“Execution,” he answered firmly. “Of both parties. Usually beheading.”
“Oh.” I swallowed the knot in my throat.
Mental note: Don’t get attached to Kylan.
I could tell I was drawing on his nerves, but I had a thousand questions racing through my mind. If I didn’t get some of them out of my head, it would probably explode. “What about someone outside of the Vladu coven?”
He exhaled loudly, a wary expression in his eyes. “If you decline to tie the bond with Trystan, anyone outside of his kingdom or coven can claim you. But I should caution you. Although the grass may appear greener elsewhere, most of it is dangerous to tread upon.”
“Thanks. I’ll keep that in mind.”
Kylan picked up his pace, probably wishing he could lose me at some point, but I followed closely, trying my best to keep up and keep quiet.
I didn’t need anyone anyhow. I’d survived eighteen years without a bond. Not to mention, I was not princess material. Trystan’s father would probably prefer he bonded to royalty, anyway. I didn’t wish to be tied to a crown, or laws, or people I didn’t even know or identify with. Being attached to royalty usually had tiresome burdens and obligations connected to it. At least that’s what I thought. I truly had no idea.
Besides, my parents would go mad if they found out I’d made out with a gorgeous vampire on my birthday who bit me and claimed me as his mate. And then they’d murder me if they ever found out I went to the Midnight Tavern and was now running around in Whisper Woods with another handsome immortal.
I cleared my throat, but the bothered expression on Kylan’s face informed me now wasn’t the time to ask any further questions. We were in the midst of Whisper Woods, known for its terrors and hauntings. No mortal in their right mind would ever enter these woods after dark. Not after the countless tales reported about the horrors that lurked within. Which is why I remained close to Kylan, so close I even bumped into him a few times. But he was like stone, unmoving, and continued pressing on. It made me wonder how many damsels in distress he’d rescued before me. Maybe one too many.
After some time, Kylan finally turned to me. “We have a secure place about a half-mile away. If you can keep up, we could get there promptly without running into trouble,” he said, offering me a smirk. “Not that I couldn’t take care of any threat myself.”
“Of course,” I agreed. “I can keep up.” After walking for a few minutes, I finally broke the silence. “So, this rival kingdom, are they positive it was my grandfather who killed their prince?”
He didn’t pause or look at me, but answered, “They wouldn’t have issued the order had it not been confirmed.”
I was still struggling to wrap my brain around the fact there was a major family secret withheld from me. Did my parents know about my grandfather and what he was? Did they honestly believe he was dead, or was it hearsay? “I was informed my grandfather passed before my father was born. I’ve never met him and don’t even know what he looks like. And now I’m being hunted because of him.”