Forbidden Honor (Dragon Royals #1)(46)

“All my life,” I assured him. “But I don’t believe I’m nothing. I believe I’m nothing to you. We barely know each other.”

“You would think you’d feel honored.” He caught my chin between two of his fingers and raised my face to his, studying me as if he were searching for my defect.

Unfortunately for him, I was a woman, not a cracked teacup waiting to be poured into.

“Honored?” I scoffed. “I doubt you could ever really appreciate my many wonderful qualities, because you’re always too busy appreciating your own.”

If he thought he could touch me so freely, I’d do the same. I reached up and booped his nose in time as I delivered each of those last three words, and he looked affronted, almost going cross-eyed looking at my finger.

The prince finally released me.

I brushed myself off, as if I were offended by his touch, as if his hands didn’t leave electricity tingling across my skin.

His jaw worked once. He was still staring at me. “Why are you so opinionated?”

“That it’s a ridiculous question to ask me right now. Do women really let you get away with this?”

“Have you been seeing Lucien?” he asked

Branok and Lynx gave me whiplash in the training yard, but Jaik could give it to me with conversation. “What now?”

“Arren thought he saw you go into his room.”

“You guys have really got to stop stalking me.” My voice came out breathless, and I wasn’t sure if it was with anger or far more confusing emotion.

“Stay away from Lucien,” he growled.

I stared at him, my lips falling open. “Are you jealous?”

He scoffed. “I’m merely looking out for you.”

“If you were looking out for me, Jaik, you wouldn’t be kissing me. Anyone can see you’re trouble for a lady.”

His bright eyes bored into mine. He licked his lips as if he were stalling on what to say. “But you’re no lady, are you, Honor?”

The words were insulting, but his tone was something else.

“I’m not your equal,” I reminded him.

As far as he could know, I was a servant and a squirrel shifter—beneath him in every way.

He leaned toward me as if he was going to kiss me again, but stopped with his lips a breath away from my ear. His voice was low and sure when he said, “I don’t care.”

Those three words took my breath away all over again.

“I’m better than you,” I said, before I could falter.

He straightened. “Mm. See you around, Honor.”

He turned, giving me a good look at how well his shirt hugged his broad shoulders, the lean taper of his back, as he stepped over my mop and made his way down the hall.

“You can’t make a mess and leave me to clean it up!” I called after him, knowing full well he could.

He turned, shoving his hands in his pockets. “Keep playing with Lucien and you’ll see what a mess nobles make with their toys and never clean up.”

I grabbed the mop and shoved it furiously across the floor, pretending it was the prince’s face. “Are you going to pretend to me that I’m not a toy? That my primary value to you now isn’t the fact that Lucien wants me as well?”

His eyes blazed with sudden fury.

I should not have said that.

“You don’t know nearly as much as you think you do, Honor Hannaby.”

Then he was gone.

That was probably the one thing he’d said in the whole confusing mess that was true.





Honor



The next morning, I couldn’t help but feel a stir of excitement when Caldren walked into the training yard. But I schooled my face to be dispassionate. I was Lucien now.

And Arren was always watching me, his gaze narrow. I turned and flashed him a bright smile, and he stared at me, dead-eyed as always.

“What should we do today?” One of the golden twins asked as we were dismissed to our classes and the six of us headed down the steps toward the amphitheater.

“I can’t imagine. I don’t have any ideas at all,” the other twin answered.

Damyn glared at them both; I wondered if he could tell which asshole was which. “Cut it out, you two. It’s time to train. Not continue your little vengeance game.”

“It’s all good,” I said breezily. “Jaik’s right; he and Arren and Talisyn are probably all too powerful for me to face down right now. I’ll partner with the twins as long as they’ll play with me.” I smiled at them cheerfully, pretending as if I hadn’t just purposefully called them both weak.

As they glared at me, I studied their angry faces, trying to pick them apart. But they looked so alike when they were mad, it was almost impossible. And they always seemed to be mad.

Talisyn whistled. “You really do have a death wish don’t you?”

“Deathwish sounds a little dramatic. I just like to keep things interesting. And you guys definitely keep things interesting.”

“Branok, you this time,” Jaik ordered.

Damyn glanced at me and I turned my bright smile on him. He gave me a skeptical look as if he was worried I wasn’t going to survive the week. But he shrugged. “Your call, Lucien.”

Branok and I paired off and faced each other. There was a wicked glint in Branok’s gaze and despite my bold talk, that gleam always made me feel a stutter of apprehension.