I was glowing. Buzzing, really. After my father’s guards, along with his head captain walked out onto the terrace to find me alone and busy innocently reading a book on my phone, the alarm was called off.

My father and my mother both gave me strange looks when I was escorted back to the ball, but when I just plainly said I’d been bored, they got it. My father smiled, rolling his eyes and shaking his head.

“You know tonight’s important, Isla.”

“I know, I just—”

“You just love your books, I know.” He smiled at me, bringing a hand up to stroke my hair. I was glad neither one of them mentioned or noticed that my big dramatically pinned up hair was now free and cascading down my shoulders.

“I’m glad I have a smart woman for a daughter. I just want the best for her.”

“I know, daddy,” I said with a smile.

“I was worried, you know.” His brow furrowed. “I saw your choice in dance partners.”

“Oh?”

His jaw tightened. “Mhmm.” His eyes focused sharply on me. “Stay away from that one, Isla.”

“Who, Prince Logan?”

“Yes, him.”

“Daddy he’s really not so—”

“He’s a brute. A savage.”

“Dad, he’s been cursed.”

He rolled his eyes. “You don’t believe that garbage, do you Isla? He’s just a mean-tempered ruler who blames some witch story as an excuse for his horrible behavior.”

“Daddy, he’s not—”

“Well I’m happy to have just been told that he was outside by the main gates, smoking or something, not with my daughter.”

“Nope,” I said quickly, a shiver running down my back. “Not with me.”

“Good, keep it that way. You’re such a good girl, Isla.”

Except good girls don’t walk around a royal ball without any underwear on.

It was a horrible, naughty, sudden thought, but there it was. Because there I was, back at the royal ball, sans panties. Logan had torn them from me, and I’d kicked them under the stone bench when he’d left.

Panty-less, and covered in his sticky cum.

I felt so dirty, and yet so alive. And I was dying to tell Ilana and Imogen about it all. As I scanned the room, I noticed Adele quickly making her way through the crowds and the dancers to get to where I stood by my parents. She looked strange, like she was hiding something. Her eyes were wide, and her cheeks were flushed.

“Hey!” I grinned at her. “Have you seen Ilana or Im—”

She shushed me with a look, raising her brows at my parents before nodding me away.

“Where’d they sneak off to?” I whispered when we were away from earshot.

Adele’s eyes were wide and there was this glow about her. I suddenly dropped my eyes to her neck and gasped.

“Adele Thompson White!”

She went red, quickly bringing a hand up to her neck.

“Where have you been?” I hissed. “And with who?”

“Me?” she squealed, still blushing fiercely. “Where have you been?”

“Nowhere,” I said quickly.

“Nowhere with Prince Logan?”

I blushed, and there was no way I was even going to hide it.

Adele’s jaw dropped. “Oh my God Isla! Are you okay?”

I bit my lip, the heat flushing into my cheeks.

“I’m very okay,” I gushed with a big stupid grin on my face.

I eyed her bruised neck again. “Those are totally hickeys.”

“They are not,” she said primly.

“Where’re my sisters?”

Adele’s eyes went even wider, as if that was even possible at this point.

“What? Tell me!”

Her face went even redder, like she was utterly scandalized. “Isla,” she whispered, leaning close. “Ilana’s with—”

“Are you enjoying the dance, girls?”

We both jumped back at the sound of my mother’s voice. We whirled to see her smiling with a glass of champagne in her hands.

“It’s lovely, Your Highness,” Adele said quickly

My mom laughed. “Right, public event. The Highness stuff.”

Out of the spotlight, and out of events like this, my mother was just Jessica to Adele and other close friend and family. Just like my dad was just Luc. They were actually pretty cool parents, which couldn’t have been easy with being regents of a Kingdom and all that. But you hear stories of modern royalty being ass-backwards and weird and cold and disconnected. My parents were none of those things, just strict about boys around their daughters.

“Well, enjoy!” She winked at both of us. “Go find some cute dance partners! That’s why we’re here isn’t it?”

“Going to find yourself a dance partner, Jessica?” Adele said conspiratorially, eliciting a grin from my mom.

“Oh, I’ve got a great one.” She smiled as she reached over and hooked an arm through my father’s elbow, whirling him around with a surprised smile on his face. “Shall we?”

He beamed his most kingly smile as he took in my mother. “As my queen commands.”

“Those two,” Adele said with a laugh as they walked off to the dance floor.

“I know, gross.”

“I think it’s sweet.”

“They’re not your parents.”

“True. So?”

I quickly looked away, feigning ignorance. “What?”

“Spill it!”

“There’s nothing to spill” I said primly, despite my mind immediately going to what was spilled all over my tummy and my pussy earlier.

“Liar.”

I groaned. “Adele, I’m not—”

I froze. Because right then, I looked up. Right then is when I looked across the ballroom, and found my eyes immediately held captive.

By him.

There, standing in the doorway across the ballroom, his eyes narrowed right on me like I was prey, was my beast.

And he looked hungry for more.

So was I.