It didn’t take me long after Melissa left for me to figure out what happened. I should've seen through her immediately. But once I realized she was pulling her tricks on both Ella and I, I jumped into action.

And that’s exactly where I’ve been for the last two days. In the middle of the action at every strip club in the entire kingdom. Melissa wasn’t lying about the fact that Ella went back to stripping. But I finally forced her to admit what she said to Ella to send her running.

I gathered my royal retinue together, forming a plan to seek out all the strippers in the entire kingdom. We’ve been to every single club with one goal in mind. To find Ella.

I knew right away that she might be in disguise like she was that first night we met, wearing a wig or hiding herself. But I have a plan. It’s foolproof.

As I walk into the Lusty Lady, I pull Ella’s thong from my pocket and lift it to my nose yet again, taking a deep whiff. Her scent—the same one I got very reacquainted with two nights ago—fills my nose, giving me the feeling of both comfort and longing. I need to sink my tongue back inside that delicious pussy again, and I won’t stop until I make it happen.

She has to be here. She wasn’t at any of the other clubs we’ve been to, and this is the last one in the kingdom.

The first club we went to was quite an experience, everyone shocked into silence when I told them what I wanted. I guess my request was a bit different.

But having all the strippers line up to let me smell their thongs is the only way to know for sure if it’s her if she’s in disguise.

Yeah, I know. Tell me about it. It’s like some crazy fetish.

But fuck. I have to find her, and she might not reveal herself to me any other way. I know that scent. I’ll recognize her instantly.

The first line of girls had no idea what to expect, and I guess I didn’t either. I started to wonder what I’d gotten myself into when the first ass in my face came with some equipment that Ella is definitely not packing. Then there was the woman who couldn’t keep herself still for long enough for me to get close, those round globes jiggling in my face as she shook with excitement. I finally had to have her take of her thong and just let me smell that. Of course, it wasn’t Ella.

As I make my way toward the front of the Lusty Lady, Travers goes to speak with the owner, telling him what we want. They never say no and never comment on what they really think about this fucked up search. I mean, I’m the fucking prince.

Suddenly the club is in chaos as all the other clients are ushered out the front door and my royal retinue gets everything set up. I hear all the girls in the back chattering excitedly. Fuck, I hope Ella is one of them.

I clear my throat and look at the woman who is clearly in charge of getting the girls together. “Every girl. Am I clear? I don’t want a single one of your girls hiding out or trying to get out of this. Every. Single. Girl. Must be on stage.”

She nods, her eyes wide. I settle down on a chair in the middle of the stage and grip Ella’s thong in my hand. It’s like a life raft anchoring me to her in the chaotic sea of strippers that are about to accost me with their scents. I take another deep inhale, letting the scent settle into my body.

Then I gear up for what’s about to go down. I should be used to it by now, but every time I can’t help thinking that Ella has truly driven me mad if it’s come to this. It’s mad love, for sure.

The first stripper approaches me, turning around and bending over, arching her back so her ass is shoved right in my face. Gritting my teeth and hoping against hope, I breathe out through my mouth, then lean forward and take a long, slow, deep inhalation.

I sit back with a sigh. “Not her. Next.”

The next one changes things up a bit, facing me as she lifts her leg and hooks her red six-inch heel on the back of my chair, shoving her crotch right in my face.

Fucking hell. I catch Travers looking at me with that same horrified expression he’s worn for two days, and I grimace as I lean forward, again drawing in a fucking huge breath through my nose.

I immediately wave her away, jerking back. “Next.”

The strippers parade by, each one taking their turn to shove their crotches in my face, letting me catch their scent just long enough to know.

And not a fucking one of them has that sweet, sexy aroma that my Ella has.

I rake my fingers through my hair, more than a little disheartened. Fuck, who am I kidding? I’m fucking devastated. That’s all of them here. And this is the last club in the kingdom.

“Is that all your girls?” I demand, not willing to believe that I’ve searched the entire kingdom, smelling every thong, and none of them have been her.

The woman looks at me and nods, eyes wide. “That’s all.”

“Go check again,” I command, but I know it’s useless.

She disappears behind the curtain, and I sink back in my chair. I have no idea where to go from here. Dejected, I lift Ella’s thong to my nose again and close my eyes, wondering if this is all I have left of her.

Hands settle on my shoulders as a soft breath trails across my neck, causing a shiver to go through me. Then the sweetest voice whispers in my ear.

“If you keep holding that thong, how am I supposed to rub my crotch in your face? I might have to break your arms. It’ll be like face-fucking the Venus de Milo.”