FreeNovel
Chapter 0277
When we returned to the palace, Nicholas pulled the car into the garage. As he turned off the engine, he said, “I’ll
walk you back to your room.”
The words shot a volt of life through me. “No.”
He looked at me. “No?”
Fear in my eyes, I returned his gaze. “I can’t let Elva see me like this.”
Nicholas pressed his lips hard together. He took in the sight of me, scantily clad, hiding in Julian’s suit coat with my
bare legs exposed.
“You can stay in my rooms,” he said. “I’ll stay nearby so you won’t be alone.”
I nodded.
Nicholas texted Mark to let him know the plan. “Mark will stay and guard Elva through the night.”
“Thank you,” I said, and hoped he would convey my appreciation to Mark himself.
Nicholas sent another text, and then rounded the car and helped me from it.
Together, Nicholas and I moved slowly through the hallways of the palace. I was grateful they were mostly empty. I
didn’t want anyone else to see me as I was.
Nicholas walked with me the entire way to his private rooms, and then saw me inside.
“The bedroom is this way,” he said, and guided me toward one of the side doors away from the entry room.
Nicholas had an elaborate and plush bed with four tall posts and a canopy. He guided me toward it, then left me
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtlean against it as he crossed the room toward his closet. He returned a moment later with a pair of soft-looking
pajamas: a button-up top and long pants. He handed them for me.
“The bathroom?” I asked.
He pointed toward a nearby door. “Take as long as you need.”.
Holding the pajamas to my chest, I shuffled inside. I shucked off Julian’s coat, and then looked at myself in the
mirror.
I looked harried, with my hair a mess and my eyes wide and red-rimmed. There were bruises on my upper arms
and on my thighs, as well as ugly red rings around my wrists and ankles.
I was lucky to be free, to be standing here in Nichola s’s bathroom. But I still felt soiled and
+15 BONUS
I went to the bathtub and turned on the hot water. Slowly, I removed my bra and panties until I was naked. Then I
stepped into the tub.
The water was a soothing balm. I sat and soaked for a long time, breathing in the steam so that the inside of me
felt as clean as the outside. I stayed there until the water cooled. Then I exited and dressed in Nichola s’s pajamas.
my hand
They were too big on me, hiding both and feet. But they were unbelievably soft. Maybe the softest fabric I’d ever
worn in my life. And they carried Nichola s’s calming scent. I
it in.
lifted the shirt collar to my nose just to brea
–
Nicholas knocked on the door. “Are you alright, Piper?”
“I’m coming,” I said in reply. My voice felt stronger now. I wasn’t quite as shaky. But I had no idea how I would sleep
tonight.
When I opened the door, Nicholas was on the other side of it. He had changed as well, and now wore a pair of gray
sweatpants and a plain white t-shirt. I had never seen him dress so casually as a prince. This look seemed much
more like the boy I knew and loved three years before.
Nostalgia curled around my heart, and I felt even more endeared.
“I can leave if you want,” he said. “I’ll give you the bed.”
I shook my head. I knew what I wanted. “Stay, and hold me.”
He nodded. “Of course.”
We moved to the bed. Nicholas went in first. Then he rolled toward me and stretched out his arms. I fit comfortably
into the space between them.
I curled my back into his chest, so that we were facing the same direction. Placing our hands, palms together, I
measured the lengths of our fingers. His hands were so much bigger and stronger than mine.
The cuff on my shirt sleeve slipped down to my elbow. The red rings around my wrists had started to bruise an ugly
purple.
With them showing, a growl rumbled in Nichola s’s chest. I understood his anger and felt it too. I had felt so
powerless, so defenseless.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏm“If I had my wolf, I would have been able to break free,” I said, then relented. “No, I wouldn’t have been in that
position at all.”
If I had my wolf, I
Would have been able to rip out Terry’s throat all on my own. I wouldn’t
have needed a rescue.
+15 BONUS
“Terry destroyed the pendant necklace,” I said.
“We’ll get you another one.”
I didn’t want another one. I wanted the ability to defend myself. “I miss my wolf.”
“Maybe…” Nicholas sighed. “I’m not sure but maybe there’s a way we can get it back.”
I shot upright in bed, and turned to face him. “You think so? How?”
Nicholas seemed thoughtful. “If magic exists that can remove it, then there should be magic that can put it back.”
His expression hardened. “If that magic exists, we will find it. I won’t rest until your wolf is returned to you, Piper.”
My whole heart softened. “Nicholas…”
“You should never be made to feel defenseless.”
His words filled me with hope and comfort both. If Nicholas set his mind to something, he would see it done. Simple
as that.
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