Steel Princess (Royal Elite 2)

“I’m not your enemy, sweetheart.” He glides his thumb on my lower lip. “Don’t make me into one.”

“Don’t make you into one?”

“As long as you don’t put anyone before me, I won’t put anyone before you.”

Chaos invades my mind as I reel from the weight of his words.

He retrieves his phone. “Your uncle and aunt called me several times. I didn’t pick up.”

I wince, thinking about how I left the house. According to the clock, it’s close to the afternoon.

They must be running a search party now.

“Can I use your —” I cut off when he hands me his phone without second thoughts.

I smile. He can be so attuned to my needs that it becomes scary sometimes.

He even has it on the chat tab with Uncle. I type.

Aiden: This is Elsa, Uncle. I’m fine. Please stop looking for me. I’ll come back tomorrow.

With one last breath, I hit send.

Uncle and Aunt might have hidden the truth from me, but that doesn’t erase how they raised me for the past ten years. They’ve been my anchors and my rocks.

I might not be ready to forgive Aunt just yet, but I won’t completely cut them off from my life.

Uncle sends a text almost immediately.

Jaxon Quinn: We understand, pumpkin. Stay safe, okay?

My eyes fill with tears, but I exit the text, hitting the home screen. The wallpaper makes my mouth hang open.

Our first kiss in Ronan’s party.

I stare at Aiden with bafflement. “Why do you have this as the wallpaper?”

“Because.”

“I’ll change it for you.”

He snatches the phone from between my fingers and tucks it in his pocket with a scowl. It’s as if I just offended him. “Absolutely not.”

“Is it that important to you?”

“It was the day I decided you’ll be mine till the day I die.”

For a moment, just a second, I wonder what it would feel like to be with Aiden forever.

Forever.

That’s a scary thought.

“When was the moment you decided I’m yours?” His question pulls me out of my stupor.

“There was no such moment.”

“Hmm. I think you’re lying, sweetheart. I think your moment was when you attacked Silver in front of the doctor’s office.”