Steel Princess (Royal Elite 2)

Then another.

Before I know it, a pool of red surrounds me, its surface is like a mirror.

My breathing turns shallow when I look down.

Hollow black eyes stare back at me.

I shriek.

* * *

Present,

I startle awake, screaming and frantically studying my hands.

No blood.

There’s no blood.

There are no dark hollow eyes gaping up at me.

No monsters.

“Hey… hey…”

A hand clutches my arm. I claw and hit them.

The monsters won’t take me away again.

I escaped them. They can’t find me anymore.

“Elsa!”

My breathing catches at the sound of my name. I blink twice and realise I’m in a bed in a familiar room.

Aiden is trying to hold me to his chest. A scratch mark runs down his left pectoral muscle.

My eyes widen.

Did… did I cause that?

Aiden grabs both my hands in his. The same hands that I just used to smack him with.

A deep frown etches between his eyebrows as he watches me intently as if preparing himself in case I have another episode.

Oh. God.

The nightmare. I had an episode after the nightmare.

I close my eyes and a tear slides down my cheek.

“Hey.” Aiden brings my fingers to his mouth and kisses them one by one.

I slowly peel my lids open.

How can he kiss the same fingers that I just hurt him with?

No. He’s not only kissing them. He slides his lips over each fingertip as if he’s worshipping them.