Cruel War (The Gilded Sovereign 1)

It’s the height of fall, and even though there’s a chill in the air, it’s like a wet dream out on Tarian’s lawn. The fake green grass is filled with beauties settled under trees, giggling, and drinking. Large fires are blazing in pits situated in each area of the lawn.

“It’s about time,” Tarian tells me with a chuckle, shaking my hand first then Etienne’s and pulling us both in for a slap on the back.

“I’m never late, just in time.” I shrug then grin, eyeing up the beauty he’s been talking to. “Hey, darlin’.”

Tarian’s eyes are luminous blue, it’s as if you’re looking through a window, especially when the sunlight hits them a certain way. He offers me a wink before turning to the beauty beside him. “This is one of the freshmen, Rukaiya. I think you’re acquainted with her friend, Dahlia,” he tells me, gesturing to the one with the hair the color of charcoal.

Her body is hugged by a dark blue dress, which makes my cock wake up and take notice. She’s an hourglass of perfection, her smooth porcelain skin makes my mouth water.

“Little flower, I didn’t think you’d come out to play with us tonight,” I remark, reaching for her hand, tugging her closer and pressing a kiss to her knuckles. “Looking stunning as always.”

“And I see you’re attempting to be charming, but failing as usual,” she retorts hotly, which only makes me smirk. “We need to talk.” When she says this, she leans in close, and I get a whiff of her perfume. It’s not sweet like I thought it would be; instead, it’s spicy, reminding me of cinnamon and nutmeg.

“Talk? Or is that code for something a little more intimate?” I ask her while offering a wink, which I know will only annoy her further.

“Don’t change the subject, Ares. I’m fucking tired of this back and forth.” I’m shocked speechless at her fire. And the feisty little flower has me wanting to drag her into my car, drive her to my house, pin her to my bed, and make her scream my fucking name. She turns on her heel and heads toward a crowd of people standing around a table laden with red cups and bowls of chips.

“Tough crowd,” I remark, staring at her curves. I cut a glance at Etienne, but he shrugs it off, and I’m even more confused. I haven’t had anything delivered to her house, so this is news to me.

“Losing your touch?” Etienne grins, and I’m tempted to punch the fucker out, but he’s lucky he’s my best friend.

Her friend, Rukaiya, who witnessed the interaction grins sheepishly. “I’m sorry, Dahlia’s a little…”

“Prickly?” I question.

She smiles then and nods slowly, and I wonder if she’s afraid of saying anything negative about her friend.

“I’ll get those thorns cut off soon.” I wink, slapping my best friends on the shoulders as I leave them and make my way to the woman who’s got me by the balls.

I need to tell her what I’ve learned.

But I’m not sure how.

20

Dahlia

I feel him. Seconds after I walk away, he’s behind me as I pick up the red plastic cup filled with bitter alcohol. I don’t turn around; instead, I focus on my drink.

“Little flower,” he murmurs in my ear, the warmth of his breath sending a shiver down my spine. He’s fire and ice all wrapped up in a dark, broody package. His games, though, they need to stop. When I arrived home, there was a box in black wrapping on the step. I thought it was for my gran, but when I opened the small envelope, it was addressed to me.

“What happened to your face?” I ask, trying to keep my voice even. There are small scratches on his handsome face, and I wonder if he’s been doing something illegal.

“Why? Do you really care, or are you trying to hide the way your body is trembling at my proximity?”

“This isn’t a game, Ares,” I tell him. I don’t know why he wants to hurt me or what I’ve done to him. “If you can’t be honest and tell me the truth, then I’ll speak to your father.”

His hands grip my hips, holding me in place. I can’t move because even though there’s anger searing through me, I can’t ignore my body heating from his touch.

“I don’t like threats, sweetheart,” he whispers in my ear, allowing his lips to graze the lobe, sending another hot flush through every part of me. “And if you go near my father, he’ll only have you removed from his town.”

Spinning around, I meet those hazel eyes that have stolen every breath from me since the moment I looked into them. “You and your father have high regard for yourselves.”

Ares glares, his teeth clenching, and I note how his jaw ticks with frustration. Perhaps I’m the first girl to ever fight back, maybe I’m the first girl to ever push him into a corner.