CHAPTER ELEVEN

T he walk back to her room was awkward. Lance remained a step behind Sofia as if nothing had changed. She was a prisoner, and he was walking her back to her cell. The end.

Except it wasn’t the end at all.

A different guard stood outside, Timmy obviously off duty, and when he saw Lance, he opened the door.

“Do not let anyone in,” Lance ordered. When the male opened his mouth, he added, “Besides the king, prince, and the commander.”

The latter was said with effort because he had no authority to override the three of them. Obviously. Fuck it all. The guard nodded and pulled the door closed behind them.

Click.

Sofia walked to the bed, kicked off her shoes, and slumped.

“You’re exhausted,” he said.

She nodded and pressed her lips together in an attempt to smile. Despite what she’d just been through, she still looked incredibly beautiful. Swollen eyes, swollen nose, red cheeks.

Lance wasn’t sure what to do, so he plunged his hands into his pockets and rocked on his feet.

“Rest, Sofia,” he said softly, reluctantly. “I will return in a few hours to check on you.”

Enormous eyes looked at him.

Shit.

“You’re leaving?”

He pulled his hands out of his pockets and held them out. “I mean, yeah. If I stay...”

Sofia stood. “What? What if you stay?”

He frowned. “You have been...”

“Raped?” she said a bit too loudly.

He cringed.

“Say it!” she shouted. “Say it, Lance. I was raped!”

He groaned.

“Is that why you won’t come near me? Does it repulse you? Do I repulse you?” She turned away from him. “So this was all about protecting a female. Being a hero.”

What?

“Are you kidding me right now, Sofia?” She whirled back around to stare at him, fury in her eyes. “I can barely keep my hands off you!”

Her mouth dropped open.

Lance wasn’t finished. “What he did to you—my God. And goddamn it, you’re a prisoner. I can’t take advantage of you.” He shook his head. “It’s not right.”

Sofia let out a long, frustrated growl. Lance stared at her in confusion.

“You stupid male. I’m not asking you to take advantage of me. I just want you to goddamn kiss me!”

Lance was across the room before his brain connected with his feet. He pulled her into his arms and held her tight. Panting, they both stared at each other.

“You don’t know what you’re asking.”

“I think I do,” she answered, grabbing his arms.

“The power balance between us—it’s not right. I can’t. Not while you’re in here.”

“Lance, they’re going to take my head. You know it!” she cried. “Or Stefano will get to me first. For God’s sake, just kiss me.”

He wanted to scream at both scenarios and tell her he’d never let either happen. But then she ran her tongue across her bottom lip and his cock began to take over his brain.

“How can you stand to be touched by anyone? After what he did?”

Inch by inch, their bodies were moving closer.

“You’re not anyone, Lance,” she whispered, her mouth nearly on his.

Lust . He knew he was lying to himself, but the situation was too fucking complex to think about. He just had to keep her safe.

“If...if things were different, I would have no hesitation. I need you to know that,” he told her, and saw the light in her eyes dim. God, he wanted to kick himself in the testicles.

Sofia stepped away. “You should go.”

“Yup.” He nodded, then moved to the door. “I’ll return to check on you in a few hours.”

When he glanced back, Sofia had already moved to stare out the window and give him her back. Any moment now the shutters would drop, and they would all be drawn to the need for slumber, just as humans were at night. His eyes darted to the bed. What he wouldn’t give to curl up with her and do something boring like read or watch a movie.

That kind of thinking would just drive him mad. He could never have her.

Ever.

Lance whipped open the door and marched through the castle to the shooting range.

Aside from one or two eager young recruits, the place was empty. Not surprising, given the time of the day. There was barely an hour of darkness left. He stepped up to a booth and pressed a button. A new silhouette target automatically rolled into place ahead of him, and he aimed his Glock 21.

Boom, boom, boom.

Fuck, that felt good.

The recoil of the weapon barely registered through his powerful arms. Because he was a vampire.

A fucking vampire.

Boom, boom, boom.

Lance let off another round of bullets and watched as they grouped in the center of the chest of the paper target.

He’d worked hard to prove his power and ability to become one of the four elite Senior Lieutenant Commanders in the Moretti Royal Army. It hadn’t been luck or connections or any fucking thing. It had been hard work...and okay, some genetics.

He may not be as big as Bray or Craig, but he was close.

And yet, he felt as powerless as a fucking frog.

What was it about Sofia? She was like his own personal magnet. Since the moment he’d laid eyes on her, he’d been obsessed with protecting her and helping her heal. There hadn’t been a day in the past six weeks he hadn’t spoken to her.

In the early days, it had been difficult. She hadn’t trusted him. But little by little, she had lifted her head or stopped cowering from him.

And now...now she wanted him to kiss her.

And fuck, he really wanted—no, needed to kiss her.

And then what?

The king would behead her? He would be her last kiss, her last lover if it went that far. Lance wanted to vomit. Not because of Sofia. Never. She was the most beautiful female he’d laid eyes on. The image of her losing her head because he did nothing to help her was killing him.

What could he do?

Fuck.

Boom, boom, boom, boooom.

She feared Russo would return for her, but he felt confident that the fucker would never get to her if he tried. In fact, he’d fucking shoot any man in this castle who tried to touch her, even just to shake her goddamn hand...

Wait.

Lance dropped the hand holding the gun to his side while his other one ran across his face.

Oh shit.