Kissed by a Dark Prince (Volume 1) Read Online Free
Author: Felicity Heaton
and then shoved his fingers through his black hair, yanking it back hard enough to hurt.
He hadn’t experienced lust in forty-two centuries, not since he had gone to war with his brother. He also hadn’t thought of anything other than Vail and their war in that time. He didn’t like it. He needed to focus on his brother now that he had re-emerged from hiding.
Searching for his brother had occupied most of his days since their war had begun. Vail cloaked himself, making it impossible for Loren to find him through the link between their blood, so all searching had to be done manually, using scouts and his dwindling army to follow up rumours and find clues.
His brother had been gone without a trace, clue or rumour to follow for almost four centuries.
Loren’s guard had been down three nights ago when walking the castle grounds, needing the space from his aides so he could think. Vail had defeated him before he had even managed to rally his senses and begin to defend and retaliate.
Somehow, he had ended up in the mortal realm. Was Vail there now?
It unnerved Loren. Vail had never taken their battle to the mortal realm and the council were concerned that he intended to reveal the existence of his kind to the humans.
Loren’s people were already low in number as it was, weakened by attacks resulting from his brother’s nefarious plots throughout the centuries. He wasn’t sure they would survive should the mortals discover a way into this realm and send in their armies.
The council were using this latest attack, and almost successful attempt on Loren’s life, to force him to agree to drop his attempts to capture Vail and end him instead. Loren closed his eyes, his chest aching at the thought of killing his brother, his only family. He was still convinced that Vail could be saved, but he was the only one who felt that way. Everyone else, even his second in command, Bleu, believed that Vail was a tyrant and deserved to die in exchange for the lives he had taken on the battlefield, both by his own blades and by underhanded tactics.
Loren had a duty to his people.
The council took great pleasure in reminding him of that and Loren could never argue against it. His duty was to his people and he would do all in his power to protect them.
Even kill his brother.
He wasn’t sure he had the strength to do it though. Whenever he saw Vail, he wanted to capture him and bring him home. He wanted to save him and he hesitated because of it, allowing his brother to escape.
Now, Loren feared that it was a fool’s dream and that he would live to see his kingdom fall and his people suffer because of his love for his brother.
Because of his inability to place his people before his only family.
The council weren’t on the battlefield to see what he witnessed. Whenever he met Vail in battle, they dealt each other blows, but it had always felt as though they were toying with each other, neither of them desiring the death of the other.
The times when Vail’s female were present were different though. The witch had been present at many of their fights over the centuries and each time Vail had been a savage, wild man, focused and determined. The sight of his brother like that left Loren with the feeling that his brother had completely lost his mind.
Whenever they had crossed swords without Kordula present, Vail still seemed crazed, but not savage or mindless. He flitted between attacking and retreating, as though he was split between them, his mind torn in two.
Loren heaved a sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose.
He still ached. No longer the ache of arousal. The wounds on his body were healing but sore, a lingering reminder that Vail was dangerous and had almost killed him this time.
Why now?
He couldn’t recall everything that had happened. There were pieces missing and he had a strong urge to return to the female doctor and finish finding out how she had come across him.
Not a wise idea.
Common sense warned that he
He hadn’t experienced lust in forty-two centuries, not since he had gone to war with his brother. He also hadn’t thought of anything other than Vail and their war in that time. He didn’t like it. He needed to focus on his brother now that he had re-emerged from hiding.
Searching for his brother had occupied most of his days since their war had begun. Vail cloaked himself, making it impossible for Loren to find him through the link between their blood, so all searching had to be done manually, using scouts and his dwindling army to follow up rumours and find clues.
His brother had been gone without a trace, clue or rumour to follow for almost four centuries.
Loren’s guard had been down three nights ago when walking the castle grounds, needing the space from his aides so he could think. Vail had defeated him before he had even managed to rally his senses and begin to defend and retaliate.
Somehow, he had ended up in the mortal realm. Was Vail there now?
It unnerved Loren. Vail had never taken their battle to the mortal realm and the council were concerned that he intended to reveal the existence of his kind to the humans.
Loren’s people were already low in number as it was, weakened by attacks resulting from his brother’s nefarious plots throughout the centuries. He wasn’t sure they would survive should the mortals discover a way into this realm and send in their armies.
The council were using this latest attack, and almost successful attempt on Loren’s life, to force him to agree to drop his attempts to capture Vail and end him instead. Loren closed his eyes, his chest aching at the thought of killing his brother, his only family. He was still convinced that Vail could be saved, but he was the only one who felt that way. Everyone else, even his second in command, Bleu, believed that Vail was a tyrant and deserved to die in exchange for the lives he had taken on the battlefield, both by his own blades and by underhanded tactics.
Loren had a duty to his people.
The council took great pleasure in reminding him of that and Loren could never argue against it. His duty was to his people and he would do all in his power to protect them.
Even kill his brother.
He wasn’t sure he had the strength to do it though. Whenever he saw Vail, he wanted to capture him and bring him home. He wanted to save him and he hesitated because of it, allowing his brother to escape.
Now, Loren feared that it was a fool’s dream and that he would live to see his kingdom fall and his people suffer because of his love for his brother.
Because of his inability to place his people before his only family.
The council weren’t on the battlefield to see what he witnessed. Whenever he met Vail in battle, they dealt each other blows, but it had always felt as though they were toying with each other, neither of them desiring the death of the other.
The times when Vail’s female were present were different though. The witch had been present at many of their fights over the centuries and each time Vail had been a savage, wild man, focused and determined. The sight of his brother like that left Loren with the feeling that his brother had completely lost his mind.
Whenever they had crossed swords without Kordula present, Vail still seemed crazed, but not savage or mindless. He flitted between attacking and retreating, as though he was split between them, his mind torn in two.
Loren heaved a sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose.
He still ached. No longer the ache of arousal. The wounds on his body were healing but sore, a lingering reminder that Vail was dangerous and had almost killed him this time.
Why now?
He couldn’t recall everything that had happened. There were pieces missing and he had a strong urge to return to the female doctor and finish finding out how she had come across him.
Not a wise idea.
Common sense warned that he
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