34: Ada's POV

There was a whip of air as the door to my quarters clicked shut behind me. My skin crawled as I heard a key slide in and twist, locking me in. Wind was blowing freely outside, causing the surrounding trees to sway in the breeze. The water of the lake rippled in the distance. I wasn’t sure of when I had walked toward the glass double doors leading to the verandas, but I was acutely aware of the way the doorknob wouldn’t budge. 

Stuck.

I was truly stuck. My fingers trembled as I tried to open every window in the suite. Nothing moved even a fraction of an inch. The roiling feeling in my stomach made my mouth water aggressively, and I could feel the beginnings of vomit rising up from my gut. Soon, the air in this room would be stale. I couldn’t risk vomiting anywhere beside the bathroom, where it could be washed away fully. No amount of scrubbing would remove the ever-so-slightly-noticeable stench of vomit from any of the other surfaces in here. 

The King had mentioned set outings to the library and the garden. Would they happen frequently? Or would I be forced to go crazy simply existing in my own room with no friends and activities to occupy my ever-darkening mind? Nausea turned into a tightness in my chest. The King had said no male companions without a member of his court present. Did that mean I might be able to see Lilith freely, or meet with Adrian as long as someone was there? 

My heart thudded. I hadn’t had a chance to address what Adrian had confessed to me. In total honesty, I wasn’t sure how I felt about it in the first place. I mean… he was a handsome and strong wolf. Loyal. Protective. He was my friend. It would be easy to love him if I let myself. The problem was two-fold though: I was the Royal Surrogate and had developed feelings for at least one of the Alpha Princes *and* the way that I felt about Adrian would *never* come close to how I felt about any of the Princes. Even Nik, in his own dark and immoral way, was completely captivating my mind. If I let myself think of him, my body could still feel the way he practically owned me during that night we shared. It was the same with Phoenix and Darius. I just didn’t think Adrian could compare. 

Which was a harsh realization and the least of my problems. It wasn’t like I could discuss it with him even if we were allowed to converse. We’d be watched, scrutinized. But it was simply the company I was after. He’d always been good company. 

Would Gwyn and the other maids be the only type of entertainment and conversation I would have? I’d never considered myself much of a social butterfly, and had admittedly been keeping mostly to myself over the last few weeks. But it was the choice to surround myself with others that I was anxious to be rid of. 

I ran a trembling hand through my hair, loosening it from the grasp of the few clips that were present. Everything touching my body suddenly seemed to be making me so hot I could hardly breathe. Sweat was beading up and sliding down my clammy forehead. I reached back and ripped at the cinches of my corset, sucking in deep breaths as I managed to wriggle the cords loose. The corset hung on loosely, letting my breasts hang naturally as I heaved in cold air. 

My breathing quickened as I once again tried the door to the veranda and found it still locked. I raced over to the main door, a broken sob escaping from my lips as it didn’t move. My knees smacked against the cold floor. The impact seemed to shove more air from my lungs, making them burn as I struggled to get in the smallest possible breath. *Trapped.* I was trapped. 

Not just stuck. Not simply forced to be a surrogate. But trapped in a cold, unfeeling castle and surrounded by people who hated me. The King had taken everything that had given me the slightest bit of pleasure and wrenched it away. I’d let him do it. I’d been powerless, unable to stop him. In some way, I’d been so afraid to die that I’d let him take what little life I had. 

As my vision blackened around the edges, a large landscape swung out and revealed a dark hole in the wall. The frame and canvas overhung the cut hole, leaving a chunk of wall for someone to step over. And that someone was Nikolai. 

Nikolai, shrouded in shadows and clad in his usual black suit with clean-swept hair, stepped into the room. It took him a few seconds to find me, but his strides were even and calm once he did. He crouched down in front of me and used his thumb and forefinger to tilt my chin up. Our eyes locked. 

His voice was velvety smooth, “Come now, my darling dove. There’s no reason to fret,” I didn’t flinch as his fingers brushed against my cheek and his hand rested there, “Did you really think we would let him keep us from you?”

“You,” I sucked in a sharp, brutal breath, “Can’t,” hot tears fell, “Stop,” I gasped in air, “Him.”

Nik’s eyebrows furrowed and he smirked, “Is it the idea of you being alone that frightens you so much or just that you no longer have the freedom to decide?” My eyes narrowed into a deathly glare and he chuckled, “I don’t like to be caged either, dove. Do you think you could try and take a few deep breaths with me?”

When I didn’t respond, the shadows around him seemed to move. They slowly blocked my view of the rest of the room, covering Nik and I in a layer of darkness that was encased in total silence. I watched as he pulled in a deep inhale of air and mimicked him. My lungs cramped painfully, but I continued to try and keep his pattern of deep inhales and exhales. Soon, my vision returned to normal. The slower my heart rate got, the more the shadows faded. 

I cocked my head to the side, “You’re not just a wolf, are you?”

He shook his head, “I have gifts. But that’s a conversation for another time,” Nik dropped his hand from my cheek and ran it through his oil-slick hair, “Were you able to roam your father’s territory after you were placed at the Farm?” This time, I shook my head. He nodded slowly and glanced around the room, “While I’m sure the accommodations are much nicer, this place probably isn’t all that different at the root,” a weighted sigh, “I *am* sorry.”

There was a flutter in my stomach. Nik stood and walked behind me, casually undoing the laces of the corset entirely. It fell to the floor in front of me with a loud *thwack.* Next, he unlaced the heavy skirts. They fell to my feet and I stepped out of them, only dressed in a thin white slip. He came back around to face me, somehow holding a black piece of fabric. The fabric was flung out to reveal a casual tea-length dress that was made from black velvet. I listened when he motioned for me to raise my arms. The soft fabric was pulled down over my head, hugging at the curves of my breasts and waist and flaring out just beyond my hips. The high neckline and capped sleeves were oddly flattering. It felt like he had drenched me in the cool shadows themselves as clothing. 

“Thank y—“ the words ended in a small huff as Nik wrapped and arm around my waist and pulled me to him tightly. 

My lips parted slightly as I tilted my head back and met his coal-colored eyes. They seemed to dance with a fire that burned inside of him as he lowered his head toward me. His eyelids fluttered shut as our lips met. Literal sparks flew from where we connected, sending frays of blue  and purple and gold in all directions. The more intense our kiss got, the more the sparks flew and the farther they went. 

Our fingers were tangle in each others hands, our breaths coming out in rushed gasps as our mouths moved together. His body was hot and hard, pressed so tightly against mine I almost couldn’t tell where he ended and I began. Nik’s hands began to roam over my body, practically singeing my skin every place he touched. 

I moaned, but froze as the sound of someone clearing their throat met my ears. Nikolai pulled away, slowly dropping his hands from me. His smile was languid, full of unfiltered lust, “Well, hello, brother.”

Phoenix stepped out of the open panel in the wall, eyes locked on Nik. My hands, which had still been tangled in Nik’s hair, fell to my sides and freed Nik from my grasp. He turned toward his brother and simply shrugged. Phoenix’s jaw ticked as his Adam’s apple moved and he swallowed hard. 

The red-haired Prince inclined his chin to me, “We do not agree with our father’s decisions,” he cleared his throat as Nik’s hand made lazy circles in my lower back, “Nik was supposed to come tell you that we’d like to teach you the pathways in the walls and tunnels so that you may go to and from places freely.”

“Of course, it’s much safer for you to roam at night,” Nik practically purred, the sound sending a bolt of heat to my core, “All three of us will come to your room tonight and begin your lessons.”

Phoenix was staring at his older brother, face flat. But his eyes mirrored the tense shock his body was indicating. As Nik sauntered to his side, Phoenix bowed his head to me, “We will be back in three hours time.”

And just as quickly as they’d come, they disappeared.