The Hybrid Princess and the Vampire Prince

Literally Never Better

Nick’s POV

When she comes down from her orgasm, she looks up at me with the most heavenly, dazed, beautiful expression I’ve ever seen in my life, and she asks softly, “What about you?”

What about me? The short answer is, I want to f**k her. I want to f**k her so hard and so fast, she sees stars. I want to f**k her more than I’ve wanted to f**k anyone else in my life—a thousand times more. I want to f**k her so bad, every single inch of me hurts.

But I almost lost her because of what I did to Sabrina, and if I’m not careful, I’ll lose her again because of what I do to her.

“Don’t worry about me,” I tell her softly, pulling away from her so that she can’t tell I’m still aching for her. “This was about you.”

She still looks dazed and confused, but she doesn’t look ready to argue, either. Frankly, I did her in so good, all she looks ready for is sleep.

What I wouldn’t give to sleep next to her…

I shudder at that thought. What’s happening to me? A mere few weeks ago, I hated the girl. Never in my life have I wanted to sleep next to a girl without f*****g her. What is she doing to me?

“I’d better… go.” She doesn’t look very confident in her statement. “They’ll be wondering where I am.”

“Right.” I offer her a small grin, realizing as I do so that I’m just as done in as she is. “I’ll let you go solo, I think.”

She nods, but frowns. “Are you okay?”

I decide against explaining to her that, for one thing, I’ve still got a raging problem to death with and, for another, the thought of seeing her with Archer f*****g Saros again after what we’ve just done is enough to make me want to jump off a cliff. Instead, I take her perfect, sweet, beautiful face in my hands and tell her, “Literally never better, baby.”

And I kiss her one last time.

- - - - -

After I’ve taken care of my rather dire personal situation, I head back inside through the inner door of the study, not wanting to return to the prying eyes on the balcony. Before I make it to my room, I’m stopped by Norman Alexander.

Norman is, for all intents and purposes, my squire.

It’s a silly term, really—ages old, and not applicable to this current day and age where there hasn’t been a war for almost two dozen years and even if there was, I wouldn’t need a boy to sharpen my sword for me—but he’s very proud of it, all the same. Norman was assigned to me when I was sixteen and he was ten, and he’s been faithfully trailing along at my heel ever since. Now I’m twenty-three and he’s nineteen, and little has changed.

“Holy hell, Milord,” Norman says to me with wide eyes. “How did you do it?”

I blink at him, half-alarmed and half-confused. Is he talking about Ren? How does he know? Who else knows?

A few weeks ago, this would have been exactly what I wanted—for the people to know that I was on my way to being with Ren, their precious queen. 

Now, though, I don’t want anyone to know. It’s her virtue I’m concerned with, not my reputation.

“Do what?” I demand.

“Well, it’s just, I always thought the Hybrid Princess sort of hated you,” Norman admits sheepishly. “But the way you two looked on that dance floor, and then disappearing together… Well, she certainly doesn’t hate you, sir.”

Technically I’m not Milord or Sir to him, but Highness. But these things really don’t seem to matter to me half as much today as they did a few weeks ago.

I’ve never been particularly kind to Norman, nor to the group of people he hangs out with—the gang most people refer to as the Underdogs. They’re hugely loyal to Vance, and to me, as well. Unfortunately, being loyal to Vance these days basically translates to being a loser. I was never half as awful to him as Caine and the others I grew up with, but I’ve never been particularly kind to him, either.

“Are you in love, Norman?” I ask him suddenly. “Have you ever been in love?”

He considers this, frowning. “I don’t think so. I’ve certainly wanted ladies before… but not in the way they say love is. I’m not quite sure I believe in it, I think.” His frown deepens. “Do you mean to say you’re in love, sir?”

“No,” I say immediately—way too immediately. “I just…”

I’m not sure what there is to say. I’m not even sure what I’m feeling. All I know is, tonight was the greatest night of my entire life, and that was with me jacking myself off at the end.

What will tomorrow be like?

- - - - - -

Before I get to knowing what tomorrow is like, I have to deal with a little bit more tonight.

Caine is in my room when I get back.

“Dude,” he says when I step inside. “Sorry to invade your space here, but I was worried you’d show up with the girl. Had to protect her virtue on your behalf.”

I stare at him, utterly confused. “Excuse me?”

“Oh, don’t be like that. You know I’ve got your back, man. I know how you can be with girls, and I didn’t want you to f**k it up. I mean, you do get that if you deviriginize your future queen before the wedding, it might cause problems, right?”

I stare at Caine, somewhere between horrified and furious. “Dude,” is all I can manage.

“Well, clearly you didn’t need my help,” he says cheerfully. “Never should have doubted you, bud. Though, the way she looked tonight in that dress…” He whistles. “Not sure how you resisted. Especially when she was putty in your hands like that.”

Has Caine always been this much of an asshole? Am I really just now noticing it?

“I wouldn’t say ‘putty in my hands,’” I mumble stupidly, looking away from him. “We just… talked. I’m tired, man.”

He chuckles. “Right. Talked. Well, I’ll get out of your hair. Just remember, dude—only a few weeks left until she leaves again. You did good tonight, but it’s not over. When you pop the question, she needs to say yes.”

I feel sick.

“Right,” I manage. “Night, Caine.”

“Night, bud.” And he finally f*****g leaves.