I'm No Cinderella

Chapter 3

He blew out air through his cheeks, "About the ball?"

The memory of the dreams came to mind before I could stop them. Dreams of running for my life from an unseen threat. It was the same nightmare every night. Always running, fear and dread clouding my thoughts as I tried desperately to outrun my pursuer. Each time, it would end the same, with me caught and, just before I catch sight of my assailant's face, I would jerk awake, shivering and terrified. "In a way, I suppose."

"Well," he started, voice light with forced optimism, "at least after tonight, the nightmare problem should sort itself."

I choked out a dark laugh, finally looking up at him. "It's not funny!" I exclaimed, thought I was unable to keep the smile from my lips. He chuckled along with me.

Our laughter died out, replaced by a heavy silence. I sighed, "It's the feeling the nightmares give me that's really bothering me."

He nudged my knee with his own, signaling for me to continue. I sighed again, "Helpless," I explained, "like everything is out of control and there's nothing I can do to stop it. I haven't felt that way since the day my dad was killed. I don't want to ever feel it again."

He let out a low whistle, wrapping his arm around me and pulling me close to soothe the tension from my body. I hesitantly rested my head against his shoulder, unfamiliar with how to behave around Jax when he was being so touchy, but not hating it one bit. I glanced out to where my horse was grazing in his field across the clearing. "I don't want to do this," I grumbled quietly, relieved to finally admit it to someone. I had been scared to say it at home, worried that Ash would insist on going alone.

    I couldn't let him do that. I would never be able to forgive myself if something were to happen to him.

He gave me a little squeeze before letting his arm drop, but not fully removing it from around my body. "It's going to be alright, Rose. It will probably be over before you know it, just keep your head high," his words almost made me feel better, until he added, "and don't look anyone in the eye."

"I'll try," I replied, sounding as hopeless as I felt.

"Let's focus on all of the good things that could come of this," he tried, shooting me a half-hearted smile.

"The good things?" I asked with a sarcastic laugh. "Like what? Being claimed by one of those creatures?"

He shrugged. "I don't know, I was hoping you would think of something," he admitted. "I'm just trying to help you feel better."

That earned him a genuine laugh.

"Well," he tried in an overly cheerful voice, "you're going to be in the same room as every royal family on the continent, that has to count for something." I raised my brows skeptically, and he shrugged again, trudging on, "Including the human royals. You might be able to get close enough to one of them to finally win us an ally out here. If they knew what was happening to us, maybe they would be able to do something about it."

I smiled at his optimism. I had used similar reasoning to convince Ash that I should go in the first place, but even I had to admit it was a fool's hope. "The only human prince with the potential authority to help us would be Prince Philip. Do you have any idea how many girls are going to be trying to get close to him?"

"Yes, but I doubt any of them are as pretty as you are."

My eyes shot up to meet his. Heat rushed to my cheeks as I realized that his deep, brown eyes had already been glued to my face. I was suddenly very aware of his knee brushing against mine and his arm still casually wrapped around my waist.