The King's Prey

Chapter 10 | Crossing Lines

Shlimazl • [shli-mah-zuhl]
Someone who is always unlucky.

꧁ ꧂

~ Anastasia ~

I awaken to the shuddering sensation of fear. I don't know how it arises initially until I jolt up from my covers and find a toned, tall figure stalking in the shadows of my doorway, eating something off of a plate. This is when I realize just how dark it is—it still is—outside.

Knowing the male isn't Samuel, I scramble to my feet, keeping the queen bed between us. But then he speaks.

"You're so easy to scare," he says matter-of-factly.

Liam.

I take a deep breath when I realize it isn't some intruder. But, after our last stand-off in the bathroom, the beta's presence isn't exactly pleasing to discover, either. "You're standing there like a stalker in my doorway," I growl before adding, "In the middle of the fucking night."

He shrugs nonchalantly. "Maybe I was coming to wake you up."

"For what?" I grit out.

He shrugs. "I'm bored."

"At, what, five in the morning?"

He shrugs again.

This is when I understand it must actually be five in the morning.

Hell, did I get any sleep at all?

I rub my palm against my forehead, frustrated by his presence and lack of sensibility or common sense. But I'm more concerned about how Samuel allowed him and I to be alone together again after how enraged Liam had made his alpha last time when he was breathing down my neck. When he was—

I shake away the haunting thoughts of him touching me before they can fester any further.

"Why the hell are you here in the first place?" I finally ask.

"Samuel had to deal with shit."

"So you're babysitting me?"

He motions to the plate of food he's still munching on. "Free food." He swallows down the mouthful of chicken he's working on. "And booze." There's a smile that creeps over his face with that last statement.

I roll my eyes.

I'm surprised to see he's toned down on his persistent desire to intimidate me. But I couldn't care less for whatever's caused him to not terrorize me tonight. It doesn't make me trust him—or any of them—any more than I already do.

"This is ridiculous," I grumble. "Will you please leave so I can go back to sleep?"

"That's too bad," he sighs, cleaning off the remainder of his plate as he enters the room to set it on one of the bedside tables. This obnoxiously comfortable mattress is the only barrier between us now. "I was going to offer you a proposal."

"A proposal?" I scoff back, crossing my arms as I hold my ground.

Liam nods.