Samir glared back, inhaling shakily. It was a struggle to breathe, his lungs full of Warrehn’s scent. “Let go,” he growled. “You deserved that. You should be thanking me for the privilege.”
“Privilege?” Warrehn said, his eyes glinting nastily. “If you and your mother resort to using your body to achieve your dubious ends, that’s unlikely to be a rare privilege.”
“You asshole,” Samir hissed, trying to yank his hand free and punch him again, to no avail. He was all but spitting, he was so furious. “I loathe you, you utter piece of shit. If your father was half as infuriating as you are, now I understand why he’s dead.”
Warrehn raised his eyebrows. “So you’re finally admitting that your mother killed him.”
“I’m admitting no such thing,” Samir said, stomping on Warrehn’s shoe viciously.
A grimace crossed Warrehn’s face, but his grip on Samir’s wrist didn’t loosen at all. “Tell me what your game is,” he said, his gaze roaming over Samir’s face, lingering on his panting lips before snapping back to Samir’s eyes. “What were you hoping to accomplish by drugging me with that drug?”
“You’re the genius who came to this conclusion,” Samir said. “You tell me.”
“I’m afraid my mind isn’t as twisted and slippery as yours. If I can’t see a purpose, it doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.”
“So you admit you aren’t as smart as us.”
“I admit that I’m not half as underhanded and manipulative as you are. I’m actually an honest person.”
Samir laughed. “Get off your high horse, Your Majesty. You have no problem with publicly associating with me, the son of the woman who murdered your parents, according to you. If you were so principled, you’d kick us out of your home, public opinion be damned. I guess you’re an ‘honest person’ only when it suits you.”
And with that, he yanked his wrist from Warrehn’s grip and strode away, trying very hard not to limp.
Fuck him. Seriously, fuck him.
He’d never met a more infuriating, high-handed, self-righteous man!
“I hate you,” he muttered viciously, imagining punching Warrehn in his straight perfect nose and then each of his blue eyes, and then his firm mouth, and then burying his hand in that stupidly lush hair and yanking, until it hurt.
Fuck, he’d never hated anyone more.
Chapter 11
“I’m sorry, Your Majesty, but we can’t cancel the publicity tour,” Ayda said, frowning. “Your visit to the provinces has been publicly announced, and canceling it would be bad press you very much don’t need.”
Warrehn said nothing, looking out the window of his office, his hands in his pockets.
Sirri eyed him curiously from her seat in the corner of the room. She had never seen such tension in Warrehn’s body. He was so rigid and tense she could feel it with her skin, despite the distance between them.
“Is it really that bad?” she said, keeping her voice mild. Normally, she took delight in irritating Warrehn, but she could feel it would be a bad idea right now. Warrehn was a high-level telepath, his raw power dangerous even to her. Seriously pissing him off when he was this wound up was a terrible idea.
“What do you think?” Warrehn said, his profile hard and unyielding, as was his tall, powerful body.
Sirri allowed herself to take a moment to appreciate his physique. Warrehn might be a grumpy, miserable prick, but he was a hot one. In a I’m-not-impressed-with-you-and-I’ll-fuck-you-up way. It was a pity he wasn’t into women. She wouldn’t mind a fuck with him, her issues with him notwithstanding. Though rumor had it, he fucked rougher than she preferred.
“Personally, screwing the perfect Prince Samir wouldn’t be a hardship,” Sirri said with a grin. “The guy is hot, though I’m not sure how I’d feel about fucking a man so much more beautiful than I am. I’m too vain for that.”
Ayda hid an amused smile behind her hand, and Sirri winked at her, making the woman blush a little. Huh. Ayda was kind of hot. Maybe she should try to get into her panties before leaving for Tai’Lehr tomorrow.
“He isn’t beautiful,” Warrehn said, his voice dark.
Sirri raised her eyebrows. “Is there something wrong with your eyesight? The guy is ridiculously gorgeous.”
“Beauty comes from the inside. He’s ugly, no matter how lovely he looks.”
Sirri scoffed, rolling her eyes. “Please. Since when have you men ever cared about inner beauty and all that rot when it comes to getting your dicks wet? Don’t tell me it was a hardship to fuck him—I won’t believe you.”
She noted curiously that Warrehn’s hand clenched inside his pocket. “I barely remember anything,” he said flatly. “When the drug takes over, I feel like I’m possessed.” He looked at Ayda. “You can’t seriously expect me to go on that publicity tour in this state. I can barely go a few hours before the symptoms become overwhelming.”
Ayda winced. “It’s not ideal, but we have no choice. Canceling the tour a day after it was announced would only make you look fickle and unreliable. It seems the interval between—between the spikes of symptoms has been getting longer, correct?”