The Prince
by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Published by Evil Eye Concepts, Incorporated
Book 1 in the Wicked Novellas
She’s everything he wants….
Cold. Heartless. Deadly. Whispers of his name alone bring fear to fae and mortals alike. The Prince. There is nothing in the mortal world more dangerous than him. Haunted by a past he couldn’t control, all Caden desires is revenge against those who’d wronged him, trapping him in never-ending nightmare. And there is one person he knows can help him.
She’s everything he can’t have…
Raised within the Order, Brighton Jussier knows just how dangerous the Prince is, reformed or not. She’d seen firsthand what atrocities he could be capable of. The last thing she wants to do is help him, but he leaves her little choice. Forced to work alongside him, she begins to see the man under the bitter ice. Yearning for him feels like the definition of insanity, but there’s no denying the heat in his touch and the wicked promise is his stare.
She’s everything he’ll take….
But there’s someone out there who wants to return the Prince to his former self. A walking, breathing nightmare that is hell bent on destroying the world and everyone close to him. The last thing either of them needs is a distraction, but with the attraction growing between them each now, the one thing he wants more than anything may be the one thing that will be his undoing.
She’s everything he’d die for….
Genre
Triggers
Violence, Death
The Prince by Jennifer Armentrout is the first novella written after the events of her A Wicked Trilogy. It features Brighton Jussier, a "non-essential" member of the Order who is sent to meet with the Summer fae to see what they want while Ivy and Ren are away on a mission. It leads to a mystery that Brighton wants to solve, despite what fellow Order members think, and into the arms of The Prince of Summer, Caden.
Woah! Where did this story come from? For a novella (well, novella 1 out of 3), this was good. I won't lie, in A Wicked Trilogy, I really could care less about Brighton. A side character with no use, other than giving Ivy information she needed to find the truth about the fae that the Order used to work with. I was surprised with Jennifer's decision to write a novella series with her as the main protagonist, but I gotta say, I'm digging it. We get some insight into how tense the relationship between the Order and the Summer Fae is after the fight with the Queen, the main mystery is intriguing, the revenge storyline is so outta left field but is a home run, and the romance is all kinds of hot. We also get to see how Ivy and Ren are doing two years post Queen, and we get Tink. <3
Brighton has quite the arc from the first chapter to the second. I mean, there is an obvious time jump, but wow. She goes from meek and milk Brighton, to a secretly fully trained hunter. A hunter with a list that not even the Order knows about. Then there is the Prince, Caden. Who knew I could love the guy that was the baddie in A Wicked Trilogy (okay, he was under the control of the Queen, but still). He still carries the memories of the time he wasn't in control, and the guilt. A man/fae who wants, but doesn't think he deserves anything good. Their chemistry is intense and hot, and even though it's a novella (although, with 25 chapters, it should be considered a spin-off), I was connected enough to the characters that I was in tears by the end.
The end of The Prince ends in a bit of a cliff hanger. So many questions. None that I can put here without spoiling you. For a novella centering on a different protagonist and new romance, it is insanely good and sucks you in. If you loved A Wicked Trilogy, I highly recommend The Prince.
Tink: "Guess what?"
Brighton: "What?"
Tink: "I rode Dixon in here, like I would ride a might steer charging into battle."
Lifting my hands, I looked over at him. I really had nothing to say to that.
Tink: "Ivy always gets mad at me when I do that, but Dixon likes it and I like it."
Brighton: "The world is your oyster, Tink."
Brighton: "Is everything okay with you guys?"
Tink: "Of course. Fabian not only thinks that I'm the most amazing creature to walk this world and beyond, he's so in love with me, it's adorable."
Brighton: "Yes, I care. Can you let go of me?"
Caden: "Why would you care when the entirety of the Order does not?"
Brighton: "How do you know they don't?"
Caden: "The fact that you'd have to ask that question males me doubt your intelligence. Then again, I already have good enough reasons to doubt that."
My mouth dropped open. Literally.
Brighton: "Did you just say that to me?"
Caden: "I am confident that I spoke om your native language and quite clearly."
Caden: "My apologies. That was uncalled for."
Brighton: "Yeah, it was."
Caden: "Even if it is true."
Brighton: "Wow. Way to ruin an apology."
A silver fox is what Ivy would've called him. Pretty sure Tink would call him Daddy.
Brighton: "You can tell his royal Dickness that this is a public establishment and he does not get to dictate where I go and what I do."
The man's eyes widened slightly
Everest: "However, as the owner, I do get to dictate who stays here and who goes."
Brighton: "True. Did he tell you what I am?"
Everest lifted a hand, stopping the bouncer from coming any closer.
Brighton: "I don't know if he did, but I assure you that I can cause a lot of trouble for your fine establishment, and I mean a lot."
I smiled now, all sugary sweet
Brighton: "So unless you want that to happen, you can tell the Prince to go fuck himself."
Everest tilted his head slightly
Everest: "You can tell him that yourself."
Caden: "I can assure you, I have no intention of fucking myself tonight, Sally."
Caden: "You are becoming a pain in my ass."
Brighton: "I'm about to become a much bigger once. One you're going to need to see a doctor to treat. You try to make me leave, I will make a scene in here so bad you'll spend the next year glamouring memories."
Caden: "You would, wouldn't you?"
Brighton: "Yes."
Caden: "You should have left when you had a chance. Now, you and I are going to have a discussion that is way past due, and you're going to say yes and you're going to behave."
Brighton: "Behave?"
He nodded as those thick lashes came down, shielding his eyes.
Caden: "Don't test me."
Brighton: "Is that a threat?"
Caden: "It's an advisory."
Brighton: "Same thing. Like totally the same thing."
Caden: "I knew it was you Saturday night, from the moment I saw you in that room."
Brighton: "That much I figured. Why didn't you call me out, if you knew it was me?"
He was quiet for a moment
Caden: "I wanted to see how far you would let it go."
Heat blasted my cheeks
Brighton: "Not very far."
The Prince lifted a brow
Caden: "My hand was right about your -"
Brighton: "I know where your hand was. Trust me. It's something I won't forget."
Caden: "No doubt."
Brighton: "As in not in a good way."
Caden: "I'm curious, if it wasn't in a good way, why did you allow it?"
I inhaled sharply
Brighton: "I was pretending to be entranced."
Caden: "Hmm."
Brighton: "I was!"
Caden: "If that's what you need to tell yourself."
Caden: "I know this place down the street that has the most amazing crab cakes. Would you like to join me?"
Brighton: "Okay. I guess."
Caden: "Good, but I just have one request."
Brighton: "You invited me to grab something to eat, but you have one request?"
Caden: "I do. I want you."
Brighton: "Excuse me?"
Caden: "I want you to be yourself. I don't want this."
He gestured in the general direction of my head.
Caden: "I want you to be ... you."
Brighton: "I don't ... I don't think this is a good idea."
Caden: "It's probably not."
Brighton: "You asked me to join you."
Caden: "I did."
Brighton: "So why did you ask me to join you if you think it's a bad idea?"
Caden: "Because good ideas are ideas rarely wanted ... or needed."
Brighton: "Remember? I'm just a human woman and I'm already half dead."
Caden: "I should not have spoken those words."
Brighton: "Why? Because they were ignorant?"
Caden: "Because what you said about yourself is a lie."
Brighton: "What do you mean?"
Caden: "You're not a ghost. You never could be one, not when you burn as brilliant as the sun."
Brighton: "Jesus."
Caden: "Not quite."
Brighton: "Ha. Ha."
Caden: "Do you always ask this many questions?"
Brighton: "Yes. Is it annoying?"
Caden: "Yes."
Brighton: "You're bleeding."
Caden: "I was completely ... unaware of this."
Brighton: "You saved my life, so I'm going to return the favor."
His eyes snapped open
Caden: "That's not why I did it. So you could return the favor."
Brighton: "Well, I would hope not."
I kept walking backward, relieved when he was following me like an animal stalking his prey. The back of my legs hit the bed at the same moment I figured it out.
Brighton: "You saved me because I helped your brother the night everyone fought the Queen."
Reaching into the pocket of my peacoat, I pulled the stake out and placed it on the dresser.
Brighton: "So, I, um, don't accidentally stab myself or you."
His chest was rising and falling rapidly as he watched me.
Brighton: "I'm not going to leave, Mr. Prince, and I'm not going to let you die."
In a blink of an eye, he was right in front of me. Caught off guard, I lost balance and sat down on the edge of the bed.
Caden: "DO you know what will happen when I feed?"
Brighton: "I know ... I know some people like it ... or so I;ve heard, but I guess ... no, I really have no idea."
Caden: "You're going to like it."
Heat boiled my blood
Brighton: "I wouldn't go that far."
Caden: "You have no idea what you're getting yourself into."
Brighton: "I know what I'm getting myself into."
His fingertips touched my cheeks
Caden: "You can leave."
Brighton: "If I do then you die."
Caden: "Maybe that's for the best."
I lifted my hands and wrapped them around his wrists
Brighton: "Why would you say that?"
Caden: "You know what I've done."
Brighton: "It wasn't your fault."
Caden: "There is no coming back from that."
Brighton: "Stop. You have come back from that, because you're standing here and you're going to feed so you don't die. That's it. This has been decided. Get with it."
HE went still, but I saw the moment resignation settled into his features. Relief mingled with a little bit of fear. He was going to live, and I just hoped I didn't die in the process.
Caden: "I won't hurt you. And I won't let this go too far. I promise you this."
Before I could ask what too far meant, the tips of his fingers glided down my cheeks, along the sides of my throat. He tilted my head back and heartbeat passed.
Caden: "I didn't save you because of what you did for my brother."
Then he brought his lips down.
Caden: "We can't. We can't do this."
Brighton: "We can't?"
Caden shuddered as he dropped his forehead to mine, his hips moving in a slow roll.
Caden: "No."
Brighton: "No?"
Caden: "I promised you that I would not let this go too far."
Brighton: "I want this."
To prove my point, I ran my hands down the tense muscles of his back and then lower, slipping my fingers under his loose pants.
Brighton: "Don't ... don't you want this? It seems like you do."
Caden: "God."
He moved his mouth to my neck
Caden: "I've never wanted anyone as much as I want you. But you can't say what you want is all yours. Not after me feeding."
Brighton: "It feels like it' all me."
I thought I felt him smile against my neck
Caden: "I'm trying to be ... better than who I was. I don't know if that will make a difference or mean anything, but I'm trying to be better and it's never been harder than this moment."
Brighton: "Why do you call me that? Sunshine?"
Caden: "Because I saw you smile once and it was like the sun finally rising. And your hair is like golden rays of sun."
Caden: "I meant your hair. I like it down."
Brighton: "Oh. It's a mess."
Caden: "Sunshine. Still looks like sunshine."
Tink: "What did you do? Did you do more than feed him? Did you feed him with your vag-"
Brighton: "Oh, my God, Tink, no. And if you weren't worried about me then why did you think I wasn't breathing?"
Tink: "You're old. You could've had a heart attack for all I know."
Brighton: "I'm not old. Jesus, Tink."
Brighton: "I need coffee. But I need a shower first."
Tink: "To wash away the aroma of a really, really good night?"
Caden: "Our bodies are closer right now than she and I were. I'm not going to lie to you. She wanted this. She didn't get it."
Brighton; "It doesn't matter if she did."
Caden: "Yes, it does."
Brighton: "I don't care."
Caden: "That's a lie."
Brighton: "Not it's not. I don't care if you did whatever with her. I just care that you're not working with her - working with them."
Caden: "If I was working with them then I'm doing a really bad job at it."
Brighton: "Or a really good job."
Caden: "The one person I am working with, or at least trying to, is you."
Brighton: "The old and plain one?"
Caden: "You are neither of those two things. And you know that."
Brighton: "I'm not old."
Caden: "No, you're not. And you're not plain. You're the furthest from that."
Neal: "So, am I interrupting?"
Caden: "Not at all. Just enjoying an evening snack when you interrupted me."
What in the hell? That comment was so not necessary. Who I was guessing was Neal let out a low laugh, adding to my irritation. Sliding me hands up and around his shoulders, I dug my fingers into his hair and pulled hard enough that he had to fight the motion of his head jerking back.
Caden's other hand came down on my ass. Hard.
I yelped.
Both males chuckled.
I was going to kill him, so help me God, I was going to -"
His hand smoothed over the stinging area and he squeezed. I bit down on my lip as I eased up on his hair. The sting ... it burned. Muscles in my thighs tensed as a rush of heat flooded me.
Neal: "Not sure I'd want this one as a snack."
I rolled my eyes
Caden continued kneading the area with his large hand, and if he thought that was going to make the burn go away, he was wrong. The burn was spreading.
Caden: "Oh, I plan to keep snacking on this one."
I don't know how long it took for everything to come back together and the room to come back into focus. When it did, I could feel feel hard and throbbing under me.
Maybe it was the pleasant haze of post orgasmic bliss that gave me the courage. I lifted up every so slightly and reached for the button on his jeans.
Caden: "Hey."
His voice was soft and thick as he caught my wrist, still my hand.
Caden: "You don't need to do that. What I just did, I did without expecting anything in return."
Brighton: "I know."
My forehead was still resting again his
Brighton: "But I want to."
He groaned deeply
Caden: "I wouldn't be satisfied with your hand or your mouth. I'd want to get inside you and not only is this not the place for that, I sure as hell don't want to be inside you when you look like this. I would want it to be you."
Raising my hand, I pressed my fingers to lips that felt swollen.
I ... I was feeling some pretty silly stuff. Perhaps it was everything that had happened in the last week causing me to think and feel like I ...
Goodness, I didn't even know.
But instead of obsessing over Aric, over what he'd taken part in, I was wondering if ,,, you could fall in love with just one kiss?
Caden: "I think you're incredibly brave, foolishly so at times. You're intelligent and kind, and your beauty rivals that of the sun."
Brighton: "Stop. You don't have to do this."
Caden: "I do. You are a treasure, Brighton."
Brighton: "You said ... you said you wouldn't hurt me. You lied."
He drew back as if I'd hit him.
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