The Crown Thief and Her Alpha Prince

CHAPTER 16 - THE PROPOSITION

Amelia Cooper’s Point of View

Amelia had never felt so many emotions in one single night. 

She had entered the Prince’s bedroom to steal his crown in a desperate move to escape the castle, had found him pleasuring himself and screaming her name in the heights of his arousal, and now he was refusing to let her leave his room, his strong body leaning against the door, the enormous cicatrized bite mark on his shoulder reminding Amelia that he had fought way bigger foes than her. 

Would her new deal be tempting enough for him? 

A night with her in exchange for her freedom. That sounded fair.

He was considering it. She could tell from the way his pupils had dilated, his eyes mapping her body the way she hoped his hands soon would. He still looked angry though and even, oddly enough, a little hurt. Did it bother him that much that she had tried to steal his crown? It seemed unlikely. 

Then again, if tonight had taught Amelia one thing, it was that Prince Edmund Harrow cared about her more than he let on.

Images of the prince coming while choking out her name immediately came to Amelia’s mind. Hearing her name on his lips had been the most erotic thing she had ever seen. It was not only because he was a handsome man coming undone - or because of the voyeuristic thrill. It was the sheer intensity of the revelation that he desired her. Her head was still reeling at that thought.

Hopefully, she would get to see that scene again later, while she was under him, in his arms. The sight of him coming undone was something to behold.

After long seconds, Edmund finally seemed to find his words.

“I would li -. “ the prince blurted, then changed his mind, his voice changing to a colder tone. “I thought I made myself clear in the gardens the other night. I am a Prince and therefore you -”

“Cut the bullshit, Prince,” Amelia spat out. 

Despite being a low-class orphan, Amelia usually never used such crude language. However, she was exasperated, and she could not let the prince finish his speech. He was not getting off easy with that little number again.

“Don’t pretend you have no desire for me,” she said. “I am the one you think about when you touch yourself at night. You want me, Prince Edmund.”

“I…”

“Besides… even now, your desire is pretty hard to miss.”

Amelia dared to look quickly but pointedly down at him to hammer home her statement. His c**k was fully erect again and twitched under her gaze. She looked up as soon as her point was made, blushing furiously.

Sleeping with him would hardly be a hardship for her. Amelia might have been inexperienced in the ways of men, but she had wanted the prince from the moment she had set eyes on him. Now that he was naked in front of her? It felt like her whole body was consumed by flames. She would get a night with the sexiest man she had ever seen - and in the morning, she would be free and rich.

He just had to accept.

“Why would I make a deal for something I can have without paying any price?” he finally gritted out.

“What?” Amelia stammered. “No. You might be very handsome, but my price is firm. One night for your crown and my freedom.”

She was bluffing slightly. She understood that she was betting high by asking for his crown. In reality, her freedom and assuaging her desire would be rewarding enough - and she could always steal a trinket while she ran away. It might not be worth as much as the crown, but it would still be enough for winter. Then, she could get back to her life of stealing. 

“I don’t need any deal,” he repeated.

He pushed himself from the door and advanced on her, looking straight into her eye.

“You are a servant,” Edmund growled. “You are part of my castle. Your body and your soul are already mine. I could ask you to come to my room and ask you to suck me off every night and you would not have a choice. Do you really think offering a single of your nights has value to me when I could have them all should I want to?”

He was trying to scare her, to push her away again. Why?

“I could have you right here and there.”

Amelia trembled, both terrified and desperate for Edmund’s touch. She was afraid of the beast within him, afraid he would be too rough with her, break her somehow. But at the same time… His assertiveness, his arrogance, his dominance, turned her on, made her want to do everything he said, made her want him. Even if it might break her.

Maybe she wanted to be broken.

“No,” she forced herself to stay. “You cannot control me. Touch me, and I will scream. Your reputation would be ruined. You have to take my deal.” 

As if to test her, Edmund took another step towards her, forcing her to take one backwards. Her backside was against the closed door now. He moved forward again and put his large hands on the door on each side of her head, almost touching her but not quite. She was trapped.

His skin was still damp from his past exertion. His eyes were roaming her body. His masculine scent was overwhelming, and Amelia almost forgot what they had been talking about. 

“I turned the guard away,” he purred. “Tonight, I wanted… Privacy. Turns out it will be even more convenient than expected”

Well, that at least explained why it had been so easy to break in in his room.

“No one would hear your screams of fear and pain, nor your moans of pleasure,” he continued, leaning in so his lips were almost touching her ear. “Not that anyone would care what a prince is doing to his servant. No one would save you from the beast.”

Beast was an apt qualifier at that moment. The look in the prince’s eyes was more animal than man. His teeth were elongated, as were his claws, digging through the wood of the door. He had caught his prey, and was ready to begin the feast.

“Please, Prince Edmund…” Amelia begged.

She was not sure whether she was begging him to have mercy and let her leave his room unharmed, or begging him to go through with his threat and finally take her. Her heart was close to jumping out of her chest. 

Her plea seemed to bring Edmund back to the present moment, his eyes losing the purely animalistic glint they had acquired. 

“Luckily for you, I may be a monster, but I am not that kind of monster,” he said.

He stepped back. His face was carefully arranged in a disinterested, cold mask Amelia was starting to recognize. That was the expression he wore when he was putting his walls up.

“I will not take a woman against her will. Wolf shifters have more honor than that.” 

“What about my… Proposition?” Amelia asked.

She still wanted to leave the castle, after all. And, if she was honest, her need for him had been growing since she had entered the room, and she was unsure what would happen if it was left unsatisfied.

However, Edmund looked angry again, almost disgusted.

“I will not mate with someone who wants a favor from me in return. That would not be proper for a gentleman.” 

“I am not looking for a gentleman,” Amelia challenged him.

“And I am not looking for a female human maid companionship. I won’t deny I am attracted to you, Amelia. I am a wolf shifter, and our desires can be quite uncontrollable and seemingly nonsensical. I won’t pretend that I understand what my wolf sees in you.”

That hurt. 

Amelia noticed Edmund was not meeting her eyes anymore. 

“You are lying,” Amelia observed. “It’s not just the wolf part of you that desire me. You are only trying to push me away.”

“Perhaps,” he admitted. “It does not matter. I will not lower myself to sleeping with you in exchange for your right to break our deal. I refuse to sully myself like that, and I refuse to soil your virtue. You will steal my Father’s crown, the Golden Crown of Skavon, just like we agreed, no matter how long it takes. Then you will leave this castle forever.” 

Feeling arguing would be pointless, Amelia nodded. She would figure out a way to make the King come home sooner - or she would manage to escape the castle.

“One last thing,” Edmund said as she was 

“Yes, my Prince?”

“I made it clear that you were not to lie to me. You did try to fool me tonight, hiding the fact you were stealing my crown. As I am feeling generous, and want you out of my room, I will let that slight slide. For now. Just know that you are in my debt now.”

His words sounded both like a threat and like a promise.