Mated To The Cruel Prince
Chapter 388: A Little Compromise

Chapter 388: A Little Compromise

Aldric was taken aback by Islinda wrenching out of his grasp, but it was the molten anger in her eyes that made him stop short.

"What’s wrong?" he asked, sensing the abrupt change in her.

Islinda glared at him. "You lied to me."

Aldric sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I told you that my kind doesn’t lie—"

"You said Eli doesn’t want to see me," she pointed out. "You lied."

Instantly, the tent that had formed below them vanished, like a flame extinguished by water. "Oops, I guess I slipped," he said unapologetically upon being found out.

Fury unlike anything she had felt before consumed Islinda, and without thinking, she forcefully shoved him into a wall.

Aldric’s sadistic smile faded as he scrutinized their new position with slight fear. "Now, this is interesting," he said.

"Shut up!" Islinda spat, her anger blinding her.

Without hesitation, she tightened her grip on him, causing Aldric’s eyes to widen in shock and pain. It seemed that regardless of being human or Fae, he was still fragile.

"What are you doing...?" Aldric choked out, unable to finish his sentence as Islinda squeezed even harder, causing his eyes to shut and his face to contort in agony.

He could have easily dislodged her, but he knew that approaching the situation forcefully would only make things worse. While Aldric had no interest in having children, he still enjoyed sex and needed his anatomy intact for it. He had never quite confirmed whether Fae could regrow such delicate parts.

In that moment, Islinda had complete control over Aldric, who pleaded with his eyes. Who knew that she, too, possessed sadistic tendencies? It was an oversight on his part. He desperately needed his "packaging" to remain unharmed.

"You lied to me!" Islinda yelled at him.

"No, I didn’t lie to you—" Aldric attempted to defend himself, only to be met with another painful squeeze.

By the gods, she was a petite torture queen.

"Fuck this," Aldric cursed, finally confessing, "I never lied to you. Eli was so heartbroken by your actions that he didn’t want to see you, and he gave me control. However, he had a change of heart along the way, and that’s what I didn’t tell you."

Islinda stared at Aldric, absorbing the truth. But even with the truth revealed, her anger still lingered. She was tired of his mind games and words manipulation.

She squeezed him once more, causing him to moan this time. Aldric was quite accustomed to pain, easily able to endure this one. In fact, it aroused him. He had always enjoyed pain in his lovemaking.

Islinda was stunned by his reaction, and in her shock, she slipped. Aldric seized the opportunity and quickly turned the tables, pressing her against the wall. Islinda gasped, everything happening so rapidly that her eyes struggled to keep up.

Aldric’s breath was hot against her neck as the realization set in that she was now at his mercy. What had she been thinking, grabbing him like that? Islinda felt a mixture of embarrassment and fear, realizing her tendency to make foolish decisions when she was consumed by anger.

"Aldric..." she whispered, her heart pounding in her chest. It was her turn now to feel unsettled.

Aldric, on the other hand, breathed heavily, his chest rising and falling with anger, but there was also an undeniable attraction. Why did it have to be her? She was just a pawn in his game, always attempting to break down his walls.

He didn’t react immediately, letting the tense silence build before he hooked a hand beneath her chin, lifting her face so their eyes met. His eyes were dark and filled with desire.

"Tell me, Islinda, what should I do with you? Should I return the favor?" he asked, his hand sliding up her leg beneath her skirt, pulling her closer.

Islinda gasped, painfully aware of his erection that he no longer tried to conceal.

"You deserved everything I did to you and more," she snarled.

Aldric sighed, leaning in so close that Islinda instinctively moved back, though there was nowhere to go. Their lips were inches away, and his warm breath sent shivers down her spine, making her scalp tingle.

Islinda tried to suppress her carnal desires, but the thought of Aldric’s wicked intentions excited her. She knew his body intimately, what he was capable of and how he had felt inside her. Yes, Aldric had ensnared her.

"Trust me, Islinda, one day you will find yourself in my bed, and then I will return these favors," he promised with a dark tone that filled her with both fear and anticipation.

"Keep dreaming," Islinda told him even though desire pulsed through her, and she silently prayed that he couldn’t detect her arousal. That would be too embarrassing. She was attracted to Aldric, but she wouldn’t act on these lustful impulses. Not with a clear mind, at least.

Before she could voice anything else, Prince Aldric reached around her neck. Her breath caught as he loomed so close that she could only breathe in his crisp, sharp scent. How could someone be so monstrous and yet so enticing?

It wasn’t until Aldric lifted her head and she felt a strangely warm object against her chest that she realized he had put the necklace on her, the same necklace she had rejected. It all happened so quickly that she didn’t fully comprehend what had transpired until it was already around her neck.

Fury surged through her, and she instinctively went to take it off. But Aldric interrupted, "Wear it for the rest of tonight and stay alive, and maybe then I’ll allow you to speak to Eli."

Islinda tensed, then relaxed slightly. Fine, they were negotiating. A little compromise wouldn’t do any harm.

She narrowed her gaze at him. "Is that a sacred oath? One that you cannot break regardless of the circumstances?"

Aldric grimaced. "You have my word, Islinda, and it’s worth a great deal."

"In that case, we have a deal. I will wear your necklace and stay alive, and in return, you will give me access to Eli for an hour."

"Thirty minutes," Aldric grumbled.

"Forty-five minutes," Islinda countered.

"Fifteen minutes."

"Thirty minutes," Islinda quickly conceded, realizing she was dealing with a heartless bastard.

"Now fix your appearance, little human. We have wasted enough time already, and I can’t wait to see my family."