King of the Unsightly (Tempting Trickery #1)

The Truth

N o one spoke, and I half thought I imagined the knocking.

“Hey,” Jared whispered, and his rough voice ground against my ears.

I brushed away the tear staining my cheek and pressed my hand against the door. I stayed so strong at Hera’s Palace. I held it together so well when he caught me by surprise.

But Jared said one word and my fickle heart drained me of all my sensibility.

One word and all my walls came crashing down.

I physically fought back the tears as a surge of our memories tainted my mind.

We dated for a year. One fucking year.

Until a few days ago, when I stopped by his place to surprise him after my shift with his favorite pasta in one hand and a bottle of red in the other.

Nothing prepared me for what I saw next. When I caught him with someone else in the same bed I told him I loved him in. The same bed I woke up in. Where I kissed him passionately.

In that same bed, someone else wrapped around his body—entangled in the sheets as they devoured each other like wild animals.

How did I hold it together then but not now?

I didn’t even threaten to stab one of them; I only dropped the bottle of wine.

It shattered on the wooden floor and stained the walls and my work clothes.

I was soaked, and just as shattered as the wine bottle.

He tore my heart out, and I didn’t think it could get worse.

Oh, how the world had a funny way of proving me wrong.

I bit my tongue and whispered back, “ Fuck off .”

Jared groaned, and I imagined his defeated expression through the door.

Silence fell and I thought maybe I said enough and spun back toward the bed when a hand phased through the door, then a leg, then a torso, until Jared stood behind me.

Jared’s tall, athletic frame prowled toward me as his piercing green eyes stunned me. In a similar suit to the one he wore at Hera’s Palace, but this one matched his curly hair and fit better than the last.

God, why was I still attracted to him?

I took a step back and landed safely on the bed. I should have put two and two together that Jared could also be something else—whatever monster with the ability to phase through walls.

“No.” I pointed my finger at him. “You can’t do this to me right now.” I turned away, inhaled. “You drugged me, kidnapped me. Get the hell away from me!”

My anger and sadness mixed together, and rage and despair blinded me.

Jared put his hands up and crept closer. “I’m not going to do anything. Addy, please hear me out.”

I laughed and it left my chest hollow.

Not like he was offering me a choice in the matter. “Okay but stay where you are and don’t test me.” I skimmed the room and snatched the deep purple candelabra resting on the vanity dresser. “I will hit you if you get any closer.” I waved it at him.

It was a threat I fully planned on keeping, no matter how ridiculous I looked, or whether I could even hurt him. I still had no clue what he was.

Jared stood still as if contemplating what to say next.

He spoke as soft as freshly spun silk. “I didn’t know when we started ...” He rubbed his fingers through his hair and broke eye contact. Heavy circles marred his complexion like he hadn’t slept in days. He was a wreck, a heavy contrast to his normal put-together appearance. “I didn’t think Valeria would harm you. I thought she had a weakness for humans ever since her coven murdered her lover, but I didn’t know she’d be a spy. And once Ryas found out you had the key and told him, I couldn’t ... I couldn’t disobey.”

Jared fidgeted with his hands, displaying extremely high-strung behavior even for him.

And no matter how on edge Jared appeared, his explanation served no purpose.

It was worthless and a little too late.

“Whatever your excuses are, they won’t change my mind. Now if that’s all, leave .”

Jared took another deep breath and continued to fidget with his hands. “The night when you saw me—”

“Don’t even go there. I’m not in the mood.”

“It didn’t mean anything.”

Wow. He was insane, and what kind of excuse was he trying to fabricate? Did he not hear the absurdity of his words?

I saw everything now.

A narcissistic man who justified his awful behavior. “Get out. I have more important things to worry about, in case you haven’t noticed.”

“Listen to this last part, please.”

“Get out,” I said again. I didn’t care to hear more. I was done. He stepped closer and I screamed louder, “GET OUT.” My hands trembled as I waved the candelabra at him like a mad woman.

Hell, I was a mad woman.

Jared flung his hands up in defense, stepped back and whispered, “I’m sorry. I guess it was too soon, but I wanted to tell you before we had to travel together.” He pouted like he was some lost puppy, shifted back, and phased through the door.

I crumpled to the ground. The weight of his words pierced through my armor and affected me more than I cared to admit.