I’ve always known I’ve got a killer ass.
And I’ve also known that guys first marry it with their eyes, then start devouring my soul with a tiny spoon.
But Alex? He must’ve had a whole damn dining set.
“Are you for real right now?” I stared at him, at his pathetic “it’s not what you think” face, and wondered who the hell I’d even let between my legs.
“It’s just flirting, I didn’t even message her myself!” he stammered, clutching his phone like it was a sacred relic. “It was my buddies… you know, just messing around.”
“Messing around?” I raised an eyebrow, tossing my lace panties onto the bed. The red ones. The same ones he’d once pulled off with his teeth and called “his fetish.”
“Then play with these,” I hissed, feeling anger start to boil inside me. “You’re free. Just like my Wi-Fi. Get out.”
He turned red, scrambling for excuses.
“Hold on, don’t start, everything was fine, you’re the one who—”
“I’m the one who started noticing that besides your abs and good looks, there’s nothing to you. No depth, no honor, not even basic loyalty. You’re a pretty empty glass. Once you were champagne, now you’re just dust.”
He kept mumbling, trying to justify himself, but I didn’t want to hear it anymore. His words were just noise in my ears. I pulled my hair into a ponytail and mentally crossed him off my list of men who’d ever managed to get under my skin. He didn’t stand a chance.
I walked to the door without looking back and slammed it so hard that dust fell from the ceiling behind him. Elevator. Street. Icy wind. Taxi. My head was pounding.
Enough. Done. Over.
I strode down the street, each step hitting the pavement like a punch. My heels clicked like a verdict, and thoughts swirled in my head, the kind that could’ve been my inner monologue in some women’s group chat:
“Why are decent guys so rare? Why does every dude who’s good in bed always turn out to be either a jerk or a mama’s boy?”
I kept walking, thinking that I didn’t really need someone by my side. All I wanted was to not be like everyone else. To not depend on anyone. To not cling to empty promises like Alex’s. Let them all go to hell.
But then…
A flash of light. A screech. A driver’s yell. And—darkness.
I woke up in a field. Not in a hospital room. Not in a morgue. But in a freaking field. Alive. Unharmed. Dry, which was weird—judging by the sky, rain wasn’t uncommon here. Around me stretched a meadow, so vivid and green it looked like something out of a painting, unnaturally beautiful. Flowers up to my knees, a warm, intoxicating breeze. And—a complete absence of people. No cars. No civilization. My head buzzed, and a nervous pulse throbbed in my chest: “Where am I?”
I got to my feet, swaying like I’d been drinking all night and woken up in a field outside town. Except this wasn’t our nature. This wasn’t even the States. This wasn’t Earth at all—I knew it the moment I saw a bird fly overhead… with three wings. Great. Hit by a car, and now I’m in some fantasy loony bin?
About ten minutes later, the loneliness started to get to me, and right at that moment, a mounted troop rolled up to the horizon. Fifteen riders in black-and-silver armor, with crests and red cloaks. Leading them was someone striking: a black stallion, a rider in a long dark cape, golden skin, copper-colored hair, and eyes… damn, I’d never seen eyes like that before—not just brown, but with an amber glow deep inside, like something smoldered in them.
He stopped in front of me and dismounted. I instinctively took a step back. He bowed. Actually bowed. Full-on, old-school style—hand to chest, a slight tilt of the head. And his voice—low, warm, polite:
“Welcome, stranger. My name is Kaiden, Prince of Tal’Ria. I’ve come to meet you.”
“…What?”
He narrowed his eyes, as if listening to my accent, then continued:
“You’ve been brought here by the Crossing. You’re a guest in our world. A special one. Every spring, our world chooses a woman from another realm. You’re the one who’s arrived now. I’ll escort you to the capital. You’ll be provided with everything you need. You’re under the protection of the crown.”
“Hold up. Is this some kind of prank? Where are the cameras?”
He gave a faint smile. Did he actually think I was joking?
“There’s no need to fear. Everything will be explained upon arrival.” He nodded toward his horse. “It’s a long journey.”
I glanced at the stallion, at the armor of his entourage, at their weapons—real ones, with sharpened edges. Not props. I still didn’t get how this was happening, but my gut told me: this is real. And he… wasn’t human. Not entirely. His movements were too precise, his gaze too predatory. He seemed alive, but like something carved out of myth.
I got on the horse because I didn’t have a choice. They’d have taken me anyway. He rode beside me, and after a couple minutes of silence, he spoke:
“You must be confused. But the essence is simple. You’re our hope. A woman whose heart can awaken the flame. Only a union with you can restore the power of an ancient lineage. We call such women the True Ones.”
I turned my head to him:
“Are you serious right now?”
He nodded, calm as if discussing the weather:
“This is no fiction. Before you, there were eighteen others. None proved to be the True One. Their time has passed. Now it’s your turn.”
“My turn for what, exactly?”
“To become my betrothed.”
I nearly fell off the horse.
“Betrothed?! You’ve got the wrong girl.”
He raised an eyebrow, not losing his cool:
“All who come here become betrothed to the heir of the Dra’Kael line. It’s the law.”
“Law, huh… And where’s the exit?”
For the first time in our conversation, he flinched slightly. Guess he didn’t expect someone to talk to him like that.
“You should show respect. I’ve offered you protection and status.”
“And I didn’t ask for it.” I smirked. “I woke up in a field, in the middle of who-knows-what, and now some arrogant guy is claiming I’m his betrothed by law. Yeah, sure. Dream on.”
The entourage riding behind us snorted with laughter. One of the knights nearly choked, covering his face. Kaiden slowly turned his head, giving them a look—and they all shut up.
I glanced ahead. In the distance, the jagged tops of walls came into view.
“What a plot twist,” I muttered. “First a car crash, then a field, now a prince with a messiah complex.”
“You’re quite bold.”
“And you’re quite full of yourself. Perfect match, right?”
He didn’t reply. Just gave me a long, expectant look.
Well… welcome to a new world, Iris. Looks like it’s gonna be a wild ride.