Finally, Khortland steps aside, revealing the Human to Aerin. She looks the same as Aerin remembers, slightly taller than average for a Human, soft looking with gentle curves. Her long brown hair is pulled away from her face, her round cheeks are pink, and freckles brush across her nose. Her big brown eyes match her hair and meet Aerin’s golden ones as she holds out a hand.
“Hello, I’m Reyna,” she introduces herself.
Aerin eyes the hand but eventually takes it and pulls. The Human stumbles forward easily, and Aerin wraps an arm around her shoulders. Khortland takes a menacing step towards them, but Aerin narrows her gaze at him.
“Relax, Khortland, I have no intention of hurting her.”
The girl stands stiffly under Aerin’s arm.
“If you do?—"
Khortland’s threat is interrupted by Emrys’s deep voice. “I certainly hope you’re not about to threaten my Alpha.”
Tensions rise until Aerin breaks it with laughter.
“We’re just going to the bathroom for some girl talk, okay, Khortland? I promise I’ll return her unharmed, and then you can continue whatever sort of foreplay the two of you were up to.”
Aerin steers Reyna away and the Vipers follow.
38
EMRYS
Emrys glares at the white-haired Fae Prince as his Alpha saunters away with the Human under her arm. He doesn’t trust the Prince, and he doesn’t understand how Aerin can be so cavalier with him, even if he is her Paramyr.
A hand catches his wrist, and Emrys spins in surprise. It’s Malice who holds him, tugging him towards the back exit, opposite of the direction Aerin had gone.
“Let’s get some air,” he says to Emrys. Emrys opens his mouth to protest but Malice beats him to it. “Trust me, they will be in there for a while.”
Emrys gives up the fight. The longer he is with Aerin, the more he finds himself deferring to Malice for guidance. Following the Dragon-Fae’s lead. Trusting him. It’s been eight years since Emrys was in Fae form. Longer still since he’s been inside a City-State.
Malice steers him to the open backdoor where the club opens to an alleyway, a bouncer posted at the door. The air is crisp and feels good in Emrys’s lungs. This day has been massively overstimulating, making his brain hurt. Even his bones ache from being in this body for so long.
They move deeper into the alley, away from the small cluster of Shifters who are smoking by the door and two Fae, one of which seems to be vomiting. The Ursine bouncer ignores them all, staring straight ahead.
Perching against the wall, Malice folds his arms over his chest and brings a foot up to rest against it—a picture of composure.
“If I’ve learned one thing from being with Aerin, it’s that she’ll get herself out of those situations. Most times, she’s the only one who leaves unscathed,” Malice explains.
Emrys opens his mouth to protest once more but the Dragon-Fae holds up a hand.
“That girl is five steps ahead of everyone, including us.”
Pushing a heavy breath from his nose Emrys says, “She can be…” He trails off, not wanting to speak ill of his Alpha.
“Infuriating?” Malice supplies with a laugh. He has a nice laugh, deep and rich.
“I suppose that is similar to what I was thinking, yes,” Emrys concedes. “What does she want with the Human anyways?” Malice shrugs in response. Emrys looks longingly back at the doorway. “She won’t hurt her, will she?” Emrys asks more carefully. Aerin has always been carefree, but this version of her lacks the caution she once had.
The Dragon-Fae stills. “I don’t think either of us really knows the Princess as much as we’d like to think we do.” Emrys hates that he agrees with him. “But I do know one thing.” Malice’s change in tone draws Emrys’s attention. “I do know that tonight she will want to bed someone, and I don’t think I can handle it if that someone is not one of us.”
Jealousy flares through Emrys’s chest. It’s an unfamiliar feeling. As a Wolf, sharing is customary. There is no space for jealousy within a pack. But that sentiment doesn’t extend to those outside of the pack. Emrys doesn’t feel jealousy when hethinks of Aerin and Malice together but the idea of someone else makes his stomach twist.
Malice’s bluntness is somewhat surprising. Earlier, the Fae Prince and Human couldn’t hear what happened between Aerin and Malice, but Emrys could. He heard the confessions Malice made.
“I agree, I don’t want her bedding someone else,” Emrys concedes.
Would he protest if his Alpha truly wanted to? No. But that doesn’t mean he has to sit idly by and let it happen if she can be swayed to make a different choice, to keep any intimacy within their trio.
