I turned onto my hands and knees, and, instantly, held my pointed finger up to my lips when the elf to my left glanced at me. His eyes widened comically on his face, but he jerked his attention forward again, pretending he had seen nothing. I shoved my bag against my back and began crawling carefully behind the elves in the direction of my deliverance, all the while sweating hard. No matter how excellent I thought I was at being stealthy, I was always proven wrong. I was fortunate, though, no elves were giving me away, keeping their eyes forward.
From the direction of where my booth was, King Athon’s deep and rough voice demanded harshly, “The elf who was here, where did she go?”
My shoulders tensed, but I kept moving quietly.
“I am not sure, Your Royal Highness,” my previous elven neighbor stated. “She was there, and then she was gone.”
In the silence, King Athon chuckled quietly—and maliciously. “Guards, detain all of the elves here! I want them questioned on the whereabouts of the elf who claimed this table. Do it in the dungeon if they continue to lie.”
I halted and stared down at the grass, horror sucking the air from my lungs at the thought of shifters detaining innocent—they were innocent to me—elves because they were protecting my person.
The elf I had stopped behind shoved her foot back, kicking me in the side—furious with these events…but still staying silent.
I lifted my head and stared at the dense brush.
I was so close, but my fingers dug down into the grass.
I couldn’t leave my people. Nevertheless, either way, my hesitation was my downfall. The ground beneath me shook ever so slightly.
“Guards, hold!” King Athon barked much too close by, a smidge of his tiger in his voice he was so furious. “Detaining them is no longer needed. Get back in formation.”
My shoulders sagged in relief at his command, and then I grudgingly stood up. I turned around to face the asshole who was directly behind me. I tilted my head far,farback to stare my soul mate in the face. I glared and flashed my fangs at him as those solid black eyes flayed me with wrath.
Bishop stepped forward to stand next to his king, his honey-brown, solid eyes blinking in shock. He muttered quietly, “What the Fae fuck are you doing here?” I appreciated the fact that he didn’t say who I was to one and all.
I still glowered at the tiger shifter before me.
King Athon took a step closer, his body heat attacking my frame, and his honeysuckle scent invading my nostrils. He bent at the waist to place his face right in front of mine, and his long, white hair brushed over his shoulders to hang between us. The few braids he wore in his hair swung softly. The black beads woven throughout caught the sunlight just as his crown was. The shifter king’s cheeks flushed in his rage, showing pink on his warm, russet skin tone.
He snarled, “I’m trying hard not to kill you right now.”
He and I both knew he couldn’t do that.
But the elf standing right next to us didn’t. She slowly crept away, staying as silent as she could, and keeping her head down. That was an intelligent elf to slip away from this Fae fucking mess.
I whispered harshly, “Just walk away, Your Royal Highness. Say you had the wrong person. I don’t care. I had this all handled until you fucked it up.”
King Athon didn’t move, didn’t speak, his pure black eyes unblinking and his jaw grinding together in aggravation. His brutally rugged, masculine features were still planted in front of my face, only a few inches away. His tiger growled softly, long and quiet, vibrating his throat just enough that only those close by could hear it.
Bishop slammed his left hand down on his king’s right shoulder, taking a liberty with him I hadn’t expected—and the restraining hold wasn’t thrown off. His king allowed his hand to stay there. He questioned sharply on a whisper, “What the Fairy are you even talking about? What do you have handled?”
I snapped my mouth shut, not about to speak any further in front of his personal assistant/personal guard. Though I did avert my glare from my soul mate’s furious gaze to the sand-colored hand gripping his shoulder, suddenly confused but curious about their relationship. Were theyrealfriends? It had seemed like it before when they’d been walking together.
“Answer me,” Bishop hissed.
That wasn’t going to happen. I kept staring at his hand.
What exactly was I feeling right now? It was very peculiar.
My stomach churned with uneasiness, clenching with tension. It made me slightly nauseous. My chest even tightened from pressure, building until it was hard to breathe. I wasn’t positive what it was, but it had to do with Bishop’s hand. I cocked my head and eyed it.
The shocking admission slammed into my brain.
I…felt a kernel ofpossessivenessfor my soul mate.
The ghastly shifter king may not be to my liking…
But he wasmine? Fairy, I didn’t even want him!
