I clenched my jaw tight, and grumbled, “Fine, I’ll behave. But I want to see the challenge.”
He leaned back and straightened to tower over my smaller stature. King Athon was quiet for a full minute, watching his friend pull a guard aside and speak privately with him. Eventually, he conceded when I didn’t think he would. “I understand why you would want to attend. Bishop will make it happenifyou don’t try to attack him.”
“I said I would behave. And I will.” I sniffed.
The King of Shifters paused in thought. “If you go back on your word and wound him, I will hurt you. It will not be pleasant, elf.”
I imagined it wouldn’t be. “Youarehurting my arm right now, shifter.”
“And I don’t give a Fae fuck.” He squeezed even tighter, making me flinch. “Also, there is a part of a wall in my personal office that is caster-spelled. Only the ruler and their soul mate may pass through it. If someone comes into the office when I am not with you, hide there before they see you.”
I snorted under my breath. “I can take care of myself.”
“That is yet to be seen. You are continually getting yourself into trouble.” He shoved me toward the guard strolling to us, and I stumbled right into the shifter. King Athon ordered sharply, “Take her to my personal office. Let no harm befall this one. I want that pleasure all to myself.”
I rubbed at the bruises on my bicep that were quickly healing and scowled at my soul mate but kept my mouth shut.
The guard grabbed me roughly by the back of my neck, a wicked grin twisting his lips. “I understand, Your Royal Highness.”
I cringed at his rough handling. It was somehow worse than the shifter king’s. His punishing grip pinched my spine and made it hard to stand straight.
I kept my gaze down, not wanting King Athon to see the pain in my eyes. The fact that he could feel it in his Fae-spark was decidedly embarrassing enough. I had said I’d behave, and I would. So I kept my hands away from my hidden daggers and didn’t stab the guard in his throat. I was getting what I wanted. I would be a spectator at the challenge.
King Athon cleared his throat pointedly, and then stated harshly, “I said no harm.”
I blinked in shock as the guard immediately loosened his grip to a manageable level. I hadn’t expected that. The shifter king didn’t need to aid me. I could handle this—
Oh my Fae.
In my Fae-spark… His darkest, most shameful secret lay.
I knew what it was now, could put a name to it.
The King of Shifters was possessive over me, too.
His hate burned just as bright as mine.
But that pinch of unwanted possessiveness floated inside it.
What a Fae damned shit show this truly was.
We loathed one another with a deadly passion. We didn’t find each other physically attractive—at all. Fairy, we didn’t even like each other’s personalities, utterly disgusted with one another more often than not.
And yet we’d started to think we owned one another.
The Fae had truly fucked us over with this mistake.
I gradually lifted my eyes and met his.
The powerful shifter king snarled and snapped at me with his teeth, his inner beast shining through and hovering over me. “You are a nuisance I wish to rid myself of, elf.”
Properly so, with the guard here, I stayed silent.
King Athon growled, “Get her out of here. Now!”
I scrambled to keep up, the guard’s legs much longer than mine, as he dragged me away from his king. The merchant site was bustling with activity now, shifters buying trinkets at the tables, and all watched as my captor hauled me away. I kept my head down with my hood low over my eyes and behaved as demanded of me.
My sandals smacked on the cobblestone street. Over the bridge. Up the grand entrance to the king’s castle. Inside the foyer. Up many, many stairs. Down carpeted hallways. Ascending even more stone stairs, these spiraling inside the great mountain. Through four different corridors. Left, right, left, right. New Fae damned stairs. One more opulent hallway.
