Inside, the warm dining hall is full of rambunctious Fae, dressed in gowns and suits of finery. There is plenty of wine, nectar and blood, passed by silent servants. The fine silver shines under the rows of candles, the room turning into a glowing golden beacon in the darkness of our palace. I don’t let Max go as I maneuver to our places, at the corner, right by my father.
Reid and Fee are already seated with Oslo and Zeke at the back. I wouldn’t have been late if they weren’t there to watch my siblings.
I catch Zeke’s eye and nod, a silent communication of thanks.
“You trust him,” she whispers, gliding along with me. All thelords look at my mate, and the possessive side rears its head, blocking her from their hungry gazes.
“He’s loyal.” I nod a Fae elder, a friend of my uncles and someone on our side. “I respect loyal.”
“It’s more than that,” she replies, eyes bouncing between my siblings and Zeke. “He did something for them. That’s the only way to earn your respect.”
“Is it? And how did you earn mine, kitten?” I take her hand, pushing her ahead.
“Maybe when I held a knife to your throat?”
We reach our seats and I wave off a servant, pulling her chair out myself. I’m compelled to be everything Max needs and more.
“That certainly did it.” She slips past me, lowering into the seat with more grace than some Fae. My mouth meets her ear and her head tilts, a subconscious move that shows me her trust. “But maybe it was when I tasted your sweet cunt?”
Her cheeks blaze and I sit, smiling smugly. I love to get under her skin, break her cool mask, as much as she likes to ruin mine.
“Or maybe when I threatened to kill you?” She folds the napkin in her lap, the servants pouring her a healthy dose of wine. “You do tend to enjoy playing with danger.”
She has no idea.
Glancing around, she scans the crowd, eying the Woodland Fae across from us. Her anxiety is a lead ball, wedged between us. I grab her thigh, pulling her close.
“You’re uneasy.”
“It’s a lot,” she retorts, holding the chalice to her lips. There’s a breathless laugh, followed by a chorus of moans. My father’s parties always turn into orgies. “And that one won’t stop staring at me.”
My burning eyes dart from her to the other male and my lips turn into a soft sneer, holding back my contempt. Barely.
“Ignore him.” I tuck a piece of her violet-black locks behind her ear, tracing the edge of her unpointed ear. “He’s nothing.”
“Kaden,” he calls, and I growl low in my throat.
“Fenrir,” I greet, leaning back, though my grip turns firmer, bruising her leg. “You’re looking well. Seems you were able to extract yourself from the company you requested last night.”
Company he had the nerve to ask me to arrange.
I see the marks along his collarbone, the still oozing bites from the Dark Fae females he found on his own.
He smiles, pleased even as his ears turn a bright red. “Your kind is absolutely the most fun an unattached male can have. They know all best positions to try out.”
Green eyes latch on to my mate like a leech and darken. He’s shameless.
Even decades after Sose, he’s still trying to take my things, like when we were children. Toys, weapons, books. Now, my mate.
My beast rages as I refrain from yanking his heart from his chest and crushing it before his eyes.
“Avert your eyes or I will pluck them from your face and serve them to you for dinner,” I command, grin easygoing. Max clears her throat, but not because she’s uncomfortable, no. She’s trying to hide her laugh.
It’s toxic, this relationship, and yet Fate deemed it worthy to give it to us.
“Such possessiveness.” He tsks. “I heard great tales about the Dark Fae and their base instincts when their mate is concerned.” He shrugs, sipping his golden nectar. “When will that calm down?”
“Never.” I grin, fangs glinting menacingly. “I’ll always protect my mate from those who are less than deserving of her time.”
