Brayden’s grip tightened when I jerked, intending to run the hell out of this place and never come back.
The Elder Fae’s gaze narrowed. “She’s fighting me.”
Yeah, no shit, Sherlock! You’re trying to kill me.
The pain amplified and I was reminded of the discomfort I’d felt that night I was bitten. It was much like that.
“Her power is fighting me. Relax, girl, or I won’t be able to contain it,” the Elder Fae hissed.
I growled, my wolf rising to the surface; fur broke out onto my arms.
“Averly, stop!” Brayden commanded, and power slapped over my skin, causing me to go stock still. My wolf retreated and the pain went from my head down into my chest.
“No, please… just stop,” I whimpered, pressing my back deeper into Brayden’s chest.
“Can’t you hurry!?” Brayden bellowed at the fae, who glared at him.
“I’m holding a nuclear weapon right now, you don’t want me to rush this,” the Elder Fae announced.
That one sentence put the fear of God into me. I was a nuke? An untrained nuke?Great.
The agony had reached my chest; a crushing weight pushed in on my heart. A howl ripped from my throat and blackness danced at the edges of my vision.
Brayden’s lips were back on my earlobe, brushing against it. “I’m so sorry.” His breath feathered over my neck and then the searing pain flared like the sun and everything went black.
NINE
I came to with a headache and moaned.
“Averly.” Brayden’s voice was husky and panicked.
“That creepy old bastard almost killed her!” Maddy snapped, and my eyes sprang open.
I was back in Brayden’s room with the black flannel sheets.
“You’ve been out a few hours. Are you okay?” Brayden asked, his face lined with worry.
I nodded, sitting up. The headache was worse now that I’d elevated it, but nothing an ibuprofen or two couldn’t fix.
Maddy held out my phone. “Who is Leah? She keeps calling and texting you asking where you are.”
Damn. “My best friend. I missed class today.”
I peered at my phone that Maddy had thrust into my face and scanned the texts in the notifications bar.
Leah:You’re acting weird!
Leah:You clearly have rabies!
Leah:No class now? Call me or else.
I groaned and shoved the phone under Brayden’s pillow. “Who the hell was that Elder Fae? I mean, how do you know him?” I asked Brayden as Maddy reached to the side table and handed me a glass of water.
“He’s a very old, very powerful fae,” Brayden said from the foot of the bed where he sat. “He used to serve my father and then the Fae Lords, until he betrayed them and was imprisoned.”
“Betrayed them how?” I guess it was good to know he wasn’t in for murder.
“It’s a long story,” he mused.
