No wonder everyone wanted a piece of them.
You included.
Nah. I hadn’t fucked Axel because he was fae. I’d slept with him because he was a nice guy, fun and uncomplicated, and also not looking for anything beyond the odd hook-up.
But Axel happily took advantage of people’s obsession with the fae, never short of a partner or two. Not that there was anything wrong with that. All parties were willing, after all.
Would Dathal want that?
I gripped the edge of the bar.
Was he on the dance floor right now, cosying up to some—
“Hey!” Mase snapped his fingers in front of my face, and I glared at him. “There you are.”
“What?”
“You zoned out, then got a murderous look on your face.”
I huffed. “Don’t be dramatic.” I cut a glance at the dance floor—couldn’t help myself. Not that I could see much from over here, but that was beside the point.
Mase laughed and shook his head. “Unless your aim is to stop people from buying drinks, I’d suggest you come out from behind that bar because you look ready to kill someone.” He gestured at the tattoos covering my forearms. “Thank fuck you can’t use any of that in here, or I’d pity whichever poor soul is trying to dance with Dathal right now.”
Guilt hit me hard in the chest.
I should tell him.
Back before I moved up here, we told each other everything. I’d never have kept it from him then.
But now?
Shame had held my tongue. But this wasGabriel.He wouldn’t judge me for the mistakes I made when I was young and stupid. But he might judge me for keeping such a monumental secret from him when he’d shared everything with me.
I wanted to tell him.
It was the first time I’d thought that and meant it. But I couldn’t do it here. And definitely not tonight.
“Listen,” I said, lowering my voice to little more than a whisper. “I do have something to talk to you about. And it’s nothing to do with Dathal,” I added quickly as his eyes lit up. “But not here, okay?”
“Okay.” He bit his lip, and I knew it was taking everything he had not to push me for more. I could’ve kissed him for that. “You free tomorrow?”
“In the afternoon, yeah. I won’t be finished here until late.”
“Ouch.” He winced. “Want to meet up about four then?”
“Four sounds good, but do you mind coming to me? I’m going to be knackered as it is—not sure I can face going out.” Getting dressed before I needed to would be pushing it.
“Yeah, no problem.”
With that off my chest, it left room in my head to focus on the other part of Mase’s statement. I came out from the bar and stood next to where Mase still sat on his stool. He swivelled round to face me, although my gaze was already on the dance floor.
“Did you see Dathal dancing with someone?”
“What?” Mase frowned and stood, looking in the same direction as me. “I haven’t moved from this stool.”
I squinted, trying to make out either fae in the swarm of bodies writhing like a snake pit. I never thought I’d wish Midnight wasn’t as popular as it was, but right now I could do with it being half empty so I couldsee. “You said you pitied whatever poor soul was trying to dance with him.”
“Yes, because he’s on the dance floor, therefore I assume people will try to dance with him.” He coughed. “Because let’s face it, he and Axel together are quite eye-catching.”
