— Gryffin Hew, A Reality
From the moment Raven appears in my cavern to the time we reach the crowd of villagers, my smile has not stopped growing.
Nia has returned for me, just like I knew she?—
Where is Nia Quill?
Ever has come, along with Thorne and Forest and three other young males from our clan, but there is no sign of my Seelie fae among them.
What’s more, Ever will not remain here, so that leaves us one male shy of what the Chieftain has demanded.
Where are all the others? So many males in our clan are anxious to find a mate, and yet they have chosen not to make this trek. What does this mean for me?
None of this matters nearly as much as Nia’s absence.
Has she changed her mind? Was Raven right all along? Has she chosen the Nolan instead?
“Are you well?” Ever asks me.
When I nod, he turns to the Seelie hostages and asks them the same.
The Chieftain’s dark eyes narrow into slits. “You may take the Seelie with you, but Mad-dox will remain with our clan.”
Ever’s expression darkens with his frustrated sigh. “As I have told you, there was a hunt. The others are either mated or chose to remain behind to protect our clan.”
“This was not part of the deal we negotiated. Six males by nightfall. Those were the terms. You are taking advantage of our generosity.”
“Generosity?” Does this female understand the meaning of the word? “You barely fed the Seelie and kept them locked away. Why would anyone choose to remain here of their own free will?”
Her chin lifts in defiance, refusing to see reason. “My decision is final.”
Two of the females cross their spears over the path, stopping me from joining the other hostages next to Ever.
A red mist falls over my vision even as panic races through my blood. This is not how my story ends. “I am not a member of your clan. You do not command me. Even if I were to stay, I would not choose a mate among your females. There is another who holds my heart.”
“I do not believe your heart is what these females are concerned with,” Thorne murmurs under his breath.
His attempt at humor is not helpful.
One of the Seelie steps forward and raises a tentative hand into the air. “I’ll stay in his stead.”
Ever glances toward the male with hair the color of the sky. “Do not feel as though you must sacrifice yourself for this female’s irrational demands.”
The Seelie lifts his shoulders in a shrug. “I don’t mind, Your Highness. I’ve no family in Rosehill, and since they started feeding us, this place isn’t so bad.”
The guard’s gaze swings past Ever to fall on an Unseelie female, smaller than the rest, waiting at the front of the crowd, her hands wrenching beneath her chin.
Perhaps not all the Unseelie treated the males like hostages after all.
Ever stands taller, his hands braced on his hips and voice ringing with authority. “You have your six males,” he says. “But know this: I will be sending scouts to check on my people. If at any time they no longer wish to dwell in your village, you are to escort them back to Rosehill, or you will face the wrath of Willowhaven’s army. Do you understand?”
The Chieftain’s neck and cheeks darken with her rage. “You dare threaten me?”
“You threatened my people first.”
I might poke fun at my friend, but he is a fearsome leader indeed. Willowhaven is lucky to have him as their king.
The Chieftain’s crinkled lips flatten, but she nods.
