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“So, tell me.” He inhales from his own roll. “Did someone hurt you in there?”

I scoff. “Hurt is certainly a word you could use.”

His gaze sharpens. “A man? Need me to deal with him for you?”

“Two men actually. Princes.” I laugh helplessly. “But I don’t need them dealt with. Thank you, though. Honestly I feel like leaving them alone with each other right now is probably punishment enough.”

“Princes?” He tilts his head. “Not many of those around here… Unless… Castor and Lux?”

I’d be surprised that he knows them if everything didn’t feel so fuzzy. “That’s them. My two mates.” I exhale a cloud of smoke. “Stars…”

He chuckles. “I always wondered what would happen when one of them took a mate. They do everything together. Women, included.”

I snort. “Try telling them that now.”

The faerie places his head against his palm. “What did they do to you?”

“At this point, what haven’t they done?” I say before unloading absolutely everything onto this handsome stranger.

I start with Blossom’s birthday ball, about how Castor was so rude to poor Fern. Then I tell him about my first week at the manor, how Castor tormented me, how I fell in love with Lux only to find that he’d manipulated all of us and, on top of that, he’d somehow bonded us forever.

I don’t spare any details when it comes to them drugging me, but I do leave out the part about the mallowberries and Spirits’ Night. That night is strictly mine.

And Castor and Lux’s too, I suppose. Ugh!

“So now I’m here.” I puff out another cloud from a new roll. “And I don’t know what to do with myself or how I should feel about any of this. It’s so confusing.”

“Hmm,” the faerie says, still leaning against his palm. “But do you love them?”

I roll my eyes. “It doesn’t matter if I love them.”

“You’re mates. I think it does.”

I glare at him. “Even if I did still love Lux or… if I developed feelings for Castor.” How I feel about that faerie is so confusing. “Anyway, it doesn’t matter how I feel about them. What matters is what they did to me. I can’t be with anyone who treated me like that. It’s not right.”

“Says who?” The fae stubs out his finished roll in an ashtray. “Your relationship with the princes is your own. If you do not love them and see no hope of ever loving them, then of course I would tell you to separate yourself from the men. It won’t be easy but, over time, the bond will weaken. You’ll all move on.” He shrugs. “But if you do still love them, or at least think you could… you’d be a fool to let the past ruin what could be a perfectly enjoyable future for the three of you.”

My gaze narrows. “But what if they lie to me again?”

He chuckles. “I know the princes well. Lux has been obsessed with you since your sister’s ball, and Castor… let’s just say whenever Lux spoke fondly of you, Castor always seemed to listen. Anything the princes hid from you, they did it because they didn’t wish to cause you pain. There’s more to their behaviour than what you may think is just cruelty. Be patient with them and trust them. Deep down, they are good men. If you do not love them by Winterfeast, I’m certain they will let you go, likely with much compensation.” He smirks. “I’d still make them apologise profusely for what they’ve already done, though. They’d probably look so pretty when they grovel.”

I narrow my eyes, unconvinced.

“If they do not let you go,” he sighs, “even after you have made it clear that you do not wish to be with them anymore, write to me and I will make sure you’re sent home.”

My brow shoots up. That’s a bold statement. Especially considering it was only a few weeks ago that Castor murdered my personal guard. “But how would you even⁠—”

Castor’s husky voice cuts me off. “You better not have touched our fucking mate, Nemesis Oakenheart.”

34

LUX

If Nem wasn’t the Lord of the Faerie Court and probably my closest friend, second only to my traitorous brother, I would’ve sent a violent torrent of water straight down his throat for sitting that close to my mate. Even Castor is exuding waves of fiery heat as he stands, breathing heavily next to me.

Thankfully, Castor spoke before either of us could act and Nem drew back from her, raising his palms innocently.

If he hadn’t, I probably would’ve said fuck it and killed the bastard anyway.