I trembled on a bed of feathers, blinking down at the feral kitsune between my legs as the world came back into focus.

  “I take it you’re healed now?” I panted as he continued to toy with me.

  He paused in his ministrations and drew back. Mischief glinted in his predatory gaze as he licked the traces of my pleasure from his lips. “About that…”

  My brows slammed low. “You didn’t need a taste to heal?”

  “Nae, pal.” He mimicked my harsh voice from when I’d knocked him out after we’d first met.

  My eyes narrowed on the tricksy fae. Apparently, he would never let that go. “You are such a psycho.”

  He flashed me a lopsided grin. “Yes, but I’m your psycho.”

  The crazy fae bounced to his feet, jerking his wing up behind me. I yelped, suddenly weightless as momentum threw me into his waiting arms.

  Cuddling me close, he swooped in to steal another kiss. The taste of me on his lips was like taking a hit of Barbie. I launched a right hook towards his pretty face.

  He dodged back, releasing me so my fist sailed through empty air.

  “So feisty.” A smooth chuckle reverberated between us, and a look of approval shone in his violet eyes. “I would have healed far slower without your pleasure sliding down my throat, though, and it would have been so much harder for me to keep giving you such thoughtful gifts.”

  My lips twitched, refusing my brain’s command to remain in a grumpy line.

  It was impossible to be serious around him. His mirth was infectious. Like herpes. But everything seemed a little less dire with his ridiculous antics.

  Chapter thirteen

  Kelsea

  Neiron grinned and stepped closer. I stepped back, maintaining the distance between us with an amused huff.

  My cheeks heated as I thought about what I’d let him do, though. The trickster would have survived just fine without the sexual energy I’d given him. It had been a mind-blowing experience, and yet a strange sensation weighed on my chest, contrasting with the warmth in my middle.

  When it came to him, my feelings were a mess.

  What else was new? I still had conflicting feelings for Rattle, too.

  Guilt slammed into me on the heels of that thought, hard enough to make my breath stutter.

  Anything could be happening to him and I was wasting time having fun with a bubbly lunatic.

  “I’d say you owe me now.” I pointed a finger at Neiron’s face. “Tell me what I want to know.”

  If he sensed my change in demeanour, it clearly didn’t faze him. The wily fae grinned even wider. “You already know my terms, sweet siren. Admit I’m your fated mate.”

  I growled at him, like I was the one with fur and fangs. He was frustrating as hell, burrowing beneath my skin ever since I’d met him. “Why won’t you help me?”

  He sighed, a serious look crossing his face for a moment, then it disappeared, so fast I convinced myself it must have been a brain glitch.

  “I will help you, Kelsea. In everything you want to do. No matter what.” He spread his hands in a placating gesture. “But you’re trapped here until the Hunt ends, and so am I.”

  “How do you know my name?” I should have been raging at the new information and then using it to form a better strategy, but I couldn’t get past the sound of my name on his lips.

  He chuckled. “I’ve been stalking you, remember? You’ve not been alone in this forest since you first knocked me out cold. I heard that handsome cockroach call your name after you hit him.”

  The mention of Zachariah had ice creeping up my spine. Panic sunk its claws into my brain, twisting my thoughts with a deep-rooted fear I couldn’t shake.

  “How can I trust anything you say?” I whispered, feeling my airways close off as the gloomy forest pressed in around me.

  My hand found the base of my neck, like if I put pressure there, it would somehow loosen the ghostly sensation of someone else squeezing my throat.

  That bastard shouldn’t impact my life anymore, yet his betrayal had taught me lessons I’d never forget.

  Sadness pooled in Neiron’s gaze as he watched me, unblinking. Like he could will me into trusting him with puppy-dog eyes alone. It was as serious as I’d ever seen him.

  I hugged my chest, feeling too vulnerable under his piercing stare. “I… I just need some space to think, okay?”

  Clearly hurting, he tipped his chin in a shallow nod. “I’d do anything for you, sweet siren. Even this.”

  For some unknown reason, tears burned behind my eyes. Was his odd devotion act even real? I couldn’t tell fantasy from reality with him.

  “Please, just… leave,” I croaked.

  With one last look, he spread his wings and launched into the sky.

  The quiet of the dark forest crept in with an echoing loneliness. Even the floating light orbs seemed to have left, shrouding me in the gloom.

  I nibbled on my lower lip, walking between the oaks without direction. I’d only sent Neiron off on his merry way about ten minutes ago, and I was already sick of my moping. The second he’d left, a sense of loss weighed my heart.

  Like I’d made a terrible mistake.

  I stifled a yawn, jaw cracking with the effort.

  “Oh, bloody hell, there’s another one!” A feminine voice reached me.

  I drew my knife from its holster. Adrenaline shot through my system as I readied to defend myself. They didn’t sound overly fae, but so many of them lived in our world that most had accents from it.

  A woman pushed through the row of bushes, the thicket barely reaching her chest, given her lean height. Behind her, a stocky male grunted, getting whacked in the chin as she let the branches go with a snigger.

  Both were dressed for the same sacrificial virgin convention as me, but they somehow made it look fashionable, whereas I looked tragic.

  The woman offered me a warm smile, eyeing the crystal and fire knife in my hand before dismissing the fae weapon with a cheery wave. “Hiya! You must be another Selected. Sucks, huh?”

  The man propped a fist against his hip, giving me a cursory sweep, just as unconcerned by the fae-forged blade I wielded.

  Apparently, I wasn’t as scary as I used to be.

  I holstered the knife, swallowing down a sigh.

  Stunning emerald lashes framed the man’s eyes, making me immensely jealous as their rich hazel colour popped while he rolled them at his companion.

  “What gave it away, Cho?” He huffed. “The tighty-whities or lack of horns and wings?”

  The woman mimed speaking with sass behind his back, bringing a smirk to my lips.

  She flipped long black hair over one shoulder. “Ignore grumpy guts. He’s pouting because we ran across this sexy gargoyle he wanted to proposition, and I dragged him away.”

  My brows rose, impressed by the size of his balls. “A gargoyle is not someone to fuck with. Literally.”

  The woman beamed and slapped the man on the shoulder. “See, Greeny! Even Purple here agrees with me.”

  My lips pursed at the nickname, but I let it slide. My indigo hair was a distinct feature. Might as well enjoy it before my roots grew out.

  The man snorted. “Yeah, yeah, well, he was a hunk, and you were totally into him, too. You’re just a chicken. Bawk, bawk!” He flapped his hands at her mockingly.

  She rolled her eyes. “Anyway, Boss said we should only do a quick loop to scout the area, so we’d better get going.” She graced me with a reassuring smile, like I was a lost little lamb. “I know this whole thing is pretty scary, so do you want to come with us? A group of Selected have banded together for safety. Plus, we have fire and food.”

  I eyed the pair sceptically, but nothing about them set my instincts off. I used to think I was a good judge of character, but I’d misjudged my entire squadron, who’d been like family so what the hell did I know?

  My stomach chose that moment to rumble aggressively. The last time I’d eaten anything was a spit-roasted squirrel back in the Scottish Highlands, probably over twenty-four hours ago. It was hard to track time here, though. The starry sky peeking through the sharp-edged leaves above looked as dark now as it did when I’d woken up here.

  Besides the lure of food, speaking to other Selected would be useful. Maybe some had learned more about where we were and what was going on, other than the whole we’ve-been-chosen-as-broodmares drama. I wasn’t sure that I could trust what Neiron had said about us all being trapped here.

  “Sign me up, lassie. Safety in numbers and all that, right?” I gave them my most charming smile.

  If the grimace on the guy’s face was anything to go by, I was not pulling it off.

  I cleared my throat, gesturing for them to lead the way.

  “Awesome!” The bubbly woman fist-pumped the air and fell into step beside me as the man stalked off with us trailing behind him. “I’m Cho and that’s Curtis, or Greeny, as he likes to be called.” She waved at his broad back.

  “I do not!” he hissed without turning around.

  She pressed on as if he hadn’t spoken. “What’s your name? Or I can just keep calling you Purple if you’d prefer.”

  “Kelsea,” I said, trying that smile again. “So… what do you know about where we are and what’s happening?”

  The wattage on her smile dimmed. “We’re stuck in a magical forest in the fae realm with a bunch of horny people until the sun comes up.” Her jaw clenched, a muscle feathering along the edge. “Some of the rotten apples don’t like taking no for an answer… so it’s best if us lot stick together.”

  She switched back to a bright grin, as if we weren’t casually discussing monsters with a penchant for sexual assault.

  “Yeah, not ideal, huh?” I snorted. “Any clue how long we have left? I feel like I’ve been here for hours, and there’s not a peep of dawn.”

  “Nobody has figured that out yet.”

  I drew in a deep breath, taking in the woodsy scent that now dominated the blackberry sweetness. The leaves paled the further we walked, losing some of their golden shimmer to a more anaemic yellow.

  “Almost there,” Curtis said, voice pitched low enough not to draw attention.

  I nodded. “Hopefully, the others don’t mind that you’ve picked up a stray.”

  Cho bumped her shoulder against mine. “Don’t worry, Purple, everyone is super friendly. We’re all in this crappy situation together.”

  I wanted to take her words at face value, but life had taught me not to expect much from people.

  The warm glow of flames appeared up ahead and Curtis picked up the pace.

  The steady murmur of voices grew, and my hand twitched with the need to draw my knife. I purposefully moved it away from the scaled thigh holster. Neiron hadn’t rubbed off on me enough to make me a complete psycho yet.

  It wouldn’t win me any brownie points to turn up, threatening everyone.

  Once I’d refuelled, I could ask around for information and then set off again. My best bet for answers about Rattle’s location would be a fae. A royal like Neiron if I had the balls to face one of the powerful bastards. I might be stuck in this place until the fae ended their dumb hunt, but at least I could arm myself with knowledge and a plan of attack for when I could make my escape.

  I tried to convince myself that this was a necessary stop—I was of no use to Rattle if I keeled over—but the weight of the unknown pressed down on me.

  I gritted my teeth against the urge to run off and repeatedly stab the next fae I came across until all their secrets spilled out.

  Instead, I calmly followed Cho as she led me towards a clearing lined with bushes and stacked logs, forming a makeshift fence. A smouldering bonfire held court in the centre.

  A hulking man stood before it, backlit by flames like the demon he was.

  My heart clenched violently.

  “Zachariah,” I spat.

  His gaze clashed against mine.

  An eerie smile split his lips, and it chilled me to the bone.

  Chapter fourteen

  Kelsea

  My heart thudded, loud enough to smother the crackling of flames and curious whispers.

  Zachariah had mounted himself on a tree stump, rising above the other humans gathered in the clearing. A bonfire raged behind him, and the entire scene was oddly pagan. If he whipped out a goat to sacrifice, I wouldn’t have batted an eyelash.

  Roughly thirty other Selected lingered before him, ready to eat up whatever he had to say. Most looked afraid, but some were pissed, and I couldn’t blame them. We’d been ripped from our lives, our homes.

  “Oh goodie, looks like Boss is about to make a speech,” Cho said, beckoning me along as she followed Curtis closer to the action, stepping over the short log wall.

  But I couldn’t move, stuck on the outside, looking in.

  “We’ve all been Selected. And that sucks.” Zachariah’s voice slithered through the clearing, met by a few nervous laughs. “I may not know what it all means,” he continued, lifting his chin so the firelight glanced off his square jaw, “but I know we’re not victims. I’m not going to let someone take my life from me. Not without a bloody good fight!”

  “Oh, the fucking irony,” I muttered.

  The crowd cheered, some of the fearful faces hardening with determination. He might be a bastard, but even I could admit that he made a decent leader. These scared people now had hope, purpose, where there was none before.

  My fists clenched hard enough that my nails dug into my palms. I let it ground me, numbing the urge to yell like a Valkyrie charging into battle and stab him repeatedly.

  After the murmuring died down, he pressed on, “Back in our world, I was a Petty Officer in the Navy.”

  I almost cracked a tooth.

  He’d had a promotion since I’d been booted on my arse, it seemed. The ink on my dismissal papers probably wasn’t even dry before they’d handed him more money and power.

  As if he could sense my rage, his gaze jumped to mine before skittering away. He cleared his throat. “I know what it means to fight the fae, and we’re stronger together.”

  Murmurs of agreement slid through the crowd. One woman had the audacity to wolf-whistle over the din and flashed him a wink.

  His cheeks reddened in a way some gullible sap might have called cute. “Everyone line up. We’ll assign tasks and build our defensive base right here. We won’t let those fairies win.”

  All I could do was linger on the edges, at war with myself as the Selected fell in line under his command. Zachariah, along with an equally muscular male whose insignia shoulder tattoo screamed military, handed out various tools, pointing to different sections of the crude log fence circling the clearing.

  On the one hand, it was comforting to find a place where others of my kind could watch my back. I’d not had a moment to relax since I’d found that cursed invite on my bed in Thistle Cottage. The constant anxiety, the running and fighting, were dulling my edge.

  But how could I let my guard down, trapped in with a monster?

  Disappointment weighed my shoulders. It might not have solved my real problems, but at least having a few moments to rest and eat would have refreshed my tired body and mind.

  And I was about to let Zachariah rob me of that.

  It wasn’t the only thing I’d let him ruin tonight.

  I’d pushed Neiron away out of fear. Letting stupid trust issues I carried because of the man before me wreck something good. But I was so sick of his toxic influence in my life.

  Neiron was nothing like that lying bastard.

  He’d given me no reason to doubt his intentions. He’d protected me at every chance he got. The psycho had even started a war with another fae court over me.

  He might have stalked me with a possessive intensity and clearly didn’t understand boundaries like personal space, but my gut told me he’d never hurt or betray me. When I’d told him to leave, he had. He didn’t force the issue or take more than I’d been willing to give.

  My gaze drifted to the canopy spread above. If I ignored the glow of the nearby faerie lights, and the coloured stars dotting the glimpses of the night sky beyond, I could almost believe I was back home in Scotland in the autumn.

  A longing hit me in the chest. But it wasn’t for a place. It was for a person.

  I’d hardly known Rattle for more than a few days, but he’d felt like home. Like comfort and safety and something I struggled to define.

  And he wasn’t the only one.

  I could admit to myself that I felt something for Neiron, too.

  He was insane. And more than a little bloodthirsty. But every time he snuck up on me, he made me smile and laugh almost as wildly as him. He made me feel less alone.

  Sure, being alone was probably smarter than being around a heart-rending psychopath, but I couldn’t deny that I was drawn to him. Something inexplicable urged me to hunt him down and wrap myself up in his wings until I didn’t know where he ended and I began.

  And logically, wasn’t I safer traipsing through Faerie with a royal fae at my side instead of running off alone, with a half-arsed plan to question random fae who were much stronger than I was?

  I was being a coward and a dumb one at that; pushing Neiron away so I wouldn’t have to confront the things he made me feel.

  Hadn’t Rattle told me I should be open to forming deeper bonds with other people?

  “Enjoying your daydream, huh?” Cho said, apparently having returned without me noticing. She frowned as she eyed me, still on the outside of the barrier. “Let’s go grab some food before we pitch in.”

  I jerked my chin towards the ring leader. “What do you know about him?”

  Some of the darkness in my soul must have leaked into my features, because suspicion narrowed her eyes. They darted between Zachariah and me.

  “Not much. Navy guy from Scotland.” Her head cocked aside. “Why? You know him?”

  “Aye.” I swallowed hard, knowing I had to warn her. “Watch yourself around him, ok?”

 

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