I’d researched the tribe and other fae communities when I’d been younger as part of my studies. It was well-known how much they relied on ceremony and how much they looked up to and honored their senior tribe members. If anyone could prove I was who I said I was, they could.
Several members of the crowd glanced around, some nodding to themselves and others. I could see the irritation on my mother’s face at my suggestion. She knew I would be exonerated and proven to be who I said I was, but if she or anyone in my family disagreed, it would look suspicious.
“Fine then,” she said, waving a hand as if to dismiss me. “We will find out what you are soon enough.”
Bastien shifted back to his human form, a look of barely controlled rage on his face. He jabbed a finger at me.
“Sure. We’ll let the fae have a look at you, but”- he raised his voice-“the ceremony will happen on Laurent land. There will be no hiding from the truth on dragon territory.”
Aurelius shifted back and shook his head, but I cut him off before he could speak.
“Agreed,” I said. “Your land. We’ll work out the details later.”
“Fine,” Bastien said, and turned to shout at the crowd. “The Gala is over. We’re leaving, and any wolves worth their fur will leave with us.” He threw one last withering look at me. “Trash.”
Aurelius jerked forward, eyes flashing, ready to kill. I pressed a hand into his chest, trying to hold him back.
“Stop,” I hissed. “You don’t want a battle here. Not inside the castle.”
He bared his teeth and glared at Bastien and my parents as they and dozens of Laurent allies streamed toward the exits. When he finally looked at me, the anger was tinged with sadness.
“That’s your family?” he asked, sounding utterly heartbroken. “How
? They’re awful.”
“You get used to it,” I lied.
Aurelius touched my cheek gently and gazed into my eyes. Where his fingers stroked my skin, electricity seemed to crackle across my flesh. My heart, already thudding from adrenaline, thundered even harder, threatening to burst from my chest. My mouth went dry. Something in his eyes, something I understood, burned out at me, marking me like a laser burning into my skin.
“I need to get you somewhere safe,” Aurelius said, his voice barely above a whisper. “Now.”
Nodding absently, I kept my eyes locked on him. The danger had dissipated, but the intensity of what had happened only served to inflame the feelings I had for him.
“Dad,” Aurelius called. “I’m taking Elle to my quarters. It’ll be safe there.”
The king, who looked to be fighting between anger and shock, nodded and waved him away.
“Good. Fine. I’ll make sure the royal guard gets everyone out of here,” he said.
“Your Majesty, you should really go to your own quarters,” Titus said, pushing through the guard to Cassius’s side. “We don’t know if the Laurents might try something more violent.”
He looked like he wanted to argue, but instead swiped a disgusted hand through the air. “Fine. Just make sure everyone makes it out safely.”
Aurelius grabbed my hand and rushed me up the stairs and down the hall to his rooms. The heat of his palm warmed my own hand, and butterflies swarmed my stomach.
He threw open the door, ushered me inside, then slammed and locked it behind him. Once secure, he turned and looked at me, his eyes hooded and hungry.
“I’m sorry about that. We should have thought they’d make things more difficult.”
“It’s fine,” I said. “It’ll all be worked out soon.”
Taking a slow step toward me, he said, “You didn’t deserve what he said to you. It was all I could do not to tear his throat.”
Unable to help myself, I smiled. It had not gone according to plan, but having Aurelius there had kept things from getting worse. I didn’t really want to think about what could have happened if he hadn’t been there to stop Bastien from hitting me.
“Thank you,” I said, putting my hand on his chest.
He glanced down at my fingers before pinning his eyes on me again.
“I appreciate you doing what you did out there,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper. The heat from his body radiated through my palm and seeped into my body.
He placed his hand on top of mine. My breath caught in my throat. The sensation of his warmth sandwiching my cool fingers made my knees weak, and my heart rate spiked.
“I want to take care of you, Elle.”
My heart stuttered, and I felt like I could barely breathe. “You do?”
He caressed my cheek again. “Will you let me take care of you?” His gaze slid down my body to my legs, then back up to pin me in place. “In every way?”
I shivered slightly, a delicious vibration that shook me to my core. All I could do was nod.
“Do you want me to take care of you?” Aurelius asked.
This was no longer about my safety. There was a deeper, erotic undercurrent to what he was asking, and fuck, did I know that I wanted that.
“Take care of me, Aurelius. Now.”
He surged forward, growling low in his throat, like a dangerous wave crashing over the shore, but it was me he was crashing into. He kissed me hard and fast as he wrapped his arms around me. His tongue slipped into my mouth, and I let out a moan as our bodies came together. All these weeks, I’d talked myself into believing the sexual tension was one-sided. The hungry way his hands roved along my back told me I’d been mistaken.
His erection pressed against my thigh as his tongue slid over mine. Urged on by his movement, I pushed against him, deepening the kiss until it was like we were waging war with our mouths.
Aurelius grabbed my ass and lifted me. Unable to suppress my surprise, I pulled my mouth free, yelping in shock. I was not what you would call a small girl, but he picked me up like I was a waif. His strength was impressive, and it fed the desire burning through me.
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