And I don’t mean he’s kneeling. No, he fell over. He’s struggling to get back up when Torius gives him a hand.
The bartender’s reaction isn’t much different. She has absolutely no chill. Her eyes are wide with shock at the sight of Kirian and Damon, and she sways unsteadily on her feet while giving a curtsy to both kings. Losing her balance, she tries to straighten herself by grabbing onto something under the bar, but a clatter of falling dishes follows.
Ignoring the mess, she stands and sends the men a too-wide smile. “Your Majesties, what a pleasant surprise.”
Kirian gives a nod of acknowledgement before escorting me to a vacant table on the other side of the room.
Sore for a variety of reasons, I wince when I sink to the hard seat. The benches are made from halved logs. There’s exposed bark on some areas, and the dark wood is a contrast to the bright white walls. The floor is covered in some kind of lighter stone, and stardust lanterns hang over each table, restaurant style.
Charming. Rustic. I like it, but I wish I had a pillow to sit on.
“I’ll go put in our order at the bar.” Kirian leans down, placing his mouth by my ear. Some of his long hair tickles my nose, and I have the urge to spear my fingers through it. “Just a warning—there’s probably only one meal on the menu. That’s typical with these places.”
“Good thing I’m not picky.” Whatever they’re cooking, it smells delicious.
“I’ll see if they have anything for dessert. If you haven’t noticed, butterscotch pudding has become a staple in the Night Realm, thanks to you.”
As he pulls back, he runs his nose along my jawline. His crisp smell engulfs me, and I can’t help letting out a dreamy sigh.
I’m dazed as Kirian struts away, and I watch the way his glutes flex with every step in his leather pants.
Damn.
Such. A. Great. Ass.
What? The curse never said anything about admiring either.
The guys look like giants towering over the lone drunken fae as they order drinks for themselves. Motioning to his mug, Kirian asks me if I want one, but I’m guessing it’s beer. I’m not a fan. I’ve sampled my dad’s favorite dark ale before. Yuck.
“Just water for me,” I say with a shrug.
A waitress comes bustling through a swinging door on my left, and she’s got a metal cup in her hand. “I’m already on it.”
She places the beverage in front of me, and I give her a smile. “Thanks.”
“No prob,” she responds, and there’s something different about her. Something familiar.
I study her face. Her high cheekbones, straight nose, and brown eyes. “Have we met before?”
She shakes her head, and her long brown ponytail swishes with the movement. “I don’t think so.”
“What’s your name?”
“Brittney.”
“That’s a very… human name.” And that’s when it clicks. She’s not fae. I lower my voice. “You’re a human, too?”
Snickering, she takes a seat next to me.
“Well, not anymore.” She tucks a flyaway piece of hair behind her ear. Her pointy ear. Which means she’s been here for a while. “And you don’t have to whisper. It’s not a secret. Half of the women in this village are originally from the human realm.”
My jaw drops. “Seriously? How?”
Her amusement slowly drains away as seriousness takes over. “The Day Realm. One night, I was taken from my home and put up for auction there.”
I gape at her. “Auction?”
“Yep. Like cattle. I was being sold as a mate.”
“That’s—that’s terrible.”
A memory from yesterday flashes through my mind—when Zella said something about how the Night Realm doesn’t steal humans.
Then the realization hits me like a ton of bricks—the Day Realm does. They’re human traffickers. Whenever Kirian’s told me the kingdoms don’t see eye-to-eye, that’s what he was referring to.
Holy shit.
Brittney toys with a string on her dark-blue apron. “It would’ve been awful if Toby hadn’t found me. He’s a toymaker from here. He just happened to be there that day selling his puppets. He bought me, and the rest is history.”
She doesn’t sound upset, and I’m baffled. “How can you be happy with someone who paid for you?”
Wide-eyed, she shakes her head. “He’s my fated mate. We both knew it as soon as we saw each other.”
I blink. “But you’re human.”
Hiking a shoulder, she smiles again while rubbing her slightly swollen belly. “I didn’t know it at the time but getting kidnapped was the best thing that ever happened to me.”
Very rudely, I stare at her rounded stomach. Either she’s packing one hell of a food baby, or she’s pregnant.
Then I think about all the families I saw here. There were a lot of children at those dinner tables. If what Brittney says is true, then the women who used to be human aren’t having any trouble with fertility.
Obnoxious giggling draws my attention to the other side of the room, and jealousy spikes when I see the bartender flirting with the men. More specifically, Kirian. She’s looking right at him as she twirls her white-blond hair around a perfect finger. I can tell she’s fae. The unnaturally bright green eyes give it away.
“Don’t worry about her,” Brittney drawls, keeping her voice so low I almost don’t hear it. “Adina’s unmated, and she hits on everyone. I mean, literally everyone. Even me sometimes, and I’m as taken as can be.”
Brittney’s right, because two seconds later, Adina turns her attention to Damon. Raising a pair of scissors, she offers to even out his hair for him. Begrudgingly, he agrees.
“Speaking of mates,” Brittney starts, “I hear you’re engaged to the king.”
Surprised, I glance back at her. “News travels fast.”
“Yep. A messenger sprite flew here this morning to tell us.”
“Brittney,” Adina calls. “We need meals for five, and then their horses need to be moved to the stables for the night.”
My new acquaintance sends the bartender a brittle smile before whispering through gritted teeth, “And she thinks she’s my boss, even though she’s not.”
Before she can walk away, I impulsively grab her arm. “Thanks for talking to me like, well, like a person. It was really great meeting you.”
Her eyes soften with understanding. “You, too.”
My eyes drop to her stomach. “You gave me hope. The other human women—” I nervously fidget, because I’m not used to prying into someone’s private business.
Thankfully, Brittney saves me from my own awkwardness.
“Yes,” she answers. “Some of them have kids. Most aren’t fated matches. The snatchers choose us based on how much we’ll be missed on Earth, which isn’t much. They go after women who don’t have families, who live in poverty, or who just have a sucky life in general. After being rescued, a lot of girls decide to stay here because it’s better than going back.”
Wow, that’s really sad.
“I’m glad you found happiness,” I tell her honestly.
She beams. “This world takes some getting used to, but it’s awesome once you settle in. And I can’t tell you how happy I am to have someone representing us.”
Us.
She’s talking about humans. She’s talking about me. Having a human queen—it could be a game changer for the people of the Night Realm.
And suddenly, I feel a spark of confidence.
I’m needed here.
Regardless of almost being killed, this trip has had some positive moments. First the gnomes, now—
“Brittney! What’s the hold up?”
Adina’s rude. Can’t she see we’re having a moment here? I cut her a cold glance, and she shuts her mouth so fast I can hear her teeth clack from twenty feet away.
Kirian’s lips curl up with a discreet smirk as he takes a sip of his drink.
A strange satisfaction flows through me. Being
queen might not be so bad. Not if I can put someone in their place with just one look.
Sending me one last smile, Brittney heaves out a sigh and walks away.
“Bye.” I wave at her back as she disappears into the kitchen, and the guys join me at the table.
When Brittney returns, she’s balancing heaping plates of food. Each one has a steaming pile of sliced white meat, a mountain of mashed potatoes, and a variety of mixed green vegetables.
I’m practically hopping in my seat by the time my food is placed in front of me.
Ever the faithful servants, Torius and Kai don’t pick up their forks until Kirian does. It’s like they’re waiting for his permission to eat.
Screw that. I’m starving.
Using my hands, I dig in. First, I bite off a piece of the juicy meat, and I hum out a content sound. It tastes like turkey. I want to ask if they have turkey here, but my mouth is full.
Grabbing a utensil, I ungracefully scoop up the mashed potatoes. I notice it has a chunkier texture than what I’m used to. There might be parsnips or other root vegetables in it. Or maybe they just grow weird potatoes here. I don’t care, because it’s perfectly seasoned and it has a pleasant nutty aftertaste.
It isn’t until I’ve made it around to the leafy greens that I realize I’m getting sly looks from Kirian’s friends.
“What?”
“You might want to ask Zella to set you up with some etiquette classes,” Damon says with a laugh. “I haven’t heard chewing like that since I came upon a pack of wild boars attacking a centaur.”
I wrinkle my nose. “That doesn’t help my appetite.”
“Good. Maybe you’ll slow down so the rest of us can enjoy our fine dining experience,” he teases.
“Don’t be a snob,” I say through a lump of what I think is spinach.
“I’m a king. It’s my job to put on airs.”
Kirian clears his throat. “If you two are done flirting, I’d like to finish my dinner so I can go to bed.”
Well, well.
I guess I’m not the only one having trouble controlling my jealousy.
“Sourpuss,” Damon whispers under his breath.
Lowering his hand beneath the table, Kirian squeezes my thigh. It’s possessive and sexy. Just that little gesture makes me want to lick him from head to toe.
Tonight’s gonna be rough.
Kirian
My need for Quinn has reached a tipping point. We’ve never spent this many consecutive hours together. Maybe that’s why my cock is throbbing and my balls feel heavy.
Now that we’ve retired to our room, I have nothing to distract me from the sexual energy in the air.
It vibrates over my skin and makes the hairs on my arms stand.
And it isn’t just coming from me.
Although Quinn seems determined to keep her distance for the sake of the curse, she can’t hide her desire. Her sweet scent is driving me wild, and I’ve never been so compelled to claim something. To take it.
To take her.
All I can think about is getting her naked. I want to bury my face between her thighs, lick her juices, and suck on her clit until she comes.
As Quinn’s feet pad over the wooden floor, I can smell her arousal getting stronger. She just took a bath, but she can’t wash away the pheromones. After she hangs up her ruined dress, she puts her underthings back on.
I smile.
“What are you grinning about?” She sounds suspicious as she approaches the bed, and she has every reason to be.
Before my own bath, the innkeeper asked me if we wanted spare clothing. I declined. I’m nude under the covers, and I stretch my arms, knowing Quinn likes to look.
After all the time we’ve known each other, she still underestimates my abilities. I can tell when she’s staring at me, and she does it a lot. I notice every shift of her head, the fluttering of her eyelashes when she blinks, and every breath aimed my way.
It’s probably wrong of me to seduce her.
I don’t care.
She wants me and I want her. Simple.
When she lifts the blanket to get in, she gasps and drops it. “Kirian.”
“You’re sexy when you scold me.” I clasp my hands behind my head.
“Put some clothes on.”
“No.”
“Do it.”
“Or what?”
“Or… Or I’ll sleep on the floor.”
“You’ll do no such thing. You had no problem sleeping in my bed last night.” Snatching her hand, I pull her down next to me.
She grunts as she lands on the soft bedding. “This is different.”
“How so?”
“Um, I was terrified, and you had pants on?”
I gesture to my body. “I usually sleep naked. Covering myself was a courtesy.”
“Oh, and now you’ve suddenly lost your manners?”
“Let’s not lie to ourselves, love.” I wrap my arms around her, pulling her close and nuzzling her neck. “We both know I’ve never been very good at manners.”
She whimpers as I run my nose from her collarbone to her ear, and the sound is like a sledgehammer to my pulse. My heart has never raced like this, not even in the thick of battle.
Quinn’s still on top of the covers, the quilt separating us, but I can feel her body heat. Putting my hand on her thigh, I move up to her hip. Her skin is so warm and smooth.
My fingers start to tremble. To keep them still, I fist a handful of her panties. The thin material stretches with the movement, and I want nothing more than to rip them in two.
I don’t know what’s happening to me, but I’m losing control.
“Why didn’t you let me undo your dress?” The question comes out rougher than I intend, but I didn’t like the human-fae touching my woman.
“Brittney was happy to help. Plus, you know why.”
My hand slides up to the dip of her waist, discovering bare skin. Traveling along her spine, I stop when my fingers bump over elastic and a clasp. I feel the mechanism, realizing how easy it would be to unhook the bra with one dexterous flick.
“Don’t you think we should be getting rest?” Quinn’s breathing is shallow. “We need to be alert tomorrow. Just in case…”
Ah. Appealing to my fear about her safety. Smart girl.
But she doesn’t realize she just made me want her more. When I think about losing her, my need multiplies.
My fingers flex against her back, pressing her closer. “I can’t think of anything else I’d rather be doing right now.”
I roll us slightly, so she’s on top of me. Her leg falls to one side, and I hook a hand under her knee to spread her wider until she’s basically straddling my hard-on.
“Your weight feels good on my cock,” I rasp, my lips ghosting over her pounding pulse point.
“Oh, God,” she moans, her exhale tickling my ear. “I’m not gonna make it.”
“What?” Now I’m alarmed. “You can’t say things like that. Don’t talk about dying.”
“I’m not talking about dying. It’s this.” Lifting her head, she waves a hand between us. “You and me. I can’t not kiss you.”
“Then kiss me.”
“I’m so selfish.” She tries to roll away from me, but I don’t let her.
“If you’re selfish, then so am I. I want this just as badly as you do.”
Her palm flattens on my chest, and for a second, I think she’s going to push me away.
But she doesn’t. She slides it from one pec to the other, her fingertips scraping through the dusting of coarse hair on my body. When her pinky nail catches one of my nipples, I groan.
“Quinn.”
The torture continues. As her hand glides up to the back of my neck, her mouth hovers less than an inch from my face.
I’d trade all the stars in the sky for her kiss.
She’s so close. I can feel her breath teasing me. I lick my lips, wanting just a hint of her taste.
It feels like minutes go by as we
stay like this. We’re separated by fabric, but our bodies are plastered together. Quinn shifts, and it makes her hot center rub against my length.
If a kiss can solidify the curse, then I’m pretty sure dry humping is against the rules. I’m about to argue that point when Quinn sucks in a quick breath.
“I’m sorry, Kirian,” she whispers, her voice breaking, right before her lips connect with mine.
Her mouth is soft as she kisses me slowly. Once, twice, three times she pecks me with closed-mouth nips and sucks. We both moan when she changes the angle and slips her tongue out.
Bliss. Peace. Happiness.
These are all the things she gives me in this moment.
But I can feel her emotions as if they’re mine. Lust, pleasure, remorse, guilt. They clash together like a thunderclap.
“I’m sorry,” she says between kisses. “I’m so sorry. So sorry.”
“Stop apologizing.”
“I can’t.” Kiss. “I’ve doomed you.” Kiss. Kiss.
“You haven’t,” I disagree, my lips brushing against hers with every syllable. “My life is exactly how I want it to be, and this is the best moment, thus far. Don’t ruin it with regret.”
She makes a sound of frustration. “Sorry.”
I chuckle into her mouth, sweeping my tongue inside. “No more talking.”
Making a sound of agreement, she licks my bottom lip. Her body relaxes, letting go of the tension and shame. And I’m glad. I don’t want our relationship to be needlessly tainted.
Quinn is everything to me. I’ll choose her. Always.
Time seems to stop as our mouths meld in a dance. Sucking, nibbling, stroking. We go slow, exploring each other. Learning each other.
Quinn’s tongue pushes mine. I push back.
Cupping her delicate face, I roll so I’m on top of her. That striking blanket’s still in the way, but when she parts her legs, my cock nestles against the apex of her thighs.
Growling, I buck my hips.
Quinn cries out, and I freeze. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to do that.”
And that’s the truth. It was an involuntary action. I feel disoriented, like I’m submerged in the depths of Issika Lake, and I don’t know which way is up. I’m drowning in Quinn, and the only way to keep breathing, to stay alive, is to have more of her.
The Fae King's Curse Page 13
