Xander paused the tossing of his dagger. “Oooh, please, let’s keep her. Lila,” he sang my name. “I like it.”
Yosef scratched his chin, still studying me. “If we let you go, you will get killed or enslaved. There is nowhere safe here for a human. Especially one like you.”
Not surprising. And I had a few ideas regarding what he meant by ‘one like me,’ if Xander’s reaction was any indication. My future would be horrible. Still, he talked as if he had a better offer. Maybe they could send me home?
“Are you proposing something better?”
He tilted his head to Xander. “Take her to the transporter. I’m bringing her home.”
I had no idea if that was good or bad. Yosef’s face gave away nothing, but something told me I wasn’t going to my realm any time soon. “Absolutely not.”
He turned his back on me. “You will do as I say, Lila!” his voice boomed with force as if surrounded by speakers.
Oh, shit. This was what I couldn’t place before. This guy was a fucking alpha.
CHAPTER3
YOSEF
Ahuman in our realm was a rare thing. I wasn’t convinced she was as innocent as she claimed. No one would send a human here unaccompanied, especially if they had plans for that human. They were too much of a commodity here. It would be like sending gold and expecting it to be there when you finally arrived. Therefore, the only logical explanation for her being here was that she was sent on a mission. Although, she had a wound on her arm that gave me pause. Perhaps she really had been banished here against her will.
One look at her and my mind raced with ideas. She was beautiful. Tall, with nice curves but also toned in areas that led me to believe that she was physically active. Her hair was a lion’s mane of wheat-colored curls, framing a honey-toned complexion. Her almond-shaped hazel eyes sat above high cheekbones, and a pouty, red-lipped mouth that was currently set in a frown. If she was there to entice in her short dress, it would easily work on a lesser-willed fae. She was strong, and with her beauty and magic, she could make a good attempt at whatever she came to do. Steal riches, assassinate our king and queen. We were in a long war with the Nodoors. Our battles were infrequent, and they had gone into hiding, but we did not assume our fight was over. They wanted our land and access to the portals which our kingdom controlled on this side of the unseelie realm. Sending a human to infiltrate us would not be beyond them.
Any less-than-savory fae would grab her, fuck her, and kill her. If they wanted to avoid waste, they would drain her of her blood, since she was laced in magic, and sell it. There were other fae, demons and vampires who would pay a high price for magical blood.
However, we were not that kind. Or at least I tried to ensure that of my soldiers. We were better than the scoundrels. Humans could fear us, but it wouldn’t be because we were thugs. The proper protocol would be to lock her in our prisons. From there, our king and queen would ultimately decide what to do with her. I’d only seen two options happen to those brought in front of our rulers. She wouldn’t like either.
But why did I care? I owed her no protection, and taking her with me would make me no better than a criminal. Yet, there I was, in front of some of my soldiers, Xander and Langor, ordering them to take her to my place. My gut did not want to dispose of her. At least not yet. I needed answers and, perhaps, a taste of something more from her. Maybe I was just the very fool she was sent here to play. I wasn’t sure, but I had never ignored my instincts. They’d gotten me far in life.
I nodded my head forward, and my soldiers inched closer to her. “We’ll find out why you’re here and then decide what to do with you.”
Lila’s eyes widened, and I could see the panic rushing through her face. I knew she would not comply easily. That would be an annoyance. She pushed her hands out to the side, a sheen of ice spreading up her arms. It was an impressive sight. I’d never met an ice mage before, although I assumed they were just as talented as our ice fae. However, her particular tricks seemed more superior than I’d ever witnessed. I was curious about her strength.
Suddenly, she struck out against Langor, shooting a blast of ice at his torso. His face froze in a mask of fear, his body unable to move. Seconds later, he was an ice-covered statute.
Truly impressive. Still, I could hurt her with a snap of my fingers. She’d shown her power to warn us. I would not let her try again.
She turned slowly in a circle, arms still at the ready for another attack. “I’m not playing with you fuckers, let me go, or I will turn you all into ice. Now, I can thaw him out if you let me walk out of here.”
I narrowed my eyes. She really had no understanding of just how much danger she was in. Our kingdom would end in one direction, opening her up to be captured by less agreeable fae, and our city in the other. Neither would mean well for her. “Where would you go? Do you think it safer than with us?”
She shrugged, lifting a dismissive brow. “I’ll take my chances. It’s better than being a tortured sex slave. I’m not an omega, so I don’t know why you’d want me.”
I almost laughed. So, she knew I was an alpha. I should have known humans were savvy enough to tell since they had alphas and omegas in their realm. Although, my alpha command barely worked on her. I suppose if she was an omega or claimed, it would have had more effect. Still, I didn’t need an omega, and she had no idea what we planned to do with her. Although, her encounter with Xander probably did not aid matters. “A powerful beta is just as desirable. But I mean to hold you until we make our decision. There is no place in this realm for you without fae protection. We are not the seelie. If you want to survive, you must be under the control of a fae. The higher the fae in ranking, the better your chances. No one here will harm you. And no one here will expose you. Unfreeze my soldier.”
I walked toward her, unafraid of her magic. If she tried to attack, I had confidence I would prevail. She was strong, but I was not certain even her ice would hold me for long. I had not gotten to captain status from sheer fortune.
I grabbed both her hands and slowly lowered them down. They felt like icicles, hard and cold. I moved my magic through me, locking my eyes with her. We did not have all the time in the world to convince her. I was going to have to use my magic. “Thaw out my soldier and follow Xander to my car. Do as I say, and we will not hurt you unless you give us further reason.”
Her hardened face relaxed, eyes glazed over. She then lifted a finger, pointing in the frozen soldier’s direction. She kept her eyes locked on mine. Even in my trance, those hazel orbs were beautiful. My mind was betraying me. I had to detain her quickly. I wanted her, but I could not soften to her. She was my prey and nothing more.
When I heard Langor cry out with a deep breath, fully thawed, I blinked and moved to the side. Xander immediately grabbed her hand and led her to my car in a careful, slow manner, as if she were a child. I’d never seen Xander move so gently before. I would have assumed it was because he was threatened by her magic, but he knew she was under my voice command. No, it seemed he really had an interest in this human. I’d have to shake him of that. She was not going to be staying.
* * *
Thirty minutes later, we arrived at my house. I had released Langor, requiring his silence of our new discovery, except for Xander. My home was actually a modest house overlooking a lake outside of the city. I was raised in the countryside, and this was my happy medium between the city and access to my position and far enough away from others. I valued my privacy and independence and enjoyed an escape from the demands of my job.
The space was two stories with four bedrooms, so there would be enough rooms for my extra guests tonight. We got out of the transport without any hassle from Lila. Xander, still glued to her side, guided her inside to my living area at the back of the house. She sat down on my black suede couch, hands placed in her lap, back straight. Xander sat beside her, and I took a seat in a nearby leather chair. We were surrounded by glass walls, only allowing onlookers to see the outside but not inside. I had no furniture or décor on or near the walls, to avoid obstructing my view. Currently, it was night, but during the day, I could easily see the lake and garden from all sides.
