The male reared back in surprise. “You have a soul-bonded mate?”
“Did I stutter?”
To my surprise, the male burst out laughing. “No, I’m just surprised. You never struck me as the settling down sort.”
“Fuck off, Farris.” From the edge in Zane’s voice, he didn’t like this male. The asshole turned to look at me. There was nothing warm about the way he slid his gaze down my body, lingering first on the ruby and then on the amulet resting in my cleavage before checking out my legs. I very much regretted not wearing something with more coverage.
“Interesting,” he muttered. Was that supposed to be a compliment? If so, it was a terrible one.
“Get your fucking eyes off my mate,” Maverick growled. His shoulders bunched, stretching the seams of his shirt to the limit.
“Oh, she’s your mate too?” The male smiled. Whatever he was, he didn’t see my bear as a threat, which was pretty dumb of him.
Maverick moved at lightning speed, but the male blinked out of sight and reappeared a few feet away.
“Since you three are in that annoyingly possessive stage of bonding, I’ll take my leave,” he chuckled. “But have fun!” Then he was gone. Like, actually gone.
“What is he?” I asked, curiosity getting the better of me.
“Fae.”
“Fae? I thought the fae were a myth.”
“Sadly, no. But there are very few of them in this realm because they grow weak when they spend too long here, but some come and go. Like Farris. As the heir to the Autumn Court, he’s more powerful than most.”
“I didn’t like him,” I admitted.
“Farris is a slippery cunt. Never make a bargain with a fae; it always benefits them.”
Maverick chuckled. “Found that out the hard way, eh?”
From the way Zane drained his drink and ordered a second, the answer was yes.
“I got my own back,” he smirked after a moment.
I shivered. The fae gave me the creeps with his strange tattoos. I hoped we didn’t meet him again.
“Come along, my pet. Let’s go explore downstairs.” Zane snatched my empty glass from my hand and placed it on the bar.
“What’s downstairs?” Something told me it wasn’t another dance floor.
“The fun stuff, darling!”
50
Maverick
Bears and nightclubs did not mix. I much preferred being outdoors, in the forest, beneath the stars. Or in bed with my mate.
But what I wanted was irrelevant. If my little mate desired to explore new things, then it was my job to keep her safe. I did not trust the incubus to pay attention to her safety in a place like this. Not with so much lust and excitement in the air.
The very fabric of the building thrummed with sex. Even the decor spoke of sex and lust, with red velvet chairs and phallic symbolism everywhere.
It was a ghastly place.
My lip curled when a wolf shifter leered at my mate. The stupid fuck wore some god-awful latex shorts he probably thought were sexy. From my mate’s startled giggle, she didn’t think so.
“Is that material always so tight?” The wolf heard her whispered question as we passed him, and preened. Wolves were dumb as bricks.
