“Call the cops!” someone shouts while a group of men in costume gathers in the faint glow of the porch, gesturing toward us.
“You’re dead, Nate!”
“Fudge…” my human mutters and slides his fingers around my calf, tugging on it when one of the guards leaps off the porch and leads the party toward us.
I jump back to the ground. “These humans are no match for me,” I announce, drunk on excitement, but Nate grabs my arm.
“No, please, there’s too many of them, let’s go! We…” He stares into my eyes in a way I don’t understand. “We can’t have bloodshed.”
I groan, but if this is his choice, I shall relent. Maybe he knows something about this situation that I don’t. It is his realm after all.
“Just to be clear, I am not fleeing!” I yell to him as we run across the grass and into the street, followed by an angry mob equipped in flashing lights. “This is only because it isyourwish.”
Nate briefly turns his head toward me, brows high, but he doesn’t have enough air to shout while running for his life from the pack of animals on our heels. At this rate, he’s going to start wheezing, and I’ll end up having to kill those bastards after all.
“This way,” I tell him, leading the way toward the patch of woodland where I left my kelpie.
The men are screaming his name, loud like wolves and surely just as bloodthirsty, but I’m not letting anyone touch Nate with even their little finger.
I whistle and click my tongue as soon as we’re between the trees, hoping Stone didn’t fall asleep or ran off to chase squirrels. Relief floods my heart when I hear the familiar stomping of hooves. I have to do a double take when he emerges, only to remember my mount has been disguised by magic and therefore looks like any other horse.
As soon as the tar black beast stops at our side, I lean down and pick up Nate to help him up. “Go on, grab the saddle.”
Nate stiffens in my grasp but doesn’t fight me and takes hold of the horn at the front, quickly sitting up. “You’re so strong…”
Of course I am. I’m Prince Tristan Bloodweed, Knight of Grief Ocean, First Lieutenant of the Nightcloaks. I shall never be a disappointment.
“Where did they go?” shouts a male voice from somewhere nearby, and I climb onto Stone’s back, settling behind my human. Sadly, I don’t have time to ponder how good it feels to press my cock to his ass, because we have togo.
“Hold on tight,” I say and grab the reins. “Stone! Find safety!”
He should understand that well enough with the mob on our tail. My kelpie is smarter than others give him credit for, and he leaps forward just as the glow of human devices reaches us through the leaves.
Chapter 6
Nate
The past twenty-four hours have been wild. I stole puppies, almost died, lost my job, broke up with my boyfriend, then the guy I dreamed of appeared to defend my honor, and now we’re both on the run—on horseback—after we busted the windows of Richie’s car.
If my grandma knew what I’ve been doing, she would send me to bed hungry.
I don’t know what’s gotten into me. I don’t cuss. I don’t break the law. I’ve never even had a single speeding or parking ticket, yet here I am, trying to focus on the potential consequences of my crimes, not on the sense of satisfaction blooming in my chest.
There were witnesses. I’ll probably get a visit from the cops and have to pay damages for Richie’s property, but right now I’m floating on cloud nine, with my knight in shining armor right behind me.
I start laughing so hard tears roll down my face, because this whole situation is ridiculous, and because I like everythingabout it, even the way Tristan threatened Richie’s frat brothers with a prop sword. And how did he even create that shadow spike effect? There will be consequences all right, but instead of worrying about tomorrow, can I not just ride this high for once, imagining that this redheaded man really is an elven prince?
We’re safe for now, as we managed to leave the mob of bros in costume in the dust, so I can finally speak to the mysterious man from my dream who is very,veryreal.
“So how much do you lift? You hauled me up like I’m a child.”
He’s holding the reins with one hand, while he’s wrapped his other arm around my waist. Maybe it’s a little pathetic how giddy I feel about the openness with which he touches me in public, but don’t I deserve a bit of a mood boost after how things went down with Richie?
“I am fairy active, but rather than constantly working on my sword form, I prefer doing something that’s of use to others. Cows sometimes dig up boulders in the fields, so I help push those back, or I roll the odd leviathan hatchling back into the sea. The adults are dangerous but serve their purpose so we don’t kill them. I’m not sure how much they weigh though. Certainly more than you.” He laughs and nuzzles my ear as if it’s the most natural thing in the world.
I’m no virgin, but flirting doesn’t come naturally to me. I’m the kind of person who needs to be told they’re being flirted with, but not with this guy, who’s so insanely committed to the elf shtick. You only live once, and he is… handsome, gentlemanly, charming. Why would I not play along this one night, and be the prince of his dreams in my fancy stolen cloak?
The horse is clomping forward along the peaceful street. Since it’s Halloween, most people won’t find the way we look alarming, especially with the college campus nearby, so I let myself relax, because it’s not like the police will be wasting time on me tonight.
