Page 61 of Tell Them That I’m Coming

“I didn’t know why I couldn’t let you go,” he murmurs, wiping away the blood on his throat as he gets to his feet. “Now I do. You’re mine, Alana of Sombra. I can’t marry Fiona when I’ve mated you. No matter what the queen decrees… you belong to me.”

I wish I could believe him. He considered me his, all right. So that he could sell me to the queen like he did Rafe…

I give my head a clearing shake.

“How can I be if I can’t trust you?”

Thane surges forward, taking my hand in his. “Easy. I give you reasons to trust me.”

I squint at him. It doesn’t do a damn thing to make him look like anything other than the most gorgeous male I’ve ever seen—and, no, that’s not my cunt talking. Thane is stunning, and I want to believe him, and I don’t know if I can… but there’s one way he can prove himself.

We had one night. I knew it then that it might be the only one we have.

“Fine. We’ll start with today.”

“Yes. Anything. Whatever you want⁠—”

I lift my hand, lifting up on my toes, cradling his cheek. “I want you to lead me to the queen. I’m not following the butterflies to the Gilded Throne, Thane. I’m going to follow you.”

He recoils. Not enough to pull away from my touch, but I see the sudden panic flare in his eyes. “No. Alana, I can’t⁠—”

Binx decides it’s time to chime in. Hopping over to Thane, he bats at his bare leg, giving him a piece of his mind. Thane’s lucky. If I hadn’t convinced Binx to let me handle this, he might’ve had an incensed ungez hanging from his cock, fangs sunk into his naked flesh.

Maybe I should’ve waited to have this conversation after he got dressed. I might’ve found it easier to stay mad at Thane. Then again, even though the bond’s currently blocked, all I feel is the truth in his words and how much the bond’s opened him up enough that the fae who didn’t think his heart could work is in love with me.

Yeah?

Prove it.

“That’s my offer. You want me to trust you? Have my back when I confront your queen.”

“I’ll always protect you,” he says, so quickly that it’s another notch in his favor. “But she’ll know who you are. One glimpse and she’ll be able to tell if you’re the demoness in the prophecy that’s haunted her for a millennium.”

She got off lucky. In Sombra, Duke Haures and the doppelseers had to wait two millennia before that prophecy got set into motion…

“That’s fine with me.”

“Alana…” Thane sucks in a breath. “I know you care for your friend, but I won’t let you trade yourself for him.”

That’s nice. I wasn’t planning on it. I mean, yes, I’m getting Rafe back, but I’m saving my rear and Binx’s, too. And, fine, I guess I can save Thane’s.

It’s a pretty nice one.

I nod at Binx. He gives Thane one last pat with his paw, then scampers over to Thane’s pile of discarded clothing. Picking the leathers up with his fangs, he hurries back, dropping them in front of Thane.

“You don’t get to decide,” I tell him. “There’s a reason I’m here. There’s a reason your queen is afraid of the demoness in the prophecy.”

He grabs his leathers, never once looking away from me. “Alana⁠—”

“Get dressed. Help me rescue Rafe. Then we’ll see who protects who.”

With that statement, feeling pretty bad ass myself, I pluck my sword from the earth. A clod of dirt and moss pulls free from it. I have to stop, shaking it off, but over all it was a pretty snazzy move.

Half a day’s walk to the Gilded Court?

I’m ready.

Let’s just hope Thane is.