Page 51

Ashen isn’t the type of guy I’m interested in. I’d seen him and his group not long after I arrived. Watched them all laughing with each other, remembering the way they laughed at me. He wasn’t laughing when he came up to me. He was charming. Flirtatious. The very behavior I would have normally shut down in a heartbeat.

But then I saw Rhenn, his black-on-black suit, shirt, and tie. The exact thing I’d expect him to wear. Any color lighter than gray isn’t in the man’s wardrobe. His focus was narrowed in on me, observing so carefully when his friend approached me. So, I played along, taking the bait and basking in the anger I could feel radiating from him when I did.

Ashen also places his hands at his sides, leaning back and crossing his feet at the ankle. “Nothing like that,” he says, giving me a small shrug. “I’m just not looking to get anything out of you.”

“Okaaay?” I drag the word out, entirely skeptical. Even if his intentions were never good, he’s always been forward with me in a way that definitely suggests he wants something. So why, when we’re completely alone, has that changed? It makes zero sense. Unless… “Wait…were you using me?” The statement comes out sounding shocked, and that’s because I kind of am. This is the perfect opportunity for him to try something—not that I want him to—and he couldn’t seem less interested. Ashen only wants to make a spectacle when we’re in public.

“Aw, don’t take it personal, sweetheart. You’re great. And sure, we would make a totally hot couple. Maybe even fall in love one day. I have no doubt you’d be a good time.” He shoots me a wink. “Even as fantastic as you look in that dress, this ol’ heart belongs to someone else.”

“You are so dramatic.” I push his arm in a playful gesture, then cock my head to the side, curious. “So, who were you trying to make jealous in there?”

Ashen lets out a breath, removing his focus. “Doesn’t matter.”

“I know you’re not shy. You should go talk to her. Not sitting here pretending to be interested in me just to get her attention.”

He looks at me again, smiling now. “You’re one to talk.”

My arms cross over my chest, eyebrows narrowing. “What does that mean?”

“As much as I’d like to thank my charm, I’m aware enough to notice you snuggling up to me only after you looked at my brother and saw him looking right back at you.” Ashen wraps an arm around me, leaning close to my ear. “Felt an awful lot like jealousy to me.”

“What? No way. I don’t… He’s so….” I feel my neck heat and Ashen laughs.

“Why’d you move out then? I mean, wolf man seems chill and all, but you had an entire mini home to yourself. Why else would you trade all that in?”

Now I want to laugh. “I didn’t trade it in. Your friend will be just fine on his own for a few days. Besides, Rhenn doesn’t like the wolves. Gives me more reason to stay there.”

“You enjoy making him angry?”

“Yes.”

Ashen lets out a puff of air, shaking his head. “You are one crazy human.”

“Because he’s so dangerous?” I mock, even though I know very well how intensely Rhenn could hurt me if he really wanted to.

“He can be. You shouldn’t be so reckless with him,” Ashen answers, placing his palm on the stairs next to mine before tilting his head to the side, letting his lips rise at the corners. “Unless, of course, reckless with him is what you want to be.”

Heat floods my cheeks, and before I can stop myself, I ball my fingers into a fist, landing a punch on his upper arm.

“Rude.” Ashen laughs, rubbing his hand over the spot like it actually did anything to hurt him.

“Rude?” I stand up, more upset than embarrassed now. “No. Rude is filling my mind with imaginary bugs just so you can have something to laugh at. Rude is watching while a psycho faerie spits on me and doing nothing to stop it.”

“Easy.” Ashen also stands, dropping the smile. “Didn’t you learn not to take drinks from strangers? That’s kind of on you. Besides, it wasn’t actually real. Rai gave you Delirium Extract, a hallucinogenic potion, which means everything you saw was in your own head. Was it fucked up? Fine. Sure. Don’t talk about Siena like that though. You wanna blame someone, blame me.”

Knuckles throbbing from my attempt at hitting him—the man’s arm is like steel—I place my hands over his shoulders, looking into his reddish-brown eyes, and bring my knee straight into his crotch.

Ashen cries out, throwing his hands over his junk, and falls to his knees. “What the hell?”

I stare down at him, almost out of breath from the rush of what I’d just done, and release an airy laugh. “I wanted to blame someone.”

The back door opens. I turn toward the sound, feeling the smile I’m already wearing double in size.

“Uh, everything good here?” Josten asks, eyes shooting from me to the brooding blood sucker on the ground, whose dick may or may not be broken. I probably kneed him a little too hard. But man, what a freeing feeling.

“No,” Ashen grumbles, kneeling on the ground. “I’m pretty sure I’m dying. I see the light!”

I chuckle again. Men are such babies. “Go into it,” I tell him, then look back at Josten, who’s still thoroughly confused.