AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Almost every one,” Sunny corrected, tossing a hand toward Priel. “I already hit on that one. He’s not interested.”
Priel snorted. “Don’t need pity sex, thanks. Pretty sure it would mate us, anyway, and I’m not interested.”
Mare scowled at him. “This is serious. These people aren’t looking for sex, they’re looking for permanent attachments. Relationships. Love. We need to figure out a way to get them to calm down and just… leave us alone.”
“Our people have been alone for a long time.” Calian’s voice was steady. “The only way you’ll get them off your back is by mating with someone else. Even if sex wasn’t on the table, they would still be here. We have no purpose right now; a mate gives us purpose.”
“Lian’s right. The other fae aren’t leaving unless they know you’re mated or you agree to see them,” Nev said, still staring at Dots or Sunny. “There is an alternative, though.”
“What is it?” Dots asked. “I like cake, but I don’t need a couplehundredof them.”
“The same thing we’ve all realized, I’m sure,” Ervo spoke for Nev. “You all start bonds with us.”
There was a moment of thick, stunned silence.
“Wewhat?” Mare practically yelled.
“I alreadytriedpropositioning one of you.” Sunny shot Priel a dirty look, and he lifted his hands in surrender.
“How would we even start bonds?” Dots protested. “We’ve gone on little dates with most of the guys out there; if we were interested or potential mates, we would’ve realized it by now.”
“You’ve talked to them, but you’ve never touched them,” I said. It was the first thing I had to offer to the conversation, but I did know more about having a mate than any of the other ladies in the room. “Kissing would probably be enough to start it. Snuggling, maybe.”
All of the girls stared at me.
Mare looked like she thought I was crazy.
Sunny was grinning.
Dots seemed to be considering it.
“Absolutely fucking not,” North snarled from the doorway of her room. She turned her glare to the man beside me. “They call you their king. Send them away, and they’ll listen.”
“That’s not how the seelie work,” I answered for Calian. “The unseelie call him their king because they’re trying to fit us in a box, but we don’t fit. We’re free. If he goes out there and tells them to leave, they’ll fight him for the chance to stay. And there are enough of them that they’ll eventually overpower him.”
“This is on us,” Dots agreed, though her voice was slightly reluctant. “We’ve got to build bonds if we want them to stop bringing us cake.”
“I’m on board.” Sunny shrugged. “Ever since I heard how much January enjoys fucking her fae, I’ve been on board.”
A snort escaped me. “Classy.”
“Just like you.” Sunny winked at me.
She had a point, and we exchanged grins.
“Fine, I’ll do it.” Mare’s face was looking a bit ashy, but her eyes were steely. “I don’t want to go to the unseelies next year anyway.”
All of us looked at North.
She still stood in her doorway, her fists clenched as she glowered at us.
“You don’t have to do this,” I told her. “But they’re not going to stop coming for you if you don’t, so it’s a chance to take your life into your own hands.
Her jaw clenched; I saw the slight shift through her hair.
Another tense moment passed before she finally ground out, “Fine. I’m not getting with him though.” She pointed a finger at Priel, who lifted his hands in surrender, still grinning.
“We’ll draw names. I’m not doing a schoolyard pick,” Sunny said, folding her arms over her chest. “Been there, fucking hated that.”
