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More fae kneeled around me.
I refused to make eye contact with them, my gaze remaining fixed on Ervo.
“Should any of the females see your faces in the next year, your lives will be forfeit.” Ervo’s threat wasn’t growled or snarled; his calm voice was plenty terrifying. “Should you ever touch a female without her permission again, you will suffer at the hands of your brothers for months before death claims you.”
The men shifted forms smoothly. The one nearest to me turned into a massive snake, and out of the corner of my eye, I watched as he slithered away.
I fought a shudder, glad for once that I was a hellhound.
Basilisks were freaky as hell.
“Priel has been hiding her away,” a male voice called from somewhere in the crowd. “All of us deserve a chance to show our strength to the female Vevol’s chosen. Her power is too great for him to claim her so easily.”
Ervo’s expression was neutral, but his jaw was clenched slightly. “I don’t disagree, but North will decide what she will allow. My female and I will speak with her and determine the best way to approach the situation for all of us. Until then, the fighting ceases.”
His gaze swept the group.
Growls and grunts of complaint followed, but grudging nods did as well.
“The hound stays out here with us, though,” another one of the men argued.
Ervo dipped his head in agreement, then gestured me toward the Stronghold. I didn’t wait for an invitation to go, and the crowd made a path for me as I walked.
When the door was shut behind us, a relieved breath escaped me.
“Where is Priel?” The phoenix asked me calmly.
I pointed toward my bedroom, and he walked in without a pause.
Grunts and growls followed. After Ervo’s calm voice spoke—I couldn’t make out exactly what he had said—there was a furious snarl.
A disheveled Priel stormed out of the bedroom, and my body tensed as he reached me.
“Where did they touch you?” He stalked around me, lifting my shirt and leaning in to check out my neck.
Oh.
That’s what he was looking for? Some kind of evidence that I’d been hurt?
“I’m fine.” I pushed his hands away, trying not to let him see how frustrated I was that his reaction was only protective.
Where was the possessive, demanding beast I’d had back in his cave? That was the version of him I wanted; the one that called me“mine”and didn’t hesitate to claim me in every way.
Oralmostevery way.
“They’ll break the door down if you don’t join them outside.” Ervo’s voice was still infuriatingly calm.
Priel snarled at him.
“She’s not going to be safe if they break in here. They’ve all seen the brands; there’s no turning back now,” the phoenix added.
“Fuck.” Priel stepped away from me, starting to pace the short hallway before the door.
“What do they want?” Mare’s voice was quiet.
“Me,” I said flatly.
“North is covered in Vevol’s brands. One brand is evidence that a fae has been given an extra portion of magic; this many are a sure sign that Vevol has chosen her for something great,” Ervo explained.
