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“Damn.” Mare’s voice was surprised.
“So why can’t she just bang Priel to make the bond permanent?” Sunny checked.
My attention jerked to the other woman. She and Dots were off behind Mare, watching the interactions but not joining the argument. I hadn’t even noticed them there.
“An hour ago, she could have. Now that they know the truth, to seal a bond could start a civil war. The best route would be to come up with a way to establish Priel as the strongest of the fae who want her,” Ervo said.
“How?” Dots asked.
Ervo’s and Priel’s eyes met before the hellhound growled, “Not a fucking chance.”
“It’s the simplest way, and our best chance at keeping the peace.”
“Do you intend on competing?” Priel snarled back. “Does Nev? Or Teris? Or any of the other bastards who claim to be loyal to us?”
“Are we supposed to know what they’re talking about?” Dots whispered to Sunny.
“I don’t think so,” Sunny grumbled back.
“Slow down and explain,” Mare told the men.
A loud, rattling knock shook the whole damn Stronghold. My fire tingled over my skin as the lingering panic from earlier ignited within me.
“You have to leave. This is the only way to keep the peace.” Ervo’s gaze met Priel’s again.
Priel’s rough, furious gaze moved to me and lingered. A moment later, he was storming toward the door.
He snarled at the men outside as he opened it, and the damn thing shook our home again when he slammed it shut.
“I am so confused,” Dots whispered.
“Join the gang,” Sunny muttered back.
“Just start over,” Mare told Ervo.
He looked at her, his neutral gaze lingering a bit longer than I would’ve expected before he looked at me. “When Priel discovered how to work the portal, our fae were restless. The fighting over who would go to your Earth to find the female who called us during the Winter Solstice was fierce, and no decisions were made. Priel finally devised a way to determine who would make up the group who went through; a competition of strength.”
He went on, “Each fae competed amongst his own kind, and one of each species was declared the strongest and chosen to participate in the Wild Hunt. The five of us you know were the winners. If you run the same competition and agree to mate with one of the winners, it will focus the other fae and end the fighting temporarily.”
Was he serious?
I stared at him for longer than was probably appropriate.
Shit, he really was.
That was their answer for this problem?
A competition?
What the hell were they smoking?
“What happens during the contest?” Mare asked, as I opened my mouth to shoot the idea down.
“It tests the aspects of strength. There’s a physical fighting competition, followed by a speed test. The mental dexterity test follows speed, and then the magic test is the final challenge, unless there’s a tie. In that case, another physical fight follows.”
“That sounds way too complicated,” Mare protested.
“It separates the men who are truly interested and worth your time from the ones who aren’t,” Ervo corrected.
