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Desire.
His wife was here, and soon, he would be reunited with her.
He sniffed the air, heavy with perfume and spices from the impending feast. But there was something else tickling his snout.
Magic.
After the initial excitement of arriving at Broadstone Hall, Wesley started to feel heavy. Sluggish. The magic was leaving his system. But now…there was some nearby, and he needed to make it his.
What if one of the ladies attending the party was fae? Would she give him a little of what he needed?
You’re here to reclaim your wife. Not have an illicit affair with a fae, no matter how delicious they smell.
But that vibration, thrumming like a tiny fairy wing, made his blood sing. He needed that magic. That magic would help him woo Phillipa.
A monster who looked much like a lizard, and another who was a tall red demon, both dressed in finery, nodded at him.
But Wesley went in the other direction, taking a deep inhale of that delicious fae scent. He couldn’t let the little creatures completely distract him from his mission, but there was no denying a little magic could only help his cause.
The laughter from downstairs got louder. A band played a gay tune, and the smell of the food made his belly rumble. He was being foolish, chasing a fae when the real fortune was downstairs. Phillipa could be down there, laughing with some of the ladies or perhaps relishing the attention of one of the monsters in attendance.
He growled.
Magic, he told himself.Then mate.
How many times had he told himself that very same thing while he watched over her in the forest? That he would be ready.
Problem was, if he wasn’t ready now, with the help of the excellent Master Bow in this enchanting session, he would never be.
The fae magic grew stronger. He continued down the hallway stopping in front of each door, hoping to catch the vibration of the fae. One of the doors opened with him in front of it, earning a gasp from the young lady on the other side.
“Hello there, wolven,” she cooed. “I’m just about to go down to dinner, but maybe you could visit my room later?”
His eyes widened. Tongue tied.
She laughed. “First timer? That’s okay. You’ll see some of the ladies here have been to the Ball before, and we like to fill our dance cards in much more…efficient ways than those stuffy old events in theton.”
With a tap on his shoulder from her fan, she hurried past him.
Ridiculous beast, he chided himself. How did you ever let the countess think you could go through with this? Maybe he should strip off the fine clothing that had been offered to him and slink out of the Hall before he had a chance to disgrace himself, high on fae fumes and the desire to claim what belonged to him.
No. Must claim mate.
A grand staircase spread before him and a chandelier twinkled above, reflecting the colors of the lively gathering below. He willed himself to go down the stairs. His stomach rumbled, craving equal parts the food and fae, urging him on. At the bottom of the stairs, he stood at the doorway. The magical scent was becoming overwhelming, like an army of fae awaited him on the dancefloor.
Like he could be so lucky. Or unlucky, since he would have to be on his best behavior during the Ball or get asked to leave. Master Bow had stressed that the rules were different here, and although he hadn’t specified what they were, he assumed stealing another creature’s energy was off-limits. But it didn’t stop his mouth from watering, or his nose from tingling from the scent.
Not a fae in sight. Was he losing his mind, going through withdrawal without their magic? Whatever it was, it was a dangerous feeling.
Dancing had already begun. About a half dozen couples bounced around the room to the lively tune. He remembered the song so clearly, and his foot tapped to the beat. He had no shoes, none of the monsters seemed to, and the minotaur hooves clacking against the floor created quite the racket.
Wesley was mesmerized by the movements. The sounds. Watching the ladies, with their high topknots and long lines of their necks. He’d wanted more than anything for this ritual to make him feel human again, but when he looked down at his paws, listened to the rough cadence of his own breath, felt the mania of the fae magic swirling through his veins, it was more obvious than ever that he was not.
Neither were any of the other men in this room, and they weren’t letting it get in the way of a good time.
Finally, he convinced himself to ask one of the ladies to dance. Since his chat with the forward young lass at the top of the stairs, he’d let himself think about what could happen if he did manage to get on anyone’s dance card. What it would be like to rut one of them, embrace his beast fully for the very first time.
His cock stirred in his breeches, and the short jacket offered no modesty.
