He was right. He did need an escort.
Now, so do I, because I have no idea what I’m going to say. Everyone here is expecting me to be some kind of expert at themadness, at fae lore, but I’m no Gran. I haven’t evenseena fae up close, much less fought one to death, like her. As soon as I open my mouth they’ll figure out?—
A pinch to my side jostles me out of it. I look over to find Kieran staring at me, his brows slightly furrowed, head cocked to one side. He snatches his pinching fingers away before I can break them, then gives me an encouraging smile.
“Aurora knows more about the fae than just about anyone I know,” he says in a clear voice tinged with what I would swear was pride, coming from anyone else. “Like how their magic works.”
I wonder, with a bittersweet taste in my mouth, if this is what it feels like to have a mate. Someone who always has your back, who’s there for you when you don’t know what to say or what to do.
“Right. Their magic.” Taking a deep breath, I turn toward the assembled warriors and their alpha and launch into an explanation of the fae. “Fae magic is different from the magic that makes us shifters. It’s even different from the magic witches use. With fae magic, consent is the key, which means…”
Once I get started, it’s easy enough to keep going. Especially when I get asked questions. There are a few that I can’t answer, but to my relief, no one seems upset when I tell them that I don’t know why the fae are spreading the madness, or where they’ll spread it to next. They’re satisfied to have someone to give them advice—even secondhand advice from Carrie.
“But I don’t know how to fight the fae,” I admit to them. “At least, not head on. I only have theories and stories.”
“Aurora is selling herself short.” I blink at Kieran, who’s eaten at least two plates of food by now and has mostly left the talking to me. “She held her own against a whole army of water spirits yesterday. Tell them about that—or, no, I will, while yougrab some food and water. It all started when we came to this lake that wasn’t supposed to be there…”
I’m almost as riveted as everyone else as Kieran launches into the story of the water spirits. He makes it sound much more drawn out and dramatic than I remember. Instead of a brief fight that ended in us cold, wet, and exhausted, he describes a swashbuckling tale of near-death heroism.
One he makes me the star of, much to my secret pleasure. The way he describes me fighting makes me as confident as I feel when I beat Dana. It’s clear that he truly respects and admires me—and all the warriors seem impressed, even Alpha Thorin.
I almost feel like I’m one of them. Almost.
“It sounds like you’ve got quite the fight in you,” one of the man warriors says, giving me an appreciative look. “We could use more like you in Pack Sapphire. Did I hear Alpha Thorin correctly when he said your surname is Blackburn?”
“Yes, you did,” I answer, knowing what’s coming next. Blackburn is one of several surnames that are given to shifters who don’t know their lineage, so I answer his follow up question before he has a chance to ask it. “And yes, I was adopted into the pack as an orphan.”
“Then you should join Pack Sapphire. We wouldn’t leave you without a name to call yourself by.”
I’m opening my mouth to reply when Kieran cuts in with a growl, holding his knife and fork tightly in his fists. “Aurora is a member of Pack Jade, and in no need of a new pack. She won’t be going anywhere.”
As he speaks, throwing the full weight of his dominant alpha-to-be wolf into his voice, the bond flares to life. I hiss at its sharp presence in my chest, nearly as strong as it was the day it snapped into place.
“Apologies.” The warrior holds up his hands in a placating gesture. “I didn’t know?—”
“Now you do.” I blink as Kieran actuallystands upand leans against the table, staring down the warrior. “So keep your thoughts to yourself and stay away from her.”
Narrowing his eyes, Thorin growls at Kieran, making it clear it’s time for the younger man to step back. Kieran bristles, but only momentarily—apparently he’s still capable of rational thought. I watch him sit down, rubbing my chest, my thoughts and emotions jumbled.
The clearest thing that comes through as I process it all is: how dare he.
Here I was, finally getting a moment all to myself, and he had to step in and piss all over it. He even tugged on the mate bond, the bastard, just to make everyone see it. As if it wasn’t enough to deal with the daily pain of his rejection—he just had to shove it in my face that I can’t have anyone but him.
I go through the motions for the rest of the dinner, smiling where needed, answering questions I’m asked, and eating and drinking like my life depends on it. The food is delicious—Kieran is an asshole for insulting Alpha Thorin’s cooking—and the wine is a much-needed balm to my soul.
Even still, it all turns to ashes on my tongue each time I feel Kieran’s presence beside me.
Words gather on the tip of my tongue only to be choked down and swallowed. Another swish of wine, another laugh at Thorin’s jokes, another cracking yawn.
“The two of you look like you both need to turn in for the night.” Alpha Thorin says when I can’t keep myself from yawning in the middle of a sentence. “Why don’t you head to bed? I’ll make sure these jerks keep it down.”
“We couldn’t possibly—” I’m barely able to get the word out before another yawn hits me. Defeated, I admit, “A good night’s sleep on an actual bed would be nice for a change. Thank you.”
I barely look at Kieran as we get up from the table, say our goodnights, and head toward the guest rooms. His presence beside me is like a thorn in my side. Every step I take moves it deeper and deeper, until finally, we’re far enough away from the alpha and his warriors that the words I’ve swallowed come bubbling back up again.
“What the fuck are you doing?” I spin on him in front of the guest bedroom doors, scowling at his blank face. “What iswrongwith you?”
“Is this not my room? I could’ve sworn this one was?—”
