Page 46 of Lies Within the Darkest Tower

“Red hair?” the first fae said. “Then she’s definitely new. There isn’t an unmated woman with red hair right now. This could be your chance.”

“I doubt it.”

“Why not?” the first fae asked. “You have magic. You won’t know unless you try.”

“I barely have magic,” the other fae replied. “But Wells, Crane, and Pike found her first and Rider sent them packing.”

“Rider scared away the most eligible bachelors in the Garden? He hasn’t done that…”

“He’s only ever done that for his sister.”

A chill swept through me. The Lord Commander actually had a sister. And they knew that he’d told those men to go away.

“If he’s finally decided to put himself in the running for a mate, I’m not going anywhere near her,” the second fae said. “He’s more powerful than me and I bet he’ll be worse than Blaze who almost killed two of Lark’s suitors until the Goddess bonded him to her.”

“Of course, none of those suitors turned out to be her other mates,” the first fae replied, “so his instincts were right on that.”

“Still not going to court this new woman until I know that Rider isn’t going to rip out my throat.”

My thoughts spun. How could they have possibly known what I’d dreamed last night?

CHAPTER 29

Sage

The only waythose fae could have known what I’d dreamed last night was if they’d used magic. But then if they had, surely they’d have commented on the fact that I’d dreamed about having a strange man make me come with his mouth.

No, all they knew was what everyone in that courtyard had seen: those three men leading me up from the pond, me bumping into the Lord Commander, and him telling them to leave me alone.

So, if they knew that?—

If that had actually been real?—

I’d woken with a pink flower in my hand?—

It had to have been real.

There was no other logical explanation. I had no idea how I’d gotten there or how I’d been a fae when I really was a human but?—

Oh, Great Father!

I’d let that man touch me—toldhim to touch me and he’d?—

My breath picked up and heat seared over my cheeks and forehead and down my neck. The reason I’d been able to dream about how it felt to come with a man’s mouth on me was because I hadn’t dreamed it at all.

I’d let a complete stranger give me the most amazing sensations I’d ever felt, and I didn’t even know his name and hadn’t even seen his face. Which meant I had no idea who to avoid if I ended up in that garden again… or if he was here at the Black Tower.

Shadows, would he recognize me? I’d had long hair and pointed ears and fae-colored eyes and those marks, but I’d still mostly looked like me.

If he was in the Tower and did recognize me, I could only pray he’d think I resembled the woman he’d met last night and wasn’t actually that woman, since I was supposed to be a human boy.Oh, please.

I sat there, my thoughts whirling, unable to focus on anything. I heard the men lead their horses out of the stables then Owun return with the wheelbarrow.

I’d let that man?—

And it had been wonderful.

Was that what sex with all fae men was like?

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