Page 108 of Taken By the Fae

I wrap my arms around myself as I stand there. “I don’t know why you’re being nice to me, but, um, thanks.”

“I believe you’re going to shake up our world,” he says, “and frankly, I’m very much looking forward to that and would enjoy being part of what feels long overdue. That said, I’m happy to be your unseelie confidant and teach you whatever it is you need to adjust. Hell, if you want me to hang out here, I’m down.” He smirks. “I’m very good at warming beds.”

My brows shoot up my forehead as my cheeks fill with heat. “Are you… coming on to me right now?”

He tilts his head to the side, those green eyes sparkling with mischief. “Confidant can mean many things.”

I make a sound akin to a weak snort. “Pass.”

“Huh,” he muses. “That’s a first.”

“Sorry to hurt your ego.”

He smirks. “It’s all good. Keeps things interesting.” His playful arrogance makes me laugh, which is a welcome distraction after the night I’ve had. “Seriously, though.” His expression evens out, the playfulness gone from his eyes. “We don’t know each other well, but I have this weird inkling, a voice telling me to help you. You don’t want to feed, and I get that. Fearing something you’ve never done before is understandable, so I’m going to offer you this on a very limited basis.”

My brows lift. “What are you talking about?”

“Give me your hand,” he says.

“Uh, why?”

“I’m going to give you the energy you desperately need.”

“You’re…” I trail off, my eyes widening. “Fae can feed on each other?”

He chuckles. “No, they can’t. I’d be transferring energy to you I took from a human. It won’t be as strong as if you’d fed from them yourself, but it’ll do it in a pinch. It’s also shorter-lasting, meaning you’ll still need to actually feed soon.”

I nod, offering him my hand. If this can delay sucking energy out of a human, I’m willing to try it.

Nikolai clasps my hand in both of his, drawing me closer, and my breath catches as he inhales deeply, closing his eyes and exhaling slowly. His breath skates across my cheek, and my posture stiffens as energy zips through my veins like a shot of caffeine.

“Holy shit,” I breathe, my pulse racing.

“Pretty good, huh?”

“That feels…amazing.” Euphoric even, which could get dangerously addicting very fast.

“It’s better directly from the source,” he says with a wink, letting go of my hand.

I nod slowly, my head still swimming in a haze of warmth and pleasure. “Thanks, Nikolai.”

“You’re welcome. Goodnight, Aurora,” he says, backing toward the door. “And forget Jules. Dream of me next time, will you?” He flashes me one more grin before he walks out of my room.

ChapterThirty-One

The rich aroma of coffee lures me to the land of consciousness. I pry my eyes open to find sunlight streaming into our room and Allison standing at the foot of my bed with to-go cups in each hand. She’s wearing an oversized hoodie with leggings, and her hair is thrown into a messy bun at the top of her head.

“I knew the coffee would rouse you,” she says with a smile.

Sitting up, I lean against the headboard and take the cup she offers, cradling it in both hands. “Thanks.” The heat radiates against my palms, warming my skin. A quick glance at the clock that Allison must’ve reset tells me it’s shortly after nine. “You’re up early for a Saturday.”

She crosses our small room and sets the other cup on her desk. “I thought we could give the feeder unit idea another shot.”

The coffee cup stops halfway to my mouth as I freeze, panic clamping down on my chest in an instant. “Allison—”

“I won’t drop it, Ro,” she says firmly, leaning against her desk and folding her arms over her chest. “Even though you look a little better than yesterday, you still need to feed.”

I take a sip of my coffee, enjoying the moment of peace its warmth gives me. “About that…” I bite the inside of my cheek, debating how to say what comes next. “Nikolai gave me some.”

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