Page 119 of Taken By the Fae

“Not quite. Older than Tristan, though.”

“Hmm.” I scratch the back of my head. He doesn’t seem open to giving me his actual age, so I move on. “Do a lot of the fae use these feeding units?”

“Some. From both courts, though we stick to different units. Others don’t like feeding in such a controlled environment.” Those fae probably aren’t concerned about hurting humans like I am. Part of my reluctance to feed stems from this deep-rooted fear I’ll end up losing control and won’t be able to stop. Especially after the taste of energy Nikolai gave me—how intoxicating that felt—it seems like a valid concern.

Several blocks later, we come to a stop outside a plain-looking storefront. The small window in the front is tinted, and the door is a solid sheet of dark gray metal. It’s not welcoming, but that’s probably the point. Unless you know what it’s there for, the fae don’t want you to pay it any attention.

Nikolai steps in front of me, leading us around the side of the building through a narrow, damp alley, and stops at another metal door. I stand frozen beside him; my heart is ticking faster, and my palms are clammy. My body is reacting as ifI’mthe one being fed on. I shouldn’t be this nervous, not with Nikolai here, but I can’t shake the unease.

“Aurora,” he says. “You’re going to do fine. Once you get through one feed, it’ll be a breeze, and you’ll start to feel like yourself again.”

Inhaling through my nose, I hold my breath for a moment before letting it out through my mouth, then nod. “Let’s go.”

He opens the door and holds it for me. I step inside ahead of him and take in my surroundings. It’s what appears to be a waiting room; the walls are a calming lavender color, and the floor is a dark hardwood. Chairs line one wall and there’s a reception desk on the other side of the small room.

Nikolai nudges me forward and walks beside me to the desk where an attractive brown-haired woman sits, smiling brightly.

“Hello,” she says with a warm smile. “Good to see you again, Nikolai.”

He winks at her, and I fight the urge to roll my eyes. “Always a pleasure, Destiny.”

She giggles before turning her attention back to me. “You must be Aurora. It’s so great to finally meet you. You’re quite the talk of the fae world right now. Tristan must be pouting somewhere. He loves when people talk about him.”

Oh boy, do I feel uncomfortable. I force a smile. “Thanks. Nice to meet you, Destiny.”

“I’ll get a couple of rooms set up for you.”

My stomach drops before Nikolai says, “Just one for today, please.”

She doesn’t question him, just nods and says, “Of course.” She disappears into another room, leaving Nikolai and I alone.

“She’s human,” he comments, “in case you couldn’t tell.”

I hadn’t taken a close enough look to even attempt to decipher any potentially inhuman features. “Hmm. You just come on to everyone then, don’t you?”

A grin plays on his lips. “You jealous?”

I scowl. “Please.”

“You don’t need to beg, gorgeous. Once we’re done here, I’d be more than happy to—”

“All set. Last room on your right,” Destiny says in a chipper voice, walking back into view just in time to stop me from having to reject Nikolai a second time. I can’t deny his attractiveness, but it just doesn’t do anything for me. I don’t think it ever could, even if I wanted it to. And the playfulness in Nikolai’s eyes makes me think he isn’t serious about it either.

I nod to tell Nikolai to go ahead so I can follow him, and he obliges. At the end of a hall, Nikolai opens the door to another room and steps inside. After a moment of hesitation, I enter, closing the door. The room is a perfect square with plain white walls and a plush carpet beneath my feet. The only thing inside is a black leather recliner and two smaller chairs on either side of it. A speaker in the ceiling plays soft instrumental music. The atmosphere is calm, subdued, and yet my pulse is racing. I don’t know if I can go through with this. When my eyes fall back to the curvy, dark-haired woman sitting in the chair, I suck in a breath. She’s smiling as if she’s happy to see me,as if we’re friends. Not as if I’m here to feed off of her energy. She looks to be around forty, but the brightness in her eyes makes her appear younger.

“Hi,” I say after clearing my throat.

“Come sit, dear.” She pats the chair on her right as Nikolai sits on the one to her left.

Once I’m sure my feet aren’t cemented to the floor, I approach and lower myself onto the chair, turning to face her and Nikolai. “I’ve never done this before,” I admit.

“Don’t worry. I’ve done this plenty of times.”

Nikolai smiles politely at her.

“How long have… I mean—”

“How long have I been a feeder?”

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