Page 122 of Taken By the Fae

I don’t bother interjecting, though part of me wants to tell Nikolai that Tristan wouldn’t let the seelie fae hurt me.

Skylar arches a brow. “Please, by all means, join her.”

Nikolai’s eyes narrow. “I wasn’t looking for an invitation.”

She scowls and moves to step around him, but he blocks her again. “Get out of my way,” she snaps, but the usual venom isn’t laced in her tone. It’s almost as if she’s… enjoying this—and I’m not really sure what to do with that besides watch awkwardly from the sidelines.

“Why?” He smirks tauntingly, while I decide to sit this one out and let the two of them deal with each other.

“You think you can handle me, Sterling?” The challenge in her voice sounds more like an invitation. One an arrogant man like Nikolai would never decline.

His eyes flash as he leans closer to her face. “I’m quite certain of it, kitten.”

She bares her teeth, flashing her mouth full of fangs. “Move,” she growls. I’m waiting for her to punch him. I shouldn’t want to see it, but I kind of do. He could handle getting knocked down a peg or two, and Skylar could take care of that.

Finally, he steps to the side, letting her past, and she throws the door open, storming out of the office.

I let out a breath. “Was that necessary?”

He’s grinning when he says, “Most definitely.”

* * *

The following morning, I wake with a stomach full of knots and what seems like never-ending hot flashes. I haven’t been this nervous since the day I had my internship interview.

I want to cancel. To stay in my bed wrapped in blankets like a burrito and pretend the fae courts don’t exist. Pretend I don’t have to face the seelie fae knight I fell for over the last five months after being dragged into his world and becoming fae. Seeing Tristan… It’s not something I’m ready for.

Reminding myself of what Skylar said yesterday about the seelie king calling for a meeting with Tristan forces me out of bed. I need to know he’s okay.

I shower and get dressed in a navy sweater and black high-waisted jeans, drying and straightening my hair before putting on makeup. I don’t have to cover up the physical proof of my fae struggles with concealer today. In fact, my reflection looks more refreshed than ever. Even so, the unease in my chest grows, along with a conflicting fluttering in my stomach.

My phone chimes with a text from Nikolai, letting me know he’s outside. Part of me isn’t sure about him coming—the last thing I need is to deal with a fae fight between him and Tristan—but if I run into any seelies who aren’t too happy to see me, I want backup.

In the car, Nikolai glances over at me and stares as if he’s trying to see what I’m thinking.

“Quit it,” I mutter, squirming under his gaze. He’s checking up on me, and while I appreciate it, now is not a great time to gauge how I’m feeling. Not with the ribbons of nerves winding around me.

Nikolai shoots me a grin before he pulls away from the curb, and we spend the drive to the hotel in silence. We pull into the guest parking lot, and Nikolai finds a spot near the front of the building. I peek down at my hands in my lap and clench them into fists so they’ll stop shaking.

Nikolai turns to face me. “You’ve got this, Aurora. No sweat.”

I choke on a laugh, meeting his steady gaze. “We’re about to walk into a building where many people hated me as a human. I can’t see them approving of me more as an unaligned fae.” I’m not sure if it’d be better or worse if I chose the unseelie court, but either way, I’m glad Nikolai is with me.

“If it makes you feel better, I promise they hate me more than they hate you.”

I catch my bottom lip between my teeth. He’s probably right, but that doesn’t make this meeting any easier to walk into. Taking a deep breath, I let it out slowly. “Okay,” I say, putting as much force and confidence into that one word as I can.

The lobby is buzzing with people as Nikolai and I approach the concierge desk, where Marisa greets us with a wide smile.

“Aurora, welcome back.” Her voice is soft, friendly. Her eyes flick to Nikolai, who is standing behind me. “Who’s your friend?”

“Nikolai Sterling,” he says, eyeing her name tag. “Lovely to meet you, Marisa.”

“I have a meeting with Tristan,” I chime in before Nikolai can start flirting with her. We don’t have time for that, and I’m not in the mood to watch him charm Marisa.

“Of course.” She clicks away at the computer for a few seconds. “I see there’s a meeting on the calendar, so he should be in his office, if you want to head up.” She hands me a guest badge.

I force a smile, taking it from her. “Thanks.”

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