Page 2 of Taken By the Fae

He presses his lips together against a smile, then takes a drink of his beer. “I’ll see you around, Aurora.” He touches my shoulder briefly as he walks away, and the butterflies in my stomach give a healthy flutter, my head spinning. I’m not sure if it’s from Grant’s attention or the beer sloshing around my stomach as I climb the stairs, but I have to grip the railing to keep my balance. I go with the latter, because I’ve always been a lightweight.

The second floor is ridiculously massive, and I suddenly wish I could hold it long enough to order an Uber and go back to campus. “I’m going to get fucking lost in this place,” I mutter to myself, trailing my fingers along some fancy art print hung on the wall as I pass. There are so many hallways and doors, but I follow the sound of voices, groaning when I round a corner and find a line for the bathroom. I stand at the back and pull my phone out, scrolling through my photos from this summer to pass the time: visiting family in Michigan with my parents and little brother, Elijah, the weekend my mom and I spent at a cottage with her sisters, and a few outdoor concerts with Allison and Oliver.

Once I’ve gone through them all, I can’t help my thoughts from going back to Grant. My stomach tightens, remembering how nice it felt when he smiled at me. I hope I’ll see him again before the party’s over; I’m just the right amount of tipsy to be confident enough to ask for his number.

Finally, the line moves, and it’s my turn. When I’m done, I attempt to retrace my steps, slipping through a group of girls laughing drunkenly on their way to the bathroom line.

I must’ve taken a left when I should’ve gone right, because I end up in a hallway I don’t recognize, the back of my neck tingling when I find it more difficult than it should be to find my way. I didn’t drinkthatmuch…

Without warning, the door to my left opens, sending me stumbling back as a guy steps into the hallway. He can’t be much older than me, though the scowl on his face ages him. As does his neatly styled black hair. Not to mention his dress shirt and slacks ensemble; he looks out of place at a college party. And paired with the sharpness in his eyes that almost seem to glow, the chiseled line of his jaw… He doesn’t lookhuman.

“My bad.” His voice is unapologetic. If anything, he’s annoyed. His voice is unapologetic. If anything, he’s annoyed. His blue eyes narrow when I don’t respond, and my stomach sinks when his lips curl into a faint grin. “Nothing to say? Come on. You made this too easy.”

Why is he talking as if he knows me?My thoughts freeze and my heart pounds so hard I feel it in my throat as I shake my head. “Do I know you?”

He smirks, his teeth straight and white—too perfect not to be veneers. “You should.”

I steal a glance around the empty hallway, far more sober than I was a few minutes ago. Voices shout over the music downstairs, but there’s no one in sight. The pit in my stomach tells me this is someone I shouldn’t spend another second with. “I need to get back,” I say in a forced level tone as my body temperature rises. “My friends are waiting for me.”

“Your boyfriend?” My pulse jackhammers, and he tilts his head to the side. His irritated gaze follows me, and the curve of his lips as he stares at my throat makes me think heheardmy pulse race, which doesn’t make sense.

I take a step back at the same moment he steps forward. “What the fuck are you doing?” My voice cracks as tightness clamps down on my chest.

“You’re in a lot of trouble, blondie.” He moves in a blur, grabbing me by my throat. My eyes pop wide, and when I open my mouth to scream, nothing comes out. I can’t make a sound. I can’t move. My arms are weighed down and my feet are blocks of cement. Black dots swim across my vision, and my ears ring over the pounding of my heart. Then my legs give out, and I collapse onto the floor, the music and voices fading into nothingness.

ChapterTwo

Silence surrounds me as I blink my eyes open for what feels like the first time in days, squinting at the sparkling chandelier hanging from the ceiling. My neck hurts from sitting with my chin against my chest and my head is so fuzzy it takes a few seconds for my vision to clear. Once it does, it becomes apparent I’m in a luxury hotel suite. It’s filled with neutral colors and furnished with a king-size bed, blackout curtains that block my view, and a massive TV hung on the wall near where I’m seated. The soft hum of air conditioning is the only sound, and the room smells freshly cleaned.

I take a slow, deep breath, trying to halt the panic creeping up my throat. It doesn’t do much good, especially when I glance down and find my wrists tied to the chair. Heavy rope bites into my skin when I try to move, making my heart lurch as I double my efforts to no avail, and I wince before I stop fighting.

There’s a softbeepbefore the door across the room opens, and my breath catches, my throat thick with unshed tears. I go rigid as the guy I ran into at the party steps inside and closes the door behind him, pocketing a keycard as he approaches. Those same sharp blue eyes slice right through me. He’s wearing a navy dress shirt now, which makes me think it’s the next day.

“You’re awake.”

I blink at him, my head still fuzzy.Did someone spike my drink at the party? Would I know if they drugged me? Oh god… Did he touch me?

“And you’re observant,” I shoot back through my teeth, clenching my hands into fists to hide how they shake.Don’t show him weakness.

I blink, and he’s in front of me, glaring viciously.How did he move so fast?“You’ve got a mouth on you, blondie.” He yanks the rope off the chair and forces me to stand, leaving my arms tied together.How is he so fucking strong?

I gasp as the light from the chandelier above catches his face in such a way it appears almost translucent with a slight bluish silver tint. I immediately try to pull away, but his grip is solid. “Who are you?”

“Doesn’t matter.”

“Where am I?”

“Chuck E. Cheese,” he deadpans.

I nearly scowl at that, but the panic clawing at my chest is making my throat dry. “Why did you bring me here?”

He sighs heavily, and I swear the blue of his eyes darkens. “You ask a lot of questions.”

I swallow the lump in my throat, blinking back tears. “I think there’s been some mistake—”

He pulls me forward by the rope, licking his lips as he inhales. “Your fear is sweet like candy.”

My eyes pop wide, and I lean as far away as I can, my stomach twisting with nausea. “What?” I squeak, becausewhat the fuckdoes that even mean?

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