Page 2 of Claimed By the Fae Lord

Liam lowered his mouth to the female’s ear. She giggled and his hand slid lower, onto the curve of her hip.

I tried to avert my gaze, but I was under some kind of twisted enchantment. Watching him laugh and flirt, parading around like there had never been a thing between us, tore at the icy barrier I’d erected around my emotions.

It wasn’t until I felt a tear threatening to spill over that I regained my wits. I would rather die than let him know how he affected me.

Turning away from the spectacle, I escaped to the bathroom. The dam was breaking as I closed myself inside the stall, trying to stem the tears.

Mindful my parents might have noticed, I delicately dabbed under my eyes, taking in deep, cleansing breaths.

I could do this. I was strong. I just needed to ignore him, find someone willing to talk or dance with me, someone to be a distraction.

Just as I was regaining my composure, the door to the bathroom opened and Liam's voice filled my ears. I couldn’t see him, but I would recognize that confident tenor anywhere.

Even in a bathroom reserved for females.

My stomach twisted into knots when I realized he wasn’t alone. He didn't even bother going into a stall, as if he had nothing to hide, as if he had not a care in the world.

The sounds that followed pierced my already shattered heart. His low moans of pleasure mingled with the female’s more high-pitched cries, echoing off the walls.

Each sound was a dagger in my chest. I slid down the cool tiles until my backside landed on the ground. I buried my face in my hands to muffle my sobs.

How could he? Had I been nothing to him? We were over, but surely, if he had ever felt something for me, he would have waited an appropriate amount of time before he started fucking others.

I pressed my back harder against the wall of the stall, willing myself to disappear into the fine grains of the woodwork. But reality was harsher than fantasy.

The truth remained that he was on the other side of the door, basking in carnal bliss with someone else while I was left to pick up the shattered pieces of my heart.

Agony and humiliation coursed through my veins as Liam let out one final grunt of satisfaction, followed by a content sigh.

Ripples of their snickering reverberated through me, sinking into my skin like icy shards. I clenched my hands into fists so tight the nails bit into my palms.

I'd known him, all of him, and this was a cruelty beyond what I could ever have fathomed from Liam. The thought there could ever have been love between us seemed an impossibility now.

Hells, there wasn’t even any respect left.

The room fell eerily silent, and I released the breath I didn't realize I’d been holding. I waited a few moments longer to ensure they were really gone before I trudged out of the stall.

Quickly, I washed my hands at the marble sink while keeping my eyes averted from the mirror. I didn't want to see what a mess I was.

A fresh wave of fury washed over me at the thought of shedding a single tear over someone so bitter, so cold-hearted.

Not one more, I vowed.

Returning to the party, a loud tittering of laughter halted my steps. Just ahead, Liam had already moved on to another group of females.

The jab was sharp, but this time I was prepared. Expecting the worst from my ex-lover helped to numb the wound.

Turning to my right, I met a pair of twinkling mismatched eyes standing at the bar. Always witty and warm-hearted, Saxon never treated me like I was less.

The male winked and gestured for me to join him. I didn’t hesitate to get my sorry ass over to the only oasis in this obnoxious desert of nobility.

As I approached, the demigod smoothly swiped a bottle of spirits and hooked an arm around my waist, leading me away from the revelry.

“Where are we going?” I asked suspiciously when we stepped out onto the veranda.

“We, my dear frostling, are going to get shitfaced away from prying eyes.”

I felt the weight of a heavy stare prickling my back. Several of them. When I started to look over my shoulder, Saxon squeezed me closer.

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