Page 37 of Beneath the Starlight and Storms

I ignore the idiot beside me long enough to notice the large black gates we pass through, to a long brick path with large bushes and trees on each side.

“Where are we?” I ask as the car pulls up in front of a red and black brick building. It’s as tall as a castle, but its width is far wider in size.

“The Shroud. A place where many men come to enjoy themselves.” The suggestive tone in Hook’s voice leaves no room for what that means.

“Enjoy themselves… We’re going to a pleasure house?” I’d heard of them in the Fae Realm. Places where men and women would go to enjoy themselves.

It wasn’t something I wanted to see then, and it’s not something I wanted to see as my first official visit in this Realm, either.

My eyes veer to him and narrow while his smirk grows into something else, something savage with a vicious bite.

“You said you wanted to come. And after all, Ineverbreak a promise,”

Hook says with a condescending grin and bite to his tone.

Thisis why he didn’t want me to come. He didn’t want me to ruin his little day offun.

I clench my jaw and turn away from him, regretting every decision I ever made since coming to this Realm. The biggest one, making a deal with him.

The car stops outside the building. I ignore Cash as he opens my door and head straight towards the main entrance while Hook’s dark chuckle follows me.

As soon as I’m near, the doors open inward, revealing a large open foyer.

Small chairs and tables are spread throughout the room with a long bar in the middle and private booths along the walls. And even though it’s early enough, the lighting is dim, making it feel much later in the day.

A handful of people sit in small groups, but apart from the odd look here and there, they all keep to themselves.

Hook catches up with me in a few quick strikes with a contrived smile. “If you wanted tocomethat bad, you should’ve told me you were in need of some extra attention. I’malwaysavailable to be taken advantage of.” His voice is husky but with a wicked edge to it.

“Not even if you were the last male in all the Realms.” I give him a venomous glare, each word biting.

Something dark flickers in his eyes just as a man dressed in black greets us, dipping his head in respect to Hook before guiding us through the foyer and over to the left where a handful of private booths sit.

The man dips his head once more and walks away but Hook ignores him, his eyes solely on a man at the center of a group of women a few feet in front of us.

From the dark look Hook gives him, I can only assume this must be Arden. For some reason, I thought he would be older. More mature. But he looked no older than Cash.

His hair is the color of Fae trees in summer, a deep beige with flecks of gold. He has an angelic face, but his deep brown eyes reveal a sharp glint of darkness. A calculating look full of trickery and deceit.

The clothing he wears looks expensive, as if he’s purposely flaunting his wealth for all to see. The way he holds himself speaks volumes of his status and where he comes from and wants everyone to know it too.

We stop at the end of his table, but he’s too absorbed in the redhead closest to him to notice us.

The redhead turns and spots us, her eyes widening when they fall on Hook.

The man, Arden, looks at her confused for a moment, before glancing in our direction.

The charismatic smile slips from his face as it quickly drains of color. A slash of fear floods his eyes before he quickly masks it with an awkward laugh.

“Hook, my friend.” With a fake plastered smile, he waves his little group away before focusing back on him.

The girls hurry away giving Hook a wide berth.

“Please, have a seat. How have you been?” Arden’s eyes fall on Cash and then me, his look growing hungry as they trail up and down my body.

“Did you bring me a present? Name your price? You know I’m good for it.”

I open my mouth, ready to tell him the only type ofpresenthe’d receive from me, when Hook beats me to it.

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