Page 8 of Tasteful Anarchy and Tangled Auras
Bryn leads me towards a back table in the darkest alcove. Well, shit. I’m about to get publicly groped. Thisalsocould have been done back at the ball.
Footsteps approach from the opposite direction. Bryn grabs my waist and swiftly pivots me, pinning my body to the wall and bracing his hand above my shoulder, leaning over me. My anger flares and I glare daggers at him, but I keep my mouth shut on the off chance I might be recognized. Bryn’s nostrils flare, and as his body registers my anger, it responds. I feel him grow hard against me.
“Fuck,” he groans roughly. “Your magic is stronger than I was expecting.”
“Learn to shield,” I snap, but then my breath hitches as Bryn’s hips rock against me. I struggle to hold onto my anger but am failing miserably as Bryn reminds me of the rather...large difference between nymph and human males. I hold my breath, trying to get myself together. His fingers tighten on my hip.
The footsteps retreat but the press of Bryn does not. Anger hits me anew. It is an insult to treat a female nymph this way without leave.
Another groan leaves his perfectly shaped lips. He dips his head and nuzzles against the hood covering my hair.
If I am supposed to be a possible heir, I had better start acting like it, even if my panties are soaked. I somehow summonthe restraint to bring my hand holding the beer up between us and take a long swig, locking eyes with Bryn as I do so.
“Why are we here?” I ask.
Bryn clears his throat and takes a shaky breath. “To drop in on a Guerilla Pucks meeting, of course,” he says, as though that makes any damn sense, before taking a hesitant step back. I immediately miss the heat of him and the press of his hardness against my stomach. Damn my traitorous body.
“I thought our potential ruler might want to know what is going on in her queendom.” A thinly veiled tone of disgust drips from his voice.
My head tilts in surprise. What caused this change in tone? I turn to the alcove.
“This is one of the many groups that have formed across the FECs,” Bryn continues, his face against my hair over the hood. “Perhaps the most violent, in fact.”
He nods towards the alcove. A few Fomorians, a minch, a leprechaun, two brutal-looking red caps, and a handful of hounds of Annwn in their “human” form sit around a large, dimly lit table, all obviously well past their first drink. Shit, these are not the friendly kind of fairies. What is going on here?
Chapter 4
Bryn
The press of her curves against me and her absolute rage for me daring to touch her almost undid me. I normally hate royal females and their bullshit rules. But Goddess dammit, I both want to touch more of her and also immediately bow to her whim. And holy shit, the strength of her magic. I have no clue why she’s been so overlooked by her family. She’s obviously got more power than just about all of them.
I had had zero intention of being anything other than surface-flirty to this royal, but the scent of her had me leaning to find her neck. She presses her arm in between us and takes a deep drink of her beer. Chest tightening and mustering my resolve, I step back slightly but remain close enough still to give the impression we are enjoying each other’s company. All I really want to do, however, is to press her back against the wall and feel her little body relax into mine.
I turn slightly towards the alcove. As expected, the Guerrilla Pucks were deep in their cups. It will make eavesdropping easier.
The light-blue-skinned minch spoke. “If we are to overtake the FEC, we need to organize better. We’re a shambles.” The leprechaun slams his mug on the table in agreement.
A snarl of a voice emerges from one of the Annwn hounds. “Blame the damn reds. We have our pack in order.” Both red caps sit up straighter, but my eyes slip to Adelaide. A shock goes through her at the words. But instead of fear or contempt or any of the other emotion I expected, a smile hovers over her lips.
A quiver of indecision rolls through me. Have I guessed wrong about the new heir? When the rumor had reached me of Seren’s decision, I had jumped, hoping that the part-selkie female who had been ignored and left to her own devices might have more sense than most nymph females. But dammit, she seems reckless and impulsive. That is the last thing I need.
