Page 28 of The Barbaric Fae's Soul

A quiet laugh escaped me. “As expected.”

“Mmhm. Come on; I don’t know how much time we’ll have until the next klynna passes. If they’re really hunting for Aev, it may not be long.”

I nodded, letting out a shaky breath and sitting up straighter as I untangled my arms from around her.

“Have you been concealing your scent?” Summer asked Aev.

“Yes. Every hour.” He didn’t hesitate; he had been vigilant about jumping into those bushes.

“If you hurt her, Iwillconvince my mate to kill you,” she warned him.

“He didn’t,” I told her quickly and quietly, without meeting Aev’s gaze. “It was just memories.”

“Good. Remmo likes him.” She looped her arm through mine and said over her shoulder, “The generals want to talk to you. If Dakota’s going to throw herself in front of a klynna, they want to figure out if you’ll be able to help buy time for them to get her out.”

“I’ll do whatever I can to make it easier for her,” Aev said in a low voice. “And I’d like to know the plan. You’ll keep her safe?”

“Of course.”

Aev shifted, and though he moved too silently for me to hear him leave, I saw the flash of orange out of the corner of my eye as he slid into the trees.

I wished he had touched my hand or something before he left. But why would he, after I lost my damn mind to a panic attack? He probably wouldn’t want to touch me at all.

“I think I’m going to need to form a bond with someone else,” I said quietly. “He has his own baggage; he doesn’t need to deal with mine too. And he definitely doesn’t need more drama in his life.”

“Oh please. You’ve been nothing but good for him, and you know it. Everyone has issues; all of us who are here wished to get away from Earth for one reason or another. And last I heard, you were just friends anyway.” She lifted an eyebrow at me.

My face heated. “We are. Friends with benefits.”

She snorted. “With a fae?”

“He’s uniquely qualified not to want anything serious.”

A laugh escaped her. “You’re delusional. He was absolutely terrified that he’d caused you pain or screwed shit up between you two. Maybe he doesn’t want anything seriousyet, but he’s a fae. He will. And you will too, because it feels really damn incredible to be adored as fiercely as the fae love.”

“Summer,” I said with a sigh.

“Come on, I’ll give you a ride down. You need sleep, girl.”

I groaned, but when she shifted, I slid onto her gigantic, scaly back and wrapped my arms around her neck.

And when she took me to a simple wooden house on the floor of the forest, tucked between two humongous trees, I simply slipped inside and climbed into the first bed I saw.

She was right; sleep would help.

But as I drifted off, I couldn’t help but think that Aev needed to rest too.

Eight

Aev

“You needto talk to that damn woman,” Korrik growled at me, as I landed beside him and shifted forms. “She could’vedied.”

“I already did. She overheard you and Priel talking about winged fae having a better chance of outrunning the monsters, and wasn’t willing to let you sacrifice yourself for her if that was the case.” I slid my hands into my pockets, letting my fists clench.

My skin itched.

Not the way it had when Naomi refused to see me—nothing like that. It itched because I’d scared Dakota somehow, and I hadn’t had the chance to apologize.

---