Page 53 of The Barbaric Fae's Soul

“For our queen? Any time.” He winked at me.

I blinked.

Their Queen?

They couldn’t really think that, could they?

But Aev was better, now that he was freed from Naomi. If his state of mind determined whether he’d become king again, he could definitely qualify now.

I looked at him, and found him shaking his head. “I was removed from the throne, and I don’t want it back.”

“You never wanted it to begin with,” Firo countered. “And everything is different now.” He gestured toward me and Aev, still kneeling side-by-side.

Aev stood smoothly, offering me a hand. I accepted it, and he pulled me smoothly to my feet as he told the other man, “I won’t agree with you.”

“You don’t have to.” Firo winked, and then looked at me. “It’s nice to meet you, even if you smell like a seelie.”

A laugh escaped me. Teris was undoubtedly to blame for the smell, but I didn’t want to say that.

Firo stepped away, grabbing another male fae’s hand and weaving their fingers together. I realized that some of the fae were already filtering out, talking calmly amongst themselves and waving when I looked over at them.

“Should we thank them?” I murmured to Aev, as they started making their way out.

“They know I’d do the same for them, so no thanks are required,” he told me with a small smile.

I must not have looked convinced, because he gave me a quiet, rumbly chuckle before he called out, “Thank you.” His voice carried through the space, but all he got in return were some hands thrown up in recognition.

No one seemed to plan on sticking around to chat, which I honestly appreciated. If I was going to befriend them, it would take time, and I wasn’t ready at the moment.

Soon enough, the house was empty, and I heard one last door shut. There was one on the floor we were currently on, and from the way everyone had left, I assumed there was one on every other floor too.

“Should we lock everything up?” I asked Aev, not ready for a serious conversation quite yet.

“I would say yes, but with the klynnas roaming, they may need you. We’ll need to leave most of them open.” He stroked my knuckles with his thumb as he tugged me toward the strategically-placed branches that would lead us up to a higher floor. When he shifted forms and tugged me onto his back, I didn’t resist the contact, burying my fingers in his fur again.

Though some part of me hoped he was carrying me to the couches, it didn’t surprise me at all when he stepped onto the level with the monstrous bed, striding right over to the brand-new mattress and the blankets stretching across it.

He shifted back and set me down on the bed, then locked the door nearby before coming back to sit next to me. I was on the edge, with my legs dangling off the side. He turned, sliding one knee further up the mattress so he could face me.

Reluctantly, I did the same.

“You look terrified,” Aev said, his voice low but edged in humor. “How bad can a few rules possibly be?”

“I don’t know.” I lifted a shoulder. Honestly, my mind was going back to all the things I did that had pissed my ex off. Talking out of turn, having a personality, laughing at jokes… everything I’d done had made him angry.

Hopefully, none of that was what Aev’s rules were about, or we were going to have a big problem on our hands. I wasn’t going to deal with that shit again. “Tell me what you’re thinking, and I’ll let you know.”

“The main rule I need is for you not to touch other men.”

I…

What?

I blinked. “I don’t usually touch random men. Or people. I hug my friends sometimes, but other than that, it’s just you.”

He said bluntly, “I know. But I need us to agree on that, because without the bond connecting us, I feel like I’m losing you. And you’re not only the female I want, but my friend, as well.”

Oh.

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