Page 89 of Fake Fae-Ancée

"Maybe I won’t."

I squirmed out of his arms, turned around and gripped his jaw, forced him to look at me.

"Don’t you dare. If you lose that duel thing you'll die."

His face melted into that smile that made my heart clench.

"I won't die," he said. "I promise."

Yuri

"You must make your move."

Taggart didn't look particularly happy on my phone's display. Then again, the Chief always looked like he was going to bite off your head any second, so it meant little. This time, however, he sounded concerned.

"The ball is tomorrow," I confirmed, leaning back in my chair. And thank God. Waiting for the storm this time seemed worse than the storm itself.

"Our agents report no further activity from any additional Black Guild assassins," Taggart said. "I don't like that."

I didn't like that either. Ever since Taggart’s men were hunting Nox in Spain, I had expected another attack. That Yegor would do everything in his power to prevent us from getting to Helsinki.

"You must stay alert, Kalinin." The chief sized me up with a long, hard stare.

"We are," I said. "My brothers are our personal guard. And Yegor won't dare attack us directly at the ball."

Taggart snorted. "Be vigilant. Report immediately if anything happens."

"Aye, aye, sir," I deadpanned. Taggart gave me one last pissed-off look, then cut the connection.

"So you're really going to go through with this."

I flinched and wheeled around. Nicolai's broad figure peeled out of the semi-darkness of the salon to which I had retreated to take the call.

"If by "this" you mean that I'm trying to restore the family honor, the answer is yes, I'm really going to go through with it," I said, measuring him up and down. Bear gritted his teeth, sensing Nicolai’s creature bristle and growl beneath the surface of his restraint.

My brother looked down at me with narrow eyes.

"With her."

Two words only, but Nicolai managed to fill them with as much contemptuous venom to etch a hole in the floor. Bear gave a growl, low and guttural from the back of my throat.

"I don't like the undertone, brother."

"And I don't like, brother, that you got involved with one of them!"

I rose from my seat. Nicolai glowered back at me, unmoving.

"Them," I repeated.

"Fae!" Nicolai almost spat it out. "Their filthy blood has no place in our family line!"

Bear prowled forward, teeth bared. "I would be very careful what you say now if I were you," I said lowly.

Nicolai held my gaze, his eyes changing into a dangerous amber color. "Save it for Yegor and his underlings. I am the only one who dares to tell you the truth."

"Okay," I spread my hands. "Enlighten me. What truth am I not seeing?"

He stabbed a finger at me. "You will bring shame to our family. The Bears may believe in your prophecy, but they will never forgive you if you tarnish your heritage by marrying a Fae."

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