Page 34 of Taken By the Fae King

The squirrel darts out from behind the chair and rushes toward us. Grayce screams and then scrambles up my body, clinging to me in terror.

“It’s all right,” I whisper in her ear as I hold her close. “It is a mountain squirrel. They are harmless. Well… unless they get into the food stores that is,” I amend.

“A mountain squirrel?” She pulls back just enough to look down at it, cowering under the sofa, probably as terrified of her as she is of it.

The squirrel rushes toward the window, climbs up the wall, and scurries back outside.

The door crashes open behind me as Aren and two other guards rush in. Grayce ducks her head under my chin as if trying to shield herself, and it takes me a moment to realize it is because she is not fully dressed.

“My king,” Aren’s voice calls out behind me. “We heard—”

“It is fine,” I tell him, trying but failing to suppress a low growl as fierce possessiveness floods my veins. “A mountain squirrel startled the queen. It just went out the window.”

“Do you want us to check for others?” Aren’s booted steps start toward me, but my fangs lengthen, and I glance over my shoulder.

“No. Leave us.”

Aren halts abruptly. “Yes, my king.” He motions for the other two guards to leave the room before his gaze finds mine again and he dips his chin. “I understand.”

Clenching my jaw, I force myself to remain still as they leave the room, willing myself to calm. Aren knows what this is, and so do the others. It is as a dark and primal instinct that affects every Fae male when he first takes a mate.

With her clinging to me and then trying to shield her partially clothed form from their eyes, it triggered the instinct to protect my mate. I know that none of my warriors would ever try to take her from me, but until Grayce and I have fully sealed our bond with our first mating, I will have to keep my aggression toward other males in check.

Now that they have gone, I am acutely aware of how close we are. With her legs wrapped around my waist and her arms around my neck, her entire body is molded to mine, just as it was when we flew. Only then, I was distracted, searching for any sign of danger. Now… I can think of nothing but her as I support her backside with one hand while my other arm is looped around her waist, holding her against me.

Carefully, I lower her feet to the ground, keeping my hands on her waist to make sure she is steady before removing them.

She lifts her gaze to me, pausing briefly on my bare chest and torso. Her cheeks turn redder than I’ve ever seen them. Nervously, she tucks her hair behind her curved ears. “Thank you. I’m sorry to have… awakened you for something so ridiculous.”

“It wasnotridiculous,” I reply quickly. “You are my mate. I will always come for you when you call.”

“But I’ve made a fool of myself in front of your warriors.”

“They are your warriors too,” I point out. “They would not dare disparage their queen.”

I meet her gaze evenly. “In fact, they are honored to protect you. I know this because I have found you a personal guard.”

“Who?” she asks.

“Talyn. You met him earlier.”

She nods.

“Aren will make sure he is acclimated to the capital when we arrive and then he will be assigned to you, if you are agreeable.”

“Thank you.”

Her hazel eyes study me a moment before she shivers slightly. I rip one of the furs from the bed and drape it around her. “Here.” I instruct her to sit on the sofa while I right the l’sair bowl and stack the crystals back inside it, adding a few extras for more light and warmth.

“I’ll be right back,” she says, disappearing into the cleansing room. When she returns, she is dressed in her sleeping gown and robe.

“I suppose you probably wish to return to your bed,” she says.

“Actually, I’d prefer to spend more time with you, if you are not tired.”

A smile crests her lips, and she motions for me to sit on the sofa. She takes a seat beside me, curling her leg beneath her as she turns her body to face mine. “You did not tell me you lived here before,” she says, a questioning look in her eyes.

“I was a second son,” I explain. “And, unlike my older brother, I disliked politics and court intrigue, so… when my father decided to send me here, I did not complain.”

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