Page 9 of The Pixies' Chosen

“Well, there are all kinds of eating,” I mutter under my breath without thinking.

His long ears twitch, and my cheeks grow hot with the realization that he clearly heard me.Big ears, Ammayi—he has basically skinny bat ears plastered to either side of his head.

I groan inwardly but plaster an innocent smile on my face as he frowns at me as if he is trying to decide whether or not to chase the obvious innuendo. It’s no lie, though. I wouldn’t mind being enthusiastically eaten and then hate-fucked by the pixie standing in front of me. His personality sucks ass, but I don’t necessarily have to like him to scratch that particular itch. It’s not like this is a marriage proposal.

“Okay, so, pixies… Well, I imagine that you boys are responsible for the shrinking since you’re the smallest people around here. So if you can unshrink me, that would be great,” I continue blithely as I try to up the charm wattage in my smile. It never works for me like it does for Inika so I’m not entirely surprised when this guy doesn’t bat an eyelash.

“We cannot,” he bites out slowly, and I blink.

I wasn’t really expecting that.

“You can’t?” I parrot in surprise.

“It is like this,” Tryst interjects as he gently releases me—unfortunately because I was kind of enjoying that—and moves over to my right. “It is a matter of fate. You are our mate,” he says cheerfully.

I eye him, wondering what Kool-Aid he drank this morning because that is news to me—and it is having the side effect of making Havoc’s expression darken even further, which isn’t exactly ideal for a fairy—uh, pixie—mate, much less any kind of happy ever after. I am not feeling particularly lovey toward him either with the way he sneers at Tryst’s words.

“She is not our mate,” he replies coldly.

“She is now, and I’m keeping her,” Tryst shoots back with enough of a bite to his voice that I blink at him, a little won over.

Can I keep Tryst and chuck Havoc?

I’m kind of warming up to that idea, but I need to put a pin in this before these guys get out of hand quarreling out here in the open. That damn crow is looking brave again as it hops slightly in place, and unlike these two, I don’t have wings to make a quick escape.

Without thinking twice about it, I grab Tryst’s arm to get his attention. Sadly, this has the unanticipated effect of thoroughly distracting me for a moment so that I’m staring blankly up at him with a silly smile. He smiles back at me, and we stand like that for a few heartbeats before I suddenly remember myself and quickly release him with an embarrassed grin.

“As flattering as all of this is, my family is going to go nuclear if I just disappear. Is there some way you can take me back to the house?” I wiggle a finger in the direction of the patio door. Both Havoc and Tryst’s heads turn in that direction simultaneously, and they both adopt identical scrutinizing expressions as they study it.

“That is not a proper home for a pixie,” Tryst replies hesitantly. “You won’t be comfortable there.”

I smile at him mirthfully, but once again Havoc’s mouth ruins everything.

“You are overthinking. It will not be a problem because she is not a pixie,” he cuts in with another humming flutter of his wings. “We might as well just take her there and get this over with if that is what is required for her safety so that we can leave.”

Leave… as in take off and leave me stuck like this?

I gape at him, but Tryst gently takes my arm and steers me away with a sweet smile. “Do not mind him. Havoc is just a little… peculiar. We will not abandon you.” His smile widens. “Now allow us to get you home.”

He bends and my heart flutters as he scoops me up effortlessly into his arms. Although his chitin is hard, I noticethat his temperature actually runs hot as he holds me against him. He’s also lit up like a Christmas tree with his pretty indigo glow that I noticed a hint of earlier. It’s coming from his abdomen like a freaking firefly, and it is really the best thing I’ve ever seen. Okay, I may be more than a little smitten here because he cuddles me close like I’m the most precious thing as his wings rise and spread with a rapid flutter before he flicks up into the air.

Bouncing lightly on air currents as we fly is a bit like a kiddies’ rollercoaster ride, and my shrieks of laughter cannot be contained as he zips for the house, leaving the stupid crow far behind. I’m almost sad that Havoc doesn’t splatter on the glass patio door, but the moment we’re inside I’m able to put aside such juvenile thoughts to sigh in relief when we land on the kitchen counter.

Safety achieved, now there is a bigger hurdle to conquer, and as I turn, I notice it’s heading right toward me as Mummi hurries toward the house with Papa and Inika trailing right behind her. I wince at the sound of her voice booming through the kitchen as she steps inside in a flurry of silk.

“Where is Ammayi? Ammayi!” she calls loudly through the house, forcing me to slap my hands over my ears as she tosses a frustrated glance toward my sister. “Inika, did she say she was going anywhere?”

Inika shakes her head as her gaze slowly shifts around the kitchen. And gods bless my sharp-eyed sister because her eyes fall on the counter and widen at the undoubtedly colorful display the males are making beside me. Mouth dropping open, she grabs ahold of Mummi’s sleeve and tugs it gently and nods toward the counter.

I’m not at all prepared for the shocked wail that comes from my mother when her gaze moves from the pixies and immediately lands upon me.

“Ammayi! How did this happen? What do we do? You have become Tinkerbell!”

CHAPTER 8

HAVOC

My startle, my wings snapping out at the sound of the female’s wail. I am not entirely sure how to react to the sob or what a Tinkerbell is but it is clear that she is highly aggrieved by the entire situation. All I know is that the elder female has dropped onto a stool in front of the counter and gathered her daughter up between her palms while the female I truly desire watches on with her father in dismay.

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