Page 17 of Masked Fate

I need to let go of this guilt inside me because it’s nothing but a toxic disease, slowly trying to rip at my self-worth.

Soren is my weakness, but it’s time I close off myself to him before he pulls me somewhere I might not be able to return from.

This isn’t me.

I would never let anyone else speak to me the way he does.

Just because he’s my mate and my mother harmed him doesn’t mean I need to give him a free pass to treat me this way.

Wrapping my arms around myself, my stomach in a knot, I watch his muscled back as he walks away.

Yeah, there will be no happy ending for me.

At least not with Soren.

And it’s about time I make peace with that.

CHAPTER NINE

Soren

It’s been a while since we’ve had a party at the castle, and Cove’s birthday was just the excuse we needed. Like Beltane, there’s a big bonfire outside, plenty of food, drinks, and dancing. I notice that the witch has changed into a black silk wraparound dress that shows off the swells of her round breasts, which are surprisingly large for her small frame. She has an ass, too, curvy in all the right fucking places, built to torment me. I feel on edge when she’s around, and I don’t know why, but I don’t fucking like it. Nor do I like the way she looks at me.

It leaves me feeling stripped bare and out of control.

She needs to leave and head back to her own kingdom.

A finger running down my bicep distracts me from my brooding. “Soren.”

Tilting my head to the side, I study the fae. Mousy brown hair, brown eyes, and a come-hither smile. “Do I know you?”

“I was hoping to get to know you tonight,” she replies, licking her lower lip.

One thing about females, they talk.

I know I have a reputation, which means I don’t need to look too far to get what I want.

“I’ll see where the night takes me,” I reply, not wanting to promise her anything in case a better offer comes along. She’s not my usual type, but maybe it’s time to mix things up a little.

She leans closer and lowers her voice. “I know where I want the night to take me.”

And then, in front of the whole fucking party, she drops to the grass on her knees, glancing up at me and waiting for direction like the fuck toy she is.

Feeling eyes on me, I turn to see Astrid and the witch staring, her violet eyes flickering with something that looks like hurt before she masks her expression.

With my brow furrowing, I look back down at the woman on her knees. “I said, I’ll see.” And then I walk away, leaving her there.

I can’t let them be getting too bold now.

“You are stone cold.” Rave smirks as he comes to stand next to me, offering me some ale.

“They need to know their place,” I reply, slapping him on the shoulder. “Don’t want any of them getting too comfortable, you know?”

“I doubt anyone can get comfortable after you cut them off after one night. Fuck, she would have blown you in front of the whole party,” he replies, amusement dancing in his ice-blue eyes. “And it’s not even your birthday.”

I grunt, my eyes roaming over the crowd. “The queen would have loved that.”

Astrid would have given me her judgy eyes for the rest of the night.

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