Page 23 of How to Keep a Fae

I’m still gaping as we enter. Cecil has words with the house mistress, Denna, while we wait, looking like a pair of scolded whelps.

I hear the occasional word filter through. “…extra training… battle readiness…”

Denna’s gaze sweeps over us.

Cecil continues. “Found Adaline to be particularly effective… unorthodox… new orders…”

“This is highly irregular,” Denna says, casting critical eyes over us again.

Cecil leans in, and his next words are too quiet for us to hear.

Denna looks like she’s chewing a wasp, and her back stiffens. “Fine!” She turns to us. “But they will clean up first. I won’t have this level of blood and dirt traipsed into my house.”

Chapter Nine

Adaline

It has been a quiet day, and I have just returned to my nest with my latest spicy book. I need a distraction after what happened with Jayga, although I don’t hold out much hope that the book, spicy or otherwise, will cut it.

“Adaline!” Denna’s call startles me.

I drop the book, fumble to retrieve it, and thrust it under one of my many pillows before I spin around and hasten to the door. I am confused. No patrol is due, nor do I hear the usual clamor surrounding the warriors’ return.

I thrust the door covering aside. The sight that greets me tips ice into my veins.

A sob breaks from my lips before I can clamp my hand over them.

August and Jayga are at my doorway. They wear loose drawstring pants, which I’ve seen warriors wear for training, leaving their feet and upper bodies naked. Their hair is damp like they have just showered. But that is not where my focuslingers, for every bit of exposed flesh is littered with cuts and bruises.

The violent rush of my healing blood tells me this is not the worst of their wounds… There is something more, something terrible I cannot yet see.

My frantic gaze shoots to Denna.

Her eyes are sad. Why are her eyes sad? She offers me a cool nod and walks away.

I burst into tears.

August surges forward, taking the door covering from my limp fingers and lifting me into his arms.

I cling, sobbing. “What has happened? Why are you both here?”

I twist to look back just as Jayga drops the door covering into place.

Goddess weep… his back.

Instantly, I know August suffers the same—the question of why this happened is unimportant.

“Take my blood, please,” I beg.

August’s lips lower to my throat. He kisses me gently as I tremble and quake.

Jayga brushes against me from behind, trapping me perfectly between their heat. He sighs heavily, drawing my hair over my other shoulder before he, too, lowers his lips to my throat. “We’re sorry,” he says. “Sorry, our need is so great. It’ll be okay. I promise.”

They bite as one. A sense of euphoria slams into me. I see a kaleidoscope of color flashing behind my closed eyes and cry out—a climax sharp and sudden, the likes of which I have never had before. But I’ve never had this, never had two warriors bite and feed.

Two men I secretly love.

What does this mean? Why both of them?

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