Page 70 of How to Keep a Fae

Jayga snaps his mouth shut, but I can feel the tension rippling against his side of the bond.

I clear my throat. “I liked it well. It is very pretty and mightbecome my second nest. Although it doesn’t fit in my quarters well.”

August exhales a slow breath. I believe my rambling is not helping whatever this is about.

The king smiles again. “It has been some time since I visited the feeder quarters. Please forgive my lapse of judgment.”

I am regretting my words now. Even if the sight of the chaise longue makes Jayga get all growly, I would be devastated if he took it away.

“More spacious accommodation would be in order,” the king continues. “We can’t have imperials and their mates making homes among the feeders. Who knows where that might lead.”

“We’re getting new quarters?” August asks slowly, almost like he doesn’t believe it.

I am also struggling to believe this.

The king’s eyes narrow upon him. “Better the offending parties be removed from the general population, lest they infect everyone with urges to mate.”

The word mate carries bite. For all he appears congenial, he is not happy with what we have done…Wait. Imperial? “Who is the imperial?” I demand. Jayga’s determination that the king is wooing me has rubbed off it would seem. “I’m not mating anyone else.”

The king throws his head back and laughs—I’m not sure whether I should laugh with him or hide behind my mates. “I should spend a little more time in the feeder halls if they are all as entertaining.”

“This one is taken,” Jayga says, sliding his arm around me.

“Jayga,” August groans. “Can you wind it down a notch?”

“Who is the imperial?” I demand. Why is no one listening to me?

“Well, it’s not fucking me,” Jayga says.

“Jayga,” August repeats, a definite warning in his voice, maybe because this is his second outburst or perhaps because he just swore in front of the king.

No one is answering my question. I am not an imperial either. The chosen said as much… My eyes swing toward August.

“Fine. It’s me,” he admits, scowling as he removes Jayga’s hand from around my waist. “Sort of. Leading into.” He adjusts his collar awkwardly. “Apparently.”

A fluttery feeling settles low in my belly. August is an imperial! What does that mean for me?

What does it mean for Jayga?

We are getting new quarters. He is not separating us. All of this is good.

“The bond is not complete,” the king says.

The burgeoning happy bubble pops.

“She will need to take your blood,” the king continues. “As will the warrior.”

“Fuck,” Jayga says gruffly.

“Don’t I need magic to make it taste nice?” I ask. This is not the first question in my mind, but the only one that pops out.

“Rest assured, Adaline,” the king says. His eyes spark with amusement as if he remembers me saying drinking blood was yuk. “You will find the taste surprisingly addictive.”

Chapter Twenty-Two

Adaline

Amonth has passed. We are given new quarters.

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