Page 25 of Fated or Knot

The side of his lips lifted further. “What?”

“The stairs,” I repeated. “Going down them hurts.”

His blue, slitted eyes dropped to my feet, and I saw his moment of clarity. He smoothed my hair before drawing back enough to bow. “It would be my infinite pleasure to assist you with this part of your journey, my lady,” he said with a dramatic flourish of his hands.

I fidgeted, blushing again. “I’m not a lady. I’m…a servant,” I said, like he didn’t have eyes to see it for himself.

“Not anymore,” he said smoothly. “No matter where you go from here, you aremylady.”

Oh no. I could feel my defenses fizzling away. My fingertips tingled. This prince was claiming me as his. So unlikely a true reaction and so clearly a trap, but…I wanted to believe it so badly.

“There’s that lovely smile,” he said. “I mean it. Please let me carry you.”

I hesitated another moment before nodding, and he bent, lifting me as Tormund had, one arm around my back, threaded between my upper and lower wings, and the other under my knees. The moment he secured me against his body, I couldn’t help it anymore. I snuggled into the strength of his chest and inhaled with a purr. He descended the stairs slowly, careful not to jostle me too much.

“Neither of your brothers asked,” I said.

“No accounting for manners, hmm.” He nuzzled my neck, leaving the mark of his warm scent on me again and inhaling with a possessive growl.

“Hmm,” I echoed, part agreement and part enjoyment.

His lips brushed my skin, feather light. I tilted my head for more, an unconsciously submissive gesture. “You keep purring for me like that, and I’ll carry you straight to the next train to Serian,” he said.

“I can’t help it,” I mumbled in a weak protest.

His hold tightened around me. “That’s fate, my lady. You belong with me.”

Belongedwithhim, nottohim. I flushed, sensitive to the distinction. Stars, if he didn’t stop talking soon, I’d go right back into pre-heat.

“Who caused your leg injury?” he asked.

I stopped purring. His tone hadn’t shifted, so it wasn’t quite the change of subject that it seemed. “Huh? No one. I mean, I was born lame.”

“Hmm.” This hum sounded disappointed. I wondered what he’d do to Cymora if he knew about the vow she’d tricked me into. Just a fanciful notion of revenge for me to daydream about later.

Now that the moment had passed, I wished there were more stairs for him to carry me down. I still had an apology to say before I found my way to Zemosia. “Hey, Fal. I’m, um, sorry about last night,” I blurted before I lost my nerve.

His smile returned, pure mischief glinting in his eyes. “Oh aye, about which part?” he teased.

Stars, all of it. “About tricking you,” I said carefully, trying to get to the heart of the matter.

He released a deep laugh, burying his face in the crook of my neck again. It was a wonder we didn’t crash down the rest of the stairs. “Don’t be sorry. Ilovedit.”

I practically tingled with disbelief. He couldn’t mean that.

He moved his mouth to my ear, giving it a nip with those extra sharp alpha fangs. I shivered, feeling the sensation down to the end of my toes. His whisper against the pointed shell felt likean intimate invitation. “Try doing it again, tricksy li’l omega. I’m certainly going to return the favor.”

This had to be an Unseelie thing. Or a dream. I couldn’t imagine conjuring a more perfect male, willing to look past both last night’s illusion and my station. It was simply too good to be true.

Perhaps that’s why Laurel called out in the next moment, “It’s Lark!”

My heart dropped, and my nerves stood on end like I’d been submerged in icy water. We’d reached the hall leading out of the inn, and there was my stepfamily, like the stars had decided I’d had too much freedomand wanted to put me on a crash course with reality.

Fal glanced up when he felt my muscles tense, a more aggressive growl rising in his chest.

For one beautiful moment, Cymora looked completely bewildered to see me carried in the arms of an obvious noble male. As I’d come to expect, though, she recovered first out of all of us. “Lark, there you are!” she exclaimed, hand resting overtop her heart. “I’ve beensoworried!”

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