Page 68 of Fairies Don't Fall

“Yes. She does.” I nodded and crossed my arms.

“In that case,” Max said, staring at me intently, “Tell my Queen that I have conditions which must be met if she’d like to go to Singsong City. Otherwise, I will refuse to allow my mate to put herself at risk.”

I glared at him. He’d refuse to allow me? He was going to die. He met my glare with a steady gaze that was still so irritatingly warm and soft. Sweet. Why was Max so irresistibly soft?

Vervain cleared his throat. “What are your conditions?”

“She will follow my orders. Whether it’s keeping her eyes down, or staying behind me, she will do as I say with precision and without argument.”

“As her bodyguard, going with her into enemy territory, it is not an unreasonable request,” Vervain said, shooting me a look. “However, my Queen is not known for being reasonable.”

I snorted. I was supposed to agree to be Slaughter’s slave? And that was reasonable?

Max continued. “Another condition is that my Queen will not channel the death-fairy while we are in Singsong City. If force is required, I will provide it.”

Because my job was to look pretty. I narrowed my eyes at him but didn’t say anything. The truth was, channeling the death fairy was the last thing I wanted to do.

“And my last requirement is that she sleep in my bed while we are there.”

I stiffened up while the memory of waking up being held in Slaughter’s hands thrummed panic through my chest.

“No. Absolutely not.” I shook my head while my breath came short. I grabbed Vervain in a panicked hug, squeezing him while I pressed my head too hard against his chest. I shoved my thoughts into his head.I’d rather die. Literally. I can’t do it. I can’t be married to Slaughter, and I can’t wake up with his hands ready to crush my skull. I can’t do this. I’m so close to breaking, running, and never, ever coming back. I need the soft Max, who is too naïve to exist. Why does Max have to be Slaughter, the monster I hate most of all? You know that the only reason I didn’t kill him is because it would have ruined me and my people forever. I did it to save myself, not him. Never him.

Vervain put his hands around me in what he may have meant to be a hug, but he wasn’t particularly soft, either.My Queen, you made him your consort-mate. It was a moment of high drama and panic, which usually lead to bad choices. You can break the mate bindings as readily as consort. Think how easy it will be for us to kill him while he’s sleeping.

I tried to pull away from my psychotic councilor, but Max grabbed us both in a hug, his warm, strong chest against my back as he circled us with his massive strong arms.

“I meant for you to sleep in my bed, alone, in the most secure place I have to offer you, to protect you from enemies as well as Slaughter,” he murmured in my ear, so maybe Vervain didn’t hear it.

Having Max wrapped around me was so intensely real, so strong and warm and cozy. He gave me the hug Vervain had no idea how to give, and I soaked it in, even though I should have kept the distance between us very clearly demarcated.

I sniffed. “So you just want me to bow to you? The thing about fairies, we can bow to anyone. We have no pride. And then you’ll wake up dead because we have no honor, either.”

He rumbled a laugh before he pulled back, leaving me in a weird hug with Vervain, who Max had kind of mooshed me against. We both jerked away, feeling equally awkward. Vervain’s frown was troubled.

“Does my queen agree with the consort’s requests?”

I turned to frown at Max. He wanted me in his bed without him? That was almost worse than him demanding I sleep with Slaughter. “She agrees. But has the freedom to take whoever she desires to her bed.”

I smiled at Vervain and winked at him.

He narrowed his eyes at me. “You’re referring to the young Ruin in your efforts to protect her. Your consort will not misunderstand our extremely platonic relationship. He is your strength. The more distance between you, the weaker you both will be. I am loyal to the Queen, which means I will never put myself in the position of making her weak.”

I sighed and rolled my eyes, turning to Max. “He’s no fun.”

Max squinted at Vervain. “Loyalty can be fun. And I’m sure that leaving him here in Fairyland while you take Ruin to Singsong will give you peace of mind.”

Vervain scowled. “I’m not staying here while my Queen goes into a pack war.”

Max looked at me. “The wolves will smell my jealousy if he comes with us.”

I blinked at him while my heart throbbed. He was jealous? Of Vervain? “And…”

He raised his brows. “You’re coming as my mate. Not ripping apart competition is unnatural. I should have destroyed every other contender for your affection before making you mine.”

I scowled at him. “You’re saying your pack will think you’re weird if Vervain comes along? Not like the owl thing, or the moon goddess thing is weird, but not killing Vervain is? He went to Singsong and convinced you to come here. How can you be jealous of him?”

Max walked up to me, close, too close, so close that I could feel the heat of him throbbing against my skin. He touched my face, the barest brush of his fingers, before he lowered his hand. “I have always been jealous of him. I always will be.” He turned and strode off, leaving me with Vervain, the fairy he was so jealous of.

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