Page 143 of Primal Bonds

This was about her.

The too-pretty male arched a brow. “Well? Would you like some company?”

She reminded herself that she wanted to blend in and slid the blade back into her pocket. “Sure. Why not?”

He smiled and extended his hand. “Fane.”

“Jani.” Shaking his hand, she gave him part of her name.

“Jani,” he repeated it in that gravelly voice. “I like it. So what brings you to Iceland?”

“I’ve always wanted to see the Northern Lights.” That was the truth…just not the whole truth.

He sipped his beer. “Not much chance of that in July. The peak time is November to February, although I’ve seen them as early as September first. They’re a sight worth seeing.”

“Maybe I’ll get lucky.”

“Maybe you will.” His mouth curved, and for a second, the air was charged with something that made her blink—and then hunch her shoulders. He saw that and continued, “So you’re heading north? You have to rent a 4x4 to get up there, though—or take a flight.”

“Mm.” She ate another bite of her sandwich.

The ice fae court was in the north, near the wild Strandir coast, but Corban had told Adric to meet him here in Reykjavik.

But was Corban actually in the city? What if he was at the ice fae court—or even holed up somewhere else in the country? Iceland was an island the size of Virginia.

Blue eyes regarded her, clear as the sky on a cloudless day. “I’m driving north tomorrow. Want a ride?”

She drew a slow breath. He was being too helpful. Her hand went to her switchblade again.

“Look. I don’t know you. If you want to share a table, fine. But why I’m here and how I get around is none of your fucking business.”

“You're right.”

Those clear eyes seemed to see straight into her soul, to understand what she wasn’t saying: Why she was so wary of strangers, even though she was a cougar and a trained soldier.

Why a knot of rage had lodged in her chest, so big and black and tight it threatened to choke her.

What he couldn’t know was why she was in Iceland—and what she planned to do when she found her cousin.

Chapter 2

Sometimes Fane hated himself.

He’d recognized the young earth fada immediately. Hell, he’d just seen her a couple of weeks ago at his daughter’s mate-bond ritual.

Evie had mated with a Baltimore fada named Jace, and Marjani Savonett had attended with her alpha brother. But Fane had used his Gift to blend into the crowd, so no one but Evie and Jace had known he was present.

His focus had been on Evie, his heart full. How had this daughter he barely knew grown up so strong and smart and pretty?

But he’d spared a glance or two for the slim, dark-eyed shifter.

He’d followed Marjani from the minute she’d arrived in Iceland.

His orders had come from the ice fae king himself, a terse message scrawled on magical paper that dissolved as Fane read it: An earth fada female will arrive today from Baltimore. Watch her, and inform me of her movements.

No name, but as he’d told Marjani, it was easy to pick an earth fada out of a crowd.

Sindre had not suggested Fane meet Marjani. In fact, the king would be displeased to find his envoy had taken his own initiative. And Fane had had enough of Sindre’s displeasure to last a lifetime.

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