Page 70 of The Fury Queen's Harem

His grin was gone when he spoke again. “I’ll never be your enemy, Daisy. You can trust my words on that. But when you meet your real enemies, do what you did when you broke my glamour. You have the magic of light deep inside you. It’s your most lethal weapon. Learn to find it again. Learn to find a way to let it out, or you might not survive what you’ll be facing next time. You have enemies, who are more powerful than I.”

“Are they the ones who cursed me? Give me the names of my enemies.”

“It’s not the time to attract their attention to you before you’re ready, Daisy dearest.”

I knew he wouldn’t reveal anything if he didn’t feel like it, no matter how hard I tried. I glared at him.

“And I have every reason for you to live,” he said softly.

I snickered. “Your own selfish reason?”

“Yes, my own selfish reason,” he said, intense hunger darkening his vivid blue eyes. Then his gaze dipped to my lips.

He wanted me, but I didn’t plan on kissing him or inviting him to, not after what he’d showed me, not after how he’d kissed me and tasted me with an illusion.

Yet my lips zinged with want, and my body vibrated with need.

As if responding to my desire, Elvey rose to his feet and came toward me.

I threw a hand in the air, palm facing him. “Stay where you are, Elvey. I don’t want to hurt you again.”

I didn’t really stand a chance if he defended himself.

The dragon princes made my blood heat and my heart beat for them, but none of them riled me up like Elvey did. Rai, Blaze, and Iokul gave me a great sense of peace and solidity while they stoked my lust. But when Elvey showed up, he shook things up and kicked the wheel to run faster than I could pursue. And he made me chase it.

Elvey brought changes and chaos.

Not exactly a bad thing, a voice said in my head.

Elvey toned down his expression as mildly as he could, as if he was trying to calm a feisty feline that had been pushed to the corner.

I had the urge to change to my Furies and watch how he tried to tame this kitty.

He sighed and leaned back against the tree. “I might be dangerous, even cruel and lethal, but never to you.”

“Why does it matter to you whether or not I live?” I asked harshly.

“My own existence and my worth are tied to your survival.”

I didn’t hear lie in his voice, but I snickered, which was part of my defense mechanism. I couldn’t afford to let him take advantage of my vulnerability again.

“I would never hurt you, at least not intentionally,” he said.

“Did you get into my head again?”

“I don’t need to do that, and I won’t do that to you. You wear everything on your sleeve, even though you try to keep your face blank. I’m good at detecting any hidden emotions. I’ve had centuries of practices.”

“How is your existence tied to me? It seems you’ve lived well and long enough without me.”

He laughed without merit, but he did not retort. “Okay, what if I say my future is tied to you?”

Despite my cold exterior, my pulse picked up.

Was he my true mate?

He met my gaze. There was such fierce longing in his eyes that I forgave him instantly for the stunt he’d pulled. He might have done that with good intentions—he wanted me to be prepared for whatever dangers ahead of me.

“Is your Queen Tianna the one who cursed me?”

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