Page 40 of Conquering the King of Storms

“So what happened between you and Storm?” she whispered. I could hear said king snoring already, so there wasn’t a chance he was listening.

“Nothing,” I lied, reaching my hands toward my toes.

Shit, my body hurt.

She rolled her eyes at me. “I told you my guy’s real name; the least you can do is tell me what obviously changed between you.”

“Real name?” Ayla’s voice was just as quiet as ours. None of us wanted to wake the kings, and I was pretty sure we were all in the exhausted-but-needing-a-break boat.

“It’s another cultural thing for the fae. A fae guy gives his mate a nickname, and pretty much only calls her that. No one else can use the nickname. And the guy goes by a nickname until he picks a mate, and then he tells her his real name, and she’s the only one who can use it,” Ivy explained.

Ayla’s eyebrows shot upward.

“Storm told me the real names aren’t really a secret,” I countered. “As long as I don’t call Flame by his actual name, he won’t care that I know it.”

Ivy blinked. “Well, that’s a huge relief. I thought I’d spilled the beans.”

I snorted. “You did.”

“Yeah, but they’re allowed to be spilled, so no harm done.” She shrugged. “Don’t change the subject, Harper. What happened between you?”

I scowled at her. “None of your damn business.”

“Ha!” She grinned. “I knew something happened. Did you accidentally have sex?”

“How can someone possibly have accidental sex?” Ayla asked, looking at Ivy like she was crazy. “Thatcan’tbe another cultural thing.”

“It’s not,” I agreed. “And there was no sex, accidental or otherwise.”

At least, no penis-in-vagina sex.

Oral was a whole different story…

I wasn’t saying that aloud though.

“Then what happened? Did he hurt you? You seem upset.” Ivy’s forehead had wrinkled, and now she looked concerned.

The gears in my mind turned as I tucked back one of the unruly curl-chunks that had escaped my braids ages ago. They really needed to be redone, but that would’ve required asking Sirus for help, so I wasn’t interested.

Though I really didn’t want to admit what had happened, I also didn’t want her glaring at Sirus or assuming he had hurt me. That definitely hadn’t happened.

“He didn’t hurt me. He wouldn’t. There’s a kind of plant under water that works as an aphrodisiac for humans. I got stabbed by it, and all…” I gestured around my face, not wanting to say “horny”. “I don’t want to give details, but Storm isn’t happy with how things went down between us. He regrets it, and just wants to be friends. I don’t regret it, and can’t be with a guy who doesn’t want me. So… yeah.”

I stared down at the pool in front of me, not wanting to meet Ivy’s gaze after dropping that bomb on her.

Her arms wrapped around me, leaning me toward both her and the water, and she squeezed me hard.

Tears stung my eyes.

“I’m sorry,” she said simply. “You’ll tell me if there’s anything I can help with?”

My eyes stung more, but I nodded.

She released me, and even though it didn’t make a whole lot of sense, I felt better. About everything.

I was going to be okay.

“I’m so lost,” Ayla said with a sigh.

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