Page 7 of Dark & Dreadful Brutes

He flashed me a dark look. “How do you intend to stop me?”

A shiver went up my spine as my magic threatened to surface again.

He released me and strode away.

I wobbled a bit, but managed to stay upright as I followed him down the river’s bank. We found his bear—err, idorr—companion setting Jern and Gora on their feet by the river.

The fae scratched his idorr-friend’s head, and she rumbled happily as she licked him in the face.

I must’ve imagined the curve of his lips in response to her, because he was a grumpy bastard.

Gora and Jern pulled me in for massive hugs, both saying something about how glad they were that we were all alive and free. I murmured my agreement, though I was still eyeing the fae guy who was apparently my mate.

What was a mate, though?

He’d used the word the way I would use husband, and there was no way a handprint could be a marriage.

Right?

The fae guy untied a bag I hadn’t noticed hanging from a branch. He must’ve hidden it in the trees before going into the city, because he didn’t bother digging through it before he slung it over his shoulder.

Jern and Gora hid me behind them protectively when the man rumbled, “Time to go.”

His eyes narrowed at them when they stepped a bit closer to each other, concealing me completely.

“Laeli stays with us,” Gora warned.

I bit my lip.

It was sweet of them to try to protect me, but the fae bastard had hunted me down. I didn’t know why he had, but I didn’t think there was a chance he would leave without me after killing his way through the damn castle to find me.

The man didn’t try to cut their throats for disagreeing with him, luckily. Instead, he said, “If you want food and directions to the nearest town, she stays with me.”

The couple was silent for a moment.

All three of us were starving. We wouldn’t make it far at all without food, even if the fae wasn’t hunting us down. Which he would be, if we all tried to leave together.

“We can’t go to the nearest town,” Jern finally said. “Not with our eyes glowing. We’ll be dragged right back to the king’s cellar.”

“I can’t take you back with me,” the fae said flatly.

“Coarse can take you back to Loire,” a feminine voice said into my mind. The way Gora and Jern jumped a bit told me they’d heard it too. “He’s my mate, and he’s only a few hours behind us.”

I assumed the voice belonged to Gleam, the idorr.

“We don’t need humans in Loire,” the fae growled. “They can find a damn human town to take them.”

“How long were you imprisoned?” Gleam asked my friends, ignoring the fae.

“Five years for me. Eight for Jern,” Gora admitted. “Laeli was there for ten.”

The idorr made a noise of sadness. I peeked over Gora’s shoulder to watch as Gleam plopped down on the dirt. “We’ll wait for Coarse.”

“Thank you,” Jern said. “Laeli needs to stay with us, too.”

“Oh, no. You two smell like mates; you can understand that Ravv and Laeli need to stay together.” She draped her head over her paws.

I assumed Ravv was the angry fae man’s name.

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