Page 21 of Fake Fae-Ancée

I glared, quickly hiding my hand with the ring behind my back.

"He's coming over here," Gabe said dryly.

I froze, the sharp bite of adrenalin spiking through me head to toe.

"Great. Maybe we'll get a couple of crispy salmon rolls before he eats them all," Claudio muttered under his breath.

"I've got to go!"

I slammed the empty glass on the table, turned on my heel and took flight, the herd of panicking unicorns now a full stampede in my mind.

Yuri

With my stomachrumbling I scarfed down more salmon rolls.

It had taken Bates almost three hours to bypass the system and open the damn security doors, and I had killed the time with stitching myself up, cursing my wife, getting dressed and eating whatever I could find in the fridge. (A miracle that I had managed not to soil my suit.)

Shifting demanded enormous amounts of energy. Last night's fight was taking its toll. No wonder I pounced on the finger food the moment I entered the reception. My cells were screaming for sustenance, and my stomach was growling like a ravenous and rather bad-tempered animal.

I shoved another handful of morsels into my mouth, ignoring the scandalized look of the waiter I'd stripped of his tray, and scanned the banquet hall, chewing.

Nox would think twice before crashing into a party full of EDF personnel, Witches, and Sorcerers. Next to the mostly military friends of the groom, the entire Juniper clan were gathered here. Both sides would most likely react rather explosively should a member of the infamous Dark Guild suddenly crash into their midst.

Outside the building, Taggart had set up several squad cars with grumpy looking P.A.S.H. agents securing the perimeter, along with the security that was already present.

Kai would be safe for now.

Speaking of...

I spotted her at the other end of the hall, surrounded by her friends, of course — Gabe and Charly, next to Daemon Boy and his newlywed Witch whose name I kept forgetting. They were all staring in my direction as if I were a particularly weird sensation at a fun fair. Except Kai, who slammed her glass on the table and took off.

Fair enough. As long as she stayed in the building she could sulk all she wanted, for all I cared.

But why was she wearing that dress?

Was she trying to tease me? Why that wild, bright pink, high necked dress! The tight-fitting one with the high slit at one side and the little mother-of-pearl button just below her throat that I knew was so difficult to undo...

My pulse shifted up a gear, and one floor lower, in my pants, my cock announced its presence with a twitch.

I swallowed down the last bite, handed the waiter back his empty tray and was just about to make my way down the hall, when someone gripped my arm.

"Let’s have a smoke, old friend."

No idea how Gabriel always managed to just appear like that —poof!— like a magician or something. Probably his vampiric nature.

Frowning, I let him drag me away, not without throwing another glance after Kai. I just caught a glimpse of her dress as she disappeared behind a column when Gabe pulled me out on the sundeck.

Rain was drumming on the canopy above our heads. Dark clouds hung over the estate. I scanned the sky. Nothing to see, there.

Yet.

The click of Gabe's lighter snapped as he lit a cigarette.

"I'm sure you have a good explanation," he said, blowing out smoke.

"You could just ask what’s going on, you know, like a normal person," I said and kept scanning the sky for movement.

No idea whether clouds were a good or a bad sign, or if someone could hide in there. Either way, it was safer to keep Kai in the building. And to return her to the penthouse in an armored limousine. I had instructed Bates. The car should arrive any minute.

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