Page 15 of Protected By the Fae King

I stood, and the females fell away, my mind again racing as I searched through the throng of partygoers for Elix. A surge of panic rushed through me when I couldn’t immediately find her where I’d last seen her.

The pulse of the music rose louder, and more bodies flocked to the dance floor, crowding my vision through the smoky dimness. The strobe lighting, which had been fun at first, now began to upset me.

My gaze fell on the sexy brunette, and I released a whoosh of breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding until that moment.

“Alpha? Is everything all right?” Llyodiver was at my side, reading my worried expression, but I didn’t respond to the guard immediately. “Is there an issue, Alpha?” Llyodiver asked again, looking around for evidence of a threat. He wasn’t used to me doing much more than lounging and drinking during these events.

“It’s fine,” I grumbled.

And it was… for the moment.

Elix had found a dance partner in one of the mayor’s sons. My blood pressure spiked at the sight of him near her, knowing this one’s reputation. I had partied with him many times myself, and he wasn’t the first choice I would have selected for Elix.

He danced too close to her, and at first, she seemed to relish the attention, much to my chagrin. But his hands started to caress her, and she tried to back away from him, but he wasn’t taking no for an answer. At first, she skillfully, almost flirtatiously, dodged his embrace, but he moved closer, putting his hands on her curvy hips to pull Elix against him. Jealousy and fury spiked through me, both feelings shocking me.

This has nothing to do with me,a sensible voice in my head warned.Sit down. Ignore her…

But I couldn’t. I couldn’t ignore her or the fact that the mayor’s son wouldn’t stop touching her. I couldn’t shake the increasing sensations of rage growing inside me, nor the need to insert myself as Elix continued to shove him away.

My eyes narrowed as I continued to watch the scene unfold, that fae’s hands roaming over the curve of Elix’s perfect form, her face twisting into a look of sheer discomfort and disgust.

Her mouth formed the word “NO,” and that was enough for me.

“Alpha? You look—” Llyodiver didn’t have a chance to finish his observation because I was off my platform, throwing myself into the crowd. The guests parted as I stormed through, making way for me, their eyes following me as I moved through.

I couldn’t see Elix or the mayor’s son anymore as I reached the ground level, but I knew exactly where they were, my senses and ire driving me in the direction. My lupine hearing overshot the loudness of the music, Elix’s irritated and mildly alarmed voice reaching my ears over everything and confirming my right to be there. The urge to shift into my wolf body suddenly overwhelmed me, everything around me fading away but the scene unfolding in front of my eyes. My fangs throbbed at my gum line, neck raised as my heart rate increased, but I held off on morphing until I had a clearer picture of what was happening.

“Don’t!” she snapped. “I said I don’t want to dance with you!”

“Come on, babe. Don’t be a prude. It’s a party. Lighten up a little.”

“I said no!” Elix snapped. “Fuck off!”

Pushing my way through the crowd, I found myself in front of the pair, Elix struggling against the handsy male. But before she realized I was there, I threw a punch, knocking the horny fae back and removing his arms from around her waist. Throughmy peripheral vision, I saw Elix’s astonished expression, but she was the secondary concern at the moment. First, I had to ensure that the mayor’s kid understood just how much of a line he had crossed.

Gasps and shrieks erupted around us as I pounced on Elix’s assailant, pinning him to the ground, my blows filing one after the other, ceaselessly and without mercy. Red splattered on my carefully selected shirt, but I didn’t falter.

“No means no,” I hissed. “How dare you disrespect a female in my house?! Have you no shame at all?”

Blood sprayed over the pristine marble of the dance floor until the music abruptly died, and only the sounds of females crying out could be heard between my punches. The guests were appalled at my display of brute force, but I didn’t care.

The mayor’s son grunted and gurgled, trying uselessly to fend me off, but his efforts were futile. I was too incensed to let him defend himself, let alone get a blow in there—if he dared.

“This is my house, and Elix is mine!” I roared, red covering my vision. “No one is to touch her!”

The fae mumbled something incoherent, his words slurred and semi-conscious, but I didn’t think he quite understood. Another punch landed on his jaw.

“Do you understand me?!” I hissed again.

“Alpha!”

Strong hands fell on my shoulders, shattering my haze of jealousy and protectiveness as a Royal Guard gently pulled me from the mess under my straddled body. My haze of fury shook, and I drew in a trembling breath.

Panting and furious, I rose to glower at the partygoers, stepping back to raise my arms protectively around Elix as if to guard any further attacks coming her way. I barely noticed as she stepped back, shaking her head as if she didn’t know who I was.

“No one goes near Elix,” I repeated, grabbing for Elix’s hand.

To my surprise, Elix pulled back, shaking her head.

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