Bite Of Winter (Fae's Captive #3)(14)

“I … Well I just sort of thought, you know, that maybe you … I don’t know?” I end weakly.

He laughs and buries his head in the crook of my neck, his fangs brushing my skin. “Will you ever stop being adorable?”

“I certainly hope not.” I run my fingers through his hair, my nails against his scalp.

“Careful, little one.” His voice is low, gravelly. “The feral is already demanding I take you. Any more encouragement, and I’ll have you right here and now.”

Maybe I want to be taken. Maybe it’s time. That nightmare spent in the otherworld reminded me how soon I could be gone. This isn’t my world, and I’m not guaranteed another day, not even another minute. I should live for now. I open my mouth to say as much, but a knock sounds at the door.

“Para is here,” Gareth bites out.

Leander sighs. “What does she want?”

Gareth opens the door and quickly turns his back with a cough. “The council is ready for us.”

Leander groans. “Fine. The quicker we get this done, the quicker we can cross the border.” He crawls off me but makes sure to drag his fingers down my thigh before standing.

Goosebumps erupt all over me, and I clutch the sheet.

He pauses at the foot of the bed, the predatory look in his eyes still there. “I know I almost had you, little one.”

I blush all the way to my toes. “No, you didn’t.”

His sexy smirk reappears. “I did.”

I yank the crimson blanket over my head.

“Come, Taylor.” He pulls the blanket down until our eyes meet. “It is time to show the Vundi the queen of winter, the bite of the icy wind, and the cold fury of the storm if they dare to defy us.”





7





Leander





I stride into the Vundi council room, a grand hall with every inch of dark stone carved with whorls and ancient fae symbols. Seven fae sit along the back wall, their gazes fixed on Taylor at my side. She wears a dress of crimson, a black sash at her waist in Vundi fashion. No queen has ever been more beautiful.

Para and Cenet stand to the side, their expressions giving nothing away, and the high priestess sits at the very center of the room, her white glow a testament to her age. A fae this old doesn’t exist in the winter realm. What would cause her to stay on Arin instead of fading to be with the Ancestors?

“Welcome, honored king. I am Keret, head council for the Vundi people.” A lesser fae that appears to be mostly lizard-like stands and bows, the other councilors following suit.

“Thank you for your hospitality.” I don’t bow but give a slight dip of my chin.

The rude one from yesterday, Vanara, sits at the end of the row and is careful not to look at my mate. Good.

“Please, make yourselves comfortable.” He gestures to the table where the high priestess sits.

I don’t move. “I’m afraid I cannot be comfortable until you tell me that my mate is safe here. Para made clear that her forces attacked us on the road at the direction of this council. Your intention was to steal my mate—”

Vanara shakes her head. “We did not know that she was—”

“You will let me finish.” I don’t raise my voice. I don’t have to. Vanara snaps her mouth closed. “As I was saying, you sent Para and her forces to take Taylor, the future queen of the winter realm. In the fairest light, this was a mistake. In the darkest, an act of war against my realm.”

Keret shifts in his seat, his long tongue darting to his lips, but he doesn’t interrupt. Perhaps he’s noticed the temperature of the room has dropped so low that ice creeps along the carved walls of stone.

“I agreed to a short truce while we discuss these matters, but I must warn you that any further acts of aggression against my mate will have dire consequences.”

“Our circumstances are already dire.” Para steps forward, her voice strong. “We cannot continue like this. No food, no way out for our people. Our crops have failed again, the roots decaying and the fruits withering. We will not survive it. The children already suffer from maladies we’ve never seen before, and I can’t bear to watch them go another day without food in their stomachs. This is our one chance.”

My ire swells like a river during a thaw. The room grows even more frigid, and Taylor squeezes my hand.

“Your crops failed?” Taylor addresses Para. “The ones you mentioned that are near the river?”

“No.” Para glances to the council, as if unsure she should continue. Keret waves her onward.

“We created a system of underground farms by bringing dirt from the river bed during dry spells when the water receded. Light comes in through funnels carved in the plains above, and we have plentiful water in the caverns—water that used to run through the plains before the great war.”

“Can I see them? The farms, I mean?”

I turn to Taylor. Her eyes are bright, intelligence sparkling in their blue depths. I want to pull her close to keep her tucked under my arm, but she is strong enough to stand on her own. And as queen, she must.

“You want to see the crops?” Keret looks left and right at the other council members.

Taylor’s cheeks pinken. “Yes. I mean, I’m not super into agriculture, but I’ve taken a few classes in organic chemistry, a botany elective, and worked in the university greenhouse over the summers. Maybe I can help.”