Masked Fate (Fated Love #3)

CHAPTER NINE

Soren

It’s been a while since we’ve had a party at the castle, and Cove’s birthday was just the excuse we needed. Like Beltane, there’s a big bonfire outside, plenty of food, drinks, and dancing. I notice that the witch has changed into a black silk wraparound dress that shows off the swells of her round breasts, which are surprisingly large for her small frame. She has an ass, too, curvy in all the right fucking places, built to torment me. I feel on edge when she’s around, and I don’t know why, but I don’t fucking like it. Nor do I like the way she looks at me.

It leaves me feeling stripped bare and out of control.

She needs to leave and head back to her own kingdom.

A finger running down my bicep distracts me from my brooding. “Soren.”

Tilting my head to the side, I study the fae. Mousy brown hair, brown eyes, and a come-hither smile. “Do I know you?”

“I was hoping to get to know you tonight,” she replies, licking her lower lip.

One thing about females, they talk.

I know I have a reputation, which means I don’t need to look too far to get what I want.

“I’ll see where the night takes me,” I reply, not wanting to promise her anything in case a better offer comes along. She’s not my usual type, but maybe it’s time to mix things up a little.

She leans closer and lowers her voice. “I know where I want the night to take me.”

And then, in front of the whole fucking party, she drops to the grass on her knees, glancing up at me and waiting for direction like the fuck toy she is.

Feeling eyes on me, I turn to see Astrid and the witch staring, her violet eyes flickering with something that looks like hurt before she masks her expression.

With my brow furrowing, I look back down at the woman on her knees. “I said, I’ll see.” And then I walk away, leaving her there.

I can’t let them be getting too bold now.

“You are stone cold.” Rave smirks as he comes to stand next to me, offering me some ale.

“They need to know their place,” I reply, slapping him on the shoulder. “Don’t want any of them getting too comfortable, you know?”

“I doubt anyone can get comfortable after you cut them off after one night. Fuck, she would have blown you in front of the whole party,” he replies, amusement dancing in his ice-blue eyes. “And it’s not even your birthday.”

I grunt, my eyes roaming over the crowd. “The queen would have loved that.”

Astrid would have given me her judgy eyes for the rest of the night.

“Which queen?” Rave replies, studying me.

“There’s only one queen I care about,” I reply, taking a long sip of the ice-cold ale.

“Mmm,” Rave replies, then curses under his breath. I follow his line of sight to see Astrid and Pandora doing shots together, looking on the way to getting wasted. Astrid hugs the witch, her body shaking as she laughs at something. Rave puts his drink on the table behind us, and I know he’ll stay sober now to watch over them.

“How much trouble could they get into?” I ask, arching my brow. “We have the royal guard surrounding the perimeters. They will be fine.”

“Can never be too careful, even with how powerful they both are.”

“Soren, come dance with me!” a blonde yells out as she calls me over with a wave.

Grinning, I leave the king to his responsibilities and go to enjoy mine.

Someone has to be the life of the party.

***

Hours later, I’m about to move the fun to my bedroom. I’m looking around for that mousy-haired fae when Astrid grabs my arm, losing her balance and laughing. The witch is on her other arm, also looking a little worse for wear.

“I hope Rave uses his shadows on me tonight. Have you ever been touched everywhere ? Like restrained by fucking darkness?” she asks Pandora, giggling.

The witch, who hasn’t even noticed me yet, sighs heavily. “No, because I haven’t slept with a shadow daddy, Astrid. You know this. I’ve only slept with August, and that was one time.” She pauses and then adds, “But you know what they say?”

My eyebrows rise at that bit of information.

She’s only fucked August?

With the way she carries herself, I definitely assumed she had more experience than that.

“What do they say?” Astrid asks, looking up at me as if only just realizing I’m there. A strange look crosses her face.

“They say no one fucks like a warrior,” Pandora all but shouts. She stumbles a little, but Astrid has her. “And I think it’s true… but I might need to sleep with another one to make sure.”

Astrid taps my arm. “What about Soren here? We all know he has more experience than anyone.”

Pandora looks over at me, eyes rounding. “I’m not ready for a hate fuck.”

Instead of laughing, Astrid’s hazel eyes flash with something. Sadness? “He doesn’t hate you. Do you, Soren? The Soren I know is different to the one he shows you.”

Fuck.

Where’s Rave? He needs to come and save me from this right-fucking-now.

My jaw tightens when I see Cove leaving with the fae who got on her knees for me, but I let it go when I remind myself it is his birthday.

That can be my gift to him.

“Oh, he definitely hates me. I’m paying for my mother’s sins. But it’s okay. I can find someone else to have drunk sex with. Where’s August? If I fuck him again, my number won’t go up, though.”

Astrid nods her head as if impressed with Pandora’s girl math. “That’s actually a good idea. I saw August’s cock once when I zipped in on him fucking some woman from behind.” She lowers her voice and says something I can’t hear, and the witch snickers. “I saw a bit of Soren’s on Beltane,” she continues, grinning at me.

My eyes widen, wondering why my cock and I are being dragged into their crazy drunk conversation.

Where is Rave?

“But that was before he got it pierced. Did you hear about that?” she asks Pandora, who shakes her head, blinking furiously. “Rave went with him. What a cute fae-mance those two have going on.”

Both queens look down at my trousers. “Can I see it?” the witch asks, innocent curiosity in her tone. Her pink tongue flickers over her plump lower lip. My dick instantly hardens, and their eyes go wide.

Fucking hell.

“Astrid, you want Rave to kill me with his bare fucking hands? Look away from my crotch,” I growl, then bring my eyes to the witch. “And you…” I trail off because she’s drunk, so there’s no point trying to reason with her. “Eyes off. Go back to your own kingdom and get some warlock dick.”

But something about that doesn’t sit right with me. I feel… off. I can’t pinpoint why, and I’m not going to waste my time trying to figure it out.

Astrid studies me, frowning. “You know, Soren—”

“Why is everyone staring at Soren’s dick?” Rave growls, scowling at his mate. He pulls her to his side, and she climbs up his body until her legs are wrapped around his hips and his hands are on her ass.

“Soren, can you get Pandora back to her room, please?” Rave asks, burying his face in Astrid’s neck.

Why me?

“Rave—”

“Now, Soren. I need to go and fuck my mate and remind her who she belongs to,” he grinds out, making moaning sounds as he walks away.

I really miss the days when Rave was better at sharing.

“I can walk myself,” Pandora states in a snappy tone, then walks in the wrong direction, almost tripping over.

Sighing heavily, I grip her upper arm and lead her toward the castle.

She resists me at first, scowling, but eventually gives in with a sigh. “I’m a whole grown-ass queen, Soren. I can find my way to the guest room. Just because you’re a tracker doesn’t mean you need to direct me.”

A laugh bursts out of me. “I’m not helping you because I’m a tracker but because you’re drunk. We wouldn’t want anything to happen to our resident witch, would we?”

“You would,” she mutters, stopping and turning to face me as we enter the castle. My eyes drop to the black stone she always wears around her neck, drawn to it for some reason. “You’d probably celebrate if something happened to me. But then, who would you blame?”

I’m not getting into this with her right now.

Instead, I bend to pick her up, lifting her over my shoulder.

“Put me down!” she growls, pinching my ass. She slaps it when I don’t react, making me smirk.

That’s the first time a female has been the one to spank me.

When we reach her guest suite, she raises her body and puts her hand against the lock, allowing it to open. Stepping inside, it smells like her—cherries and a hint of coconut.

All but throwing her down on the bed, her violet eyes look up at me, unguarded for what feels like the first time.

There’s pain in them.

Deep, unfiltered pain.

And… longing?

I don’t know why she’s looking at me like that, but with a slightly tilted head, I study her for a long moment.

This witch’s mother took something from me and broke something inside me.

She made me feel weak, and I’m a warrior.

I don’t fucking like that.

I should never feel weak.

I should never have broken.

Those violet eyes that remind me of that work over my face, seemingly warring with something.

I can see the moment her walls go back up.

“You’re an asshole, you know that?” she murmurs, suddenly sitting up to pull off her dress.

Her bra comes off next, exposing a set of pretty, perfect tits—more than a handful with brown nipples that make my mouth water.

Fuck.

Her body is a dream, all smooth, creamy skin and seductive curves wrapped in a tiny package.

“What are you doing?” I ask, trying to sound casual.

“Going to bed,” she replies, pulling the black silk sheets over her body.

My cock is fucking hard, which pisses me off because she’s the last person it should be reacting that way to.

I get the fuck out of there and return to the party, my dick needing release.

She messes with my head, and I don’t fucking like it.

I need to stay away from the witch.