Alpha Protector (Shadow Sentinels World #3)

Chapter 11

S tone

“They’ve given her the all clear to leave here?” B’nar leaned against the stone window frame and watched Blue and Shannon slowly walk through the frost-bathed gardens.

I stood beside him, unwilling to let Shannon out of my sight. It had taken weeks of rest and care to get her on her feet. Even with her shifter healing and metabolism, her body was ravaged by years of alcohol. It had been painful watching her try and eat when she didn’t want to. Her frequent glances at me while she ate under my watchful eye made me realise something. Shannon bloomed under my praise. Even when she really wanted to tell me to piss off, she’d do what I asked if it meant knowing she’d pleased me. That knowledge was both terrifying and empowering.

Today, after small walks around her room and the corridors, I’d decided she needed some fresh air. Instead of taking her myself, I’d asked Blue to persuade her to go for a short walk around the grounds.

I had to leave her at some point, and I needed Shannon to know she could still function without me. My instinct was to send someone else to sort out our accommodations for the foreseeable future, but I also didn’t know what to expect. I needed to make sure it was in a good enough state of repair and was safe for her. My heart ached as I allowed myself to think of Gwen. Her face was no longer the sharp representation of the female I’d known. It was hazy. I curled my fingers into a fist, my nails scoring the skin of my palms. It was strange to remember someone so acutely yet be unable to recall their exact image. I sighed. I’d come to terms with the death of my mate over the past years. Connor and my brothers had given me purpose. Especially Rawson, whose mate had also been killed by Doherty. It had made me realise that while grief was different for many of us, it was often the same. The pain and loss never went away, but I’d learnt to live with it. However, I’d never accepted the guilt of being the one who had put Gwen in danger in the first place.

Shannon’s head tilted back, and she closed her eyes, lifting her face to the sun. She looked so beautiful my whole body ached to go down there and pull her into my arms. I wanted to taste those soft lips so badly that it was becoming an obsession. But she wasn’t ready for that. Her emotions were too raw and delicate.

I huffed an amused breath. Delicate was never a term I thought I’d use to describe Shannon. When I’d first met her in the prison, she’d been selfish and stubborn, intent on fucking anyone who could give her enough power and status to stay safe in that world of shifter criminals and fight rings. My wolf had been drawn to her, insisting she was a potential mate, but I’d fought it. I tensed as they turned a corner and disappeared behind the widespread fans of an evergreen tree. There were many predators in Faery, and not all of them were obvious. Shannon was safer if I could see her. I stepped forward, my nose almost pressed to the glass, not relaxing until they were back in view.

B’nar snorted softly. “Do not worry, my friend. They have plenty of guards watching them. She will be safe.”

I grunted. I trusted my friend, but part of me knew she wouldn’t be completely safe unless I was right by her side.

B’nar pushed off the wall and stalked across the room to his desk. “Come, let us share a drink together. You need to relax and trust me and my warriors to keep her safe.”

B’nar didn’t touch Faery-made alcohol or very rarely. He liked to be in complete control and aware one hundred percent of the time. Faery alcohol was strong enough to affect all supernaturals. Rose water was a watered-down version, so Shannon hadn’t been able to metabolise it like the human booze we all drank at times.

The aroma of strong coffee filled the air. I did my best to hide my grimace, not wanting to insult my friend’s choice of beverage. Connor had introduced B’nar to it, and the Fae prince had since developed a taste for the human drink. Personally, I hated the stuff. Fruit tea was more my thing, especially when made from the peaches grown in the Summer Kingdom. It had always been my favourite, and it showed how much of a friend he really was that he’d taken notice of that, and there was some in a pretty teapot, which sat on the blue wood side table. My brothers and Connor always shook their heads, mystified that I didn’t like coffee, but I liked what I liked and that was it…

“Let’s sit for a moment.”

Reluctantly, I forced myself away from the window and took a seat opposite him. He leaned back in his chair, interlacing his fingers across his abdomen and resting his elbows on the arms of his chair as he studied me. I let him, neither offended nor bothered by his scrutiny. He was my prince, but I wasn’t technically his subject. I was born in Faery, but I was a shifter. It was a rare occurrence in the Fae, but it meant I had never truly settled here. My father had hated that I was different, that I’d been chosen by the Mother Wolf to house a shifter spirit. He’d thought me an abomination that he’d needed to control. I’d managed to get away from him with the help of Gwen, but it had meant leaving everything behind. I rubbed at the familiar ache in my chest as I thought of Gwen.

“Tell me your plans.” B’nar didn’t shift his icy gaze from mine, and this time, my hackles did rise a little. I wanted Shannon out of here, where I could be alone with her, and I wasn’t about to explain myself or ask permission. She was my responsibility, not B’nar’s. My nostrils flared, and I bared my teeth a little, my wolf spoiling for a fight. Just like me, he was tired and unsettled. Even more so when I wasn’t next to Shannon, and he could feel my anxiety and need to go to her.

B’nar’s mouth curled in a small smile, and he deliberately looked at his coffee pot, breaking my challenging stare. Reaching out, he poured himself a generous measure of thick black liquid into a small gilded cup, which sat in an equally pretty saucer. He might be Prince Regent, but he was perfectly capable of pouring his own coffee and wouldn’t ask his staff to do it. I almost growled in disappointment at his acceptance of my attitude. Fucker was always so calm. Even my snarling at him didn’t make him lose his cool. Connor, our brothers, and I were the only ones who would ever get away with treating him like an equal.

“Sorry,” I mumbled, ashamed of my outright challenge. “I’m a little…on edge.”

He made a dismissive gesture with his hand. “Think nothing of it. I understand.”

Silence settled. It was strange to see such a massive and powerful Fae lift that delicate cup in his big hands without dropping it. It looked almost ridiculously tiny as he raised it to his nose and inhaled deeply. He took a generous mouthful, savoured it, then swallowed. The cup and saucer clinked a little as he lowered it. He leaned back and cocked his head, going back to studying me.

“Perhaps it would help to shift and run in the woods near here? The land is crown land, so you will not be in danger.”

I took a deep breath. Being a shifter didn’t mean I was any less Fae; it just meant I had added strength and power. I had never once resented it, yet, along with my father, many in Faery would happily hunt me down and kill me. Not on crown land, though, that would be signing their own death warrant. He was right. I’d be safe.

“Thank you, B’nar. Perhaps I will.”

The smirk he aimed my way told me he knew I wouldn’t, and he knew why. My brows dipped, not sure why I couldn’t leave Shannon for a few hours while she slept. Shifting would ease my tension and give my wolf some much-needed respite. Deep in my soul, he grumbled, definitely not on board with that suggestion. He was unhappy at having Shannon out of his sight as it was. Tension swept into my muscles, and I rolled my shoulders and cracked my neck, trying to ease it. It didn’t help, so I picked up the fruit tea and inhaled its sweet fragrance, much as B’nar had done with his coffee, hoping the aroma would soothe me. It didn’t. Since we’d arrived here, nothing except being in Shannon’s vicinity eased the tightness of my muscles, and even then, I wasn’t relaxed. I watched her like a hawk, ready to make her drink if she looked thirsty or eat if I heard her stomach growl. Her refusals and sass only fired my need to make sure she had everything she needed, even if she didn’t want it. Shannon had had her chance to prove she could care for herself. She’d failed miserably. And until she was healed both mentally and physically, she had no choice but to accept my presence and interference in her life.

As much as I appreciated B’nar’s help, I had another place in mind that I believed would help Shannon heal. She needed space and time to build herself back up and to find out who she was without the pressure of being an Alpha female amongst the male-dominated Shadow Sentinels.

I took a sip of tea, enjoying its smooth warmth as it travelled down my gullet, and stared at the window’s frosted panes. Many of Shannon’s recent mannerisms and behaviours had me suspecting her Alpha persona was more of a choice for survival and not her true nature. She needed the chance to explore who she really was, away from prying eyes, and I intended to give it to her.

I saw the grateful look in her eyes when she didn’t want to decide what to eat or drink or even when. It was like she was too exhausted to make even the simplest of decisions, and until she was strong enough to do it herself, I would make sure she didn’t have to.

“So, you have somewhere in mind you’d like to take Shannon for her convalescence?”

I nodded. “I do. It’s far enough away from my father’s lands that he shouldn't find out I’m back.”

B’nar’s expression didn’t change, but his eyes narrowed slightly. He knew as well as I did that my father had spies everywhere. “You know it will be hard for me to intervene if he does.”

“I do.” Cold sweat prickled near my hairline. My father was hard-hearted and powerful. He was an ancient High Fae and had always had a seat in the court of the Winter Kingdom. He was cruel to his family and ruled his large army and subjects with an iron fist. Yet, he was fiercely loyal to the crown of Faery and protected Winter’s borders from the dark Fae. He fought constant skirmishes and kept the Unseelie monsters from flooding into the rest of Faery. I thought about Connor’s mother. She was a dark Fae and had been heir to the throne of the Unseelie kingdom until her blood and rivals had betrayed and sold her. She’d lived in servitude to Berith until Zander had rescued her. I didn’t know her whole story, only that she'd sired two sons. Zander and Connor. Zander was Connor’s half-brother. Technically, both brothers were heirs to the Unseelie throne, yet Connor was the Alpha Prime of Shifters, the Shifter King, which left Zander as the true heir to the Unseelie throne. He’d never acknowledged that fact, nor had he shown any desire to leave his brother’s side to take it.

None of that helped me though….

“I have other houses and estates you could go to for a while. It would be safer for both of you if you stayed far away from your father’s influence.”

“Which is why I’m going to my cottage. It belonged to Gwen’s family before it became ours—until we decided it was safer to leave.” I swallowed to clear the thickness from my throat. Talking about her freely was strange and left my heart heavy. “It’s in a small village just inside the border of the Spring Kingdom and quite under the notice of that kingdom’s lord. And I know you understand why leaving here is something I must do; I need to provide for and protect Shannon through my own merit. It’s also isolated and peaceful there. It will give Shan time to think about who she is and where she wants her life to go.”

B’nar’s brows drew down, and he brushed a thumb over his bottom lip, but he didn’t seem angry, merely thoughtful. “The Spring Kingdom High Lord is a volatile and power-hungry shit. If your father gets wind of your presence and sends troops into Spring’s lands, it could cause a war.”

“I know, my friend. Which I would never expect you to fight on my behalf. Yet, being in Spring could be an advantage, too. It means that if anything happens to me, you won’t be held responsible by Connor.”

“But I will be, especially by Connor…”

“Which is why I won’t tell you where we are going. You have deniability.”

“I don’t like it, Stone. Faery is as dangerous as ever, even the Summer and Spring kingdoms. Shannon is a shifter, and her human blood leaves her vulnerable to our kind.”

“I know.” I clenched my jaw. He was right. High Fae had the power to coerce the minds of lesser Fae and humans, and there were other Fae who loved to deceive and betray and would happily cause mayhem and death to gain even a grain more power. They sold information to those who loved to traffick humans for the way their pheromones made the Fae feel. Whether coerced or not, a human’s lust is addictive. I’d been very careful not to use Shannon’s real name in front of anyone. I trusted Blue and B’nar with it, but no one else, not even the staff who cared for her. There were very few Fae around who were powerful enough to control me, and Shannon didn’t know my birth name, so she couldn’t slip up and reveal it. No one but my mother knew my name. It had been our secret. It still was.

In Faery, either parent could name their child, but once it was said under the Faery moons and whispered to the goddess of Faery, it could never be changed. My mother had known as soon as I was born that my father would use my shifter strength for his benefit while always hating that I existed. She had hidden my name from him, letting him believe he had named me. He’d thought himself more powerful than me until he discovered that he couldn’t force me to do as he commanded. That was why he’d commanded my mother and me to live in his mausoleum of a house, so he could control me—and her.

“You need another name for her.”

B’nar’s voice roused me from my thoughts.

“I do. I’ll think on it.”

“Good. Does she remember the rules?”

“Yes, she still knows how to be careful. Even after all this, she’s still an SBI agent. She might be vulnerable right now, but she won’t put us at risk.”

B’nar nodded. He respected Shannon, just like we all did. She’d fucked up, but she’d always been a good person to have watching your back in a battle, and he knew it. My gut churned at the thought of leaving her in the palace, even knowing B’nar would protect her, but I had to ensure my plan was viable. “I need to leave her in your care for a week or so.”

“Why?”

His question was merely curious. Especially now that he’d seen how I hated her being out of my sight.

“I need to make sure the cottage is safe enough and still in one piece.”

“Indeed. But you don’t need to leave her for that long, my friend. I can take you there…if you trust me with your location. It is wise that I know where you are just in case of…problems.”

Maybe it was dangerous to trust B’nar so much, but I did. He’d never let us down in the past and was always there when we needed him. “I do trust you. I just don’t want to put you in an awkward position if the Spring High Lord finds a Winter Kingdom High Fae in his lands with a human shifter.”

B’nar’s grin turned feral. “It won’t be awkward. I don’t need permission to enter that arrogant fucker’s lands. I’m the heir to the Fae Kingdoms. If he finds out you are there and still wishes to cause a problem, I’ll be more than happy to put him right back in his place. Under my fucking boot, if I get the chance.”

I couldn’t help my smirk. “No love lost there, then.”

Electric-green magic flashed in his irises. “None. He was a spoiled and entitled little shit when he was a child, and he still is.”

“Okay, then. So long as you’re unconcerned that if he finds me there, he’ll want an audience with you. Someone like that is always looking for their next angle.”

“Oh, I’d be happy to discuss how I agreed to you entering a part of Faery, the world where I rule in my father’s stead, and how I don’t need his permission.” There was a delighted look on his face at the thought of a discussion with the Spring High Lord.

I grinned. “In that case, I’ll take you up on your offer. The sooner I can get Shannon somewhere peaceful, where she can heal, the sooner I can get her home to her sister.”

“You know Faery is your home, too, don’t you? I know you don’t consider me your liege, but I hope you consider me a friend. As such, you will always have a place here, which extends to your mate.”

I nearly choked on the sip of peach tea I’d just taken. “She’s not. We’re not…”

B’nar chuckled, clapping me on the back as he walked by. “Of course not. Not yet, at least. We’d better get going if you want to return before dark tonight.”

I stood, a scowl on my face and followed my friend. It wasn’t that I was angered by his words; it was more that I knew he was right. Deep in my soul, I had a connection to Shannon that scared the shit out of me. I had brought her here intending to make sure she fought her demons and built up her strength, physically and mentally. But, even though I felt drawn to her, part of me had believed I’d be able to walk away whenever I chose, especially if she rejected me. I hadn’t fully acknowledged to myself what Shannon was to me. Not clearly, at any rate. I released a shaking breath. She was my soul mate. Yet I doubted that she’d agree. At least, not yet.

But she would.

Sunbeams cut through the window panes, hitting the wooden floor and illuminating the dust motes disturbed by B’nar striding through the moderate-sized one-room cottage. I coughed and looked around. Gwen and I had once been happy here until my father had widened his search for me, getting closer and closer. Even at a five-day ride from the Winter Kingdom border, it had been too risky to stay after word had reached me that his men were closing in. My heart ached for Gwen, for everything we thought we’d have in the human world, for the life that she never got to live. But there was a feeling of peace in this tiny cottage, which I’d often felt when she’d smiled at me. Gwen hadn’t been my soul mate, but I’d respected and cared deeply for her. I wasn’t a sentimentalist, yet part of me wondered if a piece of her kind soul lingered here, happy that I might use this place again. Even if it was with another female.

“I know you wanted isolation, Stone, but this really is the middle of nowhere. Where will you source food from? Perhaps I should send someone to stock up your cupboards…”

B’nar’s doubtful expression made me laugh. I don’t know; perhaps it really was Gwen’s influence on me. She’d brought light into my life before; perhaps she still could. And in turn, maybe I could pass that on to Shannon. Mother only knew she needed it. Determination gripped me. I’d make this work.

“Now, now, Prince, there’s no need for that look of disdain. Not every Fae can be born into riches and palaces. The common folk have to grow and kill their food….” My words sounded harsh, but I said them with a smile. B’nar wasn’t entitled, he’d roughed it with us on many occasions, but still, he was born into a lifestyle that common Fae could never hope for. And he was right. I could fill this place with food, but like I’d told him before, I wanted to provide for my soul mate myself.

My soul mate.

The surge of warmth that came with that thought knocked me sideways. It was terrifying to actually admit what Shannon was to me. But it was also liberating. I’d avoided it, fought it, even hated that our enmity was so deeply rooted that it touched my soul. Now, all I wanted was the opportunity to…what? Prove to her how good we could be together? Or prove how worthy I was of her? I straightened my spine. Both.

I chuckled at B’nar’s mock scowl as he folded his arms over his chest. “Failing that, there’s a sizeable village not far from here.”

“So you don’t want my offer of food?”

Seeing the most powerful Fae in this world stand in the middle of the tiny cottage with a bemused look on his face while dust motes floated around him was almost surreal. I grinned as I swept a finger along the rustic dining table I’d made so long ago. I needed a day or two to get this place cleaned up and ready for Shan, but I found I was looking forward to bringing her here. “I will gladly accept your offer for enough to support us for a few days. After that, I really would like to provide for Shannon myself.”

Now, he just looked smug, his pale green eyes glinting with amusement. “Ah, so you still want to provide for your not-mate? To prove that you can be relied upon for protection and sustenance so that when you do find your real soul mate, she can tell her what a good prospect you are.”

I rolled my eyes. “No offence, Prince, but piss off.”

He chuckled, not in the least offended. I forgot sometimes that B’nar was capable of fun. It was rare that he showed the more relaxed side to his nature, but we were alone, and out here in the forest, no one was watching except the pixies I could sense nearby.

“Well, if we’ve reached the point in our friendship where you can fling profanity at me, you should start using my common name, Ventry, or Vent, if you wish. Calling me ‘heir of’ is far too formal, even for me.”

His genuine invitation left a warmth in my chest. It was nice to know I had someone outside of my brothers that I could call a friend. I grinned. “I’d be honoured. Don’t worry, the village isn’t far. I have enough Fae decari to buy us food if I can’t find it in the forest, but this place is teaming with life. It will provide us with the other things we need.”

B’nar, no, Ventry, I have to remember to call him Ventry , walked across the open floor space to the window and looked out at the small track which led towards the village. “Will you be safe here from your father’s spies? It’s not that far to the border and his lands.”

I shrugged. “I think so. He probably thinks I’m dead. Besides, the villagers won’t talk unless my father offers a substantial reward, which he was always too miserly to do.”

“How about you? Will the villagers talk to you? Accept you? Or will they go to the nearest Spring garrison and tell them a Winter Kingdom Fae is living in their village?”

I huffed a laugh. “No, unless something’s changed, the village elders know me. I lived here with Gwen, and her family was amongst the original founders of the village. Besides, my father’s reputation precedes him, and there was never any love lost between the village folk and the High Fae.”

Ventry raised a blue brow. “Not all High Fae are untrustworthy or violent for violence’s sake.”

“I know. Technically, if I lived here, I’d be one myself.”

“You would.” There was no inflection in Ventry’s voice, merely agreement. “Are you sure you’re happy bringing Shannon to a place you shared with Gwen? Won’t that feel a little…uncomfortable?”

I brushed my hand over a nearby surface, my eyes on the door that led to the bedroom. Would it? Of course, I’d considered that question, but this had been one of the only places I’d ever felt happy. Gwen had been a kind and gentle soul, too gentle for me, and I knew she’d be pleased that I was using her family home, what had been our home, to help another. There was warmth here, a sense of peace from being in a place that had made us both happy….

“A little, maybe, but Gwen would be happy for Shannon to recover here.”

“Even if Shannon gets to be with you and Gwen does not?”

I wasn’t angered by his question. It wasn’t asked with malice, merely curiosity.

“Gwen should have lived, and I expect we would have been happy, to a point. We were compatible mates in Fae terms, and my wolf was content with her, but we both knew she wasn’t my soul mate, and I wasn’t hers. We had promised to be honest with each other if we met our soul mate and to talk through it if that ever happened.”

“Hm, Fae don’t often meet their soul mates, but when we do, it's hard to control our protective urges. We would die for our mates: destroy cities, kingdoms, and even worlds. You are as much Fae as you are shifter. Remember that. And, even though you won’t openly admit that Shannon is your soul mate, it looks different from where I’m standing. Let’s hope your father doesn’t get word you are returned and use those feelings against you.”

“He can’t hurt me. Not anymore.”

Ventry gave me a small, sad smile. “Oh, I think he can, especially now you, once again, have something, or rather someone to lose. Keep to yourself, and use your summoning device if you ever need me. Your father might be one of my most powerful High Lords, but I will always fight for my friends.” He crossed his arms over his chest, looking every inch the warrior he was.

Emotions weren’t something I did well, and hearing Ventry so open about our friendship released a flow of emotion that I had to brace against. “That’s good to know, Prince, but if anything happens with my father, Shannon is most at risk. Promise me you’ll help her first. She’s become the most important thing in my life.” It was hard to say that out loud, but now that I had, there was no taking it back. Whether she wanted it or not, Shannon had my protection and devotion, which would never, ever change. A vow from a Fae as powerful as Ventry was rare, yet he held out his arm without hesitation.

“You are both my family.”

“As you are mine.” I clasped his arm.

Ventry’s face remained grave. “I vow to give Shannon whatever help she needs and will do my best to ensure she is safe, my friend.”

“And I return the vow for you and those you love. If you need my help, I will come.”

Stunning blue-green magic sizzled like microbursts of lightning around our joined forearms. I could feel the pressure of the Fae vow settling into my soul.

We broke apart.

“Are you certain the villagers will keep your presence a secret from the nearest Spring garrison? They may be more loyal to their High Lord than to you or a family long since gone.”

The Spring Court soldiers were based at least a two-day ride from Birchbridge, and many Fae didn’t have access to the huan that served in this world as horses did on Earth. Even though they had the technology to build mechanical transport, Faery had none, not when all Fae cherished their world far more than they wanted quick travel and wouldn’t risk polluting their home. Those with wings and carts sometimes assisted others to get from place to place, and those who could afford it paid for carriages. But not many Fae travelled the long distances between kingdoms. The only other option was the regulated portals. A few were scattered around the main cities, but none of them were powerful enough to allow people to move off-world. The fact that I’d used an illegal portal to leave this world entirely had never been mentioned by Ventry. He had been charged by his father to hunt down those powerful, illegal portals, and yet, he’d never asked how I’d left Faery. It was an unspoken pact that we wouldn’t discuss it—but I was under no illusion that if it ever became relevant to his world’s struggles, he would ask for the information. I had no loyalty to the dark Fae who had summoned that portal, so I would tell him.

“Newer villagers won’t know who we are, so our presence shouldn’t bother them. Just in case, I’ll say she is my property. That way, she will be better protected from those who might try to exploit her. Hopefully, we can stay below the radar of any High Fae. I don’t look unusual in the Fae sense, so there’s no reason for anyone new here to know who I am.”

“Except for your wolf. Fae shifters are rare enough to attract attention. Your magic is powerful enough that it won’t be long before someone reports your presence to the Spring Lord.”

It was true, silver or white hair was common, but a Fae shifter wasn’t. I’d have to be careful when and where I shifted. I frowned. I’d also have to warn Shannon to stay near the paths and the cottage. Though I could glamour her true origins to a degree when I was with her, Shannon was still a shifter, basically a human with an animal spirit attached to her soul. Her scent would be unique and trackable.

I glanced around, my attention snagging on the double bed. My cock twitched at the thought of bringing Shannon here, of sleeping next to her. Of sinking into her warmth….

Ventry coughed and wandered to the door, smirking. “I’ll wait for you outside.”

It wasn’t in my nature to be embarrassed by my lust for Shannon, but there were many proverbial mountains to climb before I could even entertain the idea of sinking into her beautiful body. There was also no way I’d bring her into this place until it was clean and welcoming. I strode after Ventry and into the sweet-smelling fresh air before turning to my left and going around the back of the cottage.

“You can come out now, Finchley.” It wasn’t necessary to shout. The cottage’s resident pixie had hearing as acute as mine. Ventry raised a brow when nothing happened. It wasn’t a surprise. Pixies were suspicious by nature and necessity. “I know you’re here, and you know I’d never hurt you. I’ll vouch for my friend, too.”

A tiny fluttering of wings disturbed the large leaves of the nearest tree. Finchley darted out, looked at me, and then darted away as Vent shifted his weight.

“He’s not from Spring, he’s a winter Fae. A powerful one, and not to be trusted.” Finchley’s tinkly voice was full of accusation.

I pressed my lips together to suppress my smile. “Should I tell her?” I side-eyed my friend, who wore his usual stoic expression once again. He remained silent but shook his head. Hoping it would reassure her, I let my smile widen. “He is powerful. But you can trust him.”

Finchley landed on a large purple leaf, arms crossed over her tiny chest, and narrowed her eyes as the leaf bounced up and down under her weight. “The young prince and future king of Faery is your friend? How did that happen?”

Trust Finchley not to miss a beat. She was far older than me and probably far wiser. Though she’d seen people come and go, she had looked after this tiny cottage for most of her very long life. It was dusty inside, but that was deliberate. She wouldn’t make it look like there was a pixie nearby unless the cottage was lived in. Pixies were far too easy prey for the High Fae, especially the Spring High Lord. Astron kept them as slaves for his palaces and halls. Pixies were loyal once they took a vow to serve you or a homestead, and even if that vow was made under duress, they kept it.

I choked back a laugh at Ventry’s stupefied look. I had to agree that calling a Fae as old as Vent young was laughable. Then again, Finchley was ancient. “It’s a long story.”

“Hm, I expect it is.” She looked Vent in the eye before dipping her head. “Ventry B’nar Ventris, it is an honour to meet you.”

Vent’s eyes narrowed, but he showed no other sign of surprise that the ancient little Fae knew who he was. “The honour is mine, Finchley.”

My father had never acknowledged my title as his son, let alone his heir, so I often forgot that B’nar actually meant heir of , a term used for the eldest son of the High Fae. Until Ventry took the throne and crown of High King from his exiled father, he was indeed the heir of Faery. I wondered why we’d all started calling him B’nar instead of using his common name. His true name was a secret, just like other Fae. Perhaps B’nar had been a formal address from Connor at some point, and we’d all just carried it on. He’d let my pack know if he wanted to change it, just as he’d done with me. I cocked my head and frowned at Finchley, still unsure how she’d known who he was.

Her tinkling laugh flitted like a butterfly through the trees before being carried away by the gentle breeze. “The portal you used wasn’t an illegal one. And it was genuinely powerful. Only the King of Faery and his line has the means to summon such a thing, and so openly.”

My brows rose.

“Well, you were both wondering how I knew who he was, weren’t you?” She smiled. “Besides, you’re both dressed in fine clothes, which no Fae other than a very wealthy one would own.” Her wings vibrated, creating a burst of colour behind her tiny form as she rose into the air. “You also have the look of your father about you, young Prince. He was always one of the most beautiful and deadly High Fae I’ve ever met. You are the same.” She tilted her head, staying far enough away she could disappear into the foliage in the blink of an eye. “He was also an honourable soul. He promised all pixies safety from harm in his lands and company. Do you honour that vow?”

It was unheard of for a common Faery to demand an unbreakable vow from the High King of the Fae. B’nar wasn’t the king—yet, but he might as well be.

“Finchley!” I growled a warning.

Ventry put a hand on my forearm and shook his head. “It is okay, my friend.” His eyes remained on Finchley, his voice grave. “I do indeed acknowledge my father’s vow.”

The wily little pixie smiled. “And what of your own vow? Will you honour the same?”

Vent dipped his chin, not taking his eyes off Finchley, looking almost amused. A bargain it was, then.

“I will grant safety to all pixies loyal to me and those I love. If they honour my laws both in my kingdom and my presence, I will never hurt them. But know that I will hunt down and kill any who break those vows. That includes passing information about the ones I care for to those who would harm them. Do I make myself clear?”

Finchley paled a little but looked him in the eyes. “Very, Prince.”

Ventry’s eyes glowed, and the same lightning magic that had swirled around our forearms sparked in the air in front of him. “Good. Then you will ensure word is passed to all pixie kind, and we will seal our vow.”

A thread of sparking magic whipped through the air so quickly I barely caught it. Finchley had no time to flutter away, and the magic caught her by the neck, leaving a tiny green mark. Her hand slapped against it, and she winced but didn’t look angry, merely pleased. It was a good deal. The pixie grapevine could spread the word as effectively as a forest fire could spread destruction.

“I will wait for you at the front of the cottage.” Vent walked away, his footsteps silent. He was indeed a predator, a hunter in the embrace of the forest that even my shifter senses might miss. I thanked the Mother that he was on my side. I didn’t envy the High Lord of Spring if he incurred Vent’s wrath.

Finchley fluttered towards me, hovering in front of my face. “Tell me, forest wolf, what happened to my sweet Gwen?”

My stomach lurched, and I immediately wanted to clam up. Her death was something I’d never forgive myself for, but I needed Finchley’s help. And if that meant telling her about the events that led to Gwen’s death, including Shannon’s father, so she understood why I was bringing her here, then that’s what I’d do. I could lie. I was powerful enough as a Fae to do it, but I wouldn’t disrespect the pixie who’d cared for Gwen’s family line until they’d died out. Not every Fae could sense lies, let alone tell them, but Finchley was old enough to, which was one sure-fire way to lose her loyalty.

So I told her everything except Shannon’s name. I wouldn’t trust that to anyone in this world but Ventry and Blue.