Chapter 6
THERON
For a reason I can’t fathom, the little human’s pleas and tears cause my chest to tighten. As I carry her toward the bed, she whimpers and shifts in my arms, then violently thrashes around, trying to escape.
I tighten my hold on her and growl.
Gods blast Alaric and his constant need to impress me. I have no doubt he thinks gifting me with a woman who looks just like Elssandra will endear him to me and perhaps finally convince me to make him a commander in the Winter Court army.
Fucking fires. Surely this means he’s also aware of Elssandra’s betrayal. Why else would he gift such a human female to me? He clearly thinks I’ll enjoy tormenting Helena and eventually killing her just because she resembles the mate who betrayed me.
Helena. I can’t deny that I like the way her name feels on my tongue. Though I’m loath to admit it, there’s also something about her that fills me with warmth. I tell myself it’s just because she looks like the female I once loved.
“Shh, Helena. Settle down.” I set her on the bed.
She immediately scrambles across the covers, jumps off the bed, and runs across the room. She puts her back to the stone wall and peers at me, pale-faced with frozen tears clinging to her cheeks, as she holds her hands out defensively.
I sigh and head for the sideboard where the wine is kept.
I uncork a bottle and pour two glasses. Then I slowly approach the terrified woman.
I hold her gaze, so radiantly blue, and offer her the drink.
When I notice the blood covering her hands from the banquet hall floor, I summon my magic and send a quick, cold breeze to clean it away.
The blood disappears from her palms and her clothing.
She stares at her hands in astonishment.
“Drink this. I think you need it.” When she still doesn’t accept the drink, I add, “Please, darling human. Just take it.”
Darling human. Why do I keep calling her that?
I try to tell myself that I mean it in a mocking way, but I can’t deny the warmth that fills me whenever I use the phrase that could very well be considered an endearment.
A cautious gleam enters her eyes as she looks at the wine.
I’m pleased when she finally reaches out to take it.
As she accepts the beverage, our fingers brush, very briefly, and a jolt of awareness passes between us.
It makes me want to sweep her into my arms and hold her again.
It makes me want to lean close and take deep inhales of her delectable floral scent.
Fresh tears fill her eyes. She clutches the wine and looks at me.
“Is it poisoned?” she asks.
“If I wanted to kill you, I wouldn’t use poison. What kind of king do you think I am?”
“The kind who attacks a city for no reason and slaughters thousands.” She blinks and another tear rolls down her face, freezing with the others.
“I can assure you, darling human, I had good reason to attack Braemar.”
I reach for her face and touch the frozen tears.
She stills and her eyes go wide. Then I brush the thin layer of ice from her flesh, and it falls to the floor with a faint clink.
She shivers and takes a long drink of wine, clearly needing it.
She’s trembling, but I’m curious about her lack of goosebumps.
Humans usually become so cold in my presence that they have perpetual goosebumps.
How interesting. Perhaps she can tolerate the cold better than most of her kind.
“Why? Why did you attack Braemar?” she asks in a whisper.
“A contingent of Braemar soldiers killed over twenty of my people, regular faefolk living in a family compound nearby. They even killed a few fae children.” I watch her carefully for her reaction.
She pales, and not for the first time, I consider how beautifully her dark hair contrasts with her skin.
Her lips are a lovely shade of pink, and there’s a hint of red on them from the wine.
I have the sudden urge to cup her face, lean down, and taste the wine on her lips.
A growl builds in my throat, and my cock hardens in my pants.
“So, the stories are true, then? The stories about fae settlements appearing in human and orc lands? The stories about strange, deadly animals venturing outside fae territories? The stories about entire towns and cities of humans and orcs being wiped out?”
“My people have been leaving the Winter Court and settling in human and orc territories, yes,” I tell her. “It’s the same with the other fae courts. A new age is upon us, and my people will soon rule over the entire realm.”
Even though she’s leaning against the wall, she sways on her feet and nearly drops her wine. I reach out a hand to steady her, and the warmth of her body feels so very… pleasing.
“Come sit down, Helena.” Before she can protest, I guide her toward a seating area that contains several plush chairs and sofas.
I help her sit in one of the chairs, and I sink down on the sofa nearest her.
Angling my body in her direction, I watch to make sure she’s not going to pass out.
In my experience, humans can sometimes faint when they become overwhelmed with fear.
I’ve just informed her that my people will soon rule over the entire realm and all the inhabitants therein, human, orc, and otherwise, and I suspect the knowledge is a great shock to her system.
“I’m sorry about your people who died, especially the fae children,” she says, surprising me. “I must confess, I had no idea the soldiers of Braemar attacked your people first. But… it seems quite unfair for you to kill thousands of people in Braemar just for the actions of a few.”
“My people don’t reproduce as quickly or as often as humans. The loss of even one fae child is a great tragedy. I could’ve easily killed more of your people, Helena. You should be grateful we stopped the attack after the white flag was raised.”
Her gaze cuts to me. “You might’ve stopped the attack when the white flag was raised, but you didn’t stop the killing.
Since the battle ended, the fae soldiers patrolling the streets have slaughtered and captured too many additional humans.
I also keep hearing stories about young women and men just…
disappearing. I’ve heard that most of them are being kept as pleasure slaves. ”
I chuckle darkly, casually swirl the contents of my glass, then take a long sip of wine.
“You think all this death and violence is… funny?” she asks in a horrified whisper.
“Funny? Not precisely. Deeply gratifying, yes.” I scoot closer, allowing my leg to graze hers. “I enjoyed the battle more than you might ever imagine. I enjoyed killing your people, hearing their screams, and savoring the scent of their blood.”
I won’t apologize for who I am. Nor will I hide myself from this human female, even though there’s a part of me that doesn’t like seeing her afraid. A part of me that longs to… comfort her. Even protect her.
“Why haven’t you killed me yet?” Right after she asks the question, her gaze darts to the bed, and she appears to fight back a shiver.
I stare at her for so long, I almost forget her question. Indeed, why haven’t I killed her? Why am I not tormenting her at this very moment? Clearly, she believes I brought her here to hurt her, perhaps even to violate her. That’s why she keeps casting nervous glances at the bed.
What will my people think when they never hear her screams echoing through the halls? I curse inwardly.
But as I stare into her eyes, I can’t fathom hurting her.
Fucking fires, I don’t know how to answer her question.
I finish my glass of wine and rise to my feet.
I set the empty glass down on the sideboard, reach for a bottle of whiskey, and take a long swig.
It burns down my throat and settles like a crackling fire in the pit of my stomach.
Still holding the bottle, I turn to face Helena and resist the sudden urge to drag a hand through my hair.
She shoots another panicked glance at the large bed that’s draped in thick velvet blankets and piled with silk-covered pillows. The unease in her expression startles me, and not for the first time in her presence, I experience a strange, painful tightness in my chest.
I release a long sigh and return to my spot on the sofa.
She sets her empty glass aside, lowers her gaze, and stares at her trembling hands.
I always thought that if I took a human concubine or pleasure slave, I would delight in causing the female pain and fear.
But the truth is, despite myself, despite my nature, I don’t like seeing Helena so afraid.
For the first time in ages, since I briefly shared a mating union with Elssandra, I find myself wanting to comfort and even dote upon a female. And not just any female, but a human. A delicate, very breakable human.
Downstairs in the banquet hall, I insinuated that I might hurt her, but the truth is, I was acting the way my people expected me to behave. Cold, cruel, and bloodthirsty. Gods, did I really tell Helena that the more obedient she was, the longer she would live? Yes, I said that. More or less.
Unable to help myself, I reach for the human woman’s chin, forcing her to look me directly in the eye. When I notice a fresh glimmer of tears, something inside me softens.
“I’m not going to kill you, Helena. Nor will I force myself upon you. I swear before the gods.”