CHAPTER SIX #2
His silver gaze locked onto mine, heavy and expectant.
"I..." My brain stalled. I'd definitely had too much to drink.
"Yes, you have," Aether growled, his focus shifting abruptly. "But bigger problem. Why is there another panther?"
I blinked once. Twice.
Everything tilted as a second shape emerged from the shadows behind Asher.
Another panther. Larger than Aether, her coat a shimmering, iridescent violet-black that seemed to swallow the light. Her eyes were twin pools of icy silver, identical to the male standing before me.
My breath caught. Asher's boundling.
The two predators stared each other down, tails twitching in a silent, deadly conversation, while Asher took a step closer, his scent of rain and smoke drowning out the jasmine air.
"That’s Zya. My boundling. She doesn't like attention during the day," Asher said casually, leaning against the bar. "Only shows herself when she feels like it."
Water slid down his collarbone in glittering droplets, and—gods help me—I had the most ridiculous urge to lick them away. What is wrong with me?
"That's… exactly like Aether," I blurted, a shaky laugh slipping out.
Zya stepped forward, her massive form shimmering with violet hues. Shadowed light curled around her ears, and her tail flicked with the same rhythmic arrogance as Aether's, leaving rippling shadows in its wake. When she looked at me, those silver eyes were unsettlingly familiar. Magnetic.
My gaze drifted past her to where Darcy was locked in a flirty, lethal tango with another woman.
We watched as a man stormed over, yanked Darcy's partner away, and launched into a furious tirade.
Darcy didn't even blink; she just smirked and strolled through the crowd.
I burst out laughing. "Oh my gods. She had a boyfriend."
Asher chuckled, the sound low and gravelly. "That's Darcy. Or Umbra in general."
"So…" I teased, stepping closer. My heart hammered against my ribs as his dark, intoxicating scent curled around me. "You just take whoever you want?"
He set his drink down. The shift was instant. His expression sharpened, eyes darkening as he leaned in until his breath brushed my ear.
"Yes," he said quietly. Then, slower. Deliberate. "Especially when you know what you want."
My pulse went feral, heat blooming in places that made my knees weak.
And then, a voice sliced clean through the murmur of the bar like a frozen blade.
"Get the fuck away from her, Maddox."
I jumped, my heart nearly leaping out of my chest. Jeremy stood a few feet away, his face a mask of cold, hard fury.
His hands were curled into white-knuckled fists, and the air around him seemed to drop ten degrees.
Asher didn't move.
He didn't even flinch. He just turned his head slowly, that lazy, lethal smirk returning to his lips as he met Jeremy's gaze.
"The Prince returns," Asher drawled, his voice dripping with mock boredom. "You're late to the party, Eldrethine. We were just getting to the good part."
I jolted, sloshing half my water down the front of my skirt as Jeremy wrapped a firm arm around me, hauling me against his chest.
"Jeremy—I—" I started, my voice failing.
"She's fine, Maddox." The words were clipped. Feral.
Jeremy's eyes burned, power simmering just beneath the surface. His earthy scent—usually moss and earth—had sharpened into something wild and intoxicating.
My head spun, the sapphire liquor and the sudden confrontation making the world tilt.
I looked at Asher. He hadn't moved. That cocky grin still curved his mouth, silver eyes cool and amused—like this was a game he'd already won.
Jeremy's voice dropped to a low growl. "Back off."
For a heartbeat, I thought Asher might push it. Instead, he lifted a hand in mock surrender, his smirk deepening.
"Relax," he drawled lightly. Then he turned and vanished into the crowd, Zya following like a ripple of violet shadow.
My heart slammed against my ribs. Jeremy held me tight—protective, tense, his energy shifting the air around us until it felt heavy. It was too much. Too fast.
My stomach rolled. Hard.
Jeremy's fingers tightened around mine. "You okay?" he murmured, his voice softening but still coiled with intensity.
"I…" I swallowed, pressing a hand to my stomach. "I feel sick."
The change in him was instant. The warrior vanished, and the gentle, steady Jer took his place.
"Hey," he said softly, brushing his thumb over my knuckles. "Okay. I've got you."
I leaned into him, dizzy and conflicted.
"Come on," he said quietly, grabbing my water and guiding me toward the exit.
"I am always babysitting you," Aether muttered darkly through the bond as we wove through the dancers. "Always preventing disaster. One of these days, I'm letting the shadow male eat you."
I didn't have the strength to argue. I just let Jeremy lead me into the cool night air, away from the music and the silver eyes.
We made our way to the marble fountain outside the glass dome.
I sank onto its cool stone edge, Aether settling at my feet with a heavy huff.
Jeremy offered me the water bottle, his eyes searching mine. "I'm sorry," I started, my voice shaky.
He didn't let me finish. He cupped my face in both hands, his touch warm and grounding.
"Hey," he murmured, soft and earnest. "Sweetheart... don't be sorry." Worry flickered in his emerald gaze before he squeezed my hands. "How are you feeling?"
Before I could answer, the air shifted. My gaze drifted across the courtyard and landed on Asher.
He was leaning against the fountain's far rim, surrounded by a cluster of Umbra students. A tall girl with long pink hair and a daring skirt was pressed flush against him, grinding slowly under the low glow of the lanterns.
Asher looked up, his silver eyes locking onto mine for one searing second, before he let the girl fall into his arms and kissed her.
Breathe, Ava. It's fine. He was just a maddening, shadow-kissed asshole. I swallowed the lump in my throat, the weight of my betrothal crashing back down on me.
I ripped my gaze away from Asher and looked straight into the familiar green depths of Jeremy's eyes—the ones that usually felt like sunlight and safety. Without thinking,
I cupped his face and pulled him to me.
His lips met mine like he'd been starving for the touch. His arms wrapped around my waist in a possessive grip, hauling me effortlessly onto his lap.
I let out a half-shocked squeal, my legs instinctively curling around him as his tongue sought mine.
This was not the restrained, careful prince I knew. This was something feral. Unhinged. Hungry. I wanted his strength, his fire, and even his jealousy.
"Finally," Aether muttered through the bond. "Now can we go home?"
I broke the kiss, breathless, my heart hammering against my ribs. I pressed my lips to Jeremy's ear, my voice dropping to a whisper. "Come with me."
He stilled, surprise and raw hunger flashing in his gaze before a slow, tender smile curled his lips.
"Of course, Princess," he said, his voice thick with need. "I am at your command."
I giggled, taking his hand as we darted off the stone path into the dappled moonlight of the trees. Suddenly, with a growl of laughter, Jeremy scooped me up and slung me over his shoulder like a barbarian.
"Jeremy! Put me down!" I shrieked, laughing uncontrollably while Aether stalked behind us, looking thoroughly unimpressed.
He finally set me down, only to spin me and press me against the rough bark of a tree. His mouth crashed onto mine—a bruising, desperate kiss that tasted of starlight.
"Fuck, Ava…" he breathed, his forehead resting on mine.
"We are leaving. Now," Aether hissed in my head. I glanced past Jeremy's shoulder to see my panther and Kora pacing the undergrowth like fed-up chaperones.
But I couldn't move.
My legs were wrapped tightly around Jeremy's waist, heat pooling low as his lips trailed heated kisses down my neck. His hands were firm, fingers digging into the soft curve of my hips with a desperation that made me moan into the night air.
He stopped abruptly, his breath ragged. His brown curls fell forward, damp against his forehead, but it was his emerald eyes—now glowing faintly with the raw pulse of magic—that snatched my breath away.
It was the feral edge of a male fae losing control, instincts rising to claim skin and scent.