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It had to be my bloodline. He must have only recently learned that my father had been the son of the previous Seelie King. The question was, how? And what precisely did he want me for? To get into places like this?

“Mating bonds can be broken.”

Dread hit me, and I knew I’d failed to keep it off my face. I had no intention of breaking my mating bond with Draven and Roth, and as soon as I could figure out how to share it with Kieran and Alaric, I would be doing so.

Vail . . . I had no idea what I was going to do about Vail. I was still feeling kind of stabby towards him.

Luckily, Erendriel was looking over my shoulder to the stairs below, so he missed all the misgivings in my expression. “Whatever you find in here will not give you the answers you seek. This place was built by the Unseelie Princes—and they are liars.”

Are. Not were. The Unseelie Fae were still alive. At least Erendriel believed them to be.

“And you’ll tell me nothing but the truth, right?” I huffed, slipping back into a mask of haughty indifference to not even hint at what information Erendriel had just given away.

His gaze snapped back to me.

“Join me, and I’ll take care of your aunt for you.

The crown has no control over my mind, but it will tell you if I’m lying or not.

” He placed his hands on either side of the archway, leaning forward until only a few inches and the thin boundary of the ward separated us.

“Right now, you’re a queen in name only.

Let me make you one legitimately. Right now, the Moroi and the other Moon Blessed are just children stumbling around in the dark and hoping to not get eaten by the monsters. ”

I snapped my fangs at him. “We hold our own.”

“Barely.”

“So light it up for me. Convince me to at least entertain the idea of trusting you. Why did you kill my grandfather?” I adjusted my position so that I stood directly in front of him.

He was easily a foot and a half taller than me, so I had to tilt my head back.

“You were his faithful general, no? If you betrayed him, it wouldn’t seem that out of character for you to do the same to me once you get what you want—whatever that is. ”

He pondered me for a long moment. “I want to go home.”

“Home,” I repeated and thought about the murals here and in all the Fae fortresses left behind.

“Yes.” He flashed his teeth at me. “The one your grandfather cost us because he refused to listen to me and allied himself with those traitorous Unseelie Princes. He’s the reason we ended up here in this fucking prison.”

Prison. That’s why this place was like one of the hells the Fae poetry sometimes alluded to. It was a punishment—for the Fae.

“Why were the humans brought here? Were they part of the rebellion?”

It was Erendriel’s turn to scoff. “We were hardly going to grow our own crops or scrub our own floors.”

“Of course not.” I gave him a flat look.

His gaze hardened. “Don’t think your grandfather was some hero to the humans.

His father had been a good and strong king; he was the only reason I served Lachlan for as long as I did, but Eirac would have been disgusted to learn his only son made a bargain with the Unseelie and lost everything because of it.

I did your family a favor by removing Lachlan from the throne. ”

“Sure,” I said smoothly. “Absolutely nothing about it was self-serving at all, King Erendriel.”

His mouth tightened. “You have no idea what it was like where we came from. How the Fae were treated. We were fighting for a better world—I still am fighting for a better world.”

I really wanted to know more about the world outside Lunaria, but I was sitting on a treasure trove of information. Sure, it might be biased, but so was Erendriel, and he’d already given me quite a bit of information in the last ten minutes.

Amateur.

“And whose neck will you step on for your better world?” I drawled. “Or were you planning on taking all of the Moon Blessed with you?”

A faint sneer that he tried and failed to hide trembled across his lips.

I shook my head with a laugh. “ Chil muréd .” Get fucked.

The last of Erendriel’s control snapped as he slammed his palms against the stone, and even through the ward, I felt the power of his magic ripple forth as the ground shifted slightly beneath my feet.

“You’ve only survived this long because my attention has been elsewhere.

” He snarled. “When I leave this place—and I will leave Lunaria—I will take you with me as my queen.” His fingers danced across the invisible boundary.

“If you ask me nicely, I might even let you bring my ungrateful son and whatever other lovers you want to slum it with. I’m only interested in your bloodline, not your cunt. ”

I rolled my eyes. Did he think crude insults were going to get a rise out of me? Vail and Alaric had already had that covered for the last decade . Maybe I should suggest he take lessons from them too?

“As fun as this chat has been”—I tapped my claws against the stone—“I’m starting to feel a bit bored.

What specifically are you proposing? I’m not any more interested in your cock than you are in my cunt.

My lovers have been keeping me very satisfied, and I’ll definitely be adding a few more mate bonds in the future. ”

“You should be begging to be my queen.” Erendriel’s mouth twisted in distaste.

“The only thing I beg for is Kieran’s co?—”

“There are more hidden spaces like this throughout Lunaria,” he cut me off, clearly annoyed that I did dirty talk way better than he. “If we form a mating bond, I’m confident it will give me access to them.”

“To do what exactly?” I arched a brow. “The knowledge within these walls is useful to me, but you likely know all of it already.”

He went still for a moment. “Agree to work with me, and I’ll tell you.”

“I’ll think about it.” I blew him a kiss and turned to walk back down the stairs.

“My patience only goes so far, Samara,” he warned. “You don’t want to find out what happens if I set my sights on you as an enemy.”

“Likewise, usurper.” I glanced over my shoulder, pulling on my bloodlust hard enough to let my eyes bleed black. “You asked me if the moon calls to me? She does. We are her beloved monsters. Lunaria might be the prison you were forced into, but it’s the fire that forged us.”

“Qìnol, din tros. Leb are fì fel keb’ fapnik.” Careful, forgotten queen. We are the monsters you fear.

I snapped my fangs at him. “Keb’ are fì kuspa fel. Leb are fì men ones.” You’re the old monsters. We’re the new ones.

An endless stream of thoughts swirled through my mind as I made my way down the stairs.

I needed to inform everyone that I’d just had a conversation with the fucking Seelie King so we could dissect every word that had been spoken.

There was so much to glean from my encounter—both about the history of Lunaria and what he needed us for.

What he needed me for.

I stepped out of the stairwell into the hallway of the first under level, only for Alaric to grab me by the waist and pivot my back to the wall.

“Alaric!” I squeaked. “What are you do?—”

His mouth crashed against mine, demanding and possessive.

I parted my lips, and his tongue slipped inside to taste me, then his hands slid from my waist to my ass, cupping me and hoisting me up.

Thanks to the high slits on either side of the dress, I was able to wrap my legs around him easily as my arms wound around his neck.

Alaric ground against me, eliciting a moan. One hand gripped my ass harder, while the other roughly tugged the dress off my shoulders, causing my breasts to spill out because I hadn’t found a chest band to wear while mine was drying.

“Seelie King,” I panted when Alaric tore his mouth away from mine. “He was here. We spoke.”

“I know.” His head ducked down, and he sucked on my breast before palming it. “I heard every word that asshole said.”

“Need to tell the others.” I didn’t know what had gotten Alaric so worked up, but he was making it increasingly difficult to stay focused on anything other than getting his pants off. “Alaric—oh, fuck!”

The hand that had been cupping my breast ran down my body until it slid between my thighs. There was no hesitation as he yanked my panties to the side and thrust three fingers into me. My hips bucked forward as Alaric pumped his fingers while his tongue teased my nipple.

All I could do was hold on and ride Alaric’s hand as he fucked me. I could feel my climax building when he brushed his thumb over my clit before pushing down on it, making me scream his name as I came apart.

He laughed huskily against my skin, his breath tickling my hard nipple before raising his head to meet my gaze again. A satisfied smile stretched across his full mouth as he slowly played with the hot slickness dripping out of my pussy and down my thighs.

“I’ll never get tired of feeling you come.” A small amount of turquoise bled into his green eyes. “On my cock. My tongue. My hand.” He thrust his fingers back inside my needy cunt, drawing another moan out of me.

“We need to tell—” My half-hearted protest was cut off when Alaric snapped his hips forward and I felt every inch of him through his pants. Suddenly, I desperately wanted something other than his fingers inside me.

“They can wait.” Alaric grinned at me, desire and need lighting up his handsome face.

The knowledge that nobody but me made him smile like that sent a thrill running down my spine.

Mine. That smile was mine—just like he was.

“Rynn and Roth are passed out. They literally fell asleep on top of the books, and they didn’t didn’t stir once as Kieran and I carried them downstairs to the room where Cali is still passed out.

Kieran and Draven went off to talk .” He rolled his eyes.

I let out a breathy laugh. No doubt their conversation was similar to the one Alaric and I were having. “And Vail?”

Alaric let out a wicked chuckle. “Knocked out cold on the floor.”

“What happened?” I started, only to moan when he slid his fingers over my clit.

“Rynn happened.” His gaze fell to where his fingers pumped in and out of me. “Knocked his ass out less than a minute after you left. It was a good hit. Asshole hasn’t stirred once.”

Any concerns I had for Vail vanished when Alaric shoved his fingers into me and fucked me roughly. I arched my hips into him, spurring him on, only to whimper when he withdrew them.

“I was on my way to find you when I heard you speaking with Erendriel.” Fabric rustled, and then something hard and thick pushed into my core.

We both groaned as Alaric bottomed out and my pussy clenched around him.

“Did you mean what you said?” His eyes searched mine as more flecks of turquoise pierced through the green. I didn’t even think he was aware of his bloodlust rising. I wasn’t the least bit worried, but I was pleased to see him releasing some of that iron grip he kept on himself.

“About what?” I braced my hands on his shoulders, enough that I was able to rise up a bit before sinking back down onto his cock.

“Fuck,” he ground out as he gripped my ass with both of his hands and pulled me harder onto him. I tilted my head back against the wall and enjoyed the thrill of him pounding into me. Alaric was always so in control—I loved being the one to make him lose it.

One of his hands left my ass to twist into my hair and force me to look at him again, the blue in his eyes snaking through the green like rivers.

“You have a mate bond with Draven, Roth, and Vail.” Not a question—a statement.

His pace changed from hard and fast to slow and torturous just as I was on the verge of climaxing again.

I hissed in frustration and tried to lift myself up again, only for Alaric to grab my wrists and hold them above my head, his hips and body pinning me against the wall.

“Did you mean what you said about forming a bond with all of us?”

“Yes, but if you don’t have me coming in the next ten seconds, I might seriously rethink it,” I growled.

Alaric stared at me. “I’ve been going out of my mind with jealousy over that fucking connection you have with those three assholes.”

“Draven’s not an asshol?—”

“I know what he said to Kieran, so yes, Draven is an asshole.” Alaric glared. “But I’m willing to make allowances since you two seem to like him.”

“How gracious of you.”

“And Vail is your problem, but just say the word, and we’ll happily kill him for you.

” He maneuvered his hold until he secured both of my wrists in one hand so his other could go back gripping my ass.

“I know I should say something clever and charming to assure you that you’re making the right decision in forming the mate bond with me. ”

A flicker of uncertainty flashed in those beautifully mesmerizing eyes of his. After everything we’d been through, some part of him still thought I wouldn’t choose him in the end.

“I don’t need you to be charming, Alaric,” I said honestly. “I just need you to be mine.”

He leaned in until our foreheads touched. “Yours,” he breathed across my lips. “Always.”

“I love you, Alaric.” I brushed my lips against his.

“I love you too, Sam.” He kissed me again, this one tender and sweet, and yet it still left us breathless when we broke apart a moment later.

When he looked at me, his eyes were almost solid turquoise. I saw the moment he felt it, the panic that bled into his features as he tried to claw his bloodlust back. His hand dropped from my wrist, and he started to pull out of me to set me down but froze when I cupped his face in my hands.

“You’re fine, my love.” I kissed the corners of his mouth. “Your bloodlust has been rising this whole time, but nothing bad has happened. You won’t turn Strigoi, I promise.”

He swallowed. “We can’t know for sure. I could hurt you or?—”

I cut him off with a kiss before nipping his bottom lip. “You won’t. Trust me.” I leaned back enough so that I could slide my hand through the opening of his shirt and lay my palm flat over his heart. “Trust us.”

A new bond burned and sizzled to life. I couldn’t explain how I knew it would happen—only that I did with absolute certainty.

Alaric’s eyes widened. “I can feel you.”

“Show me.” I shifted my hips slightly where we were still joined. “Fuck me, Alaric. Make your mate scream.”

“As my queen demands.” He grinned and stepped back from the wall, taking me with him, his cock still buried inside me. “But we’re going down to the hot springs.”