Page 191 of Bitten By the Fae

“Yes. So Zeph and I created a new one to replace it, but we had to make it match the one from the Council. We added a temporary enchantment to mask your powers—specifically, your Quandary Blood abilities—and also created a concealment charm to hide our bonds to you. It was done hastily, but it worked.”

I pressed my thumb to the side, near her pulse, and unsnapped the leather to bring it away from her neck to see it.

“The spells have slowly worn off over the last week, bringing the concealment to a dull thrum that should only be protecting our bonds, not diminishing your power. Have you felt it weakening?” I asked her softly.

She frowned at the item in my hand. “I hadn’t thought much of it after that initial zing.”

“I imagine that hurt,” I replied, regretful. “But we didn’t know what else to do, and there wasn’t time to explain.”

“So you never put the real collar on me.”

I shook my head. “No. Just touching it zaps all the energy right out of me. I can’t imagine what it would do around your neck.” Which was precisely why I’d never make her wear it.

Zeph bent down to kiss her freshly exposed skin, his eyes holding mine the entire time. I read the message in his depths, just as I noted her sharp inhale.

“Oh,” she breathed, her lashes fluttering a little. “I… I didn’t realize they were… different.”

I set her collar off to the side and returned to brush my knuckles down her flushed cheek. “The primary purpose of that collar is to hide your connection to me and Zeph.” I showed her the band around my wrist. “Zeph and I have to wear these, or others will sense the mating claim. Shade doesn’t need one since everyone already knows he bit you.”

“I think we can remove them for a bit,” Zeph mused, his lips still at her neck. “Assuming we’re all staying here for the next few hours.”

My lips curled. “I think we’re staying here for a while.”

Aflora swallowed, her pupils darkening. “Are you going to bite me again?”

“Do you want us to?” I countered, removing the cuff around my wrist and setting it beside her collar. Zeph held out his for me to add to the pile, then grabbed her hips to hold her between us as I returned to my position in front of her.

“Do you, uh, need blood again?” she asked.

“Not really, no. I had a shake just yesterday.”

“A shake?” Her brow furrowed. “You call humans ‘shakes’?”

I smirked. “No. I mean a literal milkshake. Tray and Ella make them all the time instead of feeding on mortals.”

“They do?”

“You’ve never noticed?” I countered, arching a brow. “Ella has a protein shake flavored with blood every evening.”

“I thought it was just a human food.”

“It is, mostly. With the added nutrients Midnight Fae need to remain connected to the source. Zeph’s been ordering blood-laced food as well.”

“Not my favorite, but I need to get used to it,” he said, lifting a shoulder.

“Why?” Aflora asked.

She tried to glance back at him, but he pressed his mouth to her ear to murmur, “Because Midnight Fae with mates typically don’t feed on humans. It complicates matters, as you found out last week with your reaction to Kols feeding in the mortal realm. We’re territorial and we don’t like to share.”

“So no more drinking blood from the vein, unless it’s from your vein,” I said, closing the space between us. “And I won’t bite you again until you ask me to.” Or if I needed to suck power out of her, but I didn’t add that part, because it would be implied consent like it was the first time.

“Yes,” Zeph agreed softly. “We heard you loud and clear last week, pixie flower. No more sharing.”

“I-I didn’t say that,” she stuttered, her chest rising and falling in fast pants against mine.

“It was implied by your reaction,” I informed her. “And we did discuss exclusivity, if I remember correctly.”

“We never agreed to it,” she pointed out.