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The room was extremely large, grand with golden pillars supporting the ceiling and a bathing pool tucked into the back of the room.

Seated among cushions throughout the floor were hundreds of female fae.

All eyes slid to me as I entered. I read the disgust and contempt in their gazes as well as the jealousy flaring in their eyes as they looked me over.

Jutting my chin and straightening my back, I met each gaze with an imperious look of my own.

I was royalty and would not cower under the derisive glances of concubines.

Dannam stepped partway into the room, gesturing for me to stand beside him. “This is Emeri; she will be joining your ranks in honoring our beloved king.”

I fought down the annoyance. Honor…please .

“Please welcome her,” Dannam finished, his voice flat, as if he’d given the same speech a hundred times. Which he probably had, I realized. Dannam turned and gave me a nod before heading out of the room and leaving me with the females.

I swept into the room gracefully, my footfalls light as I made my way to an unoccupied cushion at the back of the room.

“Who does she think she is?” A female fae muttered, adorned in lavish clothing.

“Walking in here as if she’s royalty.” Another female whispered.

Mocking laughter erupted from those gathered. Ignoring them all, I gently lowered myself onto the cushion and plotted how to set my daughter free.

That night, I was guided by the guards into a small room adjacent to the large room that I had been left in earlier that day.

Upon asking why I was singled out, I was told by the guard that new concubines were given their own quarters for two weeks till they acclimated to life as a concubine amongst many.

Once the two weeks were finished, they were to sleep with all the other concubines in the main living area.

Shortly after, the guards brought in a skimpy little nightgown for me to wear.

I lifted the silver fabric after the guards had left. The hem was short; two cutouts appeared on either side of the gown. There was little to no fabric in the back, which would result in a swooping backline. I curled my upper lip.

They are serving me to the king on a silver platter .

My inner wolf growled low in her throat. Sighing, I tossed the nightgown onto the small bed and changed out of my tattered garments into the sleeping attire. I folded my clothes and placed them on the wooden chair in the opposite corner of the room.

I y on my bed, my stomach sour at the thought of not being let outside the concubine quarters once since being sent there.

The guards at the doors had said I wasn’t allowed to leave the quarters until the king had a chance to visit me.

Snobbish laughter was followed soon after by the other females as I had to tuck my tail and retreat back to my cushion.

How am I to find my daughter when I can’t even explore the palace?

I sighed and closed my eyes. I’m coming for you Melodina. Just hold on a little longer.

I saw a flash of brightness behind my eyelids.

My eyes snapped open wide. A shimmering light appeared in the middle of my room, the light spiraling into a vortex.

Then a tall figure wearing a dark tunic and leather pants emerged .

Dark hair billowed in a non-existent wind. Amethyst eyes peered down at me.

My heart swelled inside my chest. “Drake,” I cried, rising from the bed.

My skin tingled with the urge to throw myself into his arms, but I stomped down the rush of excitement breezing through my insides. I would not give him the satisfaction of seeing my glee. Irritation still burned like banked coals in my gut for his invasion of my thoughts.

“How’d you get in?” I asked .

Drake raised a brow, gesturing back to the shimmering vortex that shrank until it winked out of site. “My power,” he stated as if it were as simple as that.

I blinked at him in awe of how powerful he was. Since my time away in the human realm, I had forgotten exactly how powerful Drake was.

Drake’s gaze slowly dragged down my body, snagging on my breasts before lingering on my hips.

The breath was sucked out of my lungs, my skin scorching under his slow perusal.

Appreciation shone in his eyes. My lower abdomen tightened as my nipples thrust against the scratchy fabric, becoming sensitive.

He stepped toward me. “Your arousal lays thick in the air,” Drake purred.

Then he sighed. “But, I can’t stay long.

” He extended his hand. A small vial of purple liquid rested in his palm.

“I came here to give you this.” He frowned darkly.

“Use it on the king when he tries to bed you. It can be placed in a drink or on the skin.”

I took the vial and raised it into view. I spun the vial around, eyeing the liquid sloshing inside. “What does it do?”

“It will rapidly sedate the king.”

I breathed a sigh of relief. My gut had been in anxious knots over the prospect of bedding the king. Now I wouldn’t have to worry about that. I turned my attention to Drake.

He’d known. He’d read my thoughts and made a potion to help me.

His thoughtfulness brought tears to my eyes. I blinked them back as I offered him a smile. “Thank you.” I wrapped my arms around his narrowed waist and hugged him.

I heard Drake’s heartbeat pick up inside his chest from where my head rested.

The quickened thumps were soothing. Drake enfolded me in his arms. I felt the mating cord hum with energy at his touch.

The amber and amethyst colors brightened along the bond, their vibrance something beautiful to witness.

The tug of the mating bond beckoned me—had me nestling deeper into Drake.

He rubbed a strong hand along my spine. Delicious tingling sparked where his hand trailed a path along my skin.

I lifted my head from his chest and looked up into his eyes. The amethyst of Drake’s eyes glowed with lust and also an unreadable emotion. He dipped his head slightly, his gaze dropping to my mouth. My mouth began to fill with moisture in want of his kiss. A low heat settled low in my abdomen.

I pushed onto my toes, craning my neck, my eyelids fluttering close as Drake’s lips drew closer. Then, the sound of footsteps echoed in the large room. They were drawing closer. Alarm shot through me like a bullet.

Someone’s coming.

Drake ripped himself away from me and threw his hand out. The vortex burst into the room, and Drake stepped into it. My breath hitched in my lungs as the door to my quarters opened right when the last of the portal winked out of sight.

The king of the summer fae stepped into the room.

His hair was snow white, cascading down his shoulders and to his waist like a waterfall. High cheekbones met a sharp jaw. His features were angular like most of the fae males but more severe. The planes of his face—harsher. Cool blue eyes peered at me.

I dropped into a low curtsy as he closed the door behind himself. “Welcome, Your Majesty. ”

“You may call me Cassiar,” the king replied, his voice smooth like butter.

I straightened to find his hungry gaze on me. But whereas Drake’s lust-filled gaze was an aphrodisiac to my senses, Cassiar’s was like a dousing of cold water. His tongue flicked out to lick at his lower lip. He hummed as he began to circle me slowly.

“The guards spoke to me of your stunning beauty, but I didn’t fully believe them. Until now,” he said, his voice husky.

I gave a coy smile, fighting back my desire to rake my claws across his face. Rage festered like a sick bacteria inside my gut. Whoever had kidnapped my daughter had her in his palace. The summer king surely must’ve known about her whereabouts.

“Shall we share a drink together?” I asked. I slowly walked toward him, swaying my hips, my eyes half-lidded. “In celebrations of my arrival at your palace and as your concubine?”

Cassiar’s eyes flashed with lust. He nodded. “Yes, of course,” he purred. “Guards,” he called. The door opened as two guards filed inside.

“Yes, Your Majesty?”

“Bring us some wine, the fine wine.” He glanced at me, a smile curving his lips. “We’re going to celebrate.”

I smiled back at him, fluttering my lashes. I threw in a girlish giggle to sell it for good measure.

“Yes, Your Majesty. Right away.” The guards departed.

Cassiar returned his focus to me. He lifted a hand and ran his fingers along my cheekbone. “You’re so beautiful,” he said, his eyes undressing what little clothing I had left .

I fought not to squirm. My smile began to crack under the weight of his lecherous stare. “Shall we retire to the bed while we wait?”

My throat grew too tight, and my next words were barely able to pass through. “Alright.”

We sat beside each other on the bed. In the next moment, I found myself seated in Cassiar’s lap, his fingers toying with a strand of my blonde hair.

He ducked his head and pressed a kiss to my slender throat before placing another at my collarbone.

I fisted my hands till my fingers bit into the tender flesh of my palms.

Melodina…this is for Melodina… I chanted my daughter’s name inside my head with each kiss. Her name was a lifeline under the king’s hands. I felt the small vial still in my left palm, but I couldn’t uncork it and place a drop with him being so close. He would notice!

A knock at the door sounded. Then the door opened, and a guard stepped inside with two wine glasses and a bottle of wine on a tray. I fairly leaped from the king’s lap and stood facing the guard.

The king chuckled. “She’s a little shy, isn’t she?” He asked the guard.

The guard glanced at me as if he was noticing me for the first time. “Uh…yes, Your Majesty.”

I wanted to roll my eyes.

The king gestured toward the small table at the back of the room. “Set the try down there.”

The guard nodded, placed the tray on the table, and promptly left .

“Allow me to pour us some wine,” I told the king, smiling up at him.

He nodded, seemingly pleased I would wait on him.

I grabbed the wine bottle and poured the wine into the two glasses.

Quickly, I uncorked the bottle and placed a few droplets of the potion into one of the glasses.

Tucking the vial into my cleavage, the tiny vial fitting snugly, I grabbed the glasses and offered the king the glass with the potion.

I smiled. “Here you are,” I said, extending the wine glass to him.

He gave me a salacious grin. “Thank you,” he said as he took the glass from my hand. Tipping his head back, he drank the wine. I drank my own glass while I watched, with rapt attention, as he drank every drop.

The king sighed with contentment. He extended his hand and wiggled his fingers, signaling I should hand him my empty glass.

I smoothed my brow of any lingering frown and pasted a smile on my face.

Placing my glass in his hand, I stood and waited while the king placed our glasses on the tray at the table once more.

With his back to me, I made my way over to the bed.

I stretched out across the sheets, the hem of the nightgown rising high up my thighs.

Cassiar turned around. His brows shot up, a look of pleasant surprise on his face at the fact that I was waiting for him.

Supposedly. He stalked toward me, his steps graceful and light.

As he slid onto the bed, I caught the bleary look in his eye, the sheen of his cool blue eyes indicating the potion was fast at work.

In the next breath, he collapsed onto the bed, his head falling on the pillow.

I lay, frozen in place, as I listened to his even breaths.

Once assured he was asleep, I allowed my muscles to relax.

I scooted away from the king, choosing to lie on the edge of the bed opposite of him.

A plan began to form in my mind. Now that the King had visited me, I would be allowed to tour the palace.

All I had to do was find my daughter, and on the nights the king paid interest in me, I’d spike his drink before he could touch me.

Heaving a heavy sigh, I closed my eyes and allowed myself to drift off to sleep.