Page 53 of Crave Me

Yet this male had tried to take her from me? To ruin that opportunity before it had even begun?

I took a step forward, ignoring the gasps from the crowd. “Face me,” I demanded.

He shifted back to human form, leaving him naked and kneeling on the other side of Nyx’s barrier, his head bent in a show of supplication. “I… I didn’t realize…”

“You didn’t realize she was my fated mate?” I asked him. “Perhaps because you didn’t deign to ask me about her presence?”

“N-no, Your Majesty. I… I thought she was lying… She’s not marked. I didn’t want t-to bother you,” he stammered, sounding a lot less grizzly than usual.

I narrowed my gaze. “Perhaps you should have asked.” I pulled a knife from my pocket and twirled it between my fingers, debating my next move.

The predator within me desired blood. But it appeared the male was already bleeding.

“Did you stab him?” I asked Nyx.

“No, the bullet bounced off my shield and went into his shoulder.” Her gaze went to Lissa. “Which is when she started screaming, and then the alarms went off.”

“I see.” I continued twirling the blade between my fingers, my gaze not leaving Raymond.

If I punished him, I would have to punish them all. Because every single one of the kneeling beings on this street had tried to attack my mate.

Not my mate,I reminded myself.Just… potentially my mate.

And they hadn’t known who she was, just saw her as someone new who had…created an elf?What a bizarre thing to start a fight over. “Was it her magic that caused your reaction?” I asked Raymond.

“Y-yes,” he whispered. “And… and the naked blond.”

“Naked blond?” I repeated as Kaspian arrived at my side.

“What?” he asked, glancing around the crowd.

“The elf,” Nyx clarified. “He was blond.”

“And naked,” the bear shifter growled. “In my mate’s shop.”

“Oh, it was harmless fun,” Lissa retorted. “I wasn’t going to do anything.”

“Ugh, I just wanted some clothes,” Nyx muttered, clearly exasperated.

“What the fuck did I miss?” Kaspian asked, his bewildered tone matching how I felt.

Nyx repeated the whole story for him, including the stardust, how it granted desires, and that Lissa had created a naked blond elf from some movie with her wish.

“Well, shit,” Kaspian breathed. “Can I have some stardust?”

I growled at him and he grinned.

“Come on, mate. It could be fun,” he offered, making me wonder why I’d chosen him as my second-in-command if he couldn’t remain serious in such a moronic situation.

The blade in my hand stilled as I considered stabbing him instead of Raymond.

“This is all clearly a misunderstanding,” Kaspian continued, making me narrow my gaze. “How about everyone head on home while I have a word with our king and our goddess guest, yeah?”

I arched a brow, wondering what had given him the audacity to take charge ofmypeople.

Yet they all miraculously listened to him, taking the first opportunity available to flee.

My jaw ticked.Yes, I’m definitely going to stab Kaspian.