Page 106 of Fey Empire

I stare up at my brother’s worried blue eyes, and my heart sinks. “I’m fine.” I reassure him. “Dyfri not so much.”

Heavens, to think a mere month ago the biggest thing on my mind was that my new husband was intimidating. Now I’d give anything for that to be my biggest problem.

Monty frowns. “What’s happened?”

“Mother mostly,” I sigh.

His eyes blaze. “What has she done to you?”

I shake my head. “Not to me, not directly. I promise you I’m fine.”

Loki barks at a sheet-covered settee, and a dark head peeks around it. Peering at the dire wolf uncertainly.

Loki makes a strange noise, as if she doesn’t know whether to growl or whine.

“Better grab your dog,” Monty says quickly. “Dogs tend not to like demons.”

Holy stars. I step forward to grab her, but she starts wagging her tail. The dark head stands up and reveals itself to be an extraordinarily beautiful human-looking young man. Any demon energy is well and truly shielded. Which makes sense since he has snuck into the fey court with my brother.

“This is Gray,” says Monty. “He brought me here through the shadows.”

“Nice to meet you,” I reply automatically.

Gray tilts his head at Loki, who wags her tail even more.

“She’s a dire wolf,” I explain. “So she might not be scared of you.”

The demon slowly offers Loki his hand. She sniffs it, and then licks it. Gray breaks out into a huge beaming smile. Then, the next thing I know, the two of them are tearing around the room in some kind of exuberant game of chase, as if Gray were a fellow puppy.

“Welcome to my life,” Monty says with a fond grin. “It is always chaos. Usually Gray. Often Lello. On days they are calm, someone else takes over.”

“Sounds delightful,” I chuckle.

“It is. I can’t wait for you to be a part of it.”

I look up at him in alarm.

“I’m here to take you home,” says my brother.

I swallow. Sweet goddess help me. I have to convince my brother that I’m safe here. Safe and happy, and that I want to stay.

I want to stay with Selwyn. My husband. My fey prince.

The man I am falling in love with.

Chapter thirty-seven

“Are you sure?” Monty asks yet again.

But the look in his eyes says he is starting to waver. He is finally beginning to believe me.

We have been sitting on top of this dustsheet-covered settee for hours, while I have been filling him in on everything that has happened, and we discussed various options and plans.

Loki and Gray calmed down ages ago and are now doing something quietly in the far corner. I’m a little alarmed at how much the demon’s dark ideas on how to deal with Mother appealed to me. But if anyone deserves darkness, it is her.

“Yes I am sure,” I say resolutely.

Doubt lingers in my brother’s eyes, and I understand, I really do. There is a part of me who longs to go home. But I have a mess of my own making to fix.