Page 81 of Hell Fae Commander

They would be insane to touch her,Ajax returned, obviously overhearing my thoughts again.Zakkai is fucking terrifying. Even they know that. And he’s just one of her four mates.

The one who bit her without her permission?I guessed.

Ajax snorted.No. That would be Shade. And how did you know that?

She mentioned it.

Ah.He paused.I suppose you would have that in common.

He turned into a Phoenix and claimed her?

Ajax coughed a laugh.No. He just pinned her against a wall and seduced her with his vampiric charm. Then sank his fangs into her neck.

Without her consent?

Without her consent,he confirmed.And he did it all without even giving her his name, too. The Midnight Fae Council was pissed.

And Aflora?

Also pissed.

No shit,I thought. “How did you not kill him?” I asked aloud as we reached a widened hallway that seemed to be leading to some sort of grand foyer ahead.

“Who?” she asked, notably startled.

“The mate who bit you without consent.”

She gazed back at me for a moment, her steps slowing. “I’m an Earth Fae at heart. We tend to favor peace over violence.”

“So you just… let him mate you…?”

She laughed, the sound reminding me of magical chimes. “No. He groveled.A lot. They all did.”

“All of them…?” My eyes widened. “Multiple men mated you without consent?”

And I thought my situation was bad…

“No. It… No. Only one did that. The others…” She twisted her lips to the side and shook her head again. “Honestly, it’s a really long story. But it had a happy ending. And I wouldn’t change anything about it now.”

The primary piece of her history that I knew about dealt with her and her mate-circle destroying an evil Midnight Fae—Constantine.

If I were in her shoes, I supposed I wouldn’t regret that either.

“Not to sound like Shade—who, by the way, is the willow stump that bit me against my will—but fate can be cruel sometimes. However, it almost always works out in the end.”

“Willow stump?” I asked her.

“She means asshole or jackass,” a masculine voice said as a male moved out of the shadows just as we stepped outside. “I heard my pet name, thought you might need me.”

Aflora rolled her eyes. “You’ve been stalking me since I left the room.”

Shade placed a palm over his heart, his icy eyes widening with fake innocence. “Me? Stalk you? I wouldn’t dream of it, little rose.”

Aflora made a noise. “I’m showing our guest to the gardens.”

“A guest you haven’t properly met yet.” Shade gave me a pointed look. “Most people introduce themselves before demanding a name. Especially when the person is aguestin another’s palace.”

“You’re chastising me?” I arched a brow. “After I learned how you forced your mating bite on Queen Aflora?”