Page 9 of Shifter’s Promise (Devourer of Magic)

Chapter

Seven

T he place they chose was another test—or game, or whatever bullshit these men were up to. One of the few buildings not constructed entirely by sandstone, the wooden frame swayed with the wind, a howl echoing through the tavern with each gust.

My brow furrowed as I stepped through the doorway. Already halfway across the dining area, Taka went straight to the bar while Aya flirted with the hostess trying to seat us. Raxa sighed his way into a nearby booth.

I couldn’t help it when my gaze sought Leona’s this time. I needed some kind of ally if those three were going to play games. Leona was my mate after all.

“Are they always this obnoxious?” I asked loud enough for Aya and the hostess to hear, His only reaction was the stiffening of his shoulders.

Leona’s lips curled. “Thankfully, not always.”

My smile matched hers. “It’s good to know they aren’t always like this. Guess that means I’m just special.” My joke earned another twist of her lips, sending my heart skittering, and stomach bursting with butterflies.

Gods, she was beautiful.

“Indeed you are,” she husked, her voice dropping unexpectedly, sending a heady tremor through my being.

Face flushed, I cleared my throat and finally tore my gaze from her golden locks and vivid orange eyes.

“Should we take a seat?”

Leona’s chuckle followed me all the way to Raxa’s table. I slid into the booth across from him. He barely glanced up, occupying himself with a dagger as he cleaned his nails.

“At the table? Really?” Were these men raised in a barn?

Raxa’s gaze snapped up, a look of both surprise and embarrassment flicking through his eyes before he pocketed the knife.

“Apologies,” he mumbled, avoiding my gaze. This time he tapped his fingers along the table. At least it was better than cleaning his dirty nails.

I shook my head and sighed. This whole marriage thing wasn’t looking good. Each brother was more annoying than the last. Raxa being the least and Taka and Aya tying for first.

A soft growl inside my mind startled me.

My leopard had prowled closer in the days since we’d met Leona, but this was the first time she let her ire for the males be known.

I slapped a hand over my lips to hide my laugh before it spilled out.

Luckily, only Leona noticed my slip. Standing off to the side, arms crossed and back on guard, she arched an eyebrow.

I waved off her questioning brow just as Taka shouted across the tavern, “What do you want to drink?”

Gentlemanly…

“Wine for me.” I wasn’t a fan of the ales in the Beast Kingdom. Too bitter and frothy.

“Got it.” He faced the bartender.

Raxa called for ale and Aya was quick to follow. Done flirting with the hostess, the male slid in next to his brother, forcing him closer to the wall.

“Not a beer fan, sweetheart?” he drawled with a chuckle.

It was nothing like his usual accent. Is he mocking me?

“No,” I answered simply. Before I could say more, a tray slammed against the table, sending four tall pints sloshing over the sides.

“Whoops,” Taka said. He shrugged it off and pushed into the seat beside me.

I narrowed my eyes and claimed the wall as my new backrest. My skin crawled at his nearness, nostrils flaring. At least keeping my knees between us gave me some comfort, but there was no relaxing this close to a jaguar I had no fondness for.

“You got four ales, brother,” Raxa deadpanned as he plucked his drink from the tray. Aya quickly polished his off and slipped off to the bar again while Taka regarded me from the corner of his eye .

Ah, another test .

“I’m not a fan of ale,” I said. “If your memory is this bad, I can’t imagine you’ll make a very good husband let alone clan head.” I purposefully faced Raxa just as Taka’s jaw dropped in surprise.

Raxa flushed and avoided my gaze. I didn’t mean to make it sound like he was a better option for remembering, but that’s what I was here for—to pick a husband. He was the better option for his memory and lack of attitude. Taka on the other hand glowered at his brother as if this was all his fault.

“I’ll get my own drink.” I stood as I suggested it, but Taka didn’t move. Without him sliding off the bench seat, I was trapped. It was my turn to glower. “Can you move, please?”

Why am I wasting polite words on this asshole again?

Ah, right, because I wanted my people to have their lands returned.

“Don’t worry, I’ll get it right this time.” Taka winked as he slid out of the seat. I had zero trust I would get what I asked for, but still, I sat back down.

“All right…” I mumbled.

Left in silence, I looked between Raxa and the rest of the tavern.

It was a rustic old place but well maintained.

I didn’t spy so much as a layer of dust on the nearby lanterns or the windowsill nuzzled squarely between booth seats.

Maybe I’d return here with Kara another day.

We’d never had the opportunity to share a drink given we were both children when I was taken.

Since Raxa was more interested in the wood grain of the table, I twisted in my seat to keep an eye on his brothers.

At least he didn’t seem too troublesome.

The same couldn’t be said for Taka nor Aya.

While Taka ordered, Aya pressed up against the hostess next to the bar, whispering something in her ear while his thigh pressed between her legs.

Gods , I was already exhausted. Not from the fall off the cliff or the hike here and back, but from these men . They were more exhausting than anything I’d dealt with since being home.

But at least they aren’t slavers .

The thought had a lump forming in the back of my throat. It had only been a few days since my escape, and I was already embroiled in the politics of clan life. I hadn’t had the chance to explain the details to my family—not that I was sharing everything with either of them.

“Here you are, my lady,” Taka said as he placed a new tray on the table. A goblet of dark liquid didn’t slosh this time. Maybe he was learning after all.

“Thanks,” I said dryly, unable to hide my attitude with his mocking choice of my lady . It wasn’t an honorific used much in Auroi.

Though I think I like it better than princess .

He pushed the goblet in front of me and stacked the trays while Raxa waved Aya over.

Music started up, drowning out the hum of nearby conversation.

I perked up, eyes widening as the fiddle rose in volume, a handful of musicians accompanying him a moment later.

From the back of the bar where we sat, it wasn’t overly loud, but I noticed a few patrons near to the band wincing .

“Do they usually have a band here?” I asked. If so, I’d definitely bring Kara next time. My sister loved to dance.

“Sometimes,” Taka said. He sat beside Raxa this time, giving me more space to spread out. I took my goblet finally, raising it to my lips.

The scent was heady and deep, not quite as fruity as I expected, but not bad either. I'd finally taken a sip when I caught Taka’s smirk across the table.

What did he— I spluttered, spitting the foul beverage the second it touched my tongue.

“What the hell is this?”

The bitter taste clung to the back of my tongue. I wiped the spittle from my mouth just as Taka’s laughter reached an all time high.

“Brandy,” he finally said between wheezes.

Ah, so not wine .

This asshole was really testing my patience. If this marriage was going to proceed maybe I should tell Jeremiah that Taka was out of the race. I couldn’t imagine marrying the jerk, let alone cohabitating.

Raxa elbowed his brother, but Taka only fell from the booth, still snickering more than necessary. I pushed the goblet away, tempted to dump it over the male’s head. Before I could decide on a course of action, a strong hand grabbed my arm and pulled me from the booth.

Eyes wild from the sudden movement, I twisted so harshly I wrenched my own arm—but Aya didn’t release me.

“Come on, let’s have a dance! ”

Without waiting for my response, he yanked me toward a clear portion of the floor for dancing. Two couples had risen to dance, their laughter twining with the cacophony of instruments. Aya hauled me against his chest, then snatched my hand and spun me in circles.

“Wait,” I hissed between my teeth, but it was useless.

My mind whirled, my heartbeat ratcheting as the tavern spun and spun before my eyes. My stomach clenched and knotted, the blur of the tavern giving way to an elegant ballroom—one I recognized all too well.

Elherd’s manor had been my home for many years, or as close to one as possible while living as a slave.

I couldn’t begin to describe the torment the elf lord put me through—us through—all of his slaves.

Balls had been one of his favorite ways to torment us.

He hosted dance after dance, forcing us to dress up and spin in heels until our feet bled and we collapsed from exhaustion.

Day and night music would ring as he forced us around in circles, into waltzes and group routines born of elven heritage.

Nausea rose inside me. Panic bubbled in my gut. A wave of turmoil sucked me into its vortex, making me gasp in fear. Finally, I couldn’t take it anymore.

Wrenching from his grip, I fell to my knees, then my hip. I braced my palms on the worn wood as the music screeched to a halt.

Someone hovered beside me within a moment, but I couldn’t decipher who as my ears rang and my heart pounded behind my eyes. I’m not there . I was safe. I was free. I dug my fingers into the wood, feeling the uneven texture. I used it to ground myself. Slowly, sound returned.

“Twinlin, please speak to me,” Leona begged. “What happened?”

The heat of her palms hovered an inch from my skin as if waiting for permission. One small move and she’d be touching me. I pushed into her hands, my breath returning in one powerful gasp.

I had no idea what had just happened, or why the world tried to wink out of existence because of a dance. I grasped Leona’s leather clad arms and she helped me to my feet.

Aya’s laugh had died, but his smirk remained. He slung his arm over my shoulders.

“Sorry, princess, got a little carried away!”

A growl tore from my throat so suddenly he leapt back like I’d burned him. Strangely, Leona didn’t heed the same warning, possibly because she knew it wasn’t for her.

“A little carried away?” Leona snapped. “Why would you grab her like that?”

“I was just trying to have a little fun!” Aya threw his hands up like we were both being ridiculous.

Growl still rumbling up from my chest and into my throat, I pushed away from them both and crossed the tavern, heading back to the booth, only for Taka to meet me halfway.

“I thought you might be thirsty, whoop—” Taka tripped over nothing, careening toward me with wide eyes. The tray slipped from his hand, sending an entire goblet of red wine across my face, chest and stomach.

The wet dripped off my chin as that hot coal of rage finally sparked. A snarl echoed in my mind, and before I knew what was happening, I was on all fours—transformed like an angry, petulant child. With my leopard’s fur bristling and teeth snapping, Taka gazed at me in shock.

Fuck sake! I screamed internally. I hadn’t meant to shift.

Embarrassment blazed red hot across my pelt. My head whipped left and right, gaze scanning the tavern until it finally landed on the exit.

Without thought, I darted toward the door, claws scraping wood in my panic.

I shouldered it open, almost slamming it off its hinges, before racing into the dark of night, my name echoing off the sandstone streets behind me.