eyes around for any sign of Liam. He was at the bar, lifting two glasses of orangey liquid into his hands.
“I’m happy where I am.” I turned back to the fae. “So, you can be moving along now.”
“You might think you’re happy, but you’re not.” The male wrapped his long fingers around my wrist and squeezed tight. With a growl, I yanked away and slapped him right on the face. The sound echoed through the quiet tavern. My palm stung, and a big blotchy red spread across the fae’s pale cheek.
I sucked in a sharp breath.
Whoops. I hadn’t meant to do that.
Liam suddenly appeared and slammed the drinks down onto the table. Wood splintered. The murmured conversations fell into a quiet hush, and every head in the tavern turned our way.
I swallowed hard. This wasn’t going well. And I had a feeling it was about to get a lot worse.
“Are you coming on to my mate?” Liam bellowed, his voice a boom against the wooden walls. “Are you trying to steal her away from me?”
The Autumn fae folded his long, thin hands into his lap and looked up at Liam with a chilly smile. “Your mate informed me you’re a half-breed. I was merely suggesting that she might be in a better position if she turned her romantic interests elsewhere.”
“So, you were trying to steal her.” Liam leaned down and snarled into the fae’s face, his body trembling from barely-contained anger. “You. Were. Trying. To. Steal. My. Mate!”
Oh my. Well…this was certainly an interesting reaction, one that should have made me cower in fear. Liam was kind of scary. But…instead of flinching away from him, I leaned forward, enthralled by the fire dancing in his bonfire eyes. I had never seen anything like him before. He was pure fury. Pure power. If he’d told me in that moment that he could rip the very sky to shreds, I would have believed him.
The Autumn fae didn’t even flinch. He merely tsked and rolled his eyes. “Honestly, the Summer temper tantrums are so tiresome.”
Liam leaned forward, bracing his fists on the table, which shook beneath the force of him. “You think this is a Summer temper tantrum? Trust me, it gets a hell of a lot worse than this. Now, get away from my mate or you’ll see what the true force of my anger can do.”
“Liam,” I said in a harsh whisper, the heat on my cheeks deepening. Even though his reaction had intrigued me, it probably wasn’t a great idea for him to continue on like this. We’d never find out what he needed to know if things escalated.
Besides, I didn’t know why Liam was reacting like this. I wasn’t actually his mate. And both of us knew I never would be. So, why was he getting so pissed off that another fae was talking to me? Was he…actually jealous?
The Autumn fae pushed back his chair and stood, crossing his arms over his golden-cloaked chest. All around us, the entire bar did the same. Dozens of Autumn fae stood from their tables, the room a hush that was louder than the murmur of voices from before.
Uh oh.
“I think it’s time you leave. Your mate is welcome here, but you are not.” The Autumn fae rested his hand on the ornate, golden hilt of a sword that he’d somehow kept hidden until this moment.
Double uh oh.
I swallowed hard, my heartbeat flickering a frantic beat. Eyes wide, I glanced from the Autumn fae to Liam’s fiery eyes. Both men looked on the verge of a violent fight, though they were so different in how they held themselves. Liam was visibly angry, his fists trembling with his passionate emotions, as if he were two seconds away from pummelling the fae with all the strength of his body. The Autumn fae, on the other hand, was still, quiet, calm, like a dangerous predator ready to pounce on its prey. Like a snake prepared to strike.
“In Otherworld,” Liam began in a low, dangerous voice, “we do not attempt to steal another male’s mate. It’s devious and cruel. But I guess I shouldn’t be so surprised, should I? Not here, in the Autumn Court. You’re soulless assassins. Failing ones, at that. When was the last time you managed to get a worthwhile kill?”
My eyes slightly widened at his words, though I kept the rest of my face blank. I understood what he was doing now. Provoking them. Inwardly, I rolled my eyes at myself. I couldn’t