keep from kissing him within five seconds of seeing him. There was no way I could do what I needed to do if he was living with me. No way at all.
Caden’s eyes narrowed.
I squared my shoulders as I lifted my chin. “I don’t recall asking you to stay with me or giving you permission.”
“I don’t recall needing either of those things.”
“Are you serious?” I demanded, rising to my feet. “Of course, you need my permission to stay at my house.”
He glared up at me. “Under normal circumstances, yes. But when it’s to keep you out of harm’s way, I don’t.”
“Yeah, that’s not some unspoken law or something. And even if it were, I don’t need to follow it. I’m not fae. You’re not my King.”
“Um,” Faye murmured, shifting from one foot to the other uncomfortably.
“I know exactly what I am to you.” Caden rose to his full height, but he didn’t step toward me. I gaped at him. “This isn’t up for discussion.”
“That we can agree on, because you’re not staying with me.”
His smile was slow, predatory. “Then you’re staying with me.”
“No, I’m not!” I shouted. “I’m staying here until I can go home at the end of the week and sleep in my own bed—”
“I like where this is heading,” he cut in.
Tanner made a choking sound.
I stepped forward. “By myself. I’m going home at the end of the week. By myself.”
He quirked a brow. “We’ll see.”
Anger flashed through me hotly. “We won’t see crap. You’re not—”
“Okay. Let’s all take a breather.” Tanner had stood, holding up his hands. “No matter where Brighton decides to go at the end of the week, I am sure that she is not in any danger here. Aric is dead, and if what he said was true, which is unlikely, no Summer fae would seek to harm her, especially not here.”
“I will rip the skin from any fae who even has the smallest inkling of looking at her in a way I do not like,” Caden bit out.
My eyes widened. “That’s a bit excessive.”
Caden didn’t take his gaze from me. “That’s your opinion.”
My hands curled into fists. “That’s a mentally healthy opinion.”
“You know damn well that it’s not excessive,” he all but growled.
“If you’re worried about Brighton’s safety, I’m sure that Ivy or even Faye would be willing to stay with her after she leaves. I will also make sure she’s watched while here,” Tanner tried again, and Faye nodded while I bristled at the idea of being under surveillance, even if necessary.
“I will make sure she is safe here,” Caden replied.
Tanner appeared beyond flustered. “I mean this with all due respect, my King, I know that Brighton is important to you, but you must think about how this will look to Tatiana and her brother.”
Caden’s head snapped in his direction. “Do I appear as if I remotely care how it looks?”
The breath I took was as sharp as the one I knew Tanner inhaled. “You should care,” I told him, and I had no idea how he didn’t crack his neck with how fast he turned those furious eyes on me.
I had a feeling that whatever was about to come out of his mouth would be tantamount to me taking out an ad announcing that I was his mortuus.
Thank God that Faye spoke when she did. “Not to interrupt this very awkward conversation, but a Summer fae wanting the Queen to enter the human world? Do you really think one of our own would be working with Aric? With the Winter fae?”
“As if it hasn’t happened before,” Caden snapped. “Let’s not forget that Aric was one of my closest confidants. He was my Knight. So, it’s not just possible, it’s extremely likely.”
Chapter 5
I hadn’t believed that Aric had lied, but knowing that Caden saw it as highly likely was like watching a pall of death settle over the normally warm hotel.
Tanner was in shock. I couldn’t blame him. Faye looked as if she wanted to start a Fae Inquisition, and Caden looked like…
Well, I was doing my best not to see what he looked like by studiously ignoring him. Wasn’t exactly doing much since I didn’t need to see him to know that he was mad. His fury was in every clipped response and the tension that bled from him. I didn’t know what he was angrier about—that someone in his own Court had betrayed him, or that I had pushed back on the idea of him staying with me.
There was