The Bazaar (Fae's Captive #6) - Lily Archer Page 0,3

the finery in the closet. “And those boots look sturdy.”

She runs a hand through her short hair. “Just pick one.”

“Fine.” A little thrill rushes through me at the thought of Gareth seeing me all dressed up. Maybe I can pull it off somehow? A glance down at my skin tells me I can’t. There are too many scars. Though I don’t have slave bands, these marks are just as bad. What must he think when he sees them? He can call me his mate all he wants, but I’m damaged. I’ll never possess fae beauty. My old wounds threaten to open, but I seal them up tight. I can’t cry over the scars. I’m not weak like that anymore. Pushing back my shoulders, I let the towel drop.

Eldra gasps, though she has the decency to do it quietly.

Forcing a cocky smile to my lips, I lift my chin. “Surprised by all the gorgeousness, eh?”

“I’m sorry.” The unexpected tenderness in her tone makes my eyes water. I turn away and step toward the glitzy closet right as a boom shakes the walls and wood screams and splinters nearby.

2

Gareth

She’s here. I can scent her even though she’s surrounded by some sort of flowery, sweet fragrance. Her wildness can’t be hidden. Not from me. Never from me. I thunder into a residence on the fancy side of Cranthum and leave the front door in splinters. A fountain tumbles ahead of me, its clear water a sign of great wealth in this desert pit.

Turning, I feel the tendrils of the bond stretching out and tying into Beth’s soul. She’s close. The roar in my ears doesn’t abate as I stalk through the house. I am death to anyone who keeps me from her.

I bust through another door and find a changeling female with a blade in one hand. But she doesn’t brandish it at me. She stares, then cuts her gaze to a closet.

The roar stops, the entirety of Arin fading away as I stare at my perfect mate. Her body is bare, every bit of her available for my perusal. Her narrow shoulders give way to a back of alabaster, a lickable spine, and a biteable ass. The smoothness of her thighs is a sight the likes of which I never thought I’d see, and all I need is for her to turn around and give me a view that could very well strike me dead.

A purr vibrates through me as she looks at me over her shoulder, her eyes giving me a silent invitation.

I stalk past the dark-haired female and wrap my arms around Beth, yanking her against me and fastening my mouth to her delicate neck.

“Remember the deal.” She can’t hide the breathiness in her tone nor the honeyed scent from between her legs.

The bloodlust in my veins simmers into something richer, and I need to feel her, to taste the one who was made just for me. “I remember.” I slide my fingers along her flesh, teasing the side of her stomach and raising my hand to cup her breast.

“Gareth.” My name on her tongue is a rod at my back.

I grip her hip and press my hardness into her backside. “You were gone.” My fangs skate along the skin of her throat. “Taken from me again.” I grind myself against her, enjoying every little sound she makes. “How many must I kill? How many must I destroy to keep you safe?” I run my tongue along the fluttering vein in her neck. “I will take as many lives as I must to keep you close, my beloved.”

She breathes out hard. “I love it when you call me that.”

I brush my thumb over the tight bud of her small breast, and she moans. Claiming her right here seems like the best idea. Marking her as mine will serve as a warning. And if it isn’t heeded? A growl ripples up my throat, and goosebumps erupt along her skin.

“Gareth, you have to stop.” But she moves her hips, her round ass cradling my cock as I move against her.

“I will make you scream, my beloved. Have you begging me to stop wringing pleasure from your body.”

Pinching her nipple, I twist it. She whimpers, and I want to devour that sound.

“Break the deal. Give in to me, and I will have you writhing in pleasure as I lick your sweet cunt.”

Her gasp is torture, and I slip my other hand around her hip and down to the apex of her thighs.

“We made