Crypts and Crimes (Trixie Towers #3) - Scarlett Dawn Page 0,2

in shock, “What in the Fae fuck are you doing in here?” Perhaps he had lost his mind.

The King of Shifters leaned against the doorframe to the bathroom and crossed his massive arms over his muscled chest—his shirt gone somewhere already. He wiggled his bare toes on the chilly, white tile as he lifted one snarky, black eyebrow. His solid-black eyes stared directly into my rounded gaze, and he stated evenly, “King Traevon finally went downstairs to talk with his guards. We have a few minutes of privacy.”

I lowered my hand and crossed my arms over my breasts, then curled my legs up, hiding as much as I could from his shrewd gaze. I snapped in aggravation, “What do you need? You already warned me about the tiger book.”

The shifter king grunted. “Answer my question. Did you learn your lesson?”

“What lesson?” I pulled my eyebrows together.

“About gifting your power to a soul mate?” he answered simply.

I tilted my head back in disbelief and stared at the wondrous stained glass of the ceiling. “You could have died out there if it wasn’t for what I had done. You should be thanking me, not criticizing me about it.”

“What have you learned, Princess?” King Athon asked with forced patience, gritting each word out between his teeth. “You are not that daft.”

“That I should always have spare food on me,” I spat. I dropped my head back down and glowered into his hard eyes. “Because my fucking soul mate can’t seem to keep himself out of harm’s way.”

The shifter king’s chuckle was ruthless, his black eyes narrowing. “Look in the mirror before you point that finger at other people. I know what I can handle. You have yet to learn that about yourself.”

I sniffed. He…may have a point there.

King Athon pushed off the doorframe and prowled to the bathtub. He reached behind him, pulling something out of the back of his pants. The King of Shifters bent over at the waist, placing his face right in front of mine, the tips of our noses almost touching.

I froze in place, dumbfounded. “What?”

He held still for a heartbeat, and then his cruel expression unexpectedly tempered—somewhat. He opened his mouth, stating softly. “I wanted to say this privately, too, as it does mean so much to my people—and me. Thank you, Trixie. Thank you for helping to find my original.”

My chin bobbed up and down in shock, and then I mumbled dumbly, “You already thanked me.”

“It deserved repeating.” He dipped his head in a formal bow, and when his eyes lifted, his usual heated glower was back in place. His lips pulled back into a snarl, and he spoke quietly, “Remember your fucking lesson, elf.”

I scowled. “You’re an ass.”

King Athon’s golden circlet crown glittered in the unnatural lighting from high in the ceiling, while he grabbed my right hand and yanked it away from my chest. He slapped something into my palm, and he enunciated clearly, “I won’t help you again with this.”

I flashed my fangs right in his face. “Bite me, shifter.”

“I wasn’t the one begging to bite, if you remember correctly,” King Athon taunted, smirking cruelly as he stood to his intimidating height of six feet, six inches. He turned and walked away, ignoring the red flames that flashed in my eyes, commanding over his shoulder, “After you eat that, brush your teeth so King Traevon doesn’t smell it on your breath.”

I looked down at what I now held—dried jerky strips.

Knowing he could hear me, I mumbled absently, “I’m going to say that Louie gifted me the book.”

The bedchamber door opened and clicked shut gently.

* * *

I flipped a page of the tiger book and curled my toes down into the soft mattress of Father’s bed. The words stretched before my eyes. I scrunched my nose in disgust, picturing my revolting soul mate shitting and pissing on everything to mark his territory, warning others away from what he considered his. I shook my head, and I remarked to myself, “That is not very kingly if you ask me. Shitting on things just to leave your scent there—even for the most backward shifter, it would be unseemly. Gross.”

Father’s laughter burst through his bedchamber.

My head jerked up, and my eyes widened, surprise holding me immobile. “When did you get in here?”

King Traevon rubbed a towel over his head, drying his wet, red hair. His grin stretched across his entire face, his emerald eyes glinting with mirth. He sported a pair of black, silk pajama bottoms, obviously fresh