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AURELIA
I knew I shouldn’t have come here.
My anger spiked and my magic rose to the surface as my wings spread wide.
“You are just like everyone else,” I screamed.
He just wants to own me... Use me! What happens if I am no longer useful? Will he sell me to be tested on? I can’t trust him.
“Aurelia, calm down,” Grey said softly.
He held his hands out in surrender and I frowned.
Why is he acting afraid?
I glanced down at my own hands. “Shit, what is that?”
A purple ball of magic sat in my palm. That had never happened before.
How do I stop it?
“Your magic is reacting to your anger and fear. Breathe with me. I need you to calm down before you burn down my apartment with us in it,” Grey said in a soothing tone.
“You know that telling someone to calm down is the last thing you should say when you want them to calm down, right?” I shrieked.
The ball grew bigger the more I yelled.
What the fuck is happening? What magic is this?
Grey breathed deeply in through his nose and waited a beat then blew it out of his mouth. “Match my breathing, Aurelia.”
Just the way he said my name had me slightly calmer. That shouldn’t have been possible since he was the leader of the corrupt organization, the syndicate.
I matched his breathing and sucked in a huge lungful of air before blowing it out in time with his.
“Good, you’re doing so well, princess. Keep going,” he coaxed, and I glared at the stupid nickname.
My magic flared again at his words.
Grey chuckled and the sound was like a balm on my skin. “Okay, no nicknames. Focus on breathing and the sound of my voice.”
He kept his breathing slow and even and I matched it, listening to his soothing words until the magic fizzled out.
“You’re going to need training to control that, Aurelia,” Grey said sternly. “You could hurt someone accidentally with that kind of unchecked magic.”
Now I just wanted to smack him. “You think? There’s no one else like me to train me though,” I threw my hands up in frustration.
“What did that woman teach you?” Grey shook his head in exasperation.
“Not much of anything. I was lucky she taught me to read and fed me,” I said narrowing my eyes at him.
Did he think I was a pampered princess the way the shifter from the motel did?
“She wasn’t your real mother, was she?” he asked with a pointed stare.
“She was the one who counted,” I growled. “She didn’t have to raise me, but she did.”
“So you have never seen another Fae?” He asked placing a hand on my lower back and leading me back to the couch.
“There aren’t any other fae here.” I shrugged.
Was I wrong? Did mother lie to me about everything?
“You’re not the only Fae in the realm, technically.” Grey winced.
“What do you mean by that?” I asked and sat down heavily on the couch.
“Full blooded Fae are elitist snobs. They send their half-Fae children to the mortal world more often than not,” Grey sighed and sat in the reclining chair.
“So, you’re telling me that I’m likely only half fairy?” I asked furrowing my brow.
What else can I be? Mother would have told me if I was anything else right?
“No, you’re definitely full Fae. With the amount of magic you almost just unleashed on my living room there is no doubt.” He picked up his glass and took a long sip eyeing me over the top of it.
“Then why was I left here alone to fend for myself? Why am I not in the Fae realm?” I asked sadly.
Did my real parents throw me away to the human realm? Why? What could I have done to make them not love me?
“I don’t know.” Grey said with a shake of his head.
“So you want me to come work for the syndicate?” I asked.
“I do. I have half Fae there who can help you learn control. You will have a place to stay and money in your pocket for whatever you need.” He set his glass on the table and the ice clanked against the sides.
Can I really do this? Mother warned me about the syndicate. She told me they were the worst of the supernaturals but Grey has been nothing but kind to me. Is it an act? A ploy to get what he wants?
“I would just have to work for you. That’s the catch right? I have to be your Fae on staff and do whatever you want me to do, even if I don’t agree with it,” I said grabbing my water.
“The jobs I need your magic for are dangerous, yes. You will have to train for a while before we can get you on a mission. It will give you the skills to protect yourself,” he said staring in my eyes.
Well, shit. I can’t argue with that. I need to learn to protect myself. This world doesn’t like my kind and I have no idea why.
I cracked the water bottle open again and took a long sip. I didn’t want to answer too quickly and I wasn’t even sure what I wanted.
I could definitely use the skills and control training but what if he wanted me to do something illegal?
“If you have half Fae that can help me learn why don’t you have them on these jobs?” I asked with a raised brow.
If he didn’t have a good answer, I was leaving. I didn’t care that I had nowhere else to go.
“They have gone through carful vetting and none of them have the kind of magic it will take to get the job done, Aurelia. If they had I wouldn’t have been searching for a full Fae in the first place,” he said and winced.
Wait, what?
“Is that why you bumped into me outside the bar? You knew what I was from the beginning? How?” I asked angrily and stood again to leave.
“I was not expecting to bump into you tonight. It was an accident, but I don’t look a gift horse in the mouth. I will seize any opportunity to get what I want,” he said and blocked my exit again.
“That’s not a good enough answer for me,” I bit out angrily and tried to dodge past him.
He gripped my arm lightly, his eyes pleading with me. “Please just stay. I’ll show you where you can sleep and if you still want to leave in the morning, I won’t stop you.”
Something in his gaze had me softening and fatigue sat heavily on my shoulders. What could it really hurt to stay the night in this apartment that’s fancier than any place I’d ever been?
I nodded and Grey smiled. It was devastating.
No, Aurelia. You can’t be attracted to the leader of the syndicate. You are a means to an end for him. Do not get attached.
Grey held his hand out to me, and I hesitated before taking it. I really shouldn’t have been doing this.
But I placed my hand in his, unable to think about running away again. My spine tingled at the contact. Grey sucked in a ragged breath and led me down a hall.
Did he feel that weird electricity between us too? What was that? I’ve never felt that way from anything but my wings.
“That room is mine. It’s off-limits,” he said and pointed to a door to the left, then indicated a room in front of him. “You can stay here for tonight. Think about what I said and I will see you in the morning.”
“Grey?” I asked as he turned down the hall toward the room that’s off limits.
“Yes, princess?” he chuckled at my glare.
“What’s so important about this job?” I asked, curious.
“It’s a project of mine that I have been working on for a very long time,” he whispered without turning around.
“Goodnight, Grey,” I said and closed the door behind me. I didn’t wait for a response not sure I wanted one.
I flopped onto my back on the large four poster bed. The comforter beneath me was the softest thing I’d ever felt in my life.
Don’t get used to it, Aurelia. You won’t be staying, I scolded myself.
Even if I decided to help him with this job, I doubted his employees lived in his home. I didn’t want to think about why that fact made me sad.
I crawled up the bed and snuggled in under the covers. It was like a cloud. I was almost asleep when a ringing sounded muffled from another room.
Why would someone be calling so late? I frowned as I pushed the covers off me and made my way on silent feet to the door and put my ear up to it.
“Hello?” Grey’s voice rang out clearly in the hall and I nearly jumped, scared he would catch me spying on him. “No, I can’t come out there tonight.”
His tone was surly and grew louder as he came closer to my door.
“I don’t care if there has been a challenge, Layla.” He barked. “There has been a development.”
I nearly growled at the name Layla. What woman was calling him so late?
Stop it, Aurelia. You don’t have a claim on this man, nor do you want one. You are a means to an end.
“This isn’t up for debate,” he snapped on the other side of the door.
I jumped away from the door with a squeak and Grey threw it open barely missing me.
“What are you doing?” I yelled.
“Did you get the information you wanted by spying on me, princess?” He smirked and prowled through the door.
I backed up until the backs of my knees hit the bed but he just kept stalking closer.
“I’m a predator, Aurelia,” he purred. “I heard your heart rate pick up when I said Layla’s name. Were you jealous of my beta?”
“N-no,” I stuttered and would have facepalmed if he hadn’t been right up in my space.
“You don’t sound too sure of that.” His eyes glowed with his animal as he ran his nose up my neck, taking a long inhale.
Did he just sniff me? Who cares?
His full lips skimmed my throat and I shuddered beneath him.
“What are you doing?” I groaned and attempted to half-heartedly wiggle away, but he pushed a little harder and I fell backwards onto the bed once more.
He followed me down, his huge, hot body coming down onto mine.
“You smell like cherries and sunshine. It’s intoxicating,” he whispered against my skin.
“Grey,” I groaned and wiggled my hips. Something hard grew against my belly as he peered into my eyes.
“If you want me, princess, just know that you don’t have to be jealous of my second. You will be mine in every possible way,” he said and nipped my shoulder.
What the hell is he talking about? I can’t possibly want this man who is in charge of the supernatural underground, can I?
I rubbed my thighs together still pinned beneath him. What was going on with my body? I didn’t react like this to anyone.
With my wings pinned beneath me on the bed he reached his hand up over me and as if he could see them and ran a hand down the delicate membranes there.
My back arched, pushing my breasts against his chest. “Grey.”
“Get some sleep, princess. I have a feeling tomorrow is going to be a very busy day,” he said and was suddenly gone, closing the door behind him with a click.
What the fuck have I gotten myself into?
I groaned and rolled over to bury my face into the blankets. This was bad. Really fucking bad.