Page 35 of Filthy Fae

“Don’t attack,” a female voice called. “I come in peace.” There was a nervous giggle in her words. Princess Mab peeked into the room before entering, holding a shimmering gown and a suit by their hangers. The flaxen beauty scanned the room and jolted to a stop when she saw Aaron and I standing near the wall, our muscles readied for lunging. She brandished the clothing like shields “Don’t kill me! This is what the queen wishes you to wear while you’re hunted tonight.”

“What an honor,” I growled. “Give me one reason we shouldn’t kill you.”

“Because I’m the messenger, meaning I’m the fae my mother wants you to kill. Hasn’t Mack explained how our mother works to you?” She walked to the sprawling bed, laying out the garments before taking a seat and crossing her legs primly. “First, let me apologize for the dress my mother sent for you, Scarlet. That woman wouldn’t know classy if it walked up and bit her in the overworked vagina. This dress looks like something a high-class hooker would wear. Not my choice.”

“Damn. I wanted to be executed looking like a reality TV star,” I dead-panned. “Shit, my night’s ruined.”

“Don’t hate, Scarlet. I totally ship you and my brother, and my mother is an awful person who wouldn’t know true love—”

“If it bit her in the vagina?” I supplied.

“All right.” Mab stood. “You’re obviously not a fan of mine. I came here to offer my help, but it doesn’t sound like you want to hear it.”

I was very much a non-fan of Mab and everything she stood for. But shit. Aaron and I were about to be killed, and any ally was better than no ally at all. Well, I hoped that was the case. Shooting a look at Aaron, I gave a slight nod to where Mab was heading for the door.

Aaron lifted his chin. “Mab, I’d like to hear it.”

As if she was waiting for the slightest show of concession, Mab spun, her light blue floral dress swirling around her body. “Aaron Knight.” She touched her chest and grinned. “We actually met at a couple parties when my show took a road trip through your territory.”

From her tone, the princess clearly didn’t have any problem with having a past connection to a notorious playboy like Aaron. It didn’t surprise me in the least. Pretty much everything about that horrendous episode I watched of My Fairytale Life had pissed me off, but what got to me the most was that Mab didn’t do any interventions on her male friends. Mab didn’t force shirts onto them or throw away their tight jeans. She’d even said, “boys will be boys,” at one point.

Not that I held Aaron’s past against him, either, but I did believe that if you were going to go judging people, everyone should be judged by the same ruler.

“I could never in my life forget having your show visit Sac-town.” Aaron did his best to smile, and if I didn’t know him, I’d probably believe that he was genuine. From the way he looked at her, there was no doubt in my mind that Mab was not among his long list of past lovers.

“Wow, you are both very naked.” She shaded her eyes, as if blocking out Aaron, and turned her attention back to me. “Scarlet, my mother is convinced that you are responsible for the massacre.”

“Me? I was at work.”

Mab waved her free hand through the air. “She learned the identity of the werewolf and your connection to him. The queen thinks that you sent Dr. Zane Reed to kill all those fae. She wants you dead. I know you hate me, Scarlet, but we have more in common than you think. My mother has been trying to kill me for years.”

I put a hand on my hip and gave her a skeptical look. “You?”

She held up her hands, showing neat, no-nonsense nails. “Yes, and when I say years, I’m talking centuries. It’s the main reason I created a reality television empire. She can’t kill me when everyone in the country knows who I am. She’d love it if you killed me. Hence sending me to be your messenger.”

For the first time ever, I saw something genuine in the woman’s eyes. I saw desperation. And she was right about one thing. It very much reminded me of what I felt inside. It didn’t make me like Mab, but I relaxed my defensive position.

“All right, how exactly are we going to help each other?” I asked.

“You know my sweet little baby brother, Mack? My mother arranged a marriage between him and a thousand-year-old fae queen.”

“What?” I demanded, my voice coming out harsher than I meant.

“Queen Siofra of the Autumn Court tried to take advantage of my mother’s curse and take over Heartland a couple years ago as revenge for my mother stealing her beloved prince. As a peace offering, my mother promised Siofra her golden son. Macklin is the child of Oberon and Titania, two fae monarchs. Spring and Summer. He’s the only living fae that can claim that.”

“That’s just sick,” I said, my fists clenching. “Mack’s only twenty-one.”

She lifted her shoulders. “Fae have a very loose grasp on things like time and age. Adulthood is adulthood.” Sighing, she sat back on the bed and set her skirt just right. “Anyhow, my mother thinks she finally has him hemmed in. She’s going to offer him the chance to save you two if he marries Queen Siofra. You know he’ll do it.”

She put a hand over her heart and gave me a sugary smile.

“No,” I said. “No fucking way are we letting that happen.” I glanced at Aaron, who gave a quick nod to let me know he was in. My other mates may not have risked their lives for Mack, but Aaron would—and not just because I wanted him to.

Mab cleared her throat. “What Mack doesn’t know is that the moment he agrees, my mother plans to drag him away to New York, where Siofra will marry him and never let him go. Once he’s gone, Titania will still call the hunt on your pack the moment Dr. Reed is released.”

“And, we’ll die anyway,” Aaron whispered.

“What do you get out of this?” I asked. I knew it was rude, but I needed to know.