Sprinting outside, I skid to a stop in front of the fae woman.
“You look cold.” I hold the cloak out in front of me.
She doesn’t take the cloak or seem the slightest bit concerned about her nakedness. She quirks her head and says, “Where’s Keldarion? I need to see him.”
My hackles raise and my fingers tighten on the cloak. Why does this naked fae need to see Kel? Up close, I can see she isbeautiful. Shorter and slighter than me, with long curly brown hair and light brown eyes. Her breasts are quite large and firm-looking, barely hidden behind the bundle of clothes in her arms.
This is so weird.
“Do you want to put those on?” I suggest.
She looks down at the clothes in her hands and shrugs, shaking out the slinky black dress and pulling it on. Tentatively, I place the cloak around her shoulders.
She blinks, then steps closer. “Wow, you’re really pretty.” She runs her hand along the side of my face and stops at my ears. “And a human too.”
“Uh, thanks?” I flush. “I’m… Rosalina.”
“I’m Ciara. Sorry, Rosalina,” she says, voice low and sultry. “I’m needy. He sent me here before I even finished, you know.”
“Who sent you here?”
“The Prince of Thorns,” Ciara, Astrid, and Marigold all say at the same time.
I gape at them. “Wait, what? You were mid-bang with Caspian then he used his weird horny-thorny magic to send you here? And this isn’t the first time he’s done it?”
Ciara runs her hands through her hair. “Why are the most beautiful men the most fucked? Anyway, where is Keldarion?”
Heat flashes across my body. Why does she need to see Kel?
“Rosalina!” I turn to see Farron rushing down the steps, buttons on his vest askew. Ezryn trails behind him.
They both stop and stare at Ciara. “Shit. Not again,” Farron swears.
“Could we not have waited until noon for such a loud commotion?” Dayton staggers out. He puts a hand to his head to shield his eyes and wavers with each step. I suppose turning into a wolf overnight did not rid him of his hangover.
But he’s only wearing loose sweatpants—or the fae equivalent of sweatpants. They’re low enough on his hips I can see the delicious V-shaped muscles.Fuck.
My eyes dart between him and Farron. I can’t stop it, my face burning with the image of them together.
Dayton probably wouldn’t notice if a meteor landed in front of us, but Farron does. His face flushes and he bites his lip, looking so awkward and cute my stomach flutters.
Ezryn marches up to Ciara, and she clutches my arm.
But Ezryn decides she’s not in need of choking—despite actually admitting she came right from Caspian. He looks down at her and says, “Follow me. We’re getting you home.”
She gives me an anxious look before we all trail back toward the castle after Ezryn. I fall behind Farron.
“Everyone keeps saying not again. Does Caspian often send naked people to the castle?”
“It’s a strange pattern.” Farron gives a long sigh and runs a hand through his wayward hair. “It happened a lot the first few years of the curse. Half-dressed or naked fae would appear at our doorstep, all explaining they’d just engaged in sexual relations with the Prince of Thorns.”
“That’s messed up.” I stop walking and watch the others enter the castle. “Why?”
“Your guess is as good as mine.” Farron shrugs. “Probably to torment Kel. If his mating bond awoke to one of these fae, Caspian could forever hold over him that he had Kel’s mate first. Or maybe Caspian hates commitment and thinks the front door of the castle is as good a place as any to dump his… exploits.”
“What a creep.” I take another look at Farron. “Also, Farron—”
“I’m sorry,” he blurts out at the same time as I do.