Tyra
I fled on my own volition and came running right back on my own too. I was in over my head, the pain stabbing into each of my pores and screaming in my head- get the fruit, get the fruit, get the fruit- wasn't something I wanted to deal with alone. Not when all of it could be expelled the moment he wrapped me up in his arms. Like magic.
"It is magic," Jett said when I threw myself back at him and introductions were made all around. He picked me back up effortlessly, seeming unperturbed with having to hold me. "A mate bond."
And that's how I ended up getting carried off not in the arms of a prince on a white horse but by a scowling tattooed giant.
Under normal circumstances, I would've considered it perfect.
Except I didn't believe in soul mates.
And even if I did I couldn't stay with him, not unless he had a store of what I needed- which I highly doubted. As soon as this pain went away I was going to hightail it back to Faerie.
Besides, that old hag said the he'd ruin me...or was it the other way around? I couldn't remember much of the night anymore, my memories were fractured by the chaotic high caused by consuming so much fruit at once. Plus thinking straight was nearly impossible with how close Jett was to me, and the fact that he smelled good enough to lick wasn't helping my brain cells much either.
I squinted up at his handsome face, the arms I had around his neck tightening as he sat on the sofa with me on his lap. "Why do you smell like candy, Jett?" I asked, unable to stop myself.
The muscles in his neck tensed, his gaze flickering to my lips before moving away. He didn't answer me, much to my irritation.
"You like candy, Tyra," Dad pointed out.
I glared at him. I think he was drooling over Jett even more than I was, and his approval of the smoking hot man didn't shock me in the least. Dad was always saying no male was good enough for me and even a fae prince was barely sufficient. But Jett was treating me like I was a princess- taking off his own black sweater and bundling me up in it (smelled distractingly sweet like him too), asking Ember to please get me something warm while he cradled me in his arms like I was a treasure- and I guess that was it for my dad. Not good for me, I didn't want him approving of Jett.
"I like Prince Thorne more than candy," I told my dad.
That shook him out of his starry-eyed gaze. His lips curled in disgust. "That little shit did nothing to protect you when Light set those fae on you. You'll have nothing to do with him from now on."
I clenched my teeth. "You don't get to decide that."
His stubborn expression faltered at that. Although he'd always told me to stay silent in the presence of other fae for my safety, he and Mom have always listened to my opinions with respect and- in case of my dancing- reluctant support. He gripped his large hands on his knees now, pointy ears twitching. "Are you in love with Thorne?"
Yes. The lie was on the tip of my tongue, ready to shoot out right away because Jett and his magic 'mate bond' or whatever mojo he was working only kept the pain at bay. The craving for more of the fruit was still there, no longer a pressing need but lurking nonetheless. Waiting to pounce soon. I needed to lie, needed to do everything possible to sate the craving.
"Thorne is her supplier," Jett said.
"Su-supplier?" I sputtered.
Jett's arms tightened, bringing me closer to the firm muscles that were unmistakable even under the layer of clothing. Concentrate on the conversation. "I saw some flashes of Tyra's memories while she was out cold, Thorne was going to lure her into marrying him with the promise of more fruit. She's addicted to it."
Shame, hallowing a hole in my chest. I wanted to burrow into it and hide, but the expression of betrayal and dismay on my dad's face was the killing blow. No, that would be the revulsion on Jett's face...
I turned my head to gauge his reaction, better to rip the bandage off and get it over with-
A lollipop in my face. "Here," Jett said, expression blank.
I took it from him dazedly, holding it to my chest and almost expecting him to grab it back and chuck it away with a Psych sucker! No candy for magical fruit addicts!
He turned his attention instead on the tea Ember was handing him, taking it from her and saying pleasantly, "If I ever see that Prince hanging around you again I'm going to feed him his own guts," and proceeded to blow on the steaming tea.
"Can I help with that?" Ember asked, giving me a shy smile and stepping back. She gave the air a playful low kick. "Kane's powers have made me into a greater badass. I wanna show off."
Jett sent her a grateful look, which I guess might've been for the effort on her part to be friendly towards me. She'd looked nervous every time I'd caught her eye and was obviously awkward with strangers. My theory was proven further by the immense relief on her face when Kane took the spotlight off her by tugging her down onto the seat beside him.
"Can Tyra stay here with you?" Dad asked, running a hand over his closely cropped blonde hair.
"Yes," all three of them replied at once.
"No," I refused vehemently.
"I can help her get over her addiction," Jett added.
I couldn't tell if he was lying or not (just another reason why hanging around humans was a pain in the ass) but he might as well have waved a golden bone in front of a defeated puppy.
"Tyra is staying here," Dad said, brightening. He cracked his knuckles, brown eyes on me. "Elzeria was right, I've been blinded. Your mother and I have placed too much on your shoulders, it's time we started taking care of you better."
I ignored the tea cup Jett held out, breathing hard as I stared at my dad with disbelief. "You can't be serious. You don't trust me but you'll leave me here with complete strangers you do trust?"
He gestured a hand in Ember's direction. "She saved you while your prince looked on impassively. I've heard good things about the Seattle Pack, they will take care of you."
I shook my head. "I don't want to stay in the human world with their stupid human ways."
"If you come back to Faerie, Light might try to kill you again," Dad cut in, fists clenched at his sides. "And I'll die before I let you near any more of that cursed fruit again. You're staying."
I sagged against Jett, defeated.
Just like that, I'd lost my home and my parents' trust in me.
And it was all fault.
***
Or maybe not entirely my fault, I thought angrily. Dad had divulged all the details of my childhood and how he'd adopted me and Ember in turn had told him all about Light and his challenge to Kane's pack. It was clear the psychopath had targeted me to get to Ember. His interference was what had made me crack, was why I'd come undone and exposed to Dad.
Or could he have sped up a process that would've been inevitable one day?
But then Dad left and any hint of logic was burned away by my fury. Fury at my dad for leaving me here with strangers in the freaking human world- where I'd spent the worst years of my life- of all places. Fury at the warm wall of muscle that I wanted to snuggle against and kiss reverently, which was gross because I never snuggled or kissed anyone reverently. Worst of all? They were werewolves. If staying with the fae has taught me anything it's that supernaturals find anything that's half of them as inferior. I was now in unfamiliar territory, alone and even more susceptible to any kind of slurs and repugnant discrimination thrown at me.
So as usual, I lashed out first.
"We'll keep you safe," Ember said, extending a hand to me with a smile. "I didn't get a chance to say this earlier but it's really nice to meet you."
I studied my nails, they were chipped and on the other side of glamorous but I pretended like they were brand new and much more interesting than the werewolf in front of me. "How will you keep me safe?" I drawled. "You just told me you ran from Light with your tail between your legs."
"Ember did her best to keep you safe."
I looked up at the voice that demanded attention, it had a predatory edge to it and I never took my eyes off predators. Kane was standing next to a cringing Ember, gaze hard on me. I felt a pang at the look I'd brought on her face but it was too late for apologies. Me before you and all.
"I don't feel safe right now," I replied, managing to keep the bored tone in my voice. "Her best was pathetic."
Jett inhaled sharply, Kane tensed, glancing down at Ember. I frowned, they acted like she was about to burst into tears or something.
What she did was grin sheepishly at Kane. "Guess I'll have to work harder to be a badass alpha female," she said.
Kane took a step in her direction, gaze intense but no longer sharpened by that predatory edge. "You're perfect," he said.
I narrowed my eyes. "On the contrary, if she were perfect I think she would've-"
"Jett," Kane growled.
"I'll see you in the morning," Jett replied, lifting me up swiftly and striding us out of the room.
In the morning?
Wait a minute- he wasn't planning on us spending the night together, was he?!