Page 30 of Filthy Fae

“You want us to put down our swords? Then you two need to clasp your hands over your heads. If you so much as go to scratch your chin, we’ll have our swords on you again.”

Of course his words made my chin immediately itch, but I ignored the sensation and lifted my hands over my head, lacing my fingers together. Beside me, Aaron did the same.

The three fae made way for us, and for the first time, I took in my surroundings. The roots of a big redwood tree stuck out of the ground, forming stairs down to a doorway cut directly into the redwood’s bark.

The forest was dense, but many feet had worn down the undergrowth between trees. When the door closed behind us, I could breathe again. The air smelled like moss, bark, scat, and dust, and after the room we’d just left, it was the sweetest aroma in the world.

We were marched through the forest, flanked by the three bloody and injured fae, who were still lamenting the decline of their fucking salads.

“You know,” Aaron said, turning partially toward the fae whose arm I’d torn up. “If you take a paper towel, wet it, wring out the moisture and then drape it over your salad, it’ll keep it fresh and crisp.”

“You don’t say?” The fae furrowed his brow and leaned back a little to regard Aaron. “What type of paper towel do you use, Avery Tree?”

“Never used that one, but I’m pretty sure any brand would work.” Aaron sounded as casual as if we were all meeting for lunch, instead of them leading us to their queen at sword point. As the four of them launched into a conversation about the best storage methods for foodie crap I’d never tasted in my frozen-meal-and-fast-food life, I scanned our surroundings, trying to figure out what our best escape route would be.

According to the treaty that I’d been reading on and off since I took over my role as alpha, fae from the Spring Court couldn’t own conjoined plots of land cumulatively larger than one square mile. Clearly, this forest was Queen Titania’s way of circumventing that provision.

All around us stood thick redwoods, each with decorative doors leading into their bark. If each was a portal to a mansion or plot of land, like the portal we just fell through, the area of land conjoined to this forest was huge. Some trunks had dozens of entries, big and small, leading up the length of the tree with a system of ladders from one to the next.

“Hey guys,” Aaron said, his voice sounding jovial. “If the queen doesn’t know we’re here yet, maybe we can work something out that will benefit all of us.”

“Wrong suggestion,” Bloody Arm said. The fae all lifted their silver blades, pointing at us as they lead us into a clearing with the biggest redwood I’d ever seen at the center of it. That sucker had to be fifty feet across and hundreds tall. A door that looked an awful lot like something stolen off the set of The Lord of the Rings cut into the redwood bark. The doors slid open and... Oh, fuck.

Queen Titania stood centrally in the doorway, flanked by her four bound guardians.

My wolf howled for us to run, but I couldn’t let her out now.

The queen lifted her chin and grinned. “Thank you, Scarlet Riley. I thought I was going to have to choose, but now I can have everything I desire. All because of you.” She lifted her arms, making her sheer gauzy dress flow around her body. “Tonight, we will hunt these two werewolves who broke the treaty and trespassed on fae lands. The hunt will be held here, a quick display of skill. After these two are dead, the true hunt for vengeance begins.”

All around us the trees rustled, and voices chittered, but I couldn’t take my focus from the queen.

“Why soak everything in salt water?” I demanded. “Why hide all the evidence? You’re framing us for the murders, and the only reason you’re going to kill us is so I can’t prove that you’re the one who killed your own people.”

The idea that Titania was framing us was just an unsubstantiated theory, but I knew that this might be my only chance to plant doubt into her followers’ minds.

The queen didn’t so much as flinch at the accusation. She stepped down from the tree, her hips swinging side to side as she closed the distance.

The fae around us raised their silver swords, pointing them at our necks as the queen stopped before us. “Why would I kill my own people and frame your packmate, Alpha?”

“You want Heartland,” I said.

“Hmm.” She tapped her chin. “If I was doing all this to frame you and take Heartland, my guards and I would be dying. Do we look ill?”

I had to admit they didn’t.

“Your werewolf is guilty, and I would rather you die than be with my son. You voluntarily trespassed on my very limited area of land. Therefore, you are subject to the laws of the fae.” She shrugged. “That’s as far as this goes.”

An image of a small red wolf lunging for the Queen's pale neck filled my mind, but I clenched my fist and shoved back my wolf as she struggled for control. The human side of me knew I couldn’t get past seven fae warriors to the queen, but my wolf side was all for it. “If you have nothing to hide in this investigation, then why are you getting rid of all the evidence? Tampering with evidence means you have something to hide.”

“My flourishing health irrefutably proves my innocence in any move of ambition. You are not going to be able to convince a single fae here otherwise.” With an imperious smile, she waved her hand through the air. “Take these prisoners to a room and guard them with thirty soldiers. And someone, bring me my son.”

Chapter Thirteen

Darrel

Fuck. This. Shit.

Sitting in the Magical Permitting Office waiting room, I attempted to keep my teeth from grinding as a high-pitched voice sang out, “Girls at school called me trampy, Veni Vidi Vici Vampy.” That was the fourth time this asinine song had cycled through their playlist. Fourth. Fucking. Time.