The Iron Fae: A Sexy Paranormal Romance Fae Series (The Twisted Crown Book 2)

by A. K. Koonce

  My cousin quickly collects himself and sweeps me up in his arms. "Holy shit! Briar. Holy shit!" he repeats, "You look amazing. You look so different."

  "Same old me." I let go, pulling away and trapping his face between my palms. Giving myself a moment, I look him over from head to toe. Somehow, someone had gotten him into a suit, a nice one at that. It would rival something Kai would wear. "How are you? Are you okay? Cordelia hasn't done anything to you, has she?"

  "No, no. Lincoln and Lylix helped me find my own home in Calhutta," Jase gently pulls my hands from his face and cups them between us. "I'm fine. How are you? You look like a fucking queen."

  "She is a fucking queen." Lincoln mumbles into a cup, taking a long sip.

  I shoot him a look that he eagerly ignores. His brothers walk around us to lean against the same countertop Lincoln has propped himself against.

  Jase lifts my chin, tilting my head this way and that. His eyes widen, almost fearful. "You look like you. But you don't look like you. It's...crazy."

  "I'm me, I promise. But look…" I undo the clasp of the fur shawl long enough to show off the tip of my wings. Jase’s eyes manage to open even wider and I quickly clasp the shawl again. “Wings,” I whisper, grabbing his arms and giving him a little shake.

  “Holy fuck.”

  It's hard to not touch him. To hold him. It's been so long that a small part of me is afraid to let him go, that he'll disappear as soon as I do. I squeeze his arms.

  "Gentle." He squirms out of my grasp.

  "Sorry, I'm getting used to the new strength. I forgot to treat you like you're fragile."

  "I'm not fragile."

  "Well, you are a little bit." I shrug. "I know you're Shadow Fae but... you're still you."

  Jase squints at me. "I think this change may have also gone to your head." He taps his finger against my nose. My lips curl in annoyance. "You're very pretty, Briar, but don't start letting your ego swell."

  I laugh, swatting his hand away from me. "Let me step off my high horse." Gently, I straighten his suit. We let a brief silence fall between us, both of us content to let this building feeling of joy layer over us.

  Rowan tosses braids over his shoulder, and pushes his way between me and my cousin. He offers two glasses, sloshing with clear, bubbling, liquid. "The court is here." He smiles. "Have a drink, you'll need it."

  I wrap my fingers around the cup, fog forming around my fingers on the chilled glass. Lifting it up to my face, I take a small breath. My nose crinkles. "Alcohol?"

  "Yes," Rowan leans forward with a goofy grin. "To lighten the mood."

  "Why is there so much alcohol in a church?" I say, but still lift the glass to my lips and drink a hearty size gulp. Over my cup, Lincoln makes eye contact. He lifts a single brow.

  This goes far beyond the average stock for a Sunday communion.

  "Aren't most religious people alcoholics?" Kai lifts his glass in salute.

  "No... not if they're doing the whole church thing right." Jase cocks his head. He looks into the carbonated fluid with a high examination, ultimately tilting the glass and chugging a few mouthfuls down.

  The drink lives somewhere between a wine and a whiskey, burning down my throat and warming my stomach. I hold the cup tightly between my hands.

  Kai perks up. "They're here."

  "How exciting." Jase beams. "You're going to wow them."

  "What should I do? I haven't even gotten to ask you how I should present myself. How should I say hello?"

  "What?" Jase's shoulders shake with a chuckle. Rowan's laugh echoes his. "Briar, you look wonderful. You are wonderful. Just say 'hi' like you do when you speak to me. Don't freak out."

  "I'm not. I'm not freaking out."

  You look like you are. Quit sweating. Lincoln's voice echoes.

  Pursing my lips, I set the glass down, and adjust my dress around my feet. Voices chime at the top of the staircase. Jase's slim hands grab my shoulders and turn me to face the door.

  "Smile," he whispers in my ear.

  But don't smile too much or you'll look creepy. Lincoln adds.

  You're not helping. I want to spin around and give him a dark glare, but I pin myself to the spot.

  "I'll get the door." Kai swings and sashays toward the door. He grips the door handle, gesturing dramatically to me as it comes open.

  Couples teeter excitedly down the stairs. Fae begin swarming the room talking over one another excitedly. As their eyes land on me they run to surround me. It's only a moment before unwelcome hands are touching me, prodding me.

  "Um, hello." I stutter.

  A skinny woman, more limbs than anything, picks up strands of my hair. "It's like spun gold." She coos.

  "She is endlessly beautiful." A short man, stacked with muscles gasps.

  "She must be our true queen."

  "She looks just like her mother."

  The compliments and close examinations of me repeat as someone picks up one of my arms and spins me as if we are in a dance. While I turn, I catch Lincoln rolling his eyes.

  "My name is Malacoy." One man offers his hand, his face looks painfully puckered.

  "Briar." I give him my hand, narrowly dodging another woman who ducks under our arms inching closer to my face. "Can I help you?" I ask. Malacoy pushes his jacket behind him and turns my hand to kiss my palm.

  The woman, with icy blonde curls pinned tightly to her scalp, touches her nose to mine. I take a step back. A perfume of what I recognize as the scent of cocoa floats around her.

  "I think you are magnificent." Her sentence catches on her lisp.

  "Thank you." I step back.

  Lincoln takes another drink and snorts.

  “Now watch this.” Kai ushers himself into the middle of the crowd. His hands sweep up and over my shoulders clasping the diamond button before he unhooks my shawl all together. My wings lift up and off my shoulders, pushing the crowd away from me.

  I thought this moment would be spectacular. I thought that it would make me relatable. But their oohs and ahs mixed with their prying gazes only makes me feel like a caged animal at the zoo. My embarrassment travels all through my body, even my arms turn red.

  “They’re stunning.”

  “Wings.”

  “Wow,” They say all together.

  “Okay, that’s enough of that.” I hear Lincoln’s voice as he cuts through the gathering, taking my covering out of Kai’s hands along the way. Relax. He reminds as he lowers the fur over my wings and buckles it once more.

  Kai taps a metal spoon against his glass drawing their attention toward him. As their attention shifts away a small wave of relief passes over me.

  "Guests, I'm so glad that you have finally arrived. Please help yourself to some refreshments and we can get to our meeting shortly. Our Mortal Queen will have plenty of time to answer your questions as we make a plan to get her to her crown."

  The small crowd of people starts to shift as they move to the counter. The group pushes Lincoln toward me. He stumbles, mumbling under his breath at their apathy to his appearance here. One of the court members bumps against his back, jostling Lincoln so much that his drink sloshes over his bare chest and drips down to his auburn trousers.

  I sigh and reach across the counter, which now looks an awful lot like a small bartop with all this liquor stacked on top of it, and grab a towel. Jase holds his fine suit and steps away from Lincoln. He moves smoothly and stops only when he reaches Kai's side.

  "What is your problem?" I run the cloth down Lincoln's chest, letting my fingers skim over every dip in his abs as I drag the rag lower.

  With judgmental looks and a few murmurs, the crowd slowly disperses and sets themselves up on a small sitting arrangement of white velvet couches and chairs. The seats are cast with colorful light from the two arching stained glass windows that touch the ceiling. Underfoot the floor is the same slab of glittering marble and the walls are stacked glowing white stone. I'd probably stop to marvel at the beauty of the room and this place if
Lincoln's attitude wasn't catching my attention so.

  "I'm not sure what you're talking about." He slams the glass on the counter.

  "The mockery of their flattery? The eye rolling?"

  "You must be seeing things, Briar." His smile is sour.

  Don't you dare pretend like you aren't acting like a brat.

  A brat? You're calling me... a brat? HA. Lincoln narrows his gaze on me.

  Ignoring his scrutiny, I look around for another room to step into. Across the sitting area there's a plain white wooden door. I shift around Lincoln, finding Kai.

  "If you'll just excuse us for a minute, we'll be right back." I hold a finger up and point toward the door.

  Kai's brows pinch together as he follows my finger. "You're going to…"

  "Be right back," I snap, clamping my fingers around Lincoln's thick wrist and dragging him away. He growls, letting his feet snag against the floor with every step.

  I give the crowd, anyone who's watching me, a sweet smile and a slight bow, before I fling open the door shoving Lincoln inside the dark room, closing us in together. My back hits a shelf and I step forward only to bump directly into Lincoln.

  My hands fumble against the wall next to us, feeling for any sort of switch for a light that I do not find.

  "I can't find the damn light switch."

  "Do you need light to tell me why you've closed me in such a small space." His face grazes against my hair. "All I can smell is you and it's making me drunk faster than the alcohol."

  My cheeks burn and I'm thankful he can't see me, at least not well enough to recognize the blush. His hands trace over my hips and settle against the smallest part of my waist. I try to take a step away, or adjust myself so we aren't on top of each other, but I only hit against more wall, more shelving. Items stacked behind me topple loudly as I move.

  Damn it. There is no fucking room in here. The walls feel even tighter as my thoughts admit how closed in I feel. Every movement bumps against Lincoln who stands just as hard as any other wall.

  Why is he standing so close?

  Why don't you take a step back?" I ask.

  "I can't. Why don't you just get to the point so we can go back out there and you can be praised by your biggest fans?"

  "That's not what this is." I wag my finger against his chest.

  Lincoln snatches my hand up in his warm palm. "That's what it looks like to me."

  "Are you jealous of the attention everyone is giving me? What is it Lincoln? Be honest, I'd rather you say it then I go trolling through your mind to find out."

  "What? No. I don't know, they keep saying you’re a power of beauty but… you’re the same to me.”

  Power of beauty? When did they even say that? I try to think back over the bombardment of greeting. I could hardly sort out who was who and what hand was touching me for a minute there. Oh… and ‘I’m the same’ so... Okay. Insult.

  “No." He grips my hand tighter. "You’re—You’ve always been a power of beauty. From the moment you tried to kick my ass the second we met. Power and beauty.”

  We're so close he only has to lean a hair forward for our lips to brush. His words repeat in my head, filling my chest with ballooning hope. I take a long slow inhale, soaking in his nearness. The hand that isn't tightly wrapped in his, brushes over his pecs. The light patch of hair is soft, curling around my fingers as I trail over his hard muscles. His heart races at the touch. The beating picked up by my new and improved senses.

  "Do I make you nervous, Lincoln?" I whisper.

  He laughs dryly. "No, of course not."

  But the pounding of his soul slams harder against my fingertips.

  "I can hear how your pulse jumps at my touch." In the dark, I feel my way up to touch at the scruffy stubble covering his jaw.

  "You don't make me nervous." Lincoln hums, his mouth trailing to nip at my ear. I tilt my head allowing him access to my throat. His teeth scrape down my skin. "You make me insane."

  His teeth bite down on my neck, not hard enough to break the skin, but hard enough to feel like a claim. He kisses gently over the spot as I gasp and feel my knees going weak.

  "I haven't stopped thinking about what it felt like to be with you." He breathes, letting his nose rub against mine. "Every second. Every hour. Every day. I want to bury myself in you."

  Holding the back of his head, I weave my hands into his shaggy hair and pull him against me. I press my lips against him, letting my frustration and anger out in a passionate push and pull that he returns. He bites against my lip, before breaking away.

  "Is it just the sex you think of then?" I pant. Because if it is, I'll have to draw the line here and now.

  Please be more than the sex. Please. My mind begs of him. I open my mind, even if one part of me doesn't care if he lies to me, I know it's for my own good and to feel the truth behind whatever he says next.

  "It was never just the sex." His words are a dark rasp he presses against my lips. He says it slowly, letting me poke and prod in his mind as he does. My spirit curls against his as the pleasure of his honesty vibrates between us.

  Lincoln moans and tilts his head back as our minds caress. He tilts his hips, grinding his length against me. "Briar, I will ruin you." Everything in his voice, everything inside of his mind, crumbles with the walls that he's built between us.

  He cares about my reputation. He cares about getting the chance to rule the Shadow Court. But the selfish part of him that he tries to hide away, the part of him that wants to love me, to keep me all to himself, swells with every fingerless stroke against his mind.

  "We'll make it work."

  Lincoln's head snaps forward. Both arms snake around me, holding me close to him. He parts my lips with the swipe of his tongue, teasing and taunting me with a kiss. My lips are swollen with the rough bruise of his kisses that nip at me without a foreseeable end.

  "It's selfish of me," he breathes.

  "It's selfless of you."

  I want you. My thoughts echo.

  His cock throbs as I feel my thoughts register in his. A rough growl fills his chest, rising low somewhere deep inside of him. With both arms, he pulls the skirt of my dress up.

  Yes. Please. Please. Please.

  I cheer him on as the wetness between my legs soaks my thin lace underwear. His thumb hooks the band of my thong and tugs it down. Lincoln grabs a handful of my hair, tugging gently as he guides my mouth back to his.

  "If I put my claim on you," He kisses me quickly before he cocks my head, kissing and biting along my jaw. "There will be push back from the court. There will be push back from my mother."

  "Your mother is a bitch."

  He smiles against me. "Let's not talk about her right now, though." His hand slips between my legs. "I'm going to claim you. I'm going to fuck you how you deserve to be fucked." His fingers part my sex, a small hum of approval emanating from him as he slips a couple of fingers deep inside of me. "I just hope you don't regret it because there is no turning back."

  Lincoln's grip on my hair is all that really holds me up. Two fingers dip inside of me while his thumb circles my clit. Every single part of me becomes tight and on the edge of something too far off to reach. My brain is too foggy to think. Every fiber of me is too drawn to him to care about any repercussions. I just want him to do this, to do more, to touch me and to love me. To care for me.

  To claim me.

  A chorus of laughter comes from the other room. My gasp of a breath silences in an instant. It makes me aware of how close the Fae who are waiting to judge me are.

  "Can't they hear us?" I rasp.

  Lincoln pulls his hand out of me, leaving me raw and exposed. "Mmm, possibly,” he whispers with a hint of amusement.

  A wild, untamed, grin lifts my cheeks. I run my hands down his chest, unbuckling his pants, pushing them away, gripping his length between us. His breath hitches. I stroke again and again and again.

  With my dress gathered around my hips, it makes it easier to lower myself
to the ground. My feet knock against items that clinch together behind me as I rest on my knees. There's so much of him, I spit into both hands and stack them at the base of his cock. I lick my lips and bring my mouth over him. His shoulders hit the wall behind him, scattering whatever was behind him with a similar clatter.

  Moving my hands in opposite directions, I run my tongue over his thick shaft, sucking, and plunging him in and out of my mouth. His fingers intertwine in my hair, gently at first… Rougher within seconds. There's a bead of precum on the edge that stains the taste of him with salt.

  Wetness drips from my lips, coating every inch of his member, and making my hand slick against him. Lincoln yanks himself from me, pulling me up to standing.

  "No," he cuts out. "This is not a moment for you to be bowing to me. You are the queen and should not be on your knees."

  "I want to."

  "Not as much as I want to."

  Lincoln gives me a quick kiss, uncaring of the dampness around my mouth. He sinks below me, letting my skirt tent over him. My hand reaches for the wall and something clatters to the floor before I find my balance.

  Fae talk amongst themselves on the other side of the thin door. The thought of getting caught sends a thrilling tremble down my spine. I grasp the shelf behind me as he guides my legs a bit further apart and runs his tongue over my wetness.

  The tip of his tongue slices through me and circles as he gently sucks my clit. I squirm, trying to hold in the sounds that want to escape me. Lincoln buries his face between my thighs, messily lapping up all of my wetness as he creates so much more.

  He presses all the right buttons, hooking a finger into me to pet at what I quickly realize is my G spot. It's a new feeling, to have someone else find my pleasure so easily, one none of my past lovers had ever been able to find.

  Everything builds inside me all at once. It’s a rush of sensations racing toward something so, so close.

  This time I can't keep my moan in. Not when he strokes and taps against it while his tongue rocks against me in the perfect rhythm. He lets all the bubbling ecstasy inside me build, his mind rejoicing as my hips rock on their own accord. My legs tremble. Still he caresses me and flicks his tongue until an earth shattering orgasm consumes me.