“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.
“I’m a romantic.” Princess Mab stood, crossing the room to stop just before Aaron and me, though she shaded her gaze for modesty. “I want my brother to be happy. One of us should be. And I have an idea for how we can get all three of you out of this alive.”
Chapter Fifteen
Scarlet
“My brothers will never top this first date.” Aaron rocked back in his chains to give me a teasing smile. “Fine dining, a show, thrills, intrigue, murder. It will be the date to end all dates.” Chains manacled around his hands, holding them above his head. I had matching chains holding up my wrists, and we both sported another pair at the ankles.
The chains were a joke. All we’d need to do was shift into wolves to get out of them. Not ready to make our move, we continued to stand there in the queen’s garden of shame.
We were not the only member of the shame garden. Among the worst punishments was a group of fae who all stood holding a giant glass cage filled with terrifying creatures, very like pixies but with claws and giant mouths of fangs. A fae with silver hair covering his features slumped past us as he danced. He looked as if he could be asleep, but his feet continued to move. More fae than I could count were on display central in the meadow, all facing what could only be called cruel and unusual punishment.
Around us, long tables were crowded with hundreds of drinking, laughing fae. Near the great redwood, the queen sat centrally at a table between her four male guards. Beside them were a few fae I recognized, including Princess Mab and the guard Barney from the house.
Princess Mab’s gaze snagged on mine for a second before sliding away. Her plan had been a simple one. Mab’s film crew was going to drop in and start taping the fae court. According to the princess, Titania had a phobia of being caught on video. The queen would go into hysterics, and the banquet would fall into chaos. Our only duty beforehand was to waylay Mack so we could tell him not to give in to his mother’s demands before the film crew arrived.
“At least we’re still alive,” Aaron said, grabbing back my attention. “I was getting a little worried that dinner was going to be after the hunt, if you know what I mean.”
I knew he was trying to make this situation bearable by making light of it, but again his jokes hit a tender spot within me. Even if Aaron swore that I wasn’t to blame, my wolf was right on this one. I wasn’t the one killing my mate, but he very well may die because of my actions.
Aaron gave me a little smile. “Not funny?”
“It’s funny,” I muttered. “I can’t think of anyone I’d rather be chained up with. And, at least our clothing will be easy to shift in.”
A slit ran all the way up both of my sides past my waist, making the dress basically just a flap in the front and the back. Along with that, the plunging neckline dipped past my belly button, held on by a thin strap. Basically, putting on the dress was unnecessary with how much of me it showed, but it was going to be easy to get off when I shifted for the hunt. Aaron’s suit didn’t cover as much as I’d initially assumed it would, either. First, it didn’t contain a shirt, and the pants had long diamond openings, giving peek-abo holes to his muscled legs beneath.
“If this is what I have to do to get chained up together, I would have kidnapped you myself.” He winced but quickly covered it with a smile.
“Date two?”
I stretched my leg, so my foot was just inches from his. Our chains were tethered to nothing, but they held strong.
“Mack has to be arriving soon,” I said, hope tugging at my heart. “If what Princess Mab said is true, this whole show is for Mack’s benefit.”
“Is that him?” Aaron asked, jerking his chin toward a row of fae filing in from another door. My heart skipped in my chest at the sight of my best friend’s tall, lean figure cutting through the tables. He wore a determined expression along with a silk shirt open in the front.
“Mack,” I called.
His eyes swung in our direction, but he kept moving, scanning over the other guests as if he hadn’t seen us chained at the center of the feast.
“Mack,” Aaron yelled. “Over here!”
A slight frown creased Mack’s brow, but he turned away. Down the table, Princess Mab’s eyes widened, and she shook her head.
Damn it. She hadn’t been able to slip him the message either.
“What’s the use of making a plan if that butthead won’t cooperate?” I asked. “He’s acting like he didn’t see us. Do you think he’s already agreed to marry that woman?”
The thought made my stomach twist with horror and pain. I couldn’t imagine life without Mack. I wouldn’t want to. It would be a life without my heart. I should have let him closer. I should have confided how fucking much I loved him. The idea of him disappearing from my life forever felt like a hole opened in my chest.
At the center of the great table, Queen Titania stood along with her four fae guards. They were all unearthly beautiful. The queen’s dress and hair floated around her, unencumbered by gravity, and her skin glowed as if life itself radiated from her every pore.
A hush fell over the feast, and pixies everywhere landed, their multicolored wings stilling and tucking away.
“My guests,” Queen Titania said, a beneficent smile shining forth on her beautiful face. “I’m honored to have your attendance on this most auspicious day. It is truly a day for celebration.”
My stomach knotted, and my hands shook above me.
“We have quite the entertainment in store for after the feast,” Queen Titania promised. “As you can see, we have two alpha werewolves in attendance, including the alpha of the Six Rivers pack, sister of Dr. Zane Reed—the butcherer of twenty-two fae.”
Everyone’s attention turned our way. A few gazes were curious, a few dismissive, but most of their eyes blazed with fury. There was so much bad blood between the werewolves and fae of Heartland forest. Even though I had seen the antipathy all my life, it was nothing to the loathing directed at us today. As far as they were concerned, I’d ordered a massacre against their friends and family members.
Queen Titania’s eyes blazed into us even as servants carried platters of food and set them along the high table—heaping towers of fruit dusted with sugar, trays of rolls dripping with melted butter, and a huge roast pig swimming in roasted plums and sauce. My stomach rumbled with hunger at the smell of the rich foods even as tension threatened to make me throw up what remained of my chocolate chip pancake bre
akfast.
When the servers were gone, Titania motioned to us with her long, elegant fingers. “These two were caught trespassing, and as punishment, they have become our entertainment for the evening.”
The queen snapped her fingers.
Fae in full armor that reeked of silver surged in. Falling to their knees, they pointed gleaming arrows at us. The chains around my wrists and ankles slithered away before vanishing into smoke. My shoulder blades burned as I lowered my arms.
“Stop.” Mack stood, his voice quiet but firm. “These werewolves had nothing to do with the massacre. My mother is using this tragedy to her advantage.”
“Oh, my,” Titania said with a titter of laughter. “How could I forget? Your celebration is most important, my son. That is, if this is an engagement celebration.”
“Mack, don’t do it,” I yelled. “She’s going to kill us, anyway.”
“Will my dearest son Macklin finally agree to serve as consort for the autumn court?”
There was a shushing around the feast, as if everyone was taking a simultaneous inhale. Behind Macklin, the air shimmered. Princess Mab had warned us about this. Making a portal to New York took so much magic that it was nearly impossible, but for tonight only, both queens and many of their strongest fae were working together to create a portal so they could convey Mack to his arranged marriage in style. The Queen wanted him to agree, but she’d shove him through by force if he didn’t go willingly.
The moment he was through, she’d find some way around the specific words of her agreement and begin the hunt for Aaron and me. We had to get Mack down here with us.
Princess Mab herself looked a little pale. She clutched a champagne flute like she might be able to jump inside of it and disappear.
Mack smacked the table with both hands and growled through clenched teeth, “Fine, damn it.”
“No.” My breaths came quick and short as panic thrummed through me. Ignoring the silver tipped arrows pointing at us, I rushed as close as I could to the dais. A sob caught in my chest, and hot tears coursed down my cheeks. “Mack, don’t do it. Please. She plans to kill us no matter what.”
“It has been years in the making, but the day has finally arrived,” Titania said grandly, ignoring me completely. “A union between the courts. It will be a truly festive affair.”
“I agree to it only if you spare these two from the hunt.” Mack kept his gaze on the queen, ignoring my presence.
“Fuck that,” I said. “I love you, Mack. You are not sacrificing your future for us. Your mother will never let us live.”
Finally, Mack turned to me. His eyes softened, but his jaw stayed hard. “I love you more than anything or anyone, Scarlet.”
“Then you can’t do this for us.”
“She’s right.” Aaron stepped up beside me. “It’s out of the question. We’d rather be hunted.”
“We’ve got this, Mack.”
I glanced around the table, not even close to as confident as I sounded. Looking at the fae around me, I couldn’t help but marvel at the improbability of our survival. Darrel was legendary because he fought off one fae and lived with permanent scars.
As I surveyed the fae around us, the real reason we were here came back to me. There was evidence pointing to my sister, but was that even a conceivable concept? True, the fae at that party weren’t armed with swords or bows. But were fae ever really disarmed? They had magic.
My sister was a dominant wolf, and I could imagine her holding her own against one disarmed fae who was caught unaware. With a lot of luck, maybe two. A werewolf killing twenty-two fae? Not even all of my mates and my entire pack could manage that without massive fatalities.
A tear dropped onto Mack’s cheek. “She’ll kill you if I don’t.”
“She’ll kill us no matter what, butthead,” I said. “At least I’ll die knowing that you won’t be forced into a loveless marriage with the autumn queen. With you free, we can face this hunt.”
He shook his head. “My mother won’t stop until she has both your heads on a pole.”
“It’s true,” Titania said, popping a roasted grape into her mouth.
Challenge gleamed in Aaron’s glowing eyes. “We’ll see,” he said to her, then turned to Mack. “That doesn’t mean you have to let her put yours on a pole first.”
“That’s quite enough,” the queen said. “The marriage is one of great advantage and will bind the two courts together further.” She offered a smile to her red-haired guard, the one from the autumn court. He glowered in return.
“And what if he doesn’t go through with it?” Aaron demanded.
“Then we’ll finish eating, make a toast to the hunt, and whoever kills you first will be celebrated as a hero for a hundred years,” Titania said, her eyes steely even as her voice remained soft and cheerful. “And that fae may make a single request of their queen.”
I swallowed back emotion, determined to show Mack a brave face. “We can make it through the hunt, Mack.”
“If you’re so determined to die...” The queen tilted her head and shrugged. “The hunt is on.”
Fuck. Me.
“You are either with your friends or your family, Macklin,” Queen Titania said with a dismissive wave. “Your choice.”
I jumped forward. “You can’t do that. Don’t make him choose.” I cut off as a silver arrow flew at me, sizzling along my arm. I glanced down to the fae crouching in full armor between me and the dais. The man again aimed for my chest, his posture and expression clearly saying that had been my only warning shot.
What was I even thinking? Of course Queen Titania would do that. A woman who would suck the life-force out of her own son in order to preserve her life would easily exile Mack for siding with us. “You are a horrible excuse for a queen,” I yelled. “Any one of these fae would do a better job than you.”
“I have done what I can with what I have been given.” Queen Titania stood. “If Macklin turns against his promised marriage, it will be as if he were never born. He will no longer be a prince of the Spring Court. If any of his brothers or sisters or friends attempt to help him in any way, they will share his exile.”
She turned to Mack. “Not a fae business in the state will hire you. You’ll be penniless, without family or friends.”
“Or I can be sent away into a forced marriage without my friends and family?” Mack shook his head. “Mother, I don’t see that you’re giving me much of a choice no matter what.”
Queen Titania’s eyes blazed. “If that’s who you throw in your lot with, you can join the hunt on the other side.”
“What? No,” I blurted.
A murmur rose around the feast, and someone gasped, “No!”
“I am your queen, and there are only two parties in this hunt,” she said, gleeful malice shining from her eyes. “The hunters and the hunted. If my son wants to die tonight, I will not stop him.”
Fae backed away from their table. Colorful wings flashed through the air as pixies took flight. Centaurs and redcaps backed away, fury in their faces. Within several minutes, most of the feast vanished into the woods.
Clearly, while seeking revenge on those they saw as the murderers of their dead friends was a popular idea, killing Mack was abhorrent to them. I was getting the sense that Mack was a much more popular fae than his mother. I had to give these creatures some mad respect. When our asshole of an alpha had given us abhorrent orders, we’d obeyed them. My whole pack was living with emotional scars from that.
I should have let Mack explain court politics here long ago. The last thing I wanted was a war with these fae. As far as I was concerned, everyone here aside from Queen Titania was innocent—even the fifty or so fae who remained at the feast. Most stared at me with hatred in their eyes.
I understood their fury. It was misplaced, but I would have had a similar reaction toward Queen Titania if I believed she ordered the deaths of my packmates.
“Mack,” I said. “Think about this. Your mother’s anger will coo
l. Get out of here. You can’t fight your own friends and family.”
“Exile is too good for my son. If he refuses to marry the Queen of Autumn, he’ll be in this hunt,” Titania said, her furious eyes turning to me. “Hunter or hunted.”
Mack’s fist clenched on the table. “So be it.”
The fae around the table stared at Mack in horror. He didn’t seem to notice as he had a royal stare-down with the queen.
For just a second, the queen’s furious mask broke, a look of hurt passed over her stern features. “My own children would turn against me. Even after what Autumn told you...” The queen’s hair rose, whipping about her face. “You would side with a woman who conspired to have your mother assassinated?”
“What?” Both Aaron and I asked in unison.
I gestured toward the redwood. “Mack, she’s lying. I’ve been locked in a room. I didn’t do anything to her.”
Mack shook his head. “Scarlet played no part in the attack—”
“Silence! If you would side with a woman who tried to kill me, then you are not my son.”
A gust of wind blew over the fae at the great table and slammed into Mack, sending him tumbling over the trays of food and out into the center of the pavilion.
“Let’s not dally longer.” Titania clapped her hands. “No one can say I’m not a fair ruler. So, we’ll give you three a head start. Let’s say five minutes.”
Both Aaron and I lunged for Mack as he rolled, but a wall of wind shoved us back. We tumbled onto the grass as Titania tapped one long fingernail against the surface of the table. “Tick, tock.”
The door to the great redwood burst open, and a group of fae and humans tumbled out, cries of terror rising when they saw the guests at the table. Several had cameras hanging from their hands, and a few had microphones attached to long sticks. They wore bright yellow shirts that read My Fairytale Life.
Just behind Princess Mab’s film crew, an eight-foot grayish-white creature leapt down the main staircase, its crimson tongue snapping out and smacking into the back of one of the fleeing film crew members. The fae at the head table seemed locked in one moment of confusion before all hell broke loose. All four of Queen Titania’s guards wheeled to attack the massive pale creature, moving so fast they blurred.
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