How Does It Feel? (Infatuated Fae, #1)

by Jeneane O'Riley

“Believe me, you detestable mortal, by the end of tonight, you will beg me to end your life.”

He paused at the door and looked back at me, letting out a two syllabled whistle while he patted the thigh of his black pants.

“Come,”

he commanded with a rumble a...

“You need a collar more stable than my hand, pet,”

he growled before he turned and left the room, tugging me behind him like a dog.

“When you walk into this ballroom, remember that you are a sheep among wolves. Only these wolves ache for even the thought of tasting you, the thought of using you, consuming you. That is one of the many reasons the Unseelie are no longer welcomed on earth,”

“Oh, pet, there any many, many ways to be consumed. Humans, though detestable to my lineage, are undeniably rare, a bit of a sexual delicacy among the Fae.”

“Because I like to watch you shake, little lamb,”

“And this will be the last time I’m afforded that.”

“You will not leave this room ali...

“And not in so many pieces.”

“You killed him!”

He looked up nonchalantly.

“He was touching you.”

“I’ve recently decided I don’t like others touching my things, touching what’s mine.”

His deep voice was barely above a whisper as he continued to clean the dagger and sheath it at his side.

“Callie Peterson of the human realm, as Prince of the Unseelie court, I offer you a deal.”

“As a human, you shouldn’t be nearly so hard to kill. Against my better judgment, I am quite preoccupied with you.”

“I will hold nothing but relief once you are dead,”

“A game,”

“I will attempt to kill you three more times, human. If, by some gift of fate, you should live past my efforts, then I wi...

“May your death be fast . . . for both our sakes,”

The blood forest.

“Unless you all would also like to die tonight, get away from my pet,”

his voice lumbered at my back as the crowd quickly moved away.

A look I hadn’t seen from him before. He looked disheveled, his dark hair mussed about as if he had been pulling on it. Likely furious because I hadn’t died like he’d hoped. Why did he hate me so much?

“Callie Peterson of the human realm has won her first trial,”

“You ought to have allowed the lady’s maids to help you. You’re bleeding all over my wall.”

“Good, I hope I stain it,”

“Get on the bed so I can bandage you, and you’ll stop bleeding all over the place.”

“I will die before I let you touch me,”

I snarled, still fighting against what my body seemed to crave.

“As you wish...

he whispered as he pinned me tightly aga...

Do it, or I will make you,”

“Stay with me, pet, your body is just in shock.”

“Human’s lives are so short and fragile. The weight of that has never quite occurred to me until just now,”

he whispered as if to himself.

“Lie back now and let me address your wounds or I will crawl inside your mind and ...

“Stay awake until I tell you otherwise,”

“I’m searching for your wounds. Settle down. You are safe now.”

“Yes, of course. Safe at the hands of the Unseelie prince who wants me dead and just attempted to kill me?”

Smoke unfurled from his back, showcasing his wide wings. It was intensely intimidating, but also—a part of me longed to touch his wings—they were unbelievably beautiful when you looked past the sharp edge. Like their owner. What would it be like to have such a bad, heartless man want me? To come apart only for me and no one else. I shook the deranged thoughts from my head.

“You develop a taste for blood when you’re constantly licking your own wounds,”

“Until this moment, I’ve never known you could crave something you’ve never wanted,”

“That’s it. Good girl.”

“I still hate you,”

“I still need you dead,”

She wished me to believe her a simple, insignificant human, but anyone that looked at her could see she was so much more than that.