17. Alina

Flame's fingerslink with mine, his palm warm as we walk. It's a lot less crowded than last night, the streets practically vacant.

Which reminds me of what this place looked like when I first arrived.

On our way to the tower before, I saw several humans and what I assumed were monsters—although, most of them looked human—talking and walking around. I'd been in a bit of a daze, though, my mind consumed by the fae.

Still, everything had seemed almost normal.

Except for the outfits.

But now, it's like when I was wandering with Bartholomew and Miranda, searching for a place to hide.

Did they survive?I wonder, a slight chill swirling down my spine despite the warm air. Were they taken by monsters?

"Alina?" Flame asks, pausing beside me, his head tilting to the side. "If this is making you uncomfortable, we can go back."

I swallow and look up at him. "I, no. I'm okay. I… I was just thinking about two of the others I came here with. I'm wondering if they're okay."

He studies me, then dips his chin in acknowledgment. "I imagine it's pretty strange for you, all of this." He waves around the city with his free hand. "If I'm honest, it's strange to me, too."

"It is?"

He nods again. "Yeah. This does not happen in our world." He pauses, considering that for a moment. "Well, actually, a version of it is happening in our realm right now. But it's quite different, and it involves other fae, not humans."

His world sounds interesting. "So your world doesn't require Offerings?"

He snorts. "No. Not mortal Offerings, anyway. There are definitely a few fae realms with unique gifting practices, and I know some of the Mythos Fae like a variety of tributes, but it's nothing like this. Our humans don't even know fae exist."

Reaper had said as much earlier. "But your kind visits the humans?" I ask, clarifying.

"In secret," he says. "And there are a few fae who actually live among them, but the humans have no idea."

"However, you live in the Netherworld." That's the realm Orcus mentioned, the name one I committed to memory. "What's it like there?"

"It's very different from this," he says, glancing at the metal architecture as we resume our walk. "We don't have skyscrapers or greenery like Monster City. Instead, it's a bit darker. No sun. Only three moons that cycle around a thirty-six-hour clock, not a twenty-four-hour one. The sky is always clear. Lots of stars."

My brow crinkles. "No sun?"

"No sun," he echoes.

"How do you grow food?" I wonder.

"We don't. Our gargoyles conjure it." He waggles his brows at me. "They're crafty little creatures who are born in our kingdom, but they come and go as they please. But they pay homage to their birthright by bringing back food. Pretty sure Reaper was raised by them rather than proper parents."

That last part seems to be uttered in humor.

But I'm too stuck on the word gargoyles to think about Reaper being raised by them. The term makes me shiver. "Are gargoyles monsters?" I ask.

Flame laughs, his hand squeezing mine. "No, little panther. Definitely not. They're, like, two feet tall, and they're harmless." He pauses for a moment. "Well, maybe not harmless. They're made of stone. Getting stepped on by one would suck."

"And they bring you food?"

"Yep. They stock our shelves. It's basically their way of giving us gifts." He shrugs. "We don't need food the way some fae do, so it's a treat more than a requirement."

"What about humans in your kingdom?" I wonder aloud. "Other mates?"

"We don't have humans in the Netherworld," he tells me. "Only other fae and creatures like the gargoyles."

"Oh." My brow furrows. "So when you go back…" I trail off, swallowing. I'd almost said something foolish. So when you go back, what happens to me?

A ridiculous thought.

I don't plan to go back with them. Heck, I don't even want to go back with them.

Not that it matters, anyway. They're not planning on leaving anytime soon. Orcus said there are other Omegas in this world. He insinuated that they intend to stay here and hunt them all.

But what happens when they're done? a small part of me whispers.

Does it matter?

I'll be in Chicago by then, right?

"When we go back," Flame says softly, his hand squeezing mine again. "We'll figure something out."

I blink at him, but he's staring straight ahead, his focus on something toward the end of our street. I'm about to ask what he means by figuring something out, when his mouth curls into a stunning smile, his excitement palpable.

"Oh, fuck, this is amazing," he says, beaming. "I was wondering what Central Park would look like in this realm, but I would never have guessed this." His steps quicken, causing me to almost jog along beside him. "It's like a jungle."

My eyes widen as the jungle comes into better view, the trees stretching impossibly high into the sky. "Wow," I breathe, gaping at them. "I… I didn't know trees grew like this." Back home, they were all tall, but they were nothing like this. I can't even see where they end.

"They don't do this in the Human Realm in our dimension. This has to be influenced by magic or something." He looks around as though trying to find the source. "Are you okay with exploring a little more?" he asks, glancing at me.

I nod. "Yeah." I wouldn't mind seeing these trees up close.

His smile is infectious again as he pulls me toward what appears to be an entrance carved into the middle of a massive tree trunk.

Wow,I think, studying the smooth wood inside as we pass through it. This is… almost magical.

Or maybe unnatural is the better term.

Except, everything around us feels dreamy. It's stunning. Green. Alive.

There are flowers inside, too. All of them decorating the colossal giants around them, the colors a vibrant splash against the green and brown.

Colors I can see because of the twinkling lights all around,I realize, noting the fluttering flickers dancing in the air. Are they bugs? Or something else?

None of them come close enough for me to see, their focus seeming to be on highlighting the flowers.

"This place is giving me Midnight Fae vibes, only it's a lot more colorful," he murmurs. "My animal is begging me to set him free and go for a run."

His exhilaration has me smiling right along with him. This all feels like a fantasy. Unreal. Like I'm dreaming.

Maybe I am.

He's a gorgeous fae, holding my hand, pulling me into this alluring, otherworldly jungle of trees and exotic flowers.

In the middle of a city.

But he said something about a park. "Central Park?" I repeat, thinking out loud. "They have this in your world?"

He chuckles. "No. Well, yes. They have Central Park. But it's nothing compared to this. It's a beautiful green space in the middle of New York City. However, this is like the Amazon, only even more intense." He tilts his head back, his eyes falling closed. "And it smells amazing."

I try to scent whatever it is he's enjoying, but all I pick on is the heady aroma of nature—trees, flowers, fresh air.

That last bit makes me frown a little.

Because it reminds me of Orcus.

I glance behind me, like I expect him to be there. The scent increases just a little as I do it, except I don't see him. And he doesn't exactly seem like the type to hide.

"Everything okay?" Flame asks.

"I…" I return my focus to him. "I thought I sensed Orcus."

Flame's lips twitched. "Yeah, you probably can. Omegas and Alphas are linked like that, typically through scent." He releases my hand to stretch his arms over his head, causing his shirt to ride up a little. "When we mate, you'll be able to sense me, too. And we'll be able to talk via our minds."

My eyebrows lift. When we mate?

But he doesn't seem to notice my reaction, as he's too busy rolling his neck and showing off all that masculine strength. "I'm going to have to come back out here for a run."

That's a much safer topic, I decide, clearing my throat. "Why can't you go on a run right now?" I blurt out, latching on to this conversation so I don't lose myself to my thoughts.

"Because it would require me to undress and shift," he says, shaking out his arms. "And I'd be leaving you alone."

"I could try to jog alongside you?" I offer lamely.

Flame stares at me for a long second, his dimples seeming to deepen. "Really? You would do that for me?"

"I… I would try?" I'm not in great jogging shape, mostly because I wasn't allowed outside for prolonged periods in the village.

My skin was too fair for farm work, thus they placed me in the fruit market instead.

I admit that aloud to Flame and add, "They would penalize me with more required entries if I burned my skin. Primarily because lotion was a premium item, not a basic resource item." I clear my throat. "But anyway, yeah, I'll try to keep up with you so you can run."

I also kind of want to see his jaguar.

How does that even work? Does it take time to shift? Do his bones break?

That last thought has my eyes blowing wide. "Wait, is turning into your animal painful?"

I think he was in the middle of saying something because his mouth is slightly open and he looks a little mystified by my random commentary.

But his surprise melts into another handsome smile. "No, sweetheart. It doesn't hurt. Rejecting him is actually more painful than shifting."

"So you're in pain right now?" Because he made it sound like his jaguar was clawing at him to go for a run. And he's clearly rejecting that need at the moment.

Flame cocks his head a little. "Well, slightly. But?—"

"Then you should shift," I tell him. "Let your jaguar out. I don't mind. I'll try to keep up. It'll be fine." I'll probably fall on my ass and make a complete fool of myself. But I've experienced worse.

Like what Timothy did to my throat yesterday, I think, shivering. That was definitely worse.

And I have bruising around my neck to prove it.

Why am I even thinking about that?My mind appears to be everywhere except where it needs to be—which is right here, in this magical jungle with Flame.

"Please shift," I tell him. "I want to see your, uh, cat."

He snorts. "It's a lot bigger than a mere cat, Alina."

"Then show me," I dare him, feeling bold despite my babbling idiocy. " Let me see it."

One of his dark brows wings upward. "A challenge?"

I fold my arms. "I'm waiting." I'm not sure where this boldness is coming from, but I'm thankful for its return. Mostly because I thought this side of me had disappeared over the last week.

However, the part of me who stood up to the Viscount is now challenging the Shifter Fae.

And if the amusement in Flame's expression is anything to go by, he approves.

"All right, little panther," he murmurs, lifting his finger to draw a circle in the air. "Turn around."

My brow furrows. "Why?"

"Because I have to undress to shift." His hand drops to the top of his jeans. "Unless you want to watch?"

Now who is challenging whom?I wonder, swallowing.

"Right." I spin around. Because I am not ready to accept that challenge.

Reaper's nude state is still freshly ingrained in my mind. Adding a naked image of Flame to my head would probably make me physically combust.

Or melt.

Or go insane.

Or all of the above.

The sound of a zipper being drawn down causes the hairs to dance along my arms. He's undressing. Which, of course, I knew he was going to do. But the realization that all I have to do is turn around to see him is…

Well, it's tempting.

Very, very tempting.

What is it about these fae that has my head so lost in the clouds? I've never been like this before. I've always been focused. Goal-oriented. Determined to succeed in whatever I set my mind to.

But with them, I find myself wanting to follow their lead.

To submit in their presence.

To indulge in whatever this burning sensation is that's blossoming between us.

I don't know them.

They're mon…I trail off, unable to complete the thought.

Because they're not monsters. They're fae. And so far, they've been pretty amazing.

They've taken time to explain things to me. They gave me the big bed. They helped me find normal clothes. They've given me food, introduced me to cupcakes, and have said repeatedly that they wouldn't push me into anything.

Yet, all the while, they've made their stance known—they want me.

I don't understand why or how, especially with them barely knowing me, but I'm starting to realize that it's different for them.

They're not human. They… they simply know.

And maybe, on some level, I know, too.

Is that why I can smell Orcus, even now?

Why I want to turn around and watch Flame?

Why part of me is hoping Reaper will still be in the big bed when I get back?

I swallow. Or perhaps?—

A nose bumps my leg, causing me to jump and turn around.

And lay eyes on the most beautiful black animal I've ever seen. "Oh, wow," I say, meeting a pair of bright green eyes. Not purple. Not black. But cat-green.

I've seen village cats before.

But they were nothing compared to this giant, masculine beast.

His sleek coat resembles the night, his paws massive and attached to long, strong legs.

He bumps me with his nose again, a soft purr emanating from him.

Like Orcus's rumble.

Only, Flame released a similar sound, too. While carrying me last night.

Because he's a black jaguar.

His animal had been purring for me then.

Just like he's purring for me now.

I squat before him, wanting to see him better. And he instantly rubs his cheek against mine, his eyes closing with the movement.

A giggle escapes me, his soft fur a nice texture against my skin. It's also so unexpected, so unbelievable, that I can't help but laugh again.

For over two decades, I've had nightmares of monsters taking brides. And never, in a single visual, have I pictured this—a beautiful jaguar nuzzling me.

It was always grotesque beings with sharp claws and fang-like teeth.

Granted, Flame has both of those traits, but they're more majestic on him. More… alluring.

I slowly reach forward to scratch his ears, earning me an even deeper rumble from his chest. He leans into my touch, his eyes closing again as we both lose ourselves to the moment.

"You're very handsome," I tell him softly.

He preens in response, bumping me again. Then he goes back onto his haunches and starts stretching. I watch his massive paws, noticing the way his sharp talons dig into the earth. Then he stands again and shakes his fur out. With a low growl, he turns toward the trees and takes a few steps.

When I don't follow, he glances back at me expectantly.

Right. I said I would jog with him.

Swallowing, I pick up his clothes and shoes from the ground—something that just seems natural to do—and start after him.