Free She's No Faerie Princess by Christine Warren Page A

asked, turning to face the alpha, his eyes wide with surprise. "But she could get hurt—" He cut himself off and cursed silently. "I mean, what would Queen Mab say if she got hurt?"
    "Quite likely the same thing she'll say just because she finds out one of her subjects came over here without permission. Whatever it is, we're going to get blamed for it." Graham sighed. "Look, whether we like it or not, she's Fae and she's here. She's also likely to have a better idea of how to go about tracking down a demon than any of us do." He looked back at Fiona. "Is it true that the Fae can follow a demon's trail?"
    "Depends on how you mean it. It's not like we're all some kind of bloodhound, but demons are magical, and magic has distinctive flavors. If a demon has spent any length of time in one place, or if it's done anything that required a significant amount of energy, it will leave a mark. I should be able to tell."
    "Even tell one demon from another?"
    She nodded. "Maybe. Probably, if they're not the sametype of demon. Venom and horns, for instance, have verydistinctive magical profiles."
    "I don't care if the ground they walked on fluorescent neon every time she sneezes on it," Walker pressed, trying to keep himself from just issuing the ultimatum he could feel building in his chest. The protectiveness he felt at the idea of the princess in danger was as

    uncomfortable as it was insane. "She can't go running
    around after a demon that almost killed her."
    "Actually, I think she has to."
    "Graham, come on. Be realistic."
    "Right after you, Tobias," Graham said, his voice
    dropping and his spine straightening. He didn't raise his
    voice, but Walker got the message loud and clear. The
    alpha was turning his opinion into an order, and as beta,
    Walker could either toe the line or have his ass handed to
    him on a platter. Torn and bloody.
    He bit nearly through his tongue to suppress the urge tosnarl out a dominance challenge. He didn't really want tochallenge his cousin, but something about the princessmade Walker intolerant of the idea of anyone elseclaiming responsibility for her. Being beta generally suited Walker to a T. He liked being almost in charge withouthaving to sit and listen to petty disputes between packmembers or even significant disputes between Othersand humans, but he didn't like the idea of Fiona puttingherself in harm's way. Not even if his alpha ordered it tohappen.
    For the first time in his life, Walker itched to take that laststep up the ladder of Lupine authority. He still could havecared less about sealing property disputes betweengammas, but he wanted to have absolute authority over Fiona. He wanted to be able to tell her to plant her buttsomewhere safe where he could watch it 24-7.
    Hell, if he had his way, she'd be locked in a secure roomcovered by armed guards. Or maybe just tied to thenearest bed where he could keep an eye on her himself.

    And a mouth and two hands and the throbbing erectionthat had barely subsided since the first minute she'dcatapulted into his life.
    "Someone dragged me away from the hot toddy my wife very kindly prepared for me, not to mention dragged me away from my wife," a voice drawled from the doorway to the office. "You have to understand that with the negotiations taking up so much of my time, this is not a disturbance I appreciate. So if I am here for no other reason than to witness one of your idiotic canine pissing contests, I am going to be left feeling rather testy."
    "I've got no idea who you are, so I can't help with why you're here, but I think the fact that you're going to see a pissing contest is pretty much a foregone conclusion." Fiona smiled at the newcomer and waved from her place on the sofa. "I'm Fiona, by the way. It's nice to meet you."
    Out of the corner of his eye, Walker saw the head of the Council of Others lounging in the doorway, lookingcustomarily elegant and relaxed in black trousers and agray V-necked sweater. It was