Free Fae High Summer Hunt by Renee Michaels Page B

and waltzing away with him. The lady leaned close to him and whispered something, causing them to both break out into laughter.
    Niamh bristled. She didn’t want to feel like an outsider amongst her own people.
    A happy, albeit drunken, pixie flew by her, nearly colliding with her shoulder. The tiny being apologised in a high-pitched tinkling voice, then it was gone, darting away to join a group of pixies near the mead.
    Most of the pixies there had already drunk their share. Their amorous personalities, combined with the summer’s fertility magic, heated the group until their moans of pleasure chimed through the warm breeze. Others nearby reacted to the intimacy, their clothes slipping off in their fervour.
    Yet another sign of how nature’s power innately affected the Seelie.
    The group she stood with were still chatting merrily amongst themselves, though their attention was beginning to drift to the playful fledgling orgy.
    Niamh slipped away into the forest, making sure no one saw her. She needed a break from the laughter and shallow niceties. Her face ached from the plastic smile she wore for the party. Once safely out of view, she leaned against a tree and let out a ragged breath. Her fake smile fell, and she stared into the sky between the leaves. If only she were home, away from the misery of joy she had to force. Warmth and happiness permeated the air around her, but a part buried within her retracted from those emotions, shying away from the silky caress. Most of the time, she wondered if she had something wrong with her. Darkness held solace for her while light made her aware of what she lacked.
    The snap of a branch startled her, and she peeked around the tree. No one was there. Thoughts about her inner darkness dissipated. Her shoulders tensed, and she strained her ears to hear more signs of movement. Another twig snapped behind her, and she nearly jumped out of her skin.
    Before her stood a man in an elaborately decorated mask, which covered most of his face. A dark hood and cape cloaked the rest of him, making it impossible to distinguish any of his features. He was most definitely fae like her—he had that kind of aura. He must’ve hidden his wings beneath his grand cape.
    She looked him over with a frown. Why was he here, away from the party? Especially dressed as he was? I left the party behind to rest, not to give someone the opportunity to make my acquaintance in private. She sighed but forced herself to smile.
    A scream caught her attention from the party, turning her towards the sound, but the laughter that followed reassured her that everything was still safe.
    The foreboding man spun her to face him. He clasped his hands around her throat, and slammed her folded wings back against the tree. Her head bounced against the hard oak. She clawed at his glove-covered hands, trying to get him off her, trying to draw air into her lungs.
    He smashed her against the tree again, but his grip slipped slightly.
    “What do you want?” she squeaked, gulping in air.
    “You. That’s what I wanted.”
    She’d never heard this man’s voice before. How could he want her while she couldn’t figure out who he was? He must’ve used glamour so she wouldn’t recognise him.
    “You’ve never given me a chance. Now you’ll pay for your decision.”
    Then again, she’d turned away so many men she didn’t know whether she’d be able to place him, even without the glamour.
    Closing her eyes, she focused on her magic to help fend him off, but his tight grasp on her throat kept her from speaking the words needed to cast her spell. Weakness gripped her, and she began to feel more and more lightheaded. Her lungs burned from lack of oxygen.
    She dropped one hand, trying to grope for anything to use against him. If she couldn’t use her magic, she’d have to use physical force. Her hand brushed a snapped tree branch dangling from the tree, and she yanked it up then smacked him hard in the face, nearly causing him to