We needed this.
I swayed to the music, arms wrapped around Sadie’s shoulders, multiple cigarettes and pipes hanging from my lips as I drowned myself in smoke.
It curled around my face like a mask.
Sadie grabbed my shoulders and yanked me closer.
“Hear me out!” She stood on her tiptoes and yelled, but her words were barely audible over the booming music. “Let’s scrap the shower sex plan. Why don’t we just make your men jealous—right now?”
She pulled back, mouth upturned in a manic smile as she wiggled her eyebrows.
Her ruby eyes sparkled with excitement. Golden skin was flushed as she practically vibrated with energy.
Now that I could see the full color spectrum, I was awe struck by how gorgeous my best friend was.
She seized my face with her hands and pulled me lower to her level. “Please, just kiss me—and maybe hump me a little. It will be so worth it! I promise.”
The partygoers nearest to us looked over.
I flipped them off.
Stunning ruby eyes twinkled up at me.
Before I knew it, my platonic best friend—who was mated to three ferocious shifter men, and a creep named Cobra—buried her one hand in my curls, yanked my head down to her vertically challenged level, ripped the multiple pipes out of my lips, and slapped her hand over my mouth.
It took me a second to comprehend the nuance of what was occurring.
Sadie was making out with her own hand.
Over my mouth.
Aggressively.
I tried to pull away, because I wanted to pick up my pipes before someone stepped on them, but she yanked my curls. She tugged harder. Her ridiculous nails were tangled, and she couldn’t get them free.
I narrowed my eyes.
Hers were closed like she was in the middle of a passionate embrace. She opened her mouth wantonly and licked across her palm like she was licking a lollipop.
Music spun around us.
Bodies danced.
As Sadie fake kissed me harder, her hand tightened across my face and obstructed my nose.
I suffocated.
I tried to pull away, and she tugged on my hair again.
Her kiss was rough and—what was with all the hair pulling? She bit down violently on her own palm, and I jolted at her aggression, glad it wasn’t my lips.
I hated to say it, but we were not sexually compatible.
Her interest in Cobra was making a lot more sense.
I suffocated. I’d had enough. Sacrificing a chunk of my scalp, I yanked away from her and slapped her hand away.
She slapped me back and tried to plug my nose. Her talons barely missed my eyes and stabbed the sides of my nose.
I hadn’t realized her nails were hot pink. I’d thought they were a neutral color.
They were a look.
After five minutes of wrestling, I used my height and strength to pin both her arms behind her back.
“Calm down. Stop it,” I warned her as she struggled.
She giggled. “How was that?” She wiggled her eyebrows and beamed like she was proud of herself.
“Literally—horrible.” I grimaced. “What the hell was with the biting? Are you a wild animal? What possibly made you think that I would want to be bitten aggressively in a sexual situation?”
She looked at me with shock and said, “Wait—I thought everyone was into biting?”
I prayed to the sun god for mental strength.
This was what happened when you let your best friend mate with shifter men. I was an awful friend for getting kidnapped and leaving her alone in the beast realm.
I frowned. “Normal people don’t bite others. Not like that. You were really chomping. Be honest with me right now—are you doing that during sex?”
Her face turned bright red.
She mumbled, “Some people like it.”
“Why are you actually a cat?” I tried to sound scolding but ruined it by playing with her long white hair.
She smiled as I released her arms and pulled me close. “Why are you such a silly little angel goose?”
“I’m not a goose.” I shrugged sadly as we swayed back and forth. “I can’t fly.”
She smacked me. “I swear on my life, you hovered off the ground for a second.”
“Thank the sun god,” I drawled sarcastically. “Every girl dreams of hovering an inch over the ground. How exhilarating.”
She took the lead and spun me around.
The sweaty partygoers punching the air and gyrating their hips melted into nothingness as we spun together in the middle of it all.
Red eyes narrowed. “One of these days, you’re going to fly so freaking high, and I’m going to be watching, cheering you on and telling all the stupid grounders, that’s my best friend. She’s an angel, and you’re all wingless peasants.”
I laughed at how ridiculous she was.
Lately Sadie had started using the angel’s derogatory term for nonwinged folks, which was slightly concerning because she also didn’t have wings. The logic wasn’t there, but the sentiment was nice, so I was choosing to ignore it.
The loud music thumped faster and dancers fist-bumped the air.
We swayed slowly.
“I like your skirt,” I said.
She beamed. “I like yours too. You look perfect tonight.”
“You look perfecter.”
We were just two classy women wearing lace bralettes and tiny black miniskirts. Matching initialed crystal thongs stuck out the tops of our skirts and elevated our looks.
Her bralette was bubblegum pink and mine black.
We’d gotten ready together, and Sadie had covered her eyes in pink sparkles that made the red of her eyes look like blood. Pink lip gloss also complemented her gold skin.
She’d convinced me to wear makeup, so I’d agreed.
Feeling fun and flirty, I’d swiped black mascara across my eyelids and under my eyes, so it looked like I’d been punched in the face.
I called it—racoon eyes.
I thought lipstick might have been too much, so I’d left that off. I didn’t want to overwhelm everyone with my beauty.
When we’d stepped out of the bathroom, both our legions had been waiting for us—a long second passed as they took in our exposed thongs.
Cobra had hissed something, but Jax had pulled him away before we could try to translate it, and Malum had burst into flames and ordered me to change.
John had flashed his dimple and given me a fist bump. “I like the eyes.”
That was why he was still my favorite.
Now, as I swayed back and forth with my best friend, I smiled because I felt the black makeup drip down my cheeks like tears, which was exactly the look I was going for.
“I love you,” Sadie said with a rosy smile as she pulled me close.
My voice was hoarse from smoke inhalation as I replied, “I love you too.”
“Someday this is going to be all over. We’re going to go somewhere warm and sleep under the stars together. We’ll have picnics and frolic,” she whispered.
I nodded. “It sounds amazing.”
I didn’t point out that it sounded too good to be true.
The fae realm wanted to fight to the death for my crown, and the beast realm was a rainy, dreary place.
Such a picturesque place didn’t exist.
Not for us.