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Roniâs Masterlist
Out of My Control (Lucien x Reader)
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Tell Me What You Want (Ruhn x Reader)
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Lint Roller? I Barely Know Her
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@ronibartender
Socials!
Etsy
Roniâs Masterlist
Out of My Control (Lucien x Reader)
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Tell Me What You Want (Ruhn x Reader)
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Tell me how he does it
Summary: Part 5 of âTell Me What You Wantâ
PS: Takes place during CC1
Disclaimer: I give no rights for my work to be replicated, adapted, translated or used for any means. If you have questions please feel free to message me. This story is heavily based on the original text. I want this story to feel like you as a reader is truly being transported into the book. All rights reserved to SJM and her team.
WARNING: This chapter contains explicit sex scenes. There is no warning in the text but there are signs that itâs about to happen. If you are uncomfortable with such material read at your own risk.
(Y/N)âs POV
Later that night (Y/N) received a text from Bryce:
BRYCE:
Look at it!!! đđ
(Y/N):
YOU GOT AN OTTER?!
HOW?!đ
Do you have a Many Waters boyfriend I should know about?
BRYCE:
Hunt and I had a Many Waters contact on the case!
I gave it a silver mark and it twitched its whiskers and grinned! I almost died!
Easily the highlight of my day.
Week!
Year!
Actually, my whole life!
(Y/N):
JealousđĽ˛
What did the contact say?
Bryce sent her a picture of short but sweet letter scribbled in not-too-bad-kind-of-familiar handwriting:
I think you'll find this of interest.
Kisses,
Tharion
(Y/N):
Kisses? đ
WaitâŚ
THARION KETOS IS YOUR CONTACT?!
BRYCE:
The kisses were obviously for Huntđ
Yeah. Red head, tiger striped tail, easy on the eyes
You know him?
(Y/N):
YeahâŚđ I know him
I worked with him on a case while I was still at the AUX. He was on the case for whoever tf he works for and we decided to team up on it.
We kept seeing each other at every twist and turn on the case and swapping notes so why not?
BRYCE:
You fucked a mer?!đ¤Ş
(Y/N):
YeahđŽâđ¨
BRYCE:
Was it good?
(Y/N):
Not the point!
BRYCE:
But was it?
(Y/N):
YeahđŤŁ
Really good
We kept seeing each other for a while. Nothing serious. I canât remember why we stopped
BRYCE:
How did I not know about this?
(Y/N):
I wasnât exactly advertising it! It wasnât serious.
What information did he have for you?
BRYCE:
Nice try changing the subject
Weâll circle back to this outrageous behavior later đ
Bryce went over everything her and Hunt put together. Sending along pictures of the photographs Tharion had mailed her.
âHoly fuck!â (Y/N) said out loud in her empty apartment as she saw the photos. Reading what Bryce and Hunt had to say about them. This whole case was starting to feel like one big conspiracy theory gone too far.
The photos were gruesome: half eaten bodies bloated from decomposing in water.
BRYCE:
Thatâs what was left of a body after Tharion pried it from a sobek's lair
The bites looked like the work of a sobek. She shuddered at the thought. Clocking in at more than twenty-five feet and nearly three thousand pounds of scale-covered muscle, sobeks were among the worst of the apex predators who prowled the river. Mean, strong, and with teeth that could snap anyone in two, a full-grown male sobek could make most Vanir back away.
(Y/N):
Heâs insane!
BRYCE:
He says the bite marks on the torso aren't consistent with sobek teeth. This person was already dead when they were dumped into the Istros. The sobek must have seen an easy meal and hauled it down to its lair to eat later
She swallowed the lump in her throat. No amount of AUX work would ever make her comfortable with this sort of shit. Yeah, she could kill and tear apart and be outright despicable. But this? This was something else entirely.
She looked again at pictures: a dryad female. Her chest cavity had been ripped open, heart and internal organs removed, and bite marks peppered the entirety of what was left of her.
BRYCE:
These wounds look like the ones you got from the kristallos. And Tharionâs lab figured this body was probably five days old, judging by the level of decay
Bryce re-sent the pictures, this time editing them with red circles to showcase which marks she was talking about.
(Y/N):
That's the night we were attacked
Bryce continued to summarize the merâs notes.
BRYCE:
There was clear venom in the wounds. Tharion says he could feel it inside the corpse even before the mer did tests on it. But when they tested it⌠IT NEGATED MAGIC! He looked into records of all unidenti- fied bodies the mer found in the past couple years. They found two with identical wounds and this clear venom right around the time of⌠ya know... A dryad and a fox shifter male. Both reported missing. This month, they've found five with these marks and the venom. All reported missing, but a few weeks after the fact
(Y/N):
Seems like people who wonât have many connections. âGood victimsâ if you will
BRYCE:
I donât think the kristallos is what killed Danika⌠I saw it in the hall, not in the apartment. Danika, the pack, and the other three recent victims were in piles.
Bryce sent another photo.
BRYCE:
These wounds aren't the same. The kristallos wanted to get at Huntâs heart, his organs. Not turn you two into heaps. Danika, the Pack of Devils, Tertian, the acolyte and temple guard⌠NONE of them had wounds like this. And none had this venom in their system. It doesnât make senseđŁ
(Y/N) blinked and read the texts over. And over and over. If she learned anything while dating Micah and watching him climb on the social ladder was that powerful people never stopped. They never had enough. They always want more.
(Y/N):
What if something else came through?
BRYCE:
What?
(Y/N):
What if the kristallos was summoned to look for the Horn, but something worse was also there that night? If you had the power to summon the kristallos, why not summon multiple types of demons? Accomplish multiple tasks at once
BRYCE:
Any ideas on what?
(Y/N):
Athalarâs the demon expert
BRYCE:
Heâs got nothingâŚ
Iâll keep you updated if I come up with anything
(Y/N):
Sounds good. Iâm gonna do a deep dive on this too
BRYCE:
A âdeepâ dive đ?
(Y/N):
Shut up!
Maybe đđ§đťââď¸đ
Ruhnâs POV
The party was just beginning, people were barely drunk and the north root was still fresh. Ruhn lit up a roll of it as a tiger shifter in a short two piece that left nothing to the imagination and talked about something or other while tracing the tattoos of his right arm. The music was so loud he felt it in his chest, he fucking loved that feeling. Ruhnâs ears perked up as he heard Declan pick up his phone, âhi, B!â
He left the tiger shifter without a second thought and stepped close enough to his red headed friend for his Fae hearing to pick up Bryceâs voice through the phone, âis that Bryce?â
âIâd definitely run a scent diagnostic. Youâll need clothes.â Declan said and Ruhn stepped even closer to hear Bryceâs side of the conversation.
âThey mustâve done a scent diagnostic 2 years ago.â
âWas it the common one or the mimir?â Declan used his other hand to plug his left ear, beer bottle still in that hand.
âWhatâs the difference?â Bryce sounded frustrated.
âThe mimir is better, itâs relatively new.â There was a pause on the line after Declan said it and Ruhn sobered up completely at the realization of what Bryce was asking.
âNo one did a mimir test.â
âWell, itâs Fae tech mostly. We loan it out to the legion for their major cases, someone shouldâve said somethingâŚâ
âYou had access to this sort of thing two years ago?â
âAww shit,â was all Dec said before Ruhn took his phone and walked out to the deck where the music wasnât so loud, his friend in tow.
âBryce, a direct order was given not to pursue it through those channels. It was deemed a matter that the Fae should stay out of.â
âThe Autumn King is a real prick, you know that?â He heard Athalar on the other side, was he trying to instigate Bryce or what?!
âIâm going to tell him just that.â Before Ruhn could protest, beg her to calm down and not do anything that would make their father take any⌠harsh measures against her, or him, she hung up.
Ruhn took off like his life depended on it, summoning his shadows and hiding within them as he propelled himself through the streets and towards Five Roses.
Rain pelted down and plastered his long hair to his face and neck but he didnât stop until he saw Bryce and a charged up Hunt in front of his fatherâs gates. âStand down! Stand the fuck down.â He shouted to the guards who kept their magical shield up between them and his sister. Huntâs lightning crackled as the guards blatantly ignored Ruhnâs demand.
âEven you, Prince, are not authorized to order that.â One of the guards said. He only noticed Dec and Flynn had followed him when he came to a stop.
Shadows rose around him like they had a mind of their own. âThere are other battles worth fighting with him Bryce!â He pleaded. âThis isnât one of them.â
âHe deliberately chose not to help with what happened to Danika.â Bryceâs voice was pure venom.
âSome might consider that to be interference with an imperial investigation.â Hunt sided him up and folded his arms.
Ruhn only took his eyes away from his sister for a second, âfuck off Athalar!â He reached for Bryce but she stepped away before he could touch her. âYou are considered a member of this court, you know? You were involved in a colossal mess! He decided the best thing for your safety was to let the case drop. Not dig further.â
âAs if heâs ever given two shits about my safety.â She bared her teeth.
âHe gave enough of a shit about you to want me to be your live-in guard. But you wanted Athalar to play sexy roomie.â
âHe wants to find the horn for himself! It has nothing to do with me!â She pointed to the house beyond the iron gates they stood before. âYou go in there and tell that piece of shit I wonât forget this. EVER! He wonât care but you tell him!â
âIâm sorry Bryce, about Danika-â
She cut him off, âdo not ever! Say her name to me. Never! Say her name to me again!â
Ruhn felt his shadows flicker as his chest tightened to an unimaginable point. She said something to Athalar before taking off at a run.
(Y/N)âs POV
(Y/N) had no idea how she ended up in this situation. She looked over to the apartment window, seeing fish and Mer swimming about. It was calming and quiet under the water, cooler too. She felt a hand wrap around her bare midsection and she backed closer to the naked chest behind her.
Sheâd come here for information. Strictly business. But Tharion was easy. Safe. And she was horny and worn out. He was great in bed, sheâd never be able to say any different. If he wasnât engaged she mightâve tried to coax him into monogamy. Her chest tightened slightly at the memory of his engagement. Tharion never wanted to marry the sea princess or whatever her name was, and sheâd stopped feeling remorseful long ago. Probably around the time she realized that if it wasnât her, heâd fuck someone else despite the engagement too. She might as well enjoy the male beside her.
A loud, blaring alarm made her jolt and Tharion groaned behind her. âSorry, princess. Iâll be back in five.â He kissed her temple and tugged on his trousers, heading to change back into Mer form before he lost his tail forever. (Y/N) sighed and laid on her back, which was sore as hell. Tharion had rocked her world like no one had in a long, loooong while. She closed her eyes and took a nice deep breath before tugging his shirt on and following him to the chamber attached to the apartment that allowed water in and out, letting Mer residents submerge themselves efficiently.
She waited until the light above the door turned green, signaling the chamber was empty, and the door unlocked. She walked inside and found Tharion laying on the floor, still in Mer form. A pensive expression on his face. She smirked and locked the iron door and walked over to him.
He smirked, âcouldnât stay away from me for five minutes, huh?â
She said nothing but carefully startled his tail. His webbed hand went to her waist instinctively, the feeling wasnât foreign. Heâd partially shifted during sex many times. Scales appearing along his body, the webbing between his fingers helping him grip her ass, the gills appearing just under his jaw to help him get enough air in him when he refused to lift his head from between your legsâŚ.
But sheâs never done anything with him fully turned. âSoâŚâ she ran a finger down his beautifully muscled chest. âHow does Mer sex work?â
His grin was the definition of shit eating. âThereâs many different ways Mer mate. It depends mostly on what kind of bottom half you have.â
âAnd what kind of bottom do you have, Ketos?â
His grip on her waist tightened. âI have a member thatâs hidden in an internal body cavity. Surffice dwellers arenât too crazy about it Iâm afraid.â He shrugged but the grin stayed on his lips.
âWhy?â She traced his abs, getting wetter by the second.
âItâs a âfish dickâ (Y/N). Itâs nothing like a human one.â
She leaned down and kissed him. âI wanna see it.â She kissed along his jaw, just over his scales. His tale twitched and she smiled. For a while she didnât think heâd indulge her. When she finally felt a slimy, thick form sliding between them she smiled.
He talked her through how to handle it until she found herself feeling more confident than she probably should. âTurn on the water.â He growled against her lips. She whined but stood and hit the button to let the water in.
Once the water level was high enough for Tharion to swim he dove under the water and swam until he had her submerged legs on his shoulders. He stayed there and by the gods did they both love it. Tharion was in his true element here; he could move in ways he never could on land. After he was satisfied with her core he swam up to the surface of the water and kissed her. Moving her hand away from the button that let the water in. The tank was a good â full; just enough air for her to breathe.
He held her as he waded to the middle of the chamber, removing her-his, now soaked shirt from her body. Sheâd never be able to experience this with any other species. Shifters would fully transform into an animal and that was a line sheâd never been drunk enough to cross. All other species either had full human-like appendages or fully animal ones. This sort of hybrid, toeing-the-line-type sex sheâd only ever be able to have with a Mer. And one who did, in fact, have the equipment.
His Mer dick moved on its own; massaging her insides while he thrusted into her. Sheâd been depriving herself of sex for months. Not on purpose, it just happened. She wants one for hooking up with strangers. Even Tharion had taken a good month of bantering and becoming friends before she even let herself picture him in her bed. Sheâd had shit luck with males all her life and after what happened with Ruhn? Forget it. He was someone she never thought would play with her heart, her feelings. And when he had sheâd shut herself off from dating. Not forever, but until she was certain sheâd found someone worthy of her time.
The important thing was that right now Tharion was worthy of her body. Her orgasm deprived body had shaken under, over and beside him all night. The only thing neither of them had accounted for before getting intimate in this form was the difference between cumming in them.
âAgh!â She yelled in surprise as a feeling of getting kicked in the liver hit her. She looked down and the water had a fuzzy white tinge around them, coming from her core.
âAw shitâŚâ Tharion moaned and pulled out, his appendage going back to whichever trapdoor he kept it in. He held her above water as she caught her breath.
âWhat the Hel was that?â She groaned, still in pain.
He sighed. âMer⌠ejaculate at a different speed.â
She looked at him for a moment before laughing. He laughed too before making sure she was actually ok and draining the chamber. They found his wet shirt, wringing it out and slipped back on her. He changed back to his form with legs, the webbing and scales disappearing, and opened the chamber door, putting his pants on before helping a shaky legged (Y/N) back to his apartment.
She threw off the shirt as soon as she stepped inside his room and jumped on the bed. He took off his pants and followed suit. Peaking at his night stand she saw it was only 3 am. He kissed her feverishly and she reciprocated. She broke the kiss only for a moment to speak, âdonât think Iâve forgotten what I came here for,â she smirked. âYouâre telling me everything over breakfast.â
Tharion ginned and nipped her ear, âif itâs a business meal then youâre paying, princess.â
She moaned as his fangs came out as he bit her neck. âFineâŚâ she was able to get out, feeling some of his scales flicker on and off his skin as he got more and more excited.
The next morning they got breakfast and (Y/N) questioned and theorized with Tharion about what he knew and what he hadnât disclosed to Bryce and Hunt. They needed to look closer at all the details together. Her gut told her there was something bigger at play, the universe wasnât so careless to allow this many coincidencesâŚ
He told her about the drug deals going on; nothing in or on the water was safe from Mer eyes and ears. Apparently Tharion had been withholding more information than she thought.
âDanika?!â She whisper-yelled.
âShe was spotted the day before she died.â
âBuying or selling?â (Y/N) sipped her water.
âNo clue. But she was spotted on a boat that had synth in it a few nights before it hit the streets.â Tharion took a bite from his omelet. âItâs some bad shit. Stay away from it.â He pointed his fork at her.
âYes, sir.â She said with a wink and a sultry voice, making that smirk appear back on Tharionâs face.
He told her all about how what they now knew as âsynthâ started off as a drug to aid with healing⌠until, of course, someone found some way to use it in a fucked up way.
âIn concentrated doses, it can give humans strength greater than most Veinir.â
âWhat does it do to Veinir?â
âI donât knowâŚâ at that moment the smallest of the doors to the cafe swung open and an otter in a yellow vest bounded towards their table, stood on its hind legs and took the letter from its mouth, holding it out to Tharion.
(Y/N) went still with excitement. She thought sheâd burst when the otter set its gaze on her, its ear twitched and it scratched it. âOhhhhhh!â She squeaked and dug into her purse for a gold mark.
âHere.â She looked up to see Tharion holding out a shiny, gold coin to her. He nodded towards the otter. âGo on.â She bit her lip and handed the otter the coin. It took it with both paws before putting it in a pocket in its vest. Tharion smiled and said, âwhatâs this:â He made a sound with his lips. The otter scurried forward and put both paws on her leg asking for a pet. She obliged happily and looked at Tharion thinking she may explode. He took a picture and her phone pinged soon after. The otter didnât stay long, pulling another letter from its vest, looking at it and sharing off.
By the time she looked back at Tharion he was reading his letter, âlooks like your friend and the angel have summoned me.â He scowled, putting down a few bills on the table. âThat part of the river is gross.â
âI thought I was paying?â She lifted a brow.
âOh please.â He rolled his eyes and stood, âIâve got to go, Iâll text you.â She nodded and finished her breakfast. Forwarding the picture of the otter on her leg to Bryce.
Ruhnâs POV
Ruhn felt his phone vibrate during an intense game of cup pong at a party for an AUX agent's birthday; they rented out an entire bar. Heâd wondered if (Y/N) would be here, given that she was friends with most of their coworkers⌠well, her ex coworkers now. His carefree demeanor changed when he saw who was calling. âWhatâs wrong?â He heard nothing on the other end and panicked, setting his drink down and walking towards the back door. âBryce?â
âHave you seen Hunt anywhere today?â
âIs everything ok?â Flynn called after him, he shot his friend a look that told him he was about to find out. He looked at his friend just long enough to see him drag Dec from Marcâs side and towards him.
âWhat happened?" He closed the metal door behind him, shutting the noise out.
âLike, have you seen Hunt at the gun range or anywhere?â She sounded frightened.
âWhere are you?â He started to round the bar to where he parked his bike.
âHomeâŚâ
âGive me five minutesâ she started to jog, looking back as he heard the metal door slam, seeing Dec and Flynn running to him.
âNo, I donât need you here, I just- I canât find himâ
âIâll put Dec and Flynn on it right-â
âHeâs back, Iâll call you tomorrow.â She hung up without another word. Run slowed to a stop and stared at his phone, the screen now dark. His friends jogged up to him.
âWhat was that about?â Declan asked.
âShe was looking for AthalarâŚâ
Flynn scoffed, âwhat? Separation anxiety or something? I thought he was supposed to stay with her at all times?â
âExactly.â Ruhn said. âIâm gonna head home. You guys enjoy the party, I wanna be ready in case she needs anything, Iâll call you if anything comes up.
Dec clapped his shoulder and headed back in with pursed lips. Flynn clasped his hand and bumped his shoulder before following the red head. Ruhn got on his bike and took the long way home.
Ruhn stared at the unread text messages on his phone:
1 hour and 45 minutes ago.
RUHN:
Is Athalar alright?
1 hour and 30 minutes ago.
RUHN:
Are you alright?
1 hour ago
RUHN:
I called the front desk of your building and the doorman reassured me that youâre both up there. So Iâm assuming you two are fine, but call me in the morning?
30 secs ago
RUHN:
Iâm glad you called me tonight. I know things are fucked up between us and I know a lot of that is my fault but if you ever need me Iâm here
Anytime at all Bryce
Ruhn sighed and tossed his phone to the side and laid on the couch a long while, head empty, just hoping to hear the ping of his phone that would tell him his sister was alright.
His entire life had revolved around his father; not upsetting him, not angering him, hiding things from him, getting away from himâŚ
And his actions a decade ago had caused Bryceâs world to revolve around him the same way; the worst way. Ruhn sighed and sat up, heading upstairs to finally shower and head to bed.
He kept his phone close, still hoping for that ping⌠but as Ruhn cleaned up and put on clean boxers before dropping onto his bed like a rock, he felt his chest tightening more by the minute. What gnawed at him wasnât that Bryce wouldnât answer, it was the sad truth that she simply didnât need to. Didnât need him. Heâd been her brother for 2, almost 3 years, thatâs how long it took him to majorly fuck it all to Hel.
(Y/N) was the same way: capable, sharp, self-contained⌠it was what once drew him to admire her once. How she carried the weight of the world on her shoulders so seemingly effortlessly. He admired that about her until he took it for granted, until it became a door he helped close. He mentally kicked himself; heâd admired her but never thought of helping her carry all that weight, balm the pain of failure when things slipped through the cracks.
In retrospect perhaps he was intimidated. No. He knew for a fact he was. Heâd never met anyone like (Y/N); her disposition to toe the line and even cross it for the right reasons. Her determination and ambition, she never needed anyone except herself.
Ruhn groaned, realizing where his thoughts had drifted and reached for the mirthroot on his night stand, lighting it up and smoking.
âGet a grip,â he said to himself though drifted teeth. âPeople are dead. A Demon almost killed Athalar. The Horn is still missing.â He took another hit. Whatever the fuck was happening in Crescent City, it didnât care about his problems or regrets.
Ruhn was in his office at the AUX the next day, going through files when his phone rang. He took a deep breath when he saw Bryceâs name pop up on the screen. The picture of the contact, one of the only ones he had: she was fourteen, a big smile on her face as she ate fries across from him at a diner.
"Yeah?"
"I want you to spare me the lectures and the warnings and all that shit, okay?"
Ruhn paused at her tone. "Okay." When he didnât hear anything from her end he continued. "What's going on with you and Athalar?"
"Nothing," Bryce said, "he's not my type."
Ruhn cringed at the thought. "I was asking about why he's not on the call, not whether you're dating, but that's good to know."
"Athalar is off making those muscles of his even nicer." She huffed a laugh. "That medwitch who sent you the information about synthetic magic⌠did she offer any thoughts on why or how it got onto the streets?"
"No. I think she's more concerned about its origins and an antidote. She told me she actually tested some of the kristallos venom she got out of Athalar from the other night against the synth, trying to formulate one. She thinks her healing magic can act like some kind of stabilizer for the venom to make the antidote, but she needs more of the venom to keep testing it out. I don't know. It sounded like some complex shit." He added wryly, "If you run into a kristallos, ask it for some venom, would you?"
"Got a crush, Ruhn?" He could practically hear her smirk through the phone. Could feel her evil plans formulating even across the city.
He snorted. "She's done us a huge favor!â And she was pretty. And smart. And kind. âI'd like to repay her in whatever way we can." Heâd like to know her name. But every time he found himself getting the slightest feelings of butterflies thinking of the medwitch, (Y/N)âs face would flash in his mind. Like it was his default setting to think of her whenever anything romantic came up, like he was programmed that way.
âAll right.â Bryce didnât sound convinced at all. âDoesnât have to be a crush on the medeitch.â She continued.
"The research papers say only tiny amounts are released, even for the medwitches and their healing.â He ignored her comment completely. âIt's incredibly expensive and difficult to make."
There was a beat of silence before Bryce spoke, more tentative than before, "what if... what if the formula and a shipment leaked two years ago from Redner, and Danika was sent out to track it down. And maybe she realized whoever wanted to steal the synth planned to use it to repair the Horn, and she stole the Horn before they could. And then they killed her for it."
"But why keep it a secret?" Ruhn asked. "Why not bust the person behind it?"
"I don't know. It's just a theory." Better than nothing.
Ruhn went quiet again. And they both knew a serious talk was coming. "I think it's admirable, Bryce. That you still care enough about Danika and the Pack of Devils to keep looking into this."
"I was ordered to by my boss and the Governor, remember?" She brushed it off, like most things these days.
"You would have looked once you heard it wasn't Briggs anyway." He sighed. "You know, Danika nearly beat the shit out of me once."
"No she didn't."
"Oh, she did. We ran into each other in Redner Tower's lobby when I went to meet up with Declan after some fancy meeting he was having with their top people. Wait-you dated that prick son of Redner's, didn't you?"
"I did," she said tightly.
"Gross. Just gross, Bryce." Ruhn kicked his feet up on the edge of his desk and grimaced at the idea of Bryce with that prick. It was as disgusting an image as her with Athalar.
"Tell me about Danika wiping the floor with your pathetic ass."
Ruhn smiled at the memory, "I don't know how we got into it about you, but we did."
âWhat'd you say?â
"Why are you assuming I did the instigating? Did you ever meet Danika? She had a mouth on her like I've never seen." He clicked his tongue, the admiration in the noise unplanned. "Anyway, I told her to tell you that I was sorry. She told me to go âfuck myself,â and âfuck my apology.â"
"She never told me she ran into you."
ââRan intoâ is an understatement.â He whistled. "She hadn't even made the Drop, and she nearly kicked my balls across the lobby. Declan had to⌠involve himself to stop it."
Hi! Are you going to write a part 5 to tell me what you want?
Yesssss!
I ran into writerâs block and I have some family health issues going on but itâs in the works! Iâm glad youâre enjoying the seriesđŤśđ˝đŤśđ˝đŤśđ˝
Hope your day is wonderful!
Tell me how you do it
Summary: Part 4 of âTell Me What You Wantâ
PS: takes place during CC1
Disclaimer: I give no rights for my work to be replicated, adapted, translated or used for any means. If you have questions please feel free to message me. This story is heavily based on the original text. I want this story to feel like you as a reader is truly being transported into the book. All rights reserved to SJM and her team.
A special thanks to @mirandasidefics for allowing me to beta read her amazing writing and supporting me in posting my first fics. Go read her fics on her page, they are to die for!
Bryceâs POV
Bryce opened the take out bag and sighed at the delicious aroma. â(Y/N), foodâs here!â She called to her friend. She was about to head towards the bathroom when (Y/N), saying sheâd be right there.
The two females sat back on the couch, Bryce deciding to leave the last topic be. âHunt made an appointment for us to go talk to Briggs. We wanna interrogate him about the night the horn was stolen, youâre good at interrogations⌠I donât think we can get you clearance but maybe you can come up with some questions for us? Hunt is a fighter, not a detective, we could use your expertise on this.â
Her friend slurped on her noodle and hawked down a dumpling. âSure! Whenâs the appointment?â
âWe donât know yet, but Iâll let you know as soon as I do.â
âIâll come up with something tomorrow. I wanna turn my brain off tonight if you donât mind.â The female smirked, shoving more food into her mouth.
âSounds like a plan to me, and gimme some of those dumplings!â
(Y/N) didnât show any signs that the earlier mention if Micah had affected her for the rest of the night, but Bryce knew better. She didnât regret telling her though. On the off chance she ever found out from someone else? Absolutely not. And good friends were few and far between nowadaysâŚ
Ruhnâs POV
Ruhn walked down the street, still mentally kicking himself for forgetting to ask the medwitchâs name, again! But she had been insightful. He took a few notes down on his phone, ideas on what to look for next. Something in his gut told him the answer was still in that antiquities gallery, probably somewhere down in that library.
After writing down his thoughts, his mind calmed and made room for thoughts of (Y/N) again, their last interaction at the bar had been cut short by her having to break up a fightâŚ
âYour flameâs out,â he said dryly.
She smirked, but it didnât reach her eyes. âGet used to it.â
And he found himself back to the mental kicking. What was he even trying to accomplish? Making her jealous? Of what? In the past few years he had given her absolutely no reason to forgive him, let alone want to be with him. He wasnât sure which thought hurt more: that sheâd moved on, or that heâd never really given her a reason to stay.
⢠Medical advancements
⢠Treat object as a living thing
⢠Light that is not light, magic that is not magic
â˘
He stared at the words.
Treat the object like a living thing.
That didnât sit right.
Too many moving parts. Too messy for someone this careful.
Ruhn locked his phone and exhaled slowly. His thoughts, traitorous things that they were, drifted back to the bar.
(Y/N).
The way she hadnât looked at him.
The way her voice had stayed even.
The way her smile hadnât reached her eyes.
Heâd told himself he was bored.
That heâd been playing.
That none of it mattered.
A lie. All of it.
Heâd wanted a reaction. Any reaction. Because indifference felt worse than anger.
And he hated that part of himself; the one that poked at old wounds just to feel something familiar.
Ruhn flexed his fingers, the faint echo of phantom flame prickling along his skin.
What was he even trying to prove?
That he was still wanted?
That she still cared?
That he hadnât already ruined whatever fragile thing theyâd once had?
He didnât have answers. Only the familiar, simmering restlessness curling in his gut.
By the time the shooting range came into view, his jaw ached from clenching it. He was going to shoot targets off the wall until all he could hear in his head was the echo of shells hitting the floor.
Reader POV
Bartending was as amazing and as exhausting as (Y/N) remembered. She got free food from the cooks who flirted shamelessly with any female that walked through the kitchenâs double doors and she got a free drink after every shift. Not to mention that the tips were good at this bar. It was a dive bar but not for low lives, mostly bikers and AUX members who wanted to chill off duty.
The only issue with the new job is that it didnât leave (Y/N) enough time to do all the research on the case she wanted. She had sent Bryce some good fucking questions and points to bring up to Briggs but besides that? She was coming up blank. Bryce was keeping her updated though, texting her most nights with any breakthroughs, speculations or just to plainly complain about it not leading anywhere for several days at a time. The leading theory was none other than Sabine Fendyr, and if the run in Bryce had with her earlier that week was any indication, they were on to something.
(Y/N) had just gotten off shift when her phone buzzed:
BRYCE: Iâm going for a walk through the night garden⌠Umbra Morris sent a replacement babysitter. Meet me?
(Y/N) knew what that meant.
(Y/N): On my way now
She walked the streets in the direction of the night garden, her and Bryce had gone for walks there many times before, it was peaceful. A good place to clear the mind and breathe in fresh air.
(Y/N) got there just in time to see the Umbra Mortis and her friend making googly eyes at each other. (Y/N) smirked and was about to turn on her heel and send Bryce a teasing text later when something massive and white jumped from the bushes and body slammed Athalar to the ground. âBRYCE!â The scream left her before she even registered what happened. Her footsteps were as soft and fast as the wind. The kristallos bit the angelâs shoulder, in a protective instinct he shoved Bryce out of the way just as (Y/N) skidded to a stop where Bryce was now on the ground.
One moment the angel was pinned, the next, his knife was plunged into the creatureâs hide. People screamed and ran. (Y/N) pulled out her gun and shot the beast. Although the shockwave of the bullets seemed to throw it off it didnât seem to affect it any way that would demobilize it. Her efforts were just enough to get the angel back to his feet; Hunt took his knife from the kristallosâ side and drove it home. The creature forcing Hunt to the floor, like nothing pierced deep into its skin, and bit down on Huntâs forearm. (Y/N) cringed at the crunching sound and looked at Bryce as the angelâs screams echoed in her ears.
âBryce, get up! Get up, Bryce!â She pulled on the female but Bryce was in shock; an unmoving force.
(Y/N) heard the crackle of lightning and brought her eyes back to the angel, just in time to see his lightning flicker⌠and fade out. (Y/N)âs eyes bulged as she took in the sight before her, her mind understanding before she did that somehow Athalar focusing use his lightning on this thing.
She let go of Bryce, changing the mag on her gun and pulling out a wine key from her back pocket, flicking out both the small blade and the wine screw. She lunged herself onto the creature like she was riding a bull, plunging the wine screw directly into the creatureâs eye, causing it to release Huntâs arm from its jaws. She heard a shot as the creature twisted towards Bryce. (Y/N)âs hands felt slick as she reached for her gun. The kristallos lunged towards Bryce at the same moment (Y/N) fired three shots into its skull. It didn't do much but it gave Hunt time to plunge a longer knife through the creatureâs mouth, through its skull and toward its spine. The beast didnât stop trying to get to Bryce, trying to lunge and crawl as if her and Hunt werenât even there.
Hunt twisted the blade, severing its neck. Bryce was on the pavement, a handgun in her hand as she ushered back.
âGet out of the way,â Bryceâs voice was void of emotion as she aimed the hand gun.
The kristallos went limp and (Y/N) fell from it, hitting the pavement hard. Hunt pulled his knife free, allowing the creatureâs black tonnage to land, severed, on the pavement.
Bryce shot the kristallos until she was out of bullets.
Hunt hacked the monster to pieces.
(Y/N) just stared, feeling the blood on her body, her hands, her face⌠the phantom throbbing in her leg.
Sirens filled her ears and medwitches were on the three of them in minutes. She felt hands in her but their voices were far away. She watched as they placed leaches on Athalarâs body.
A vast wave of cold burst through the gardens as Micah landed. Silence. Not one person spoke. The only ones who moved were the people in his way, and Naomi, who was quick to tell him that there was no sign prior to the attack.
(Y/N) didnât have the energy to make herself look away from Micah as he spoke to Bryce and Hunt. His eyes raked over Bryce in a way (Y/N) couldnât read.
âIt came out of the shadows,â the red head said.
âWhich one of you did it attack?â Micah countered.
âHim,â Bryce pointed to Hunt.
âAnd which one of you killed it?â Micah raised a brow.
âHim,â Bryce pointed to Hunt again.
âHer,â Hunt pointed to (Y/N) getting her head stapled by a medwitch, making all eyes go to her.
âI- it was a joint effort,â she looked away from the blonde angel.
Micah toed the still body, âwe canât let the press get wind of this. Or the others coming in for the summit.â Sandriel. Thatâs who he was worried about.
Micah burned the carcass to ashes. Huntâs voice wavered, âwe needed to examine it for evidence.â
Micah spoke through his teeth, âno. Press.â His eyes were so cold. So far from the male who has swept her off her feetâŚ
Athalarâs lightning returned in a crackle around his arm. He turned to Bryce and (Y/N) could hear something about Sabine before walking over to her.
âYou ok?â He asked.
âMe? Youâre the one who almost had your arm bitten off.â She chuckled, but there was no real tease in it.
âIt wouldâve been a lot worse if you werenât here. Thank you.â He extended his good arm toward her, she looked up at him before grasping his forearm and nodding. He nodded back. âBryce and I want to tell Micah our suspicions about Sabine, wanna join us?â
âBut it doesnât make sense: you and me just⌠killed it.â She looked to Micah. âHe almost died going up against it⌠howâs that possible?â
The angel sighed, forearm still clasping hers, âBryce said the same thing⌠about Danika and the pack.â
(Y/N) used Huntâs arm as leverage to stand and she stood beside him and Bryce as he laid out their suspicions: the horn, the possibility of it being repaired, about Sabine. Micahâs expression changed no less than five times, Calculation. Irritation. Something sharper. But his eyes never once met hers.
As if she werenât there at all.
All throughout Huntâs explanation, (Y/N) found her thumb rubbing at the base of her left ring finger, the motion unconscious. She didnât stop it. Didnât realize she was doing it until the skin there felt raw.
âWe need more evidence,â Micah stated, already turning away.
âWeâll get it,â Hunt assured.
âCome to me when you have concrete proof, or if you find the horn. If someoneâs gone through so much trouble over it, thereâs a damn good chance they found a way to repair it. I wonât have this city endangered by a power hungry bitch. Donât fuck this up for me Athalar.â Micahâs eyes met hers for half a second before he shot up into the sky, sending a bone chilling wind at them.
âIâm out. Let me know if you two need anything.â She turned on her heel, âand Athalar? Thanks too,â she smiled softly and walked away.
(Y/N) got home and immediately took a shower, scrubbing every inch of herself until nearly raw. She could still feel the stickiness of the black blood that had stained her hands, thicker and more ominous than any blood that had been there before.
After the shower she looked through every cupboard and twice in the fridge, but ultimately decided she was not up for eating. Before she could bring herself to decide whether to be a couch potato or head to bed, her phone rang.
Bryceâs face flashed on the screen, âhey, you guys ok?â
âItâs not Sabine,â she could hear the alarm in her friends voice. âSabine was waiting for us when we came back to the apartment-â
âWhat?!â (Y/N) cut her off.
âShe wanted to warn us about staying out of wolf buisness⌠I accused her of killing Danika and⌠she didnât (Y/N). She didnât. And she confessed to swapping the footage the night of the black out but she said it was to protect Danika. Apparently-â Bryceâs voice broke, and it sounded watery now. âApparently Danika didnât think the audio would work and her footsteps could be heard leaving and returning to her post. Sabine was protecting her.â
âAnd you believe her?â
Silence. For several beats.
âBryce?â
âI do. For all she is, she doesnât have a poker face.â
âHow are you feeling? You need me to come over?â
âNo⌠itâs fine. We both had a terrible night. Maybe later this week? I think I just need to process everything.â
âIâm so sorry Bryce. You call me if you need anything at all.â
âOk⌠you too.â
âI will. But maybe thereâs a bright side.â Bryce scoffed on the other end, âmaybe thereâs one redeemable trait about Sabine after all.â
Bryce gave a watery chuckle, âat least thereâs thatâŚâ there was a beat after that, she could hear Bryce taking a breath. âHow are you feeling? Iâm guessing seeing Micah after killing a demon wasnât on your bingo card for today?â
It was (Y/N) turn to chuckle as she started pacing her living room. âCertainly not⌠but it changes nothing. He pretends like I donât exist and I⌠I exist. Itâs kinda hard having a powerful ex. Heâs always looming, always the topic of one conversation or another. I count watch the news for months after we broke up.â
Bryce gave a small laugh, âI remember. I came over almost every night and we watched brain killing movies with hot shirtless guys!â
(Y/N) allowed herself to laugh too, âgood times.â
Seeing Micah was still painful in a way. She still knew the exact way his brow furrowed when he was frustrated. Still remembered the weight of his hand at the small of her back. Memories were stubborn like that. Part of her knew he wasnât the male she needed in her life but another part of her still wanted to reach out and caress the anger away from his face tonight. Perhaps it wasnât even out of love anymore but familiarity. The break up hadnât been explosive. He hadnât cheated, he hadnât yelled, neither had she. It was a conversation and a mutual decision when it really came down to it. Sometimes, especially when the break up was fresh, she wished heâd nailed her heart to the ceiling. She wished heâd hit her or cheated or done something to make her hate his guts. But he hadnât.
âHelloooo? (Y/N)? You there?â
Bryceâs voice pulled her back into reality. The base of her left ring finger feeling raw again. âIâm here, sorry. I think my brain shut it self off for a second.â She chuckled.
âI feel that⌠ok. Iâm gonna shower and head to bed. Touch base tomorrow?â
âSounds good. Night bitch.â
âNight bitch.â And just like that (Y/N) made the decision to crawl into bed with her heated blanket and a cracked window, and go to sleep.
Ruhnâs POV
Ruhn buzzed the front door bell of the gallery, once the door opened he took the hint as to where Bryce was and followed the open library door, heading down the steps. Lehabah zoomed to him as soon as he entered the space.
âYour Highness!â She turned a shade pinker and bowed her head. Ruhn gave her a small smile and a nod back.
Ruhn saw how tired the three of them looked; as exhausted as he felt. Bryce was the first to speak, âto what do we owe this pleasure?â She didnât smile, and her voice held an edge to it â a warning. He sat down at the opposite end of the table, facing Bryce, (Y/N) and Hunt to either side of her.
âI wanted to check in, anything new?â There was a pause, as if they were all waiting for the other to speak, but no looks were exchanged.
âNo. Anything about the horn?â
âWhatâs wrong?â Ruhnâs eyes narrowed.
âNothing.â Bryce answered. Ruhn didnât buy it, but before he could press, the angel intervened.
âWeâve been waiting on a Many Waters contact to get back to us about a possible pattern with the demon attacks. Have you come across any information about the kristallos negating magic?â
âNo. I still havenât found anything about the creation of the kristallos, except that it was made from the blood of the first Starborn prince and the essence of the Star-Eater himself. Nothing about it ânegatingâ magic.â Ruhn assessed the angel, âyouâve never come across a demon that can do that before?â
âNot one,â Hunt answered. âWitch spells and gorsian stones negate magic but⌠this was different.â
âIf the Star-Eater, himself put his essence in the kristallos, that's probably what gave the demon the ability to eat magic. Just as Prince Pelias's blood gave it the ability to look for the Horn."
Bryce frowned. "So that Chosen One sense of yours hasn't detected a trace of the Horn?"
Ruhn tugged at the silver ring through his bottom lip. "No. But I got a message this morning from a medwitch I met the other day-the one who stitched up Hunt in the night garden.â He didnât look at her, but his peripheral was focused on any move (Y/N) made when he mentioned the medwitch. âIt's a shot in the dark, but she mentioned that there's a relatively new drug on the market that's just starting to come into use. It's a synthetic healing magic." The three of them straightened. "It can have some wicked side effects if not carefully controlled. She didn't have access to its exact formula or the trials, but she said research showed it capable of healing at rates nearly double that of firstlight."
âYou think something like that could repair the Horn?â Bryce asked, skeptically.
"It's a possibility. It'd fit with that stupid riddle about light that's not light, magic that's not magic repairing the Horn. That's kind of what a synthetic compound like that is."
(Y/N) snorted. "And it's... readily available?"
"It entered the market at some point in the past few years, apparently. No one has tested it on inanimate objects, but who knows? If real magic couldn't heal it, maybe a synthetic compound could."
"I've never heard of synthetic magic," Hunt said.
"Neither have I," Ruhn admitted.
"So we have a potential way to repair the Horn," (Y/N) started.
âBut not the Horn itself." Bryce finished. "And we still don't know if Danika stole the Horn on a lark or for some actual purpose."
(Y/N) gave his sister a look and cringed.
Ruhn started. "Danika did what?!"
Bryce cringed back at her friend, realizing her mistake, then filled him in on all they'd learned. When she finished, Ruhn leaned back in his chair, speechless.
"Regardless of whether Danika stole the Horn for fun or to do something with it, the fact remains that she stole it." Hunt said, trying to keep Ruhn from spiraling.
Ruhn asked carefully, "Do you think she wanted it for herself? To repair it and use it?"
"No." Bryce said quietly, lowering her head. "No⌠Danika might have kept things from me, but I knew her heart.â (Y/N) gave her friend a look that was borderline pity but Bryce continued, âshe never would have sought a weapon as dangerous as the Horn, something that could jeopardize the world like that."
Bryce lifted her head as her friend placed a hand on her arm. "Her killer is still out there. Danika must have taken the Horn to keep them from getting it. They killed her for it, but they must not have found it, if they're still using the kristallos to search for it." (Y/N) gave her an encouraging smile.
Bryce waved a hand at Ruhn's sword. "That thing can't help you find it? I still think luring the killer with the Horn is probably the most surefire way to find them."
Ruhn shook his head. "The sword doesn't work like that. Aside from being picky about who draws it, the sword has no power with- out the knife."
"The knife?" Hunt asked.
âWhat good is being âthe chosen one,â or âstar bornâ or even a prince if you canât do anything?!â He had to admit, she didnât sound as frustrated as she probably was. But she was right; what good was any of it if his life was always in limbo? Never having both feet in the same place. What good was power without autonomy?
Ruhn sighed and drew the sword, the metal whining, and laid it on the table between them. Bryce leaned back, away from it, as a bead of starlight sang down the fuller and sparkled at the tip.
"Fancy," Hunt mocked, earning a glare from Ruhn, who had raised a brow at the females, no doubt expecting some kind of reverence from at least Bryce, at a sword that was older than this city, older than the Vanir's first step in Midgard.
"The sword was part of a pair," Ruhn said to the angel. "A long-bladed knife was forged from the iridium mined from the same meteorite, which fell on our old world." The world the Fae had left to travel through the Northern Rift and into Midgard.
"But they lost the knife eons ago.â (Y/N) continued with a bored voice. âEven the Fae Archives have no record of how it might have been lost, but it seems to have been sometime during the First Wars."
Ruhn lifted a brow, not expecting her to be knowledgeable enough about the artifact to know that last bit.
"It's another of the Fae's countless inane prophecies," she continued. "When knife and sword are reunited, so shall our people be." She changed her voice to sound like an announcer.
"It's literally carved above the Fae Archives entrance-whatever the fuck it means," Ruhn said. Bryce gave a small smile at that and he noticed how quiet she was, how far away her whiskey eyes seemed. Eyes like their fatherâs, so different from his own.
"I'd like to see the Fae Archives," Lehabah sighed. "Think of all that ancient history, all those glorious objects!"
"Kept locked away, only for their pure-blooded heirs to see," Bryce finished with a pointed glance at Ruhn.
Ruhn held up his hands. "I've tried to get them to change the rules," he said. "No luck."
âYeah. Iâm sure you tried real hard,â the other female narrowed her eyes at him. Ruhn couldnât recall the last time he had such poor luck with females⌠consecutively.
"They let in visitors on the major holidays," Lehabah said, eyes gleaming at the possibility.
"Only from an approved list," Bryce said. "And fire sprites are not on it."
Lehabah rolled over onto her side, propping her head up with a fiery hand. "They would let me in. I am a descendant of Queen Ranthia Drahl."
(Y/N) snorted.
"Yeah, and I'm the seventh Asteri," Bryce said dryly.
âI am!â Lehabah insisted, turning to Ruhn. "She was my six-times-great-grandmother, dethroned in the Elemental Wars. Our family was cast from favor-"
âThe story changes every time," (Y/N) told Hunt, whose lips twitched.
"It does not!" Lehabah whined. Ruhn was smiling now, too. "We stood a chance at earning back our title, but my great-great-grandmother was booted from the Eternal City for-"
"Booted?"
"Yes. Booted!â The sprite turned crimson. âFor a completely false accusation of trying to steal the royal consort from the impostor queen. She'd be thrashing in her ashes if she knew what had become of her last scion. Little more than a bird in a cage."
Bryce sipped from her water. "This is the point, boys, where she solicits you for cash to purchase her freedom."
âThat is not true.â She pointed her finger at Bryce. "My great-grandmother fought with Hunt against the angels. And that was the end of my entire people's freedom."
Even Ruhn cringed at that as all eyes fell to Athalar now. "I'm sorry." The angel choked out. Ruhn almost felt sorry for the angel⌠almost.
"Oh, Athie," Lehabah said, zooming over to him and turning rose pink. "I didn't mean to ..." She cupped her cheeks in her hands. "I do not blame you." The sprite placed her fiery hands on Hunt's arm.
"I led everyone into battle. I don't see how there's anyone else to blame for what happened to your people because of it." His words sounded hollow.
"But Shahar led you," Ruhn said, his blue eyes missing nothing.
Hunt bristled at the sound of her name on the prince's lips. But he found himself looking to Quinlan, to torture himself with the damning agreement he'd find on her face.
Ruhn saw the sorrow on Bryceâs face. And something like understanding. Like she saw the angel. It was the same look he gave her at the range.
His betraying eyes fell to (Y/N), stiff as a board she was, watching the two of them. Ruhn doubted she was even breathing; she was so still. A stillness comparable to the faeâs.
Lehabah cleared her throat and changed the subject, "Have you ever visited the Fae Archives on Avallen?â She turned him, her fiery eyes letting his blue ones as she zoomed closer. âI heard they're grander than what was brought over here." She twirled her curl of flame around a finger.
"No," Ruhn, smiling softly at the tiny spriteâs attempt to flirt with him. "But the Fae on that misty island are even less welcoming than the ones here.â He smirked, âitâs no place for a lady.â He indulged her and she turned fully pink.
"They do like to hoard all their wealth, don't they," Lehabah said, eyeing Bryce. "Just like you, BB. Only spending on yourself, and never anything nice for me."
âDo I not buy you strawberry shisha every other week?"
Lehabah crossed her arms, turning away from the prince. "That's barely a gift."
(Y/N) laughs. âSays the sprite who hotboxes herself in that little glass dome and burns it all night and tells us not to bother her until she's done." She leaned back in her chair, smug as a cat.
Bryce grabbed Athalarâs phone from the table and snapped a photo of the angel before he could object. Then one of Lehabah. And another of Bryce. One of (Y/N). One of both females making funny faces and finally she grabbed one of Syrinx.
Ruhn said nothing as he noticed she didn't bother with a photo of him. Though the shadows in the room deepened.
âAll I want, BB," Lehabah said, âis a little appreciation."
âGods spare me, " Bryce muttered. Even Ruhn smiled at that.
Ruhnâs phone rang on the table and he picked up before Hunt could see who it was. "Flynn."
They could hear Flynn's voice faintly. "You're needed at the barracks. Some bullshit fight broke out about somebody's girlfriend sleeping intanto twith someone else and I honestly don't give two fucks about it, but they bloodied each other up pretty damn good."
Ruhn sighed. "I'll be there in fifteen," he said, and hung up.
Hunt asked, "You really have to moderate petty fights like that?"
Ruhn ran a hand down the hilt of the Starsword. "Why not?"
"You're a prince." The angel chuckled like it was the simplest thing in the world.
"I don't understand why you make that sound like an insult," Ruhn growled.
Hunt said, "Why not do... bigger shit?"
Bryce answered for him. "Because his daddy is scared of him."
Ruhn shot her a warning look. "He outranks me power-wise and title-wise."
"And yet he made sure to get you under his thumb as early as possible as if you were some sort of animal to be tamed." She said the words mildly, but Ruhn tensed.
"It was going well," Ruhn said tightly, "until you came along.â
(Y/N) stiffened, jaw tightening, âI gotta go.â She shoved her laptop and a few books into her back and wasted no time heading out as Hunt braced himself for the brewing storm.
Bryce said, "He was alive the last time a Starborn Prince appeared, you know. You ever ask what happened to him? Why he died before he made the drop?â
Ruhn paled. "Don't be stupid. That was an accident during his Ordeal."
Hunt kept his face neutral, but Bryce just leaned back in her chair. "If you say so."
"You still believe this shit you tried to sell me as a kid?"
She crossed her arms. "I wanted your eyes open to what he really is before it was too late for you, too. Ask (Y/N) she knows what he is." Bryce said, nodding towards the stairs the female had left through moments ago.
Ruhn blinked. Something cold slid down his spine. âWhat?â
âYou think she didnât learn anything while she was dating Micah?â His sister raised a brow.
He straightened, shaking his head as he rose from the table. "Trust me, Bryce, I've known for a while what he is. I had to fucking live with him." Ruhn nodded toward the messy table. "If I hear anything new about the Horn or this synthetic healing magic, I'll let you know." He met Hunt's stare and added, "Be careful."
Hunt gave him a half smile that told Ruhn he knew exactly what that be careful was about. And didn't give a shit.
Ho! Ho! Here we go again!đ¤śđź
@highlordofkrypton
Here is part three of your (late, but made with love) gift!
I know, by seeing your page you do love Rhys so I thought it was about time he made his appearance!
Happy new year!
@acotargiftexchange
Ho! Ho! Ho!
A little late due to technical difficulties and a disappearing computer BUT! Tâis here!
@highlordofkrypton
Part 2 of your gift! I hope you enjoy looking at it as much as I enjoyed making itđŤśđ˝
I guess Tamlin got the short stick for the costume draw đ¤
@acotargiftexchange
I had the honor of participating in the @acotargiftexchange this year. My wonderful gift-ee is @highlordofkryptonđđđ
Cats out of the bag đ
I AM YOUR SECRET SANTAđ¤śđź
Itâs been a wonderful honor getting to know you and I had a great time creating these 100% nerdy images for you! I hope you enjoy them as much as I did, if they make you smile, itâs a winđŤśđ˝
As you requested, your gifts will be coming out in waves. This is only part one, more parts coming in the next few days!ďżźďżź
HAPPY HOLIDAYS! đđđđđđđđ
Here is Cassian as Aquaman! đąđŚ
It's me, my giftee!
The elves are hard at work, but your Santa is both nosey and antsy. There are so many ideas rolling in my head.
If you could request anything with no restrictions (ship, dynamic, kink, setting, etc.) to stuff in your stockings, what would it be?
Regards,
Your Curious Santa
Hiiii!
Happy to hear from you again!
If I could request anything itâs be a sexy Lucien fan art and one whereâs heâs happy, maybe when he was living in Spring before Feyra arrived. Along with a Lucien playlist with at least 10 songs on it!
Come again soon!
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Tell me what he did
Summary: Part 3 of âTell me what you want.â
PS: takes place during CC1
Disclaimer: I give no rights for my work to be replicated, adapted, translated or used for any means. If you have questions please feel free to message me. This story is heavily based on the original text. I want this story to feel like you as a reader is truly being transported into the book. All rights reserved to SJM and her team.
A special thanks to @mirandasidefics for supporting me in posting my first fics. She also writes for ACOTAR/CC so go check out her work!
Ruhnâs POV
After meeting Bryce at the shooting range and having to go to yet another murder scene at Asphadel Meadows, Ruhn needed a drink. Him, Dec and Flynn went bar hopping; from the sports bars in Asphodel Meadows to the high end specialty bars in The Old Square, to the wannabe fancy cocktail bars in the Business District. From there they went to the Meat Market and got the good Mirthroot and then proceeded to walk the Istros to the dive bars in Moon Wood and finally to an underground arcade bar in Five Roses. Ruhn was one mirthroot hit away from being high as a kite but when he walked into the bunker and looked behind the barâŚ
Every penny he spent on mirthroot and alcohol that night went to waste as the sight of (Y/N) sobered him enough to pass a drug test. Flynn was the first to comment, âI forgot she used to bartend!â His friend laughed, the sight not affecting his state of mind one bit. âShe has great yaboos,â Flynn claimed before getting distracted by a shooting game.Â
(Y/N) did, in fact, have great yaboos. She was dressed in all black, a v neck t shirt and, what he assumed to be a push up bra, putting her breasts on display.Â
âIt brings in the tips!â He recalled her laughing as she told him about bartending in her late teen years.Â
âIâm sure it does,â heâd smirked at her, smiling as she caught on to the double entendre.Â
The memory felt heavy in his chest, soon overpowered by anger. She seemed to be doing⌠well? She quit her job a day ago and here she was; new job, new clothes and by the way she was laughing and smiling at the other bartenders, new friends too. A fresh wave of anger overtook him when he saw who she was talking to.
Reader POV
(Y/N) poured three beers and four vodka cranberries for a group of frat guys. They tipped her well, especially after she slyly adjusted her shirt.
âSlut!â Bryce laughed. (Y/N) smiled fondly at her friend, her leg still in a brace as she looked at the next ticket.Â
âMoney is money.â
âI could try and talk to Jessiba about getting you a position at the gallery, you know? You have like, a gazillion degrees at least one of has to be good enough for her!â She sipped on the mocktail (Y/N) had made special for her.
(Y/N) scoffed, âI donât wanna work for Jessiba,â she shook a drink and dirty dumped it in a glass, âthatâs practically endangered servitude.â Bryce merely raised her glass in a toast and sipped on the straw. âAny new leads?â
âAnother body in an alley at Asphodel Meadows earlier todayâŚâ Bryceâs eyes went hazy as she recalled how that body had looked, all that pulp. âA guard from Lunaâs temple.â
âWas he-â Bryce cut her off.
âOn duty the night the Horn was stolen?â she finished, âyep.â
âCameras?âÂ
Bryce shook her head, âwhoever is summoning that thing knows exactly where to strike; out of sight from cameras, in dark alleys and secluded places. That thing is huge. I mapped out all the murders and all of them took place steps from one of the major avenues.âÂ
âOn top of the laylinesâŚâ (Y/N) put together.
âYes! They flow through the gates. Whoever is summoning that thing is drawing up on the power flowing through those laylines. Iâll bet on it.â She slurped her drink and (Y/N) made her a fresh one. âHow is it possible that there are no witnessesâŚ?â Bryce was tired and exasperated.
âEither itâs smarter than we think or itâs being fully controlled by someone who is.â She poured a few more beers and put limes on the edges. âAt first I thought it had to be someone powerful, but Declan Emmet has access to the cameras and whatever else tech he wants. Some nobody with a grudge could be doing this for sheer pleasure!â She set a few shots on fire and handed them to the three fellas a few benches over. (Y/N) sighed and leaned her forehead down on the counter in front of Bryce, regretting it a second later. âThereâs salt here,â she lifted her head, the thick salt chunks having formed dents on her forehead. She brushed them off and wiped the counter. Bryce looked lost in thought, she felt bad for her friend, Bryce was an amazing, intelligent, funny person. She would never be Danika but (Y/N) liked to hope that she meant as much to Bryce as Bryce did to her. And yet she felt useless, watching her friend spiral like this.Â
âWhereâs your shadow?â Bryce is successfully pulled back into reality and rolled her eyes. This sparked (Y/N)âs curiosity. âTrouble in paradise?â
âI donât think we were ever in paradise,â she chuckled, âhe asked me if Flynn and I ever hooked up.â At this, (Y/N) lost her absolute shit, bursting into a fit of giggles until one of the other bartenders came behind the bar, bumped her hips with his and smiled as he demanded she work on the tickets coming out of the machine behind her. She started working on the tickets but prompted Bryce to continue. âI asked him if he wanted to tell me about all his hookups.â
âDid he?â SHe smirks.
Bryce sighed, âno⌠but he had no trouble telling me how Shahar ruined him for anyone else.â
(Y/N) cringed, âouch.â
âYeah. Not that Iâm trying to fuck him or anything but damn. Way to tell a girl off, ya know?â
âTrust me, there are worse ways of getting rejected.â
âYouâre talking about Ruhn arenât you?â She smirked.
(Y/N) waved her off with a smile and an eye roll, "actually that was the second worst way I got told off.â
âYou never actually told me what he did,â Bryce sipped her drink again.
(Y/N) shrugged, âI donât want you in the middle.â
Bryce snorted, âyou act like I hold him to such high standards.â
(Y/N) put a hand on her hip and smirked, âIâll make you a deal; you tell me what happened between you and him and Iâll tell you what happened between him and I.âÂ
Bryce considered it, âthatâs a lot to unpack while youâre on the clock. Letâs schedule a girlâs night, Iâll kick Athalar out for the night and weâll talk shit about all the alphaholes in our lives and eat junk food until weâre sick!â
âSounds like a plan! Iâll bring over my bar stuff and make us fancy mocktails!â
Bryce clapped her hands in a child like manner, her manicure gleaming in the light. âCan I get a fire shot?â A maleâs voice cut through (Y/N)âs thoughts. She looked over to see Ruhn fucking Danaan leaning over the bar. Her smile faltered. How was it possible that he could keep finding her so easily? Keep bothering her? She would never admit to herself that Ruhn had left a deeper cut in her than she liked to show.Â
She treated him like any other customer, âyou got it! Would you like to open a tab?â She said with a smile.Â
âYeah,â he said, âkeep it open.â
(Y/N) poured three different liquors into a shaker, filled it with ice, shook it and poured it into two different shot glasses. She then lit the contents on fire; the shot glass enchanted to only allow the fire to burn on the surface. She slid one to Ruhn and raised the other herself, swigging it back, the fire still going. Ruhn snorted and blew out his flame before downing the contents.Â
Ruhn POV
âWhat are you doing here, cousin?â Bryce asked, causing Ruhn to turn to her.
âMe and the guys went bar hopping.â
âAfter the crime scene, Iâm guessing?â
âYep.â
Bryce smirked towards her brother, âdid that pretty med witch give you any insight?â Ruhn looked at her slowly. (Y/N) kept checking tickets and making drinks like she didnât hear a thing. Bryce raised her eyebrow in challenge, egging him on to try and make the female behind the bar jealous.
âShe was insightful. Iâm going to her clinic tomorrow to try and get some more information. Iâm thinking of asking her about the horn. Sheâs really smart, especially for someone so young.â
No reaction.
Of course.
He waited. For what, he wasnât sure.
A glance, maybe. A twitch of her jaw. A flicker of anything that said she still gave a damn.
Instead, (Y/N) poured a gin and tonic for someone down the bar and slid it over like she hadnât even seen him.
Ruhn drummed his fingers on the wood. âRude,â he muttered under his breath.
She didnât look at him, but her voice cut clean through the noise. âIâve been called worse.â
Ruhn didnât reply. He was too busy watching her hands; Measured. Efficient. Too calm.
The (Y/N) he remembered wouldâve rolled her eyes, thrown something sharp with her words, a joke with teeth. This version of her was⌠blank. Professionally indifferent. It was worse than if sheâd yelled.
Bryce stirred her drink and leaned back, clearly entertained. âSo whatâs her name?â
Ruhn blinked. âWhat?â
âThe medwitch,â she said with a slow smile. âThe one from the clinic youâre so eager to visit.â
He caught the slight lift of Bryceâs brow, challenge glinting in her eyes. Pushing him. Say something dumb. I dare you. Her eyes said.
Ruhn played along.
âI-uhâŚâ He realised he hadn't caught her name, âI donât know. I guess I forgot to ask,â he said, watching (Y/N). âBut sheâs a brilliant female. Sheâs young, but she really knows her stuff. Graceful, too.â
No reaction.
Not even a twitch of an eyelid.
âAnd cute. Really cute.â
Still nothing. Except-
He saw it.
The smallest shift. She poured bourbon into a glass with a little more force than necessary, the bottle thudding on the counter after. To anyone else, it was nothing. But Ruhn knew her well enough to catch the crack in the mask.
He almost smiled. Almost.Â
Instead, he leaned forward just slightly, elbows on the bar. âBut not really my type.â
Her eyes flicked to him, just for a second, he hoped she was about to deliver a biting reply. But the look was brief, sharp, and unreadable.
Then she was back to pouring drinks.
He tapped his shot glass on the counter, signaling for (Y/N) that he wanted a refill. âSame thing?â She asked.
Ruhn nodded.
Bryce narrowed her eyes at him, unimpressed. âYouâre pathetic.âÂ
âIâm bored,â he replied, pointing to his empty glass lazily. âIsnât that what bars are for?â
(Y/N) shook the contents in her shaker and poured into his shot glass. This time, she didnât even bother lighting it before throwing hers back.
âYour flameâs out,â he said dryly.
She smirked, but it didnât reach her eyes. âGet used to it.â
Reader POV
(Y/N) looked out of Bryceâs window to where Hunt Athalar sat, perched on the neighboring rooftop. âHeâs like a pigeon,â she tilted her head and the angel mimicked it. Less than half an hour ago Bryce was practically pushing him out of the apartment, claiming it was girls night and no boys were allowed. Hunt had quickly packed a bag, which by the sounds it made probably had nothing but weapons and ammo inside, and headed out.Â
âYou shouldâve seen him out there at the beginning. Rain or shine heâd watch me from that roof top. I drew the curtains on him once and the creep texted me to open them.â Bryce said, setting up the snacks and tv.
âAt least heâs nice to look at,â (Y/N) tilted her head to the other side and the angel mirrored it again.
Bryce chuckled, âyou should see him in a towel.â
(Y/N) finally looked away from the angel and back to the redhead, âholy shit! What was that like?â
âA borderline religious experience, really.â Bryce glanced past (Y/N) and to the angel out the window, wiggling her fingers in a wave. The angel did the same, âhe may have every flaw but even I canât say heâs not attractive.â
âI guess several hundreds of years working out will do that to you.â (Y/N) assessed her friend, âthink he can hear us?âÂ
Bryce smirked, âIâve got it covered.â She pulled a small remote out of her leggingsâ pocket and pressed a button, music blasted from the other side of the window. âI set up two speakers outside, fully charged. If he could hear us before heâll have a damn hard time doing so now.â The angel, as if on cue, flipped them off. (Y/N) covered her laugh with her hand and Bryce waved at the angel one last time before shutting the curtains and laughing as she plopped down on the couch. (Y/N) followed.
âDid he really say that Shahar ruined him for anyone else?â Bryce nodded, âwere they mates?â
Bryce grabbed a bag of chips and tore into it, âif they were he hasnât said it⌠but the way he talks, it sounds like it.â
âI kinda feel bad for the guy; he lost so much.â (Y/N) looked toward the closed curtains.
âWhatâs with the sudden sympathy for Athalar?â Bryce raised a brow.
âI donât know,â she sighed. âI was thinking about Lehabah the other day when we were all at the library. How she doesnât deserve a life in chainsâŚAthalar doesnât either. No one does. Plus, no matter how much of a dick he can be, we both know there are worse people out there.â
Bryce gave her an agreeing look as she filled her mouth with more chips. âAlright!â She said through a mouthful, âletâs get down to business; what happened between you and Ruhn?!â
âWho says Iâm going first?â (Y/N) smirked.
âCome on!â Bryce whined.
(Y/N) wagged a finger, âchronological order.â Her smirk grew.
Bryce groaned, âfine! But you have to promise youâll tell me yours after.â
âScouts honor!â (Y/N) smiled and stole the bag of chips from the redhead.
Bryce laughed, âthe closest youâve been to being a scout is fucking that wolf shifter.â
They both laughed, Bryce chuckled nervously once the laughter settled. Sheâd never be able to hide the hurt from (Y/N). She could act like she didnât care around everyone else, but now that the pack was goneâŚ(Y/N) was her oldest friend.
âRuhn and I were close for a while when I was young, I met him for the very first time when I was likeâŚ13? We became pretty close, even after my father shunned me. We had a stupid fight one day when I was 16, as siblings do, but heâŚâ Bryce sighed, letting the hurt from her brotherâs words show for the first time with someone else. âHe called me a âhalf-breed slut.ââ (Y/N) was taken aback, her hand flying to her lips. She wouldnât have thought Ruhn capable of such a low insult. âI know it was in anger,â Bryce went on. Voice steady but eyes tearing, âBut anger is like alcohol, right? It makes people say what theyâre really thinking.âÂ
(Y/N) placed a hand on her friendâs shoulder, âIâm sorry, Bryce. Iâm sorry you had to hear that. And I hope you know itâs not true.â Bryce nodded, wiping her tears away as if they were nothing.Â
âI know.â The red head bounced back from the hurt like it was a stone she could kick away. âYour turn!â She perked up, snatching the chips back.
(Y/N) took a deep breath, âI kinda feel silly. Now that you told me yours, mine sounds so little.â
âSPILLLL!â Bryce said, mouth full of chips.
âRuhn and I got close when we worked bottom tier at the AUX, but we never crossed that line. There was only one time when weâd even come close. Only once. A large group of us had gone to the White Raven to celebrate a case we closed and after a lot of mixed drinks⌠Ruhn danced me up against the wall, squeezed my hips and asked me what I wanted.â
âGross. Go on.â
âBefore I could answer he was pulled away by several females begging for dances and pictures and asking him questions about his tattoos and piercings and if he had either in naughty places.â
âSounds like Lehabah.â The red head smirked.
âIf Lehabah tried to hug his dick her hands probably wouldnât even touch!â (Y/N) laughed.
Bryce threw a pillow at her and laughed, âEwww! Heâs still my brother!âÂ
(Y/N) continued once their laughter died down again, âI didnât think anything of it, females are always throwing themselves at him⌠It wasnât until I spotted him kissing a Nymph that I knew he didnât see me any differently than any other female he could get a quickie out of.â
âI-uh⌠I hooked up with Flynn that nightâŚâ
âWHAT??â Another pillow flew at her head as the red head squealed. âHow was it?!â
(Y/N) smirked, âpretty fucking good.â
âUgh! I used to have such a big crush on Flynn when I was younger!â (Y/N) laughed at her friendâs confession. âWhat happened after that? Does Ruhn know you and Flynn-â
âGods no!â (Y/N) cut her off.Â
âWe never talked about it, Flynn and I. He was in the kitchen when I woke up and I left without saying goodbye. We sort of came to a silent understanding.â
âI canât believe I didnât know about this!â Bryce looked at the dark tv screen in front of her, contemplating. âYou couldâve talked to me.â
âI didnât want to talk to anyone. The last thing I wanted was to admit that I was made a fool of by some fae prince of pricks and then rage banged his best friend.â
âThat sounds like a book Iâd read. And Lehabah!â Bryce laughed and opened a soda, taking a sip.
âMaybe I should write a book and give it to her for Solstice! The Sexual Escapades of (Y/N)!â
Bryce laughed so hard soda came out of her nose. The two females moved on from Ruhn as a topic quickly, both wanting to get away from the bad memories but both relived that someone else knew and didnât judge. Something tighter in Bryceâs chest.
(Y/N) clicked the TV on, âwhat do you wanna watch?â
âActually, thereâs⌠something I need to tell you.â
âYeah? Donât sound so ominous, geez.â (Y/N) rolled her eyes, ripping open a pack of mythical creature gummies.
âMicah asked me outâŚâ
(Y/N) froze with a Pegasus mid way from the bag to her lips. Her ears hollowed out for a second. Then she blinked and looked at Bryce. âWhat?â Her voice was weak.
Bryce noted the stillness in her friend. The stillness of the fae, perhaps even of the dead, âI went to the Comitium with Hunt the other day so he could grab some stuff to sleep here. Micah and Sandriel were there and he just- he just asked me to dinner.â
âWhat did you say?â
âWhat do you think I said?! I told him I wasnât interested.â (Y/N) let out a breath she didnât know she was holding. âAnd then he pulled rank on Hunt. Made him do a nasty job, which he refused to tell me about but was definitely shaken up from.â
(Y/N) didnât hear the rest. Itâd been a long time since her and Micah split but she never knew who he was fucking. And to know heâd thought about her friend? She swallowed hard. âWhatever. He can do whatever he wants. Thanks for having my back.â
âI wouldnât touch him with a ten foot pole even if we werenât friends, that guy gives me the creeps. I donât know how you were engaged to that alpha-hole.â Bryce tried to lighten the mood.
âI know⌠let me tinkle and we can watch a movie.âÂ
âTinkle?! What are you 500?â Bryce tried again, but when the female stood her face fell. When (Y/N) got to the hall she turned around, âI appreciate you telling me though.âÂ
Bryce sighed and started flipping through movies. âAnytimeâŚâ
Bryce POV
Bryce flipped through the available movies, taking notice of a few to bring up to (Y/N). As she contemplated going to check on her friend, her phone pingged.
ATHALAR:Whyâd she look like that when you said Micahâs name?
Bryce blinks. Looks at the curtains, still drawn.The speakers, still blasting. From the corner of the curtain though, she catches a sliver revealing the winged male outside, peaking in. She mutters, âsneaky bastard,â and texts back:
BRYCE:Stop watching us.
ATHALAR:I canât hear shit but I can still SEE, Quinlan.
Bryce sighs standing to secure the curtains.
BRYCE:Sheâs fine. Drop it.
ATHALAR:Arenât you two supposed to be having pillow fights in sexy underwear?
BRYCE:You need to watch more realistic porn.
She chuckled to herself, wondering if the angel ever did watch such scandalous things.
ATHALAR:I like the fantasy, thanks.Â
Anyway, is she ok?
BRYCE:Not your business.
Another vibration.
ATHALAR:If the Governor is sniffing around her, it IS my business.
Bryce freezes, her stomach drops. Her thumb hovers over her phone but before she can answer three sharp knocks hit the apartment door.
Hello, hello, my sweet giftee!
First, I must send you an apology for being so quiet! I have been travelling the world collecting inspiration and experiences, as well as a bit of a cold to add flavour and drama to your gift.
May I know:
Would you rather multiple chapters of a single fic, like a multi-course meal, or would you rather a tasting platter of different pairings and dynamics?
Sniffily and from a safe distance,
Your Secret Santa
Hi Secret Santa!!
Iâm sorry to hear that youâre not feeling well!âšď¸ But thank you for reaching out with this great question. I think Iâd rather have several chapters of a fic, like a countdown to Christmas? đ¤Š
Feel better soon and donât get the elves sick đ¤§
đđđ
It's me, again!
The elves and I have been conferring, and we have many bits and pieces to assemble the perfect gift for you, but only you can tell us how to put it together!
Would you be so kind
To answer a few questions of mine?
Are you a long fic enjoyer or are one shots preferred?
Do you prefer platonics over romantics?
NSFW or SFW?
What are things you absolutely won't read?
Happy Endings or no?
What is your favourite fic of all time? Can you share?
Looking forward to your answers!
Your Secret Santa đ đ đ
Hi Secret Santa!
Oh how I love your visits𼰠Iâd be more than happy to answer those questions for you.
1. I love both! Depends what Iâm in the mood for BUT I do find myself re-reading longer fics since they usually have more complex storyline.
2. It depends on what the pairing is! If you have a few in mind and you want to send them over I can tell you how I feel about those pairing specifically.
3. NSFWđ (where the holy water at?)
4. Pregnancy trope. Abuse as affection. Cheating. Second chance after unforgivable act, (you forgot our anniversary? Ok second chance. But youâve been lying to me and spending all our money on gambling and put us in immense debt? Nope!)
5. Love a happy ending but make sure the meaty parts are nice and angsty!đ
6. I may be bias but @mirandasidefics has a long ass fic going on and I love the lore she adds to our beloved characters. Itâs called, âBut Home Is Nowhere.â You can find it in her ACOTAR master list. And itâs a cross over with CC!
Thank you for visiting, Santa! See you next time!
I have many questions for thee, my giftee!
Of the ships you mentioned, whether it's platonic Tamcien, Helion x Loa, Lucien x Vassa or even x reader, what draws you to those ships specificallly?
What do you like about the dynamics in those ships?
Yours truly,
Secret Santa đ
Hello again Secret Santa!đ
I love the mystery around Helion and LoA. I like that it feels like true love that was forbidden by time and circumstance, causing two good people to suffer but perhaps always hope.
I like platonic Tamcien because I truly believe that Tamlin is a good person, viewed through Feyraâs rage. I like that he extended a hand to Lucien in his time of need and tries his best to step into the role of High Lord even though he never wanted or was trained for it. I love the Tamlin and Lucien friendship in book 1 and I always hoped to see more of it. Perhaps what they were like before Feyra arrived; taking care of the court, trying to keep a sense of normalcy while sending out their friends to die in hopes to find a human girl that fits their bill.
I plainly donât like Lucien and Elain, not to say I like with Az either though. I dislike Elain as a character. She was technically fine in book one, could she have planted some veggie sin her poverty? Yes. But thatâs no skin off my teeth. Iâve always gotten a bad vibe from her, I feel like she plays victim and everyone rushes to save the damsel in distress. And with Lucien being my favorite character it was hard to see her treat him so poorly, despite the mating bond. So⌠Vassa made him smile. She is his friend before anything. She is cursed and yet finds a way to smile, a way to make the most of things. I think thatâs what Lucien needs in his life right now; a little light. I like their dynamic as friends to lovers, but a slow burn.
Did I answer those ok?
Oooooo! Iâm loving my Secret Santa!!𼰠I canât wait for the big reveal!
Come again soon!
Before we get into the delicious details for your gift beloved Roni [ can I call you that? ] I would love to know more about you, your favorite color, food, movies, shows, holiday traditions, etc! Anything that you want to ramble about really!
- Yours Truly, Secret Santa đ
Hello Secret Santa!
Yes, of course you can call me Roni!
Hereâs a quick little list about me:
Born in Brazil, lived there until I was 9.
Moved to the US and have been here ever since.
Favorite color(s), red, black and gold.
Favorite food, PASTAAAAAA!
Iâm 5â6â
I love 80âs music like no oneâs business!
For TV I love FRIENDS, HOT, GOT, most/if not all Robin William films. I also love Marvel and DC, and yes Iâm team Iron Man and Batman.
My favorite animals are foxes (kinda cheesy since I love Lucien, but it does predate him) and cats! House cats, big cats, CATS!
Iâm a medical worker, currently an RMA, (registered medical assistant) going for my PA, (Physicianâs Associate)
Do you have any other questions?đ
I've finally escaped the clutches of the north pole to arrive at your doorstep my giftee!
I hear you like lucien centered things (great taste i say) and helion x loa (also great taste) are there any other ships that pique your interest dear recipient?
I'll be reaching out soon to ask more questions to make the perfect gift for you! Till then toodaloo đ
YAYYYYYYYY! Christmas really is coming early đ¤Šđ¤Š
I love all things Lucien and donât even need him to actually be shipped. Iâd be happy if you threw a fox stuffy in my face and called it Lucien lol!
I do love the idea of Helion x LoA, especially if youâd create a backstory for their love. Other ships as Tamlin x Lucien, platonically. Vassa x Lucien, sprinkled romance!
I love some angst (no shit, I love LucienđĽ˛) and I know the guidelines are iffy on Character x reader/(Y/N) but I would, indeed, consider that a beautiful gift if itâs something you happen to dabble in!
I hope your Secret Santa is as kind to come all the way from the North Pole as mine đĽ°
Do you have an ao3?
I do not! I barely have Tumblrđ
Tell me what you need
Summary: Part 2 of âTell me what you want.â
PS: takes place during CC1
Disclaimer: I give no rights for my work to be replicated, adapted, translated or used for any means. If you have questions please feel free to message me. This chapter is heavily based on the original text. I want this story to feel like you as a reader is truly being transported into the book. All rights reserved to SJM and her team.
A special thanks to @mirandasidefics for supporting me in posting my first fics. She also writes for ACOTAR so go check out her work!
(The next day at the White Raven)
Readerâs POV
(Y/N) was on the receiving end of Bryceâs wrath that night. Bryce had walked into the White Raven, set on meeting Juniper but once she found (Y/N) in the crowd she dragged the female to the restrooms. Bryce had somehow found out Michah was the angel sheâd saved the night Daika died ⌠and (Y/N) knew all about it.
âIt was confidential.â (Y/N) explained, staring at the redheadâs damning expression, âI only knew because I was listed as his emergency contact, once he healed he made me sign an NDA.â Bryce was silent, anger, a boiling pot within her.
The redhead turned to the sink, washed her hands, splashing water up her arms, looking at (Y/N) through the mirror, âwhatever.â She walked back out into the bustling club, (Y/N) trailing as she made her way to a table. The two females sat at a small booth tucked into the back. Bryce ordered a glass of water and sat there waiting for June. The tension between them was palpable as they sat in silence. It didnât take long for Bryceâs attention to divert from the female next to her and towards the entrance of the club as Hunt Athalar walked right past the huge line waiting to get in, through the doors and right to their table. The club stalled a few heartbeats, all patrons taking in their fill of the Umbra Mortis.
Bryceâs gaze pinned him as he walked up to their table; her glare burned a metaphorical hole through his head. (Y/N) followed her line of sight and instantly knew he had been the one to reveal that the half-fae saved Micha⌠and now she had her own bone to pick with him. Before the male could even sit down, Juniper arrived, âI- I hope Iâm not interrupting anythingâŚâ
âHe was just leaving,â Bryce answered, glaring daggers at Athalar who took that look as an invitation to slide right into the booth, putting (Y/N) between himself and Bryce. She ignored them as they started to verbally assault each other.
Hunt Athalar was a hot, sexy bundle of muscles with long onyx hair and smouldering eyes but he was such a massive ass! Here he was, judging Bryce and assuming a million things about her and her lifestyle and who she was without even trying to get to know her as more than what was spat at her in the streets. Hunt had been nice enough to (Y/N), but she was a skilled agent. He respected her work and her abilities but he didnât know anything about her. Theyâd met briefly during work; the AUX and the 33rd didnât usually choose to work together on anything, but sometimes theyâd share cases. (Y/N) could count on one hand how many words sheâd shared with Hunt Athalar before he became Bryceâs shadow and they were all relatively pleasant. From what she could tell, Hunt did his job; no more, no less. He didnât show up to work wanting to make friends or make the best of a shitty situation. Though she couldnât blame him, she probably wouldnât be too cheery either if she were a slave.
Besides briefly daydreaming about his muscles, (Y/N) didnât waste any time thinking about Hunt Athalar, or any male for that matter. But it wasnât until recently, when heâd been commanded to protect Bryce, that sheâd realized what kind of a person he was. Bryce played into what the world thought of her; slutty party girl gone crazy⌠but Hunt Athalar treated her like a down right idiot. Sheâd listened for hours as Bryce told her how Hunt had underestimated and undermined her or simply ignored things she said. And now seeing it first hand as he treated her like an alcoholic, depressed, âparty girl.â Assuming she came here to drown her sorrows, when sheâd only come to see a friend.
Were all males truly like this? It couldnât be true. (Y/N) stayed quiet, letting herself give in to the rhythm of the club music⌠She'd grown up with stories about true love where males talked about the females they love as if theyâd hung the stars. Micah had been like that at the beginning; showing her off and talking about how amazing she was. When she went to a work event with him for the first time theyâd all known about her and just had to see if everything Micah had told them was true.
She still missed him sometimes, he was good in bed and he had the capacity to be kind. She didnât know whatâd happened. One day things just started changing; there was less eye contact, forgotten dates, scrolling through his phone as she talked about things she was passionate about⌠looking back, it all felt like individual nails in the coffin of their dying love.Then suddenly date nights were being canceled entirely and he was out later than he needed to be. She found herself feeling like little more than a body to him. All his touches now had sexual intent; no sweet caresses or stolen kisses. She started overworking herself to get away from the negative thoughts about their story coming to an end. But that end came the night he sat her down and told her he was bored with their current relationship. He wanted to make it an open one. Ha! Sheâd shown him the door.
She was tired. So, so tiredâŚHunt nudged her, bringing her mind back to reality. A waiter had arrived at their booth, clearly waiting for their order â she looked around the booth, all eyes on her â just her order then. She quickly skimmed the menu and put in an order of fries. The waiter then walks away with a nod and a promise to return with their food soon.
(Y/N) watched as Athalar took Bryceâs glass away, finally figuring out it was just water. âI donât drink,â she said. (Y/N) found herself still sitting there awkwardly as Bryce and Hunt had another verbal altercation. Everything was relatively âfineâ until Bryce got up, âIâm going to the bathroom,â and yanked (Y/N) so hard out of her seat she yelped, pushing June out of the other end of the booth and pulling them towards the restrooms.
As (Y/N)âs wrist was being squeezed so hard she could feel her hand go numb, a slight change in the atmosphere caught her attention. Males and females alike turning, even if briefly, acknowledging the presence of a force to reckoned with; similar as to when Hunt had walked into the bustling club.
And then she saw Ruhn fucking Danaan walking in, his eyes somehow finding hers and their little group with a predatorâs ease before noticing Hunt and striding over to their table. She looked at him for all of a second before turning to look at June as if she was the most interesting thing in the world. Standing about ten feet from the table, she could feel his eyes on her, felt a shiver run down her spine as a chill caressed her skin. But even a second of eye contact with the prince had been too long; Bryce caught the action, following the direction (Y/N) had looked away from. Bryce Quinlan could freeze Hel with that look, the one that said, âare you keeping tabs on me, asshole?â She let go of (Y/N)âs arm and strode toward the males, June hot on her heels. (Y/N) didnât even get a chance to finish rolling her eyes before a large boom sounded and she was shot back, hitting her head hard as she landed on the marble floors; unconscious.
Bryceâs POV
Bryce threw herself on top of June, twisting, reaching for her friend, to protect her and shield her. She couldnât do it again; loose another friend. Bryce would rather die herself! She landed on top of Juniper, shielding her from the blast, keeping her eyes open long enough to watch (Y/N) go flying and hit her head as she crashed to the floor.
Ringing. Painful, sharp ringing making her ears tingle at the tips with the aftermath of the sound, as if they were tuning forks; still vibrating after being tapped, deafening everything else.
âGet up,â Bryce felt Huntâs hands on her shoulder, thrashing against him to reach for Juniper but stopping once she saw Ruhn helping the fawn onto her hooves; she was fine.
She was fine.
Fine.
Fine.
FineâŚ
(Y/N).
Bryce spun around, eyes scanning the destroyed club for the female that had been right by her side mere seconds ago. (Y/N)... (Y/N)... where the fuck was (Y/N)? Out of the corner of her eyes she caught June politely shooing Ruhn off, allowing him to rush towards a pile of debris. Bryce barely registered Juneâs mouth moving and could barely hear her yelling as she watched her brother. June slapped her across the face. Bryceâs head swung but she turned in time to see Ruhn standing stunned by a body, Bryce didnât have the will to stop Hunt as he carried her out of the club.
Ruhnâs POV
Ruhnâs ears were ringing so loud it was painful, he gritted his teeth. Once heâd looked Juniper over and deemed her fine he practically threw his house key at Athalar, rambling off his address, far closer than Bryceâs apartment. âWait for me there,â he told the angel then ran towards a pile of debris where he could sense the vibration of a shrill scream, his ears were still hollowed out from the blast, still drowning out most things, but that sound was of pure and utter pain. He found (Y/N) under a beam that had collapsed, her arms shaking as she held broken pieces of the ceiling up and away from her face; her bloodied face⌠gods she looked gruesome. Ruhn carefully started removing the debris threatening to crush her whole. As soon as the weight was gone her arms fell to the ground, still shaking with exhaustion from the effort. His eyes looked over her, scanning for any other injuries. And then he saw it; her leg was pinned, crushed under the beam that had fallen.
âNoâŚâ the word a blaring siren in his mind. He went to call Athalar but saw him leaving with a very shaken Bryce. Fuck it. Heâd do it alone. He got into position to lift the rounded beam, holding it at its length but as soon as he tried to lift it, it rolled and he felt that vibration again, of her screaming. He realized that even if he could lift it (Y/N)âs current mental state would never allow her to move out from under it on her own. Ruhn tried to lift it vertically, positioning himself at the head of the beam; where it had detached from the ceiling. The beam budged and Ruhn grunted as he pushed it atop another pile of debris.
From her foot to mid thigh there was only blood, bone and gore. Her leg was destroyed; skin and muscle flattened, bones jutting out. Ruhn couldn't hear it over his afflicted ears, but it was clear she was delirious, her mouth open in pained moans. How had she not passed out from the pain? Ruhn wished she had as he picked her up. He wished he didnât hear the world shattering scream that made its way past the ringing in his ear with every fraction of movement. He wished he didnât feel how her nails dug into his arm and shoulder as her leg swung while he carried her out.
There were ambulances everywhere, that was never a good sign. In a city mostly populated by Vanir even one ambulance meant it was worse than they imagined, it was almost a rare sight, so much so that they were considered bad omens amongst certain groups. Ruhn didnât want to even think about how many people had been hurt if they were here⌠how many had died. He went straight to one and stepped in, placing (Y/N) on the bed inside. A young healer, probably still in training by how old she looked, was just about to kick him out until she saw (Y/N)âs state, calling her colleagues to rush them away. Ruhn held her hand, a pang in his chest as she moaned out in pain. He used his free hand to caress the hair off her forehead, the drying blood caking on her scalp. âItâs gonna be ok! Itâs gonna be ok.â He'd killed before. Had to, being head of the AUX came with that burden. But right now Ruhn found himself unable to breathe. Heâd never seen any of his friends or family like this; in this kind of pain. It made him feel queasy inside. More than that, Ruhn felt dizzy, the wave of nausea that hit him was worse than any hang over heâd ever had. He swallowed down a mouthful of vomit and kept going telling her everything was going to be alright, not sure if even he believed it.
(Y/N) was a strong female, stubborn as Bryce if not more so and seeing her like this⌠something in him twisted and thrashed and shattered the longer he looked upon her.
Once they arrived at the hospital they took her to surgery, theyâd probably have to use medicine and magic to make her whole again. Ruhn prayed to any gods listening that she would recover. That night he received a call from an unknown number and picked up against his better judgement. âHello?â
âHeyâŚâ Bryce sounded tired.
âHey⌠where are you calling from?â
âI lost my phone at the club, Hunt let me borrow his I-â her voice broke, âis she ok? Is she ok, Ruhn? I- I saw you going to her and I donât know what happened. I couldnât move. Athalar practically carried me the entire way homeâŚâ Heâd never seen Bryce break like this, not since that fight they had all those years ago⌠but she was only a child then.
âSheâs been in surgery for almost six hours now, they said theyâd let me see her when sheâs out and in recovery⌠they wonât give me any status updates or when to expect her to be out of surgery. But they said to stay optimistic; all major organs are still functioning.â
He heard her trying to steady her breathing on the other side of the phone, âgood...good. Iâll come by tomorrow, just-â another breath, âkeep me updated? Text this number with any news.â
âYou got it, Bryce. Are you ok?â
She snorted, âIâm fine. Apparently Athalar is a mother hen.â That made Ruhn chuckle, he hated Athalarâs guts but if he was being forced by Micah to keep his sister safe then heâd take it. Bryce yawned on her end, âfood is here⌠keep me updated. Night.â
âNight, Bryce,â he hung up the phone, sighing and putting his head in his hands. Out of all the shit thatâd gone down today, at least Bryce was talking to him. She had called him for fucks sake, even if it was for (Y/N). He hated his father for wrecking their relationship, and hated that he let it happen. Ruhn rubbed his forearms where tattoos now covered most of the burn scars, feeling them prickling at the memories of all the times he did try to defy his father⌠by the time Bryce came into the picture, he had no fight left.
(The next morning)
âYouâre not gonna like thisâŚâ Ruhnâs greeting wasnât warm by any means as he approached Bryce and Hunt in the waiting room of the hospital, but the situation was more serious than heâd initially thought. Hunt prompted Ruhn to continue as they walked down to where (Y/N) was being held. âHeld,â because he knew if it were up to her sheâd be home. Ruhn practically held her down when she woke up that morning and stopped her from ripping out her IV.
After shooting down Athalarâs idea that Briggs may be involved, Ruhn told them about the logo; how it looked like a horn.âAll signs point to the human rebels. The bomb was smuggled into the club through some new exploding liquid hidden in a delivery of wine. They left a calling card on the crate; their own logo.â
He paused outside of (Y/N)âs room, turning to Bryce with a serious expression as he informed her that the Autumn King found out he had involved her in his hunt for the horn and now required her to have a body guard 24/7. The speed with which Bryce shot down the idea of having him stay with her hurt Ruhn in a sensitive spot he usually forgot he had; when she was quick to accept Hunt fucking Athalar as her fierce protector, that spot felt like a twist in his gut.
âDoes he know (Y/N)âs involved?â She asked.
âNoâŚ. I- I donât think so. He didnât say anything about her,â Bryce sighed at his answer. Seemingly satisfied she strode into the room (Y/N) was recovering in, taking no time to embrace the female in the hospital bed.
Ruhn still had to school his face into neutrality as he laid eyes on her. Despite having had watched her all night he couldnât stand the sight of her; split lip, stapled scalp, stitches above her brow and by her hairline near her left ear. Green and purple blotches of bruises all over her face, arms and he was sure they only got worse under the hospital gown. The doctors had told him they had to administer copious amounts of healing ointments and other magic to refuse her broken bones. Many of which had to be rebroken several times because theyâd fused incorrectly. Her muscles had finally stabilized enough for her to keep the limb. At one point in the middle of the night they asked him if he would consider allowing them to amputate the limb, allowing her body to grow a new one. Ruhn had yelled at them, telling them heâd pay whatever was necessary but that theyâd put her back together that same night or else.
Her leg still looked bruised and she was wearing a brace; the sleek skin and defined muscle tone gone. He stared at it until he dozed off at some point, waking up to alarming beeps coming from the machines she was connected to when she started yanking wires off. Heâd kept her from standing and convinced her to stay, on the condition that they wouldnât attach her to anything and that she wouldnât stay more than another day. Heâd convince her to stay another day if needed but he took what he could get.
He watched as the two females hugged each other; their shoulders shaking with their sobs. He nodded for Hunt to step out and give the girls some privacy. The males went to the cafeteria where Ruhn told Hunt everything his team from the Aux had found, showing him the camera footage ďżź they recovered.
Bryceâs POV
Bryce was over two hours late for work when she got a call from Jessiba asking of her whereabouts. She texted Ruhn from Huntâs phone, telling the males to get their asses back to (Y/N)âs room and that she needed to go. Once the two males walked in, she wasted no time, âWhy were you at the Raven yesterday?â She asked Ruhn. Making sure she had Huntâs phone and her keys.
Ruhn hesitated, âI wanna check out your bossâ library.â
(Y/N), Bryce and Hunt put on the most confused and innocent faces, âwhat library?â Bryce mused.
âThe one everyone says is beneath the gallery,â Ruhn said, matter of factly.
âFirst Iâve heard of it,â Hunt offered, innocently.
âFuck off, Athalar,â Ruhn rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. (Y/N) remained quiet; no quips or comments. Bryce made a point of giving him a hard time. âI want to look at the books there,â Ruhn pushed. âTo see if anything about the horn jumps out.â Was he⌠pulling rank, with that tone? âIâve been through the Fae archives twice and just kept thinking about the gallery. So maybe thereâs something there.â
âI searched it twice, thereâs nothing in there about the horn beyond vague mentions,â Bryce sighed, tired.
Ruhn smirked and she wanted to punch his teeth out, âso you admit thereâs a library?â Bryce frowned but then smirked.
She offered Ruhn a bargain; access to the library for Declan Emmetâs tech knowledge. Ruhn accepted, easily. Bryce and Hunt left soon after, Bryce kissing (Y/N)âs head and promising to come by later.
Ruhnâs POV
âTell your daddy we say âhello!ââ Bryce smiled and then scowled, âand that he can go fuck himself,â she closed the door. They were alone again, but she was more awake now⌠more alert. Aware of what happened and what he did and yet, she was quiet. He hadnât seen her this quiet since she decided to stop speaking to him entirely, less than a week after he started avoiding her calls and texts after overlooking her for a higher position at the AUX. Ruhn was lost; he had no idea what to say.
âUh⌠do you need anything?â
âIâm fine,â she answered nonchalantly, âbored as Hel but fine.â
Ruhnâs phone rang and he answered without checking the caller ID, âyeah?â He tensed at his fatherâs voice on the other end.
âIs that how you speak to your king? Since you couldnât stop yourself from revealing my business I wish to make one thing clear regarding the horn; I donât want the angels getting it.â
âFine,â he replied through gritted teeth. If he got his hands on that damn horn heâd make sure it went back to the temple, and he sure wasnât above paying for 24/7 guards himself if it meant his father didnât touch it. Ruhn turned away from (Y/N) for a moment, facing the large window in her room.
âKeep an eye on that girl.â
âBoth eyes.â
âI mean it, boy.â
âSo do I.â
âYou, as crowned prince, revealed the secrets of your king to the girl and Athalar. I have every right to punish you for this, you know?â Ruhn let himself remember past punishments; his forearms prickling. Then he let himself fantasize about how heâd love to be stripped of that title; Crowned Prince. How he wanted to break every tie with his father. Then the Oracleâs words echoed in his mindâŚ
The royal bloodline shall end with you, Prince
His shoulders tensed and his shadows swirled, "Unfortunately, the punishment you deserve would render you unable to look for the horn.â
âIâll take a rain check then,â his father grunted out a sigh and Ruhn hung up.
(Y/N) gave him a moment to take in what was obviously a tense and overall unpleasant conversation. He could feel her eyes on him. Once his shadows had calmed, she asked, âeverything ok?â
âPeachy,â he didnât turn to look at her, âI need some air.â
âHey! What about me? You made me stay here and now youâre leaving? If I have to stay here, so do you. If you walk out that door for something other than the bathroom, I'm leaving AMA!â
Ruhn curled his knuckles, tensing every muscle in his body, counted to five then relaxed them, âfine.â He opened the window as much as it would go and sat by it. âYou know what? No,â he got up, âthis couch is uncomfortable, move over.â He sat on the hospital bed and kicked his shoes off, laying next to her.
âHey!â She growled at him but he ignored her, fidgeting with the tv remote.
They spent the day like that; watching tv, playing cards and snapping at each other. They tried not to talk about the bombing, about what was happening in this city but they kept wandering back to it as more updates pinged on their phones, mostly Ruhnâs since Dec and Flynn were investigating and giving him a play by play. Ruhn forced (Y/N) to eat both lunch and dinner, she claimed hospital food was horrid and that she wasnât hungry but Ruhn knew just the thing. He had Dec drop off some food from her favorite restaurant, heâd hopped it was still her favorite, and sheâd torn into it just like heâd hoped she would. Like he used to watch her doâŚ
A nurse came in to help her use the bathroom throughout the day and then at night to help her shower. She showered sitting down but was just glad to get to rinse off from everything thatâs happened. As they were getting ready to go to sleep a healer walked in, a tall blonde male.
âIâm sorry about the late hour, I just got out of surgery and my shift is over but, I wanted to see how you were doing.â He proceeded to do a few checks on her, having her sit and moving her leg around. Then having her lay on her back as he pushed her leg up against her chest. Ruhn looked away most of the time; something about her being touched that way, bent that way, didnât sit right with him. âWould you be comfortable sleeping with the brace off?â
âYes, please!â (Y/N) smiled.
The doctor chuckled at her enthusiasm, âdonât put weight on it until I come see you in the morning. If you need help using the restroom, call for staff or ask your friend.â He gestured to Ruhn.
(Y/N) looked ready to tell the healer they were not friends when Ruhn spoke up, âIâve got her, sheâs stubborn but sheâll do anything to get out of here as soon as possible. Any chance we can leave tomorrow?â
The healer thought about it for a moment, âif she does well with the assessment tomorrow and promises to attend physical therapy everyday for a week after discharge then⌠Iâll make it happen.â
The look of relief on (Y/N)âs face was bliss.
Ruhn took her ankle in his hand, her leg had healed beautifully; not a scar in sight. He knelt before her as she sat on the bed, legs dangling off the gurney. He gently held her ankle, still examining it. He liked how it felt to hold her ankle; intimate. He looked up at her through his lashes.
âYes?â She asked, brow raised.
âNothingâŚâ he rasped.
âSpit it out Danaan. Iâm not staying here another day.â She crossed her arms but Ruhn didnât respond.
After a minute he looked down at her leg again, moving it side to side, âthis hurt?â She shook her head, âthis?â He asked, stretching her leg. Another head shake. He lifted her leg up towards her chest, âand this?â
âShouldnât a recovery healer be doing this?â
âYou declined further intervention.â
âFuck off.â
Ruhn sighed and let her leg relax, still kneeling before her and still holding onto her ankle.
He was frustrated⌠in more ways than one. Ruhn looked up at her again and slowly, so slowly, kissed her ankle, never breaking eye contact.
âWhat are you doing?â His grip tightened as she jerked her leg on instinct from the contact of his lips to her skin. He kissed higher. âRuhn?!â He kissed her calf, âRuhn!â He closed his eyes and kissed above her knee, âRuhnâŚâ her voice became breathless and he kissed her mid thigh. He was so close, so close to tasting her; heâd fantasized about it before, when they were close. He kept kissing up her thigh untilâ
âRUHN?â Her voice was whiny, âRUHN!â
Ruhn opened his eyes as he feels a sharp jab to the ribs, âyouâre squishing me! Move your butt.â She elbows him in the ribs again, âif you keep rolling onto me Iâll make you go back to the couch.â She was half asleep and no less demanding than when she was awake. Ruhn rolled over on his side so his back was facing her. He closed his eyes, taking deep breaths; trying to ignore her scent in his nose and the hard on in his pants.
Readerâs POV
Her leg felt fine, albeit sore. The healer put different pressures on several different spots and walked her through some strengthening exercises, âso⌠when can I be discharged, again?â
âI have my staff prepping the paperwork right now,â he put her leg back down and helped her stand; first only on her good leg, then slowly putting weight on the other. âSteady?â
âYep!â she bounced lightly from foot to foot, making the healer cringe a bit.
âNo running or carrying anything heavy until our follow up next week,â he gave her a piece of paper, âthis is where youâll go for physical therapy. I know this seems like Iâm trying to prolong your recovery but I just want to make sure thereâs nothing wrong. There were extensive repairs done to your leg, if there are any kinks, itâs best to catch them early and fix them before they cause any damage.â
(Y/N) sighed but nodded, âI understand.â
As if on cue, the female whoâd helped her void and bathe walked in with a stack of paperwork and a bag, âa Flynn dropped some clothes off for you?â she posed the sentence as a question, as if making sure she knew about it or at least the person whoâd brought it in.
âYes, thank you,â she looked to Ruhn then and let a small smile grace her face. Heâd gotten her clean clothes.
In less than 30 minutes she was walking out of the hospital in a brand new outfit, when Ruhn put a hand on her shoulder, âwhat?!â
âBryce is on the phone, she wants to talk to you. Sheâs on the other side of the facility trying to check in and they told her you checked out.â
(Y/N) groaned and took the phone, continuing to walk, her gait uneven, âI got discharged and I cannot go back in there, can you meet at the coffee shop down the street? Iâll buy you the biggest latte.â
Silence. And then, âI was going to yell at you for not letting me know that you got discharged but a latte is worth forgiving for. See you there.â
âIs your sexy shadow still with you?â (Y/N) smirked, knowing Athalar could probably hear her even without fae hearing. She was sure Ruhn could hear as he huffed out a grunt and (probably) rolled his eyes.
Bryce replied, âis prince âstick-up-his-assâ still following you around like a puppy?â
âMore like a stalker, but yeah.â
Bryce snorted, âthis will be fun.â
âSee you soon,â
âSee ya!â Bryce hung up and (Y/N) pressed Ruhnâs phone into his chest, letting him fumble for it as she let it go and walked towards the coffee shop.
Ruhn cleared his throat as he caught up to her, âI thought you swore off males after Micah.â
âWhat?â
âI remember you telling me that you swore of dating after âwasting a decade on Micah,ââ Ruhn air quoted.
âAnd youâre bringing this up becauseâŚ?â
He shrugged, âyou said Athalar wasâŚâ the word was like poison to him, she smirked waiting for him to finish, âsexy.â
(Y/N) weighed her options: she could wave him off or gush over Athalar to gauge his reaction. Her choice? Secret option number three, âI can look at the menu, I just canât order. And Athalar looks fucking delicious.â The comment was worth it by the disgusted look on Ruhnâs face alone, his shudder was an added bonus.
Ruhn didnât say anything else until they arrived at the coffee shop, only speaking to place his order which (Y/N) definitely did not notice was still the same.
She greeted Bryce with a large latte with lots of whipped cream and caramel which caused the redhead to squeal and hug her before going all âmother henâ and checking her over from head to toe. âAre you actually ok?â
(Y/N) sighed and nodded, âgood as new. Iâve got some PT to do and these staples come out in a few days,â she gestures to her head, âbut I should be cleared for everything by next week. Iâm just glad to be out of that damn hospital. And as of this second, Ruhn can get off my ass.â
âYouâre the one who said, âif I have to stay here, so do you. If you walk out that door for something other than the bathroom, I'm leaving AMA!ââ Ruhn said in a high pitched voice.
âIs that supposed to be me? I donât sound like that.â
âAnnoying and whiney? Yes you do. And I spent two days in that damn hospital for you, a little less hostility would be nice. Maybe a âthank youâ kiss?â He smirks, leaning in and tapping his cheek with a finger.
(Y/N) took a deep breath, counting to ten.
âWow,â Bryce chuckled, âshe hasnât had to count to ten like that since we had that fucking physics professor when she started taking night classes at CCU.â
(Y/N) started counting from the top. Nice, deep breaths.
Ruhnâs POV
Bryce wasted no time looping her arm through (Y/N)âs and waltzing out of the coffee shop, leaving Ruhn to walk with Athalar. If walking about three steps ahead of the angel while they both did their best to ignore one another, counted as âwalking together.â
The library hidden beneath the gallery made even his fatherâs personal collection laughable.
âSo⌠Prince,â Lehabah batted her fiery eyelashes, âdid all your piercings hurt?â (Y/N) held in a laugh, making the sprite flash pink.
âUhâŚyeah? Kinda. Iâve got a high tolerance for pain, Iâd say. So it wasnât too bad.â He sat down at the large table, Bryce typing on her laptop and Athalar flipping through an old tome. (Y/N) made her way towards the doll-sized fainting couch Lehabah was now laying on, leaning on the desk and looking over the spriteâs shoulder at the screen playing some sort of romantic show.
âSo, you gonna look around or sit there and gawk?â Bryce snorted, Hunt tried to hold in a snicker.
Ruhn glared at the winged male, âwhat are you doing?â
âResearching the Krystallos. Iâve killed about a dozen type 6 demons over the centuries and I want to see if there are any similarities.â
âIs the Krystallos a type 6?â
âIâm assuming it is; type 7 is only for the princes themselves, and given what this thing can do? I bet it could be deemed a 6. I havenât seen any similarities though.â
Bryce then came up with the idea to look for the Krystallos in ancient art, fingers flying over her keyboard. He had to admit it, his sister was smart. Heâd always known it but Ruhn couldnât recall telling it to her face even once. He watched as she continued to type, laser focused, before turning it to Hunt, who started looking through the results.
Lehabah sighed from her little couch and looked to Ruhn, âIâve never met a prince beforeâŚâ her voice, breathy and flirty.
âShhhh!â (Y/N) shushed the sprite, seemingly invested on that show. Was that moaning?
âTheyâre overrated,â Ruhn answered.
âSHHHHH!â
Lehabah looked ready to swoon as she asked, âwhatâs it like? To be the chosen one?â
âBoring. Beyond the star sword and some party tricks⌠thereâs not much to it.â
âCan I see the star sword?â
âI left it at home. I didnât feel like having to deal with tourists stopping me on every block waiting to take pictures.â
(Y/N) snorted. âPoor little prince,â Bryce said in a baby voice, to which Athalar hummed, pleased.
âYou got something to say, Athalar?!â
âShe said it all,â the calm and swagger in the angelâs voice made Ruhnâs blood boil a few degrees higher and he growled. (Y/N), seemingly tired of not being able to focus on her show, went to browse one of the shelves.
âWhatâs the deal with you two?â Bryce asked.
âOh! Do tell!â Lehabah paused her show, seemingly more interested in the answer to Bryceâs question.
âWhat?â Ruhn asked, â(Y/N) and I?â
Bryce smirked, "she's more my friend now than she was yours. If you think I donât know what happened then youâre dumber than I thought. I meant you two!â She pointed between him and the angel. Ruhn didnât know how he felt about anyone knowing about his history with (Y/N), especially his sister.
âWe beat the shit out of each other at a party. Danaanâs still sore about it,â Hunt answered.
âWhyâd you fight?â Bryceâs shit eating grin grew as she asked.
âBecause heâs an arrogant asshole!â
âLikewise,â Hunt retorted, his grin matching Bryceâs.
Bryce looked to Lehabah, âboys and their pissing contests.â
âNot nearly as advanced as us ladies,â Lehabah winked.
Both males rolled their eyes.
âWell cousin, have at it. Let your star-born powers guide you to enlightenment.â
âFunny,â but Ruhn went to the shelves, and it didnât take long for him to become aware of the fact that (Y/N) was moving with him. Well, opposite him was more like it. He moved right, she moved left, as if trying to keep a maximum distance between them at all times in the circular library.
Readerâs POV
(Y/N) was too aware of the princeâs presence for her own liking. It wasnât for a while until she finally noticed that sheâd been moving opposite him. She took a deep breath and went behind a few more shelves and started looking at the books. What was she even looking for?! She was an agent, yes. But demons? And what about Bryce? What did her friend know about any of this? She had a bad feeling in her gut and she couldnât place it. Maybe the bombing had shaken her more than she wanted to admit but sheâd never back down from a caseâŚ. Ever. Especially not this one.
A book rattled over her head and she backed up, straight into Ruhnâs chest. âSorryâŚâ he was on his way to get a ladder when the tome fluttered off the shelf, onto (Y/N)âs head and landed on the floor with a loud thunk!
âIs everything ok over there?â Bryce called out, âplease do not get me fired!â
âEverythingâs fine!â (Y/N) answered and walked away before Ruhn finished picking up the green tome. She kept walking, scanning the books, wandering further and further from the others and deeper into the library.
âYou sure that start-born power isnât for finding smut?â She heard Bryce laugh, telling the sprite it sounded like something sheâd read. Lehabah was not well pleased.
âEnjoy,â Hunt teased.
âI will!â Ruhn said defensively.
(Y/N) then got out of ear shot. She realized sheâd made it back to the stairs that lead up to the gallery and to the exit. She sighed, pondering if she should just leave. She didnât feel like being here, not at all. She wanted to go home and have a proper shower. Wear her own clothes, not mall bought stuff that was a near miss on her size. She wanted to lay down and process the last three days. She wanted a lot of things⌠mostly to be alone for a while.
She stared at the dimly lit steps as she zoned out.
A hand on her shoulder pulled her back from her zoned out state. â(Y/N)?â She jumped away from Ruhn, âsorry, didnât mean to startle you. Whatâs your email?â
She lifted a brow, âyou have my email.â
âNo. I have your work email. I donât want information about this case to be linked to the AUX. Itâs too easy to track.â
âAnd you think someone will ping it?â
âWeâre not exactly advertising the fact that Bryce was tasked to look for the horn,â he sounded frustrated.
âOr that your daddyâs making you his sniffer dog,â she smirked.
âCan you stop being a bitch and give me your email?!â He regretted the words she knew. He startled himself as he said them; his eyes going wide, regret swirling within them.
Before he could apologize she rattled off her email and walked away, âtrained mongrel,â she threw over her shoulder. She sat next to Bryce, across from Hunt, pulling out an old laptop Bryce kept at the gallery as a back up and scanning the list of Danikaâs whereabouts that Ruhn had sent her.
Ruhn parked his ass in the chair next to hers.
(Hours later)
âAny good sex scenes yet?â Bryce asked the prince. He didnât answer, âRuhn?â
âDanaan!â Hunt called out⌠nothing.
(Y/N) gave his shoulder a soft smack to which the prince finally lifted his head. He went on to explain his findings about Theia and Lady Helena and their connection to Pelias and the Horn.
âDoes it tell us how to fix it?â (Y/N) cut his rambling short, âthe history of it all is useless if itâs broken and canât be fixed. Why would someone want a broken relic? Besides your daddy of course,â she smirked.
Ruhn growled, low, âwould you let me finish?â (Y/N) shrugged, âas I was saying; it says thatâs why the Prince of the Pitt had to steal Peliasâ blood to make the Krystallos to hunt the horn. It contained that essence. I think the horn could be wielded by any of them though.â
Hunt lifted a single dark eyebrow, âbut if the Prince of the Pitt had gotten his hands on the horn, he wouldnât be able to use it unless he had a star-born fae to operate it⌠even if whoeverâs looking for the horn now finds it, theyâd have to use you.â
Ruhn hummed, âbut letâs not forget that whoever is summoning the demon to track the horn and kill these people doesnât have the horn. Someone else stole it. So essentially weâre looking for two different people; the killer and whoever has the horn.â
âWell, the horn is broken anyway,â Bryce commented.
âPermanent broken, apparently,â he tapped the book, âit says here that once it was cracked, the fae claimed it could only be repaired by âlight that is not light. Magic that is not magic.â Basically a convoluted way of saying âthereâs no chance in Hel of it ever working again!ââ
(Y/N) responded sarcastically, âso when I asked you if it told us how to fix it, you couldâve just said ânoâ instead of growling like an alphahole.â
âA what?â Ruhn asked.
âPossessive and aggressive. The ladies here use the term to describe males who are ready to get into a fight at any moment, know how to kill people in more than one way and who are so good looking that females are falling over themselves for them.â Athalar gave Bryce a smirk to which she rolled her eyes at. âDid I get it?â
âThat is not how I described it,â she said.
âOh right!â Hunt continued, âI forgot the part about how we âalpha-holesâ go into a âmating frenzy,â whatever that means, once we âfinally bang a femaleâ and refuse to let her have a life,â he looked to Bryce, âdid I get that part right, sweetheart?â
âClose enough,â Bryce caved, then growled, âand donât call me sweetheart.â
Ruhn glanced between the two and then to (Y/N), âwait. So what Iâm hearing is that you find me good looking?â He smirked.
She took a moment to look him over, âitâs not a prerequisite to be an alphahole but sure, youâre a generically attractive male. Youâd have to be, to make up for the fact that youâve got nothing going on upstairs⌠or down.â
âHow would you know?!â He growled.
âThe upstairs part? Because I work with you. The downstairs partâŚâ her smirk was ferral, âfemales talk; I guess all that mirthroot makes you sleepy. So sleepy that you canât even finish your job.â
Ruhn growled, ready to give her a retort when Bryce cut in, âcan we please get back to the horn now?â (Y/N) kept her eyes on Ruhn but she could practically hear the eye roll in Bryceâs tone. She didnât look away from Ruhn; smirking at his glowering face like children in a staring contest.
Hunt complied, âWe need to find out why someone would want it, the horn. Your father wants it for what? Some fae PR campaign about the âgood old days of fae-dom?â
âBasically, yeah.â Ruhn caved and looked away first, âthe fae have been declining, according to him, for the past several thousand years. He claims our ancestors could burn entire forests to ash with half a thought, while he could torch a grove and not much more. It drives him nuts that my chosen one powers are not much more than a kernelâ Ruhn offered.
âMy own father never had a lick of interest in me for the same reason,â (Y/N) knew Bryce didnât like talking about her father. Knew it was a sore spot, so she offered her friend a gentle look. Iâm here, Bryce, it said. And I donât give a shit what anyone else thinks.
âEspecially after your visit to the Oracle,â Ruhn commented.
Hunt lifted his brows at Bryce and she answered his stare.
âItâs a long story.â she pulled the book Ruhn was reading over to herself and skimmed a few pages, âthis whole section is about your fancy Avallen cousins. Shadow walking, mind reading⌠Iâm surprised they donât claim theyâre starbornâ
âThey wish they were, theyâre a bunch of pricksâ Ruhn huffed.
(Y/N) vaguely recalled him, Flynn and Dec telling her about their ordeal. âNo mind reading for you?â Bryce asked.
âItâs mind speaking and it has nothing to do with the star born stuff, or this caseâ
âWhat if we ask the Oracle about the horn?â Hunt âmaybe she can see why someone would want a broken relic.â
âWeâd be better off going to the mysticsâ Bryce strained, (Y/N) and Ruhn followed.
âThe mystics are some dark, fucked up shit. Weâll try the Oracle first,â Hunt pressed.
âWell Iâm not goingâ Bryce decided, crossing her arms.
âBecause of what happened at your visit?â
âRight,â she gave Athalar a big, toothy, fake smile.
âYou go thenâ Ruhn suggested, a little more heated than he probably intended. (Y/N) tried to hide her smirk, knowing his rising ire was partially her doing.
âYou had a bad experience too, Danaan?â
ââŚyeah.â
â(Y/N)?â Hunt asked.
âNo, thank you,â she gave him an innocent little smile.
âFine assholes, Iâll go. Iâve never been. It always seemed too gimmicky.â
âYouâll need an appointment,â the female beside her pointed out.
Huntâs phone rang, âIâve gotta take this,â he walked up the stairs and out of the library and then out of the gallery.
(Y/N) gathered her things, âIâve got an AUX meeting this afternoon, but Iâll touch base later ok?â She kissed Bryceâs head, âif Athalar is being a dick shoot me an email and Iâll come over with pizza and we can watch that male stripper movie at top volume.â
âIâve gotta head over to prepare for the meeting too, Iâll walk with you,â Ruhn offered, standing.
âIâm not going directly there, Iâm taking the long way.â
âOh⌠errands?â He asked.
âNo,â she replied in a tone that made her reasons for taking a different route very clear.
Ruhn sat back down and (Y/N) walked out the same way Athalar had.
Ruhnâs POV
Ruhn watched (Y/N)âs hips sway as she climbed the steps.
âShe never talks about it; what happened between you,â Bryce says, causing Ruhn to sigh and rub his temples. âWell⌠at least not after she vented that first time.â
âShe never talks about it with me either.â And for a moment, Ruhn wished she would. He wished they could work all of this out and cut the tension. The dream heâd had at the hospital still floated around his head. Heâd kept her at a distance, he shouldnât complain about her doing the same, he concluded.
Readerâs POV
A cluster of AUX members, in uniform, undercover outfits and stealth suits filled the room, coffee cups and notepads in hand. Some alert, some half-asleep but the air hummed with low chatter.
At the front, Tristan Flynn takes the podium, Ruhn being late, as always. Flynn slams a folder onto the podium and the room quiets. âMorning, people. Sit tightâno donuts until Iâm done,â he points at a squad leader whoâs about to take an enormous bite from a jelly filled doughnut, âI see you, Janice.â He brings his focus back to the center of the room, âweâve got a mixed bag today, so listen close.â He flips open the folder, scanning the contents inside. (Y/N) rolls her eyes, Flynn does this often. As Ruhnâs right hand he takes the lead when Ruhn canât, which would be fine if it was a rare occurrence. Ruhn Danaan is chronically late, not five minutes late, but twenty to an hour. This meeting for example? Sheâd been sitting there thirty two minutes before Flynn finally decided to get things moving. If Ruhn were anyone else, heâd been thrown off his fragile AUX throne a long time ago, she knew.
âAlright. Task oneâDetectives Vega and Monroe. Youâre going in the field at The Raven, theyâre removing debris and we need to make sure that if anything important gets uncovered weâre the first to know. Red Squad is going undercover at Dukeâs. Now that The Raven is gone, other clubs will fill up, Dukeâs is the next most popular. Narcotics tip-off says theyâre funneling product through the kitchen staff, more buisness means more clients, better chance for us to catch them. Janice? Try not to let your rookie blow your cover in the first ten minutes this time.â
The rookie, Nox raises his hand and Flynn points to him, âThat hostess was very convincing.â Nox flashes a lady killer smile and the room chuckles. Flynn shoots him a look.
âConvince her on your own time. Moving on,â he flips another sheet. âPatrol Officersââ before Flynn can finish the door is swung open in a careless manner, Ruhn pauses as he walks in, only long enough to notice all the heads have whipped towards him. He clears his throat and goes to the podium. Thereâs a hushed conversation that not even Fae ears can pick up before Flynn points to the pages resting on the podium and leaves to take a seat next to Dec.
âPatrol Officers, Kim and Alvarezâyouâre on traffic control in the Central Business District,â Ruhn starts. âBig tech conference this week. Every CEO with an ego the size of a blimp is in town. Keep traffic flowing and make sure no one double-parks their Bentley. There are two road closures for this event so keep them closed and keep things moving. Take your teams with you, if you need more people give me a ring.â
âSo, babysitting millionairesâ toys. Got it,â Kim jokes, Alvarez winks and answers.
âMore like babysitting the teens going for joy rides while rich daddy is in a meeting,â the room chuckles.
Ruhn chuckles too, despite himself, then adds, âSmile while you do it. Cameras are everywhere,â he flips another page. âDetective Shaw. Youâve got the missing persons case. Twenty-year-old college kid, last seen outside the subway station. Familyâs raising hell, mediaâs sniffing around. Handle it quietly, but fast.â
Shaw raises his hand, âcould this be connected to all these murders happening?â (Y/N) tensed and she could see Ruhn calculating his response.
âNo. Weâve determined that this is a separate case. Whoever is committing those murders is leaving the remains behind, as long as we test it we know who the victim was. Weâve tested all remains and got pings on all of them, this college kid was not a victim.â
Shaw nods, âon it, Chief.â
Ruhn closes the file with a snap and looks at the room, avoiding (Y/N)âs gaze. He hasnât assigned her yet⌠âAnd for the rest of the squads; Blue and Yellowâyes, we still have a string of bike thefts in the park. Donât roll your eyes, Jenkins, I saw that. The commissionerâs nephew lost his precious mountain bike yesterday, so suddenly itâs a priority.â
Jenkins laughs, âgreat. Iâll stake out the jungle gym.â
More laughter erupts and Ruhn lets it ride for a beat. âAlright, enough comedy hour. Undercover work, missing persons, traffic wars, and yes, bikes. Youâve got your marching orders. Donât screw them up. If you didnât get an assignment continue working on the one you have. And remember, half the city thinks weâre heroes, half thinks weâre villains. Letâs prove the first half right.â Ruhn then opens the file one last time and reads something on the page, â(Y/N),â she straightens, his eyes finally landing on her, âparking duty, Old Square. DISMISSED!â He grabs his coffee and turns to leave, weaving through officers and going out the same door he came in. Flynn and Dec follow close behind.
The officers and detectives give her a sideways glance then scatter, some energized, some groaning but all making their way to the coffees and doughnuts. All except for (Y/N), she stands up and follows the Frat Pack, catching the door behind them before it can even shut. The door leads to the stairs connecting all the floors, she looks over the railing to see the three males practically jumping over the flights of stairs, already two levels down. She attaches her retractable hook and cable to the railing and jumps down, swinging so she lands at the bottom of the steps four levels down. The males stop in their tracks, one flight of stairs between her and them. âDANNAN!â She yells and retracts her hook, the cable retracting back into her belt.
Dec goes down the stairs, âthatâs all you, Ruhn. Hi (Y/N),â he dips his head as he passes her, continuing the long walk down.
Flynn chuckles and claps Ruhn's shoulder before following Dec, âgood luck.â He bows to (Y/N), âscary lady,â and moves past her but her eyes remain on Ruhn.
âParking duty?!â
âI have a good reason.â
âPARKING. DUTY.â
â(Y/N)-â
âPARKING DUTY?!â
Ruhn descends the steps and goes to put his hands on her shoulders but she backs away on instinct. âYou asked to be in on a big case. A case the AUX doesnât even know weâre on! I needed to give you a cover.â
âParking duty?â She growls and crosses her arms, not believing the audacity of this male. Sheâd known him and his friends had bull shit cases to cover up bigger ones but never something as degrading. Parking duty was given to agents who misbehaved or to rookies they didnât have a place for yet. Putting her on parking duty was a bigger slap in the face than what heâd done at the club all those years ago. Bigger than getting passed as his right hand.
âYes. Parking duty. Itâs simple and safe and no one will bat an eye.â
âExcept they did! They all looked at me but you were too busy trying to leave to notice! They gave me the âwhat did she do,â look. Parking duty is degrading and you did it on purpose!â
âWhat is that supposed to mean?â Ruhn raises his voice, getting defensive.
âYou want me to feel small. You did it to undermine me, AGAIN!â
âDonât you think youâre overreacting? Just a little?â
âNO!â
âIâm tired of pretending that everything is fine. Everything is not fine.â She sighs, exasperated, âI never thought Iâd say this to my boss but- I deserve more. I deserve better; better pay, better status, better title. I deserve more respect than you can probably muster for me. And Iâm sick and tired of lying over the wire and letting everyone else crawl over me!â
âCan you just calm down a sec? I do respect you-â
âNo you donât!â
âAnd youâre a good agent.â
âIâm a great agent, Ruhn.â
âIf youâre upset about your pay then we can go to my office and talk about that. I know the holiday bonus wasnât that big last year but thatâs because the city cut some funding, Iâm working on it. And youâre still healing! You shouldnât even be on a case!â He reasoned but it was nothing more than an excuse.
(Y/N) just stared at him, at those beautiful blue eyes that seemed to stir with purple hues. She looked at him, really looked at him. Probably for the first time since that night. And she saw⌠she felt⌠nothing. There was nothing there. Well, there was longing and lust and maybe even something that couldâve been love but⌠it was nothing. Heâd never be the male she wanted. Much less the male she needed. Ruhn Dannan, Crowned Prince of the Valbaran Fae didnât have the balls to step up and be that male. So it was time that he sat down. Time he got out of line. Time she let him go.
âI donât need a raise.â
âThen tell me what need!â
She looked down and shook her head, âI quit,â she fished her AUX ID from her belt along with her badge, holding them both out to him.
Ruhnâs POV
She couldnât be serious, could she? Quitting over parking duty?
Ruhn supposed it was quite degrading, especially to an officer of her ranking. Even if she had done something wrong heâd probably give her paperwork, not public humiliation. Heâd never make the guys wear that ridiculous bright pink vest, he didnât know why heâd done it. When heâd decided it, he truly believed it was a good cover, itâs not like they had any other cases to hide behind right now. Maybe he shouldâve thought about it longer, made something upâŚ
âTake it.â
He realized heâd been frozen, that he hadnât spoken in a while. Long enough for her to interject his thoughts. When Ruhn did try to speak though, nothing came out. What could he say? Nothing that could make this better, thatâs for sure. He knew (Y/N) well enough to know she was a stubborn creature, that once she made up her mind there was nothing stopping her. And he also knew that she didnât do things on a whim; her moves and decisions were calculated. If she was quitting then sheâd been thinking about it for a long time. âYou just got back to workâŚâ sure. That sounded good enough. But the female before him kept her gaze at his chest, hand stretched out, holding her ID and badge. âWe need you, ok? Youâre a fucking amazing agent. If you leave Iâll need at least three people to fill your role.â
Her gaze turned to him again, sad, but decided, âthatâs not my problem.â Then she let the badge and ID drop to the floor and descended another floor, walking through the door, probably to take the elevator at the front of the building.
Ruhn stood there, frozen for several moments before cursing and punching the wall, it cracked, only slightly. The bigger crack came from his hand. He cursed event more colorfully and picked up (Y/N)âs things with his left hand, pocketing them and going down to meet Dec and Flynn.
ShitâŚ
Tell me what you want
Summary: (Y/N) is a killer AUX agent. When her friend Bryce and boss Ruhn Danaan get tapped to investigate two pieces of the same puzzle she wants in. But that may mean she needs to face more demons than she signed up for.
PS: takes place during CC1
Disclaimer: I give no rights for my work to be replicated, adapted, translated or used for any means. If you have questions please feel free to message me.
A special thanks to @mirandasidefics for allowing me to beta read her amazing writing and supporting me in posting my first fics. Go read her fics on her page, they are to die for!
Readerâs POV
Crescent City was the place everyone wanted to live in, âwhere dreams came true.â That was all bullshit. Crescent City had more skeletons in its closet than a freakinâ serial killer. Fae royalty was cruel and condescending. Vampyrs were creeps. Nymphs were top manipulators with pretty faces. Wolves were loyal to a fault but brutally violent. Mers were too mysterious to know anything about. The sprites and other lowers such as humans were treated as little more than pests in this city. And the angels rule over it all, claiming they were âenforcers of the lawâ and âhere to serve and protect the city.â Thatâs bullshit too; they feed off the weak and abuse their power. (Y/N) would know, after dating Micah Domitus for a grand total of a decade, she decided enough was enough when he asked for an open relationship. If he wanted to go around fucking people he could do it without her.
She had no idea how she ended up here; friends with Bryce Quinlan and playing detective with her on a murder case her ex-boyfriend demanded Bryce solve. Theyâd met at a club years ago, actually. Bryce had fallen off a table while dancing and (Y/N), recently arrived and still sober, helped her onto her feet and shooed away the males trying to get a glimpse up her skin tight dress. Danika had been there too; getting refills when Bryce fell but she was fun. Having lost her and the pack of devils only proved that this city was on its way to shit.
âSince when is the Umbra Mortis your personal body guard?!â (Y/N) strode into the gallery and b-lined it to Bryce.
Bryce chuckled, âsince your ex boo thang set him to be my fierce protector as I handle this case.â
(Y/N) rolled her eyes, âdonât call him that. Any new leads though?â
âUh-uh.â Bryce sighed, shoulders sagging. She needed a break through soon.
âI went to see Ruhn yesterday. Asked him some questions but it was fruitless⌠except for the fact that I found out the Autumn King is looking for Lunaâs horn.â
âWhat for?!â
âWho fucking knows? Wanna come to Lunaâs temple? Ruhn wants me to meet him there, I just came up here to get my shit before leaving.â
âIf you wanted info from the AUX you couldâve asked me.â
Bryce waved her off, âyou had a hot date⌠I was impulsive. I kinda regret dragging him into this but who knows? Maybe Prince Danaan can prove himself to me more than âdaddyâs lap dog,â she said. A look of pain on her face but (Y/N) knew not to push. Knew her history and true relation to Ruhn and she knew to stay well away from it. She wouldnât touch the subject with a ten foot pole in a hazmat suit.
âIâm here,â (Y/N) held Bryceâs hand. âAnd Iâll go to the temple with you. Itâs not everyday I get to see the Umbra Mortis up close.â She wiggled her eyebrows, causing Bryce to chuckle.
âYouâre so bad.â
âTake a picture of Athie him for me!!â A squeal came from the cracked door down the hall. Lehabahâs fiery face now a shade of pink, âheâs dreamy,â she swooned and Bryce rolled her eyes.
âYou got it,â (Y/N) winked at the sprite.
(At Lunaâs temple)
Ruhn Danaan was not pleased to see that Bryce had not only brought (Y/N) but Hunt Athalar too. After questioning Bryce on Huntâs attendance he turned his gaze to (Y/N), âshouldnât you be at work?â
âMy boss gave me the day off.â
âIâm your boss.â
âYes. And youâre giving me the day off,â she smirked, tilting her head.
âAnd why would I do that?â
âBecause this is the biggest fucking case the AUX has right now and whether you want to admit it or not Iâm one of the fucking best. The only reason Iâm not your right hand is because you favored your fucking buddies over a good agent.â
âWe are not doing this right now,â Ruhnâs veil of shadows darkened.
âYou know itâs true; I may not hack as well as Dec but you know I can take Flynn on the mat, at the range and in the field.â
â(Y/N).â Ruhnâs voice was warning, âI swear, I will stick you on parking duty.â At that she pursed her lips and turned to Bryce. Conversation over.
âAsshole,â she whispered under her breath, knowing his High Fae ears could pick it up just fine, but Ruhn said nothing.
Ruhn told them of his findings; of the Kristallos and how it could be summoned. (Y/N) sensed Bryceâs unease grow with every moment, every breath. She leaned on her leg, brushing her shoulder with Bryceâs. She knew the red head would resent having a public act of affection right now, Bryce couldnât stand to appear weak, especially not in front of these males. But a small touch like this⌠a simple comfort. I am here, the touch seemed to say.
When Hunt walked away to make a phone call (Y/N) was unfortunately stuck in an awkward position, still as the statue beside them, as the two siblings went at each other about their past and their falling out. Bryce had the last word, looping her arm through (Y/N)âs and yanking her out of Ruhnâs shadow bubble. The lights burned their eyes as they blinked their way to Hunt.
(That night at the AUX)
(Y/N) was typing away at another boring report. Yes, she had a squad of her own. Ruhn was AUX head but he had five squad leaders below him; one for each section of the city, excluding the meat market. Flynn was his right hand, Declan his left. Ruhn had chosen two other males he trained with and trusted for the other two positions but (Y/N) was the only female squad lead on his team and they treated her like it.
Her squat at least respected her; they covered Asphodel Meadows. People knew not to get on her bad side, no matter what kind of shifter of fae or whatever you were, there was no one who knew (Y/N) whoâd want to see her in a foul mood. Theyâd all seen her take down criminals three times her size without hesitation; she wouldn't hesitate to knee an alpha-hole In the balls.
âI havenât seen you work this late since you were an intern,â sheâd sensed his presence so she didnât startle when he placed a cup of coffee on her desk and pulled up a chair, turning it to straddle it.
âItâs only 3 am, Iâd say Iâm working early,â she didnât look at him. Didnât want to. Ruhn Danaan was a fucking ass. They used to be friends; sheâd been working at the AUX long before Ruhn had gotten his shit together and decided to make a living for himself instead of living to defy his father. She taught him many things, took him to the mat until he could pose a true match, until they had to work overtime to beat each other in a match. But then she got passed on the promotion of being AUX head. And when she Stood up to the department about it, Ruhnâs predecessor, whoâd been such an inspiration to her, looked at her with sad eyes and said. Thatâs politics for ya⌠and left.
When Ruhn passed on her to be his right hand he didnât look at her for weeks, didnât answer her texts or calls. Soon enough he was nothing but her boss and that was that.
âIâm sorry I was a dick.â
âWhich time?â She still didnât look at him, still typing away on her computer. Ruhn sighed, taking the mouse and pressing the save button, âhey!â
âItâs a report, not a book,â the prince retorted. When (Y/N) took the mouse back and tried opening the report again, Ruhn unplugged the computer entirely. When she opened her mouth to give him the verbal lashing of his life he cut her off. âI want to officially/unofficially put you on this caseâ
That made her take pause, âwhat?â Ruhn simply pushed the cup of coffee closer to her. My father tasked me with finding the horn. Micah tasked Bryce with finding the killer. She has fucking Athalar helping her out⌠I thought we could tag team it.â He offered her a crooked smile, lip ring tilting with the movement.
Her face remained as hard as stone, âcause Iâm disposable? You donât wanna put Dec and Flynn on this, why? Cause theyâll get hurt? Cause you think-â
âThey are on the case,â Ruhn growled through his teeth, cutting her off, his patience wearing thin with this female. âTheyâre helping where they can, all under the table, just like youâd be doing.â
âWhy do I suddenly get to sit with the cool kids?â
âBecause youâre a fucking good researcher and you know ancient myths and history and magic like no one else I know.â He was close now, too close. It reminded her of the times when they were friends; heâd taken her to one of his fatherâs events, she didnât have a dress so he bought her one. Paid for her hair and makeup too. They didnât match. He was in an all black suit and she was in a red dress; but they had fun. He taught her to dance a few steps and once the ball had turned boring they went to a pizza parlor, still dressed to the nines.
There was only one time when theyâd almost crossed that fine line. Only once. A large group had gone to the White Raven to celebrate one closed case or another and after several shots and mixed alcohol, Ruhn had danced her up against the wall and squeezed her hips. âTell me what you want,â heâd said, voice as smooth as silk. For a moment she couldnât move, only feel him in her space, filling it in the best of ways.
The moment was ruined by several females tugging Ruhn away, begging for dances and pictures and asking him questions about his tattoos and piercings and if he had either in naughty places. It wasnât until she spotted him kissing a Nymph of sorts that she decided enough was enough and she would be made a fool of. She left the Raven, stumbling right into Tristan fucking Flynn who was waiting for his requested ride to arrive. He offered to share the car and pay for her ride home once he was dropped off but during the ten minute ride to his place things had happened; maybe it was the copious amounts of alcohol in their systems or it was the jealousy rushing through her veins alongside it but when Flynn offered her a hand out of the car and into his place she didnât refuse. They never talked about it, he was in the kitchen when she woke up the next morning and sheâd left without saying goodbye. They were normal enough after that, coming to a silent understanding that it was a fun night and nothing more.
She doubted Ruhn knew any of it as he looked into her eyes now and told her, âI want you on this case. Tell me what you want.â The same words heâd said that night⌠he looked at her lips and then at her eyes again, âtell me what you want,â he whispered this time.
She smirked and leaned in a little, âyou wanna know what I want, Danaan?â He nodded. After a beat her face turned to stone again, âa raise.â And with that she stood up, grabbed her bag and walked out. Ruhnâs peace offering in the form of coffee still sat untouched and steaming on her desk as she walked away.