This chapter is dedicated to @Jenna727. Thank you for reading :)

Ember

I once saw a jealous female werewolf throw another woman right into a dumpster- and that was after she beat the woman unconscious and clawed her face bloody.

A jealous male werewolf would've done something way worse.

A jealous Kane would do something way worse.

"What exactly do you mean by companion?" I asked Arius cautiously.

"A partner," he replied.

"What exactly do you mean by partner?" I asked.

"An equal."

"What exactly do you mean by an equal?"

Arius glanced at Ian. "Is she trying to confuse me?"

"I'm trying to figure out if you've got a death wish," I said.

He tilted his head. "Why would I have a death wish?"

"Because," Ian said, "Jealous werewolves think the answer to their jealousy is murder. Wait." His hazel eyes darted towards the ceiling contemplatively. "Forget I said that. Werewolves in general think the answer to all their problems is murder. No offense, Em."

"None taken," I said. "Ian is right, Arius. I chose Kane as a mate, it means I'm not going to play games with anyone else on the side."

He held up two long fingers. "Just for two months?"

I frowned. "No."

Arius blinked slowly. "You owe me a debt, Alpha."

Alpha? I'll never be the alpha of anyone if the pack or Kane thought I was a two-timer.

I gripped my braids in both fists, growling. All the times Aster had warned me to never, ever give another fae power over me, that they'd use it to trap me into something I couldn't handle and the first person to prove her right just had to be her brother.

"Why do you need a companion for two months?" I asked, ignoring the hasty excuse Ian gave us both- something about finding the lake before I dragged him back home- as he slipped out of the room. "Why does it have to be me?"

"I told you the first time we met that I was a fae of the Summer Court." He gestured at the room. "This room exists in the Summer Court but outside here," he pointed at the exit, "is the Autumn Court."

I lowered my hands, curious despite my growing dislike for him. "So May and Ian are in the Autumn Court right now?"

"No, I sent May Wilder back to the human world. My magic is linked to residences. Which is why I want the Autumn Lord's castle."

I gaped at him. "You want a castle?"

He nodded, expression empty. "And the Autumn Lord's title."

I shook my head. "Back up a second, what's an Autumn Lord?"

"It means the king of the Autumn Court."

"You want to be a king and you want a castle?"

"Yes."

"You sound super excited about it," I observed dryly.

His monotonous voice and stoic expressions were also something I was starting to dislike about him. At first I thought he was somewhat like Kane, but while Kane wore an empty expression as a way of hiding his real emotions, Arius seemed like he didn't have anything to hide. It was unsettling.

I sighed. "Where do I fit in all of this?"

"A fae that challenges a Lord or Lady of a court has to have a companion in order to qualify. You're the only friend I have."

You're the only friend I have.

And here comes the large shadow of shame, looming over me with a raised brow. "You don't know anyone?" I asked him.

"I was conscripted into the Summer Court's army when I was a child, friendliness there wasn't a common practice so all I've ever had was my family. Then my father tried to kill Aster, who in turn killed him in self defense. And then Aster died protecting you."

Squeeze. Guilt had me in a headlock. There was no escape. "Why does it sound like you're trying to guilt me into agreeing now?" I asked.

He blinked. "I'm not trying to convince you, I'm merely stating the facts."

And that's exactly how it sounded too. In fact, it seemed like I was the only one troubled by his current state of loneliness. He was right though: Aster had died protecting me.

If not for the promise I'd made him, I owed it to Aster to at least make sure her brother wasn't all alone in the world. To be the much-needed friend she'd been for me.

"Alright," I said, walking over to the closet and ruffling through the sparkling clothes. "I'll help you win your castle and crown but that's all, no inappropriate touching or crossing the friendship line."

"Are you friend-zoning me?" Arius asked in that same tone-less manner of his.

I pulled out a glittering white jumpsuit, nodding. "You've been friend-zoned. Let's become the greatest of friends."

For the first time since he came in the room he showed a change of expression: his brow creased, lips pulling downwards. But he said nothing. Which was fine by me.

Whether he was happy about the restrictions I'd put in place didn't concern me, so long as he didn't cross them.

***

I could see why Arius wanted this Autumn Lord's castle: it was huge. As a person who's lived her whole life in one small apartment after another, I was briefly tempted to challenge this Autumn Lord and steal his place for myself too. An expansive five-storied structure made of grey stone, the castle stretched out far enough that the whole thing couldn't be taken in with a single glance. And not in the looming haunted castle with dark, rustling woods as a background kind of way either. The windows in the castle were already lit with candles- apparently there was no electricity here- and the area outside was adequately lit with floating lamps but they weren't exactly necessary: the forest behind the castle radiated. Literally. Glow in the dark trees of varying shades of orange, strangely providing a sufficient amount of light to illuminate the outdoors but not bright enough to hurt the eyes- even if you stared straight at them. Definitely not a haunted house vibe. And the interior of the castle was just as beautiful as the exterior (unlike Arius' room from hell), the castle's interior design conveyed warmth with a hint of magic, something that could've easily jumped right out of a fairy tale. The theme was all orange, red and brown with long hallways and flower-printed carpets, pumpkin shaped chandeliers, the living areas all cozy and welcoming. I was surprised to find the walls covered in vines that formed charming archways at random places- but above all, what won me over was the scent of the food, a delicious aroma that was a mix of spicy and sweet, coming from the large serving plates that were all over the place.

Yes, I was tempted to take up some castle-stealing.

The only problem though? The faeries in the castle: they were beautiful and horrible, sometimes both at the same time.

For example there were these cute palm-sized little faeries that could've passed for Tinkerbells, whizzing through the air and leaving behind musical laughter and glittery dust in their wake. Then there was the faceless person who sat on the floor, feet raised as two milky eyes on each bare foot darted around, watching everyone. There was also the most beautiful woman I'd ever laid eyes on, brown skin luminous, red lips curving into a smile that would have any admirer at her feet- except she didn't have feet. Not the human kind anyway, her beautiful head was attached to the body of a centipede.

Studying them was like a constant wow, huh? followed by an ugh until the only thing I was thinking was Arius can have the castle, I want out of here.

I turned to Arius, about to tell him to hurry up and start the challenge when the commotion began. Screams I initially mistook for terror that soon took on a different tone. It sounded like a group of fans who've spotted their favorite artist and were losing it. It was coming from outside, not far from where we were.

I gave Arius a questioning look.

"What?" he asked.

"Let's go see what's going on over there," I replied.

"Why?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. It's just..." I had a bad feeling about what we'd find over there but there was a greater urge- no need- to get there and find out what was going on.

There was a slight twitch in Arius' brow. "You won't like what you'll see there."

"Then you can stay here, I'll go without you."

"Wait," he grabbed my wrist, handing me a white object. "Some fae hold grudges over generations, best to keep your face hidden just in case."

I studied the object, it was a cat mask with slits at the eyes and a splatter of black paint on one side. It wouldn't be my first choice but I decided it was was better than going home with a vengeful fae after me and the pack.

I nodded. Put it on. "Let's go find trouble."

Sorry for the late update, I caught a cold last week and had such a miserable headache I couldn't write anything but it finally wore off and I got this done. Thank you for reading! Don't forget to comment and vote!