Defy The Alpha(s) novel Chapter 732

Chapter 732: No suitors

When the name "Fae" was usually brought up, humans often imagined only graceful, willowy beings with pointed ears and glittering wings. But the truth was far broader than that, and Hannah saw it the moment she stepped into the hall.

There were so many variations of creatures gathered in the grand hall that Hannah didn’t realize she had stopped walking altogether, her steps slowing until she was simply standing there, gawking.

Closest to the entrance were the nobles or High Fae, the kind human beings most often mistook for the entirety of Faekind. Tall, elegant, and unnervingly beautiful, they wore flowing silks and embroidered robes in various tones.

Their ears were long and tapered, adorned with gold cuffs and chains, skin smooth and flawless, and their eyes too bright to be entirely comforting. They didn’t need to be announced, not when they carried themselves with such elegance it bordered on arrogance.

There were the nymphs whose beauty was more elemental than ornamental. The

Dryads wore gowns spun from leaf-silk and bark-thread, their hair woven with ivy and blooming flowers.

They were totally unlike the mountain nymphs, who favored heavier fabrics, their posture proud and immovable.

Their kin, the Naiads wore translucent and layered dresses that clung to them as if they were perpetually damp.

Hannah’s breath caught when she noticed the Beast Fae. Lions, wolves, serpents, birds and a whole lot of them walked upright among the crowd, their animal sides seamlessly fused with humanoid forms.

Some of them wore tailored pieces adapted for their tails and wings, while others favored ceremonial armor decorated with feathers, claws, or carved bone. But it was their eyes that drew her attention the most. They were sharp, predatory, and very much alive.

It was also surprising to find sea-born Fae among the crowd. The selkin kin carried a sheen on their skin, scales catching the light along their cheekbones and wrists.

Their gowns fell all the way to their feet, and when they moved, it felt less like walking and more like floating. Those who chose to walk, did so barefoot, leaving damp impressions behind them, the footprints shining briefly before vanishing as if the floor itself drank the water away.

Everywhere Hannah looked, there was a form of magic. The fae in attendance were so numerous it made her head swim.

And suddenly, painfully aware that she was the only human—well, half-human, but who was counting—in a sea of immortals, Hannah swallowed.

So this was it.

And she had just stepped straight into the Fae den in search of a husband.

Yes. Hannah rejoiced inwardly.

There were so many options to choose from.

Just like that, Hannah began to scan for her potential husband. For now, her options were concentrated among the High Fae who looked more human, and the beast Fae, since she was technically half of them herself. The selkin Fae were hauntingly beautiful, but she liked the land and certainly did not wish to be part of their world.

That land–sea long-distance relationship wasn’t going to work out, especially not when she was running out of time. Hannah needed a Fae to fall in love with her and marry her as soon as possible—anything less, and she risked the gods judging her case and possibly killing her.

Of course, a certain lion shifter was not ignorant of the way a certain human had been scanning the room.

"What are you up to?" Taryn asked, scrutinizing her with narrowed eyes.

"Admiring the creatures made by the god you serve," Hannah answered shamelessly.

The response did not sit right with him. Admiring other creatures? Taryn was not stupid. He knew exactly what she meant—other males. Yet just minutes ago, she had called him hot. How could she—?

"Oh," Hannah suddenly said, startled when her gaze collided with the haunting blue eyes of a Fae across the room.

"That’s cute." She actually smiled when the tall male flushed, clearly embarrassed at being caught staring at the human—his apparent object of interest.

Taryn was slowly losing his grip on sanity.

"Whoops," Hannah whispered excitedly, barely containing herself. "I think he’s coming my way."

And true to her words, the Fae began walking toward them.

Taryn’s jaw clenched. Since when were their kind so welcoming to outsiders? What the hell was happening?

Hannah cleared her throat, straightening her posture and readying herself. Suitor number one, she thought.

The young-looking Fae stopped before her and bowed slightly. "My lady, might I—"

"No," Taryn said flatly, stepping half a pace closer to Hannah.

"Excuse me?" Hannah turned to him, utterly confused.

The Fae looked startled as well. "I only wished to introduce—"

"She’s busy," Taryn finished, his tone brooking no argument.

Hannah’s eyes flashed. "I am not busy," she hissed through clenched teeth.

Perhaps it was the look in Taryn’s eyes—or the obvious tension crackling between them—but the Fae immediately straightened, bowed again, and excused himself without another word.

He retreated quickly that Hannah could only helplessly stare after him, before she turned back to Taryn, anger burning beneath her skin.

"What the hell is your problem?" Hannah whispered, careful not to draw attention to herself.

"I should be asking you the same question. What are you up to?" Taryn demanded. He badly wanted to know—because there was a nagging feeling twisting in his gut, one he didn’t like at all.

"What I’m up to is absolutely none of your business."

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