Wanted by the Fae: A Fated Mates Romantic Fantasy: Magic Bound Book 2 (Magic Bound Series)

sister?” Rian asked.
“I— Just Roark.”
He nodded shortly, smiling sympathetically when my voice cracked on his name. “I believe you’re making the right decision in sending her away.”
I looked down at her chest, watching it rise and fall. I hadn’t realized a small part of me had been weighing the idea of taking her to Faerie, even as I’d prepared myself for leaving her. Rian’s words were a slap in the face. Pain burned through my chest. I’d already spent too much time separate from her.
My exhale shuddered through me. I wanted her to live her life as a human for as long as she could, but this just added more incentive to make sure she wasn’t connected to me. The thought of Unnaturals going after her to get to me stopped me from considering the idea of her coming with me. My stomach dropped when I imagined Sabine catching wind of her. No… Just no. Never. If I’d do anything in this life, it was protecting my sweet sister from that psycho. She’d never touch Annie.
“You’re right.” I blinked away tears, trying to get rid of the tightness. “I know you’re right.” I nodded again. “She’ll need a car.”
Rian’s face showed his regret. “I’ll procure it.” I handed Rian the large wad of money. Annie stretched with a groan. Her eyes fluttered open. “I’ll give you two a moment.”
I turned to Annie as she rubbed sleep from her eyes. “Hey, drool-y.”
She shot up like a dart, looking horrified. “I drooled!” Her voice lowered. “Did Rian see?”
I smirked. I knew it. “Kidding, but do I hear a crush coming on?”
She glared and pursed her lips. “No.”
I could taste the denial.
I laughed, but the reminder of what I was about to tell her sobered me up. The mattress dipped as the weight of my body settled on the bed next to her.
“Okay, I have bad news.” I busied my hands by snatching one of the hairbands from her wrist.
Dread seeped into her eyes even as she said, “Thief.”
My smiled quickly disappeared. “I have to go.”
“Take me with you,” she said so fast her words melded with each other.
“I-I can’t,” I rasped. “You saw what was chasing us. They were werewolves. Like from the books you used to read—just not so romantic. And they’re not the only ones. If they find out about you, they’ll use you to get to me.”
“But what about those men? The werewolves, they know about me. They’ll try to find me.”
That was a good point, and I didn’t know how to dispute it, except for… “They probably think you’re going to Faerie with me. But to be honest, I’m more worried about one specific Fae finding out about you. Here, you could reinvent yourself and disappear into the masses.” Her face fell at my words, and I found myself pleading. “Please, Annie. I need you to do this. I can’t be worrying about you on top of all the other crap I have to deal with. I want you to live a normal human life.”
For as long as possible. But I didn’t want to freak her out by telling her she’d be Fae one day, too.
Tears welled, but I didn’t let them fall. I’d become such a crybaby. As someone who used to only cry when I was extremely angry, it was an adjustment.
“Fine,” Annie said, looking anything but that. A huge weight lifted off my shoulder.
“Rian went to buy a car for you, but I want you to go to my old apartment.” I thoughtlessly patted my jeans, forgetting I tossed my phone. “Crap, I… lost my phone. Let me borrow yours.” I hated what I was about to do, but I had no choice. I needed to make sure Annie would be okay.
Annie reached into her back pocket and handed me the sleek rectangle. Relief bled through me when I looked down at the lock screen. There was something about having a phone in my hand that was comforting. The tears welled again when I saw the picture of Hash. I swiped up, took a deep breath, and entered the number. My heart thumped wildly as the ringing filled my ear.
“Hello?” a raspy voice answered. I checked the time. Shit, I hadn’t realized it was one in the morning.
“Uh, Jeff?”
“Rae!” he gasped and inhaled sharply. With my advanced hearing, I heard sheets shuffle. “I thought you were dead.”
“I don’t have a lot of time. I have a favor to ask.”
“Where are you? I’ll come get you, Rae. I love you. It’s been so hard—” he cut off, and I heard him swallow. A small bit of me softened, but then I remembered what he did. It was probably guilt that made it difficult for him.
“Jeff,” I said sharply. I rubbed my eyes with my palm and lowered my voice. “Please, listen. I have a favor to ask.”
The other end went quiet. “Anything.”
I exhaled, relieved. Despite what Jeff had done, I knew he was a good guy. That’s why I trusted him with my sister.
“I’m sending my sister to the apartment. Can you help her get settled into her own place and keep an eye on her?”
“But where will you be—”
“Please, Jeffery.” He sighed, and I took it as a yes. “You know where I have my money stashed. In that hidey-hole in the closet—give it all to her.”
“Okay,” he said quietly.
“Thank you.” My shoulders relaxed as some of the tension faded. He would help her. “I have to go.”
“Wait—”
I cut the call off and saved his number in her phone under Sis’s Helpful Cheating Ex. I swiped to the navigation app and put in the apartment address in Texas.
Rian took that moment to burst in. “I sense a portal.”
My time had run out.
“I saved his number and the address.” I handed her the cell. “I have around nine thousand saved up. Take it and settle wherever you want. Hell, get a degree while you’re at it. Rian, do you have any money left?”
He waved the significantly