Traitor of the Entitled

CONTENTS Also by Shari L. TapscottFactionsChapter 1Chapter 2Chapter 3Chapter 4Chapter 5Chapter 6Chapter 7Chapter 8Chapter 9Chapter 10Message from ShariBonus CollectionAlso by Shari L. TapscottAbout the Author ALSO BY SHARI L. TAPSCOTT Obsidian Queen Guild of Secrets Princess of Shadows Knights of Obsidian Creatures of Midnight Queen of Aparia Traitor of the Entitled: An Obsidian Queen Novella Crown and Crest Knight from the Ashes Forged in Cursed Flames Fall of the Ember Throne Rise of the Phoenix King Royal Fae of Rose Briar Woods The Masked Fae The Gilded Fae The Disgraced Fae The Riven Kingdoms Forest of Firelight Sea of Starlight Dawn of Darkness Age of Auroras Silver & Orchids Moss Forest Orchid Greybrow Serpent Wildwood Larkwing Lily of the Desert Fire & Feathers: Novelette Prequel to Moss Forest Orchid Eldentimber Series Pippa of Lauramore Anwen of Primewood Seirsha of Errinton Rosie of Triblue Audette of Brookraven Elodie of the Sea Genevieve of Dragon Ridge Grace of Vernow: An Eldentimber Novelette Fairy Tale Kingdoms The Marquise and Her Cat: A Puss in Boots Retelling The Queen of Gold and Straw: A Rumpelstiltskin Retelling The Sorceress in Training: A Retelling of The Sorcerer’s Apprentice Traitor of the Entitled An Obsidian Queen Novella Copyright © 2023 by Shari L. Tapscott All rights reserved This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. Editing by Z.A. Sunday Cover Design by MoorBooks Design FACTIONS Urocyon The Foxes Masters of Stealth and Manipulation Lupus The Wolves Leaders Gryphus The Griffons Masters of Magical Intuition & Insight Lepus The Rabbits Animal Whisperers Draconem The Dragons Masters of the Elements Cervidae The Deer Healers Passeridae The Sparrows Jack of all Trades, Master of None Taurus The Bulls Gifted with Great Strength Canis The Hounds Trackers Cristatus The Peacocks Gifted with Beauty and Grace Sciuridae The Squirrels Tinkers and Craftsmen Rhopalocera The Butterflies Masters of Light and Illusion Chamaeleonidae The Chameleons Shifters Strigiformes The Owls Alchemists Struthio The Ostriches Ungifted Equus The War Horses Metalsmiths and Enchanters Cathartes The Vultures Thieves of Magic 1 I know he followed me. Intuition prickles my skin, telling me he’s back there, trying to figure out which way I went. The question is, do I lose him…or wait? I maneuver past people—people everywhere. Short people, tall people, drunk people, desperate people. I hate casinos. Around me, the digital music from a hundred slot machines blurs together into a headache-inducing cacophony. “Chloe!” the man hollers from behind me, his deep voice rising over the noise—an impressive feat…and an embarrassing one. People look his way, their attention first grabbed by his shout and then by the man himself. I reluctantly turn, pressing my lips together as though he’s a nuisance and I’m simply humoring him. The truth is, though, I’m just as captivated by Eric as the rest of the crowd. Which is bad. One look at the knight marshal and you know he’s trouble. Built like a linebacker, Eric is six-foot-four-inches of handsome, with Nordic blond hair and light blue eyes. He’s smiling now, his gaze on me, and my pulse increases without my permission. “What?” I demand when he’s close. You know all those people who were gawking at him? They’re now gawking at us. “Let me take you to dinner.” He gives me a gentle smile and eases closer until we’re a comfortable distance apart—treating me like I’m an ornery animal in need of soothing. “You still need to eat, and we can discuss the job I want to hire you for.” I roll my eyes. “What job?” “I need you to fix my tablet, remember?” He might have mentioned it, but I highly doubt he has a broken tablet in need of fixing. I jerk my head in the direction of the cafe I stormed out of, where just moments ago, we were sitting down with our teams and pretending it’s not majorly creepy that someone or something is running amok in a fashion expo and sucking the magic out of modeling Peacocks. “Didn’t you already order? Go back to your team.” “I see them every day. I’d rather get to know you.” He’s smooth, practiced. Everything about him promises, “You can trust me. I’m nice.” Which makes me trust him all that much less. “I have plenty of friends,” I say as I turn from him. “I don’t need another.” Because Eric is proving to be annoyingly persistent, he matches my steps, walking with me through the crowd. “That might be, but what about me? Maybe I don’t have plenty of friends. Surely you’ll take pity on me.” I snort, not believing that for a minute. “This is because of the plane, isn’t it?” he asks, abruptly changing the subject. “I’m still paying for that bad first impression.” I glance at him, refusing to answer. We met on the flight from Denver to Vegas, and it would be an understatement to say he’s a nervous flyer. His Fox teammate had to magically persuade him to calm the heck down. I wouldn’t be surprised if he gave himself an ulcer. “It’s your fault, though,” he goes on. I manage to hold out for five whole seconds before I take the bait. “How do you figure?” “You should have been at Gray’s meeting in Denver. I’m sure I would have managed a better first impression then. Why weren’t you there, anyway?” Pausing, I flash him a dark look, silently informing him that’s a road we’re not going down. My occasional teammates, Thomas and Brett, told Gray I was filing a patent on something I’m working on—a likely story since I contact the patent office often