bchfk

HER FAERIE KING

BIANCA COLE

Her Faerie King Copyright © 2020 Bianca Cole All Rights Reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise without written permission from the publisher. It is illegal to copy this book, post it to a website, or distribute it by any other means without permission.

This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.

Warning: the unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.

Book cover design by Hot and Steamy Romance Premades

CONTENTS

Free Book O er Blurb 1. Flynn 2. Lucy 3. Flynn 4. Lucy 5. Flynn 6. Lucy 7. Flynn 8. Lucy 9. Flynn 10. Lucy 11. Flynn 12. Lucy 13. Flynn 14. Lucy 15. Flynn 16. Lucy 17. Flynn 18. Lucy 19. Flynn 20. Lucy 21. Flynn 22. Lucy 23. Epilogue Mailing List Also by Bianca Cole About the Author

FREE BOOK OFFER

If you enjoy reading about possessive alpha men, steamy hot insta-lust, and romance, then grab my free novella on o er.

Filthy Doctor is a 34k novella and part of the Wynton series.

Join my mailing list and grab Filthy Doctor for free!

Click here to join now!

BLURB

She is going to be mine, even if it starts a war.

This night of the summer solstice doesn’t go to plan.

Every year, fae gather in the forest to mate for one night only.When the hunt starts, I’m drawn away from my people.

Drawn to one delicate, human female. Drawn to my one true mate.

I try to fight it, but I can’t resist the pull. Our souls are tethered together with a deep and powerful mating bond.

Breaking it could kill us both, but accepting it could start a war.

As king, I’m under pressure to produce an heir. My people won’t take kindly to a half-fae prince. They will try to fight this, but there’s no denying the truth.

Lucy will be my queen, and anyone who tries to stop me will regret it.

1

FLYNN

“S

tar’s sake,” I growl, throwing the notepad across the room.

It’s all bullshit. I don’t know why I have to make a speech every year. It makes no sense. I make a speech about fae fucking for a night in an attempt to keep our kind strong, when It doesn’t work. It’s pointless.

Sure, our numbers may have grown in the past with this archaic ritual, but it’s no longer working. Our numbers are dwindling, and we need to do something about it.

All my advisors go on about is me getting a female pregnant.

What good is that?

They’re all blind to the bigger picture. One fae king having children won’t help our numbers. In a few centuries, we’ll be on the edge of extinction at this rate—maybe sooner.

I’ve got less than half an hour until I have to stand in front of them all. There’s a buzz of excitement in the air. I’m pretty sure I’m the only one who isn’t excited.

This archaic practice of un-bonded fae males and females joining together and mating for the night has happened for

millennia. It used to help keep our race healthy and increase our numbers.

Finding your one true mate is increasingly di cult. It can take hundreds of years. If we relied solely on the mating bonds to reproduce, our kind would have already died out.

We may be immortal, but the tensions between fae and shifters have been growing. They outnumber us and we’re dying at their hands.

Today marks my fiftieth solstice as king. Up to now, I’ve been unsuccessful at getting a female pregnant. My advisors have been increasingly worried by my lack of success, particularly as the monarchy needs an heir to provide stability to the crown.

A knock at the door sounds.

“Come in,” I call.

Cathal, my advisor, enters and bows. “Your majesty, we’ve got twenty minutes until your speech.”

I shift in my desk chair and glance at the blank notepad slung over the other side of the room. “Do I really need to give a speech about mating?” I’ve had the pen in my hand for half an hour, and I still haven’t written a word on that damn notepad.

Cathal gives me a disapproving look. “You know it’s important.”

I sigh and chuck the pen down on the desk. There’s no point in writing anything. It’s the same every fucking year, and I’m bored of this tradition. “Fine, how about we get it over and done with now.”

He flings his hands up in the air. “Why can’t you stick to a schedule for once.”

I narrow my eyes at him in a warning. He’s the only person who would dare speak to me like that on my sta .

“You know I hate schedules, today especially.”

He sighs and bows his head. “As you wish, your highness.”

I detect the hint of sarcasm in his tone but let it slide.

Instead of scolding him, I walk toward the mirror on the other side of the room and check my hair. Already in my naked form, I know I’ll be the most desired mate due to my status.

Every female wants me to pick her to mate with. A female who bears a royal child will want for nothing for the rest of her life. Also, I’m not unattractive, so females often throw themselves at me. Not that I’m ever interested. The bond of the solstice takes the choice out of my hands, forming for one night only. One female will capture my attention for the night, and she will submit to me.

The aim is to get her pregnant, but after forty-nine attempts, I can’t deny that I’ve got little hope of it happening this time. It doesn’t help that there’s always so much pressure. Everyone expects a king to be able to get it done.

My father was a virile man. Although, I’m only one of two sons he had with his mate, my mother. He had many children with other fae females before he found her.

My distant siblings want nothing to do with Brín or me. It doesn’t help that I’m hardly ever interested in fucking women the rest of the year, unlike my brother, Brín. I just don’t have time for that shit.

I walk through the corridors of the palace. Most fae would desire to live in such a lavish and beautiful place, but it has never felt like home, even as a child. Something is missing. I don’t know what it is, but all the gold, jewels, and beautiful clothes can’t fill the hole inside me.

I walk out toward the front of the palace, and a cheer erupts the moment my people notice me. My younger brother, Brín, is standing by the podium clapping.

He hates this stupid tradition as much as I do. As king, public appearances are something I have to do and appear to enjoy. Clearing my throat, I plaster on a smile and step up to the podium. “Good evening, everyone,” I boom, using my magic to amplify my voice.

A silence spreads across the thousands of fae gathered in our palace’s grounds.

“Another year has passed, and we find ourselves on the cusp of the summer solstice celebration.” I turn to glance at Cathal. “My trusted advisor has picked a suitable location for the festivities. So, follow him and enjoy the evening.”

A round of applause breaks out, and I glance at my advisor, who looks irritated by the shortness of my speech.

It’s all bullshit. I have to address them, but what good does it do to go on and on?

Cathal disperses, and then the crowd begin to follow. My brother, Brín, comes up to me and pats me on the back.

“Ready for another year of pointless rutting?”

I glance at my brother, raising an eyebrow. “You don’t normally complain.”

He smirks. “No, but it can get tiresome when you’re expected to get a woman pregnant.”

Brín is a bit of a philanderer. Once he mates, it will be a shock to his system. That’s if he ever finds his true mate.

The longer time passes, the less hope I have for myself.

“Come on.” He pats me on the back. “Let’s get this show on the road.” He disperses, chasing after the rest of our people.

I sigh heavily and disperse after him, landing in a dense forest. Dusk is upon us, and it is almost time for the ritual to start.

The males wait on one side of the clearing, and the women are ready on the other side to rush into the forest.

The chase is part of the excitement. Often, I don’t have to chase long.

The already mated fae are here for the party and gathered under a large gazebo. The solstice is a massive a air for all fae, even ones that have found their true mate. Soft music plays through the clearing, and I envy the lucky ones who have found their mate for life.

Cathal clears his throat before speaking. “Females please depart,” he amplifies.

The women dash into the trees surrounding us as the darkness increases. The stars twinkle in the sky above. After a few moments, the drums beat to mark the start of the hunt for a female. Most of the males dash after the females, but I remain still.

Cathal gives me a disapproving glance. “Your majesty, if you don’t get a move on all the best ones will be gone.”

A sudden tug in my chest ignites and sets my veins blazing with hot, fiery need. I shake my head, trying to clear the haze over my mind.

The hunt has begun, and usually, the group of females running through the forest two hundred yards to my left draw me to them.

Instead, I’m being drawn the opposite way. It’s only when I hear Cathal’s voice that I realize I’m walking in the wrong fucking direction. “Sire, where are you going?”

My legs have a will of their own, walking me away from the females. I can’t understand why, but I also can’t resist the urge to follow my instincts.

Cathal shouts again, “Sire, stop.” He jogs after me, and I start to sprint away.

Despite knowing this isn’t right, I can’t stop myself. I’m running through the forest at speed. Cathal won’t be able to catch me, even if he wanted to. There’s a reason I’m king, and it’s because of my blood. Our lineage of fae has always

been stronger, faster and more intelligent than any other.

We’ve ruled for centuries.

It feels like I’m a puppet on a string, and someone else is pulling the strings. Perhaps a fae female got lost in the woods, and my senses are driving me toward her. I pick up a sweet cherry blossom scent that calls to me, pumping blood south and hardening my cock.

The pull is strong—stronger than the standard solstice bond.

Have I finally found my mate?

The scent of burning cedar floods my senses, but there’s still that cherry blossom scent that calls out to me, overpowering everything else.

My brow furrows as I come to the edge of a small town—a human town. There’s no denying the scent of human flesh.

We’re not supposed to practice our carnal summer solstice traditions this close to human territory. It would be dangerous if one of them stumbled across us during it.

Especially if a fae took a liking to that human. We’re too brutal and powerful for such fragile beings.

Why did Cathal miss this?

I remain in between the trees as cover, searching for something. Whatever brought me here is ruling me. A deep and dark pull that I can’t resist. Then, I see what I’m looking for. I can’t explain how I know she is why I’m here. A pair of emerald green eyes gazing out of the window of a cottage capture all of my attention.

My heart pounds. My cock thickens. Every muscle in my body tightens and coils at the sight of my mate. A human woman, looking out into the forest.

Her eyes meet mine, and she stumbles away from the window. As if I have zero control over my own body, my feet are carrying me into the human town.

We’re not allowed here, my brain mutters. My body doesn’t listen. At least it’s dark, and no humans are on the street to see me in all my naked glory.

I stop in front of the human woman’s door, warring with myself.

What am I doing?

I have to mate with a female tonight but most certainly not a human. This can’t be happening to me. With the murmur of a rebellion increasing with every passing day, this is the last thing I need.

A power beyond myself forces my hand, as I knock her door. It doesn’t matter that I know this is wrong.

It looks like I’m going in there, no matter how much my mind screams for me to run the other way. I’m frozen to the spot, and this human is at my mercy. She will submit to me and be mine forever.

Fuck.

I haven’t even seen her yet, other than those stunning eyes, but I know she’s mate. The bond isn't a solstice bond— It's a mating bond.

Have I just found the answer to all my problems, or is she the beginning of the end for my family’s rule over our kind?

Only time will tell.

2

LUCY

M

y brow furrows as the far o beating of drums echo from deep within the forest. Things have been becoming increasingly odd in that forest for the past few days, and whispers around our small town are that the faeries are gathering for the summer solstice.

They’re not supposed to come so close to human towns, but it seems the gossip may be right. I shiver as I stare into the abyss beyond the dark, thick shroud of trees so close to my home. The ritual they uphold every year is archaic and debase.

The fae can be both brutal and vicious. Every year on the summer solstice, their males hunt the females in a sense. If rumors are to be believed, a male chases a female to mate with for the night. The fae are attempting to keep their dwindling numbers up. As immortals, it seems they don’t procreate as quickly as humans or shifters.

In an ever-growing world of tension, it makes them skittish. Which never made sense to me, if anyone has the right to be worried, it’s the humans. How can we protect ourselves against all the beasts that live among us?

Mr. Jensen steps out of the neighboring cottage. “The fae are out there tonight.” He glances over at me. “If I were you,

I’d lock your windows and doors.” The way his eyes roam down my body makes my stomach twist with nausea. “Don’t want one of those fae taking a liking to a pretty, young human like yourself.” He licks his bottom lip slowly in a way that makes me want to puke.

I swallow hard and nod my head. “No, definitely not.”

With that, I grab my basket of vegetables that I picked from my garden and head back inside my little cottage.

Ever since my father died, I’ve felt increasingly less safe in my own home. A woman living on her own in such a backward, rural town is odd. The looks I get from the men around town make me sick. I’m fresh and easy pickings to them. It’s about time I sold this place and moved to a city where no one would bat an eyelid at me.

Slamming my door shut, I turn the key and pull the bolts across at the top, middle and bottom of the door. Mr. Jensen is an asshole, but his wife, Elaine, is lovely. When my father first passed away, she was so helpful and kind toward me.

That all changed after I heard her husband arguing about her associating with an outcast. She will smile and say hello, but there was a change in her demeanor toward me.

I sigh heavily, placing my basket of vegetables down on the kitchen table. Everyone in town says that someone needs to marry me, but I’ve got no interest in any of the men here.

I’ve got no interest in men at all. If I had enough money, I’d get away from here.

The sale of this house would be a good start, but I haven’t had a viewing in the full six months it’s been with the realtor. There isn’t exactly a flock of people wanting to move to Darby, Montana. Ever since the fae and werewolves took over the forest, it had a bad e ect on the already limited job prospects.

The pounding of drums stops, drawing my attention to outside. A small window over the sink looks out over the

ever-darkening forest, and nighttime draws in around us. A shiver passes down my spine as I gaze into the dark, trying to uncover the secrets hidden in the trees.

Everyone is scared of the fae, but I’ve always found them fascinating. They are the most powerful creatures to walk this earth. The fae possess magic as well as inhuman strength and speed.

I wonder what crazy things are going on right now deep in those woods under the moon. If the tales are anything to go by, it would be a scene to make anyone blush.

My body heats at the thought, and my skin feels too tight over my flesh all of a sudden. A sense of someone watching me sweeps over the back of my neck. I scan the darkness between the trees, searching for the source.

My breath catches in my throat, as a pair of glowing, royal blue eyes meet mine. I stumble backward from the sink and window, heart pounding at a hundred miles an hour.

Eyes like those can only belong to a faerie unless I’m seeing things.

They’re not supposed to come into our territory. My heart pounds hard in my ears as I walk back into my little sittingroom, thankful there are no windows. My stomach rumbles as I sink into my armchair.

I intended to make some dinner, but those eyes have freaked me out. Instead, I grab my jar of cookies on the table and dig in for one. When my father was still alive, I always made sure I cooked a full meal for us, but I often don’t bother nowadays. I take a bite out of the chocolate chip cookie.

A loud bang sounds on the door, and I drop the rest of my cookie on the floor. Who the fuck would knock on my door at this time of night? Instead of getting up and opening it, I sink further into my chair.

The knock comes even harder and faster this time. I swallow hard, rising to my feet and walk over to the door with slow, careful steps. My heart is pounding out of my chest as I glance out of the peephole in my door.

I startle backward at the sight of a hard, muscular male chest in line with it.

Another bang on the door sounds, and this time, the entire door shakes with the force. “Let me in, before I break this door down,” A deep male voice growls.

I can’t understand why heat floods my body at the sound of his voice. All I should feel right now is fear, but instead, the desire I feel is overwhelming. “What do you want?” I ask, my voice so quiet I’m sure he won’t hear me through the door.

He slams his hand into the door again. “You.” His accent isn’t American, maybe Irish or Scottish, I’m not sure.

I step forward and glance through the peephole again, trying to see what he looks like. The size of him is hard to fathom. The peephole is five foot eight up, and that only comes to the center of his chest. He moves, and then suddenly, a royal blue eye meets mine on the other side of the peephole. “I can see you.”

I gasp, stumbling backward again and falling on my ass.

Pain shoots up my tailbone as I slam into the flagstone floor, crying out. “Fuck.” I shake my head, amazing myself at how ridiculously clumsy I am.

The fae on the other side of my door begins to bang more frantically, shaking the door so violently, I’m sure it’s going to come o the hinges any moment. “Let me in, now,” the man growls.

I wince as I stand, shooting pains going through my spine.

What the fuck have I done to myself?

“There’s no chance in hell I’m opening the door to you,” I shout.

The fae male roars like a damn mountain lion on the other side of the door, startling me. He bashes the door to the ground with one hit. It only misses me by a few inches.

I stare up at the beast who broke it down, and my whole body sets on fire. The intruder is the most handsome man I’ve ever seen. He towers over me and has to be about six foot ten, maybe taller. His thick dark hair is slicked back over his head, and he has a well-styled beard.

My breath catches in my throat as I notice his pointed ears. I was right. He is fae, and tonight is the summer solstice. It means I’m in danger right now. Those unique royal blue eyes are glowing so fiercely as he stares at me with pure, hot desire.

The only emotion I should be experiencing right now is fear, but I’m turning to jelly under his gaze. My body is a blazing furnace of need for the fae standing in front of me. It makes no sense.

A deep ache ignites between my thighs. The pain that was shooting up my spine I’d felt when I fell no longer apparent.

I let my eyes drop down the muscled planes of his hard chest, heating me even more. The way the muscles dip down right to….

I almost die when my eyes drop lower. This guy is entirely naked and fully hard, solidifying what I saw in his eyes. If I thought he was large in height, he is huge below the belt. I’m sure my heart is about to beat right out of my chest, it’s pounding against my rib cage.

I’ve only ever seen one guy’s cock before, and it was when Jimmy Neville decided to try and seduce me with it under the bleachers at high-school when I was seventeen. He whipped it out, and let’s just say it was nothing like what this fae is packing. I slapped Jimmy for being such a pig, for the record.

A heaviness imbues my limbs all of a sudden—a powerful and wanton desire weighing down my body, paralyzing me to the spot. It feels like someone has slipped me a dose of lust potion. I’m a virgin for God’s sake. I should be scared as hell, but I can feel the heat and moisture pooling between my thighs.

“What do you want?” I ask, my voice sounds so heavy with desire, I hardly recognize it.

He steps inside and turns to put my door back in place.

My mouth waters at the sight of him lifting the solid oak door as if it weighs nothing. He could certainly toss me about in bed without much trouble. For some insane reason, I picture running my tongue over every dip and curve of his body.

Fuck.

It’s not like me to have these kinds of thoughts. When he turns back around, his eyes are even more intense with blazing, blue fire. “I want you,” he growls.

A tendril of fear snakes up my spine, but it’s outweighed by the carnal lust taking control of my body. I say nothing out of fear I might say something I’ll regret.

The words, take me right here and now, are on the tip of my tongue, desperate to be spoken. I know if I utter those words, there will be no going back. I’m playing with fire, and I’ll get burned if I don’t watch it.

3

FLYNN

I

can feel my control slipping as I stare at the stunning female in front of me. The scent of her arousal bleeds into the air. It’s intoxicating. A tether pulls me toward her— a strong bond that feels unbreakable and irresistible. It resembles everything I’ve heard of a mating bond, which can’t be possible.

She’s a human for star’s sake. It’s not physically possible for me to mate to her. Her eyes travel down my body and fixate on my cock. I forgot that I’m naked and aroused beyond measure. The reason for my arousal is the human standing in front of me.

Her cheeks turn bright red, but she doesn’t tear her eyes from my cock. I wonder if she feels it too—this compelling need to join our bodies together.

I feel my cock twitch at the thought of burying myself to the hilt inside of her, spilling my seed onto her flagstone floor.

The sight of my leaking pre-cum has her licking her lips, and I can’t get the idea of those pouty lips wrapped around my shaft out of my mind. God damn it. This shouldn’t be happening. Not only would it be dangerous for a fae to mate with a human, it’s expressly forbidden.

Fae are too strong to mate with humans. It could be dangerous because we could injure them. We are renowned for getting carried away when mating.

I’ve never wanted a female so powerfully. Finally, she averts her gaze from my straining cock to my face. I hold her gaze and detect the raw lust sparking in her stunning green irises. Her full chest heaves with heavy breaths and draws my attention to her perfect breasts.

I clench my fists by my side, trying to gain some semblance of control. As the night draws in darker and deeper, this need is only going to intensify.

She is deliciously curvy and everything I love in a female, but she’s not fucking fae.

“Fuck,” I growl, making her start. I run a hand through my hair, trying in any way to distract myself from my urges that are almost painful to resist.

Most fae males would have caved by now and ravaged the human I’m drawn to, but I’m not most males. My willpower is steel. I take a step forward, and it seems to break her daze.

She winces as she takes a step back.

“You’re hurt?” I ask an odd concern burning inside of me.

She shakes her head. “It’s nothing.” I watch as she dashes away from me, flaring the need to chase inside of me.

Instead, I resist. She’s scared and quite rightly so. I could hurt her if I’m not careful, and the mere thought of harming her makes me insane.

Instead, I calmly walk after her into the kitchen. She’s standing with her back to the kitchen sink, holding out a knife. Her hands are shaking. “Don’t come any closer,” she yells.

I can’t help but chuckle. “I’m not going to hurt you.” I tilt my head to the side, taking in every beautiful inch of her face. “That knife wouldn’t help you if I did want to hurt you.”

The kitchen is far smaller than her living room. The scent of her desire and the call of the bond is more potent in such a confined space. “I don’t know how long I can hold myself back.”

Her nostrils flare. “Hold yourself back from what?”

I lick my too dry lips and try to calm my firing nerves.

Every muscle in my body is tightly coiled. “Making you mine.”

Her eyes flash with what looks like desire, but she holds the knife out further. “Stay back.”

“I know you feel it too.” I lick my bottom lip, anticipating tasting her. “What’s your name, beautiful?”

Her cheeks darken in color, and she opens her mouth, only to close it again.

I wait patiently for her answer, but she doesn’t intend to give it. I disperse toward her using magic, grabbing the knife from her hand. Her eyes go wide, and she tries to get away.

I’m so much faster than her, though. It’s unfair, really. I set my hands either side of her against the sink, caging her between me and it.

Her breath catches in her throat as she gazes at me. It’s almost impossible to resist her while I’m this close. She glances between our hot bodies at my cock. The tip is flush against her and smearing my leaking seed over her pretty little pink dress. “I know you want me too,” I groan, feeling my balls tighten at the strong scent of her arousal clouding my mind. “I can smell it.”

The tips of her ears turn bright red. She’s so fucking pretty flushed and turned on for me. The need to snake my hand up her creamy thighs and feel just how wet she is for me overrides my self-control.

She gasps as I let my hand tease up her skin slowly. Her thighs quiver under my attention as I near her center.

My fingers brush against her panties, which are soaked through. She whimpers in my capture not making an attempt to move. “You are so wet, daonna.” human in our fae language. I grab the front of her panties and rip them from her, tearing the lace in two.

She gasps, setting her hands on my arms to steady herself. Her emerald eyes are glued to mine with a mix of fear and lust sparking in them. “What are you—” I thrust a digit inside of her before she can finish her question, holding her shocked gaze. My heart pounds. My cock throbs. Her heat is so fucking tight and wet, as I begin to finger her. She looks frozen in ecstasy, not blinking or moving. Finally, a throaty moan escapes her as I hook my finger deep.

Her fingertips dig into my biceps as I move my thick finger in and out of her. I rub my thumb over her clit, and she jolts. “Fuck, what are you doing to me?” Her eyes flick shut, and her lips part temptingly.

Damned if I know what the fuck I’m doing. I’m fingering a human woman, pleasuring her. If Cathal could see me now, he’d probably have me jailed, even if I am the king. We aren’t supposed to touch, talk, or mingle with humans. Our kind is too proud and vain, believing that humans are too low a species to mix with.

It’s something that I’ve always wanted to change, but they block me at every turn. Humans are far superior to fae.

As I stare at the utter goddess standing in front of me, I know I’ve found my proof. “What is your name?”

Her eyes flick back open, and she licks her bottom lip.

“Lucy,” she says.

“Lucy.” Her name sounds good on my lips as I increase the pressure on her clit. “You’re so beautiful.”

Her head rolls back. Her eyes clamp shut. “Oh God, this feels so good.”

I lick a path up the column of her neck, making her whimper. The feral part of me is longing to break free as my canines ache to sink into flesh. I fight it, knowing that the moment I give in, there will be no going back. If I were to mark a human with my teeth, it would have dangerous consequences, even if I cover the evidence.

I could kill her. She is too fragile—too human. My finger works in and out of her as I fight my instincts. Her scent calls to me, trying to goad me into taking her. The bond inside of me tugging me toward her feels more permanent than the mere pull of the solstice.

“What is happening?” she gasps, bringing my attention back to her and those pouty, pink lips. “I feel so, so…”

A part of my resolve snaps, and I kiss her hard, silencing her with my lips. Her muscles clamp around my finger as she comes undone, flooding with sweet nectar.

Our mouths mold together, as she parts her lips enough to allow my tongue to search every part of her thoroughly.

I’d been resisting kissing her because it is only going to make me lose control more quickly and heighten my untamable desire for her.

I groan into her mouth, struggling to hold back the desperate urge to fuck her. “God damn, this is hard.”

She sinks her teeth into her bottom lip and wraps her small, delicate fingers around my cock. They don’t even make it all the way around. She strokes me up and down.

“Very hard.”

I growl in warning, as she is playing with fire. Her irises have dilated so much there’s only a small rim of green around them, proving how much she is a ected. If she loses control, then there will be no stopping us.

I pull my finger from her, and she whimpers, watching me. My finger is in my mouth before I can think about what

I’m doing, tasting her. I want to taste her properly and bring her to climax with my tongue.

She takes me by surprise by wrapping her arms around my neck and kissing me. This time, I lose control, pulling her hard against me and nipping her lip with my canines.

“Ouch,” she says, pulling back and placing a finger against the area I nipped.

“Sorry, I can’t control myself with you,” I groan, feeling my cock swell even harder at the sight of a small amount of blood pooling on her lip. I take a step back and try to put some distance between us.

All I want to do is lick the wound and taste her, sealing it with my saliva. Fae are powerful beings, and we can heal humans and other creatures with our saliva.

It makes for a powerful and intoxicating addition to lovemaking, which is what I want to do with this female right now.

Wait.

Lovemaking?

I shake my head, trying to clear the fog on my mind. Fae don’t make love, they mate. I must be losing my damn mind.

The sound of light footsteps crunching through the forest breaks my daze, and I move to stare out of the window.

Cathal is lingering in the trees, searching for me.

I duck away from it with careful and controlled speed, trying not to draw his attention to me here. The last thing I need is him sticking his nose in where it’s not wanted.

“What is it?” Lucy asks, gazing at me with conflicting fear and lust all at once.

I shake my head and press my finger to my lips.

Her brow furrows, and I step close to her again, drawing her against my body. She’s so cold. I want to warm her up more than anything. I want to sink my hard length inside of her and make her mine, even if she is human.

I hear Cathal’s light steps drawing closer to the house, and his scent strengthens. He will detect me soon enough, if he hasn’t already. I can’t stay here any longer.

Instead, I kiss her passionately. She claws at my arms and moans lowly, which quickens Cathal’s footsteps. “Until next time,” I whisper into her ear, before dispersing away from her.

It hurts to leave her, but I can’t risk Cathal learning the truth. If word gets out that their king has mated to a human, it will cause an uproar. Instead, I have to hide for the evening and wait for the passing of the summer solstice.

There’s no way I could mate with anyone else—not tonight or ever again. I’m tethered to Lucy with a mating bond. Mating bonds are sacred, and breaking them could kill us both. There isn’t an easy way around this.

I’m not sure I even want to find a way around it. Lucy is the most refreshing and exciting person to blaze into my life for decades.

4

LUCY

I

groan as my eyes flick open. My back hurts like hell, and as I move, I realize I’m lying on the flagstones of my kitchen floor.

What the fuck happened?

Then it all hits me like a lightning storm, forcing me to sit up in shock—those royal blue, glowing eyes imprint on my mind.

Oh my God. A fae male, whose name I don’t know, was here. He wanted me in a way I can’t understand. I feel my body heat as I remember him in all his naked glory. I remember the way he touched me and made me orgasm from his finger.

The last words he said to me were until next time, and then he vanished right in front of my eyes.

Does that mean he intends to return?

My chest feels tight and painful as I bring a hand up to it.

I can’t understand why. It hurts like nothing I’ve known before—a deep and painful ache right in my center.

“Lucy, are you okay?” Frank asks, peering through the hole where my front door used to be. Frank is one of my only friends in this town.

My brow furrows as I remembered him putting the door back up when he entered my cottage. Perhaps the wind knocked it down. I shake my head and try to get up, struggling to use my limbs. “I don’t know…”

Frank rushes over to me and helps me to my feet. “What happened?”

I swallow hard, heat spreading through me as I think of exactly what happened. “I can’t remember,” I lie. “I just woke up on the floor with a splitting pain in my chest.”

Frank looks concerned as he glances around the room.

“Were you robbed?”

I shrug and take a look. “It’s hard to say. Everything looks in order.”

He looks puzzled as he glances between the broken door and me. “What creature could have done that?”

Fae. I know it’s the only sensible answer. The shifters don’t venture near here because the forests are fae territory—for now. The wars between the faeries and the shifters are still raging.

Frank will know the faeries were in the forest last night.

This town is tiny, and word travels fast, it would be a miracle if he hadn’t heard.

“The town are talking about the fae mating in the forest last night.” He raises an eyebrow at me. “I hope one didn’t take a fancy to you.”

I feel my cheeks heat. “I think I would remember if one did, don’t you?”

He nods his head. “Of course.” His brow furrows. “Are you going to be okay staying here?”

I stare at him for a moment. “I think so.” I bite my lip and then groan. “I’ve got a terrible pain in my chest.”

Frank’s eyes narrow. “That’s it. I’m taking you to see Doctor Irwin.”

I shake my head. “No, I’ll be fine. It’s not an emergency.”

Frank pulls out his mobile and dials a number. “Hello, I need an appointment to see Doctor Irwin as soon as possible, please.” There’s a short pause. “Perfect name is Lucy Holmes. We’ll see you then.” He cancels the call. “You have an appointment in ten minutes.”

I sigh heavily. I can’t understand why I feel so irritated by Frank trying to take care of me. He’s only looking out for me, but I feel uncharacteristically irritable. Perhaps it’s because my chest is in constant agony.

The thought of seeing Doctor Irwin sends a flood of panic through me. What if he discovers the truth about the fae male? Perhaps there’s a way of the doctor finding out I’ve encountered fae magic. I feel heat spread through my whole body, snaking up my neck and face.

“Why are you blushing?” Frank asks.

“I don’t feel good, that’s all,” I lie.

He grabs my hand, squeezing gently. “Let’s get you over to the doctor right away.”

I pull away, knowing Frank has always held hope that I’d see him di erently. He has always been a great friend, but he wanted more than friendship. Unfortunately, I never felt that way for him. He knows that, and we’ve had the discussion many times before.

“It’s okay. I’ll make it over there alone.” I push the hair out of my face. “You must have better things to do than accompany me to the doctors.”

He looks hurt. “I don’t have anything better to do.”

I sigh heavily, wishing he would let me be for now. After last night, I’m not in the mood for him fawning over me.

Frank knows I’m not interested in anything more than friendship from him, so I let him take care of me at times. I can’t understand why his concern today gets on my nerves.

“Fine, let’s go,” I say, grabbing my coat, slung over the arm of my sofa. I shrug it onto my shoulders. It’s an e ort to walk through the pain, but I grit my teeth. If Frank notices I’m struggling, he’ll try to help me.

He rushes to catch me up, falling into step by my side.

“Morning,” Mr. Jensen calls out to us as we pass his door.

I don’t even turn to look at the creepy pervert. He’s always friendly when Frank’s around, but when he’s not. A shudder races down my spine.

“Good morning,” Frank calls back, giving him a wave.

I grit my teeth, trying to overcome the pain slicing through my chest. The mere thought of even stopping to say good morning to him makes me cringe. Instead, I power on, forcing Frank to hasten his steps up.

“What’s the rush?” he asks.

I shake my head. “No rush.”

There’s an awkward tension between us as we head down the street toward the doctor’s surgery. We both walk in silence, which I’m thankful for. Usually, he can’t keep his mouth shut.

“I hope I’m not waiting in here for ages,” I say.

He shakes his head. “They said you had an appointment for ten past nine.”

I sigh heavily, opening the door and stepping into the crowded waiting room. I give Frank an unimpressed look.

There’s no way in hell that any doctor is seeing me in ten minutes. We’ll be lucky to get out of here within an hour.

He shrugs and walks up to the desk. “Hello, I booked an appointment under the name of Lucy Holmes.”

The receptionist gives Frank an unamused look. “As did all these other people. Take a seat, and we’ll call you when possible.”

I sigh heavily and take a seat next to an elderly lady. This is the exact reason I didn’t want to come here.

Frank sits down on my other side. He doesn’t say a word. I know I’m on edge today, and I know the reason why. That fae did something to me. The last thing I need is for the truth to start circulating around the town. I’m already the talk of this place anyway.

“Miss Holmes?” A man calls.

The looks I get as I stand and walk toward the o ce could kill. I can’t understand why I’m getting rushed through in front of all these other people.

Frank is wealthy. His family runs this town, but I can’t imagine that’s the reason. Frank follows behind closely, not even asking if I want him to wait outside.

“Lucy, what can I do for you today,” Doctor Irwin asks before I step into the room.

I turn to shut the door. “Frank, can you wait outside, please.”

He glances between Doctor Irwin and me a couple of times, before nodding and walking back to the waiting area.

I shut the door and let out a deep sigh.

“What seems to be the problem? I don’t see you here very often.”

“No, I didn’t want to come. Frank made me.” I shake my head. “Ever since this morning, I’ve had horrible pain in my chest.”

Doctor Irwin nods. “Take a seat on the bed. I’ll check your vitals.” He walks toward me with a stethoscope.

I can hardly breathe as the pain clutches at my chest, along with the panic that he may somehow be able to detect what happened to me last night.

“Relax,” he says, as he sets the stethoscope against my chest. “Now, I want you to take a deep breath.”

I take a deep breath in and let it out slowly, wincing as more pain slices through my chest.

“Where is the pain?” he asks.

I point to my chest, unable to pinpoint it accurately.

“Is it a sharp pain or constant?” he asks.

I shrug. “It’s constant, but worse when I breathe in deeply or make any sudden movements.”

Doctor Irwin moves the stethoscope to my back. “Can you breathe in until you feel the sharp pain?”

I do as he says, knowing this is a waste of time. Western medicine can’t help me, not considering the cause.

“Hmm… I’m going to take your blood pressure and heart rate.”

I tug my bottom lip between my teeth, wondering what verdict he might come to. He grabs the machine and wraps the cu around my arm, tightening it. All I can do is wait, hoping that everything is normal.

“Interesting. Your blood pressure is very low.” He shakes his head. “Almost dangerously.”

“What could be causing that?” I ask.

He doesn’t answer me, setting his finger on my wrist to check my pulse. “Lucy, you’re pulse is a little slow.” His brow furrows. “Are you sure you’re the only symptom is a pain in the chest?”

I nod my head. “Yes, other than that. I feel fine.”

He shakes his head. “I can’t explain it. I’m going to have to do some blood work to check for anything that will explain it.” He gets out a needle, making my head swim. I’m not very good with blood.

“No need to turn pale, Lucy. It won’t hurt.” He gets the needle ready. “Look away while I do it.”

I give him a nod, biting down on my lip as he tries to find a vein. The needle doesn’t hurt too much, but I keep my eyes focused on the wall to my right.

“There we go. All done.” He walks over to a counter and places the vials of blood into it. “It will take a day or two to get the results. I can prescribe pain-killers for the chest pain

in the meantime.” He turns to face me. “If you start to feel worse, then call our emergency line right away.”

I jump down from the exam table, nodding. “Thank you, doctor.”

He gives me a strange look. “Seriously, Lucy, take care of yourself. I’m concerned about your exam result, but the blood work will give me better insight into what is going on.”

“Of course, I’ll go home and get some rest.”

He writes up a prescription for some pain meds, handing it to me. “Make an appointment for Thursday morning with my secretary. We’ll have the results by then, but if there’s anything urgent, I will ring you beforehand.”

“Okay, thanks, Doctor Irwin.” I leave the room, feeling his eyes following me. Is it possible he knows about my encounter with the fae male last night?

I shake my head. My paranoia over my encounter with that fae will eat me alive if I don’t try and push it from my mind.

Frank jumps up the moment he sees me. “Are you okay?”

I nod, walking over to the secretary’s desk. “Hello, I need to book an appointment for Thursday morning to receive my blood results.”

She looks at me with that same disinterested look.

“Name.”

“Lucy Holmes.”

“I’ve got ten in the morning.”

“That would be great, thanks.”

She types away at the computer before glancing at me briefly. “That’s booked.”

“Okay, see you Thursday.” I walk toward the door and out onto the street.

Frank jerks me to a stop. “Lucy, what did he say?”

I shrug. “He did an exam and took some blood. They’ll tell me the result on Thursday. In the meantime, I’ve got a prescription for pain meds.”

He grabs the prescription out of my hand, irritating me.

“Let’s go and get these for you now.”

I snatch the paper from his hand. “No, Frank,” I growl. A sudden rage clouds my mind as I stare at my one and only friend. “I will go and get it. I just want to be left alone.”

His demeanor drops, and the pain in his eyes makes me instantly guilty. “Fine. I’ll see you around,” he says, turning and walking away.

It’s not like me to snap at anyone. I run a hand through my hair, wondering what is wrong with me. Frank was trying to help. I walk the opposite way toward the pharmacy. All I want to do is get these meds and then curl up in a ball and never leave my cottage again.

I think I just need to sleep this o , and then I’ll be fine. At least, I hope.

5

FLYNN

C

athal comes rushing into my o ce, eyes wide.

“Where have you been, your majesty?”

I straighten up, buttoning the shirt I’d just pulled on.

“Mating,” I say nothing more, continuing to dress.

In the mirror, I can see Cathal watching me with narrowed eyes. I can practically taste his suspicion as it tinges the air. “I followed you to the human town.”

A tension coils through my muscles at the mention of Lucy’s hometown. If anyone were to learn the truth, she would be in grave danger. I can’t believe I’ve finally found my mate, and we can’t be together. My people wouldn’t like me being with a human. I wince, feeling the ache in my chest deepen at the thought.

“I passed through.” I shrug and turn to face my advisor, running a hand across the back of my neck. “What is your point?”

He shakes his head. “If you engaged in mating, then which female did you mate with?” Cathal doesn’t often question me.

I blow out a long breath. “Not sure, as I didn’t catch her name.”

He gawps at me. “What if she falls pregnant with your child?”

I do up the buttons on the sleeve of my shirt, not looking at him. “If she gets pregnant, she knows who I am and will be sure to tell me,” I lie.

It goes against every instinct to lie, but I know the risk Lucy is in because of our mating bond. Her humanity makes her an easy target for my many enemies, and one in particular. Midir killed my parents and he wants nothing more than to dethrone me.

Killing me wouldn’t be easy, but snatching my human mate and ending her would be much simpler.

“I made an error allowing the summer solstice celebrations to happen near a human town.” He shakes his head. “I must apologize, your majesty.”

I hold a hand up. “It is already forgotten. Why aren’t you enjoying the festivities?”

Cathal is mated to his wife, Alana, but the summer solstice is not all about the mating. The ones with mates dance, drink, and party long into the night.

“I hold your well being more important and when you went in the opposite direction…” He trails o .

“Well, get back to the festivities. I insist. I’m fine.”

His eyes narrow. “Why aren’t you still mating with the female?”

“Once was enough for her and me,” I grit out, remembering the way the human female, Lucy, came apart so fast from my finger. I could have spent all night bringing her to climax over and over again. The mere thought has my cock thickening in my pants.

“There is time to select another female to mate with,” Cathal points out.

I shake my head. “I’ve had enough for this evening.”

He sighs heavily. “I hope you’ve got this female pregnant.

The longer you go on without an heir, the more chatter there is of your enemies overthrowing you.” He gives me a nod.

“Good evening, sire.”

I watch as he walks out of the room. He’s right. A particular group of fae have become increasingly aggressive, and the leader is my sworn enemy—Midir. They are antimonarchists. Their popularity has risen over the past decade.

Another failed attempt to provide the kingdom with an heir may be the last straw.

Considering I didn’t even mate this year, I know I’m in trouble. If anyone finds out my mate is a human, it will be worse. I slump down into my o ce chair, rubbing my aching chest. Ever since I left Lucy, there’s been a dull ache in my chest. Since she is human, I get the feeling she will be feeling much worse.

I need to figure out what I’m going to do. I know the only person I can turn to about this is my brother. He’s the only fae I trust in this world with something so sensitive.

S CREAMS OF PLEASURE echo down the corridor as I walk closer to my brother’s room. I roll my eyes, knowing that despite it being well into the morning—nine o’clock to be exact— he’s still at it. Brín’s lack of enthusiasm earlier in the evening has dissipated.

“Bite me,” I hear a fae female moan.

A growl is my brother’s only response.

Fuck.

This isn’t exactly something I haven’t walked in on before. As king, I can do what the hell I want. As his brother, I would anyway. I knock his door, but the grunts and moan don’t stop.

“Brother, it’s urgent,” I call, using my magic to amplify my voice.

A shriek from the female he has in there is the first thing I hear.

“Fuck’s sake, Flynn. Don’t you have any manners?” my brother calls back.

I open the door, and the woman shrieks, covering her naked body. It’s ridiculous. We mate out in the open every fucking year, but the moment it’s the king barging into a bedroom, women get all modest.

“Leave us,” I order.

She grabs her clothes and rushes out of the room, stark naked.

“What the fuck?” Brín asks. “Don’t listen to him,” he calls after the woman, but she’s already gone.

Brín jumps to his feet and squares his shoulders. “You had no right to barge in here like that.” He bares his canines, which are fully lengthened. I’ve never seen him this wound up before.

“Remember who you’re speaking to, Brín. I have an urgent issue I need to discuss with you.”

He grunts and turns away, walking toward the closet on the far side of his room. He gets out a pair of pants and pulls them on, before turning to face me. “Fine, do you want to discuss this somewhere else?”

I shake my head. “No, here is fine.” I glance around the messy room, wishing my brother would be more responsible.

With one click of my fingers, all the clothes, plates, and other shit lining the floors and surfaces disappear.

Brín shakes his head as he takes a seat on the sofa in front of his window, which looks out over the palace’s grounds.

“What is it?” he asks, his jaw tense.

I can tell I’ve pissed him o with my intrusion. Perhaps he liked the woman I dismissed from his room.

I take a seat next to him and expel a long sigh. “I found my mate last night.”

He sits up straight and his eyes go wide. “What?”

I nod my head. “I found my mate, but…”

“But what? This is great news. With you finding your one true mate, it should ease tensions amongst the people.”

My heart pounds harder in my chest as the truth on my lips makes me feel sick. Brín is one of the most laid back guys I know, but I’m not sure what he will make of this news. Even if he is my brother, humans are seen as the lowest of the low. “She’s not fae.”

He sits up even straighter, and the smile drops from his face. “What is she? Shifter?”

I shake my head, and his expression turns serious. “That only leaves vampire or human, and neither of those is acceptable.”

I swallow hard. “She’s human.”

“Fuck.” Brín stands from his feet and paces the floor.

“What are we going to do?”

I raise a brow at him. “What do you mean?”

He shakes his head. “You can’t accept a human as your mate. There will be an uprising. You have to break the bond and sever all ties from her, before you consulate it.” He steps forward. “You didn’t last night, did you?”

A growl rumbles through my chest as I stand to my feet, grabbing my brother by the collar and lifting him o the sofa. I force him against the wall with a thud. “Careful brother, you’re talking about my mate.”

He keeps eye contact, never once backing down. Any other guy in his position would shit themselves. “How are you going to explain this to our people?”

I let go of his collar and step away, trying to regulate my breathing. It’s insane how angry the thought of breaking the bond makes me. Any sane and rational person would agree

that it is the best option, but I’m not in my right mind at the moment.

“Brín, I can’t break the bond. You know we only get one true mate.”

He clears his throat. “I know, but you are the king of our people. How do you think they will feel about a human queen?”

I know he’s right. Not many of our people would accept it, not without a fight. Somehow, I’m willing to fight for it, though. If I’m overthrown, then so be it.

“It’s worth trying.”

Brín laugh sets my teeth on edge and warns me to prepare for a brutal response. “It’s not worth it. You could lose everything for your mate.”

I shrug. “Then so be it. I’ll risk it all for her, Brín. You can’t understand it.” I turn to face him and the look on his face is torn. It’s a look I can’t quite understand.

He nods his head. “I get it. You’ve waited for your mate to come along all this time, and now that she has, she’s human.” He runs a hand through his thick golden hair.

“Fuck. Humans and fae aren’t supposed to mate. It’s unheard of as far as I’m aware.” Brín paces the floor, before turning to me. “Why did you come to me?”

“You’re my brother, and the only guy I trust with this. I need advice. I’m going insane.”

“Did you mate with her last night?”

I shake my head. “It was close, but Cathal caught up with me and tracked me to the town. I had to get out of there quick, even though it killed me to leave her.”

He runs his hand across the back of his neck. I’ve never seen my brother so stressed. “I’m sorry, brother. I can’t see a way around this other than breaking the bond before it takes hold or losing your position as king.” He frowns at me.

“Is she worth giving it all up for?”

I contemplate his question. All my life, I’ve been groomed to become the king. This has been my existance since I was born, and yet, I can envision myself giving it all up for her.

“Yes, if it comes to it.”

“Fucking hell, bro.” He shakes his head. “She must be one hell of a human to make you give it all up.” Then his eyes widen. “I can’t let that happen, though. You can give it up as that means I’m next in line.”

Brín isn’t king material, everyone knows that, but if my hand is forced, he will have to lead. “What other choice is there?”

He sits down on the sofa with his head in his hands.

I take a seat next to him and place a hand on his shoulder.

“Brother?”

“We’re going to have to make the entire fae population see reason. She’s your mate, and they’re going to have to accept her as their queen.” He sighs heavily. “It’s going to be tough.”

“It’s going to be damned near impossible,” I reply.

He nods his head, and we fall into silence. I’ll do it for her.

I’d fight every fae that wants to stand against me. If I have to, I’ll burn every fae town to the ground to keep her safe.

Lucy is mine—my queen.

6

LUCY

I

wake in my bed, writhing in a cold sweat. Those bright blue eyes have been haunting my dreams all night. I cry out in agony as the pain in my chest is worse than before.

The pain meds deadened it for a while, but now it’s back in full force. It’s so bad. I struggle to draw breath into my lungs.

What the fuck has that fae done to me?

All we did was kiss. Okay, and he fingered me.

Damn it.

I shouldn’t have let him touch me like that. I squirm on the bed, rolling over and falling out of it with a thud. My body tenses as a flash of pain coincides with a vision.

I’m staring through someone else’s eyes as they creep toward my house. I can’t understand why, but I know it’s him—the fae who did this to me. He’s outside right now.

I force myself from the floor, wincing in pain as I do. I dash from my bedroom to the front door, swinging it open as he’s about to knock. The moment I set eyes on him, the pain calms as if he’s the answer to all my problems.

Sweat drips down his face and neck as he stares at me with such intensity.

“What have you done to me?” I demand.

He steps over the threshold and nudges his way past me.

The moment he touches me, I set on fire. I take a step back, despite wanting to be close to him.

He looms over me before he turns and shuts the door.

We’re plunged into complete privacy, which from our last encounter, is probably a terrible idea. He mutters some kind of incantation, waving his hand over the door.

My eyes widen as ice blue magic swirls from his hands.

I’d heard of the fae’s magic and how beautiful it is, but I’d never witnessed it before. This male is the first fae I’ve ever encountered.

“Lucy, I’m sorry that I left you last night.” He shakes his head. “You were in danger.”

I set my hands on my hips. “Yeah, danger from you.”

It’s impossible to miss the flash of hurt in his brilliant blue eyes. “No, from my people. If they found out the truth —” “What truth?”

He glances at me for what feels like forever, sending my body temperature soaring. “Have a seat,” he says, instead of answering the question.

I narrow my eyes at him. “Are you telling me to have a seat in my own home?”

The expression on his face suggests he’s irritated by my lack of obedience. Sure, he’s a powerful magical being who could kill me with a snap of his fingers, but I won’t cower in front of him.

He rubs a hand over the back of his neck, sighing.

“Please, lass, I just want to talk.”

His Gaelic accent is more accentuated as he gets exasperated. It’s a serious turn on. I glare at him for a few more beats, before letting out a long breath and slumping down onto the sofa.

He walks at a slow, deliberate pace and then sinks onto the sofa by my side. The creak of the wooden frame sets my teeth on edge. He’s so fucking huge, I’m sure he’s going to break my furniture. My sofa is old and not made to hold a fae male.

A thought flashes through my mind, setting my cheeks blazing. My bed definitely isn’t strong enough, but the thought of him breaking it has me clenching my thighs.

“I want to explain what is happening,” he says, staring at me intensely. “Every fae has a true mate out there, somewhere.” He waves his hand, mumbling. I can sense his hesitation about what’s he about to say. “I found mine last night.”

My brow furrows as I try to process what he’s telling me.

The moment it dawns, my eyes widen. “No way.”

He nods. “It’s unheard of, but it’s the only explanation. I have felt like shit ever since I left you.”

I shake my head, feeling numbness spread through my body. “It’s not possible,” I mutter, unable to believe that I could be this fae male’s mate.

He grabs my hand and it’s like a lightning bolt shoots through it to my core. “I assure you, it is, lass.”

I glance down at our entwined hands, feeling so conflicted. The need for this man is growing with every passing moment, and yet, I know the danger he poses. I’m torn, as we are taught to stay away from the supernatural creatures of this world. The fae are the most deadly, even worse than vampires.

I pull my hand away from his, trying to break the sexual tension pulsing through the room. As a virgin, I’ve got a feeling the last thing I want is to lose my virginity to a fae male. From the myths and tales, they are some of the most rough lovers as rough or rougher than shifters even.

“I don’t even know your name,” I say, trying to change the subject.

He smiles the most handsome smile I’ve ever seen. Even his sharp canines don’t seem to scare me. “Flynn.”

“Flynn,” I mutter under my breath, feeling a twinge of emotion in my chest. It’s such a beautiful name. It suits the man sitting in front of me.

His eyes darken with lust the moment I say his name. The need inside of me grows. It’s an ache so intense and desperate that it feels like if I don’t get release soon, I’ll die.

Maybe I will. I have no idea what is happening between us.

“I need to take you away from here,” he says through gritted teeth.

“Where?” I ask, tilting my head to the side. The thought of going anywhere with him both scares and excites me.

“Don’t question me, Lucy.” He shakes his head, voice turning deep and demanding. “I’m your mate, you’ll do as I say from here on in.”

His dominant tone sets me on edge for two reasons. One, I hate being told what to do, and two for some stupid fucking reason it turns me on more. That deep ache starts to become unbearable, and before I can reconsider what I’m doing, I launch myself at him.

My lips meet his, and I force my tongue into his mouth, tangling it with his. I wrap my arms around his neck, holding him close.

He growls deeply, nipping my lip with his sharp teeth.

I gasp, standing to my feet. It’s as if the pain has broken the spell. I bring my hand up to the spot and find it bleeding.

Flynn stands, stepping closer to me. I can’t understand why I don’t step away. The gravitational pull to this male keeps me rooted to the spot. He wraps his corded arms around me and pulls me close.

I feel it to my core as he flicks his tongue over the wound.

“Sorry, I got a bit carried away.” He shakes his head. “I can’t control myself around you.”

When I bring my hand up to the spot again, there’s no blood. I stare at him in shock. “How did you do that?”

His arms remain tight around me, holding me. “My saliva has healing qualities. Fae females normally love the bite, but I know you’re human.” He sighs heavily.

Flynn’s arms leave me and he turns away. The tension in his shoulders is visible as he breathes deeply.

My thighs quiver at the thought of him biting me more.

The pain was shocking, but at the same time, thrilling. My nipples tighten at the idea of him taking me in hand and giving me pain and pleasure simultaneously, using those sharp fangs in the process.

I walk toward him and place my hand on his tense back.

“It was just a shock. I want to experience more,” I say, my voice so small. I have no idea what I’m doing, but all I can do is follow my instincts.

He growls, spinning around and kissing me hard. I moan as he swipes his tongue around my mouth with frantic speed.

The desperate, wanton need for him makes me ache. I can’t believe how good I feel wrapped in his arms.

I’m not sure how long passes as we remain locked together, exploring each other’s mouths. I ache for him. An ache so deep it feels like it will never be relieved.

Suddenly, I feel his fingers teasing between my thighs.

The memory of the way he touched me last night hits me. All I want is to feel his finger inside of me again. I want to feel him send me spiraling over the edge again.

All reasoning has left me—it left me the moment he stepped into my home. This man is fae. A powerful and dangerous creature. Most certainly not the kind of man I should even consider letting near me.

He slides three thick fingers inside of me, stretching me like I’ve never felt before. I cry out from a mix of pleasure and pain coursing through me. Flynn’s beautiful royal blue eyes search mine with searing intensity, as his fingers still inside of me. It gives me a chance to get used to the invasion before he begins to move them in and out of me.

I dig my fingers into his arms as he moves me back against the stone wall of my cottage. He has me at his mercy and could do anything to me. It’s an exciting and scary feeling. I’m always in control, but right now, it feels good to let him navigate this—to let him be the one to make the moves.

I let my head fall back against the wall, submitting to him entirely. I’m lost to him—lost to the way he makes me feel.

There’s no going back now. He is mine, and I am his. It makes no sense. It isn’t supposed to be possible. But, there’s no doubting the truth. This fae is my mate.

7

FLYNN

T

he e ects of our brief separation are visible on the beautiful human in my arms. She feels thinner than when I held her only the night before, but the color is returning to her pale cheeks already.

I expected the bond to take a toll on her, but at this rate, she could have been dead within a few days.

All she is wearing is a skimpy little night dress that barely covers her perfect, round ass. I’ve never looked at a human woman before and felt such desire.

I’m guilty of a degree of the same prejudice as many of my people. I would walk past humans without even looking at them. It all changed the moment this bond formed.

Lucy moans into my mouth as my fingers move between her thighs.

I groan as I feel how wet she is, the scent bleeding into the air is overpowering. My only desire is to give her what she wants. I dip three fingers inside of her, making her cry out in pleasure.

She’s so fucking tight, and I search her eyes, making sure I’m not hurting her. Those emerald gems are filled with pure lust and need—no pain.

Her fingers dig into my biceps as I push her against the wall. I lower my head to the sensitive flesh at the base of her neck, kissing softly.

Every breath she takes is labored. Her heart is pounding so hard and fast. It’s like a drum beat, pushing me to go faster as I tease her toward the edge. My whole body is tense as I think about how hot it was when she came undone in my hand the night before. The need to have her do that over and over again for me now drives me.

“Fuck, Flynn,” she moans, eyes rolling back in her head.

I groan as my cock strains against my pants. “That’s it, daonna. I want you to come for me.”

Her tongue flicks out over her lips, and the pink color of her cheeks deepens.

She’s so human. She’s so forbidden. She’s so mine.

Fae females don’t flush. Until now, I hadn’t once noticed how beautiful the human skin and form is. It’s superior to the fae form in every single way.

“Oh my God,” she moans as her thighs begin to quiver— her weight bearing down on me more as she uses me to hold herself up.

I feel her muscles contract around my fingers as she comes undone. Her juices flood all over my fingers. Instinct drives me to taste her, as they are in my mouth instantly.

Lucy watches me lick them clean.

I wrap my arms around her waist and lift her from her feet. She feels as light as a feather, as I carry her toward the back of her little house. The bedroom is tiny, and the bed looks too small for the both of us.

I set her down in the center of it and climb over her. The wood creaks as it takes my weight. Human furniture isn’t built to take the huge size of a male fae.

I kiss her lips, snaking my hands up her sides and lifting the slip from her.

Her pink cheeks darken, and the blush spreads down to her chest, making me so fucking hard. I suck on her peaked nipples, before trailing soft kisses down her stomach toward her center. Her arousal bleeds into the air and surrounds me.

It overtakes my senses and drives me wild.

“Wait,” she says, eyes wide as I glance up at my mate.

“Aren’t you going to get undressed?” She glances shyly at the bulge in my pants.

I tilt my head to the side, smirking. “You want to see my cock, lass?” I growl, feeling my balls tighten.

She turns a deeper pink color, nodding her head.

“Answer me, lass.”

A visible shudder runs through her. “Yes, I want to see it.”

Despite the desperate need to release myself from the restrictive confines of my boxer briefs, I shake my head.

“Tell me what you want to see.”

The color of her cheeks is almost red now as she twists her fingers together over her breasts. “I want to see your cock,” she says quietly.

A deep, animalistic growl rises through my chest, as I unzip my pants and make fast work of getting out of all of my clothes.

Her eyes widen as she stares at me naked. A human wouldn’t be able to track the speed of my movements. It would appear as if the clothes vanished like magic to her. I watch as her eyes snake down my chest and abs, stopping still at my straining cock.

She licks her lips, and the thought of shoving every inch down her pretty little throat makes me leak. My control is being tested every moment I spend in the presence of my one true mate.

I move over her again and grab her wrists, forcing them above her head. “Hold your hands above your head like a

good lass,” I purr, nipping her lip with my canines and drawing blood.

She jolts at the pain, before moaning deeply.

My tongue darts out across the cut, sealing it. “It’s time I taught you how good pleasure and pain can be when mixed.”

I trail my tongue down her neck to her breasts, circling her hard nipples with the tip. I sink my canines into the soft flesh of her left breast, breaking the skin.

Lucy jolts her hips upward, crying out in surprise. Her eyes are wide, and her breathing is hard and fast.

Slowly, I lick the wound closed, before moving to do the same on her right breast. All the while, I’m reminding myself to be gentle. This is gentle for me. Usually, I’m a wild beast when I’m fucking. Lucy isn’t ready for that. I’m not sure she ever will be.

She moans as I repeat the biting, before moving down her tummy. I lick and nip at the skin there, making her pant the closer I get to her dripping wet arousal. Her scent calls to me.

It drives me insane, the more it surrounds me.

I move between her thighs and let my tongue taste her.

It’s heaven. My whole body turns to fire as I begin to feast on my mate. Her juices taste like sweet honey, and I can feel my control slipping.

The danger no longer registering as I sink my fangs into her arousal. The taste of her blood, mingling with her arousal, only drives me wilder. I lick the wound sealed, repeating it over and over again.

Before I know it, Lucy tenses and then comes undone, screaming my name. It’s a distant sound. I’m no longer present. I’m in a far o world as I give in to the will of the bond that binds us.

Her cream floods my tongue as I lick every drop. I haven’t even paid any attention to the most sensitive part of her yet.

I lick her clit, and her hips rise o the bed. I hold her down, forcing her to stay still. Like a perfect submissive, she’s kept her arms above her head the whole damn time.

“Good lass.” I suck her clit into my mouth, before pulling back and glancing into those dilated emerald eyes of hers.

“Keep those arms above your head, while I lick your pretty little cunt,” I growl, keeping eye contact with her.

If any of my people could hear me now, they’d be horrified. A king doesn’t act this way, especially not with a human.

“Fuck,” she breathes, staring down at me as I bring her to the brink again.

I let two fingers slip inside of her as I lick her clit. She’s so fucking wet. I curl my fingers toward the perfect spot inside of her, knowing it will tip her over the edge again.

“What are you doing to me?” she moans, trying to fight it.

I sink my canines into her sensitive flesh and she begins to spasm beneath me. The noises she makes has my cum boiling in my balls. I think she’s trying to say something, but everything that tumbles from her lips is incoherent.

Her pussy floods with so much of her sweet juice that I struggle to keep up, lapping ever drop I can from her.

I lick her, sealing the wound and making her jolt at how sensitive I’ve made her. Once I stop, she relaxes. Her eyes clamping shut and breathing becoming evener. I dig my fingers into her thighs, making sure she doesn’t fall asleep.

We’re far from done.

“Time for you to taste me, lass.” I stroke my aching cock from root to tip.

Her eyes shoot open. She licks her bottom lip slowly, breaking the last string of my resolve.

I grab her wrists and lift her, forcing her onto her knees in front of me. “Hands behind your back,” I order.

She does as I say, placing her hands behind her back and gazing up at me.

“Suck my cock like a good girl.”

She’s hesitant, staring at my cock as if she’s never sucked another man before.

“Don’t get all shy on me now, Lucy.” I shake my head. “I need to be inside that pretty little mouth of yours.”

She moans, before letting her tongue dart out to taste the pre-cum pooling at the tip. Her lips close around the head, and she moves her mouth up and down me tentatively.

Suddenly, she pulls o me and glances up, turning a dark pink. “Am I doing it correctly?”

My brow furrows. “Of course, why wouldn’t you be?”

She pulls her bottom lip in between her teeth. “I’ve never done this before.”

A tug on the bond ignites as I feel it strengthen between us. “You’ve never sucked a man before?” I ask.

She shakes her head. “No…I’ve never…” She trails o . Her cheeks so red I’m sure she’s about to blow up any minute.

“You’ve never what?”

“I’m a virgin,” she murmurs, glancing down at the bed.

Fuck.

If I thought this was going to be tough, I underestimated the situation. Lucy has never had another man inside her. It makes me even more desperate to claim her, but it means my size will be di cult for her to take.

She leans forward and pulls my cock back into her mouth before I can react.

I groan as she slowly works her tongue up and down the underside of my pulsing cock. I lace my fingers in her hair but hold myself back. The need to force my cock down her throat claws at me, but I know I can’t lose control, not with her. She’s too precious—too important.

It’s as if she reads my mind, as the tip of my cock nudges at the back of her throat. I feel myself spilling my seed down her tight throat. She gags almost instantly, saliva spilling down the sides and onto my balls.

“Fuck, that feels amazing,” I say, as she pulls back for breath and then sinks back down over my cock. I piston my hips and force myself down her throat more, making her gag again. Tear springs to her eyes as she tries to hold on, before pulling back o my cock.

I grab her chin and lift her mouth to mine, kissing her greedily.

My cock jumps at the thought of being inside of her tight, wet heat. The idea of trying to stretch her virgin pussy around my huge cock makes me insane.

I’m just worried that she can’t take it. The last thing I want to do is break my mate. She’s the only thing that matters to me in this world. She is my world.

8

LUCY

F

lynn’s eyes darken as he lines the head of his huge cock up with my slick entrance. “Do you want me inside of you, lass?” he asks.

I bite my bottom lip. “I don’t know…” I shake my head.

“What if I can’t take it?” I ask, fearing the pain of such a huge thing slipping inside of me.

Flynn is inhumanly large in every way, and his cock looks impossibly big to fit.

“I won’t hurt you, lass. I’ll be careful, I promise.” He leans down to kiss me softly, but it’s hard to believe him.

The way he shoved his cock down my throat was rough. I get a feeling that was him being gentle.

I can’t understand why I loved it so much. Flynn's dominance makes me so wet and horny. Yet, I’m worried that this could be a step too far. A fae male isn’t supposed to fuck a human woman. We’re not made to fit, and yet every fiber of my being longs for him.

I bite my bottom lip, staring up at the man who claims he is my mate. There’s no doubt that there is something between us—something beyond the normal realms of attraction.

“We don’t have to if you don’t want to.” He begins to move away, but I grab his wrist.

“No, I want to. I’m just scared.”

He shakes his head and moves over me, kissing my lips softly. “You have nothing to be scared of Lucy, I promise.

You’re mine now. I will protect you with my life,” he breathes, making my chest ache and tears spring to my eyes.

The emotion his promise ignites in me is ridiculous, considering I’ve known him for a little over twenty-four hours.

I nod my head. “I trust you.”

His eyes soften as his thick, heavy cock settles against my throbbing clit.

A shudder runs right from the top of my head and down my spine, as he rubs the swollen head between my slick lips.

Flynn holds my gaze as he slowly eases the first inch inside of me.

I let my head fall back against the pillow, enduring the ache of stretching to fit around his girth. My nipples tighten as he pushes even harder, sinking another inch inside of me.

“Relax and breathe, lass,” he groans, kissing me softly.

I try to. I can’t understand why I have a deep longing to please my mate. The need to let this man I barely know inside of me is all-consuming.

He slides in further, stretching me fully. I glance down at the space where we meet, and only half of him has disappeared inside of me.

Flynn holds still and searches my eyes. “Are you okay?”

I can’t speak. The sensations he is sending through my body are too new, too overwhelming.

“Lucy, answer me,” he growls, eyes flickering with fierce intensity.

I nod my head in response, as it’s all I can do.

He leans down and sucks on my painfully hard nipples, in turn, making them even more sensitive.

I moan deeply, letting my head sink back against the soft pillow.

“So fucking tight,” he groans.

I can’t speak. I can hardly think. Flynn sinks deeper inside of me, and I can feel his cock filling me. I glance down to see almost every inch has disappeared. My whole body turns to flames as he holds still, allowing me a moment to get used to the feel of him so deep.

I meet his gaze, which is so hot it burns me. “Fuck me,” I moan, desperate to feel him moving inside of me.

Flynn bites my lip between his teeth, without breaking the skin this time. I long for the pain that his fangs send through me. He moves his hips slowly, letting me feel every inch slide out of me, before sinking back inside.

“Bite me,” I moan, glancing up at him.

His royal blue eyes are di erent. They are overcome with lust and dilated fully. He growls a sound that could belong to a bear, before sinking his canines into the flesh above my collarbone.

“Fuck, Flynn,” I moan, feeling the pleasure increasing with the added stinging pain. He starts to fuck me harder and faster, taking my virginity roughly. His jaw is tight as he holds himself back—every muscle in his body tense and on edge.

He licks the wound and then does it again, this time on my breast. I buck my hips and lace my fingers in his thick, dark hair.

He growls and grabs my wrists, pushing them above my head. “Don’t move, lass.” His voice is a deep baritone, laced with pure lust. He doesn’t sound the same. The tempo of his thrusts increases as he holds my arms above my head in a hard grip.

His thick, pulsing cock pounds into me so hard I wonder if he’s going to break me. The bed beneath us creeks so violently with every thrust of his hips. And, yet, I know he’s still holding himself back. I can see it in his eyes.

“Fuck me harder,” I moan.

His eyes flash. That royal blue glowing more fiercely than ever before. “You can’t handle it,” he groans, jaw clenching even tighter.

I nod my head. “I can. Fuck me harder, Flynn, please,” I moan.

A longing to satisfy him as much as he satisfies me drives me. He needs to lose control. He needs to give in to whatever this is between us.

His canines lengthen in front of my eyes as he lets go. The blue of his eyes deepens. It’s a beautiful sight to behold.

“Fuck, this is a bad idea,” he groans as he sinks his fangs deep into my shoulder.

White filters into my vision as he latches on with ferocity, biting down hard. I can feel the pain adding to the pleasure of his thick cock stretching me. My body begins to tremble— every muscle quivers.

His fingers dig into my hips hard enough to bruise as he begins to move in and out of me with more power. Every thrust is pushing me higher and higher. A blue light begins to surround our bodies as we come together. It’s beautiful.

Magical.

“Fuck, lass. Your pussy is too fucking tight wrapped around my cock,” Flynn growls in a deep voice, making my whole body heat more.

I was spent before he started fucking me, but I can feel my body teetering on the edge of another orgasm. He stops fucking me. “Not yet, lass.” He shakes his head and pulls his thick length out of me, glistening with my juices.

The vast, gaping hole he leaves inside of me makes me long for him to return.

“On your hands and knees.”

A shudder runs down my spine at the assertive tone of his voice. I try to force my trembling limbs to move, but I’m like jelly.

Flynn grabs me and flips me over, forcing me onto my hands and knees as if I weigh nothing. “Don’t move,” he growls, gripping my full ass cheeks in his hands. “Perfect.”

I wait, quivering in anticipation.

The sting of his fangs sinking into my ass right cheek sets me on fire. He spanks the left cheek at the same time, making me buck my hips. The pain lights up my every nerve ending in my body and increases the unbelievable pleasure I’m already experiencing.

He licks the area, sealing it with his saliva, before repeating it on the other cheek. “So fucking perfect,” he murmurs, as he kneads my stinging ass cheeks in his hands.

Without warning, he sinks every inch of his cock to the hilt inside of me. I cry out in a mix of pain and pleasure. The sudden invasion quenches my need for him, flooding my pussy with more of my cream.

Flynn is lost to this. He pounds me hard and fast, gripping my hips roughly.

He spanks me as he fucks me, sending me reeling. In all my life, I never imagined anything could feel like this. Sex was something that had never interested me. It seems I’ve been waiting for this moment—waiting to find this beautiful fae who is inexplicably my mate.

The creek of the bed increases as he begins to fuck me harder. The wood bows under the pressure of his weight and strength. Suddenly, the legs give way, and we drop to the floor.

We’re still on the mattress, and Flynn doesn’t seem to notice. He continues to fuck me with abandon. I can’t seem to bring myself to care right now, either.

“That’s it, lass. Take my cock,” he growls.

I moan, arching my back.

His cock seems to swell in size as my pussy clamps down on him. My whole body shudders as the most explosive orgasm I’ve ever experienced rocks through me. My vision turns white. My body temperature increases. It feels like I might burst into flames at any moment.

Flynn grabs my throat from behind, forcing my back to arch. He kisses my neck before sinking his fangs into the spot where my neck meets my shoulders. I feel rope after rope of hot cum spilling deep inside of me as he unleashes.

He groans against my skin, still biting me.

When he finally finishes thrusting every drop from his balls, he retracts his canines and seals the mark. Our breathing is labored as we remain in that position for a while. His huge cock still embedded deep within me. I never want him to leave.

He begins to pull out, making me whimper. He stops.

“What’s wrong.”

I can’t understand the emotion pulling at my chest.

“Don’t leave me,” I say.

He pulls the rest of his cock out and then wraps his arms around my waist. “Never,” he murmurs, lifting me and settling down on his back with me tucked into his chest. The mattress is literally on the floor, but I can’t find it in me to give a damn right now. “I’ll never leave you, Lucy. I promise.”

A tear runs down my cheek as he kisses me softly. “What is this?” I ask.

His brow furrows as he stares down at me. “What?”

I clench at my chest, staring at him. “This connection between us. I don’t understand it.”

He kisses me softly, letting his tongue swipe lazily over every inch of my mouth. When he parts from me, I’m breathless and needy. “It’s overwhelming, I know,” he says, holding me tightly. “We’ll figure this out together.”

I rest my head against his chest, allowing him to hold me.

His response doesn’t answer my question, but I’m too exhausted to think anymore. I fall asleep, feeling safer than I have in years in the arms of a fae.

9

FLYNN

T

he scent of burning wood wakes me. I glance down at first to see Lucy nestled in my arms, exactly where she should be.

I sni the air and then tense. Lucy’s cottage is on fire.

There’s no doubting the scent—a scent Lucy wouldn’t detect until it was too late. I shake her gently, waking her.

She glances up at me with a sleepy look. “What is it?” she mumbles.

“Fire. Your cottage is on fire.”

Her eyes widen, and she sits bolt upright in bed. “What?”

I tense, detecting movement outside followed by hushed voices. I bring a finger to my lips, as I recognize one of the voices.

Midir.

The man who has spent his life trying to undermine me.

The man who leads the main rebellion against the crown.

How the fuck did he find out about Lucy?

We’re trapped inside with nowhere to go. If I disperse with her, I risk everyone learning the truth. We’re banned from using magic on humans—no matter who you are. The high council could prosecute me for it. The only other option

is to try and fight my way out with her, which will be dangerous.

“What’s happening?” Lucy whispers.

I move closer to her and whisper. “My enemy has found out about you, and I need to get you to safety.”

Her brow furrows as I wrap my arms around her waist.

Before she can blink, I’ve got her in my arms, and I’m running through the forest. The men are in pursuit. I can hear them and smell them—the need to get her to the castle increases with every step I take.

Lucy tries to writhe in my grip, panicking.

“Sramaí,” I mutter.

Her body goes limp in my arms as she falls into a deep slumber. Sure, I’m not supposed to perform magic on her, but that one will be less noticeable. It’s safer this way. Her freaking out in this situation could risk everything.

My lungs tighten, and my legs ache as I sprint as hard as I can. I’ve never run this fast for this long. Not to mention, I’m carrying Lucy too. The pursuing footsteps are still on me.

I can feel myself slowing, which means they’ll catch me. I scan the area, noticing a cave a mile up the road.

I force myself to run even faster, pushing myself to my limits. Once I make the cave, I set Lucy down.

“Clúdach,” I chant, encasing her in blue protective magic.

Despite the pain already igniting in my chest, I sprint away from her. She’s safe now. My magic is cloaking my mate from anyone who wants to find her, but I’m not sure I’ll be able to get away from Midir.

They are too close now. I slow my footsteps down to a walk, and within seconds they’re on me.

“Look what we have here, boys,” Midir says. “Royalty scum, ripe for the picking.”

I spin to face him. “Back o , Midir. You’re trespassing on my land,” I growl.

A cruel smirk creeps onto his face. “Where did you hide the whore?” he asks.

I shake my head. “Not sure what you’re talking about.”

He tilts his head to the side. “Not to worry. I know the truth, and soon everyone will. How do you think you will continue to rule when your mate is human?”

I grit my teeth together. There’s no way I’m acknowledging the truth to this asshole. The main question is, how did he find out? Brín is the only person I’ve told, and he wouldn’t betray me.

“Fine, don’t speak. It doesn’t matter anyway. We’re going to destroy the crown once and for all with this.” He nods at one of his men. Before I can react, his magic encases me.

“Aigne oscailte,” he mutters, and suddenly he enters my mind.

I try to fight the magic, but it’s no use. They’ve bound mine, making it impossible to fight back. My memory of setting Lucy down in the cave and covering her with magic comes to the forefront.

“Go and find her,” Midir orders.

I try to fight against the magic holding me. “Midir, let me go,” I growl.

He laughs at me, shaking his head. “Why would I do that when I’m so close to getting everything I ever wanted?”

I grit my teeth together. I’m powerless. It’s something I’m not used to feeling, ever. As king, I’m always in control.

For this first time in a long time, I feel useless.

I strain my ears, trying to listen for evidence they’ve found Lucy. There’s no doubt they will find her. My magic cloaking may be powerful, but they’ve got the numbers to unweave it without too much trouble.

The thumping of footsteps on the forest floor catches my attention, as Midir’s men return, holding my Lucy.

I growl at the sight. The bond between us flaring to life and trying desperately to draw on my bound magic. “Let her go.”

Midir smirks and nods at his friend, who drops her.

Every muscle in my body coils with tension as I see her delicate form crumple to the ground. “If you hurt her, I swear I’ll–” “You’ll do what, Flynn?” Midir advances closer to me.

“You’re not in a position to make any demands.”

He’s right. Despite being king, my position in this situation is weak. Midir doesn’t observe the rules of our kind or accept the authority of royalty. He’s an outlaw. I can’t reason with him. “What are you going to do with her?”

He walks around me in a circle, taunting me. “I will take her and reveal the truth to the people. Once it’s known, she will be slaughtered, and so will you.”

Despite the panic coiling through me at the thought of any harm coming to her, I don’t let him see it. I will find a way to get to her before he reveals the truth. I’d burn down every damn city to find her.

“Let’s go,” Midir orders.

I keep my eyes on Lucy’s beautiful face as Midir’s guy lifts her from the ground. She disappears with the man who found her. I hold the image of her in my mind. They will regret the day they ever came after my mate. She’s all I care about in this world anymore. Fuck the crown. Fuck the kingdom. I’ll tear it all down to find her.

A NGER COILS THROUGH ME . I march into the castle, heading straight for my brother’s room. He betrayed me—my flesh and blood. I can hardly see past the red hot rage clouding my vision.

Tension coils through my muscles as I step into my brother’s room. The asshole is fast asleep still. I approach him, feeling the rage growing with every step I take. I grab him by the throat, dragging him out of bed.

“What the—” I slam him against his bedroom wall, knocking the air from his lungs. “You betrayed me,” I growl.

He gasps for air before answering. “What the fuck are you on about, brother?”

I grit my teeth, trying to contain my rage. “Are you seriously going to make me say it?”

He glares at me blankly. “I’ve got no clue what you are talking about.”

I clench my fist. “Midir found out about Lucy, and you’re the only person I told.” The image of Lucy being carried away by my enemy’s men makes me insane.

Brín’s eyes go wide, as I throw my clenched fist at his face.

His jaw goes slack. “I didn’t betray you, brother. I promise.” He shakes his head. “Why would I? I told you I don’t want to be next in line for the throne.”

I know he doesn’t want to be next in line, but there’s no other explanation. No one knows about Lucy. “How else do you explain it?

His brow furrows. “Didn’t you say Cathal followed you?”

My muscles tense, and my skin feels suddenly too tightly pulled across my flesh. “Yes.” I hadn’t even considered him.

He shrugs. “Maybe he figured it out and betrayed you.”

I let go of him, turning to pace the length of the room.

Is it possible?

Cathal has been loyal to our family for centuries. He’s a traditionalist. If he suspected Lucy was my mate, I’m pretty sure he would betray me. I can’t see him accepting a human becoming the next queen.

“Brother?” Brín asks.

I turn to face him. “He did track me to Lucy’s cottage.” I shrug. “It’s a possibility.”

He nods. “I wouldn’t have even known where to find your mate.” He rubs a hand across his jaw where I hit him.

I feel a flood of guilt coil through me. It was an asshole move to barge in here and accuse him without any evidence.

The anger I felt over Lucy’s kidnap was all-consuming. Brín would never betray me. I know that deep down.

“Cathal did seem suspicious when we spoke afterward. I was sure he hadn’t spotted me there.” I shake my head.

“But, my mind wasn’t clear that evening.”

My brother places a hand on my shoulder, making me tense. “I will help you get her back, brother. I promise I would never betray you.” The hurt in his eyes is evident.

I swallow hard. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have accused you.”

He smiles. “Don’t worry about it. She’s your mate.”

“How about we go pay my advisor a visit?” I ask.

Brín’s eyes light up. “Lead the way.”

I turn and walk out of my brother’s room, heading toward Cathal’s o ce. He was the royal advisor to my father before I was even born. Why he would betray the crown now is beyond me.

Sure, I’ve been getting more resistance than my father did. He was a secure and stable king who provided the kingdom with an heir within his first few years on the throne. The only explanation is he knows Lucy is my mate.

Cathal’s hushed voice carries through the corridor. “He won’t find out. I made sure of it.”

Brín gives me a nod. I barge the door with my shoulder, knocking it o its hinges. Cathal jumps to his feet, dropping his phone. His eyes go wide. “Your majesty. To what do I owe this—”

“Cut the crap, Cathal,” I boom, walking toward him and crushing his phone under my foot. I grab the collar of his jacket, lifting him o the floor. “You betrayed me.”

Cathal’s eyes dim as fear overtakes them. “Sire, I wwould never—” I growl, cutting him o . “Don’t lie to me, Cathal.”

He shakes his head. “I’m not—” “Aigne oscailte,” I chant, forcing my way into his mind.

I navigate for what I’m looking for, finding Midir’s voice.

I watch him tell Midir exactly where to find Lucy. Witnessing my advisor betraying me makes me more angry than I explain.

The tension coiling through my muscles increases.

How could he do this to us?

“Motherfucker. You sold me out,” I growl, moving my hand to grip his throat tightly—red clouds my vision. All I can feel is pure anger. Lucy has been taken from me, and it’s all this asshole’s fault.

Cathal tries to pry my fingers from his throat as he struggles to breathe.

Brín’s hand land on my shoulder. “Brother, if he is guilty, you know this isn’t the way to deal with it.”

I loosen my grip on his throat, and he drops to the floor, gasping for air. “You’re right. We need to lock him up for what he has done. He will stand trial.”

My brother nods and grabs Cathal by the collar, dragging him to his feet. “I’ll escort him to the dungeon myself. Who knows who we can trust here?”

“Good idea,” I say. Brín has a point. Cathal has a loyal following at the castle. If word gets out that we’ve thrown him in a dungeon, there could be unrest amongst the sta .

“Perhaps we should dismiss all the sta until we sort this out.”

Brín nods. “Leave it to me.” He leaves the room, dragging out Cathal.

I sit down behind his desk and rest my head in my hands.

After last night being one of the best of my life, I didn’t see this coming. We accepted the bond, and I was the first man to ever be inside her.

Now, she’s gone. My enemy has her. I won’t rest until she’s back in my arms again. There’s no me without her.

10

LUCY

I

wake from a deep sleep in a soft, plush bed. My mind is hazy, as I sit up, rubbing the ache between my eyes.

Then, I notice the room I’m in. It certainly isn’t mine. It’s grand and elaborate.

Flynn’s last words to me ring through my mind.

My enemy has found out about you, and I need to get you to safety.

I glance around the room. There’s no sign of my mate. My muscles are tense as I wonder if his enemy got to me. The ache in my chest is there, but it’s not as bad as it was before he returned to me last night.

My mate.

As that notion enters my mind, I can hardly work out how I feel. Mating bonds aren’t common in humans. Humans and vampires don’t generally find soul mates.

Although, a few humans have formed bonds with shifters, which has caused uproar. Fae mating to humans, on the other hand, is unheard of. Most fae would be disgusted by the idea. They are too proud and vain to accept a human would be a suitable mate for one of their kind.

I can’t deny that it scares me. The danger I’m in is unprecedented. Flynn has enemies and people who want to

hurt him. What better than snatching his weak and defenseless human mate?

A shudder runs down my spine as I think about the terrible stories I’ve heard about the fae. Most abide by the rules, but in the past, they used to treat humans worse than slaves. A faerie can tear a human apart with their bare hands.

I try desperately to remember what happened. My last memory was Flynn running so fast I couldn’t see where we were. Then, everything went blank. I must have passed out.

Light footsteps outside my room draw my attention. The doorknob turns, and I jump to my feet. I’m not about to sit there when this could be Flynn’s enemy ready to tear me apart. I won’t die trembling. I’ll fight with all I’ve got.

I forget I’m only wearing a thin nightdress that I’d worn to bed. The sickness in my stomach twists as I hope beyond hope that the person behind the door is my mate. The need to see him overwhelms me.

All hope evaporates, as a tall, slender fae appears. He has bright blonde hair and striking black eyes—they look like shining onyx stones. “Finally, you are awake.”

“Where am I?” I ask, keeping my arms crossed firmly over my chest. His black eyes send chills down my spine. I’ve never seen the like of them before.

“My home,” he answers calmly.

I swallow hard. This man must be the enemy Flynn spoke about. Otherwise, I’d be with him now. “Who are you?”

He smiles a bone-chilling smile and steps forward, holding his hand out. “My name is Midir. It’s an honor to meet you.”

I stare at his hand, wondering if this guy can be trusted or not. Despite my anxiety, I shake his hand to keep the conversation civil. It’s not like I can escape him, even if I wanted to. “Lucy,” I say quietly.

He nods. “I know. Your mating bond to our king is causing quite the stir.”

I freeze at his words. King. He can’t be talking about Flynn. “King?”

Midir chuckles, shaking his head. “Don’t tell me Flynn hasn’t even told you who he is?” When I say nothing, he continues. “It’s typical of him. Flynn is the king of the fae kingdom.”

My mind spins. The king. My mate. It’s impossible, improbable. It means our bond is more dangerous than I believed. There’s no chance in hell that his people would accept their king being with a human.

I feel my knees shake, dropping onto the bed. I hold my head in my hands. The entire room feels like it’s spinning.

It all makes sense now why I’d become a target so fast. If he’d been a normal faerie, no one would have cared so much that I’m human.

I’d heard rumors of unrest amongst the fae. An antiroyalist rebellion is rising against their outright king. As humans, we don’t know the details of fae royalty or politics.

Two days ago, I was a normal girl going about her day to day life. Now, this man is telling me my mate is the king of the fae people. “What will happen to me?” I ask.

Midir shrugs. “That’s not really up to me. It’s up to our people.”

I swallow hard. The fae are the most self-righteous race of beings on this planet. They won’t be happy when they learn their king’s mate is human. I know how brutal they are and don’t doubt they will tear me apart if he throws me to them.

“Please don’t give me to them. They’ll kill me.”

His smirk only widens, and my stomach twists. That’s what he wants. “I’m sorry. It’s not personal.” He shrugs.

“Why are you doing this?” I ask.

He sits down on the end of the bed, making me shift away. “The royals have lost touch with reality. For years, we’ve tried to make people see that we would be better o without them.” He grabs my hand, and when I try to yank it away, he tightens his grip. “You are the perfect weapon. I will bring down Flynn and the rest of his family. Doing so will bring an end to their rule once and for all.”

“Like hell. I’m not helping you,” I spit, getting free of his grip and standing to my feet.

He smirks. “I don’t need your consent.” He gets up and turns his back to me, walking toward the door. He pauses as he reaches the doorknob. “Don’t bother trying to escape, Lucy.” He glances back at me with an evil glint in his eyes.

“A human would die trying to get past the magic enchanting this room.”

He turns the doorknob, and I watch after him. The rage building deep inside of me is a strange feeling. “Flynn will kill you for this,” I shout.

Midir turns and laughs. “He won’t have a chance.” Saying nothing more, he walks out of the room, leaving me staring at the door.

The conviction in my claim surprises me. I met my mate no more than two days ago. I don’t even know him, but somehow I do. This bond between us is all-encompassing. I know that’s what he would do if he got his hands on Midir.

I let out a frustrated grunt, walking toward the door. I try the doorknob. A shock of electric black magic pulses through my arm, throwing me backward and away from the door.

“That’s your first warning. Next time won’t be so soft,” Midir’s voice booms around me.

I rest my head back against the thick carpet on the floor.

The pain in my chest is worsening as I stare at the ceiling. It only adds to the uncontrollable rage growing inside of me.

Is this my existence now?

I’m in pain whenever I’m not near Flynn. It’s a cruel trick of fate. One thing I value over anything is independence. The thought of being joined at the hip to someone for the rest of my life makes my stomach churn.

There’s a reason I have stayed single and a virgin into my twenties. Life is easy and simple when you only have to worry about yourself.

Despite that notion, I long to be close to him. The only person I’ve ever missed in my life is my father. At times, it still hits me hard, three years on from his brutal death.

We don’t know what killed him, but most believe it was a wolf shifter. He had been torn apart on the way to another town to sell some of my mother’s jewelry.

I can’t understand why the thought of never seeing my mate again pulls me down into the darkest depths I’ve ever experienced. A deep sadness sweeps over me—deeper even than the day they brought my father back to the town torn apart by wolves. The day my life changed forever.

It makes no sense.

How can a man I hardly know can a ect me like this?

All I can do is sit and wait in this room, hoping by some miracle, Flynn can find his way to me and free me from captivity.

It makes me feel weak. It makes me feel useless—two things I’m not used to feeling. I take care of myself and fight my own battles.

How can I accept this life?

A life where I rely on my mate to save me. The king of the fae. I roll my eyes to myself. Some women fantasize about finding their prince and becoming a queen, not me.

It sounds like a nightmare. Especially since I’m human, I can see it now, Lucy, the weak human queen that always needs protection.

When Flynn was a fae who was my mate, I could accept it.

A king, though? It’s just not me. He will have some explaining to do. That’s if he ever rescues me from here.

Perhaps my fate will be to die at the hands of the fae once they learn the truth—it might be kinder.

11

FLYNN

P

ain splits through my chest. The bond has been tugging at me ever since Midir snatched her. We’ve been apart for too long, and the bond is still fresh and new, having only just consummated it.

I grit my teeth, focusing on using the bond to locate her.

Cathal did one thing right, giving me the location of Midir’s home. It’s my only chance, but she might not even be there.

The only problem is finding a way in without getting caught.

Brín is back at the castle, attempting to ease the storm heading our way. It won’t be long until the truth is revealed.

Midir won’t sit on the goldmine for long. He’ll cash it in as soon as possible.

When he reveals himself to the public, I’ll be ready to pounce. I hold the image of the front gates from Cathal’s mind at the forefront of mine and try to disperse there.

Nothing happens.

“Fuck,” I curse.

I’m still too far away, even though I should be close. I need to find her quickly. Every moment she’s in my enemy’s hands, she’s in danger. Every moment we’re apart, the bond demands too much, and it takes too much of a toll on her fragile, human body.

I’ve seen what happens to people who lose their mates too early. They end up a shell of their former self until they fade away into nothing. I won’t let that happen.

The mating bond was never supposed to exist between a fae and a human. It’s untested, and the risks are unknown. I move closer to where I’m sure Midir’s home is hidden. Once there, I picture the gates again and focus on dispersing. This time I move through the air and end up right in front of the gates.

I move with fast footsteps toward the cover of some hedges to ensure I don’t get spotted lingering outside his home. The place is like Fort Knox. I’m not sure what I expected, considering he’s an outlaw. The walls are over fifty feet high. The aurora of magic in the air warns me his home is not only guarded by bricks.

I walk around the wall and away from the gates, hoping to find an entry or weakness I can exploit. There’s got to be a way inside. No place is impenetrable.

A small machine flying in the air catches my attention. I watch it curiously, wondering what on earth it is. The machine flies toward the wall, not slowing down. I watch as it disappears straight through the wall.

I set my hand on the wall and find it stable and cold beneath my fingers. The machine must have used an entryway into the grounds—one that can’t be seen. I walk a few feet toward the spot where the device disappeared.

Carefully, I move my fingers toward the spot. They disappears into it—my way inside. I feel around to find the edge of the hole.

It’s not huge, but it’s big enough for me to fit through with a squeeze. I drop down on the other side into a barn filled with hay. A horse neighs at me as I stand to my feet.

“Easy, lad,” I whisper, edging around it carefully.

I’ve made it into the grounds, but that was the easy part.

Finding Lucy is going to be challenging. The mating bond will only strengthen with time, but I can’t feel her through it.

If she were fae, we would be able to communicate through it.

Instead, I’m left on my own. I can’t help but feel some resentfulness toward the stars for cursing me with a human mate, no matter how beautiful she is. Life would be easier if my mate were a fae female.

I creep out of the barn and peer into the central courtyard of Midir’s residence. It’s lavish. Far more elegant than I was expecting from him. The main house looms over the courtyard to the far side with hundreds of windows.

“Clócaig mé féin,” I chant, cloaking myself with magic. If I’m going to have any chance of getting in there, I need to be invisible.

I step out into the courtyard and try to focus on the bond between Lucy and I. There’s got to be some way of using it to find her. I try to scent her, but I can’t.

Instead, I head for the entrance of the main house. It looks like an old fashioned search is going to be the only option.

I set my hand on the doorknob, twisting it. A jolt of magic shocks my hand, sending me reeling backward. I hit the concrete and hear footsteps come thundering into the courtyard.

“Where the fuck is the intruder?” Someone shouts.

I lay still, hoping my magic is enough to evade Midir’s men. Trying the door without checking for any protection was a mistake. I’ve got lazy in my comfortable, royal life.

“Let’s search the perimeter,” one of the guys says.

I let out a sigh of relief as they exit the courtyard. The magic shock still surging through my veins stings, but I force myself to my feet.

“Bain,” I chant, breaking through the magic shielding the building. The door swings open, and I step inside.

Her scent hits me instantly. I breathe a deep breath, letting it fill my lungs. The ache ever since she was taken dulls. People always try to explain what it’s like when they find their mate, but I don’t think any words can describe this bond. It has changed me.

I feel like all my life, I’ve had no real purpose, not until I met her. I follow the scent into the main entrance of the house. The stairs rise to the next floor, and I know she’s up there. Excitement races through me at the prospect of being reunited with her.

A grating laugh cuts through the air, and I turn to see Midir staring right at me.

“Anyone who breaks the magic on the house also breaks the magic on any spell they cast.” He claps his hands. “You are getting slow, Flynn.”

I push my magic toward him, sending a ball of energy hurtling through the air. He waves it o with his hand, forcing it against the wall.

“And, weak.” He shrugs. “I guess that’s what happens to you when you sit in a castle doing nothing.”

He throws a ball of black magic at me. I dodge it and break into a sprint, following the bond to her. If I can just make it to Lucy, I have a chance of getting us both out of here. I sprint harder, faster. Every muscle in my body aching.

My lungs can hardly keep enough oxygen to maintain my speed.

Her scent is leading me to her. A bolt of magic clashes into my back, sending me reeling forward. I hit the floor, turning over and throwing my own back at Midir. It hits him, but it doesn’t do as much damage as I hoped.

“Reoite,” I chant, freezing him in his tracks.

It won’t hold long, but it gives me time—the time I need to make it to Lucy. Despite the pain crashing down my spine, I run toward her. I stop in front of the door she’s behind. I know it as much as I know my damn name.

“Lucy,” I call her name, hoping she can hear me.

No response.

“Nochtann,” I chant, revealing black magic floating all around the door. Midir’s magic.

“Bain.” The magic breaks apart, allowing me the chance to enter. I try the door, but it is locked. “Fuck.”

I glance back, but there’s still no sign of Midir.

“Díghlasáil.” The lock clicks. I try the door, and it swings open.

My heart pounds hard and fast as I set eyes on her. Her eyes meet mine, and she jumps to her feet, rushing toward me. I open my arms to hold her, but instead, she slaps me hard.

“What the fuck, lass?” I ask, holding my hand up to my face.

“King?” She shakes her head. “How could you keep that from me?”

Damn it. Midir. I intended to tell her the truth, but it’s not exactly something I could lead with. Learning she was the mate of a fae is hard enough, let alone the king of the fae. “I intended to tell you.”

She crosses her arms over her chest. The stubborn look on her face tells me she has no intention of forgiving me for this easily.

I grab her around the waist and throw her over my shoulder.

“Put me down.” She pounds on my back.

“I don’t have time for this shit. I’m getting you out of here, lass. You can be angry with me once we are safe.” I step toward the window and picture my castle in my mind.

I avoided dispersing with her before, but this time, it doesn’t matter. The truth is out. It’s only a matter of time until the entire kingdom knows Lucy is my mate—my queen.

There will be a war to fight, but I’ll fight it for her. I’d do anything for her.

“Flynn,” Midir shouts, his footsteps moving toward me.

“Don’t move.”

I begin to disperse, and as I do, pain arcs down my side.

“Fuck,” I grunt, knowing he hit me. I couldn’t tell you what he hit me with, though. As we spiral the distance to my castle, I try desperately to hold consciousness.

If I stop, Lucy will die. I might survive, but the heartbreak will kill me slowly and painfully. I know that this is life or death, as stopping while dispersing is more dangerous than anything.

I hold onto the last threads of my consciousness as we barrel onto the floor of the castle hallway. Once I know she’s safe, I let go. Our surroundings fading out of my mind.

“Flynn,” Lucy screams my name as everything fades. All I can think about is her safety. My body is bending under the pressure of the wound Midir inflicted. I can’t hold on any longer.

12

LUCY

“F

lynn,” I scream, rushing toward him.

Blood pools beneath him. A gash stretching his side is so gruesome, I’m almost sure he must be on the edge of death. Tears spring to my eyes, as I regret the way I’d spoken to him instantly.

“Flynn?” a voice comes from my left, and I glance over to see a huge, muscle-bound fae with dark hair. He looks so much like Flynn.

“Who are you?” I ask.

“Flynn’s brother.” He rushes to his side and kneels beside him. I watch as he holds his hands out over the wound and mutters something under his breath. The blood returns from the floor into his body. Royal blue magic chases over every inch of my mate’s skin, slowly sealing the wound.

I watch in awe. It’s easy to forget how powerful the fae are. If Flynn were human, he’d be dead right now. His death would have the power to extinguish all the light in my life. I may not understand this bond, but I do know that his death would destroy me.

“He’ll be out for a while. Do you want to accompany him to his room?”

I take a good look at his brother for the first time. His eyes are the exact match of Flynn’s—royal blue and glowing powerfully. He has the same high cheekbones and strong jaw, but he’s more stocky than Flynn. There’s no doubting that they’re brothers, though. It’s as clear as day.

“Do you know who I am?”

He smiles. “Of course, Lucy, right?”

I nod, thankful that he told his brother about me.

“I’m Brín.” He holds out his hand, and I shake it. “He went to search for you, and I had no doubt he’d bring you home with him.” He glances down at his brother. “I didn’t expect him to be that badly injured, though.” He clicks his fingers, and Flynn rises from the floor, floating toward the staircase. “Come on, this way.”

I follow after him and Flynn’s floating body. It’s surreal.

Until two days ago, I’d never witnessed magic. Witches are rare nowadays being almost hunted to extinction by the dragon shifters, and the fae don’t mingle with humans.

For the first time, I take in my surroundings. Highpolished Amalfi marble lines every floor, even the stairs are sculpted from it. The railings on either side of the staircase are made from lavish gilt, splitting o two ways half-way up.

Is this where my mate lives?

It makes sense since Flynn’s the king of the fae. There’s no way in hell I could get used to this. I love my modest little cottage.

A pain clenches at my chest as I remember Flynn saying it was on fire. Is it even still there? Every worldly possession I own is in that house, pictures of my father and keepsakes. I hope to hell that it’s still standing.

Flynn never struck me as the stuck up, materialistic kind.

Yet, everything about his home seems over the top.

“I guess Midir got him?” Brín asks, breaking the silence.

I sigh. “Yes, that guy is one evil son of a bitch.”

He laughs. “You don’t say. Midir has been trying to o the royal family for years.” He glances back at me briefly. “I think he sees your arrival as an opportunity.”

“Yeah, I think so. Is there a way of breaking our bond?”

Brín stops still, and I almost walk straight into him.

“Break the bond. Why would you want to do that?”

It’s a thought that makes my chest ache, but I know it would be the right thing to do. “We aren’t supposed to be together. He’s a fae king. I’m a human.” I shake my head. “It would be easier if—” “Fucking humans,” Brín growls, making me flinch. “You always want it easy, don’t you?’ He shakes his head. “A consummated mating bond is sacred. You don’t break one unless it hasn’t been consummated yet.” He continues walking, and Flynn’s body floats in front of him down the corridor.

I follow in silence. It’s probably best to keep my mouth shut. I haven’t made the best first impression on his brother.

Expensive paintings adorn every wall as we head down the corridor. The paintings far surpass most coveted human artists work. I stop in front of one. It’s a portrait of the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.

“That’s our mother,” Brín says, voice laced with pain.

I glance up at him. “Where is she?”

His jaw clenches. “Dead. Midir killed her and my father.”

He turns away, saying nothing more.

I return my attention to the painting of the beautiful woman in front of me. Flynn must be unhappy having me as a mate. Among humans, many say I’m pretty, but compared to the fae, I’m so unattractive. Flynn can’t be happy with my looks, and I’m not exactly a fitness model.

I sigh heavily and rush to catch up with Brín, who is marching on ahead. He stops in front of a door and opens it,

disappearing inside with his brother.

I stop dead in the doorway. The room is ridiculous. Gold adorns every damn inch. A gilt four-poster bed, bigger than any human bed, takes center place.

He sets Flynn’s unconscious body onto it, and then turns to me. “Do you want to stay in here with him?” He tilts his head to the side, smirking. “Or would you prefer your own room?”

The thought of staying in here makes my skin crawl. It’s too much. “Do you have a less gold room?”

Brín laughs, and his demeanor relaxes. “Bit too much, is it?”

I nod. “Yeah, you could say that.”

He narrows his eyes. “I get a feeling you argued before he brought you here, am I right?”

I stare at him with my mouth open. How the fuck does he know that? “Yes… How did you—” “A fae’s intuition. You’ll get used to it. May I ask what the argument was about?”

I stare at him for a moment. He’s my mate’s brother, and if I want to be on his good side, I’d best indulge him. “He didn’t tell me who he was. That he’s the king of the fae.”

Brín’s smile widens. “Classic Flynn.” He shakes his head.

“That asshole is good at leaving out key fucking information.

“Let me guess, you are pissed because he fucked you and hadn’t even told you the truth.”

Heat travels the length of my body, warming right to the tips of my ears. “Yes. He took my virginity with no—” “Virginity? Fucking hell, Flynn, was your first?” He looks serious now. “That’s not good.”

My brow furrows. “What’s wrong?”

He rubs a hand over his jaw. “Nothing. It just means that your bond will be out of kilter.” He shakes his head. “You are the pure one in the pairing. Normally, the more powerful

one.” He nods his head toward the door. “Come on. I’ll show you to your room.”

I follow after him. Brín’s words repeat in my mind over and over. You are the pure one in the pairing. Normally, the more powerful one.

I’m the weak one—the powerless part of our pairing. Brín is holding something back about the fact his brother was my first. It’s significant. Also, it’s clear that Flynn was anything but a virgin.

It suddenly strikes me that I know very little about the man I’m bound to. “How old is Flynn?” I ask, as his brother marches down the corridor.

He doesn’t stop walking. “He’s one-hundred and fifty years old this year.”

I blink a few times, trying to process his response. Onehundred and fifty years old. It’s almost impossible to get my head around. He looks no older than a thirty-year-old man.

He looks better than most thirty year old human males.

“How old are you?” I ask.

He laughs. “It’s kind of rude to ask a fae their age, you know?” He shrugs. “I’m one-hundred and forty-two years old.”

“Is that old for fae?”

He stops and turns to face me. “No, we’re young. Flynn is the youngest king the fae have had for thousands of years.

It’s one of the key reasons the anti-royalists have made such headway since he came into power.”

“They think he’s too young to rule?” I ask.

He nods. “Yeah, even though Flynn is a great king. Sure, it took him some time to get up to speed, but he has his people’s best interests at heart.” He opens a door. “This is our most modest guest room. Is it alright?”

I step into the room. It’s vast and still a little over the top, but much better than Flynn’s bedroom. “Perfect. Thank

you.”

He smiles. “No problem. Get some rest, and if you need anything, come and find me.”

“Thank you, Brín.” I turn to face him. “It’s good to meet you, by the way.”

He nods. “You too, Lucy.” He turns and leaves me in peace.

My mind is running wild as I walk toward the bed, falling onto it. It’s hard to believe this is happening. The king of the fae kingdom is my mate. If any of the people in my town could see me now, they wouldn’t believe it. My disappearance will already have spun the gossip wheel into overdrive.

Frank will be panicking about where I am, especially after the way I acted the last time I saw him. I was uncharacteristically snappy with him. He has always been a great friend. I’m overcome with guilt as I remember how upset he looked when I snapped at him outside the doctor’s surgery.

I can only say that the bond had got to me in some way. If only I could explain what has happened to me. Our argument shouldn’t have been the last time we spoke.

I don’t know what is expected from me now that I’m the mate of a king.

Will I ever be able to return to my cottage?

It’s a question that will remain unanswered until Flynn wakes. Once he does, I’ve got a bone to pick with him over the fact he didn’t tell me he was the king of the freaking entire fae race.

13

FLYNN

M

y eyes shoot open, and I sit up suddenly. I relax the moment I see my surroundings—my bedroom.

How the fuck did I get here?

I glance around, searching for Lucy. The reason I ended up injured in the first place. I set a hand on the area where the wound was. Brín’s healing skills have come to use, not for the first time. If I hadn’t made it here, we’d both be dead.

The door opens, and my brother stands there, smiling.

“At last, you’re awake.”

“Lucy—” He holds a hand up. “She’s safe and in one of the guest rooms.”

My brow furrows. “Why isn’t she staying with me?”

He shrugs. “I gave the girl a choice. She chose her own room. This one is too much, apparently.” He glances around my room.

I’ve always thought it was over the top, but it’s the royal suite. The suite every king and queen has occupied for millennia. It belonged to my parents before they were murdered in cold blood by Midir.

“Also, I don’t think she’s too pleased that you kept the truth from her.”

I nod. “I know.”

He lingers, biting on his bottom lip.

“What is it, Brín?”

He draws a deep breath. “A virgin? Do you understand what that means?”

I run a hand through my hair. I’d hoped to keep that fact between us, but Lucy must have told him. “Yes, I do.”

“This isn’t good, brother.”

Ever since I mated to Lucy, I haven’t been in my right mind. Brín is right. A virgin has a claim over the power in the relationship, should she accept it. It means once we marry, and we will, she has more claim to the throne than I do.

“Lucy won’t want the power, I’m sure of it.”

Brín steps closer. “That’s what dad thought.”

“Yes, but our mother was the most powerful fae queen to ever live, Brín.”

“True, she was pretty fierce.” He clears his throat. “All I’m saying is if anyone were to learn the truth, more panic would strike. No fae wants a human queen, let alone a human ruler.”

“Lucy will accept that and remain in her rightful position.”

“How do you know?”

I smile widely. “Let’s just say that she’s a natural submissive.”

Brín smirks. “I’m surprised you fucked her already. How the hell did you control yourself with a human?”

I shrug. “The bond makes it impossible to hurt her. Our ways are rough, but I managed to control myself.” I get out of bed and walk over to my brother. “Take me to her.”

He narrows his eyes. “I’m not sure she has cooled down enough to face you yet, brother.”

I grit my teeth. “Take me to her now,” I growl.

“At least take her dinner. She hasn’t eaten since you arrived yesterday afternoon.”

My eyes widen. “I’ve been out almost twenty-four hours?”

He nods, clicking his fingers. A tray appears with a plate of salad and bread. “Take it to her. She’s in the smallest guest room. It’s what she wanted.

“Thank you.” I grab the tray and leave the room.

“Good luck,” Brín calls after me.

I think I’ll need it. Lucy has the power to bring me to my knees, even if she doesn’t know it yet. She will demand absolute honesty. I need to tell her the truth. Tell her what power she holds over me. It scares me more than anything, other than losing her.

I’ve fucked up. We may be soul mates, but the bond between us is fragile. Even more so than before. I can feel it’s weakened inside of me.

Midir has got between us without even knowing it. Thank God he didn’t know the truth about her virginity. I had intended to tell her who I was at some point. We’ve known each other a little over seventy-two hours.

She’s not just pissed at me for not telling her the truth. I can tell she’s frustrated with our bond. It hurts more than I can put into words. I may not know the woman sitting on the other side of the door, but I love her with all my heart—a curse or blessing of the bond.

It’s cruel that fate has bound me to a human since it clearly doesn’t have the same impact on her. I open the door, carrying her food. My heart skips a beat as her eyes snap up the moment I enter—those beautiful, emerald gems.

They’re full of the same rage as when she slapped me in Midir’s home. She turns her attention back to the book in her hand. “You’ve woken,” she says, trying to sound

disinterested. The relief in her voice is impossible for her to mask.

I smile. “I thought you might be hungry, lass.” I look down at the salad and bread on the plate, wondering if this will be satisfactory for her.

Humans eat meat, but we don’t. We never have and never will. The thought of watching her devour another animal makes me feel sick. “We don’t have meat here, as our kind don’t eat it.” I set the tray down next to her on the bed.

She glares at me. “I’m vegetarian.”

I sigh in relief. “Thank God for that.”

She raises a brow at me but doesn’t say anything. Instead, she returns her attention to the book in her hand.

“What are you reading?” I ask, trying to break the tension.

“You can see what it is.” She doesn’t even look away from the book, a first edition copy of Wuthering Heights from our library.

I set my hand on her leg. “Lucy, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you the truth.” She looks at me. “We’ve not known each other long, and I didn’t know how to bring it up.”

She shakes her head. “You didn’t know how to bring up the fact you’re the king of the fae? But, you had time to fuck me,” she spits.

She has a point. From the moment we met, I was driven by one thing—the need to mate with her. I wasn’t thinking about getting to know her. I already knew her deeply and intimately through the bond. As a human, she clearly doesn’t experience it in the same way.

“I’m sorry. I should have told you.” I take my hand o her leg.

“You can’t understand it.” She sets the book down and twists to face me. “You’re the first man I allowed to lay with me in that way—”

“And the last,” I growl, a wave of possession descending over me.

Her eyes narrow. “That depends.”

I move closer to her, grabbing her throat gently. “Don’t push me, Lucy.” I hold her fiery gaze. “You’re mine.”

She recoils and tries to break from my grip. “Let go of me,” she spits.

I do, despite my dominance rising to the forefront. All I can do is repeat the truth over and over.

She’s human. She’s fragile.

No fae female would ever speak to me like that. It turns me on more than it should. The challenge to win her submission excites me. As a man who has always had everything I want easily, Lucy is everything I’ve truly wanted, even if I don’t know how this is going to work.

“Will you eat?” I ask, nodding toward the food.

She glances at it for the first time, and her stomach rumbles. “Fine. I’ll eat.” She grabs the tray and digs into the salad.

It’s odd how even the way she eats is adorable.

“Who was that man, Midir?” she asks, eyeing me warily.

I sigh heavily, running a hand across the back of my neck.

“A man who is set on destroying the royalty and has been for years. He killed my mother and father, but was stupid enough to miss slaughtering my brother and me.”

She nods her head and her shoulders relax slightly. “I know, Brín told me, I’m so sorry.”

“Don’t be. It’s the reality of our life. The royal family has been under threat for hundreds of years. Midir just struck it lucky and managed to get to my parents.”

She shakes her head. “What a bastard.”

I laugh. “You’ve got that right. Midir’s been trying to rouse a rebellion for years, but it’s recently been gathering momentum.”

Lucy looks down at the tray on her lap, tapping it nervously.

I seize the moment of silence. “Are you going to forgive me?” I ask.

Her eyes meet mine as she swallows. “Not sure I have a choice in the matter. Will you promise to be honest with me in the future?” She continues to eat, pulling a piece of bread o and placing it in her mouth.

Every movement of hers makes the need inside of me grow.

I nod. “I promise, Lucy, no more secrets.”

She meets my gaze and nods. “Brín said something before. He said that because I was a virgin that I’m the pure one in the pairing. Normally, the more powerful one.” She pauses, trying to read my facial expression. “What does that mean?”

For star’s sake. Why couldn’t my brother keep his mouth shut for once? At least until I could figure this out.

“A virgin within a mating bond has the claim to power. It means once we marry, you can claim the right to rule over my people.”

Lucy drops the bread and stops chewing, staring at me with wide eyes. She swallows the rest of the food. “What?”

“It puts you in more danger than I can explain. As my people won’t want a human ruler.”

She shakes her head. “I don’t want to rule.”

I reach out for her, cupping her face in my hands. “Then don’t… You can accept me as your dominant and pass the power to me.”

Her brows knit together in an adorable frown. “How?” I shrug. “It’s easy, really. You submit yourself to me, body and soul.”

She searches my eyes. “Why can’t I stay angry at you?”

I smile. “The bond. It makes it a little di cult.” I move my mouth toward hers, but she stops me.

“Did I say you could kiss me?”

I raise a brow. “I thought you wanted to accept me as your dominant.”

She tries not to smile but fails. “I do.”

I bring my hand up to her throat, grasping it. “Then, let me dominate you,” I breathe, bringing my lips within an inch of hers.

What she doesn’t realize is the submissive has all the real power in this role. The dominant may take control, but she gives that control to me. She can take it away with the utter of one word, and everything stops.

A visible shudder runs through her. She’s so irresistible, so beautiful. I can feel the desire rising inside me. My cock gets even harder. It’s been hard ever since I stepped into the room. I’ve never felt such an uncontrollable desire before, not even on the solstice.

She licks her bottom lip.

It makes my blood boil in my veins. I groan as my cock strains against my tight boxer briefs. I pull Lucy closer, keeping my fingers around her throat. Her lips brush against mine, sending my heart rate soaring.

I sink my canines into her lip, making her tense. “Submit to me, Lucy,” I growl.

She relaxes in my grip, melting into me. Her scent overwhelms me. Sweet cherry blossom mixed with her arousal, which douses the air anytime she sees me. The scent gets stronger when I touch her. It drives me insane.

I move my mouth over hers, claiming it with my own.

Lucy’s delicious moans are like music to my ears, as she gives herself to me. Her resistance is entirely gone once she’s in my arms.

I hold her arms down as she reaches for me, forcing her to bend to my will. “No moving,” I groan against her lips.

“Lie down.”

She does as I say, sinking onto her back on the bed. She looks so small in a fae bed, so delicate. It reminds me that I can’t ever lose control with her. It’s too dangerous.

“You say you want to give me your submission.” I hold her gaze. “Then, prove it.”

Her eyes flash with excitement at my challenge. “How?” she asks.

There are so many answers to that question. All the things I want to do to my mate. The things I want her to let me do to her, but I can’t overwhelm her. Dominance and submission play a role in all fae pairings, and it’s not always the male that is dominant.

Humans aren’t used to this kind of mating. I have to go careful with her, no matter how much the alpha inside of me strains to break free. The last thing I want is to push her too far or hurt her. Our bond is too fragile to be tested.

14

LUCY

“Y

ou say you want to give me your submission.”

He holds my gaze. “Then, prove it.” The challenge in his voice both excites and scares me.

“How?” I ask, my voice so small.

He smiles, and it’s the single most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. His sharp canines on display only make him appear rougher and more arousing to me.

He snaps his fingers and two glowing blue magic strands move toward me, clasping around my wrists and tying me down to the bed. “Submit to me.” He kisses my lips. “If you need me to stop, then the safe word is stars.” The need in his voice is palpable.

“Okay,” I say, despite my stomach twisting with nerves.

I’m not sure whether this is what I want. I don’t know what to expect, but the idea of being dominated by this huge, beautiful fae excites me. I have to run with that and see where it takes us.

All I know with certainty is I can’t rule the fae. I wasn’t born to rule. I was born to be by this man’s side. No matter how much I try to resist that truth, it’s impossible.

I can’t resist him. I want to punish him for not telling me the truth, but I’m powerless. When he touches me, I turn to

jelly. I buck my hips as he sinks his canines into the flesh at my thighs. My whole body is strung as tight as a coil.

“Flynn, please.”

He tightens his grip on my hips. “What do you want?” he groans.

A shiver runs from the top of my head to the tip of my toes. I meet his royal blue gaze. “You,” I moan, as he licks the bite mark on my thighs.

There was no way I knew that I’d be into the pain he inflicts. It’s thrilling and exciting beyond anything I’d ever imagined before. The tip of his tongue lightly caresses my clit, making my body hotter than coals on a fire.

“Fuck,” I moan, trying to move my tied hands and failing.

The magical bonds around them are firm and impossible to break. It makes the entire situation even more stimulating.

My clit throbs at his gentle attention. It’s such a contrast to the pain his canines inflict. The sting still radiating through me, despite the fact he has healed the bite mark.

He slips a finger inside of me, hooking it precisely right to stimulate the perfect spot deep within. My hips buck as much as they can with his massive hand holding me down.

I need more from him. I need him to give me everything.

“Flynn,” I gasp his name as he sucks on my clit, sending more thrilling need through me.

I’ve never been so wound up in my life. It’s as if our brief separation made the need for him stronger. His shirt is only buttoned up half-way, giving me a teasing glimpse of his perfect, chiseled chest. I want him as naked as I am, but I have no control here. He controls me. He’s my master.

He runs the edges of his canines over my sensitive, throbbing clit. I’m so close to explosion that I can taste it.

That powerful and amazing sensation that only he can make me feel.

“That’s it, lass. Submit to me,” he groans, reaching down with his other hand to grip his hard cock through his pants.

“I want this pretty little pussy to come for me.”

His dirty talk is the last straw, as he hooks his finger inside of me again. White-hot pleasure grips hold of every nerve ending in my body.

I clamp my eyes shut, as the sensation overwhelms me.

My whole body convulses with the intensity of my orgasm.

All the while, he’s lapping and sucking at me. As if he’s trying to drain every drop from my body.

“So fucking sweet,” he groans, moving away from my pussy. My eyes are clamped shut, and I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to open them again. Maybe the pleasure blinded me forever. Flynn sinks his canines into my breasts suddenly, and it feels like my orgasm starts all over again. The pain prolongs the feeling of ecstasy.

He growls a low animalistic noise, forcing my eyes open. I watch him fist his cock through his pants, and a shiver runs through me, anticipating seeing him again—all of him.

He moves back, removing his finger from me.

I can’t stifle the whimper that leaves my throat at the sudden empty feeling.

Flynn moves his fingers to the buttons on his shirt, holding my gaze. I can tell he’s teasing me. He unbuttons each one slowly, revealing his muscular chest. Finally, he undoes the last one and my mouth waters at the sight of him.

He’s even more of a God under the bright lights of the chandelier, as opposed to my dimly lit, little cottage. His royal blue eyes overtaken with pure lust as he watches me.

“What do you want, lass?” he asks.

I can hardly think past the haze of desire on my mind.

“You, Flynn.”

He narrows his eyes. “Call me sir,” he says.

My eyes widen as I look up at him. “Sir?” He nods. “Yes, prove your submission to me.” There’s something dark in his voice. Something deeper than I’ve witnessed before. He was rough with me when he took my virginity.

Was that him holding back?

“Yes, sir,” I say, biting my bottom lip. I can’t understand why calling him that increases the need inside of me. My nipples tighten. My thighs dampen. Every part of my body feels like it’s on fire.

“Good lass,” he groans, moving his fingers to the zip at his pants. He undoes them painfully slowly, pulling them down his muscled hips. It’s as if he is sculpted from stone, the way the line of his hips paves the way to that enormous package.

His fingers hook into his boxer briefs, and I watch as he pulls them down. His massive, thick cock slaps back against his abs, making my whole body shudder.

Before I met my mate, I never knew desire like this. It’s all-consuming.

He jumps o the bed and stands by my side. His rough hands grip my thighs and he pulls me to the edge of the bed.

“Open wide.”

I do as he says, opening my mouth as wide as I possibly can. He slides his length into my mouth, pre-cum coating my tongue in the process. I moan around his girth. The manly taste of him drives me wild.

I breathe through my nose, expecting him to start shoving it down my throat—the same way he did the last time. The thought of it excites me. My mouth being used by him.

He groans, and his eyes flicker shut. It may be a submissive role that I play in this, but I can’t help but feel

powerful when I make a man so strong groan in that way with just my mouth.

My tongue licks a path around the thick, swollen head of his cock. More salty, pearly liquid dripping onto my tongue.

He laces his fingers in my hair, forcing me to stop moving. “I’m in control,” he growls. The gravelly sound of his voice makes me even wetter.

“Yes, sir,” I moan around his cock.

He shoves every inch down my throat, making me gag instantly. He’s too big. My saliva spills all over it, dripping onto the bed as well.

“Relax, lass,” he groans, moving his cock more slowly into my throat this time.

I focus on breathing through my nose and relaxing my gag reflex, trying to take his huge size. I last a little bit longer, before gagging and jerking my head back.

He grabs my chin and kisses me hard. “You’re my perfect little submissive, daonna.”

“What does that mean?” I ask.

He jerks my chin. “No speaking unless spoken too.” His eyes flash. “It means human in my language.”

“Sorry, sir.” I bite my bottom lip, and it drives him wilder.

His cock is back in my throat in and instance, as he begins to piston his hips. I gag, spilling saliva all over it. Tears spring to my eyes as I try to take it without gagging. It’s impossible. Despite desperately wanting to please him, I can’t take the huge size of him.

“Good lass,” he groans, shoving his cock back in my mouth. “Suck my cock like a good little human.”

I moan around him, moving my tongue around the head again. His cum tastes so good. I find myself hungry for it. As if I’m starving and want to drain him of all he’s got.

His abs tense and his cock swells even larger in my mouth. “Fuck, Lucy, I’m going to come.” He pulls back, so the head is rested on my tongue, before unleashing rope after rope of salty cum all over my tongue.

I swallow, enjoying the masculine taste of him coating my mouth. There’s so much of it I almost choke.

“Fuck yes, lass, swallow all of it,” he groans as he fists his cock, draining every drop into my mouth.

His royal blue eyes are so dilated, there’s only a tiny rim of blue around his irises.

I moan as I swallow every last drop of his seed as he pulls his cock from my mouth. I lick my lips, savoring the taste of him.

He moves around the bed, fisting his hard cock in his hand. The need for him is only increasing as I try to move closer, forgetting about the bindings holding me in place.

“Beautiful,” he murmurs.

I gasp as he clicks his fingers, flipping me onto my front without even touching me. My hands still bound in front of me.

“Don’t fight it,” he growls, as I try to break free from the magic binding my arms. His hand comes down hard and fast on my exposed ass, sending a sting through my entire body.

He repeats it on my other cheek.

I grunt as the pain overwhelms me. “Am I being punished?” I ask.

He slaps my stinging ass hard again. “Yes, did you forget what you’re supposed to call me.”

I swallow. “Am I being punished, sir?”

He kneads my stinging skin in his palms. “Good girl,” he purrs.

The tender touch of his large hands contrasts the spanking he just doled out. A shudder passes down my spine as I feel the tip of his hard cock nudge at my entrance. I

moan deeply, anticipating him filling that gaping hole inside of me.

He thrust into me with one quick and hard movement. I groan in pure ecstasy, finally feeling sane for the first time since we were torn apart. I’ve tried and failed miserably to resist him—resist this bond.

“So fucking tight,” he grunts behind me, moving slowly at first.

My mind is hardly functioning as pleasure takes over every part of me.

Flynn spanks my ass again and again, coinciding with the thrust of his hips. “You’re mine, Lucy. Do you understand? I own you,” he growls.

I moan, feeling my climax building already. This bond is like pure electricity, waking up every nerve ending in my body. “Yes, sir,” I moan, arching my back in an attempt to sink him further inside me.

“You’re my good little human, aren’t you?” he groans, gripping hold of my hips possessively. There’s no doubt his fingers will leave bruises, and I relish it for some fucked up reason. The idea of him marking me physically and leaving proof of the fact I belong to him turns me on.

“Fuck me harder, sir,” I moan.

He spanks my ass. “Don’t push me, Lucy,” his voice is strained as if he’s holding back. “It’s dangerous.”

“Please,” I beg, rolling my hips in an attempt to get him to move in and out faster.

He growls and tightens his already vice-like grip on my hips. I grit my teeth together, wondering if I’ve pushed him too far. He presses me hard into the bed and begins to fuck me so roughly, his immense weight bearing down on me and pinning me to the spot.

My vision blurs to white as ecstasy floods every vein and nerve in my body. I convulse beneath him as my pussy

clamps around his huge size.

“Fuck. That’s so fucking tight,” he groans, continuing to plow into me harder, faster. “That’s it, I’m not going to stop until you’ve come all over my cock so many times, you won’t be able to remember your name.”

He slides one arm around my waist, lifting me, so my back is rested against his hard, chiseled chest.

My pussy is still convulsing around his thick length as he beings to move me up and down. This position drives him even deeper than before. He brings his other hand up to play with nipples. I almost lose it when his canines sink into the sensitive flesh at the base of my neck.

“Mine,” he growls, licking the wound, before marking me again.

“Wait,” I cry out.

He stills. “You remember the safe word, don’t you?” he asks, concern suddenly evident in his voice.

“Yes, I want you to bite me and leave your mark. Don’t heal it.”

He groans deeply. “It’s against the rules.”

“Fuck the rules,” I spit.

He bites me in the same place, and this time the relief from the sting doesn’t come. “You want everyone to see that you belong to me. You want everyone to see that you’re my little human slut.” He starts moving me up and down his shaft harder and faster. “I want that too, lass.”

The word slut should be degrading, but he called me his slut, and I am. I’m a slut for him and only him. I’d give him all of me, everything.

My orgasm is already building. I’m not sure my other one ever ended. It feels like I’m floating on thin air, as my mate takes me without holding back this time. My body bends to his will, taking everything he has to give and craving more.

I explode again, this time, my arousal spilling all over his cock more ferociously.

“Fuck, that’s hot,” he groans, lifting me from his cock as if I weigh nothing. He lifts me above him, licking every drop from my pussy. “So fucking sweet.”

He drops me roughly onto the bed and climbs over me, slipping his throbbing cock back inside of me. I’m so wet that he just slides right in. He bends his neck down and sinks his canines into my breasts, making me cry out.

“Mine,” he growls. “All mine.”

My eyes roll back in my head. “I’m all yours, sir.”

“Fuck.” He starts to pound into me so hard and fast that I can hardly process the sensations flooding my body. The tension is coiling through me again, warning me I’m about to come undone for the third time on his cock.

“Don’t resist it, lass.” He pumps in harder and faster, and I’m sure his cock thickens inside of me. “I’m going to fill that beautiful fucking pussy up with all my cum,” he growls.

His dirty talk is all it takes to send me free-falling as my muscles clamp down hard around his cock. Flynn explodes, and I whimper as I feel every drop of his cum shooting deep inside of me.

“Fuck, I love breeding that perfect little pussy,” he groans, kissing my lips hard.

The word breed makes me tense.

Shit. Can a fae even get a human pregnant?

I’ve never been on birth control. Considering I was a virgin, It wasn’t needed.

I don’t voice my concerns to Flynn, knowing it might ruin the mood. He rolls o of me onto his back, pulling me possessively into his chest.

The moment my head hits his chest, exhaustion overwhelms me. All my worries fade away as I fall asleep in the protective embrace of my soul mate.

15

FLYNN

I

promised to be honest with her going forward. Only four days on from making that promise, I know it’s impossible. Our wedding date is set; the only issue is Lucy has no idea. I know she doesn’t like dishonesty or secrets, and it kills me to keep this from her. Fae tradition calls for a female not to be aware of the wedding date.

I’m painfully aware that is not what Lucy is used to.

Humans are surprisingly honest and open as a species with their partners. There are no secrets from one another in a good and healthy relationship. Although, I gather many relationships aren’t healthy.

Inside, I’m battling a war. I want to tell my mate the truth and be honest with her. I want to give her what she wants. At the same time, abiding by fae tradition is more important than ever. Riots have started to spread across our kingdom, and until we’re married, Lucy won’t be truly safe.

We are going to get married at midday tomorrow. No one knows, except for me, Brín, and a handful of sta that we trust with the information. Hopefully, our trust isn’t misplaced.

Midir would do anything to disrupt my wedding to Lucy.

He knows once we’re bound, we’ll both be harder to

overthrow.

Lucy walks around the gardens, unaware that I can watch her from the drawing-room window. Her human sight wouldn’t be able to detect me, but I can see her as clear as day.

“Brother, what are you doing?”

I turn to face Brín. I’ve never been more thankful for my brother before this debacle. “Watching what is mine,” I say simply.

He smirks. “I think we should move the wedding up to today.”

My brow furrows. “Why?” The smirk is gone instantly. “The riots are getting too close to the castle. They’ll be upon us before midday tomorrow.”

I was afraid of this happening, as Midir is one crafty son of a bitch. He’s clever. Getting the people behind his cause the way he has makes sense. The rumors and news of my mate being human have rallied many behind him.

“We may be able to hold them for a time, but not long enough.”

I nod. “Okay, I’ll go and tell Lucy.”

Brín gives me a sympathetic smile, grabbing my shoulder.

“Good luck. Humans can be so fucking hysterical about things.”

“I know.” I shake my head. “She won’t be, though.” I turn to leave the room.

Brín calls after me, “I hope you’re right for all our sakes.”

Lucy holds the fate of all of us in her hands. Marriage is the only sacred bond that can force her under my protection.

The rioters still won’t be happy, but I’ve got a feeling our bond has a higher purpose. Humans and fae have lived side by side, but miles apart for years. The divide between our kinds is so vast.

The risk of extinction for our kind increases as the attacks from shifters increase, but perhaps an alliance through marriage between humans and fae is what we need—a chance to unite our people. If my mate is human, I’m sure hundreds if not thousands of fae are destined for the same fate.

It won’t be easy to sell it to my people. It’s going to be tough, but we can make it through together. I walk out of the open french doors, using Lucy’s scent to find her. She’s disappeared from my view into the maze in the grounds.

I don’t like not being able to see her. My footsteps quicken as the anticipation of being close to her drives me.

My mother had often spoken of the joy of finding your one true mate; nothing she described came close to what I’m feeling for Lucy.

“Lucy,” I call her name, detecting I’m getting closer.

My brow furrows as she doesn’t respond. I step around the corner, and my heart almost stops beating. Her body is on the floor, unconscious. The fear I feel in that moment is beyond anything I’ve experienced before. Then, I notice the herb in her hands.

I thought Midir had got to her again, but she picked some powerful valerian herbs that grow in the maze. They’re known for their lovely, addictive smell. For our kind, they can make you a little dazed, but for humans, it will put them to sleep.

I hold my hands over her lifeless body, using magic to counteract its e ects.

Lucy groans, and her stunning emerald eyes snap open.

“What happened?” she asks, bringing a hand to her head.

I hold the herb up. “You picked valerian. It is potent to humans.”

She sits up, groaning again. “I think I hit my head.”

“Let me see,” I say, standing and moving to check she isn’t bleeding even though I’d know if she was. Fae can scent blood a mile-o . “It looks okay. Come on, let’s get you on your feet.”

I lift her to her feet, and she places her hands on my biceps to steady herself. The moment her hands are on me, my mind goes elsewhere. The reason I was here begins to fade into the distance.

She tilts her head to the side. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Looking at you like what?” I ask.

She shrugs. “Like you want to eat me.”

I can’t help the smirk that creeps onto my lips. “Maybe that’s exactly what I’d like to do. Eat that sweet as hell pussy of yours right here, out in the open.”

A visible shiver passes through her, and she tightens her grip on my arms. “Is that why you’re here?” She bites her bottom lip. “Sir.” I grit my teeth together. The girl is teasing me, and I will punish her for it, but that’s not why I’m out here. “No, I’m here to confess something to you.”

She takes a step away from me, narrowing her eyes.

“What is it?”

“We need to marry… Today.”

Her eyes widen. “Today?” She shakes her head. “Why so soon?”

I cup her cheek in my hands and press my lips to hers softly. “I’m sorry, Lucy. I planned the wedding for tomorrow, anyway.”

She jerks away from me. “You promised no more secrets.”

The hurt in her eyes cuts me to the core. I feel it filter through the bond. The first pure emotion to traverse down it.

The strength of our bond has built these past few days, but this could tear it all down.

“I know, but our traditions call for the woman to be unaware of the wedding date.” I shake my head. “With the rioting getting worse, I didn’t want to break tradition.” I try to step closer to her, but she moves away from me.

“You promised. No more secrets.” She spins to face me.

“How can I trust anything you say?”

“Lucy, I understand our customs and ways are di erent —” “Dishonest and sneaky, that’s what they are. No one plans someone’s wedding without telling them the damn date.” She clenches her fists, and I can feel her rage—hot and wild—filtering down the mating bond. “Why should I marry you?” she spits.

I run a hand through my hair, staring at the woman who holds claim over my heart. Lucy is stubborn and fiery. I love it, the more I get to know her. “Lucy, you need to marry me.”

Her eyes narrow. “Do I?” she asks, setting her hands on her hips.

Okay. Perhaps that not the best path to take with her right now. “Yes. The rebels are closing in on us and—” “It sounds like you need me to marry you, more like.” She shakes her head. “You haven’t even asked me to marry you.”

My brow furrows. “It’s normally assumed when you find your mate that a wedding will follow.”

I watch her as she walks toward the birdbath in the area of the maze, dragging her finger through the water. “You seem to forget that I know nothing of mating or this world.”

Her voice seems calm and reflective. “I never have and never will want to marry.”

My heart sinks at her insistence that she doesn’t want to marry. That could be a complication. I may be king, but I

don’t have the power to force her to marry me. If she refuses, I have to accept her decision.

“It’s dangerous for you until we’re married.”

She spins around. “Why?” I swallow hard. “At the moment, I don’t have the right to protect you under the crown until we’re married.”

I watch her as she continues her path further into the maze, saying nothing. She can’t ever leave me, even as she tries to pull away from me.

I follow her, wishing she felt the same for me as I feel about her. Lucy is the love of my life. My soul mate. The way she acts toward me, I don’t seem to have the same emotional hold over her.

“Lucy, where are you going?” I call after her.

“Away from you,” she calls back.

I chase after her, catching her quickly. Humans are so slow. I wrap an arm around her waist, knowing the only way I seem to a ect her is physical.

“Don’t walk away from me,” I breathe, teasing my hands up to grip her throat gently.

“Flynn, stop,” she says quietly. “I can’t do this.”

I spin her around, searching those beautiful emerald eyes of hers. “Lucy, I love you. I want to marry you.” I shake my head. “You’re my soul mate. I don’t understand why you don’t feel the same for me.”

Tears prickles her eyes, and a stray one rolls down her cheek. “I do,” she whispers, shaking her head. “I’m just scared. How can I be your wife? I’m human.”

I wipe away the tear. This woman is so complex compared to any I’ve ever met before. She feels the same way for me, and yet she won’t willingly marry me out of fear. “That’s what is stopping you from marrying me?” I ask.

She meets my gaze. “Of course, I can’t be your queen.”

“You already are, lass.” I kiss her softly, pouring every ounce of feeling into the kiss. She needs to understand how much I need her. “You’re my world now.” I breathe in deeply. “It’s bittersweet that you are the one I’m destined for, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

She kisses me this time, wrapping her arms around my neck. The tension eases from my muscles the moment her lips meld with mine.

“Marry me,” I say, the moment she breaks away for air.

She raises a brow. “Is that your botched up idea of a proposal?”

I nip her bottom lip gently with the tips of my canines.

“No…” I get down on one knee. “I want you more than anything I’ve ever wanted in my life, Lucy.” I lace my fingers with hers. “The world can be a cruel place, especially for people who want to oppose tradition. All I want is to be with you. Please, Lucy, say you will marry me.”

“Are you begging me?” she asks.

It grates against my pride, but I am. “Yes, but don’t get used to it.”

She laughs. “Okay, I’ll marry you on one condition.”

“Anything,” I breathe, and I mean it. Whatever Lucy asks from me, I’d do it in a heartbeat if I could.

“Never keep anything important from me again, for real this time.”

Is that something I can promise?

As king and ruler, I’d be expected to keep many things from my wife and queen. Yet, I want to rule with her as a team. It’s about time I broke tradition and did things my way.

“I promise on the stars.”

She tugs at my hand, forcing me to my feet.

I wrap my arms around her waist, holding her tightly.

“Let’s go and get married, then,” she says, her love filters down the mating bond.

I’ve never been as happy before in my life as I am right now. The stars may be against us, hell, everything is. It doesn’t matter. Once we’re united by a marriage bond, too, we will be able to take on anything.

16

LUCY

M

y head spins as I stare at my reflection in the mirror. My heart is pounding so hard it feels like it’s going to beat right out of my chest. I never thought this moment would come.

The dress is perfect—beautiful.

Marriage isn’t something I’d ever considered. My father’s marriage to my mother had ended badly—with her leaving him for another man and abandoning me at only three years old.

I know their story along with the fact my mother never gave a damn about me made it easier to swear o marriage. I didn’t want that hurt.

If you don’t open yourself up to it, then it can’t happen.

That decision was snatched from my hands the moment the bond formed between Flynn and me.

This bond has stripped me bare. I’m more vulnerable than I’ve ever been in my life. When my father died, I vowed never to love again. The pain of losing the only family I knew closed me o . The choice has been taken from me. Flynn is the love of my life, whether I like it or not.

My prince charming, even though I never dreamed of finding him. It’s unkind how fate has a way of forcing things

on you that you don’t want. A knock at the door startles me, and I glance once more at myself in the mirror.

The fae women are so unearthly beautiful. I’m so flawed —so imperfect.

How can my mate be satisfied with me?

I shudder as I consider all the women he’s probably been with before. Every fae female I’ve come into contact with has been so beautiful. “Come in,” I call.

The maid, Alynna, enters, and curtseys. “They are ready for you, your highness.” I turn to face the beautiful fae who appears to be in her late twenties. She’s stunning. Far more suited to being the queen of this land and standing beside Flynn than I am.

“Thank you,” I say, moving to leave the room.

I have to hold it together, somehow. All I want to do right now is run for my life. I’m not prepared for this. The only thing staying my course is that strong love flowing like a river through my soul. It’s impossible to ignore. A pull so deep and embedded like a root in the soil. I couldn’t resist it even if I wanted to. The part of me that wants to run for the hills is being drowned out by the bond.

“Are you ready?” she asks, smiling genuinely.

I nod, taking one last glance in the mirror. Hopefully, I will look good enough for Flynn tonight. “Yes, I think so.”

She nods. “Follow me, please.”

I follow her, shutting the door behind me. We walk down the corridor and meet Brín, who is leaning against the wall in a form-hugging black suit.

He pushes o the wall and approaches me. “You look stunning,” he says.

Out of the few faeries I’ve met, he’s my favorite. He seems so laid back. Luckily, I like him, since he’s about to become my brother in law. “Thank you. You don’t look bad yourself.”

He laughs. “ I can scrub up well, aye.” He pauses a moment, expression serious. “I thought I’d walk you down the aisle if you want, since…”

I sense his apprehension at mentioning the absence of my father.

Does he know he’s dead?

It used to be hard for me to speak or think of my father, but time has healed the wound he left. “Since my dad can’t do it from the grave?” I ask.

He nods, eyes wide at my bluntness.

“That would be lovely, thank you, Brín.” My dad has been on my mind ever since Flynn asked me to marry him today.

I’m not sure how my dad would have felt about me marrying a faerie, but he was nothing but supportive all my life. He would have found a way to accept it. A sadness claws at my chest as I wish he could have been here to walk me down the aisle.

Brín takes my arm, leading me through the elaborate corridors of the vast castle. This place doesn’t feel like it could ever really be home, but maybe that’s because I’m so used to my little cottage.

“Where is the wedding being held?” I ask, as Brín leads me down the sweeping staircase of the castle.

He smiles. “The forest, of course.”

A shiver traces down my spine. “Which forest?”

“The forest we held the solstice this year. It’s tradition for a couple whose mating bond formed on that night to return and marry there.”

I had feared that answer. The forest borders my old town.

If anyone is searching for me, then the town’s folk could be in that forest.

“Don’t worry, Lucy. They won’t be able to find you.”

A sense of relief floods me that he has considered my previous life. The thought of facing the people from the town

or Frank makes me nauseous.

What would he say if he learned that I’m marrying the fae king?

It’s best for everyone if no one knows the truth.

Brín stops on the steps of the castle, still holding my arm.

“Are you nervous?” he asks.

I laugh. “Just a little.”

He shakes his head. “You’ve got nothing to be nervous about. You’ve found your soul mate, and that’s something you should be thankful for.”

There’s no doubt in my mind that Flynn loves me. Until I met him, I wasn’t living. I walked through life half-asleep, but Flynn has awoken me to the beauty of love. He’s brightened my life with such light that it’s hard to fathom.

Everything seems better, clearer.

“With that said, are you ready to become my sister in law?” Our world keeps us apart by default, and yet we found each other despite this. We’re working against the odds, but we’ll do it together.

“As ready as I’ll ever be.”

He nods, and suddenly we’re moving through the air. My stomach churns. I’m not exactly great with fast motion, and it feels like I’m on a roller coaster.

Thankfully I don’t throw up as we touch down in the center of a forest. Soft, whimsical music plays in the clearing. I turn around to see the aisle a few yards away, and Flynn standing at the end in a fitted white silk shirt, black jacket, and black pants.

An indescribable feeling clutches around my heart as I take my first step onto the aisle. The music increases in volume as I rush toward my fiancé. It feels like I’ve been free-wheeling ever since I met this man, but finally, this feels right. We’re where we’re supposed to be.

Flynn smiles at me. His eyes solely fixed on me and no one else. I can’t explain how it makes me feel. Special. Even if I’m anything but special.

There’s only Flynn, Brín, and another woman I’ve seen around the castle, but I don’t know her name.

All of this has happened too fast for me to wrap my head around. “There’s no rush,” Brin mutters. I can’t explain why I want to rush. It feels like my limbs aren’t under my control.

He’s dragging me toward him as fast as possible. The bond is.

That beautiful smile curls onto his lips as he holds my gaze. As a woman that never wanted to marry, I’ve never felt such bliss as I do right now. It’s an improbable match, but it has happened. He’s mine, and I’m his.

I flinch at an explosion. Flynn’s royal blue eyes widen, and he steps forward. “Lucy,” he shouts my name, but I’m not quick enough. Brín’s arm is torn from mine and I see him a few yards to my left on the floor, clutching his chest.

Midir appears out of nowhere behind me. “Hello, princess,” he says, before grabbing me.

I meet Flynn’s gaze once more, noticing he’s holding a ball of magic in his hand. Suddenly, we’re moving so fast I can’t see anything—only the image of Flynn’s panicstricken face painted onto my mind.

After what feels like ages of spinning, we come to a halt.

My heart stops beating for a moment, as I see I’m standing on a podium. An angry mob of fae gathered beneath me.

“Thought you would get away with becoming our queen that easy, did you?” Midir asks, grabbing my shoulder tightly. “Think again.” He steps forward, shoving me to one side.

“My fellow fae, I have bought you the abomination that our all mighty king has mated to.” He clicks his fingers, and

I’m jolted forward by an invisible force. “Lucy, you’re future queen.” He glares at me with such hate. “She’s human.”

A terrifying boom of angry cries and shouts break out.

Every face in the crowd is twisted in disgust and anger. Not one face looks kind as I stare out onto the sea of people. They look ready to tear me apart with their bare hands. I don’t doubt that they can. Every terrible story I’ve heard about the fae confirms precisely that.

I feel my mates panic somehow. The bond seems to be a link to him. Maybe he’ll be able to track me through it. He found me once. The thing is, I don’t think we have as much time on our side on this occasion.

“What do you want to do with this human?” Midir shouts over the crowd.

A chorus of kill her breaks out, as they chant over and over again. I have no idea what to do, so I try to make a run for it.

My feet won’t even move.

Fuck.

I’m starting to learn that I hate magic. It makes me feel weak.

Midir takes a step toward me. “Did you think I’d leave you without restraints?” He shakes his head. “God, humans can be so fucking stupid.” He grabs hold of me and pulls me up to the podium again. “How about we allow the human to have her say?”

The crowd gets even angrier, as I step up to the podium against my will. He’s controlling my limbs. I glance back at Midir, who is enjoying every second of this. There’s no way in hell I’m saying anything to these feral fae. He’s insane to think I would speak right now.

“Humans are so dumb they can’t even speak,” he shouts, laughing. A chorus of laughter rings out across the crowd.

“This human is the perfect bait. It’s time to end our king’s

reign once and for all and take back control. He will come for her, and when he does, we’ll end him.”

Cheers erupt from the crowd. My head spins and heart pounds, making me feel sick. Flynn’s people intend to stand against him because of me.

I always knew this was a mistake. He may be my mate, but it can’t ever work. We’re from two di erent worlds. Our love was never supposed to exist.

They want to bait him into a trap, and I’m scared he’ll walk right into it. He got hurt last time. This time could be far worse. A flood of dread hits me as I consider the reality of him coming here and dying.

I’m almost sure I wouldn’t be able to carry on. It’s ridiculous but true. I’ve lived alone since my father’s death, three years ago, and I’ve been fine. All the bullshit chatter around town that I need to take a husband has made me more determined never to need a man.

Then, Flynn comes along, and I’m dependent on him. I don’t like it, but I’m powerless to change it. Midir turns to face me, grinning. He steps forward, and I wonder if this is the end. All I can see is Flynn’s face in my mind, as I stare into the evil eyes of his enemy.

What hope is there for us now?

17

FLYNN

I

t feels like Midir has swiped my entire world from under my feet. Lucy has been taken from me for the second time.

“Fuck,” I growl, punching the stone arch next to me and cracking it.

Brín rushes to my side. “Brother, be calm. We will get her back.”

I shake my head. The rage building inside of me is overwhelming. Our wedding was supposed to be the happiest moment of our lives, and Midir ruined it. There’s only one way he could have learned about the wedding date being moved up at such short notice. There’s another traitor in my ranks.

“We’ve got a traitor,” I say, fixing my eyes on Ciara. I step toward her with pure rage pumping through my veins.

I’m ready to kill.

My brother blocks me with his body. “Ciara didn’t betray us. It would have been someone at the castle.”

I glare at him. “Get out of my way, Brín.”

He shakes his head. “No chance in hell,” he growls. The intensity in his voice is a warning.

I notice Ciara move closer to him, and that’s when it hits me. She was the one in his room on the morning of the solstice. I’ve been so wrapped up in everything else that I hadn’t even registered who was in his bedroom that morning. “Is Ciara your mate?” I ask.

He nods. “Yes, and that’s why I know Ciara hasn’t betrayed you.”

I run a hand through my hair. “Why didn’t you tell me you found your mate?”

“Didn’t have time with all this shit going on, did I?” That’s fair. I was too blind to see what was going on past Lucy. She has consumed me. “We have to find her.”

“I know where she is. The rebellion has made it to Myrefall, and that’s where he would have taken her.”

“How many has he gathered?” I ask.

Brín shrugs. “Rumor is about one-hundred thousand.”

My eyes widen. “That’s a third of our people.”

“It’s might get bloody, but the army is still behind you.”

He shrugs. “You know they can’t betray the crown.”

“Their hearts won’t be in it.”

Brín steps closer, setting his hand on my shoulder.

“Speak to them, brother. Make them understand.”

I’ve got to get the army behind this if I want any chance of keeping Lucy. I’m breaking all the rules for her, and I’d do it over and over again.

“Summon them.”

Brín turns to Ciara, and I pace the floor. I know that winning over the army will take revealing my plans to them.

I’ve had an idea ever since I found Lucy. It’s crazy, but I want to unite our kind and humans once and for all.

Humans are the most populous kind on earth, and if some of them are our mates, it gives our kind a fighting chance.

Not to mention, Lucy is superior to all fae females I’ve ever met. She’s passionate and beautiful—my world.

I know Midir will argue that it dilates the purity of our kind. Love is pure and true, and it’s the only thing we can rely on. Hate and fear that Midir loves to feed o will destroy our kind once and for all.

“Darragh is on his way here with the army.” He pauses, biting the inside of his cheek. “What are you going to say?”

“I’ll tell them the truth. I want to unite faeries and humans once and for all.”

Brín smiles. “I’ve been saying it for years. We could learn a thing or two from humans.”

I sigh. “If only the rest of our people felt the same.”

Ciara walks over to my brother’s side. “Darragh is a traditionalist. You’ll have a tough time convincing him.” She sets a hand on my brother’s arm. I never thought I’d see the day that he was bound to another.

I think I’ll have a tough time convincing most people, but I have to try.

MY

HEART POUNDS .

My muscles coil.

I stand in front of ten thousand heavily armed fae. We’re no more than a mile from Myrefall, and I wonder if I’ve finally lost the plot.

Brín stands by my side. He is a much-needed pillar of strength as I face the most challenging task of my life.

“Thank you for gathering here on such short notice.” I pause a moment, glancing at my brother. He gives me a nod of encouragement. “I’m sure most of you have heard that I found my mate on the night of the solstice and that she is human.”

A few hushed whispers break out amongst the men. I know they all would have heard the rumors, but it’s di erent when it comes directly from the source.

“It’s true. For too long, we have dwindled in numbers and fought against natural selection, and yet the humans grown in numbers beyond any other race.” I shake my head. “It’s about time we put our petty prejudices behind us and accept that we are destined to join forces with humans and integrate.”

A few more hushed whispers break out.

“My mating bond to Lucy is proof enough. It means many of you are likely to be bound to humans also.”

Darragh steps forward. “Mating with humans might dilate the entire fae race.”

I meet his challenging gaze. “It might, or it might not. In history, it’s proven time and time again that species that can’t adapt to the challenges they face, die out. Humans are our chance to explode fae numbers and increase our strength.” I pause a moment, wondering if it’s the right thing to say. “Lucy has moved me in a way I can’t explain.

She’s beautiful, intelligent, and stronger than I ever could have expected. We’ve looked at humans for too long with blinkered vision.”

Brín steps to my side. “I agree. Humans are as complex and intelligent as fae. They may not possess magic, but they are a resistant bunch. We’ve proved too limited in our ability to reproduce, especially as the shifters have risen in power.”

“Next you’ll be telling us to mate with wolves or dragons,” a soldier calls out.

I shake my head. “I’m not telling you to mate with anyone. I’m telling you to have an open mind about the races, particularly humans, and to stop the hate between our kinds. Many more of you might find your true mate in the process.”

Chatter breaks out amongst the soldiers, and Brín gives me a sympathetic look. All hope can’t be lost. They have to

see this from my point of view, the fate of our kind relies on it.

“Don’t let the fear of the unknown and unwarranted hatred cloud your vision. Fae used to value one thing above all, but as time goes on, we have lost sight of it. Love is all that matters.”

The chatter dies down more.

Darragh nods his head, tears clouding his eyes. “Aye, it’s true. Love is all that matters, and if any of you are destined to mate with humans or never find a mate at all, the former is far kinder.” He turns to his men. “I know, after losing my mate, there’s nothing more precious in this world. Most of you here have yet to find yours, maybe that’s because they’re human.”

I feel such relief that he finally sees the reason in my argument. “Exactly, that’s why I’m asking you to fight for the future of our kind. Midir has taken my mate and queen.

Help me bring down the rebellion Midir has started and save her.” I pause a moment, gazing over the men before me.

“Help me save your queen.”

A chorus of cheers break out. They begin to beat the war drums too, making hope rise in my chest. It looks like we’re going to do this.

Midir won’t know what’s hit him when I march with the army into his crowd. The tension in my shoulders eases slightly, as relief floods me. Lucy is still in danger, and I won’t be able to relax until she’s back in my arms. At least we have a fighting chance now.

Darragh steps forward, bowing his head in respect. “Your majesty, what would you have us do?”

Midir won’t expect me to come with the army. He’s too cocky and believes all our people feel the same way he does.

The fact is we’ve been dying out and doing nothing about it.

It’s about time we rose and made a change. Lucy has inspired

that change in me. She’s inspired me in ways I never knew possible.

“We will depart for Myrefall right away. One-hundred thousand of our people gather there. We don’t want loss of lives over this, but we must get Lucy away from Midir. Are you with me?”

The soldiers respond with a resounding yes, and hope floods my heart. If I can sway these soldiers so easily that humans are not to be hated, then it gives me hope that others will accept the truth. Perhaps not all of our kind is too proud and stuck up to see the truth. Midir has spun hate for years. It’s about time someone played him at his own game.

I hate giving speeches, but this one came as naturally to me as breathing. For once, I didn’t have to spin a load of bullshit that I didn’t believe in anyway. The soldiers begin to chat amongst themselves, and Darragh approaches me. “Do you have a plan, your majesty?”

I nod. “Midir will have some kind of base at Myrefall, and he’ll be keeping her there. We need to scope out the area.

Your men will prove as the perfect distraction while I try and find Lucy. If you can dispatch a group of four men with Brín and me, we will approach the opposite way and snatch her while you approach.”

He nods. “Sir. I’ll brief my men.” I watch him walk away to speak with them.

Brín and Ciara approach me. “That was one hell of a speech, brother.”

I smile. “Thanks. I wasn’t sure I would be able to persuade them.”

The beatings of the drums increases in volume as the soldiers begin to jog through the forest. Darragh approaches me. “They are departing. Come in on the west side, and be careful. My four best men will help.” He nods toward his men.

“Thank you. See you on the other side.”

He nods and then departs with the rest of the army. A tall man with dark black hair at the front steps forward and bows. “I’m Daithi, and my friends here are Caolan.” A small, stocky ginger male bows his head. “Padraig.” He nods toward a slender, male with long silver-blonde hair. “And, last but no means least, Donnacha.” The last man is the tallest of them all and has brown hair.

“It’s good to meet you all,” I say, clearing my throat.

“Let’s get going.”

A sudden draw of power weakens me for a second, throwing me o balance. My brow furrows as my knees go weak.

What the fuck was that?

“Are you okay, brother?” Brín asks, clasping my arm.

I shake my head. “I don’t know. It felt like I just used magic without using it.” The drum beating increases as the men begin to move toward Myrefall.

Brín looks at me like I’m mad. “That doesn’t make sense.”

I shake my head as he’s right. It doesn’t make any sense, but I know what I felt. “It was probably nothing,” I say, falling into step behind the men who are tasked with helping us. All I care about now is being reunited with my mate.

Nothing will stop me from tearing Midir apart with my bare teeth.

18

LUCY

I

try to break away from Midir’s grip as he drags me down the staircase. “Where the fuck are you taking me?” I shout.

The beat of far o drums sounds, and he tenses. I watch him as he scents the air, eyes wide.

“What’s that noise?” I ask.

“Shut up human, or I’ll kill you before your mate makes it here,” he growls, digging his nails harder into my arm.

“You’ll never see him again.” I can tell something has him worried, I’m just not sure what.

“Bullshit,” I spit. “You need me as bait. If you kill me, Flynn will know.”

He grunts his response, dragging me down a dark stone corridor. I’ve got no idea where he’s taking me, but it looks like a prison. He stops in front of a heavy, ancient door, waving his hand over the front of it. The door swings open to a dirty, stone cell.

“Why are you doing this, Midir?” I ask, glaring at the man who snatched me from my wedding.

He shrugs. “I have to protect our kind before Flynn defiles it. Humans and fae aren’t supposed to mate. We are superior

to humans in every way, and I will die before I see a human queen on our throne.”

He grabs my shoulder and throws me onto the floor of the cell. “You won’t su er long, Lucy.” He smirks at me. “Flynn will come for his mate, and I will kill him. Once he’s dead, I’m pretty certain the bond will kill you.”

I stand to my feet. “He’ll kill you first,” I spit, clenching my fists.

Midir throws his head back, laughing. “You are everything I hate in a human. Unrealistic and emotionally charged.” He shakes his head. “Next, you’ll tell me you can stop me.”

“Maybe I will,” I say, glaring at him.

He roars in laughter. “You are funny.”

My emotions are running high. It’s not in my nature to sit still and wait. I rush forward at him, catching him o guard.

My fist connects with his jaw, splintering pain shooting through my fist. I dodge around him, making it into the corridor. Suddenly, magic swirls around me, stopping me dead in my tracks.

“Not a bad e ort for a human,” he says, as the magic drags me back to the cell. “It would take a lot more than a fist to get past me, though.”

Panic clenches around my heart as I realize there’s no escape. Midir’s won. Flynn is going to walk right into a trap, and he won’t survive it this time.

I’m forced back onto the floor in the cell, glaring at the man in front of me.

“Sit like a good human and wait for your death. It won’t be long.” He stares at me for a few beats, before slamming the door.

Bastard.

Midir talks to me no better than a dog, as that’s what I am to him. An animal. A lesser to him. The fae are more hateful

of humans than I ever imagined. I knew they were proud, but he takes it to another level.

I’ve never hated a person more than I hate that man. He murdered my mate’s parents. I’ve only met him twice, but he is everything that is wrong with this world we live in. It’s not just fae. Every race fears the other, rather than trying to integrate.

Tears spring to my eyes as I consider what might happen to Flynn. The thought of never seeing him again cuts me to the core. He has quickly become my world within a few days.

If he dies, I’ll be glad if the bond destroys me in the process.

The alternative is too painful to consider.

The beat of drums is louder and closer. When Midir heard it, he looked irritated. Maybe there’s something else at foot I don’t know. Flynn is a king, after all. He’s not stupid either.

Midir might be smart, but so is my mate. All I can do is sit and hope he knows what he’s doing.

I slump to the floor, crossing my arms over my chest. I’m underground, which means there’s not even a window to try and see what is happening. This is a joke. I hate being stuck in this cell, while Midir plots to kill my mate.

Midir is right about humans. We are weak and pathetic.

My escape attempt was ridiculous. There’s no beating around the bush or dressing it up. We can’t do anything for ourselves. I’m a liability to my mate.

A few screams sound from outside, forcing me to my feet.

What the fuck is going on out there?

I walk over to the door and try the handle. The frustration and panic build inside of me, the more screams I hear outside. It doesn’t fucking move, of course, because Midir isn’t an idiot.

Rage is growing and building inside of me. I can’t recall a time in my life I’ve felt so frustrated. My head swims as the pressure builds. It feels like I might explode at any moment.

All of a sudden, green magic flashes around me. The door is blown o its hinges, making me jump backward. I stare at the open doorway, waiting for someone to appear. The color of the magic doesn’t match Flynn’s or Brín’s. Their magic is a deep royal blue, like their eyes.

When no one appears, I’m stumped. I creep toward the doorway and glance out into the corridor. It’s empty. I seize the opportunity, escaping my cell. The corridor leads to some stairs that will bring me up and out of this dungeon.

I navigate the winding staircase, cautiously. A guard could be waiting around the corner, but I get a feeling Midir is too cocky to think I’d need one. I don’t blame him. I can’t understand how I got out of that cell. The color of the magic matches my eyes, but I can’t have used magic. It’s impossible.

The stairs end, and there’s another door, which thankfully is unlocked. I step out of the stairwell and into the central corridor of what looks to be an ancient medieval ruin.

I was so panicked when Midir brought me in, I didn’t even notice where we were.

It’s surprisingly well preserved down in the dungeon. It’s clever. Midir picked this as a safe hiding place for me—a place I’d imagine Flynn would never expect.

The beating drums are so loud that they can’t be far away.

I sprint toward them, hoping I won’t be too late. My heart skips a beat as I make it over the hill. An army of fae are marching toward the crowd of people below.

Could Flynn be with the army?

I’m too far away to know for sure. A strange sixth sense tells me Flynn’s not down there. Perhaps it’s the bond guiding me, but I walk west instead. I’m almost on autopilot, allowing my feet to take me.

I don’t know what’s going on with the army, or whose side they’re on. All I know is the bond is tugging me toward

my mate. I head up the hill, trying to navigate through the mud in my white lace pumps. Thank God they brought me flats for my wedding. As I make it to the top of the hill, the clang of metal forces me to freeze.

“Give up, Midir,” Flynn growls. My heart skips a beat at the sound of his voice.

“Never,” he replies.

I can’t see them, but I can hear them. My footsteps quicken in anticipation of seeing my mate again. I need to see him. The bond demands it. I know it might be a bad idea.

What if I’m a liability to him?

All the reasoning in the world can’t stop me from moving forward. I rush down the hillside toward a ruin at the bottom. Midir is standing there, wielding a sword. There are other faeries in the ruin, all of them fighting.

I can’t see Flynn, so I move closer. It makes no sense, but I know that I need to be there. It’s dangerous, but it’s where I belong—by my mate’s side. That furious, controlled rage is still burning deep inside of me. It seems to have a life of its own.

Flynn comes into view as I enter the ruin. He’s wearing armor and looks breathtakingly beautiful. He moves with such speed and power as he crosses swords with Midir. Royal blue magic spans the length of the steel and black magic over Midir’s sword.

A flare of something ignites inside of me, seeing him again. Flynn’s eyes find me almost the moment I step onto the stone foundations of the ancient building. First, I see the relief in his eyes, followed quickly by panic.

All I feel is happiness. It feels like my sole goal in life is to stay near this man. Being away from him hurt more than I can put into words, even if it was only for a few hours.

Midir’s eyes follow his gaze, and the look on his face is pure shock. He probably can’t believe I got out of that cell. I

can’t believe it myself. Slowly, the surprise turns to amusement. A sickly smirk curls onto his lips.

I should be scared, but I’m not. “Lucy,” Flynn calls my name in warning as Midir takes a step toward me. “Run,” he growls.

I glance at my mate and stay perfectly still, shaking my head. “No, Flynn. I need to be here.”

His concern quickly turns to anger as he clenches his fists by his side—every muscle in his body tense. I know I’m annoying him by defying him, but I need to be here. We’re a team.

“Lucy, do what I say.” He takes a step toward me.

I smile at him, wishing I could explain why I’m not going anywhere. “Trust me, Flynn.”

Midir takes a step toward me, and I tense. “Perfect. I don’t know how you got out of the dungeon, but you’ll wish you didn’t.” He takes another step toward me and lifts his hands. I know what is about to come and I’m ready to move.

We’ve been apart too long already. I won’t leave my mate again—not now or ever.

19

FLYNN

I

t feels like my world is thrown into free fall as she appears. Lucy. The sight of her sends my emotions into overdrive. A flood of relief and happiness at seeing her alive and unharmed, but it’s quickly followed by panic. She’s exposed and vulnerable here.

Midir stops fighting and glances right at her. My mate exposed and defenseless in front of my enemy, who has taken so much from me already. He looks shocked at first when he notices her, clearly not expecting her to turn up. My stomach twists with anxiety as the shock quickly turns to amusement. His smirk so wicked I want nothing more than to wipe it o his face. I want nothing more than to see him dead.

“Lucy,” I shout her name, and the panic is evident in my voice, but I don’t care. “Run,” I growl.

She shakes her head, standing there. Her refusal sends tension coiling through me.

“No, Flynn. I need to be here,” she replies.

Anger quickly replaces the panic I’d felt at first. I’m shaking with it.

Why is she defying me?

“Lucy, do what I say,” I growl, feeling panic and rage mingling inside of me.

She smiles at me. “Trust me, Flynn.” I wish I could, but this is no place for a human. She may be strong-willed, but she could be struck down so easily by Midir or one of his followers. I won’t have her dead at the hands of that man.

There’s no chance in hell.

A growl rises in my chest, as I notice Midir take a step toward her. Rage flares to life in my gut, and it’s allconsuming.

“Perfect. I don’t know how you got out of the dungeon, but you’ll wish you didn’t,” Midir says, taking another step toward her and lifting his hands.

I throw a ball of magic at Midir, hitting him and forcing him to the floor. “Stay the fuck away from her Midir.”

Midir growls like an animal and turns his attention to me, thankfully. “How dare you strike me when my back is turned.” He throws an attack at me, and I dodge it, thankful that his attention is on me now, instead of Lucy.

How could she be so reckless?

“This is between you and me, Midir. Fight me and don’t be a fucking coward.”

His eyes flash. He’s proud and hates being called a coward. If there’s anything I’ve learned about my enemy, it’s that he can’t take being name called. “I think you are the coward here, Flynn.” He throws another attack at me, stepping away from Lucy. He throws everything he’s got at me, but I’m too fast. I roll away, evading his blast.

The clash of steel echoes around us as my brother and four fellow soldiers fight the rest of Midir’s men. We’re outnumbered, but they are Darragh’s best men. My brother is a beast. He always has been one of the best fighters amongst our kind.

I get back to my feet and spin on Midir. The hate and rage inside of me is uncontrollable. He killed my parents. He has taken Lucy from me twice. Anytime I face him, my emotions overwhelm me.

I rush forward and push my magic toward him, harnessing all my rage and hate as I fire at him.

Midir is quick, but the force of the blast clips his arm. He growls in anger, spinning on me. His shirt is singed and a dark mark where my magic hit him evident. This is going to escalate quickly, and all I can think about is getting Lucy away from this place.

I focus my attention on her and disperse to her, grabbing her hand. “Stay behind me,” I say, pushing her behind my body.

Midir laughs. “Your attempt to save her is futile, Flynn.

She will die when I end you.”

I grind my teeth together, knowing he’s trying to anger me. I can’t let him get to me. Lucy moves close, and I almost lose my cool. She needs to stay as far away as possible from this place.

“Get back, lass,” I growl, throwing a glance over my shoulder at her.

She stops in her tracks glancing between Midir and me.

Her lip slips between her teeth as she chews on it.

What has gotten into her?

Midir strikes suddenly, but I see it out of the corner of my eye. I hold my hand up just in the nick of time, absorbing the hit into my shield of magic. “Why don’t you stop throwing magic at me and fight me like a man?” I ask.

He holds his hands up in surrender. “Fine, what do you suggest?”

I clench my fists. “Fistfight. I’ll kill you with my bare hands.”

Midir’s eyes narrow, and I can see the fear. He knows he can’t defeat me on strength alone, but he hates backing away from a challenge. It’s the reason I taunted him.

“Fine. Hand to hand combat.” He beckons with his hand.

“Give it your best shot.”

I step away from Lucy, wishing she would leave. This isn’t the place for her. Midir holds his fists in the air, but I can see the uncertainty in his eyes.

I sprint toward him quickly, jabbing right through his defenses and catching him in the jaw. He grunts and punches back, almost getting past my fists, but I twist away. The guy can’t fight without relying on magic.

I jab him this time in the chest, startling him. “Is that all you’ve got?” he asks.

He tries an amateur clip at my jaw, but I block it easily.

Controlled rage flows through my body as I move again, punching him square in the nose. I see the blood dripping down his face, and something inside me snaps. The beast inside of me unleashed as I punch him again and again, flooring him.

He stares up at me as I let my anger and rage explode.

This isn’t boxing anymore. I’m out for blood. I’ve always been out for blood when I face this asshole. He deserves to be beaten to a pulp for what he’s done to my family.

“Flynn,” Lucy’s voice stops me in my tracks. “That’s enough.”

I glance up to see her staring at me with wide eyes. She looks horrified. When I glance back down at Midir, I realize why. He’s hardly recognizable. Blood painted all over the place, including my clothes and fists.

When I glance back up at Lucy, she’s stepped closer. “Stay back,” I order.

She ignores me, and I know without a doubt when we get back to the castle, I’m going to punish her for her

disobedience. “Take Midir to the castle and give him a trial,” she says.

I grit my teeth together, glancing at the bloodied face of my enemy. “He didn’t give that luxury to my parents. Why should I o er it to him?”

Lucy sets a hand on my arm. “Because you aren’t him.

You’re better than him.”

She’s right. If I kill Midir in cold blood now, I’m no better than him. “Fine. I’ll give him a trial.”

Brin manages to knock his opponent to the ground and glances over at us. His eyes go wide. “Flynn, watch out.”

My heart leaps into my throat as I spin on Midir. He’s back on his feet, and black is racing at Lucy. I don’t have time to block it with my magic. All I can do is block it with my own body. The magic hits me square in the chest as I bring us both to the ground. “Run, Lucy, now,” I shout.

She gets to her feet. This time she is not ignoring my advice. Her eyes go wide as she looks down at the gaping, bloody wound in the center of my chest. “Not without you.”

I shake my head. “Get out of here now. There’s no hope for me.”

Her eyes glisten with tears. “There’s no me without you.”

I grit my teeth together as the pain overwhelms me. Stars flood my vision as I try to hold onto the image of her beautiful face.

I feel her hands on me. “Please don’t give up.”

“Touching, but nothing will save you now,” Midir growls.

My muscles are tense as I look at him, noticing he’s closing the distance to us. “Please, Lucy, run. Do this for me.”

She hesitates before nodding. I watch her stand and then run past me, not looking back.

Midir laughs and rushes after her.

All I can do is watch as I bleed out on the floor. The need to hold onto my consciousness ruling me, but I’m slowly losing it. My vision blurs to black, and the sound of steel clanging gets further and further away. Another second tick by, and everything fades to nothing. All I see is Lucy’s face etched into my mind—nothing else.

20

LUCY

M

y heart pounds as I stare at the man who is going to end my life. All I can think about is Flynn lying in a pool of blood, knowing I’m about to end up in the same position.

Midir smirks at me, drawing it out. I know from the cruelty in his eyes he intends to dole this out and torture me.

“Come here, human.” He takes a few more steps, closing the gap between us.

Pressure builds inside of me. A mix of rage and fear overwhelming me. I throw my hands up in the air in a jerk reaction to his advance.

My heart almost stops beating as a flash of emerald magic flows from them. I stare at my own hands in shock, mouth wide open. Midir’s black eyes turn from cruel to shocked in a matter of seconds. His body is thrown at least a hundred yards in the air. I watch as he flails, arms and legs beating around.

How the hell can I use magic?

Midir’s body comes crashing to the floor. A sickening crunch makes my wince, as his body looks broken. His face is lifeless, and eyes still open as blood streams from his nose. I

look away, unable to believe I just killed him. How the hell did I kill him?

I glance down at my hands. It’s not possible.

Brín rushes over to me. “How did you do that?”

I shake my head, unable to speak out of shock. Adrenaline pumps through my body, making my limbs tremble.

“Did you find a way to harness Flynn’s magic?” he asks.

“I’ve got no idea. Flynn…” I glance over at his lifeless body on the ground. The panic inside of me drives me toward him as I launch myself from the ground and rush to his side.

My heart is pounding so hard. He’s too still. He can’t be gone. I won’t accept it.

I set my hand against his chest. “Flynn, please wake up.”

It’s too soon for us to say goodbye. A few days isn’t long enough with him—a lifetime wouldn’t be long enough. Tears pool in my eyes, rolling down my cheeks. He’s not breathing.

Brín approaches tears in his eyes too. “He can’t be gone.”

Suddenly, the emerald green magic begins to snake from my hands, cocooning the both of us.

Brín steps back in surprise, as it narrowly misses him.

The magic is warm and soothing as it encases us both. My mates blood begins to move back into his body, much like it did when Brín healed him in the castle. The wound is slowly meshing together. His breathing starts again, and I can hear his heartbeat. I don’t know how, but I can.

My head swims as the last of his wound is sealed. I collapse by his side, too exhausted to hold myself up any longer.

Brín rushes forward. “Lucy, are you okay?” he asks, kneeling next to me.

I don’t have the energy to speak. My body is so drained it feels like I could sleep for a lifetime.

“Answer me,” Brín says, shaking me gently.

I nod my head. “I’m fine, just so tired.”

He sighs in relief and kneels back on his haunches. “I’m not fucking surprised. You just brought Flynn back from the brink of death for star’s sake.” He shakes his head. “I’ve never seen even the most powerful fae do what you just did.”

The other men around us have stopped fighting. Two of the men who were fighting on Midir’s side have set down their weapons. Both of them are staring at me in shock.

“How can she use magic?” one of them asks.

Brín glares at them. “Perhaps this is why you shouldn’t be so quick to judge the pairing of a human and a faerie.”

They bow their heads slightly, glancing over at their fallen leader. Midir is dead. I don’t know exactly how to feel about that, knowing I killed him. A flood of guilt hits me, even though the guy was an asshole. He almost killed my mate. It was either kill him or be killed, but it doesn’t make it any easier.

“Can you stand?” Brín asks.

“I can try if you help me.”

Brín nods and grabs my arm, trying to steady me as I get to my feet. My knees wobble as I try to hold my weight, finding it almost impossible. Exhaustion imbues my limbs.

I’ve never felt so tired in my life.

“What the hell is wrong with me?”

He shakes his head. “You performed powerful magic, that’s what’s wrong. Any faerie would be exhausted from what you just pulled.”

Flynn’s chest rises and falls with deep breaths. I stare down at him, wishing I could hold him right now.

“I assume he’ll be out for a while?” I ask.

Brín shrugs. “No idea, I’ve never seen anyone brought back from the brink like that.”

He moves toward his brother as I keep myself standing. I watch as he lifts him with his magic. “Let’s get back to the castle. This isn’t over yet.” He holds his hand out to me.

I take it, and we’re rushed back to the castle. Brín touches us down in the center of the hallway. I kneel beside Flynn’s body, pressing a hand against his clammy forehead. “Wake up,” I say, feeling tears pool in my eyes.

He opens his eyes, staring right at me. It’s as if my telling him to wake up, woke him. “Lucy,” he says my names weakly.

I smile down at him. My heart soars, seeing him awake.

“You almost died,” I say.

“I-I must have died. I saw Midir ready to kill you.”

I grab his hand and squeeze gently, unsure of how to explain what happened while he was out cold. I’m still not sure what happened. I used magic, but I’m human. “Can you sit up?” I ask, supporting him as he sits upright.

He groans. “I feel like I’ve been blown apart and stitched back together again.”

Brín clears his throat. “That’s not far o .”

I give him a warning look, but he just smirks at me.

“What? You’ve got to tell him what happened.”

Flynn tenses. “Tell me what?”

“Somehow, I used magic.”

His eyes widen. “What? That’s impossible.”

Brín holds a hand out to his brother, which he takes. He pulls him to his feet. “It’s not impossible. I saw it with my own eyes.” He glances back at me. “I think she can draw on your magic through the bond.”

Flynn steps toward me, cupping my face in his hands. “I thought I was going to lose you.” He presses his lips to mine softly, sending a shiver down my spine.

I raise a brow. “You were almost dead, not me.”

“It’s insane, but Lucy brought you back from the brink, brother,” Brín says.

I’m scared of what he will say. Will this change the way he feels about me? He claps his hands together, making me

jump. “I knew it.”

I frown at him. “You knew what?”

He wraps his arm around me and spins me into the air.

“Humans are just as powerful as fae.”

I think he’s getting a little carried away. Humans are anything but powerful. “Not sure about that.”

Flynn turns his attention to his brother. “Any update from Darragh?”

He shakes his head. “Not yet, but with Midir dead—” “Dead?” he asks.

He nods his head toward me again, and Flynn shakes his head. “No way. You killed him?”

I swallow hard. Hearing his say it out loud makes my stomach twist with sickness. It makes me a murderer, and that only really hits me as he stares at me now. “I—I had no choice,” I protest.

“Of course not, but that man was powerful. What exactly happened?”

It all happened in a blur, as I try to remember exactly how it played out. “After he attacked you, he approached me.

When he got too close, I threw my hands up, and magic flowed from my hands.” I shrug. “I took him o guard, and he flew about a hundred yards into the air.”

Flynn’s mouth falls open. “That’s insane.” He steps close to me and places a hand on either side of my arms. “Do you know what this means?”

I stare at him blankly, waiting for him to tell me. I’ve got no idea what any of this means. “You are the superior in our pairing.”

Brín laughs. “No o ense, but I can’t see you being a submissive, Flynn.”

Flynn glares at him. “Could you give us a moment alone?”

He holds his hands up. “Fine, but we’ve still got lots to do. Find me when you are finished.” His brother walks away,

leaving us alone.

Flynn grabs me suddenly, pressing his lips to mine in a desperate kiss. His tongue searches my mouth as he gropes every inch of my body.

I moan as his possessive touch makes goosebumps rise over every inch of my skin.

“I know you weren’t gone long,” he says as he breaks away, keeping my face in his hands. “But, I missed you so much.”

I smile, wrapping my arms around his muscular stomach and hugging him. The relief I feel at being reunited with him after I was sure he’d walk straight into Midir’s trap, is beyond anything I’ve felt before. “I was so scared he was going to kill you.”

Flynn sighs deeply. “I thought both of us were dead.” He grabs my hands and pulls me toward a sofa against a wall in the entrance hall. “I want to speak to you.”

I watch him as he sinks into the sofa, staring at his lap.

“Lucy, I’ve never felt more scared than I did when I thought Midir was going to kill you.” He glances up at me, and his eyes are glazed with what looks like tears. “Why did you defy me when I told you to run?”

I shrug. “I can’t explain it, but I knew I had to be there. It was like a sixth sense.”

He searches my eyes which such intensity. “I wonder if you can draw on my magic for immortality.”

I raise a brow. “Immortality?”

He nods his head. “One of the scariest things about being mated to a mortal is that you are mortal. A short life of only eighty to ninety years.” He grabs my hand. “I hope to the stars that you will live as long as I do, lass.”

I’m not sure how I feel about the idea of being immortal.

Sure, no one wants to die, but for humans, it’s not natural.

“The idea of losing you kills me,” he adds.

I shrug. “It’s natural for humans to die. We’re not immortal.”

He kisses me, silencing my reasoning. “Only time will tell.” He kisses me more deeply, making me moan. “Now, it’s time to address our people.”

My stomach churns at the thought of appearing in front of those angry fae. The ones that were cheering over Midir murdering me only an hour ago. “Is that a good idea?”

He stands, pulling me up at the same time. “It’s necessary. They may be opposed to this, but no one will question you when they find out you killed Midir.”

I must look guilty as hell as he shakes his head.

“Don’t beat yourself up about it. The man would have killed you if you hadn’t acted. It was kill or be killed.”

I nod, knowing he is right. Midir was out for blood. He would have murdered Flynn and me, but killing someone isn’t something you can easily come to terms with. It doesn’t matter what the circumstances are.

“Let’s go.” Flynn wraps an arm around me, and suddenly we’re moving.

It feels like deja vu as we land on the platform I’d been on with Midir. The crowd goes silent as they notice us. “People of the fae, I’m sorry that you have felt the need to rise against me today because of the race of my mate.” He smiles at me. “Lucy is a human and my mate, and this evening she performed magic beyond most fae.”

A murmur of whispers breaks out amongst the crowd.

“The woman before you single-handedly killed Midir in self-defense, while I lay bleeding on the ground. She has just as much right to be your queen than any fae woman.”

There are a few shouts of anger in the crowd, but most are stunned in silence.

“If you don’t believe me, then come up here and challenge my mate. I’d like to see you try.”

Flynn’s eyes burn with such passionate confidence. It moves me to see him like this, a true king addressing his people.

A man steps forward. “I’ll challenge her.”

I sti en in the arms of my mate. There’s no way in hell I want to kill anyone again. Also, who is to say I can do it on command. Emotions were driving me before.

Flynn’s jaw tightens. “Fine, come on up.”

The man appears to be about forty years old and made from pure muscle. As he gets onto the podium, it becomes clear just how tiny I am in comparison to him. My knees shake at the thought of squaring up to him, but Flynn steadies me with his arm. “You’ll be fine,” he breathes into my ear.

It doesn’t feel like I will be, standing in front of this giant.

But, his confidence helps a little. I trust Flynn with my life— it looks like that trust is about to be tested.

“Stand opposite one another, and strike after the count of three,” Flynn says, winking at me.

My heart pounds frantically in my ears as I stare at the man in front of me. His yellow eyes are dancing with magic.

Am I about to die?

I try to remember what I did with Midir, but the stakes aren’t the same.

My love and need to save Flynn forced me to dig deep.

Sure, I don’t want to die right now, but I can’t instill that same panic. Flynn begins to count, and I still can’t feel that magic tug inside of me. This is a mistake.

“Three,” Flynn says.

I brace myself. My eyes clamped on his hands as he lifts them and fires his magic at me. I’m frozen. Too scared to move and clueless about how to stop his attack. I wait for the pain, only to find that his magic bounces o of an emerald green shield of magic that springs up around me.

The man stares in shock, and I lift my hands. Suddenly, I believe I have it in me. Somehow, I can use magic. Flynn’s bond to me makes it a natural part of who I am now. I throw a small blast of magic his way, making sure I don’t kill him.

He flies into the crowd, but people catch him to my relief.

There’s a deathly silence across the entire crowd for what feels like forever.

Then, someone cheers, “All hail Queen Lucy.”

A few more join in, and before I know it, the people who had been cheering for my death only an hour ago are chanting my name. It’s surreal.

Flynn steps up to my side, snaking an arm around my waist. I glance up at him to see him beaming at me. The pride in his eyes makes my heart swell. No one has ever looked at me that way other than my father.

Flynn holds his hand up, and the entire crowd falls silent.

“Now you have witnessed the power my mate possesses, I want to propose something to you that most will find shocking.” He clears his throat, and for the first time, I see the anxiety in his eyes over what he’s about to announce.

“The fae kind has weakened year on year, if we don’t act soon, we will die out.”

The crowd murmur in agreement.

“My mating bond to Lucy is proof that there is power in diversifying. We haven’t been open to the idea of social contact with humans, shifters, or even vampires. Yet, Lucy is proof that a joining of two kinds makes us stronger, not weaker.”

There are a few concerned faces, and I can tell they aren’t entirely convinced.

“I’m not telling you to be with humans or other races, all I’m asking is that we open our hearts and minds to the other races. Hate never got anyone anywhere. The ancient fae

always cherished love over everything else, and I feel we’ve lost that. We need to get back to our roots.”

A large number of the crowd cheer.

“Join Lucy and me in changing our world for the better.”

The majority of the crowd begin chanting our names. It’s hard to believe that this could be the start of a new world. A world where every person, be they fae, shifter, vampire, or witch may come together. It would undoubtedly be a happier place to live.

21

FLYNN

I

start from a terrible nightmare, bolting upright in bed.

In my dream, Lucy had disappeared from me— kidnapped or worse. It was my nightmare come true, but as I wake, I know it can’t be true as I feel the bond strong inside of me. It’s been four weeks since we were reunited—four weeks of total bliss.

I glance over at her side of the bed, and the panic returns when I see she’s not there.

“Lucy?” I call her name, hoping she’ll answer. There’s just silence.

Where is she?

I hear a clatter in the bathroom. My heart pounds as I get out of bed to investigate. If it’s Lucy, why didn’t she answer me?

I try the door, but it’s locked. “Lucy, are you in there?”

“Yes, I’ll be out in a moment.”

A sigh of relief escapes me. “What are you doing up at this hour?” I ask.

“Nothing. I just couldn’t sleep.” A bag rustles on the other side, as she seems to be rushing around.

I run my hand over the door handle and unlock it with magic, turning it quietly. The door swings open, and Lucy

jumps in shock. She drops something on the floor. My eyes go straight to it, and my whole body tenses.

A pregnancy test. My muscles tense, as I hope to God that it’s positive. Ever since I met my mate, all I’ve wanted is to get her pregnant. It’s natural when you meet your mate.

“Are you?”

She stares at me with wide eyes and says nothing for a moment. Before nodding her head slowly. “Yes, I didn’t want you to find out like—” I grab her and kiss her deep, my tongue searching her mouth slowly. “This is amazing news.”

Her brow shoots up, and she stares at me like I’ve gone insane. “We’ve only known each other for two weeks.

I laugh. “You’re my mate. It’s not like that’s ever going to change.” I spin her around. “You’re mine forever now, Lucy, and bearing my children is part of your role as my queen.”

She jerks away from me slightly. “Well, I’m not your queen yet, am I?” I growl, pulling her into my chest. “You’ve been my queen from the day we met. A wedding ring or not, it doesn’t change that.” I nip her lip in warning with my canine, not breaking her skin. “You know you are, and now you are going to give birth to a prince or princess and be an amazing mother.”

She bites her bottom lip. “What if I’m not ready?”

I shake my head. “No one is ever truly ready for parenthood. We’ll face it together and do the best we can.”

She smiles weakly at me. “I love you, Flynn,” she murmurs, pressing her head against my chest.

My whole body is shaking as I hold her. The happiness coursing through me is overwhelming as we stand there— the love of my life in my arms, carrying my baby. I’m going to be a father. No mates get that news so fast after coming together.

“Isn’t it normally hard for you to get women pregnant?”

Lucy asks, peering up at me.

I nod. “Yes, but you’re not fae. I think that’s why it was so easy for us.” I kiss her lips softly. “You are my everything, Lucy. Do you know that?” I ask.

She blushes that deep pink, and it’s adorable. “Maybe you need to show me.” She bites her bottom lip.

My cock is already hard. It may be three-thirty in the morning, but I’m ready to be inside of her. “I’ll show you alright,” I growl, lifting her into my arms.

She gasps as I set her on the sink counter, parting her thighs and exposing her tight little pussy. Lucy isn’t wearing any panties under her slip, just like I told her. “Good girl,” I purr, staring desperately at her glistening entrance.

I kneel before her and bring my mouth down to her clit, sucking gently. She bucks her hips, drawing in a deep breath.

I love toying with her. I love making her so needy she’s begging me to fuck her. I’ll never tire of it.

She moans deeply as I taste her. Lucy is sweeter than anything I’ve ever tasted before. It gets better every time I taste her. I slip my finger into her soaking wet pussy, licking her clit at the same time.

Her body quivers as I lavish attention on her. I run my hand across her hip and grip her tightly, holding her still as I push her higher. The muscles deep inside of her quiver as I finger her. My canines lengthen as need takes hold of me. I can feel my control slipping.

I run the tip of one of them over her clit, making her cry out, “Flynn.” I dig my fingers into her thighs in warning, raising a brow.

“What was that?”

Her emerald eyes are distant as she stares down at me, pleasure written over her face. “Sorry, sir,” she says, sinking her teeth into her bottom lip.

My cock leaks into my tight briefs as I move to taste her again. “Good girl,” I breathe. I sink my canine into her thigh, making her moan deeply.

It’s hard to believe how much she loves pain, as I’d never expected a human to be so open to our ways. She takes to submission like a natural.

“Fuck,” she says, as I slip two fingers into her.

She’s ridiculously wet, dripping around my fingers. I lap her juices up, savoring every single drop. My cock pulses in my boxer briefs, as I slide my other hand into them. I keep my fingers wrapped around my shaft, stroking gently as I taste her.

My desire for Lucy only increases as each day, hour, and second ticks by. “That’s it, lass,” I groan, letting my breath tease against her sensitive clit. “I want you to come so I can lick up every drop.”

The blush in her cheeks travels down her breasts and right to the tip of her ears. Lucy’s moans are like music to my ears. All of a sudden, she comes apart. Her body shuddering on the sink counter as her pussy floods with her perfect cream. I lap up every drop, watching her face twisted in pure pleasure.

She’s a goddess—it’s the only word to describe the woman before me. “You are the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen,” I say.

Her color deepens to red at my compliment. “Are you going to fuck me?” she asks, biting her bottom lip gently.

My cock is so hard it fucking hurts. I groan as I push my boxer briefs down my hips, releasing my shaft.

Lucy moans at the sight of it, widening her parted thighs.

I step closer, grabbing her ankles as I do and forcing her perfect, wet pussy higher so my cock is in line. “Do you want it?” I tease, pressing the head gently between her folds.

A whimper escapes her mouth as she stares down at the place where my cock teases against her. “Yes, please, sir,” she groans, trying to writhe in my grip.

I tighten my hold on her ankles. “Don’t try and move then,” I growl, digging my fingertip into her skin in a possessive grip.

She bites her bottom lip, nipples already hard peaks, and pointing right at me. “Sorry, sir.” Her eyes are pure fire as she teases me.

I thrust my hips forward, and every inch of my cock sinks to the hilt inside of her.

She bites down hard on her lip, brow furrowing as her pussy stretches to fit me.

I wrap an arm around her back, supporting her as she remains perched on the sink counter. My canines are itching to sink into her skin. I lower my head to her breasts, sinking my canines into the left breast gently.

She throws her head back, moaning as I suck on her tender flesh. My body coils with such need as I piston my hips. I can feel myself leaking deep inside of her. My balls are boiling with the need for release.

I lift her from the sink counter and walk her toward the wall, still deep inside of her. She gasps as I press her against the wall, ready to fuck her senseless. She bites my lip as I begin to fuck her against it, supporting her in my arms.

Her arms remain wrapped tightly around my neck as we move as one. I capture her hard nipples with my lips sucking on them.

She moans, dripping more around my shaft as I lavish attention to each one. “Fuck, Flynn,” Lucy cries, my name. I don’t scold her for using my name instead of sir, as we’ve gone past that. We’re making love with such desperate need.

The tension builds inside of her, as she claws her nails into the skin on my back. I can tell she’s so close to her

second orgasm. The way her already tight muscles tighten around my shaft. I groan, trying desperately to hold out.

“That’s it, lass, come all over my cock,” I groan, thrusting into her. My fingertips dig into her hips, forcing her down onto my shaft harder.

It takes two more pumps, and she’s screaming my name.

I smile as I know she’s forgotten entirely to call me sir now.

This is raw and pure need driving the both of us.

She moans, rocking against me in a way that tells me she’s not finished. She wants more, and I know exactly what I want to give her. For too long, I’ve been staring at that perfect, virgin asshole and desperate to claim it. She’s so submissive, and I know she’ll want it as much as I do.

“It’s time for much more,” I groan, sinking my canine into her lip gently.

“Yes, please, sir.”

I smirk and carry her to the bed back in my room, setting her down in the center. “So fucking beautiful,” I say as I stare down at her.

My rough ways haven’t put Lucy o yet, but I wonder if she will be open to one of the most intimate acts all of our people indulge in. It’s the rawest mating ritual and can bring mates closer together. The need to be inside her tight, virgin back hole grows with every passing second.

22

LUCY

F

lynn groans above me, looking down at me with such adoration in his eyes. I’ve never felt more sexy and desirable than at that moment. He’s a god above me. A mighty wall of pure, hard muscle. My eyes trace down his body to his huge, solid cock jutting out from his body. A glistening bead of pre-cum pools at the head and drips onto my tummy.

I need to feel him inside of me—the father of the child growing inside of me. I can’t believe how fast all of this has happened. We’ve hardly known each other for four weeks. I guess that’s what happens when you don’t think about birth control and assume a fae male can’t get a human pregnant.

He captures my lips with his, groaning into my mouth as our tongues tangle together. Our passion heightened in the heat of the moment. Learning we’re going to be parents seems to make this even hotter, somehow. Our bond seems to deepen and strengthen over time.

He sinks his canine into my lip, making me jolt in surprise. “I’m going to fuck you so hard, just like you want.”

I moan, as my thighs quiver. My whole body is melting from the promise he is giving to me. I want it more than anything—more rough fucking from the man of my dreams.

He forces me onto my hands and knees, groaning as he palms my ass cheek in his hands. “You are dripping wet, lass,” he breathes.

He slides the head of his cock through my soaking wet arousal, sending a shiver down my spine. Flynn loves teasing me. He never gives it to me when I want it, always making me wait for it so that I’m quivering with need.

He kisses my ass cheeks softly, making my thighs quiver.

“Please,” I whine, feeling the need inside me grow to unbearable.

He digs his fingertips into my hips hard. “What do you want, lass?” he asks.

A shudder runs through my body at the way he says, lass.

His accent is thicker, and it turns me on more than anything.

“Your cock, sir,” I moan, arching my back. I want to tempt him inside of me, but instead, I feel his tongue against my back hole.

“Fuck,” I gasp.

It feels so dirty and naughty, but also more thrilling than anything I’ve felt before. Flynn’s neat beard grazes my skin as his tongue probes deeper.

My thighs are trembling as he licks me, making me so needy. I hear him open a tube, and suddenly cold liquid is on my hole. “What are you—” Flynn’s finger slips inside my ass, and my whole body tenses before I moan. “That’s it, dirty girl,” he murmurs, moving his finger in and out of my ass. “Let me finger that perfect little hole.”

I can’t believe how good it feels. There was never a time in my life that I considered this kind of experience. Flynn never ceases to amaze me the way he knows how to play my body like an instrument.

He slides two fingers into my ass, slowly stretching it more than it’s ever been stretched. A naughty thought filters

into my mind, and I wonder if that’s where this is going. The idea of taking Flynn’s huge size in my ass turns me on beyond anything.

I groan as he pours more lube onto my hole, and slips a third finger inside.

“Fuck, lass, take those fingers in your hole,” he grunts, thrusting them in and out of me faster.

I moan, loving the way it feels. It’s all so overwhelming, and I feel the quivering ignite in my muscles. He’s got me teetering on edge. Suddenly, he stops entirely, leaving me hanging on the edge.

“What are you doing?” I ask, glancing over my shoulder.

He is holding the bottle of lube again, and his eyes are dark with lust. “I want to fuck that perfect, tight little asshole,” he says, holding my gaze. “Can I?” A shiver travels down my spine. “Won’t it hurt?” I ask.

He shakes his head. “I’ll be gentle.” His voice softens, and he lifts me, setting me on my back. “Only if you want to, though.” He kisses me softly.

I can’t believe the answer, but I do want to try it. It’s insane—the idea of taking his huge size into such a tight hole. “Okay,” I say, nodding my head.

He bites my bottom lip softly, pulling it between his teeth.

“Do you remember the safe word, lass?”

“Yes,” I murmur, holding my breath as he pushes my thighs up. “Are you going to do it in this position?” I ask.

He holds my gaze. “Yes, trust me.”

I jolt as he squirts a huge amount of cold liquid onto my hole, fingering it again. This time, he slips three fingers in straight away. I groan as he stretches me out, slowly moving his fingers. “Do you like me fingering your tight little hole?” he asks.

I can hardly think. My mind overwhelmed by the sensations coursing through my body. Flynn doesn’t give me

any warning, as he slides a fourth finger in.

“Fuck,” I breathe.

Flynn stills his fingers. “Did I hurt you?” he asks.

I shake my head. “No, it just feels so good,” I moan.

The smile that spreads onto his lips is wicked and so beautiful. “Good, wait until you feel my cock, lass.”

I squirm beneath him, feeling myself craving exactly that.

His cock is so much thicker and larger than his fingers, but I want it. I want everything he can give me. He begins to move his fingers in and out of the tight ring of muscles faster, stretching me. I moan as he pulls them out, squirting more cold liquid there.

His cock nudges against my entrance, and I hold my breath. “Relax, lass,” he purrs as he pushes harder. The initial resistance stings, until he slips through the tight ring of muscles. My brain short circuits over the overwhelming fullness and pleasurable sensation as he sinks deeper.

I gasp as I feel him stop, glancing down to see every inch of him gone. “All the way in,” I breathe.

He groans. “Fuck, it’s so damn tight.”

I moan deeply as he stretches me for the first time in my life. The sensations coursing through my body are overwhelming. It’s so new and forbidden. He hasn’t even moved yet, and I can feel myself getting wetter. My body quivering as his heavy balls rest against my skin.

“Are you okay?” he asks, holding my gaze with such fire.

I nod my head, unable to speak right now.

Flynn digs his fingers into my thighs as he pulls out for the first time, letting me feel every inch of him move inside of me. Every muscle and nerve in my body trembles, as I’m so close. It’s ridiculous how overwhelming the feeling is.

Flynn thrusts back into me, and the need to release is powerful. I’m a mere whisper away from exploding. My vision turns white, as every sensation overwhelms me. My

legs give way beneath me at the sheer power of the orgasm I’m on the edge of.

Flynn’s arm slips around my waist. “Not yet, lass.” He stills inside of me, leaving me teetering on the edge of feeling pleasure unparalleled before.

I whimper as he denies me the orgasm that was so close I could almost taste it. It hurts to be so close to the edge only to be denied that pleasure.

He pulls his cock from me, and I feel emptier than I’ve ever felt. He flips me over and forces me onto my hands and knees. “If you come now, I won’t be able to hold on,” he groans. “I need more.”

He places his large hands on my hips, clawing me closer to him.

I bite my bottom lip, waiting for him to enter me in this position. Instead, I feel his fingers dip into my dripping wet pussy.

He uses my arousal to smear onto my back hole, increasing the lubrication. “So fucking wet.” He spanks my ass, before pressing the head of his hard length against my gaping hole. “My dirty little human loves getting her ass fucked, don’t you?”

I groan as the desire inside me reaches boiling point.

“Yes, sir,” I breathe, pushing my hips back against him.

He spanks my ass cheeks again, before gripping my hips with such force. I gasp at the sudden thrilling pain of his nails digging into my skin. His hard cock slips through the muscles easily this time, and I feel him disappear inside of me.

“Fuck,” I moan as he begins to fuck me harder and faster.

The trust between us beyond anything I’ve felt before. Our bond is so strong it made relaxing so much easier. The pain at the start is non-existent now.

Flynn’s arm slides around my waist as he remains deep inside of me, sinking his sharp canines into my neck.

“I want to fill up this tight little hole with my seed, lass,” he growls, licking the wounds at my neck and moving his hands down to my hips.

His deep voice turns me to liquid as he licks a path up my neck. That’s the last gentle act before he turns to a beast behind me. A grunt is a warning that he’s about to lose control. His weight on me increases as he pushes me into the bed, moving over me. His cock so deep I feel like I’m going to explode at any moment.

My mind is turning into a blank canvas. I can’t think. I can hardly breathe. He continues to thrust deep into my ass as I come undone. Every muscle in my body tightening and every nerve ending firing.

The insurmountable pleasure as my orgasm explodes is unexplainable. Stars dance in my vision as wave after wave crashes into me. Flynn continues to fuck me hard, sending my orgasm into hyper-drive. It feels like I’m coming undone over and over again.

“That’s it, lass, come with my cock deep in your ass,” he growls.

His rhythm doesn’t falter as he groans behind me, fucking me hard—my body already on the edge of another explosion. I can feel us becoming one. Our bodies joined in such an intimate way that I can feel our souls joining.

Flynn grunts like an animal, tightening his grip on me and pulling my back toward him. He sinks his canines deep into my neck, and I come apart again. I’m not even sure I finished coming down from the last orgasm. He roars as he pulls his canines out of me, exploding deep in my ass.

I feel his cock pulse inside of me. My mind is unable even to process the pleasure I’m experiencing right now. I feel my legs give way, and Flynn’s heavyweight resting on me. Our

breathing is labored as we remain in that position, saying nothing.

He finally lifts his weight from me, pulling his cock out.

My body feels so empty the moment he’s gone, I whimper.

Flynn wraps his arms around me and lifts me onto his chest, holding me tightly. “Mine, forever now,” he murmurs, kissing my cheek gently.

“You are mine too,” I say, glancing up at him.

He smirks. “Don’t kid yourself, lass, you know I’m the master here.” He winks, before pressing his lips to mine. “I love you,” he whispers.

My throat closes up as I bury my head into his chest. My heart feels like it’s swelling to a ridiculous size, as he holds me close. My mate. The man that owns me so completely.

The love of my life.

Flynn’s rhythmic heartbeat beneath my head is safety. A cocoon of warmth surrounding both of us. I begin to nod o into a peaceful sleep, knowing I’ve never been more complete than at this moment.

23

EPILOGUE

T

he world has changed as we know it. All because of a mating bond between a human and a king of the fae.

As I stand in front of the mirror, a sense of deja vu hits me. The dress I’m wearing is the same as the one I wore that afternoon. It’s been two and a half years since Flynn and I were set to marry, before Midir gatecrashed it.

It’s taken this long to rearrange. After Flynn won around most of the crowd at Myrefall, the rebels fled, especially at the news their leader was dead.

There was so much to do. If you’d told me two and a half years ago that the fae and humans would be integrated by now, I wouldn’t have believed it. Humans have never been at war with the fae, but they were segregated from them. Now we all live side by side, although shifters didn’t like it too much at first. That’s a story for another time.

“Lucy, are you ready?” Brín asks.

Killian and Niamh come rushing into the room—our two children. I can’t deny that I wasn’t prepared for the speed at which fae children grow.

Killian is two years old, but he is the equivalent height of a eight-year-old human. Niamh is only one year old but already as tall as most human four-year-olds.

“Mommy, are you ready?” Killian asks, tugging lightly on my dress.

I smile down at my son. It’s hard to believe that he will be all grown up within another six years. It’s too fast. Killian and Niamh are growing more quickly than pure faerie children. Ever since our joining, it’s become clear that the pairing of a fae and human brings about far stronger children.

They possess magic beyond their years, which can be di cult when you’re a mother trying to control your children.

Often, I have to draw on Flynn’s power. It turns out my worrying exam result at the doctors the day Frank got me a test, was the result of Flynn’s immortality passing through the bond. Most believe I will live far longer than most humans do, but it’s untested.

“Yes, I’m ready. Are you two?”

Niamh skips up to me. “Yes, mommy.” She takes my hand.

“Come on, you two. You have to walk in front of your mom with Aunt Ciara,” Brín says, nodding toward his wife and mate, Ciara. At first, we didn’t see eye to eye, but it didn’t take long for that barrier to fade between us. It happened gradually, just like it did with the rest of the fae and humans. Thousands of fae have found their mates since we brought down those walls dividing us.

Brín holds out his arm. “This feels familiar, doesn’t it?”

I laugh. “Yes, I just hope it goes a bit better this time.”

He smiles. “Of course, it will. Everyone that matters is here today to celebrate your marriage.”

I take Brín’s arm and nod. “Let’s do this then.”

Ciara steps out of the room first, holding Killian’s hand on her right and Niamh’s on her left. The wedding music

begins to play, and I know this is the moment we’ve been waiting for.

I preferred the idea of a secret wedding with only two witnesses. There are hundreds in attendance today—Fae, witches, shifters of all kinds, and of course, humans.

Brín leads me to the door and gives me a last reassuring smile. We step out onto the aisle, and my heart stops beating as everyone’s eyes are on me. It’s overwhelming. Hundreds of people are gathered on either side of the aisle.

Frank is here. He wasn’t thrilled when he learned about Flynn and me. However, he’s since met a beautiful shifter woman called Jane.

They are married and have their first child on the way. He gives me a reassuring smile and nod as I pass him. Even royalty from other races are in attendance today, and it makes me infinitely nervous, until my eyes land on him.

My mate.

Flynn stands at the end in a royal blue suit, smiling at me.

A smile so handsome it makes my heart rate accelerate. My steps grow in confidence as I hold his gaze, desperate to make it to him as quickly as possible.

Ciara and our children set the pace, though, making it impossible for me to move faster. I swallow hard, wanting to get this done as soon as possible. I never wanted to get married, and yet I can’t wait to be married to him.

I let Flynn steal my heart so damn easy, and I’d do it all again in a heartbeat.

Brín squeezes my arm gently, forcing me to slow my steps down. I glance at him, and he smiles. “Slow it down, princess.”

I take a deep breath and try to calm my hammering nerves. I clutch onto Brín’s arm harder to steady myself.

Finally, Ciara peels o to the side with Killian and Niamh.

Nothing stands between my mate and me anymore.

Brín comes to a stop, and the minister holds his hands up.

The music stops. Brín passes my hand into Flynn’s and blue and green magic flares around us.

The minister steps forward. “A mating bond is already a sacred and unbreakable tie between you, but we’re here to initiate that bond into a marriage.” He grabs a binding silk tie, slowly winding it around our joined hands. “This silk tie will represent that unbreakable bond inside of you.”

“Your majesty, please say your vows.”

Flynn’s eyes sparkle as he holds my gaze. “Lucy, you changed me the moment I scented you. I found an innocent, fragile human, falling for you before I’d even seen you. I knew you were my soul mate.”

He shakes his head. “Until I met you, I doubted the truth about the power of mating bonds. Nothing could have prepared me for the emotions I felt when we met. You moved me, challenged me, made me see that I’d been living my life with blinkers on.”

He squeezes my hand as tears spring to my eyes. “You’ve given me two beautiful children and made me the happiest I’ve ever been. I love you more than anything, and I’ll be loving you until the day I take my last breath. I can’t wait to spend the rest of our lives together. You are perfect to me.

My world and life.”

I swallow hard as tears of joy roll down my cheeks. The minister smiles. “Lovely. Lucy, can you say your vows, please?”

I didn’t write anything, trusting I can speak from the heart. “I never wanted to marry. I was very adamant from a young age that I’d never need a man. Then, I met you. I had no choice in the matter since we were bound to each other.” I get a few laughs from the guests.

“The bond that formed between us is the best thing that has ever happened to me. You woke me to the beauty of the

world and life. Before I met you, I’d been sleepwalking through my days. I’d never truly lived until you opened my eyes.”

Tears well in my eyes as the emotion consumes me. “You are the perfect partner and father to our children. I’m looking forward to sharing an eternity of bliss and love with you.”

The minister smiles. “Perfect. The bond is sealed now in marriage. An extra promise between the two of you that binds you even more closely than before.” He removes the silk tie from our hands. “I now pronounce you husband and wife.” He claps his hands together. “Your majesty, you may kiss your wife and queen.”

Flynn pulls me into him, kissing me passionately. Cheers erupt from the guests, but it all fades into the distance. It feels like we’re the only two people on the planet in those few moments.

Our life together started when he turned up at my cottage door the evening of the solstice, and it wasn’t all plain sailing.

We faced death together. We fought together. We came through the other side. Now, he’s o cially my husband—the father of my children and the love of my life. Our love had the power to change the world forever, and I’ll be grateful for the rest of my days.

T HE RECEPTION IS STUNNING . Flynn found a perfect clearing in the forest, and it’s lit with magical lights. A few tents are setup with chairs and a dance floor in one. Music plays, and people are dancing. Shifters, humans, vampires, witches, and fae are all dancing together. It was our hope and vision for this world.

“Let’s dance,” Flynn says, grabbing my hand and pulling me to my feet. I don’t have a chance to say no, as he has me on the dance floor within seconds.

“You didn’t give me a chance to answer you.”

He winks. “I know you want to dance with me.”

I shake my head, chuckling. “You’re too cocky.” I push him gently.

He kisses me softly, moving us to the music. “I love you, every single part of you,” he murmurs.

I shut my eyes, enjoying his embrace. “I don’t know how I got so lucky.”

He spins me around. “I’m the one that got lucky. Do you know how long I waited for you?”

When I don’t say anything, he spins me back into his arms. “One hundred and forty years to be precise.”

I raise a brow.

“We come of age at ten years old, and I’ve waited, a part of me missing. You were that part. I think I’m the lucky one here.” Flynn pulls me closer and whispers in my ear, “It’s about time I made you my wife o cially.”

I glance at him and then back at the children playing at our table. “Flynn, you know we can’t be reckless with the children around.”

He smirks. “Ciara has already agreed to have them for a week.”

I raise a brow. “A week?”

“Of course, for our honeymoon.”

I glance back at our children at the table with Ciara. The thought of being away from them for any time makes me nervous. We’ve never left them alone.

“Before you say you don’t want to leave them, we will be one spell away. If anything were to happen, you know we can get back within seconds.”

He has a point. Ever since Killian was born, I’ve hardly been able to relax. A constant worry that someone might want to hurt our children follows me everywhere. They were the first half-fae children. Although most of the world has accepted the change, some will never accept it. They are proof that power is in integration rather than segregation.

There are still thousands that don’t see it the way we do.

Most of them are in hiding for crimes against the crown.

They were part of Midir’s original rebellion.

“What do you say, lass?” Flynn asks, eyes fiery with pure lust.

I clench my thighs at the thought. Even two and a half years on, the fire for this man is burning so brightly. “Okay, but let’s say goodbye first.”

He smiles. “Of course, they won’t want you to go, though.” He kisses me. “You’re the best mom ever.”

“Killian and Niamh, come here, please,” I say.

They jump to their feet and run toward me. Niamh grabs my hand. “What is it, mommy?”

“Daddy and I are going to go on a honeymoon for a week.

You are going to stay with Aunt Ciara and Uncle Brín.”

They both smile excitedly. “Yay,” they chant together.

Okay, that was easier than I expected. The kids want to stay with their aunt and uncle. “We’ll only be a moment away if you need us.”

Ciara approaches us. “They will be fine with us, Lucy. If there are any problems, you know we’ll tell you.”

Brín wraps an arm around Ciara, placing a hand on the bump of her stomach. “It will be good practice for us.”

They struggled to get pregnant but finally had the news two months ago. The time it took them is relatively common between two faeries. Flynn and I broke the record for the speed at which he got me pregnant.

I was so glad for them when we heard. Our little family is starting to grow and fill the castle with joy. Flynn doesn’t know yet, but we’re expecting our third child. I intend to tell him tonight. A perfect wedding gift, as he wants a large family.

“See you in a week, you two,” I say, hugging them both close. “Be good for your aunt and uncle.”

“Bye, mommy and daddy.”

Flynn grabs each of them, lifting them both at the same time. “Be good, you rascals.” He kisses them each on the cheek before setting them back down.

My heart swells, seeing the way he is with them. He’s not only the perfect partner but such an amazing dad. He walks toward me and slips a hand onto the small of my back.

“Everyone, thank you for coming to celebrate our wedding,” he booms to the hundreds of guests gathered in the clearing.

“We will depart now, but we will see you when we’re back.”

Cheers break out as Flynn kisses me, and suddenly we’re moving. I hold on tightly to him. When we stop moving, we’re in a luxurious Asian home. I look around, noticing the windows on one side. “Where are we?” I ask.

He smiles. “Thailand.” He nods toward the windows.

“Take a look.”

I approach the far side toward the windows, and my heart skips a beat. We’re up so high in the trees. A treehouse, looking over the expanse of the azure sea. “Wow, it’s beautiful.”

Flynn wraps his arms around my waist. “Not as beautiful as you.”

I roll my eyes. “Does that line often work?” I ask, smiling.

He presses his lips to the base of my neck. “All the time on you.”

“That’s not true.” I twirl around into his arms. “I have something to tell you.”

He tilts his head to the side. “What is it, lass?”

“We’re having another child.”

The joy that ignites in his eyes could make my heart explode. “Really?”

I nod my head. “Yeah, the doctor confirmed it yesterday morning. I wanted to wait until after the wedding to tell you.”

He lifts me into the air, spinning me around. “I can’t wait for our family to keep growing.”

I raise a brow. “Isn’t three enough?”

He shakes his head. “No way. I want at least eight.”

“Eight?” My mouth falls open. That’s a hell of a lot of children, although they do grow so fast.

“At least. Let’s get started on making another.” He smirks, kissing my lips.

I pull away. “That’s impossible, considering I’m already pregnant.”

He smirks. “I know, I just wanted an excuse to be inside you.” He lifts me from the ground, carrying me out the patio doors. A bubbling hot tub and pool merge, looking out over the ocean.

He sets me down. “Strip.”

I stare at my husband, loving the way he moves so quickly into that dominant role. “Or what?” I ask, holding his gaze.

“Lucy, don’t push me.”

I smirk at that and walk away from him, glancing over my shoulder. “Make me.” He’s entirely naked already, and the sight makes my desire peak. He’s trying to make me break.

He growls, eyes burning with such fire it makes my thighs clench. Within a second, his hands are all over me. My body burns like wildfire.

He tears my dress from me, making me gasp.

“Flynn, you tore my wedding dress.”

“Nothing a bit of magic can’t fix. Serves you right for teasing me.” I stand in front of him in white lace underwear and garters.

He groans as his eyes drag down my body. “I fucking love you.” His canines lengthen as he pulls me into him, sinking them right into my neck.

I moan deeply, feeling myself dampen between my thighs.

Flynn’s fingers move between my thighs as he keeps his canines in my neck, brushing lightly against my clit. I jolt, desperate for more.

Our souls join the moment he touches me. I groan as he lifts me and carries me into the heated pool. The sun is just disappearing down below the horizon, painting the sky in a beautiful mix of red and orange.

“I’m going to punish you for defying me,” he purrs into my ear, perching on a stool in the pool. He pulls me over his knee, so I’m out of the warm water. “You need a good spanking.”

“Yes, sir, spank me,” I moan.

His cock twitches against my stomach. His hand comes down hard and fast three times on each cheek, making me jolt. The stinging pain where he bit me at my neck still pulsing.

The water splashes around my arms as he takes me in hand. My husband is making me moan over his knee. His finger teases between my thighs, sliding through the drenched lace of my panties. Suddenly, he grabs them and tears them o me. “No need for panties. I don’t want you to wear any for the rest of this trip. Do you understand?”

“Yes, sir,” I moan, arching my back in an attempt to tease him into touching me. I need to feel him inside of me—any part of him.

“Good lass,” he purrs, sliding his finger through my dripping wet folds.

I moan as he lightly fingers my clit, making me jolt.

“Fuck.”

He spanks my ass again. “Do you like me teasing that pretty little pussy?” he groans.

“Yes, I love it, sir.”

He groans as his throbbing cock seems to thicken beneath me. “So do I.” His finger leaves my pussy, and I glance over my shoulder to see him licking my juice from it. “So damn sweet.”

He lifts me from his lap and hoists me onto the stool. I lean back as he parts my legs wide and fists his enormous length in his hand. “Time for me to taste my wife’s sweet as hell pussy.”

I moan as he lowers his head between my thighs, breathing gently on my clit. A shiver skates down my spine as his trimmed beard lightly tickles the sensitive area.

“Please, Flynn,” I moan, desperate to feel his tongue on me.

He dips his tongue between my folds, sending too little pleasure through my nerve endings. It’s crazy how much he can wind me up, even now. His tongue flicks over my clit, making me jolt. “Fuck. Stop teasing me,” I moan.

He spanks my thigh. “What do you call me?” He holds my gaze with such fire.

“Stop teasing me, sir.”

“Good girl.” He begins to feast on my pussy, licking and nipping at me with his sharp canines.

I want to dig my fingers into something, but there’s nothing to claw onto. He slides three thick fingers into the gaping hole that has opened inside of me.

“Oh, yes,” I moan as he curls his fingers inside me to stroke the spot that always gets me going. My release is

tantalizingly close already. I buck my hips, making his fingers slip deeper inside of me.

He growls and places his other hand on my hip. “No moving.”

I still in the water. “Sorry, sir.”

He groans and continues to lick me. My submission seems to turn him on more than anything ever can. Flynn speeds up his movements, chasing my orgasm with his tongue. Every lick and thrust of his fingers are edging me closer. A shiver races down my spine as he traces the tips of his canines gently over my clit. A flash of white ignites behind my eye lids as they clamp shut. “Fuck,” I moan, my whole body convulsing beneath his hand as he licks every drop from my pussy.

When I finally come down from euphoria, my eyes go straight to the thick cock in his hand. It’s leaking pearly precum into the water, as he continues to move his hand from root to tip.

“Are you going to let me taste you, sir?” I ask.

His eyes shoot up to meet mine. “Such a dirty little human, aren’t you? Do you want to suck my cock?” He moves back and gives me a good view of it. Hard and ready.

I’m so needy to taste him that my mouth is watering.

“Yes, please, sir.”

He laces his fingers behind my head and pulls me into him, kissing me deeply. “Well, my dirty little slut always gets what she wants, doesn’t she?”

I lick my lips, nodding. “Yes, sir.”

He moves to sit on the stool where I had been, his cock standing proud. “Then, suck it like the dirty lass you are.”

I moan as I wrap my fingers around the shaft and tug on his cock, making more pre-cum pool at the tip. My tongue darts out to taste the salty, masculine taste. Slowly, I wrap

my lips around the swollen head and tease the tip of my tongue around it.

He leaks even more into my mouth, and I’ve hardly even started yet. I’ve managed to perfect taking him into my throat without gagging, despite his enormous size.

I relax my throat and sink onto it, taking him right into the back.

He growls as I take every single inch. “Fuck, that’s it.

Deep throat my cock, lass.” His dirty talk spurs me on as I slide him in and out of my throat.

I pull o his cock, making him groan in disapproval.

“Did I tell you to stop?”

I shake my head and twirl a strand of hair around my finger. “No, sir, I just thought you might want to fuck my throat.”

“Fuck.” He laces his fingers into my hair. “Open wide, lass. You asked for this.”

My nipples tighten, and my pussy floods as his tone of voice promises he’ll be rough—exactly how I like it.

He shoves his cock to the back of my throat and begins to piston his hips in and out. I take every inch, trying to breathe through my nose. After about eight thrusts, I miss a beat and gag on him. Saliva spills down his cock, but he keeps going.

“That’s it. I want you to gag all over me.”

I regain composure and continue to take him into the back of my throat. He stops as his cock spills a massive amount of pre-cum down my throat. He pulls me o him and kisses me hard, tasting himself on my tongue. “Time for me to be inside my wife’s perfect little pussy.”

He lifts me with no trouble and positions me over the head of his throbbing dick. Without warning, he lowers me over him. I’m so wet, he slides in, despite the tight fit. It’s as if my pussy was made to fit his cock. Every part of me was made to compliment him and vice versa.

He bottoms out inside of me, going as deep as possible.

“Ride me,” he growls, holding my arms behind my back.

I grind my hips, trying to fuck him in and out as quickly as possible. My body needs more. It requires him to take control, but I know he’s teasing me. He’s making me so needy I beg him for it. I bite my bottom lip, trying to resist the urge to beg. It’s too much.

“Please, Flynn,” I moan.

He grabs my hips and jolts me down hard back onto his cock. “What do you want, lass?” he asks.

I groan. “You, fucking me hard, sir.”

He growls a noise that sounds like a bear, before lifting me out of the water. His cock still deeply embedded inside of me as he moves e ortlessly, carrying my weight. My back rests against his hard chest.

He takes me over to a daybed and sets me down. “On your hands and knees, dirty girl.”

I do as he says, arching my back to give him a good view.

He spanks my ass cheeks, kneading them in his hands before sliding deep inside of me.

Ever since he learned I had some magical abilities due to the bond, he’s let go with me. The beast I love him to be always unleashed when we fuck. He was rough when we met, but that wasn’t even near him letting go.

He tightens his grip on my hips, digging his fingers in so hard I know there will be bruises tomorrow. I love the way he gets rough, overcome with desire—a desire that matches my own.

I arch my back as he sinks in deep, pounding me hard.

The speed at which he fucks me increases with every stroke.

I moan deeply, loving the way my husband takes me in hand.

He spanks my ass, pushing me closer to the edge.

Heat explodes through me as he pushes me higher.

Flynn’s grunts increase. Every sound he makes more beast-

like. “Fuck, your pussy is so damn tight,” he growls.

I moan, feeling him so deep, I know I’m going to tumble over the edge any moment. My nipples are so hard they almost hurt. I need release.

“Oh my God,” I moan, arching my back. “Fuck me harder, sir.”

He growls and fucks me even harder for a handful of thrusts. It’s all it takes, as I explode, crying out as he sends me spiraling into oblivion. White explodes behind my eyelids, and my whole body shakes with the force of my orgasm.

“Fuck, that’s it, lass, come all over my cock,” Flynn groans, as he lets go, spilling his seed deep inside of me.

I collapse forward onto the bed, feeling utterly exhausted.

Flynn drops by the side of me, quickly pulling me against him. His warmth cocoons me as we lie naked and spent on the balcony of our honeymoon suite. I stare up at the starstudded sky, taking in the utter beauty.

He breaks the silence first. “I’ve never been this blissfully happy,” he says, glancing down at me.

I smile, feeling his slow heartbeat beneath my head. “Me neither.”

“You are my world.” He squeezes me tightly. “Everything to me.”

I clutch onto his chest, feeling a lump form in my throat.

Tears cloud my eyes. I never knew love could feel so good.

Flynn is the other half to my whole. The part of me that had been missing my entire life, I just never knew it.

“I love you,” I say, burying my head into his chest.

There’s no doubt in my mind that I’m where I’m supposed to be, in the arms of my soul mate and best friend. Together, we can take on the world. This man is my everything, and he has given me more than I could have hoped for—eternal happiness.

THE END

T HANK you for reading Her Faerie King, the first book in The Royally Mated series. I hope you enjoyed following Lucy & Flynn’s story.

The next book follows Rhys & Anastasia’s story and will be available through Kindle Unlimited or to pre-order on Amazon.

Her Alpha King: A Royal Wolf Shifter Paranormal Romance

I’ve just mated to a human, which is a BIG problem.

The king of the wolf shifters can’t take a human as a mate.

But, her scent calls to me and drives me wild.

She’s the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen—human or shifter.

My wolf has to be leashed as it wants to break free and drag her into the woods. Shifters in my area are forbidden from being with humans. If you mate to a human, you must break the bond. A problem considering my wolf won’t be tamed—he will claim her.

This will cause an uprising on both sides, but my wolf wants to fight. I will do anything to keep hold of her.

Anastasia is mine.

MAILING LIST

If you enjoy reading about possessive alpha men, steamy hot insta-lust, and romance, then grab my free novella on o er.

Filthy Doctor is a 34k novella and part of the Wynton series.

Join my mailing list and receive Filthy Doctor for free!

Click here to join now!

ALSO BY BIANCA COLE

Wynton Series Filthy Boss: A Forbidden O

ce Romance

Filthy Professor: A First Time Professor And Student Romance Filthy Lawyer: A Forbidden Hate to Love Romance Romano Mafia Brother’s Series Her Mafia Daddy: A Dark Daddy Romance Her Mafia Boss: A Dark Romance Her Mafia King: A Dark Romance Bratva Brotherhood Series Bought by the Bratva: A Dark Mafia Romance Captured by the Bratva: A Dark Mafia Romance Claimed by the Bratva: A Dark Mafia Romance Bound by the Bratva: A Dark Mafia Romance Royally Mated Series Her Alpha King: A Royal Wolf Shifter Paranormal Romance Her Dragon King: A Dragon Shifter Paranormal Romance Her Vampire King: A Dark Vampire Romance

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Bianca Cole loves to write stories about over the top alpha bad boys who have heart beneath it all, fiery heroines, and happily-ever-after endings with heart.

Her stories have twists and turns that will keep you flipping the pages, and just enough heat to set your kindle on fire.

If you enjoyed this book please follow her on Amazon or Facebook for alerts when more books are released - Click here for her Amazon Author Page.