ThisistheTHIRDbookinthe Fae Hearted series,afantasywhychooseromancewithdarkthemes.It’ssetinthesame universe as Shadowcraft Academy and Bewitching Monsters series buthappens several centuries inthe pastand is whatIcalltheoriginstoryforthe Shadowcraft Universe. Thefemalemaincharacterwill endupwithmorethanoneoftheloveinterests Groupscenesareontheagenda(hint: in thisbook).
Several years ago, the Elven Mage Weaver, who linked Wynstelle and me as infants, snuck into the mortal realm. The powerfulmageriskedbeingcaughtbyKingNathanieltoteachmeaboutmynatureandchangelingmagic Shetoldmehowthe sickly baby, Wynstelle, magically bound the Human-Elven Peace Treaty when I replaced Wynstelle as the Mortal King Nathaniel’schild.
The ElvenMage warned me there would be repercussions ifIever metwithWyn She also predicted thatone dayWyn wouldfindherwaythroughtheportal.Shewascorrect.
Throughaseriesofevents,fatebroughtWynbacktohercastlehome,whereshediscoveredthetangledsecretofourpast Our lives were forever changed as infants, and Iassume, notfor the better. To secure peace betweenthe realms, Iwas deniedmyimmortalElvenlife,andWyngrewupasanindenturedservant alowlyhumaninanelfdominatedrealm Inthebiggerpicture,Iunderstanditwasareasonableexchange twolivesforpeaceforahundredthousandlivesintwo realms.
Inmanyways,Iambetter offfor it Tradedtothemortal king,Ilandedinthelapofluxury human luxury Myadopted fatheriskindandgenerouswithme,eventhoughI’mnottrulyhisdaughter.Notthateitherofuscanrevealthatdangerousfact. HetreatsmeasifIwerehisfleshandblood.AndbecauseoftheWeaver’smagicthatmimicsmydevelopmentandlooks,I’m practicallyWynstelle’stwin.
When Wynstelle returned to the human realm, I was painfully reminded of what I truly am an impostor. A pretender princess Asecretinterloper
Wynstelle thinks herself the lesser beauty. Of course, my doppelgänger is human and therefore shorter and curvier. However,Wynglowsnotfromtheimmortalmagicofthefaerealm,butwithanessenceallherown
“Don’ttellthem,butfaeriespayattentiontomorethantheelvesbelievewedo Werememberoffensesandgenerosity You havealwaysbeenmorethangenerous nomatterhowlittleyouhadthatwasyourstooffer.”
My heart swells, realizing I have been the talk of the fae kingdompositively “I amblessed with your fellow faeries’ friendship.TheykeptmysecretswhenIbroketherulesasachild,andIwillneverforgetthat.AndIwon’tforgetwhatyoudid tosavemylife.IheartheonlyreasonOakesandJadenfoundmeintimewasduetoyouleadingthemtotheportal.”
“Iknow youwould have ifyoucould have” Outmywindow, Iwatchthe other flower faeries tendingto their flowers Lalo’s mates won’tbe too far off, keepinganeye onher. “Is there anythingelse Icanspeakto Prince Eldrinaboutonyour behalf?”
“Nothinghecouldfix.”
Ileanincloser.“Whatdoyoumean?”
“Asidefromelves,noonehasasayinwhathappensinourrealm Therearerumblingsofwar,andwedon’twantthat” Again, Lalo glances around nervouslyto see ifanyone is listening. “We have heard talkofkillingcertainfae species. And killingallthehumanshere Ievenheardofotherelveswhowanttohurtyou Isupposenotallelveswantwarorkilling But weareasking,whydokingsandqueensdecideourfate?”ThelastwordsspilloutofLalo.Thenhereyesgowideinshock, andsheclapsahandoverherowntinymouth.“Ishouldn’thavesaidanyofthat!”
“Yes When Wynstelle opened my eyes to the royals’unfair treatment of your family in our gardens By granting your freedom,Iwasrewarded.However,Istilloweyou.”
“Hastherebeenanotherthreatagainstyou?”Eldrin’sgazepiercesmeashesensesmorebehindmywords. “Notexactly. Uh…” Myeyes dartto meethis. “The flower faeries have heard rumors. Theymentioned the rumblings of warandkilling”
Jadenraiseshiseyebrowsincontemplation.“NowonderKingMagnuswantedthelittleonesbannedfromthegrounds.He doesn’t like them potentially overhearing his plans” The head of Eldrin’s security scratches his chin “They could be an untappedresourceforus.”Heasksme,“Doyouthinktheywouldconfideinyouinmoredetail?Ortalktome?”
“Maybe Probably” Inod “Theyseemto like me, and theyare beginningto trustEldrin And byextension, theywould likelytrustyou,too.”
“Good.”Jadensmiles,anditseemstolightuptheroom.“Theprospectofhavingextraresourcestodrawonisintriguing.” Eldrincuts in “Let’s take a momenttoconsider this Idon’twanttoabuse their trustor cause themanyproblems Their liveswouldbeatriskifanyonefindsoutaboutthembesidesthefourofus.” MyheartwarmsthatEldrinisthinkingofthefaeries’safety Heprobablywouldn’thavedonethatbeforeImethim Itouch his hand.“Iagreewithyou,butIthinktheymight want tohelpanywaytheycouldtopreventawar andthedevastationthat follows.”
“More involved Continued involvement Bonded”Ifrownathisargument “Whatareyousaying?”Jaden’ssaddenedvioleteyescutmyhearttopieces.“Youdon’twanttobearoundusatall?” Iturnawayfromhisgaze,afraidIwilllosemyconviction.“Youthreearethemosteligiblebachelorsinthekingdom.IfI thoughtelveshatedmeandIwasunderattackbefore,theywilltrulyhatemeifIclaimany ofyou I’msureIwillhaveinstant deathcursesplacedonmeifImatebond all three ofyou,asyou’resuggestingIdo.”
Eldrinclasps myforearmfirmlybut gentlyto hold myattention. “How about we meet withMage Nevenand see what counsel shemightgiveus?Iwasunder theimpressionfromour previousconversationsthatshebelievedyou belonged with us…here.”
After breakfast, Eldrinkisses the top ofWyn’s head and departs to meetwitha delegationfroma neighboringkingdom WhileOakesshowsWynoutofthediningroom,Eldrinpullsmeasideandsaysquietly,“IwantoneofuswithWynatall times.”
“Iwasabouttosuggestthesame,”Iwhisperback “She’scorrecttobeconcernedabouthersafety” “Wynissafest with us,”Eldrinsaysaswebothwatchherpetiteformwalkdownthehallwiththelargerthanaverageelf, Oakes
“ShouldwetellherwhatMageNevenprophesied?”
“Not yet Wyn already realizes she’s a target for both realms” Eldrin finally looks back at me “If the mage finds it necessarytorevealthatWyn’sbloodis meant tostartthewar,thensobeit.I’mworriedWynwoulddosomethingdrasticto preventawarandinadvertentlycauseone.”
WhenIaskedtobehermate,Ihadn’tthoughtshewouldevenconsidermeasapossibility.NowWynisconsidering all of us,eventhoughsheprotestsit’sadangerousidea.WillIbeluckyenoughtobechosen?
“No. I suppose if Merlara suspected me, not addressing it gave her plausible deniability if I ever got caught.” Wyn’s forehead wrinkles inconfusion “Now, though, I’mwonderinghow muchMerlara knew aboutmyorigins and mypartinthe peacetreaty.”
“I didn’t recognize her” The Elven guard blanches, realizing what has happened on his watch “We’ve had a lot of unfamiliarfacesinthelastmoon,”heexplains,mortified.“IknewWynwasn’tinside,soIthoughtnothingofhernothavingher usualguards.”
Agisiscorrect thereare too manynew peoplefor myliking,evenwithmyeffortstoweedoutthoseIdon’ttrust.King Magnusisprobablybehindit.IwilltalktoCorwin,mysecond-in-commandoftheprince’ssecuritydetail,aboutwhohasbeen hiringmyadditionalguards ItrymybesttoprotectWyn,butwithonlyfourtrustedguardsforbothWynandEldrinatalltimes, we are short-handed. Igave Corwinpermissionto postother guards to take shifts for Eldrin’s and Wyn’s rooms whenthey wereunoccupied IrealizenowIhavetobeevenmorevigilantconcerningtheguardscheduleandaskmyfourmosttrustedfor recommendationsonnewpermanentplacements.
“It’s more thanmating,Wyn Weneedtokeepyousafebeyondthecastlewalls Theywon’tletyouleaveandliveyourlife They’llcomeafteryou.Wemustmakeourstandhereandnowandtakethemdown.”Isigh,hatingtomakeherfeelthereisno wayout. Imustexplainhow importanther life is to the balance ofthe realms, butitisn’tmyplace to say, notonmyown. “We’lltalkwithEldrinandOakesaboutthethreatbeforedecidingwhattodonext” Wynhuffsbutallowsmetoleadherdownthehallway.
Shewrapsherarmsaroundhiswaist “Jaden,youdidn’tsaythatbefore” “I’muncertain ofthe blood’s origins. There was too muchcontaminationto detectanythingproperly.” Ishake myhead. “Regardless,weshouldassumethis is athreattoWyn’slife”
“Ican”Oakes clearlyreads theprincewon’tbeabletofunctionandreluctantlyreleases his holdofWyn “I’ll joinyou whenI’mdone.”
DEALING
ELDRIN
Myheartraceswiththenewestthreatagainstmyloveasourguardsescortustomyprivatequarters Icastaworried glanceatWyn.EvenwithoutOakes’powers ofempathy,Icantell thatshe is readytobreakawayandrunfor the forest.Idon’tblameherinstinctssincetheyaresound.ButIwon’tletWynbetakenfromusagain.
“Nonsense”Istrokeherlong,silkenbrownhair “Youbelonghere Elfhameisyourhome,andnow,soisRyven” “Whydid KingMagnus wantme backinElfhame, anyway?” Wynasks. “Whydidn’the kill me or send me offto some horriblemale?Doyouthinkhestillplansonusingmeasbaittoinciteawar?”
“It’spossiblehehassomethinguphissleeve,”Ianswerhonestly,butwithreservation Wynalwaysseemstosensewhen the truthis skirted. “Evenwithouthis encouragement, Commander Turgoncould execute their original plans. ButIwon’tlet himuseyouthatway Youalreadypreventedthemfromusingyoutobreakthetreatybyremainingalive”
“Wecanallsleepheretonight,”Ioffer “Idon’tthinkanyofuswanttoleaveWynalone Wyn,wouldyoulikethat?” She grins at me, and my heart nearly bursts with joy. I love being the reason for her happiness. It will never get old, bringingasmiletothisbeautifulsoul
AlreadyI have beenkidnapped, beaten, sliced open, and left for dead inthe snow inthe mortal realm. That isn’t even countingtheghoulsthatwerespelledtoattackhumansinElfhame.Myintuitionsensesthatitisn’t just KingMagnusbehindthe ghoulattacksandmyabduction
IremindmyselfthatIshouldconsider whatthemagehas tosaybeforeImakeafinal decision.MageNevenadvisedme before my abduction to the human realmthat I shouldn’t run away, but the circumstances are different now. Maybe I was supposedtomeetmyfatherinthestrangewayIdid ThediscoverythatI’mthehumanking’sbiologicaldaughterisshocking, butperhapsthatwashowitwasmeanttohappen.
Mybiggestconcernis where togo.Ican’treturntothemortal realm.KingMagnuswill usethesituationasanexcuseto attack my father. But where could I go in Elfhame that will be safe? Where will I minimize the conflict between the two realms? Iwonder ifit’s possible to returnto myformer life withmykeeper, Merlara. Or should Itravel to a distantElven kingdomand find some kind elfto serve there? Butnotto mate. No, Ican’timagine matingwithanyone besides these three elves
Mage Nevenwaits for us inmymeetingchambers Whenthe four of us enter, we bow indeference to the mage’s stationasaspiritualleader.I’veplacedextraguardsoutsidetheroomtoensurehersafety.Irefusetoallowanything tohappentotheseerortoWyn.
“Those are the words thatcame throughwhenIdivinedaboutyour partinthe war However,prophecyis a trickything Interpretationscanbebiasedanddrawntoohastily.”
“Thenwhatisyourinterpretation?”Wynaskswithanedge.
She is definitelytired ofthe games and demands answers. This more confidentand assertive side is exactlywhatIhad glimpsedbefore andIlove watchingher bloomintothe womanshe is meanttobe notthatIlike why she has to bloomso quickly
“Blooddoesn’talwaysmeandeath,”themageexplains.“Andyouhavealreadyshedblood twice whentheelfattacked you and then when the humans did So I would also argue the treaty has already been broken, and the prophecy has been fulfilled.Whilewemightnotseeobviousevidenceofityet,thewarhasalreadybegun.” “Myfather,”Igrumble.
Irelaxinmychair.“Yousuggestwemate,continueonwithourlivesasIhadalreadyplannedit,and that ishowwecan stopthewar?”
“I’msayingthatisallyoucandoforthetimebeing,”Nevensays.“Isuspectthemagicuserwhospelledtheghoulsispart ofwhymyvisionsofthefutureareunclear IwishIhadmoretooffer,buttherearetoomanyvariablesatplay ButIdosense many more challenges for all of you to face. However, my intuition tells me you can only overcome it if you are bonded together”
“I’mleavingthe decisionto mate up to Wynstelle.” Isqueeze Wyn’s hand to reassure her thatthis is ultimatelystill her choice.“WasKingMagnusbehindtheghoulattacks?”
“Whoever created that spell was powerful. Unfortunately, mymage circle at the temple couldn’t trackthe origins. That beingsaid,althoughIsuspectthekingwas themastermind,itcouldalsobe someone workingindependently.Yetonlya few elvescanactuallycastaspellaspowerfulasthisone”
“Well,sortof…”Ishrug,feelingsmallandlost.“Please,lookatitfrommypointofviewforamoment.Itseemscrazythat all three ofyouwould want me. I’mmortal, raised as a servant. Sure, I’mpleasant enoughto lookat, but compared to the magicalbeautyofanelf,I’munattractive.”
Eldrin, Jaden, and Oakes all jump to their feet, standinginprotestatmywords. I’mstartled whentheyall surround me, crowdingmein
WhenI don’t agree right away, Jadenpulls me up into his arms, his hands under myass, wrappingmylegs around his waist.Theothertwoclosein,pressingtheirbodiesagainstmine.
Mybreathingisshakywiththeirraptattention.“Alright.Iwillspeakkinderaboutmyself,”Iconcede.“But ” Jadengrowls,sensinganargument.“Answerusthis.Whatdo you want?”Hiseyesseemtoseeintomysoul. Ishiftuneasilyinhisarms “I I ”Ihesitate Mynextwordswillchangemylifeandtheirlivesforever “Iwantyou” Jadenholds me tighter inhis powerful arms, and withmylegs wrapped around his narrow waist, Icanalmostfeel him vibratewithjoy
IturntoEldrinandtoOakes.“Andyouandyou.”
ThemalesrushtopulloffmyclotheswhileI’mstilldrapedaroundJaden’swaist.There’safrenzyofkissingandnibbling alongmyneck, over the tops ofmybreasts Iwishone ofthemwould finallypull mydress offto expose mynaked fleshto them.
The elves each take turns kissing me slowly, passionately With just their gentle kisses, my breathing becomes ragged, grindingmyselfonJaden’sgrowingbulgeinhispants.Myskinflusheswitharousal.
Eldrinfinallypullsdownmyblouseandsucksonmyhardenednipple MyheadfallsbackagainstOakes’chestinbliss Oakes uses the moment to remove me fromJaden’s arms, and carries me over to Eldrin’s bed. He settles me onto the middleofthemattress.
Allthreemalesstandinarowatthefootofthebed.
Istareatthemexpectantly,thenfluster,notunderstandingwhytheyaresofarawaywhenallIwantistohavetheirbodies pressedagainstmine “What’sgoingon?Whydidyoustop?” “We aren’tpressuringyou,butwe wanttoknow where this is going.Ifyoujustwanttoexperience our affection,thatis fine,”Eldrinsays “Butifyouarereadyforthematebondingnow,Ihavetheceremonialobjectshere” “Objects?” Myeyeswidenathisstatement,andIglancearoundtheroom,lookingfortheobjectsinquestion.
“I can’t promise a bit of jealousy if I don’t get to spend enough time with you However, I believe Jaden and I have resolvedmostofthetensionbetweenus…frommymisdeeds fromour past.”Eldrinsmiles andlooks atJaden.WhenJaden nodstohim,hecontinues,“Iexpectwecanbebondbrothersnowandpropermatesforyou.”
isn’tsureifitwillactuallyworktoextendmylife,butit’ssomethingI’vebeenworriedabout.Idon’twanttogetyourhopes up ormine.Evenifitdoeswork,Twyladoesn’tthinkIwillliveaslongasanelf,butperhapsatleastafewhundredyears. Or I could live anextra hundred years, but I might be brittle and weakmost of that time There’s no wayto know until it happens.ButifIkeepmyyouth,thentherewillbeaquickeningtowardtheendofmylife.Iwillthenshowmyageanddie.”
Themalesarequiet,waitingformore
Whentheydon’trespond,Iexplainfurther.Perhapstheyareshockedanddon’tunderstand.“So…Icouldbearound much longerthanyouexpected”
“Oh,myprincess.”Eldrinsitsdownontheedgeofthebedandtakesholdofmyhand.“Yes,elvesarecasualwithnudityor sexormultiplepartners,butyoushouldknow thatwetakeamatebond very seriously If wewereever totakeanother mate afteryourdeath,itwouldbeaweakimitation.Ahalf-marriage,sinceourheartswillalwaysremainyours.”
“It’s no sacrifice on our part You have already made us better than we were” Eldrin kisses my wrist “Without even knowingit,youchallengedsomanyofourbeliefsaboutourselves,therealms,andeveneachother.”
I gasp at his proclamation. Myworries are dismissed whenI stare up into their lovingeyes and myheart opens. I can finallyfeelwhateachofthemcarriesdeepinsidehisheart.
“Nothing’s wrong” Eldrin holds his hands up in surrender to settle me “Twyla told me there’s a way to have a true connectionwithyou,perhapsevendeeperthanmostElvencoupleshave.”
“Most mated elves have a vague sense of each other. It’s usually big emotions like fear, pain, and even bliss.” Eldrin gesturestowardOakes “Hisnaturalabilityalreadyallowshimameasureofthatwithallofus,butIdidn’tknowthatyouandI couldhave thatkindofconnectionthrougha bondsince we are differentspecies.However,Twyla isn’tsure itwill work… muchlikewithyourpossiblegiftoflongevity,”Eldrinexplains,hisfaceshowinghowthatideaupsethim.
“Youwouldwantabondlikethatwith me?”Itouchmyheartandlosemybreath “ButIwouldbeadistractiontoall of you.I’msureI’vealreadybeenamassiveirritationtoOakes,evenwhenIwasn’tbeingattacked.”
“Twylasaidyou should beableto,especiallybecauseyouhavebeenlinkedtoElvenmagicsinceyouwereaninfant.But wewon’tknowthedepthoftheconnectionuntilwetry.”
“Iwould like to be connected to you.” Istare wistfullyinto space, excited to belongafter all these years. “WhenImet Twyla,Ifeltconnectedtosomethinglargerthanmyself.Woulditbelikethat?”
“Fromthose we know who are mated, yes There’s a sense of completeness throughthe linkof the mate bond” Oakes movescloserandstrokesmyotherhandtoreassureme.
“Iwantthatwithallofyou,ifyouchoosetohaveittoo Then ”IsmileinwhatIhopelooksseductive “Whencanweget backtothekissingandtouching?”
Theytower over me without beingdomineering, like a fruitingtree offeringits shade and nourishment I consume their affectionandamstrongerforit.AndtheyclaimIdothesameforthem.
ExcitedbyOakes’unexpectednaughtiness,IyelpasEldrintakesmeinhismouthandsuckshard,“Stars!” Jadentilts mychinso he cankiss me, and I submit to his dominance His other hand slips backand kneads myround bottom.
Oakes and Jadeneachhave one of mynipples intheir mouths Jaden’s left fist is tangled inmyhair as the right gently strokesmyinnerthigh,alongsideofEldrin’sface.
WithOakes’electric touch, he kisses myinner thigh, trailinganagonizingpathcloser and closer to mycenter, until he finallylicksmyslit.Hemoveshismagicfingersslowlyovermyfolds.“Youaresowetforus.”
Ismiletoacknowledgemyprince’scompliment,butkeepmyeyeslockedwithJaden’s. Myviolet-eyedelfgrinsatmeandsays,“He’sright,youknow Youfeellikebliss” As he sinks into me, I’mthankful for Oakes’thick fingers earlier. There’s still a stingwith the stretch, but it’s quickly shiftingtopleasureashegentlyloosensmeup
Oakes’handslidesdownbetweenus,strummingmysensitivebud.Heshiftsanyremainingdiscomfortintopleasure. I’mfascinated that theyhave no resistance to being so close to eachother’s naked bodies. I wonder if they have ever pleasuredeachother.Insteadofstirringjealousyinme,Ifindtheideaenticing. WhenJaden’shipsmeetmine,Oakesmoveshishand.ThenJadengrindsintomeandrubsmeinalltherightways. “Oh,yes,”Igaspandgriphimaroundthewaist “It’s oh ”
Thesenseofpressureashefillsmeisdizzying.
Oakes’voicebreaksthrough,“Breathe”Myhealer’slipssootheawaymynervousnessbytenderlykissingmyshoulder Jadenwithdraws and slides backinto me, endingwithanother grind. His mouthclaims mylips and our tongues tangle. Finally,afterseveralgloriousfillingstrokesintome,heasks,“Youlikemycockinsideyou,love?”
Ibrushbackalockofhissilkyblondhair “I’msure Justnervous” “Me too.” Eldrinsmiles and gives me the softestkiss. His righthand wraps around mybackand touches mychangeling mark “Keepbreathing,myprincess,andletmeknowhowyoufeel,alright?”
Inod, and his member presses atmyentrance. Exhalingand releasingthe tension, he slides inaninch, thenanother, all while holdinghis hand to mychangelingmark. WithJadenopeningme up, there’s no longer a slight pinchinternally, and I movemyhipsintohim
Eldringroansasheslidesinandout,lubricatinghimselfwithmyslick.Hedivesdeeper anddeeper until our hipsmeet, andhe’sfullyseatedwithinme
His violeteyes seemtopinme tothe bedas he kneels betweenmylegs,andIcanalmostfeel the touchofhis sight.He strokeshimselfashishungrygazetrailsupanddownmybody.
Mybodyreceives himas if he was always meant to live inside me. As leisurelyas he can, he grinds his hips, barely leavingmybodywitheachoutward stroke, as if he can’t bear to be apart evenaninch His unhurried pace is torturously delicious. His lips graze up and down the length of my neck. Electric stimulation pulses everywhere, building tension so intensethatmytoescurl
A few days passed before I sensed Wynstelle’s emotions strongly again. Then I feel my own face flush with excitement Wyn’s excitement I’matdinner withmyfather,KingNathaniel,LordJonathon,andLadyCarissa.This isn’tanappropriatetimetofeel the intense sexual experience thatWynis currentlyhaving Iblushand glance around the roomto see ifanyone notices myodd reaction.Nooneseemstopayattention,thankgoodness.
WhenIwake the nextmorning,Isense the linkwithWynandher males has solidified Icanclearlysense the ElvenPrince Oakes andJadenalsohover inthe backofmyconsciousness.Theyare all bondedspirituallyandphysicallywithWyn.And unwittingly withme
My thoughts are interrupted by a knock and my maid calls through the door, her voice sounding concerned, “Princess Twyla,wouldyoulikemetohelpyougetreadyfortheday?”
“Wasitaboutthatstrappingredhead?”Nannettegigglesandbeginstobrushmylonggolden-brownhair “CommanderRhys?No.YouknowIdon’tseehimasapotentialhusband.”I can’t seehimasamate.Myordersfromthe Mage sayI must wait until the planwithWynis complete Besides, if I allow himto get too close, he’s likelyto suspect somethingisoffaboutme.
Icatchthe suspicioninhis eyes. Althoughhe denies it, our relationship has growntense after he finallymethis actual daughter,Wynstelle.PerhapshisloveformevanishedwhenfacedwiththetruthofwhatIam theimposterchangeling. “Iwasfeelingoutofsorts,butithaspassed,Father.”
“This linkbetweenyouis more thanyouoriginallyled me to believe. Youwere able to locate Wynstelle whenshe was taken Andnowyousensehermatebond?ThisismoreofaconnectionthanIthoughtpossible Whatelseareyoukeepingfrom me?”
“Ididn’tsaythat.”His voicesoftens.“ButIlostsomethingprecious.Therehas beenanemptiness inmysoul for twenty years.Nomatterhowwonderfulyouare,youcan’tcompletelyfillthatloss.”
Ipainfullychoke downmypride andhis rejection,realizingit’s onlynatural thathe feels this way Alostchildis a lost child,nomatterhowmanyothersyoumayhave.“Iunderstand.”
“Yourchangelingmarkonyourback,it’s glowing,”Jadenexplains “What?” For the first time, I feel the mark’s presence the shape and placement. I hadn’t noticed the vague tingling sensationuntiltheymentionedit.Perhapsthat’sonlybecausemywholebodyfeelstinglinganddifferentsincethey’veclaimed measamate
“No. The lore concerning changelings is almost nonexistent.” Oakes inspects my mark again with a soft touch. “I was surprisedIfoundthatmuchinformation.”
Ihearmyfather’svoiceechoinginmymind, “And there has been an emptiness in my soul for twenty years No matter how wonderful you are, you can’t completely fill that loss.”
“Nowthatisclearedupandsettled,weshouldhavebreakfastandstartourday.”Eldrinclapshishandshappily,tryingto lighten the mood. “After I finish my princely chores, I will need some quality time with my princess.” He waggles his eyebrows.
“Our princess,”Jadenremindshim.
“My princessand your love,”Eldrinjokes “Oakes’treasure” Ilaugh.“Behave,youbrashElvenyounglings!” “Younglings!” Jadensmirks “I must say, beingmated to you, I feel the excitement of a fledglingagain” He kisses me passionately,andI’mgaspingforairwhenhe’sdone.
