When I awoke, the warmth of Valen's presence was gone. I rolled to the other side of the bed, my eyes glaring out the window at the dark sky dotted with twinkling stars. A small smile curved my lips. I stretched, raising my hands above my head, and then froze as I realized I was naked under the covers.I gasped, my fingers curling around the top of the blanket. Pulling it up to my chest, I sat up abruptly. What had happened? Why was I naked? Had Valen and I been intimate?The door creaked open, and Valen entered the room, a sweet smile playing on his lips. "I knew I heard your raging thoughts," he said, his smile deepening. "You're awake. Again. You feel okay?"He sat at the edge of the bed, his gaze unwavering.My hands tightened on the sheets as I nodded slowly. "Good.""Valen...""Yes, Maerwynn?""Did—did we...?""No, darling. If I ever got around to pleasuring you, I would make sure you remembered every little bit of it for a very, very long time."His impulsive words sent a ru
Your my mate? I questioned in my head, feeling a mix of confusion and fear. His eyes softened as he began taking steps towards me, but my feet instinctively retreated, carrying me back down the hallway from which I came.It's ironic how I had always craved answers, sought the truth, and now, confronted with it, I was running away as if it meant nothing. How was I supposed to process this revelation?"Your destiny is with the High Lord," the Wraith had said. My destiny is with the High Lord. Valen. My destiny is with Valen because he’s my mate, and there’s no escaping that fate, at least not in the faerie world."Maerwynn!" I heard him call, and I wanted to scream at him to stop, to leave me alone. He had been lying to me all this time.I ran as fast as my legs would carry me, the hallway stretching endlessly before me. My legs ached from the effort, but I didn't stop until I reached his bedroom. I slammed the door shut behind me, knowing full well it was a futile gesture. He could fly
“There’s never been a day I didn’t long for you,” Valen muttered against my lips after we had been kissing for what felt like an eternity. “I have craved you.”“Me too,” I whispered back, my voice trembling against his lips.He pulled away for a moment, his hands clasping my face, and stared deeply into my eyes. I thought I saw tears glistening. Was I dreaming? Maybe I was, because Valen, the High Lord of the Twilight Court, had tears brimming in his eyes. I cupped his face, mirroring his gaze.“It was so hard. So hard staying away from you. I’m sorry I pushed you away so many times. It was killing me inside more than it may have hurt you,” he sighed deeply. “I had my mate, and I couldn’t…” His voice broke. “And I couldn’t show it.”Tears welled up in my own eyes, spilling down my cheeks. Today had turned out to be something I never could have anticipated. Valen, my mate? How could I have known that riding away from Ferngrove would lead to this revelation? Or perhaps it was the bond p
The morning sun filtered through the windows, an uncommon sight in the Twilight Court, especially when it wasn’t summer. The bright light pulled me from sleep, forcing me to squint as it hit my eyes. Strange—how could the sun be so intense here? I tried to shift away from its blinding rays, but something warm and solid held me in place. Not something—someone. Valen.His arm was draped over my waist, holding me tightly, as if I might vanish the moment he loosened his grip. The feel of his skin against mine made me want to stay exactly where I was, sinking into his warmth. But that damned sun... it was relentless.As if sensing my discomfort, Valen mumbled incoherently, his voice thick with sleep. He shifted, lifting me gently, moving us from the side of the bed bathed in sunlight to the shaded part, all while keeping his arms wrapped around me. Now, his broad back shielded me from the light, and he sighed contentedly against my neck.“It’s too early for that little head of yours to be
I stepped outside the manor, the warm twilight air brushing against my skin as the sky above painted itself in deep shades of purple and gold. I scanned the courtyard, expecting to see some sign of a carriage or horse—anything that suggested we’d be traveling soon.Nothing.I turned back toward the door just as Valen appeared behind me, his usual smirk already tugging at the corner of his lips. “Looking for something?”“I don’t see a horse or carriage,” I said dryly, crossing my arms. “Unless we’re walking?”He chuckled, stepping down to join me. “No horses today, Red.”Before I could respond, the heavy wooden doors creaked open again, and Rhaenan stepped out into the fading light. My gaze immediately flickered to him, my eyebrows lifting in mild surprise. Gone was the formal, stoic fae I’d grown used to. In his place was a warrior—dressed in fitted leather armor that accentuated every powerful muscle, his tall frame looking like something straight out of a fae battalion. His boots we
As we drew closer to the town, the first signs of life came not in the form of bustling streets or the hum of conversation, but from the faint plume of smoke curling upward in the distance. It wove into the sky like a signal, marking the presence of something—people, perhaps. The old church stood on the hill beyond, silent and weathered, like a watchful guardian over the lands below. But before we could reach it, Valen guided us off the path, toward a grove of trees.He dismounted first, his movements fluid and sure, then reached for me, his hands warm and firm around my waist as he lifted me down from the Griffin. The intimacy of the gesture wasn’t lost on me, and for a brief second, I let myself enjoy the steady comfort of his touch.From behind us, Calia’s laugh broke the moment. "Porcelain doll," she muttered, her voice dripping with that familiar sneer, her eyes gleaming with amusement.I spun on her, narrowing my gaze. "Want to see just how porcelain I am?" I snapped, my voice s
"I thought you'd died." Edina rushed over to me the moment Adrian released his hold, her arms wrapping around me in a desperate, fluid embrace. Her warmth enveloped me, and I hugged her back just as tightly, our bodies pressing against each other as though we could keep the world at bay, if only for a moment. "I’m so glad you came back—unhurt. The beasts, or the Faeries... they didn’t hurt you."The hug lingered, our breathing synchronized as if afraid to let go too soon. When it finally ended, her fingers still clung to my arm like she wasn’t entirely convinced I was real."Why would they hurt me?" I asked, meeting her concerned gaze."Because they’re Faeries, and they despise humans?" Adrian chimed in with a shrug, his voice flat yet carrying the weight of a truth none of us could deny. He wasn’t asking, not really. He was reminding us.I exhaled slowly, already feeling the tension rise. "About the Faeries..." My grip on Edina’s arm tightened, grounding me. I didn’t know how to expl
The moment Grisha's words hit the air, the room fell silent. My heart sank as the weight of the situation crashed over me. Valen moved easily behind me, and I could sense his barely contained disgust simmering beneath his composed exterior. The others exchanged glances, their uncertainty palpable.I turned to Edina, gripping her arm gently. "This is our chance. We need to convince Father that they can help, or everything we’ve been through will be for nothing."Edina hesitated, biting her lip, but she gave a slight nod, her eyes reflecting a mixture of fear and determination. She knew how much was at stake.Valen took a step forward, his posture confident as ever, but there was a flash of something in his eyes—a flicker of amusement, perhaps. "Should I introduce myself or will your father prefer to hear the news from you?" he asked, his voice smooth and teasing, the edge of a smile tugging at his lips.I shot him a warning look. "Now’s not the time, Valen."He merely raised an eyebrow
MAERWYNN POVValen leaned back in his chair, sipping from his goblet of wine with an easy confidence that seemed to have returned alongside his power. He looked around at the three of us—Rhaenan, Caelora, and me—with a hint of a smile.“We fly for the main Court in two hours,” he announced, his voice carrying an edge of excitement under its usual composure.Rhaenan lifted an eyebrow, glancing at Valen with a dramatic sigh. “So, I see the power is back. Good news, I suppose.” His gaze shifted toward me, a smirk tugging at his lips. “Whatever you did, Maerwynn, it was effective. Though, for the record, I’m not sure I want to know how it happened.”Valen chuckled, his golden eyes gleaming with amusement. “Oh, I’d be more than happy to explain—”Rhaenan cut him off with a hand raised in protest. “No, no, please spare me the details. Some mysteries are best left unsolved,” he said, feigning a shudder as he threw Caelora a look of mock horror. “Besides, I’m sure it involves far too much… bo
MAERWYNN POV Shifting closer, I positioned myself so his rigid length pressed perfectly between my thighs, resting hot and heavy against my aching core. The first touch of his silken skin against my slick folds drew simultaneous gasps from us, as if we’d both felt that spark travel straight to our bones.His fingers dug into my hips, possessive and grounding, while his gaze, dark and unwavering, held mine with a smoldering intensity."Need much of an excuse to keep me here, tangled in your sheets?" I teased, my fingers brushing along the line of his jaw. "And what if I don’t want to be kept?"His lips curved into a smirk, but his reply was soft, raw. “Then I would beg,” he murmured, the hoarse edge in his voice making it sound like a confession. “For you, I would. You've utterly destroyed me, Maerwynn. Do you have any idea what you've done?”The honesty in his words hit deeper than I’d expected, swelling an ache in my own chest that words could never touch.For him, I’d beg too. I’d
MAERWYNN POV My chest still heaved with ragged breaths, heart hammering as I stumbled to my feet, barely believing what I’d just done. I looked down at the ashes scattered where the Algoth had been, the ground blackened with the remnants of the creature. The red glow, the power that had surged from me—it was like nothing I’d ever felt, a fire born from desperation and fear, and it had obeyed me.Questions flooded my mind, but answers felt distant, as if buried beneath layers of fog. The silence of the woods pressed in around me, thick and watchful, broken only by my shaky breaths. I forced myself to calm down, to take stock of my surroundings. The forest no longer felt like an ally, each shadow seeming to shift with hidden threats, branches curling like reaching hands.I stumbled back down the path, my feet barely finding their footing on the uneven ground. I needed to find Valen, to feel the warmth and safety of his embrace again, to tell him everything that had happened. But even a
MAERWYNN POV I stirred in the dark, cocooned in warmth, Valen’s arm wrapped around me like a lifeline. His breath was steady against my neck, each exhale warm, soothing, grounding me in the present. Even in sleep, he held me close, fingers curled softly around my waist, as though he knew I needed him.But there it was again—a sound, just beyond the edges of my dreams, slipping into my mind like a whisper woven into the stillness of night. It was faint, almost like the rustling of leaves, but insistent.“Maerwynn…”The voice was soft, featherlight, yet it sent a chill down my spine. I blinked, squinting through the darkness of the room, trying to ground myself, trying to ignore it, but it tugged at me, pulling me out of the warmth, out of the comfort of Valen’s embrace.I shifted carefully, untangling myself from him. His arm slid away reluctantly, his hand slipping over the sheets, fingers brushing against me as if he sensed my leaving even in his sleep. I paused, just for a moment,
MAERWYNN POV“Who is Phillian?” I asked, watching Valen as we stood alone in his study. His fingers traced the air with effortless precision, casting spells that brought books gliding off the shelves, floating momentarily before finding their rightful places again.“The Prince of Lyria,” he replied casually, his attention still on the books. “He lives in the palace at the heart of Lyria. The Cidron is with him as well.”My heart gave an eager jolt at the mention of the Cidron. I’d heard stories about it for months, but to think I’d finally see it felt surreal. My mind drifted back to the map I’d seen, with the Palace—a tiny island nestled within the vastness of Lyria—right in the center of everything. But I couldn’t help my curiosity. “Why is he called Prince?”Valen seemed to read my thoughts, a faint smile playing on his lips. “We don’t have a king. Calling someone a ‘king’ would imply ownership of all the lands. But in truth, the five Lords rule over Lyria, with the Prince as an au
MAERWYNN POVAs I stepped into the garden, the morning air kissed my cheeks, carrying the scent of jasmine and damp earth. My gaze settled on Father, standing by Valen with a familiar ease that was surprising. They looked deep in conversation, voices low, their profiles softened by the sun filtering through the trees.Seeing me, Father’s face lifted, and a warmth filled his gaze. “Maerwynn,” he called, his tone laced with pride, though something softer lingered there too. He opened his arms, and before I knew it, I was wrapped in his embrace, the strength of his hold as grounding as the roots of an ancient tree.I waited, almost held my breath, expecting him to ask why I would leave with the faeries when Ferngrove had always been my home. My place was here, wasn’t it? Among the people I’d grown up with, the quiet familiarity of this town, the humans who felt so much like family. And yet, a deeper part of me whispered otherwise.I wasn’t like them—hadn’t been for as long as I could rem
MAERWYNN POVThe days that followed were as bleak as the encroaching winter. Valen and the others were leaving today, and so was I. Ferngrove had been my home, but Lyria was now my future, not just because of my mating bond with Valen, one of its High Lords, but because unlike Ferngrove, I had earned my place there.I had fought, survived, and therefore, I deserved to live in Lyria. Besides Father and Edina, there was nothing left for me here but names like "Faerie whore." Many in the village had wondered how I survived the trials of Lyria and emerged unscathed, suspiciously close to one of its leaders.Of course, the simplest explanation they could come up with was that I had slept my way through it all. The whispers were painful, but if even Adrian—the one person I thought would stand by me—could say such a thing, then I knew it was on everyone else’s lips too.“You’re gripping that bag awfully tight,” Valen’s voice cut through my thoughts. I looked up to see him leaning casually ag
MAERWYNN POV The past week had been a blur of grief and obligation, a ceaseless parade of townsfolk pouring through the doors, offering their condolences to Edina and the rest of us. It was almost mechanical—their hushed words, their somber faces, the baskets of tidings they brought. Wine, bread, berries, carefully wrapped in cloth. Someone had even knitted sweaters and shawls, as though wool could warm the kind of cold that had settled into this house, into Edinas bones, since Lorcan’s death.I hated it—the gestures, the empty sympathy. It felt like a veil over the reality we were living in, as though these gifts could somehow patch the gaping wound left behind. But Edina needed it. She clung to those small acts of kindness, retreating behind the routine of accepting them with a tight smile, her eyes hollow and distant.Valen and the others had done what they could, vanquishing the Algoths from the woods and temporarily reinforcing the barrier. It had been a hollow victory, though.
EDINA POVDinner time had long passed, and Maerwynn still wasn’t here, despite saying she’d return by now. I busied myself, helping the servants arrange the table. Plates, napkins, cutlery—it was something to do, to keep my mind occupied. Father and Adrian hadn’t returned from the harbor either. I didn’t expect to see them until noon tomorrow at the earliest.“Water pitcher, miss,” Helena, one of the younger servants, smiled kindly as she set the pitcher down, her voice soft. I returned the smile, though it didn’t quite reach my eyes, and moved the pitcher to the center of the table, ensuring everything was perfectly in place.Satisfied with my work, I rubbed my hands together, the ring on my finger sliding smoothly as I turned it absentmindedly. A tight smile etched itself on my lips. I hadn’t expected to grow this comfortable around the Faeries, not so quickly. Perhaps it was because watching Maerwynn with them had made it seem so effortless.She was always so free with them, laughi