She swiped at the tears seeping from beneath her lashes. The last thing she needed to do was think about them. She’d been a fool to imagine they had some sort of soul deep connection. They’d been sent by their king to capture her, and they’d merely had a bit of fun with her before they turned her over. Turned her over to yet another person who wanted to use her for her power. It was as simple as that. And as painful as that. Her heart ached like it had been stabbed with iron. She’d been so stupid.
Dashing at her tears, she prepared to cross the veil. As soon as she found her key, she could disappear into the human world again. This time, she’d do things differently. She’d be smarter. She certainly wouldn’t be taken in by guys with unfathomable dark eyes.
Tama took a steadying breath and pushed through the veil into the frigid, blowing winds of winter. The sky had lightened slightly in the east. Dawn was near. She had to hurry. She needed to be gone before the morning shift arrived at the wildlife center and started asking questions she couldn’t answer.
Quickly scurrying to where she’d scuffled with Kier and Rylan, she picked up a stick and started searching the snow for that small bit of iron.
“I believe you’re looking for this?”
She whirled to find Dahire holding a stick with the key swinging drunkenly off the end. “Put it down before you hurt yourself.”
“How does it feel, knowing someone has something that belongs to you?”
“My power,” she said evenly, “does not belong to you.” She took a step toward him, but stopped when several of his men stepped out from behind trees.
“Stand downwind,” Dahire snapped. “You smell of Unseelie filth. So, you let one of them have you, eh? Or did you whore yourself out to both of them?”
She could smell them on her, feel their touch as if it was permanently imprinted on her flesh. Even if she scrubbed her skin raw, she’d never be free from their touch. “Go to hell.”
“No such place for the Sidhe, Princess. Or have you been with the human animals so long you’d forgotten that?” He laughed cruelly. “First the humans, now the Dark Sidhe. You do love to wallow below your station, don’t you?”
Tama refused to respond. She needed to figure her best course of action—and quickly. She could transport and hope to lose him in the process, but that seemed unlikely. He was renowned for his tracking skills, and without the iron it would be nearly impossible to hide from him. She could find more, but she doubted she’d have time before he caught her.
Suddenly, it was too late for decisions. A huge, red energy ball shot toward her.
Sweeping her hands in front of her face, she pulled up a wall of snow with her, instinctually using her elemental talents and changing it to ice, capturing the energy ball within the barricade.
“Look, you’re never going to get me to agree to return to court with you or use my power on your behalf.” She met Dahire’s gaze through the shimmering ice. “Let’s just call it a day and go our separate ways.”
He snapped his fingers. His soldiers rushed her.
Panic soured her stomach. Impulsively, she pulled the snow from the clouds above and directed it toward them in the form of a blizzard with gale force winds. Most of the Seelie soldiers dropped to the ground, but she refused to let up. Not until she saw their leader go down.
Blue energy balls flew past her, but she kept her focus on Dahire, changing the snow that surrounded him and his men to solid blocks of ice. Satisfied that they were rendered harmless for the time being, she forced herself to turn around. She knew without looking who’d thrown the energy blasts at Dahire’s head.
“Unless you’d like to end up like these guys, I suggest you go back to your king. I belong to no man.”
Kier dropped his hands to the side, but took a step forward. “That’s where you’re wrong, Princess,” he said, his voice gentle.
“You belong to us,” Rylan said, moving closer.
She shook her head, tears freezing on her cheeks. Shivering violently, she swirled the snow around their knees, hardening it, making it difficult for them to walk.
“And we belong to you,” Kier added, trying to push through the miring ice to reach her.
Tama swallowed hard, forcing back the urge to throw her arms around them. Instead, she wound her way through the immobilized soldiers and searched for the key. Finding it and leaving while they were all stuck was the only option.
“You know it’s true,” Rylan said. “You feel it just as strongly as we do. We belong together.”
Her throat was thick with tears. She shook her head, spying the key frozen in the same ice block that held Dahire.
A man she’d never seen before appeared in front of her, blocking her view of Kier and Rylan. “Contrary to what you’ve heard from oh so reliable sources,” he shot a withering glance at Dahire, “I’m not interested in forcing you to use your power on my behalf. I merely wanted to offer you asylum and perhaps compensation for not using it against my people.”
She wrapped her arms around herself, trying to talk without shivering. “I have no interest in hurting your people or anyone else.” She glanced at Rylan and Kier as they struggled to make their way toward her. “I just want to be left alone.”
“I think we both know that’s not true.” Shrugging, he squatted and held his hand over the ice that enveloped the key. Loosening it, he lifted it with a stick and offered it to her. “Decide what you will, but when a wish is granted by faeries, the gracious thing to do is accept.”
Tama stared at the dangling bit of metal that represented her future. Extending her hand, she closed her fingers around the rough wood of the stick, closed her eyes and heaved it as far into the forest as she could throw it.
Epilogue
Tama frowned. “I haven’t seen Chloe in almost a year. Well, a human year, anyway.” She’d often wondered what had happened that night. How long had her friend waited for her? She’d often thought about her, but time passed differently in Faery. She couldn’t believe a whole year had passed for Chloe. Who knew if she still worked at the wildlife center? And if she did, how would Tama explain her absence?
“I just think it would be nice to invite her to the handfasting,” Kier said.
Rylan grinned, slowly circling her aching nipple with his fingertip. “After all, we may have been destined, but who knows how long it would have taken to find you without her wish.”
Kier pressed a fervent kiss to the scar on her thigh. “Or if it would have been too late by the time we did.”
Tama closed her eyes overwhelmed by the love she felt for Kier and Rylan. They were right. If it hadn’t been for Chloe… “You’re right. We need to find her.”
Kier shifted, settling between her legs. “In a while.” He nipped at the sensitive skin of her inner thighs as he crept higher, inching closer to her center. “First, we want show you how much we love you.”
Rylan lowered his head, his hair spilling like silk across her skin, sending shivers of desire trembling through her. Plumping her breast, he swiped his tongue across the beaded peak. “Yes. We do.” He captured her nipple between his lips, sucking firmly on the tightened nub.
Her fingers scrabbled at his broad shoulders, pressing him closer as Kier dragged his tongue along her damp folds. Spreading her open, he licked and sucked at her needy flesh, drawing desperate cries from her lips. He slipped his hands beneath her bottom and lifted her to fit more snugly against his mouth.
If Tama could have caught her breath, she would have smiled at the men she loved. Faeries really did grant wishes, and all hers had come true.
About the Author
Bronwyn lives in Michigan with her wonderful husband, two amazing sons and six somewhat-psychotic cats. When not tormenting her characters, she can usually be found helping with reading and writing projects in her sons' classrooms as well as being the car pool mom extraordinaire for five teens and a couple of preteens. Besides writing, she also enjoys reading, knitting, sewing, cross stitching, pottery, drawi
ng--basically anything that helps her avoid the tortures of cleaning and cooking. For more information on other books by Bronwyn, visit the author at her official website: www.BronwynGreen.com
Also by This Author
Just Right, Resplendence Publishing
Maggie's Mates, Resplendence Publishing
Cuffed and Dangerous, Resplendence Publishing
Handcuffs and Lies, Resplendence Publishing
Immortal Curse, Resplendence Publishing
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