Hallie took a deep breath, “Faolin nephew of Queen Titania and King Oberon I Hadleigh Aoife O’Neil swear to love you for all time, to be with you and only you, you are mine Faolin, and I am yours.” The air swirled around Hallie, She felt it crackle. Every fiber of her being seemed to sizzle a moment with white heat. For a fleeting moment, she felt Faolin. He was elated then saddened. The connection faded, She was alone.
Hallie looked at Oberon he smiled slightly. “Go bring him home then we can talk about an heir.”
Faolin
Alainya backed Faolin into a corner. No matter what he did, this wasn’t going to be pleasant. He could fight her with magic until it was gone then die of sickness. Or He could fight Alainya off physically. Eventually, she would overpower him with her magic there too. Faolin had to try though. He owed it to Hallie. He had a better shot with his brute strength if he could catch her before she could use her magic.
The room was laced with traps though. It made Faolin weak physically too. As soon as he moved against Alainya, he felt weak and tired. She must have planned for this since her first attempt failed. Alainya came towards him with a dagger in hand. Then he heard his name. Hallie was speaking. She pledged her love and devotion… forever. Faolin felt his magic return. Alainya didn’t know though. How could she?
Hallie appeared directly in front of Faolin. Alainya seized the unexpected opportunity and lunged forward plunging the blade into Hallie. She screamed in pain as the dagger hit bone. Hallie tried to push Alainya off. The Fae woman held on tight. Faolin was beyond angry with Alainya. Another member of his family was being attacked. With his magic returned Alainya’s magic had little effect on him. He stepped around Hallie and grabbed Alainya’s head. Faolin gave a quick jerk, and her neck snapped. Alainya’s body fell to the floor with a heavy thud.
Faolin’s first instinct was to help Hallie but Alainya’s idiot cousin, Tanner was still there somewhere. He wasn’t very bright and always did what she said. Faolin summoned Taise to guard Hallie while he searched for Tanner.
The apartment they were in wasn’t very big. Tanner sat in front of a tv in the living room. He was eating cereal out of the box. Faolin could have used a spell to knock him out, but right now brute force was much more satisfying. He sent the unconscious Tanner and Alainya’s body back to his uncle not caring what the consequences were.
Luckily Hallie’s wound wasn’t as bad as he thought it was. Alainya hit a rib going in which made her miss Hallie’s heart and anything else important. The blade was deep though. The tip hit her scapula on the other side. Despite easing the pain with magic, Hallie passed out when Faolin pulled the dagger free.
Taise laid down beside her keeping Hallie warm. In the middle of the healing, she came to again. Hallie was so happy to see him that she started crying. He wanted to yell at her for putting herself in danger. Right then he couldn’t muster the energy. He was just relieved she was safe, and they were together again.
That night Faolin took Hallie back to his rooms in Underhill. He swore his vows to her making everything official. Faolin was sure Titania would insist on a formal wedding. The Fae loved an excuse to throw a party. That evening though everything else was forgotten. It was only them.
Hallie
Hallie lay in bed with Faolin perfectly content. They’d spent half the night making love. Faolin never seemed to tire of her. If she spent the rest of her life like this, she would die happy. He kissed her cheek. Hallie just fell asleep when there was a knock on the door. Faolin got up annoyed. He said it was his uncle.
As soon as Faolin opened the door, King Oberon strode into their room. “There’s the happy couple.” He smiled. “Better get dressed, busy day today. The whole kingdom is assembling now so you might as well put on your tux.”
Hallie sat up pulling the covers around her. “Why are they assembling?”
“This is big news Hallie,” King Oberon pat his nephew on the back. There was a knock on the door. Oberon waved them in. A servant carried in dresses. “My queen sent dresses for you to borrow and some jewelry Hallie. I’ll see you both in an hour.” The servant sat down his burden and left with the king.
Hallie picked up a purple nearly backless dress. “You’ll look stunning in it. Although the red will make your skin look radiant.” He kissed her shoulder. Hallie smiled at Faolin. The most gorgeous man she ever saw said such things to her. Now he was hers. They would be married for countless years. Hallie couldn’t help smiling.
“Get dressed,” Faolin chided.
Hallie stood outside the doors to the main hall with Faolin. He looked through as they swung open. He shook his head. “He wasn’t kidding. The whole kingdom is here.” He thought out loud.
“Hallie, what gave you the idea to marry me at that moment?” he asked
“Your Uncle,” Hallie confessed. When Faolin looked concerned she continued. “We made a deal, but I was sure to be specific.”
“Hallie, you never make deals with the Fae. Especially not Oberon.”
“Do you want to know the deal or not?” Faolin nodded. Hallie explained everything and waited.
Faolin rubbed his hands on his face. “Woman, what have you done?” Hallie was confused. He groaned. “I should have seen this coming. He’s naming me the heir. I can’t get out of it. You swore I would.”
“No, I didn’t… I just… but,” Hallie stammered.
There wasn’t time to explain anything. Faolin’s aunt arrived a moment later. She smiled kindly at him. Then she pulled him into a hug. “Think what you will Faolin, but you have always been my son. His too. We can’t be happier for you. This is where you belong.” Titania let him go and turned to Hallie. She smiled. “Yes, I see it now.” Oberon passed by all of them without a word taking his queen’s hand, leading her in.
That evening Hallie stood with Faolin on the balcony of their new rooms. She couldn’t believe how big they were. They could fit a small house in those rooms. Everything was so beautiful too. Faolin assured her they could change anything she required. Hallie didn’t really care though. She had everything she wanted. Faolin was more than enough.
Faolin held her close as they watched the sunset. He kissed her cheek. Tomorrow was a new day. Titania started Hallie’s lessons on court laws. There was a wedding to plan and endless dress fittings. All Hallie desired now was a night alone with her prince. She took Faolin by the hand and led him inside.
Author Bio
Rebecca is an award-winning author, and blogger. While her first works were fantasy novels, she has branched out into other genres ranging from paranormal to sci-fi. Although, it wasn’t until Rebecca wrote her first dragon shifter series that she fell in love with writing paranormal romance books.
When not writing Rebecca is a full-time pharmacist and mom. She has two rambunctious girls at home and a spoiled Boston Terrier. When she has free time, Rebecca likes combing antique shops and flea markets for unique teapots to add to her collection. She also enjoys sewing and quilting. For more information on her or her work visit her website http://rtranbooks.net
Social Media Contacts
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https://asmallgangofauthors.blogspot.com/p/rebecca.html
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email: [email protected]
About the Author
Author Bio
Rebecca is an award-winning author, and blogger. While her first works were fantasy novels, she has branched out into other genres ranging from paranormal to sci-fi. Although, it wasn’t until Rebecca wrote her first dragon shifter series that she fell in love with writing paranormal romance books.
When not writing Rebecca is a full-time pharmacist and mom. She has two rambunctious girls at home and a spoiled Boston Terrier. When she has free time, Rebecca likes co
mbing antique shops and flea markets for unique teapots to add to her collection. She also enjoys sewing and quilting. For more information on her or her work visit her website http://rtranbooks.net
Social Media Contacts
Website: https://rtranbooks.net
https://asmallgangofauthors.blogspot.com/p/rebecca.html
Facebook page: https://m.facebook.com/Rtranbooks/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/rtranbooks/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rtranbooks/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/rebeccaltran/
email: [email protected]
Also by Rebecca Tran
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Paranormal Romance
Dragons of the North box set:
Chased
By Design
White Hot Ash
Stronger Together
Dragons of the South:
Hunted
Sweet Surrender
For Their Sins
Fantasy
Chronicles of the Coranydas
The Rashade’
A Guardian Falls
Space Opera
Neutral Space
Loving the Lion
Marie Mason
About the Story
Bachar considered his word the ultimate authority—until a curvy woman shows up on his mountain demanding that he find her brother. A brother that had no business being in shifter territory. The alpha lion doesn’t have time for this. His second-in-command is AWOL, his chief of security is acting strange and a group of humans is stirring up trouble.
Nope, an opinionated, obstinate woman is the last thing this alpha shifter needs—until his lion catches her scent. How long will it take this alpha male to realize she’s not only just what he and his animal need, she’s what they crave?
Chapter One
Sally wilder sighed in appreciation as she opened the door to the hotel. She’d been driving like a bat out of hell for over two days, stopping only to eat and sleep as she tried to catch up to her runaway brother before he did something foolish—like get himself killed in shifter territory.
Last night, she’d pulled over at a truck stop to sleep because she’d run out of money to pay for a hotel. Teaching seventh grade in the state of Maine didn’t pay very much, and she had a huge amount of student debt to pay off. It left little for the extras in life, especially an unplanned trip to the northwestern United States. It had been one of the scariest nights of her life. Ironically, the presence of some truckers had been the only thing that had allowed her to get any shut eye. Usually, women traveling alone avoided truckers, but not her and not last night. She’d welcomed the burly male presence as she’d tried to sleep surrounded by the sounds of large predatory animals.
Oh, she knew she’d let her imagination get the better of her. The sounds she’d heard last night were completely normal to anyone who lived in this remote part of the United States. But there had been two things wrong with that argument at three o’clock in the morning when she’d heard the howl of the wolf and growl of some large cat. One, she didn’t live in this part of the states and two, she’d been deep in shifter country.
As she approached the front desk of the hotel, she saw other guests coming and going. Mostly women, which shouldn’t have been surprising. After all, this was deep in shifter territory. And the one thing shifters attracted were women. There was a wide range of them, Sally thought with amusement as she unbuttoned her coat and took off her gloves and stuffed them in the side pockets. Some of the women were dressed for a day of skiing while others wore outfits better suited for a day shopping on sunny Rodeo Drive. The clerk on duty smiled at her, an oily smile that made her want to shiver in disgust. Being a curvy girl, she usually didn’t garner the attention of men and most days she appreciated the fact. She wished today could have been one of those days.
“Hello, how can I help you?”
“I’m, um, looking for someone.” She managed a small smile even as the man repulsed her. She had no idea how to even form her request. She’d been hoping for a friendly face behind the counter, not this man.
“What sort of someone?” He licked his lips. As he continued to stare, she tugged at the neck of her sweater as his beady eyes flickered past the column of her throat to rest on the rise of her full breasts. She pulled her thick coat closer around her. His gaze fell away from her body, and she could breathe again.
The next part of her conversation would be vital. The shifters in this part of the states had developed a multimillion-dollar business taking advantage of humans’ fascination with them and the beauty of their natural surroundings. They welcomed tourists and their money anywhere they’d established an attraction or a luxury hotel like the one she was standing in. They did not, however, like any uninvited guests further up the mountains where they made their homes. And uninvited shifters were a big no-no. Nick, her brother, had left her a note saying that was exactly where he was headed. “I’m looking for a guide to take me into the mountains. Do you know someone?”
The man cast a quick look around before returning his gaze to her. Once again, his eyes were filled with a lust that she found disturbing. “Perhaps. You are looking for a lover?”
“No,” she firmly stated. “Something else.”
She’s read more than one story about women who traveled to shifter territory in hopes of finding true love. And those that just wanted to say they’d slept with a shifter. She, along with many women her age, had grown up on what Sally had come to believe were just fantasies propagated by the media to make the integration of another species easier. As if women didn’t have enough trouble with the male gender. Now, better looking, more aggressive males who thought they were God’s gift to womankind were thrown into the mix. In her opinion, women didn’t stand a chance at finding their happily-ever-after.
She was not here to find herself a man. Well, technically, she was here to find a man, just not a man to warm her bed. No, she was here to find her younger brother. A brother who had left what she thought was their happy-ish home in Maine two days ago.
The clerk studied her for several more minutes, making her even more uncomfortable. She wondered briefly if he was a shifter. If he was, the only animal he reminded her of was a weasel.
“I know of someone who will guide you.”
She forced another smile, willing to do anything to find her brother. Even stay in the company of this slimy snake of a man longer than she really wanted to. “Will they take me to the mountains?”
“For a price.” Again, another long, dirty appraisal of her attributes.
She took a deep breath in preparation of telling this man exactly where he could put his so-called help, knowing that she might be fucking up the only chance she had of finding her brother. If she couldn’t find anyone to take her, she’d simply go by herself.
Just then a man stepped up to the counter. Sally turned, expecting to see another hotel guest. She knew instantly that this man was not human. His hair was thick and had a slight curl that brushed the collar of the navy-blue sweater he wore.
His eyes…those were definitely shifter eyes, she thought. She took a deep breath. He was a classically handsome man as most shifters were, but he was also a man a woman would turn and look at and speculate about because there was a strength about him, a masculinity that was almost overpowering.
“Are you helping our guest, Scott?” Ooh, if his eyes were enough to make a woman think about sex, his voice made her want to yank off her panties and throw them up in the air to get his attention. She chided herself and her unusual reaction.
“Yes, yes, sir. Unfortunately, we are all booked for the night.” The desk clerk cleared his throat guiltily.
“Is that so.” It was more of a statement than a question.
“Yes, we have that big party checking in today.” Sally noted that he lowered his gaze when he answered. “I was suggesting that she go back down the mountain, sir.”
; The man threw the desk clerk an almost angry glare. “And you would have sent her out in the storm that is approaching?”
“No, no,” he hastily assured the man.
Sally didn’t know who this stranger was, but she was glad he had stepped up when he did. She had no doubt the clerk had been about to make her an offer she would have hardily refused. She wanted her brother back home, safe and sound, but she wasn’t about to dig a hole for herself. There was no one waiting in the wings ready to rescue her.
She turned to the stranger, holding out her hand. She decided to throw all her eggs in one basket. “My name is Sally Wilder and I’m looking for my brother.”
She gasped as their palms touched and what felt like a bolt of electricity shot up her arm. Her gaze flew to his, and she saw his eyes narrow. Had he felt the same curious sensation? His hand was warm, the palm and fingers slightly rough beneath hers. A working man’s hand, she thought, wondering briefly what he did to create the calluses. His persona held too much sophistication to make her think he spent his days doing, hard, physical labor. Not that he didn’t appear capable of doing such strenuous labor. Just that he…he didn’t have to.
Too aware of the latent strength in his grip, she drew her hand away from his.
Bachar’s animal rose inside him as the woman looked at him. Her brown eyes had opened wide at the sound of his voice. He was used to that reaction from the female gender. He’d been told he could melt a pair of panties off a woman at ten paces with his voice alone. His mouth lifted at the corner, still finding humor in the comment his mother had made so long ago.
When he had seen her enter the hotel, he’d been conducting business with another shifter. He had immediately dismissed the man, and it had taken only two steps for him to cross the room. Now, standing this close, her light and airy scent wrapped around him. For a second, he forgot what he was doing. Forgot why he was there. Forgot everything except the sudden discovery of just how appealing sweetness and innocence could be.
Moonlight Mist: A Limited Edition Collection of Fantasy & Paranormal) Page 141
