by Jaymin Eve
A doorway whirled to life before us.
Just as we were about to step through, Jessa yelled, “Wait!”
All eyes turned to the wolf shifter. She directed her question toward the ice royals. “You mentioned Louis … if he knew about the threat, how come he never ended up freeing you?”
They stepped closer to us, closer to the doorway. “He would not have been able to find the princesses either. He protected them from all. It was the only way to ensure that no one would ever find them until their magic was released into the world.”
My gran had to wait until I was twenty-five, then torture me, before stabbing me with an ice blade to release my energy. Louis might have gone with a bit of overkill on the securities.
“Louis is trapped in the world of demons,” Jessa said. “How do we save him?”
All the royals lifted their heads to stare up. “You must take the portal up to their realm. There you will find his spirit. It will be bound in the circus of souls. You can free him easily, using the magic of the jewels. Keep in mind that the ley lines are dead there. You have only what energy you contain within you, but it will be enough.”
Magic of the jewels … sounded like we needed the princesses for this task. Here’s hoping Justice and Cam and Gretley would be willing to help us.
Jessa nodded, determination crossing her face. No doubt the wolf shifter would not be taking no for an answer. “Thank you. We’ll be back soon.”
Now it was time to go home and regroup. We would take a night of rest.
Tyson Compass
Grace was wrecked. Her face remained calm as we stepped through her doorway, but I could feel her inner turmoil. So much had happened. So many changes. So many losses. She thought her mom and dad were gone. Her gran had been left to face trial in the ice world. She was a fucking princess of a fey land. It was a lot.
I didn’t care that she was fey, that she was a princess, that she had been born of a shadow. None of that mattered to me. I loved every part of Grace. When I thought she was gone … there are no words to describe that pain. It was like dying over and over, no way to escape the relentless agony.
“Talk to me, little witch.” We were standing on the front porch of our house; she was staring out into the forest. All of our pack was inside, giving us space, waiting for the moment we needed them. The other three princesses had collapsed in the spare room, but Grace was restless still.
A spark flickered in her eyes. “Not a witch anymore.”
I shrugged, nudging her with my shoulder. “Always gonna be my little witch.”
Grace reached up and removed the crown from her tangled hair, rubbing a hand across her tired eyes. “I’m not sure there is any way for me to process everything. I died. Ice and sand saved me. My shadow side was purged. My … parents.”
I halted her jumbled words with my lips, just a gentle kiss. She was the one who deepened it, opening herself to me, her tongue gliding against mine.
“I need you, Ty,” she murmured. “I need our bond. I need to forget. Please…”
I needed her too, and when she begged me like this, I would have given her anything. My hands were under her thighs then; I lifted her up to sit on the railing, stepping in between her open legs. Our kisses got hot fast, and I couldn’t get enough of her. It would never be enough.
She let out a low moan, and I was five seconds from taking her right there, so I sought the strength to pull back. Our lips broke contact, while the rest of us remained firmly connected. “It doesn’t matter what happened on Faerie,” I told her, my voice serious. “I am forever grateful that whatever lived inside of you kept you from dying. We’ll keep searching for your parents. If I have learned anything, it’s that no one is truly dead until I see the body.”
She nodded. “Right now, in my mind, they’re just missing. After we rescue Louis, we can start trying to find them.”
I heard her unspoken words. Even if she only found their bodies, she still wanted to look. She needed the closure.
She leaned in to whisper, “I hope you know that I never for a second considered staying in Faerie. I belong with you.”
I gently took the crown from her hand, placing it in our front storage box, before I lifted her into my arms, carrying her across the porch and out into the forest. “We belong together,” I murmured, kissing along her jaw.
I loved my pack, but right now Grace and I needed some alone time. We needed nature to renew us.
“You don’t have to carry me. I know how tired you are.” Grace lifted her face and our lips met briefly.
“I’m not tired. And … I need to carry you. I need to feel you alive in my arms.”
She didn’t argue, and settled in against me. We were silent as I took us deeper into the forest, my dragon content, my sorcery too. I was learning how to deal with both of them. In a few months there would be no issue at all.
I headed to one of my favorite spots in the forest. An open area surrounded by pine trees.
Grace let out a chuckle when I set her down. “This is why you always smell like a piney mint tree.”
“I come here a lot. It’s where I think.”
If she looked around she’d see plenty of evidence of my years here: carvings in the trees, magic spell marks, discarded spell ingredients. As if she heard that, Grace ran her hand across one of the broad trunks. I stepped up next to her and she looked up at me.
“These are my initials.”
I nodded, wrapping my arms around her. “I always saw you, Grace Carter.”
Her pupils dilated then as she wet her lips. Desire shot straight through me and I let out a low growl, pulling her closer. Spinning around, I pressed her into the tree that held her initials; my lips hungrily landed on hers. We kissed for a long time, our mouths moving together, bodies rocking into each other. She wrenched her head back, breathing ragged as she cried out. My lips were on her neck, and I slowly slid a hand up under her shirt, needing to feel her skin. Her low cry sounded again and everything inside of me tightened.
Losing all patience, I leaned back and gripped her shirt, preparing to tear it from her body. A memory paused me though, the one of Grace with her cousin. He had torn her shirt, and I would do nothing to remind her of that.
With as much gentleness as I could manage, I slowly slid her shirt up and over her head, holding her off the rough tree. “Is this okay?” I asked, my eyes locked on her light ones.
“Yes … yes, it’s so okay,” she panted, staring up at me with swollen lips and those bewitching eyes. They already seemed like such a part of her. What few beams of moonlight cut through the canopy reflected off her jeweled skin. There was a lot of it on display, and I found myself pressing my lips to the swell of her breasts. I moved across them, licking and kissing.
“You’re so fucking beautiful,” I whispered, struck by how incredible she was.
She grabbed up a handful of my shirt. “If you stop, I’m going to hurt you.”
With a half-smile, I had all of her clothes off in a flash of magic. The tree was too rough for her skin, but a rug was easy to come by when you were a sorcerer. It was thick across the forest floor, and then I had her naked beneath me. My lips grazed hers; I descended lower, picking up where I left off just before. As I kissed along her jaw, I couldn’t stop my groan. She tasted so fucking good.
I heard that, mate.
Already our bond was kicking in stronger. I could taste you all day.
My tongue caressed her firm, pink nipple and she gasped, arching even further. The need between us grew so strong – a real, tangible thing. As my tongue continued to run across her nipple, my right hand dragged up the side of her hips, moving lower again to stroke her inner thigh. I brushed against her folds and her wetness coated my fingers. Her small cry was lost in the night air, both of her hands clenched on the side of the rug we lay upon. I slowly slid one finger inside of her, moving my mouth to the other nipple. It would be unfair to neglect it.
Grace started to ride my hand, an
d I quickly inserted another finger, and then a third. She said my name with force, and I lifted my head to cover her lips, my hand continuing to move.
“I need you inside of me. Now!” She was breathy and demanding and I loved it. I removed my fingers, one at a time, slowly stroking her. When my hand was free, I lifted my fingers and drew my tongue across the dampness she had left behind. Her slick sweetness had my senses going crazy, my body on fire as everything inside of me roared with need. She tugged my shirt off, and magicked my pants and boots away. I was commando, as usual.
Grace’s eyes widened as I placed a hand on either side of her head, holding my body slightly off her. “I always knew the Compasses were overachievers,” she said, her wide eyes locked on my dick. “But seriously … do you have a flaw?”
I shrugged. “Had one once. It was overrated.”
She snorted, shaking her head, thick hair tumbling out across the rug. Surrounded by nature, she looked like a wood nymph sprawled out before me. I had to kiss her again, I couldn’t help myself.
“Do we need to worry about birth control?” I wasn’t sure how she felt about kids; the few things I had picked up from her made me think she wasn’t ready.
She paused for a beat, shaking her head. “I’m not fertile right now, and even if I was … I think it would be okay.”
Relief rocked through me; I wanted young of my own. It didn’t have to be today, or even this year, but eventually. So it was nice to know that Grace wasn’t completely opposed to the idea.
There was no more talking after that. Our mouths met, and in one smooth move I sheathed myself deep inside of her. I hadn’t expected for one second she was a virgin – supes were pretty sexually advanced, active from a young age – but she was tight, so I let her adjust to my size for a moment before starting to move slowly.
Her low moans increased as she lifted her legs and wrapped them tightly around my waist, meeting every stroke. I could tell when she started to get close; her pupils dilated and she was clenching hard around me. Our mate bond, so fragile since Faerie, was suddenly thrumming with energy, like a thick rope of steel.
Oh my God. Ty … I’m gonna come. Fuck.
She didn’t curse a lot, and I found it hot as hell. I groaned as my own release started to build. Picking up the pace, I slammed into her and she cried out, clenching tightly around me. The sounds of her orgasm filled the forest and sent me right over the edge. With a few last strokes, I spilled inside of her, the intensity of my emotions felt like they were crushing my chest.
We lay together for a beat, our harsh breathing mingling. I wasn’t sure I’d ever had sex like that before – with our minds and energy so open to each other. It was almost as if I were the virgin, experiencing it all for the first time.
“That was amazing,” Grace said breathlessly. “Can we do it again?”
I laughed, rolling over so I wouldn’t crush her with my weight. I brought her with me, our bodies still locked together for a moment, before I slid free from her warmth. If I didn’t know I was going to have her again in like three minutes, I’d have been disappointed.
Tucking her into my side, I said, “Baby, we’re going to do that so many times you won’t be able to walk.”
“Not sure I can walk now,” she admitted.
I wrapped my arms tightly around her, and she wriggled even closer to me. “I love you, Tyson.”
My chest clenched. “I love you too, Grace. I fucking love you.”
She laughed. “I should have expected you’d get a fuck in there somewhere.”
“Oh, I’m going to get more than one fuck in, don’t you worry.” My teasing was met with a snort and slap to the shoulder. I was relieved to see true happiness lighting up her face, even if she held a lot of confusion and inner sadness within. She was dealing, though, and I would be with her every step of the way.
As she wiggled against me, my dick grew hard again, and she raised both eyebrows. I expected her to say something smartass, but she just ran a hand down my body and wrapped it around me. “I’m ready.”
I loved her so hard in that moment it actually hurt. Releasing me, she slid herself up on top. I reached up and cupped her face, doing a half sit-up and capturing her lips.
“Good thing you have like twenty-ish abs, hey?” she laughed as she pulled back. “Otherwise that would have been a hard pose to hold.”
She shifted on top of me and I forgot everything I had been about to say. Placing my hands on her hips, I steadied her movements, bringing her into position and sliding up into her. She stilled, before leaning forward, and with her hands on my chest, started to move, her hips rocking slowly as she took me as deep inside as it was possible to go, red hair trailing down across her breasts. I lifted my hands to cup them; she filled each of my palms, and as our pace started to increase, I flicked my thumbs across her nipples.
She cried out, and leaned down to kiss me. It was a desperate, needy kiss, and I gave her everything I had. The fates might have brought us together, but I would have chosen her no matter what. She was my forever.
Grace Carter
I slept the night away in the forest. Well, there was a little bit of sleep, and a whole lot of love making. Tyson was insatiable, taking me in every way possible, and then still thinking up new positions. He was quite inventive in the bedroom … forest, whatever … and I would never complain that I was unsatisfied with him as my mate.
The sun was just rising when we set out, hand in hand, to make our way home. Home. It was so odd to me that I would be able to call that beautiful log cabin home, but it felt right.
“What are you thinking?” he asked me.
He could have tapped into my thoughts; I didn’t have a barrier up and our bond was as strong as ever. But we were respecting each other’s privacy at the moment.
“Just that I finally have a real home. Not one built on lies and secrecy and hate.”
My grandma had clearly kept me around and indulged in a pretend relationship to make sure she had my blood at hand when she needed it so she could return to Faerie. She had betrayed me so badly; my heart ached when I dwelled on it for too long. Which was why I was making a concerted effort to move forward. I couldn’t even think about how she might have killed my dad, Gramps, and Mom. Nope, I would not think on that.
“You have a big family now, Grace. You won’t have to worry about being alone, or being betrayed again.”
The conviction in his voice was strong, and I tilted my head back so he knew I needed a kiss – he was too tall for me to stealth attack him for one. His lips were warm as he brushed them over mine. That heat trailed its way to my stomach, and then even lower. My toes practically curled as desire washed over me. One night of sex and now I was addicted.
Tyson chuckled as he pulled away, linked our hands together again, and we started walking once more. “I think I’m going to give up my seat on the council.”
I wasn’t surprised, I’d felt him thinking on it through the night. In between all the sex … there had been some thinking time.
I had to ask though: “Are you sure? You know you have the skills and power to govern the magic users.”
There was no hesitation in his reply: “More than sure. Something tells me you’re going to spend a lot of time in Faerie, and I will be where you are. I just can’t give the position … our people, the time they deserve.”
I wasn’t quite ready to deal with the Faerie princess thing yet. Like with my parents, I preferred to live in denial a little longer. But he was right, I would most definitely make my way back there soon to see the land of my birth. To meet the rest of the ice land nation.
“We also need to free Louis,” Tyson added. “That can’t wait a moment longer.”
It really couldn’t. He was intricately tied to everything that happened. He had saved us as babies, something I just realized I had in common with Jessa and Mischa. Another tie to my family.
“What’s the plan?” I jumped over a fallen log, kicking out at a small pile
of leaves. It was already warm, despite the early hour. A dryness in the air.
Tyson scooped me up from behind, holding me close before letting me slide down his body. We stayed pressed together for a moment, before he answered: “I’m sure Jessa is already packed and ready to go get her brother. She’ll have a plan.”
She most definitely would. We started out again, our pace much quicker. When the house came into sight, he lifted my hand and pressed his lips to it, and a single tear trickled from my eye. His tawny depths darkened, lighting up with gold streaks.
“I’m just … happy,” I said in response to his silent question. It might have been a bittersweet happiness, but it was there all the same. “You make me really happy.”
The gold disappeared then. “You’re my everything, Grace. I’m never going to stop trying to make you happy, and I’m going to destroy anyone who hurts you.”
In true Tyson fashion, he slew me with those words. Sweet, heartfelt, real. Our journey was only just beginning. We had plenty of battles and trials ahead of us, but all of that felt insignificant right now.
In this moment, I knew that no matter what was thrown at us, we could handle it. Together.
Watch out for Louis’ story, coming early 2018.
Jaymin Eve is the USA Today bestselling author of Young Adult and New Adult romance novels (both urban fantasy and contemporary). She loves surrounding herself with the best things in life: her two girls, a good book, and chocolate. She’d love to hear from you, so find her at
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ALSO BY JAYMIN EVE
Curse of the Gods Series
Book One: Trickery
Book Two: Persuasion
Book Three: Seduction (2017)
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