“Lady, there is nothing to forgive. You did what needed to be done.”
“We must return. Even now, our people gather in the Great Hall to celebrate the return of their Prince. Judgment must also be passed on the traitor.”
Abagail couldn’t hold back the cry that built in her throat at the mention of his leaving. This was it. She was losing him.
All eyes fell on her.
“Beautiful Abagail,” Kaelen whispered and closed the distance between them.
“Well,” she breathed. “It worked. Everything is exactly as it should be. Prince Kaelen,” she added with a small smile. “Though, wow, I didn’t expect that. You saved my family. That’s why you looked familiar to Rob, I suppose. I guess I should say thank you.”
He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled until their bodies moulded together. She buried her faced in his neck, inhaling the spicy, intoxicating scent that would haunt her always.
“I didn’t know that it was your mother…” he whispered.
“Kaelen, we have to go.” The Queen’s voice was quiet, regret tinged.
“Abagail,” he murmured against her hair.
Pulling away, she cupped his face and smiled into his eyes. “Go. Go back to where you belong, where you’re needed. I’ll be fine.” She laughed lightly at his frown. “Really, I will.”
He leaned down and captured her mouth, shutting out all the others in the room. Heat swept through her whole body, consuming her. God, she didn’t want him to leave. Knowing she had no choice, she allowed herself to fall into the kiss, into all the sensations.
He nipped at her bottom lip, a heavy sigh escaping. “I love you, Abagail Guthrie. Never forget that.”
“I love you, too, Kaelen of Fey. Always.”
She stepped away from him and nodded to his aunt and his friends. The Queen waved her hand, not giving them the chance for more words as she flashed them from the room.
Abagail stood still a moment and fought the sob welling up within in her. It was over. Damn it, she managed just fine before without him, she’d do it again. Everything would go back to normal.
“Liar,” she whispered to the empty room. Nothing was ever going to be the same again.
Chapter Nine
Abagail walked through the trees, enjoying the moments the sun’s warmth kissed her face. Weaving through the light and shadows, she inhaled the deep earthy scent surrounding her. It reminded her of Kaelen. Her body hummed at the thought of him. Granted, he was always there, lurking in the depths of her heart and mind.
She continued walking until she came upon the hot springs she’d previously discovered nestled into the side of a huge hill, hidden in a mass of boulders. Sitting on the stone edge of one of the large pools, she kicked off her shoes, pulled her skirt up to her knees, and dipped her feet into the warm, churning water. She braced her arms behind her and leaned back, eyes closed.
“Hello, my beautiful Abagail.”
She squeezed her eyes tighter as the sound of Kaelen’s voice slithered down her spine. She forced herself not to leap up and jump the man. She turned her head and opened her eyes to find him leaning against one of the large boulders. Desire ignited instantly, as it always did when she saw him, and pooled in her belly.
He stared for a moment before straightening and striding to her. Kneeling behind her, he placed his hands on her shoulders and began to knead the knots hiding within.
“You’ve been well?” His breath fluttered across her cheek as he leaned in to question her.
“I’m fine,” she answered, disgusted at the breathlessness of her voice. “You?”
He chuckled softly and pushed her hair aside to lay his lips on the base of her neck. “Getting better by the minute. Great Lady above, I miss you, Abagail.”
She shivered as he nuzzled the sensitive skin and tilted his head to give him easier access to her neck. He obliged her and began to kiss and nibble. She shifted and turned slightly to wrap an arm around his neck. He pulled away and smiled.
“Fancy a swim?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. You go ahead.”
He pressed his mouth to hers, his lips coaxed hers open, and his tongue delved inside. Abagail sighed into his mouth and sank into the sensations. The man could make her forget everything with a look; his kisses, well, they could convince her to do almost anything.
With a reluctant groan, he pulled away and stood. He pulled the T-shirt up over his head and tossed it aside. She drank in the sight of his hair sprinkled chest. He toed off his shoes and bent to remove his socks. She knew he wasn’t deliberately trying to entice her. Nothing in his moves showed any motives of seduction. Of course, that’s what was so seductive about it. He seemed oblivious to the storm his mere presence stirred up inside her.
She bit her lower lip, welcoming the pain as a slight distraction as he unbuttoned his jeans and pushed them over his hips and down his legs. He kicked them aside. Oh boy, she thought as he slipped his thumbs under the waistband of his boxers. He slid them off and she groaned inwardly. His hard cock jutted up proudly, swollen and ready. She lifted her gaze to his smiling face. Oh yeah, he knew what she was thinking.
“Sure you don’t want to join me?”
“In a bit maybe.” Damn, this playing hard to get was tough on a girl.
He winked at her, walked to the edge, and dove in. Abagail took the opportunity to draw in a few ragged breaths. Okay, enough of this. She knew what she wanted and she was going to get it. As she watched him surface and swim to the opposite edge, she reached up and began to unbutton her blouse.
She pulled her feet from the water and stood, never taking her eyes from him. She slid her skirt and panties off and unfastened her bra. He swam closer and grinned when she flung the garment aside.
Pulling in a deep breath, she dove under.
Warm water sluiced over her body as she swam under the surface. The silky wet caress stoked the fire already burning inside her. Coming up for air, she found herself face to face with her mate. Her mate, she repeated in her head in disbelief. None of this seemed real. If she hadn’t lived it, she wouldn’t have believed it. She threw her arms around his neck and claimed his mouth. She groaned, drinking in the taste of him.
“Hmm,” he murmured against her lips. “I need you, Abagail. Need you so much.”
“I know.” She rained kisses across his face, his neck, his chest. “Me too.”
Desperate for more, she wrapped her legs around his waist, pulling his hardness to nestle against her soft folds. He managed to get them to the edge of the pool and pressed her against the stone. He reached between them and slipped his fingers over her swollen, throbbing clit. Her head fell back and a cry slid from her lips. She’d never get enough of him. Never.
He grasped his cock and rubbed the bulbous head over her sleek sex, teasing the sensitive pearl peeking out. Positioning himself to enter her, he looked into her eyes.
“I love you.”
She swallowed hard before gasping, “I love you, too.”
He braced his arms against the stone behind her. With his mouth, he claimed her as he surged inside her. She clutched his shoulders, nails biting the skin, as her muscles stretched over him. He plundered her mouth and thrust hard and deep within her, setting a frantic pace. Abagail met him stroke for stroke, desperation enveloping her even as her body responded to her mate. Heat built up within her as his cock thickened. His release pushed her over the edge. She cried out as the orgasm swept through her. She fell hard, sliding through the dense fog of emotions and sensations Kaelen pulled from her.
Abagail let her head fall to his shoulder as they both struggled to catch their breath. He buried a hand in her damp curls and rubbed his cheek across the top of her head. She squeezed shut her eyes against the tears that flooded.
“You’re going to leave me again, aren’t you?” she whispered against his neck.
“I’m sorry, Abagail. So sorry.” He pulled her head back until she stared at him. His hand moved forwar
d to cup her cheek and catch the tears escaping. “I’m so damned sorry. I love you.”
Abagail jolted awake. Tears ran down her face, dampening the pillow. She rolled onto her side and pulled her knees up to her chest. Damn it, why couldn’t she just get over him? Every night since he’d left she’d had these dreams. Dreams that seemed so real.
She glanced at the clock. Eight a.m. She might as well get up. No chance she’d get any more sleep. Not with the memory of him crowding her head. Might as well try to get some work done. Pulling herself out of bed, she was determined to move on.
An hour later, she sat at the piano, eyes closed, fingers on the keys. Silence reigned, as it had for the past two weeks. The music had left her just as surely as Kaelen had.
“Damn it!” She slammed her fists on the keys. Disjointed notes echoed through the room. “Damn him!”
The emptiness that filled her gnawed incessantly. The damned void Kaelen’s presence had filled shrouded her, threatened to consume her. Unable to work, she’d been desperate enough last week to go stay with her brother in the city, but even the distance and distraction couldn’t pull the thoughts of him from her mind. So she’d returned to mope in silence and solitude. And cursed herself and Kaelen for it.
Her skin prickled and she felt a light breeze swirl around her. Power and heat swept through the room. Heart in her throat, she turned quickly to see light shimmering throughout the room. Kaelen.
“I’m sorry. It is only I.” The Queen. Kaelen’s aunt.
Abagail stared at the beautiful woman. Kaelen had her eyes, she realised before finding her voice. “Hello. Is something wrong? Is he all right?”
“My nephew is fine. He is being crowned tonight.”
Swallowing the painful lump lodged in her throat, Abagail stood. “You’re stepping down?”
“It is time. May I sit with you, Abagail?”
“Of course.” She motioned to the sofa and wondered why the woman had come.
“Do you love my nephew?”
Startled, Abagail’s eyes widened. “Does it matter? He’s in his world; I’m in mine.”
“Love always matters. Do you love him?” she repeated.
“Yes, I love him.”
She nodded and continued to stare. Her eyes seemed to penetrate into Abagail’s every thought and pierce her soul. Finally she spoke.
“Kaelen sent me here. To make sure you were all right. To ensure your happiness.”
“Well, you can tell His Highness that I’m just fine and as for happiness, no one can ensure it.” She shrugged and let out a humourless laugh. “Tell him I’m happy and not to worry.”
“But you’re not happy, are you, my dear?”
“I’m not turning cartwheels and cheering, if that’s what you mean. I thought I’d found a man I could spend my life with and then lost him. All in a matter of days. Plus I found out he killed my father to save my mother and us kids. That kind of stuff takes a little time to work through.”
“Would it be easier if you had never met him?”
Abagail shifted uncomfortably under the intense stare. “You can’t turn back time. I don’t regret my time with him.”
“That isn’t what I asked. Would it be easier if you had no memory of him and your time together? To go back to your life before?”
“You can do that?”
“Of course, if it would make you happy.”
“Why? Why would you do that for me? A mere human?”
The Queen remained silent and continued to stare at her. Realisation dawned and anger erupted through her mind and body.
“He asked you to come here, didn’t he? He wants you to just, bam, make my memory vanish? Well you just go tell him, I’ll hang onto my memories, thank you very much! The idiot! I won’t let him ease his damned conscience so easily.”
“I don’t think it is that simple. He knows that it is very uncomfortable to be apart from him. You are bonded, mind, body, and soul. You heard the Song of Souls when you came together, and he spoke the words. He wants to make it easier for you, not for him.”
“He mentioned the bonding thing. What does that mean exactly?”
“For our people, meeting one’s true mate is very rare. Something that doesn’t happen every lifetime. When two true mates meet, they hear the Song of Souls. They know that they are meant. When they come together physically, one will recite the binding words and they are mated. It’s similar to marriage in the human world, only stronger.”
She felt the blood, the heat leave her face. “So we’re married?”
“In a manner of speaking. When two are mated, they have the need to be with their partner. Being apart can be quite uncomfortable and distressing. Kaelen wants you spared that.”
“How can we be mates if I’m human?
“I’ve never known it to happen with a human, but Fate tends to give us the unexpected at times, doesn’t she? It is my belief that Kaelen was meant to save your mother’s life and give you life. He healed you as an unborn child. That had consequences. It gave you gifts.”
Abagail frowned. “What gifts?”
“You heal more quickly. You’ve noticed that, I know. Not as quickly as the Fey, but quite rapidly for a human. You sense things, the magic around you, that other humans are oblivious to. Also, have you ever noticed that the weather does what you want?”
She shook her head. “No, it doesn’t. If I could control the weather, it’d never be crappy out.”
The older woman laughed. “When you really think about what you want the weather to be, doesn’t it happen?”
Abagail thought about it, and her mouth fell open. The very day she’d stumbled upon Kaelen, she’d been hoping for a light snow, and it had happened. And she had sensed Darrick’s presence at the grocery store. Oh God, that was weird. She started to smile. But kind of cool. She pushed the thoughts aside and focused.
“Okay, so Kaelen and I are mated. Doesn’t that cause problems with your people, my being human?”
The Queen smiled with a dainty shrug. “Some are probably uncomfortable with the thought, but you and Kaelen are true mates and they will accept it.”
“But Kaelen doesn’t.”
“He doesn’t want to ask you to give up your life. He thought this was the only way to ensure your happiness.”
“Oh sure, erase my memories and everything with be hunky dory.” A thought struck her like a sucker punch in the stomach. “If it’s uncomfortable for me to be from him, is it the same for him? When he’s away from me?”
“Yes.”
“So he has you erase our memories so we both can just go on with everyday?
“No,” she drawled. “Just you. Kaelen has decided to keep his memories.”
“Oh he has, has he?”
“That is disturbing for you?”
“Hell yeah, it is. He decides for both of us, huh? Pig. He never even asked me what I wanted. Maybe I’d have gone with him, if that was allowed.”
“Of course it is allowed. You are true mates.”
“I’d have to give up my life here, though. My family?”
“To a degree. You could still see your family. You’d have to use glamour to give the illusion of aging, so they’d remain unknowing of the Fey world.”
“I wouldn’t age?”
“You would, but much more slowly in our world.”
“Why are you telling me this? I’m sure Kaelen didn’t instruct you to.”
“No, he wanted me to do the deed without your knowledge, but I feel you deserve a choice in the matter. Though at the moment you look like you’d rather strangle him then spend your life with him.”
“Oh, I wouldn’t strangle him. Though I think the man needs a few lessons in modern relationships.”
“Do you want to come back with me? Think carefully, Abagail, about what you are giving up. Yes, you can see your family and visit this world, but you will no longer be a part of it. Merely a visitor.”
She sat back and closed her eyes. Could she do this?
Did she want to? She sure as heck wasn’t having any of her memories taken from her. Could she live without him? Yes, she knew she could. But did she want to? That was the million-dollar question.
Opening her eyes, she grinned. “He’s going to be a bit shocked to see me, don’t you think?”
“Oh yes, he will. I knew you were a strong woman, Abagail. Fate knew what she was doing when she paired you with my nephew. You will make him happy.”
“Maybe after the initial ass kicking.”
Beautiful laughter filled the room as the Queen threw her head back. “Oh, yes, you are exactly what Kaelen needs.”
“Okay, what do we do now?”
* * * *
Kaelen entered his dwelling, heart heavy. He was now King. Amazing how empty it was. The urge to leave it all overwhelmed him. Though he had nowhere to go. His mate no longer had memory of him. Although he knew it was as it should be, the thought of her not knowing him or remembering their time together gutted him.
With a curse, he sat and removed his boots and heaved them across the room, listening to the heavy thuds against the wall. A pitiful show of anger, but momentarily satisfying.
“Not very becoming of a King.”
He closed his eyes at the sound of Abagail’s voice. Would her presence in his mind ever diminish? Or would she always dwell there?
“How does it feel? Being King? Does it help you forget me?” Her voice slid over him, hardening his body painfully.
“Never,” he whispered hoarsely.
“Aren’t you even going to look at me? I came all this way, you could at least acknowledge my presence,” she snapped.
His eyes popped open and there she stood. Framed in the doorway, she was a vision of sheer beauty. Her hair fell in soft curls around her shoulders. A midnight blue camisole clung to her skin, the generous swell of her breast spilling tantalisingly over the neckline. Her navel peeked out above the nearly transparent blue silk draped around her hips. She shifted from bare foot to bare foot as she studied him.
He groaned and ran a hand over his eyes, trying to erase the image of her from his mind.
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