by Leslie Chase
He could feel her about to argue when a small, polite cough interrupted and drew their attention back to the room. Glancing aside, he realized that they had an audience. Not a small one, either.
The Court of Storms was watching, wide-eyed and shocked. Some lay where Fiona's conjured storm had felled them, others nursed injuries, and a few peered in from the doorways where they'd fled. But all of them had their eyes locked on the couple standing before the throne.
No, he realized after a moment. No, not 'us' — they're all watching her.
Fiona tensed in his arms as she noticed the weight of attention she was under. Looking out at the crowd she drew breath to say something, and then let it out silently. Cole didn't blame her. He had no idea what to say either.
But it seemed she didn't need to say anything. One of the nearest noblemen dropped to one knee and bowed his head, and then the lady beside him followed suit. A moment later, not one of them was standing.
"Long live Queen Fiona," someone said, and then the rest of the court took up the cry. Cole blinked, feeling dizzy from his wounds and shock, and as Fiona raised her hands to accept the accolades of her new court, he felt the strength leave his limbs.
I guess she doesn't need me right now, he thought absently as the room faded to black around him.
17
The darkness was warm and comfortable, and for a while Cole floated there happily. Everything felt so calm, and all his troubles were distant. Eventually, he heard voices. He couldn't make out what they were saying, but they sounded concerned. And one of them was Fiona's.
Cole returned to consciousness with a start, his eyes snapping open and scanning the room for danger. He sat up with a struggle from the bed he found himself on, ready to meet any threat, anything that might harm his beloved.
Fiona rushed to his side, putting a hand on his chest and stopping him from getting up. Doing her best to, anyway — he could feel his strength coming back and if he'd tried he could have pushed her aside with ease. But he let her stop him, reaching up to take her small hand in his.
The only other person present was Skye, sitting in a comfortable armchair beside the door. Cole could see no sign of any danger. The room was a beautiful bedchamber, huge and airy, and through the window he glimpsed the statue garden he'd snuck in through when he'd been looking for a way in.
"How long?" he asked eventually.
"You were unconscious for three days," Fiona said. "I was so worried! No one knew how long you'd take to recover, or even if you would."
"The best healers of the court have done everything they could for you," Skye added with a reassuring smile. "And none of them would tempt Her Majesty's wrath by failing, so I'm sure you'll be fine."
Cole flexed his arms, surprised at how mobile they felt after so short a time to recover. Silver would leave nasty wounds on a shifter, but perhaps fae magic lent itself to healing them. Or they had access to some other way to treat the wounds. The details didn't matter too much, he supposed, as long as it worked.
The rest of Skye's statement finally sunk in, and his eyes opened wide. "I guess the title stuck, then?"
Fiona blushed slightly, and he saw that despite wearing a different dress she still had the crown. It suited her, now that he looked at it again.
"Yes," she said, sounding nervous. "I'm still the only candidate for the throne, and after what I did during the ceremony..."
She trailed off and Skye took up the explanation. "After that, no one was willing to doubt that Fiona is our Queen. We've all seen that she can harness the lightning, and what happens when someone crosses her."
"And Skye here is willing to help me learn how to do this job," Fiona added. "So I'm starting to figure out how I'm going to rule. For one thing, I'm not going to be stuck here the whole time. No one can stop me going home and living there if I want, so long as I attend court and so on."
"I think it might start a fashion amongst the younger fae," Skye said with an impish grin. "I'd love to have some experience of living amongst humans, getting to know their ways. It's not unheard of, though I think Queen Fiona will be the first ruling monarch to do it."
Cole sighed at the thought. It made things so much better for Fiona, and that was great, but still he couldn't help thinking what a headache that would be for the Agency. Dozens of fae all trying to live double lives in a small town? Argent Falls was going to be a nightmare for whatever poor agent ended up posted there.
"I'm glad you get to keep some of your old life, Fiona," he said, trying to focus on the positives. "It sounds like you're going to get the hang of this, even if it's a rocky start. I just hope you can keep your new subjects from causing too much trouble in future."
"Oh, I'm not sure I can be trusted to do that," Fiona said with an impish grin. "I think maybe I should request someone to help me from the Arcane Affairs Agency. Someone with a bit of experience keeping the local fae in line."
"And someone who they know they can't mess with," Skye added.
"Maybe you could recommend someone?" Fiona finished.
Cole groaned theatrically, shaking his head. "You're going to land me with this assignment, aren't you?"
Fiona laughed, squeezing him tight, and then sobered. "I need you, Cole. I can't do this without you."
"Fiona, I'd never leave your side. Not unless you want me to," Cole said, lifting her onto the bed and his lap. "If it means babysitting your Court, well, it's better than the nothing cases Eric's had me chasing this year."
Cole felt Fiona relax in his arms, letting go of an almost imperceptible tension that she'd been carrying. Skye stood up and grinned at the two of them. "Unless you need me, Your Majesty, I'll go and see how the repairs to your throne room are coming along."
Fiona started, as though she'd almost forgotten that the other woman was present. Waving to Skye she sent her companion outside, and then Fiona and Cole were alone. She sighed and snuggled in against him again, and for once everything felt like it would be alright.
"There's one thing we haven't finished, though," Fiona murmured into his chest after a time.
"What's that, Your Majesty?" Cole asked, grinning. Fiona thumped him in the arm hard enough that he winced at the impact.
"Don't you start with that nonsense," she said sternly, looking up at him with sparkling eyes. "I'm your Fiona, not your Queen."
"Okay, okay," Cole said, laughing and holding up his hands in surrender. "What's the problem, my love?"
Her mock-annoyance melted instantly at that, and she blushed. "Um, you know before, you said that we were mates? And that you needed to claim me somehow, to make it final. Is that something you still want to do?"
Cole chuckled and grinned. "I remember. And yes, I want that more than anything."
He slid a hand behind her head, drawing her close for a kiss that left them both breathless. She gave a delightful little shiver against him, and Cole found that, no matter how much the fighting had taken out of him, his body was more than ready to respond to hers.
Fiona moaned as his free hand fumbled at the unfamiliar fastenings of her complicated dress, and she pulled back from him. Her breathing quick and her breasts heaving as she looked at him, biting her lip.
"Wait, I've been practicing," she said, and gestured downward. Her dress dissolved like mist under the morning sun, and Cole couldn't help staring at her beauty. Only the crown remained, and as she hopped onto the bed beside him, he reached up to pull it from her head.
"Here you don't have to be anything apart from mine," he said, and she smiled, taking the crown from him and throwing it to the bedside table. Cole watched her move, marveling again at how lucky he was. His hands stroked across her naked body, following the curves of her and feeling her respond with a delighted shiver. Fiona moaned softly, reaching out for him, pulling back the covers to reveal his erect cock.
Her touch was a joy that he knew he'd never tire of, and he looked forward to exploring her, enjoying her, and watching her enjoy him. But now he felt an urg
ency, a need to claim his mate. A mutual desire that fanned the flames of their lust, making his heart beat faster and her pulse race.
One of his hands slid between her legs, brushing her pussy and making her gasp. Fiona threw back her head, offering her breasts to him, and he couldn't resist the urge to kiss and bite them as his fingers teased her. Fiona shuddered against him, her fingers twisting in his hair, and he slid a finger into her.
Her hand gripped his cock, gently stroking as the urgency of their movement increased. "Please, Cole, I need you. I need you inside me."
The words made him burn for her, and her touch made him hard as iron. Sliding between her legs, he positioned himself against her pussy, feeling her folds open for him. She looked up at him, her eyes wide, eager, loving. For a moment they were both still, waiting, hovering on the brink.
Then he thrust.
She felt so perfect as he slid home inside her, as his body and hers united. Fiona's mouth opened in a gasp of pleasure, her body arching, pressing up against him. Cole felt her grip him and growled hungrily, withdrawing only to thrust again. And again.
With each stroke, he felt her tighten around him. Felt her body shiver with the pleasure of their union. His body ached for her, and her fingers digging into his shoulders nearly made him lose control. His bear was near the surface, urging him on, wanting him to sink his teeth into her and claim her.
Cole fought down that urge. Not yet. He lowered his mouth, kissing her and nipping at her lips with his teeth, driving her wild as her touch drove him wild. Her nails scored scratches down his back, making him shiver and gasp against her, and he kissed her hard, his lips taking hers.
The slow, deliberate pace he set sped up. He couldn't keep himself from moving faster, harder, and each time pushed them both closer to the brink of orgasm. Fiona wrapped her legs around him, trying to draw him even deeper into her, and he pulled back from her mouth to look her in the eyes.
"God, Fiona," he growled. "You feel so good."
She gasped and grinned up at him, her cheeks flushed and eyes shining. "You. God. You too. Please."
Each of his thrusts sent her curvy body into shudders, and her voice was husky with need. The sight, the feel, the sound of her all drove Cole on, pushed him to move faster, ate into his self-control.
There couldn't be anyone better than her. No one could possibly compare.
He growled, unable to control himself any longer. He could feel his teeth sharpening as he prepared to take her.
Fiona leaned up as he arched his neck, sinking her teeth into his shoulder and that was the last straw. Cole cried out, thrusting ever harder and deeper into her, and with a raw cry of pleasure and need and lust he pushed her down onto the mattress. His mouth came down to her neck, muffling his roar with her flesh as he bit down hard, and Fiona cried out, her orgasm overtaking her as Cole's teeth sank into her.
Their bodies slammed together, and Cole let go of the last shreds of control he had. His bear roared triumphantly as he tasted his mate, and her body writhed in pleasure under him. The grip of her pussy tightened and he could no longer contain himself. With an animal cry of joy, he came hard inside her, his seed filling her. Fiona's pussy squeezed hard, milking him of every drop as the pleasure rocked him.
When finally he got control of himself again, he lowered himself to kiss and lick at the bleeding bite mark he'd left on her, tasting her and feeling the wound close. The bond was sealed, their mating permanent now, and they were joined forever. Just the thought of that made him smile, lifting himself so he could see her.
Fiona's eyes fluttered open and she smiled at him, looking exhausted and happy. She reached up and stroked his cheek, love shining in her eyes.
"That was amazing," she whispered. "Is it going to be like that every time, now that we're properly mated?"
He smiled back, turning his head and kissing her hand. "I don't know," he said honestly. "It's not like I have more experience than you do, after all."
Pausing for a second, he looked down into her beautiful eyes and felt his cock stir again. The slightest touch of his gorgeous mate was enough to reawaken him, and his smile broadened hungrily. He knew then that he would never, ever, get enough of her.
"There's only one way to find out," he said. Fiona laughed, blushing as he trailed a hand down her side, and rose to kiss him on the lips.
Epilogue
This time, Fiona was much happier to walk up the aisle. It made all the difference that Cole was waiting for her at the end, looking magnificent in his tuxedo. And the look he gave her when he saw her enter made it clear that he was as happy as she was.
It was enough to make her heart melt for him all over again.
The ceremony itself passed in a blur for her. Oh, she remembered moments of it, and she'd treasure those moments forever, but it seemed to go by so quickly. There were so many people to talk to, so much to do, and so little time.
Eventually, they found themselves alone in the Palace gardens, leaning against each other and smiling with happy exhaustion.
"This was better," Fiona said, standing on tiptoes to kiss Cole tenderly. "But don't you think it's a bit much, just for me?"
"No," Cole said with solid certainty. "Firstly, you deserve all the celebration anyone can offer you. Secondly, there's no force on Earth that could have stopped Janet and Skye from making this epic, so there's no point in worrying about it."
Fiona laughed. The two had become fast friends as soon as they'd met, and seemed to encourage each other. It had only become worse when Janet had found out about the fae. It would have been difficult for Fiona to keep her best friend out of that part of her life, but fortunately the bewitched papers had made it possible to include her.
That meant that life in the apartment could go on nearly as normal, except for the occasional guest paying homage to the Queen. And that rock of normalcy had probably saved Fiona's sanity as she adjusted to her new life.
Cole held her to him, pulling her from her reverie with a kiss. "You know, love, we don't have to go back to the reception. We could just sneak away."
"I couldn't do that to Skye and Janet," Fiona said, though the idea was tempting. "They'll have a lot of things planned, and I can't disappoint them."
"Nope," Skye said with a laugh, appearing around a corner carrying a bottle of wine. Janet followed her, four glasses in hand.
"Well, we do," Janet explained. "But we also figured the two of you might want to vanish. We can handle it, and it's not like any of your guests can complain."
"And we'll have another chance to see this," Skye said. "You're going to have to have another wedding for your mortal friends and family, after all."
Fiona tried to say something, lost the words, and threw her arms around her two friends. Cole followed suit, enveloping them all in a great hug.
"You're not getting out of here without having a drink with us, though," Janet said when they finally stepped apart. Skye nodded, pouring a glass for each of them.
Raising their glasses, Fiona felt the happiness of the moment almost overwhelm her. Here she was at her fairytale wedding with her best friends, her beloved husband by her side, and a long, happy future stretching out in front of her.
Lifting her glass, she knew exactly what she wanted to drink to. Cole caught her eye, nodded, and they toasted together.
"To a happy ever after," they said in unison.
The End
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