by Dyan Chick
"It sounds so uncomplicated," I said.
He laughed. "There are lots of complications. But they have a way of getting worked out."
"Who's hungry?" Dane called.
"I'm hungry, what did you bring?" Ethan called.
I followed him to the table where Dane and Cormac were already sitting. A meal of cheese, fruit, bread, and nuts sat in the middle of the table.
"Compliments of Nikolai. He insisted we bring something with us," Dane said, taking a bite of bread.
I grabbed an apple and took a bite of the sweet and tart fruit. Juice dribbled down my chin and I wiped it off with the back of my hand. My mother and father would have chided me for my lack of table manners and the layer of dirt covering every inch of me. I smiled. There was something alluring about knowing that the human family who had always seemed to put up with me rather than love me would be horrified about how I was acting. I wondered what they were doing right now. Especially Rose.
A pang of sadness filled my chest, which surprised me. Rose and I never got along, but I expected that she'd be a part of my life forever. It was strange knowing that I wouldn't see her get married or meet her children. Suddenly, I felt detached and alone.
"Is everything alright?" Ethan asked.
I forced a smile. "I'm fine. Just tired."
He popped a bite of food into his mouth and chewed slowly while he studied me. After swallowing, he shook his head. "It's more than that."
I shrugged.
"Leave her alone, Ethan," Cormac said. "Not everyone wants to talk about how they feel."
Grateful for Cormac's words, I ate in silence. My appetite was gone, but I forced myself to finish the apple, knowing I'd need the food before we left for the next part of our journey.
Setting the core down on the table, I looked up at Cormac. "Can you show me where I can sleep?"
He rose and the others stood as well, moving away from the table to follow him. Right then, I just wanted to be alone and I didn't like the idea of them all walking me to a bedroom. I didn't complain, though. If the end result was that I got some alone time to clear my head, it was worth it.
Cormac led me up the stairs, Dane and Ethan trailed behind us. The small staircase shook with each step and I wondered if it could support all of our weight at once.
At the top of the stairs there was a short hallway with a door on either side. Cormac opened the nearest door. "You can sleep here."
"Thank you," I said, moving closer to the open door.
"I'll join you," Dane said.
"I can sleep by myself, thanks," I said.
"It's not safe, love. You smell like magic and honeysuckle. The creatures'll come right for you," Dane said, sliding closer to me.
"Cormac?" I turned to him, seeking an ally.
Cormac's brow furrowed and his lips turned down in a slight frown. "Dane's right. They'll smell you from a mile away."
My mouth dropped open in surprise. Cormac was usually unconcerned about me despite his announcement that I was under his protection at the wedding. "It's not necessary."
"No argument, Cassia." Cormac's eyes made contact with mine and I saw nothing but detached resolve. Not even a flicker of the connection we'd forged over the last few days.
I scowled, crossing my arms over my chest. I wanted to stomp my foot and yell at him, but I wasn't a child. And these princes had been doing everything they could to keep me alive. If they thought having one of them in my room would help keep the monsters away, I needed to follow along. "Fine."
Cormac broke eye contact and turned to Dane and Ethan. "One of you, in her bed." He turned and walked away, then paused in front of one of the rooms but didn't turn back. "Sleep. If the rumors about the monsters near the falls are true, you'll all need to be rested."
My face heated. What else did he expect we'd be doing in the room if we weren't sleeping?
"I'll do it," Dane said.
"I'm sure you would," Ethan said. "But I'm going to take this round."
"Why you?" Dane asked.
"Because I'm a gentleman," Ethan said.
"You just pretend to be a gentleman," Dane said. "I've seen you at the Harvest Ball."
"How about we let Cassia decide?" I asked.
Both Fae cleared their throats and turned to me, then gave an incline of their heads.
"That's fair," Ethan said.
"More than fair," Dane said.
"Sleep only," I said.
"Sleep only," Dane said, covering his heart with his hand.
"Agree," Ethan said.
I took a step toward Ethan and pulled on the collar of his blood stained tunic to peek at the healing wound. It wasn't open anymore, his magic had healed him well, but it was still an angry red slash across his shoulder.
I remembered how tired the healing process made me and let out a sigh. "Ethan, you need more rest. That needs to finish healing."
"I'm fine, I assure you," he said, covering my hand with his so it was pressed against his firm chest.
"I know you are, but I need to know you're recovering. You focus on taking care of yourself tonight." I glanced at Dane before looking back at Ethan. "I'm sure Dane will be a perfect gentleman."
Chapter Twenty-Three
I walked into the room and tried not to let the fact that Dane was going to be staying the night in the same room as me get to me. The door shut behind me and I could feel the presence of another person even though I wasn’t looking at him.
Even when I was a young child, I had slept in my own room. When I was very young, I remember Nani occasionally sleeping on the floor near my bed if I had nightmares. But when I woke in the morning, she was never there. So I knew she just stayed for a short time and then went to her own sleeping quarters.
It was strange to know that someone else was in there with me. I looked around the room and felt my chest tighten at the sight of the small bed that took up most of the space. It would be difficult to even find enough floor space to stretch out on for a normal person, not to mention someone as tall and broad as Dane. The bed might even be too short for him, but it was wide enough for two people. My cheeks heated when I realized the only logical sleeping arrangement would be for the two of us to share the bed.
I turned around to ask Dane what he thought and let out a squeak of surprise.
Dane froze halfway through removing one of the legs of his trousers.
"What are you doing?" I asked.
"You don't expect me to sleep in these filthy clothes, do you?" he asked.
I stared at him, my mouth hanging open, as I tried to think of something to say. He finished removing his trousers and when he dropped them to the floor, a cloud of dust rose from them.
I had to concede that he was right, our clothes were filthy. As much as I didn't want to sleep in the dust from the road, I wasn't sure I was ready to sleep naked next to Dane.
"Surely you've seen men without their clothes on," Dane said as he lifted his tunic over his head.
I stared at him, blinking in silence, taking in every inch of his bare chest. From the firm chest muscles to the rippling muscles of his abdomen and finally, pausing at the V shaped indent of his hips. Thankfully, he was still wearing some undergarments to cover the lower portion. Yet, I found myself curious to know what he looked like completely naked.
"I've never been with a man. Remember you met me on my wedding day. Nothing really happened after that," I said.
"I forget," he said with a knowing smile, "you humans don't let yourself have very much fun."
"You're the ones who keep saying I'm not human. It's very confusing when you keep lumping me in with them," I said, feeling frustrated.
The longer I stayed in Faerie, the more comfortable I felt. But in these moments, where one of the princes referred to me as human, it set me right back to the place of doubt and denial. I felt like I was trapped between the two realms, and uncomfortably living in neither. It was an awful way to feel. I had moments where I felt free and safe here. Then,
something would happen to pull me right out of that newfound comfort.
"You're right," Dane said taking a step toward me. "You're not human. Which means, you don't have to follow the rules if you don't want to."
My pulse raced, quickening with each step Dane took toward me. He stopped just in front of me, close enough that he could lean in and our bodies would press together. But he didn't, he was waiting.
I looked up at him, fixing my gaze on his sparkling blue eyes. He was pure masculinity and raw sexuality all rolled together. My breathing grew shallow and I felt tingling begin in my breasts that trailed down to between my legs.
Curiosity winning over the morals I had been taught as a human, I lifted my hands and placed my palms on Dane's bulging chest then ran my fingertips over the rippling muscles of his stomach down to his bellybutton. I pulled my hands away and Dane caught my wrist, gently tugging me closer to him.
He leaned in and I could feel his hot breath on my neck as his lips brushed against my earlobe. "We don't have to do anything you don't want to do. But just so you know, I'm happy to do anything you ask of me."
He kissed my neck, pressing soft lips against the sensitive skin. Goosebumps trailed down my arms and a thrill shot through me. I gasped, breathing in his rosemary and honey scent as he softly kissed me again.
I moaned as his lips trailed down to my shoulder. Slowly, Dane moved the fabric of my tunic aside. Then he stopped, and straightened and stared back down at me. His eyes looked different now, hungry somehow, and his shallow breaths matched my own.
We stared at each other for a moment, neither of us speaking. Then, slowly, Dane reached for the lacing on my tunic and tugged at the cord, unraveling the knot.
He lowered his hand, and waited. It was as if he were giving me time to stop him or turn away from him. Or maybe he was unsure of this himself. I didn't want to stop, desire flooded through my brain, making me feel fuzzy. All I could think of was the feel of his skin beneath my fingers and his lips pressed against mine. In one fluid movement, I lifted the tunic over my head and tossed it aside. Dane didn't hesitate, before the tunic even hit the ground, he scooped me up and carried me over to the bed.
His lips pressed against my neck again and continued to trail around my throat and down to my chest. He paused again and looked up at me.
"Don't stop," I said.
That was all he needed, confirmation. He tore off my undergarments tossing them to the ground. His lips moved to my breasts, his tongue tracing over my sensitive nipples.
He cupped them with his hands and let out a moan of approval, then returned his mouth to explore my body more.
I threw my head back, letting out a moan of my own as feelings of pleasure washed through me. Dane climbed on top of me, straddling me. I could feel his stiff erection rubbing against my thigh as he leaned down and pressed his lips to mine.
I expected him to push hard, but he was gentle and his lips were soft against mine. He moved his mouth helping me find a rhythm with his lips before falling back just enough to lick my lower lip. I shivered and gasped just as he pressed his mouth back to mine.
Dane ran his fingers through my hair and lowered his hands to my shoulders and in a quick movement, rolled me on top of him.
Now I was the one straddling him, looking down at his perfect body. My long blonde hair fell in waves cascading over my breasts. He toyed with the ends for a moment lazily, before wrapping his arms around my back and pulling me down to him. My breasts pressed into his chest and he kissed me again. This time, there was more urgency in the kiss and he pulled me closer as he pressed his lips to mine.
I broke away from the kiss, gasping for air. My whole body felt like it was on fire. I felt alive, but I knew if I kept going, I wasn't going to stop. I sat up and looked down at the Fae Prince under me, breathing heavy.
Dane reached his hand up and brushed his fingertips across my cheek. "I think ruining your wedding day might just be the best thing that's ever happened to me."
I leaned down and gave him a quick kiss on the lips and climbed off of him. "You know, I thought it was going to be the worst day of my life, and now I wouldn't trade it for anything." I lay down next to him and rested my head on his shoulder. He pulled his arm out so he could hold me and I repositioned myself on his chest.
"Can we just lay like this?" I asked.
He kissed my forehead and brushed the loose strands of hair away from my eyes. "Of course." He kissed my forehead again. "Get some rest. You're safe here."
Chapter Twenty-Four
Warm sunlight filtered in the small window of the tiny room. Dane had his arms wrapped around me, his strong chest against my back. Careful so I didn't wake him, I squirmed out from between his arms and I sat on the edge of the bed thinking about the feel of his lips against mine last night.
I knew there was more to sex than kissing and touching, and I was curious about it, but it was hard to distance myself from my upbringing. Though, I had to admit, if sex was even better than what I had done with Dane last night, I had a hard time seeing why it wasn't something that was talked about more. What we did last night made me feel amazing, it made me feel alive. What could be so wrong with it?
I walked over to where my torn undergarments lay on the pile on the floor. I picked them up and examined them. They were unusable, so I tossed them aside before throwing my tunic over my head. Behind me, Dane snored softly, and I covered my mouth to keep from letting my giggle wake him.
On tip toes, I crept toward the door and quietly opened it before closing it behind me. I heard voices downstairs, and followed the sound to the tiny main living area. Cormac and Ethan were sitting at the table, each with a cup of small ale.
"Good morning," Ethan said, sliding a cup to an empty place at the table. I sat down in front of the cup as he filled it with amber liquid.
"Did you have a restful evening?" he asked.
I took a sip from my cup then scrunched up my nose in response to the bitter taste before setting it back down. "Yes, thank you."
"I told you Dane could go a night without bedding a female in the same room," Ethan said.
"Then why is it that she smells like him?" Cormac asked.
"Maybe she smells like him because she shared a bed with him last night. And what she did or didn't do is none of your business," I said.
Cormac grumbled something about getting the horses ready and left the table.
"Nice to see you standing up for yourself to him," Ethan said. "Aside from Dane and myself, most people just agree with him."
"I understand," I said. "But aren't you all royalty? Is Cormac in charge?" I asked.
"Sort of," Ethan said. "The current Queen hails from the Autumn Court, so the Autumn Court is currently the high court. If the Queen were from the Summer Court, then people would react that way to Dane."
"How do you keep it all straight?" I asked.
"Well, we do study at the Academy. Plus, when you've been alive as long as we all have, you pick up a thing or two."
I thought about asking how old they all were, but it didn't seem relevant. If you live forever, did age even matter?
"You found ale," Dane's voice came from behind me.
I felt my cheeks heat and kept my eyes on the cup in front of me.
Dane sat down in the chair next to me. "Good morning, love."
"Morning," I said, risking a glance upward.
Ethan was staring at me, one eyebrow raised in a knowing way. I looked away from him again. I didn't owe Ethan anything, but now that I thought about it, Ethan was the kindest of my companions. He was gentle and sweet. If I were to choose one of them to be my first, Ethan made the most sense. The thought sent blood rushing to my cheeks and to the place between my legs.
I passed my cup to Dane. "You can have mine. I'm going to get ready."
Neither of them said a word to me as I darted away from the table back toward the rooms upstairs.
After a few minutes of cleaning myself up as best I could in th
e foggy looking glass in the bathroom, I walked back downstairs. Dane and Ethan were still sitting at the table.
"Cormac still outside?" I asked.
"I think so," Ethan said.
"I'll go see if he needs any help." I rushed away before either of them could say anything. I wasn't sure what I expected or why I felt so out of sorts.
Dane was strong, and funny, and looked out for me. He had all of the protective aspects I'd longed for in a mate, yet, the longer I spent there, the more I realized I could take care of myself. But that wasn't what was upsetting me. I just couldn't pinpoint what it was that made me feel so guilty about my time with Dane. It seemed more than just my upbringing at work.
As I neared the stables, I caught sight of Cormac as he tightened a saddle on his horse. Mine was already saddled, which meant Cormac had taken care of Starlight for me before he got around to his own work. My chest tightened and suddenly I realized why I felt the way I did. It wasn't that I felt guilty for being with Dane, I felt like I was betraying Cormac and Ethan. It didn't make any sense, but in such a short time, I felt a connection to all three of them that made me want to run to each of them. Was this normal? Would I have felt this way if I'd seen three attractive human males in the mortal realm? Maybe it was their Fae blood. Or mine. Maybe it was something else entirely.
A twig snapped under my step and Cormac glanced up. "Did you eat?"
I paused and looked at him, my brow furrowing in confusion. "What?"
"Did you eat? You didn't seem to like the ale," he said.
I shook my head. "I'm fine."
He finished tightening the saddle and patted his horse before walking over to me. He pulled something out of the pouch on his hip and handed it to me. "You need to eat. You didn't eat much last night and I'm sure you worked up an appetite after spending the night with Dane."
"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked, taking the bundle of cloth from his hands.
"Nothing, that's not my business," he said.
I narrowed my eyes. "Are you jealous?"
"Of course not," he said. "Eat."
