Authors: Anna Keraleigh
Keyn
would not answer. He did not plan to speak to anyone about his childhood. After
he was discovered and rescued by Thame, he vowed to keep the events a secret.
Though he was sure the others knew, Keyn would never admit to the horrible,
foul night so long ago. “No. I simple do not want a mate. We are at war. A
woman would complicate things.”
Carrick
lifted a brow. “A mate is not simply a woman. She is a gift sent from the
Goddess. The other part of your heart, the contents of your soul, and a mate is
a blessed union that any fairy should be grateful for. You know how I searched
for Brook. We went through the dark times together. Even Thame had his wings
hacked off to discover his mate. Yours is here Keyn, alive and unharmed. Do you
plan to deny her?”
Keyn
shook his head. “There is nothing to deny. She is just a human and of no
concern to me.” The king could order him but there was no way Keyn would
willingly take this woman as his mate. “I do not want her.” With that, Keyn
strode off. He couldn’t take the situation anymore. Both Carrick’s eyes and his
mate’s presence. He walked down the hall, his head screaming and his heart
hammering in his chest.
****
Well,
fuck him.
Trillian
didn’t want him either. She lay still on whatever they placed her upon. She
woke the moment a rough finger touched her cheek but remained quiet. There was
more than just her strange man with wings here. He spoke to several others but
with her head aching, she could barely make out the words. She heard a good
amount and was angry enough to reach out and strike the idiot. Did he think she
would just roll over for him and spread her legs? Sure, he saved her from a
bunch of animal-like things but there was no way she would just...
“You
may open your eyes now.” The man with the deep voice said.
Trillian
held her breath. After a moment of silence, she cursed silently but opened one
eye. When she saw the crazy freak before her, she opened both eyes and sat up
quickly. “You...”
“Have
wings. Yes, I’m a fairy.”
“Right.”
She nodded her head. Could be a concussion, or maybe she had died and gone to
some screwed up heaven, or maybe Cameron’s sickness had spread to her. Either
way, she wasn’t waiting here to find out. Trillian grabbed the lamp and tossed
it at the blue-winged man. He wasn’t expecting that and it hit him square in
the face. She quickly jumped over the couch, busted out the doors, and took off
at a dead run. Her feet slapped against the pristine floor and she shoved
through a set of large doors.
What
greeted Trillian made her falter and she fell back on her ass. She was in a
city, one of unbelievable proportion and beauty. There was a waterfall in the
distance. Gigantic trees… no, was that a fucking sunflower looming over the
buildings? “I’m not in
her?
“Funny,
that’s what I thought when I first saw this place.” A female voice interrupted.
“And you are?”
“Out
of here.” Trillian charged in the opposite direction, and she heard commotion
behind her. The freak she hit with the lamp must have come to. She turned the
corner at a dead run and slammed right into an immovable object. One that
growled at her violently and pulled a sharp sword stained black. “Well, fuck
me,” she blurted.
The man was half covered in shadow. She could
only see his sword, tufts of blue hair, and eyes that made her skin crawl. He
didn’t speak, just stared at her menacingly. She stepped back, turning to flee,
but the woman appeared. Trillian didn’t waste a second. She grabbed the knife
at the woman’s waist and spun her around so it was now at her throat. The
moment the blade was at the stranger’s skin, a deep, angry roar echoed. From
the sky charged a tall man with golden wings. He looked like the Sun God but
far more sinister. “Release my mate!” he ordered as he slowed then hovered
before them. “Now.”
“Let me free and you can have her.”
The
one that scared the bejesus out of her shifted. In the blink of an eye, he
grabbed her wrist and pulled the blade away from the woman’s neck. Her prisoner
fell forward and was caught by the sun-god guy. The bastard that held her wrist
twisted until she cried out but Trillian refused to let go of the knife. It was
her only weapon. She shoved the heel of her palm into his nose but the move
only seemed to piss him off more. He flashed his pointed teeth. His fingers dug
into her hand until she dropped the knife. Balance lost, Trillian fell
backwards and would have landed ungracefully on her ass if not for the hard
object that caught her. It was the winged man that saved her from those
creatures. He shoved her behind him and let out another growl. What was with
the fucking growling?
“Enough!”
An authoritative voice shouted and every freak around her went silent.
Great,
their leader was here. “Planning to beam me up to the mother ship now?” she
blurted. All the men turned to stare at her as if she was the strange one. The
woman with them busted out into laughter.
“That
was good,” she stated. “Well, what do you expect?” The woman glanced at the
barely clothed men around her. “She’s scared and this place isn’t exactly
“We’re
in
the man that hugged her said without mirth.
“I’m
Breena.”
Trillian
nodded. “Fabulous, now get me the fuck out of here.” She was in no mood to play
nice. The one before her turned and she took a step back. Wingman was much
taller, probably over six feet with a scar running down his face from eye to
lips. She had this strange urge to reach out and trace it with her fingertips.
“It
is not safe out there.” He spoke then took a single step from her.
“Well,
it isn’t exactly nice and cozy here. Who are you? What are you?”
The
leader gave the one in front of her a hard glare.
Breena
stepped up, despite protests from her big golden man. “I’ll explain it. Just
don’t panic.”
Yeah, right.
“Let’s
go for a walk, shall we. One-on-one, girl-to-girl,” she said then glanced back
at the men.
Trillian
nodded, anything to get away from these half-clothed freaks. Wings coming out
of their backs! Had she hit her head that hard?
“You’re
not crazy...” Brenna began.
They
walked around tall, colorful buildings while Breena spoke. Apparently, the
ancient Irish legend of fairies was true. There were men and woman running
around, flying around, that regular people couldn’t see. Breena explained there
were only a few left in existence and that the fact that Trillian could see
them made her very special. However, why and how, Brenna didn’t explain.
“What
were those things that attacked me?”
Breena
shivered. “Trolls.”
“Trolls?
As in live under a bridge and scare little children?”
“Sadly,
no bridge. They want the fairy kingdom and started a war that we hope to win,”
she stated.
Trillian
shook her head. Great. She was stuck in the middle of a war with mythical
creatures. They walked around a large building. It led to a small pond and an
eight-foot-tall roaring waterfall. It was gorgeous, romantic, and she could
clearly see herself off to the side with easel and paints. Trillian smiled.
This was just a lovely spot. “Let’s say I might believe you.” After all, she
saw those wings with her own eyes. “What do those things want with me?”
Breena
hesitated.
Trillian
took a step onto the grass. “Well?”
“You
can see them like I could. We’re different from regular humans,” she answered
in a rush.
Yeah,
that sounded like bullshit to Trillian. “How about we try the truth this time?”
She turned to stare at Breena. It was then, when her eyes were trained on
Breena, that she saw it. A flash of color, the glint of a blade, and Trillian’s
eyes widened. “We’re not alone.”
Chapter Six
The
moment Breena took Trillian for a “walk” Keyn took off. He flew high and wide
only to circle around. There was this pull, a strange grip that tugged at his
soul, and Keyn found himself diving lower. His wings beat frantically until he
caught sight of the dirty-blonde-haired beauty. They were stopped at the
waterfall, and a small, barely-there smile crept onto her lips. Keyn shuddered
and his cock began to press at the loincloth covering it. He hovered over the
ground and darted behind a tree when Trillian turned to face him. Did she
notice him? She did have an uncanny ability to sense his presence. Perhaps he
was being paranoid or was his guard slipping around her? Damn it, he didn’t
want or need this distraction in the middle of a war!
“Keyn?”
Breena turned around and called out, unsure.
He
cursed, slipping from his hidden spot into the woman’s view. “I’m your backup,”
he stated flatly.
“Good,
someone with wings. Fly me back home.” Trillian held her annoyed tone, taking a
single step toward Keyn.
Even
if he could stand to touch her, he couldn’t just leave her home by herself.
King Carrick was right. She would be defenseless. “That is unwise.”
“I
don’t care. I have to be home in a few days for a...visitor.” She paused at the
last word. “You brought me here. You take me back,” Trillian said and placed
her hands on her hips.
Goddess.
Keyn shuddered. His cock stirred anew at the sight and his heart hammered in
his chest but he couldn’t fight the shiver of fear. Sweat beaded on his
forehead as his mate neared. She was still human, a disgusting creature. Keyn
fought the panic and his raging desire. They battered each other until he could
only sigh and take to the sky. “It is safer here,” he said before taking off.
“You
coward!” Trillian yelled from the ground. “You sneaky bastard, take me home
this instant!”
Her
threats continued until her words were whispers on the wind. He couldn’t do it.
Keyn couldn’t face her. He landed roughly, walking straight past Wick who gave
a lopsided grin and into the palace. There was determination in his stride as
he traveled the corridors. Keyn searched room after room and finally found the
king in the library. The room was magnificent. It was filled with fairy history
and ancient tales of their kingdom. Long golden curtains flowed from the
ceiling to the floor while floral gold-and-white-printed chairs were scattered
among the tall towers that held books. “King Carrick,” he said as he entered.
Carrick’s
blue wings fluttered and he shifted from kissing the queen to staring at the
intruder.
“I
apologize but I must speak with you.”
Carrick lifted a brow but nodded.
Keyn glanced at the queen but Brook remained exactly where she was
with red, swollen lips and the tiniest of bumps at her abdomen. “I must take my
leave of the kingdom.”
Queen Brook gasped, her eyes widening, and Carrick simply frowned.
“I will be at your beck and call at a moment’s notice but I can no
longer reside in this kingdom.” It had to be done. He took a deep breath.
“Are you fucking stupid?” she said. The queen used her human
euphemisms and was quite harsh when she had to be. The perfect woman to rule
their land. “Your mate is here.” She stood to her full, short height. Keyn
still towered over her but she had a presence unmatched and leadership.
“She is not my mate. Trillian is a woman, a human woman that can
see us. Nothing more.” Keyn wanted to believe the words but each time they
slipped from his lips, they became less truth and more honey-covered lies.
“Bullshit,” Brook said and stalked up to Keyn.
He swallowed hard, goose bumps forming on his skin and sweat
trickling down his back. Keyn flinched when Brook came too close, his abs
jerked, and his cock finally deflated to lie against his thigh. “I must leave,”
he said but his voice had gone shaky and timid. “I no longer belong here.”
“You are a mighty fairy warrior,” Brook said softly. “This is your
home.”
“No, my queen, it’s not.” He stepped back. “I will take a home in
the hills just past the willow tree. I can be lookout and backup.” Keyn formed
a plan in his head. A lonely existence as guard but at least there would be no
humans there.
“No.” Finally the king spoke.
“Sir?” Keyn tilted his head.
“I said no. Brook is right. You will not run away from this.”
“Sir...” Keyn tried again.
“You will stay on the outskirts of the kingdom as you have and you
will be Trillian’s guard while she is in our midst. It is now your job to
change her mind about staying in our kingdom under our safely.”
Keyn couldn’t speak for a moment. He was too stunned. Keyn lived
his entire life under Carrick’s command and never once had he disobeyed an
order. Now, that thought trickled through his mind. “I-I cannot.” He stepped
back.