“
Fucking Fairy, I can take it. You leave me to feed from another right now, and I swear to God, I will gut you,” I growled.
“
Blood thirsty, Pet? I’m not sure I’ll be able to stop. If it goes too far, you need to call for Ristan.”
“
I don’t need to be saved. I need you to put your dick back in, and finish it,” I ground out through clenched teeth.
He smiled
, showing his teeth. “You amaze me, and drive me insane, woman.” He pushed in hard, and his brands grew translucent as he thrust his hips, again and again, finally giving me what I needed.
He held my legs down by placin
g his hands on the inner thighs. His cock pushed further inside until I felt him to my core. His thumb played gently on my clit as he watched my face, finding the perfect rhythm as he fucked me hard, and relentlessly.
“
You like that,” he growled hoarsely as he slowed down and watched his throbbing cock as he fed it to me. “You’re so tight, Syn. I can feel your pussy stretching around me. Your juices welcoming as they invite me in further until it clenches around me. I could fuck you like this forever. Your warmth is so fucking seductive, the way it grows wet around my cock, slippery and tight.”
“
Ryder,” I whispered as the orgasm started to build, blinding, and boiling me from the inside out. I was a pool of fire for him, his fingers playing on the soft nub was sending me further into the blissful oblivion.
“
That’s it. Ride it, Syn. Oh God yes, you like it deep, so fucking deep.”
“
Yes,” I purred ignited by his words and his burning eyes as they lifted to meet mine.
“
Your pussy’s drenched with sleek wetness that I created. Soaking fucking wet, for me.” He moved his hands, holding my feet as he pushed them further apart and went deeper inside of me.
“
Oh God! Yes, more, give me more!” I cried as he thrust his dick further inside of me.
He
was pushing inside of me slowly. Each thrust sent sparks igniting the already teetering orgasm. He had awoken the inner vixen, and she was hungry. I lifted my hips, giving him access to further depths until everything inside of me trembled and I was helpless to do more than allow him to move inside of me as the earth started to shatter.
He growled his approval as I met him with the same searing need.
I exploded as I felt him begin to feed. It was like nothing else I’d ever felt in my life. He wasn’t holding back. It felt like I was soaring through the clouds and falling to earth at the same time. My blood pulsed, feeling his need. I could hear it in my ears and feel it running through my veins. Stars were exploding around me as I rode it out and he rode me. He continued to feed until I felt myself sinking. I cried out as yet another orgasm took a hold of me. It continued until he was fully sated, and then I opened my eyes.
“
What’s your name?” he asked with a tremor running through his voice, fear shining in his eyes for me.
“
Satisfied, by a fucking Fairy.”
His head dropped to my forehead
, and he laughed with relief. “You are a fucking Goddess;
my
fucking Goddess. Gods, I don’t want to let you go, Syn.”
I met his
eyes and kissed his lips gently, not wanting this to end.
It was early the next morning when the knock I had been dreading came at the door, and with it my heart sank in my chest. Ryder wrapped his magic around me, and cleaned the mess we’d made of each other in the hours we’d been together, and pulled me back against him when I tried to get up.
“
Syn, I need to remove the mark.”
I closed my eyes
and exhaled. I’d hated his mark at the beginning. Losing it was only proof of what was coming, and that I had no other alternatives except to go with Adam. I felt his fingers flutter over the mark before he turned me in his arms and held me close. “I thought you had to be inside me to remove it?”
“
I said I
wanted
to be inside of you. I played on the words, but we don’t have any more time. I know this isn’t something you should have to do. Hell, I’m no good at this. You’re being asked to save a world you hate, or hated. What you’re doing for us, it’s more than I can ever repay, or thank you for.”
“
Wow, you do suck at this,” I said, trying to make light of our goodbye even though my heart was breaking into a million pieces.
“
You’ll be the Dark Princess, and then Queen someday.”
“
Yup, and if I could get out of it I would, in a fucking heartbeat.”
“
Synthia,” he said in a warning tone, and I snickered. I felt his fingers land solidly on the brand as pain shot through me, hot and searing as it had been when it first showed up on my skin. “The necklace?” he asked, and I exhaled.
“
I’ll give it to you when you say goodbye,” I whispered, fighting against the slight pain in my stomach.
“
I thought we agreed not to say goodbye, Pet.”
“
You agreed,” I said, standing up to move away from him as I sent the image of jeans, and an indigo sleeveless cotton dress top to my mind. Black suede boots completed the outfit.
“
Syn,” he said, stopping me as I reached the door.
“
Ryder,” I whispered without looking back, because if I did I wouldn’t be strong enough to leave him. The knock sounded again, causing me to jump slightly. I quickly opened the door and met Zahruk’s sober expression.
“
Its—”
“
I’m ready.” I cut his words short.
I felt naked without the stupid brand on my hip.
I forced myself out the door, and walked beside Z in miserable silence as we headed to the other room to collect the few things I had left from my house. When I had the single bag that contained my meager possessions, we headed up to the club’s main floor.
I walked in shock as I took in the reality of what was happening
; knowing it would most likely be the last time I was ever here. The men sat around the room, and yet no one spoke to break the deafening silence. The stillness was unnerving. Adam and his father stood by the bar waiting. I paused in the archway just outside of the elevator; my strength caving as my legs shook. I wanted to turn around and run back to Ryder.
“
Syn, you saved Ryder from spending a lot of time healing, I can’t thank you enough for that, or what you are about to do for our people. You have earned the respect of the men, as well as my own,” Zahruk said quietly.
“
I wasn’t looking for thanks. I did it because it was needed.”
“
You did it, because you figured out that Ryder has morals and was not the evil Fae you thought he was. You are both driven by a need to fix what other people have done. You’re a good person, Synthia. I hope that you find happiness with the Dark Fae, and I will keep an eye out for the Fae who showed up at the cemetery. He’s made it to the top of my kill list for what he has done to you and our people.”
“
You think he is a part of what is happening to Faery as well?”
“
No, I don’t think anything. I know he’s a part of it, because I’ve seen him on the video feed we recovered from a warehouse that was across the street from where the bodies had been dumped.”
I trembled with anger over finding out t
hat my
brother
was responsible for more senseless killing, and he was helping outsiders kill his own world. I shook my head and met Z’s bright blue gaze. “He needs to die, in a very bad way.”
Zahruk smirked and nodded
his head in agreement. “Hence why the asshole just climbed to the top of my list.”
“
Syn,” Adam said walking over to us, and holding out his hand for the backpack I was holding with my belongings inside of it. I allowed him to take it, so that I could say my goodbyes.
“
Zahruk,” I smiled before wrapping myself around him as I gave him a hug he hadn’t expected. “Thank you for everything. Keep Ryder from doing anything too stupid. Try not stabbing me at this engagement party.” I smiled at him and moved toward Adam.
Zahruk tensed, and then relaxed as a small bubble of laughter left him.
“I can’t promise you that, but with him inside Faery, he is less likely to do anything too stupid. And I’ll promise to try not stabbing you,
this
time.”
“
Syn, we need to go. My father has a few of his men holding the portal open for us.”
I turned
, nodding softly as I looked around the club and at the faces of Ryder’s men. Ryder hadn’t come up to see me off, and while I knew we’d agreed not to say goodbye, it still hurt. I’d fallen for him, he’d been a thief who stole my heart, and I’d played the part of his willing victim and allowed it to happen.
“
I’m ready,” I whispered, and accepted Adam’s outstretched hand.
“
Not going to say goodbye to me?” Adrian said, sifting in and pulling me against him.
I smiled, but his wasn’t the goodbye I wanted. I felt bad that it wasn’t, because saying goodbye to him at the funeral had been
so much easier than what I was feeling now with Ryder. “I’d never forget to say goodbye to you,” I whispered, and hugged him against me.
“
Adam, if you hurt her. We
will
hunt you down,” Adrian said before pulling away, and offering his hand in friendship. “It’s been fun, Adam. I’d like to extend the hand of the Vampires to you. Vlad has agreed that your future wife,” Adrian looked at me and shook his head in disbelief, “has already earned our respect, and loyalty.’
“
We accept, Adrian. Syn has that effect on people. She’s going to make an amazing queen to my father’s people someday.”
I didn’t
blush; I felt nothing but denial from Adam’s words. I didn’t want to be a queen of anything. I wanted to scream in frustration. I wasn’t ready to leave. I wanted to go back to the bed, and hide in Ryder’s strong arms. I felt numb as if I was watching it happen to someone else.
I turned, scanning the faces of the friends I had made in the little time I had been here. These were my sworn enemies a little over a month ago, and now I considered them among
the people I trusted. It was unreal that in such a little bit of time I had changed my opinion of these men, and their leader.
I scanned the dark shadows for him, but I knew he had stayed true to his word. He wasn’t coming to tell me goodbye.
“I’m ready, Adam.” I swallowed the lump that took hold of my throat with the words.
“
Flower,” Ristan said, coming up behind me. “You didn’t plan on leaving without telling this Demon goodbye?” Ristan smiled and pulled me against him and whispered in my ear. “You’re stronger than you think. I’ll send Alden to you when it’s time. Rest easy knowing he is mine. If the Guild touches him, they would be openly declaring war on the Fae. I know that they are—reckless—hell, they sent us you—but they are not stupid, Synthia. I promise you that I will protect him.”
“
Thank you, Demon. Unfortunately, it’s all I can thank you for right now. You haven’t by chance seen anything changing?” I inquired, hoping he had.
“
No, it’s still showing me the same thing. I wish it were different, for yours and his sakes.”
Adam walked m
e to the portal, and I refused to look back. It was time to do as I had promised. Adam deserved it from me. He’d never asked for anything but this from me. Ristan was right. I was strong enough to do this.
“
You’re doing the right thing here, Syn,” Adam whispered as we approached the portal that his father’s men held open. “We can make it work, I know we can. This is the right thing,” he repeated as I gave him a sideways, slanted look.
I almost laughed; he wasn’t even trying to convince me. He was trying to
convince himself that what we were doing was right. I smiled inwardly and stepped through the portal, out of my world—and into theirs.
The Dark Kingdom was the opposite of what it sounded like. T
he outside did the name justice while the inside was bright, colorful, and beautiful. We sifted from the portal, which I ended up allowing Adam to help me with. I didn’t have any idea how to sift here, since I’d never been here before and couldn’t picture it.
It was exactly as the name indicated
; a kingdom. I had always thought that the Fae liked to live underground—Ryder had shown that desire with Sidhe Darklands as the club had a multitude of rooms in the subterranean levels with various purposes, the main one being a retreat. Kier explained that, for the most part, the Fae do live in homes built in the side of hills and underground; however, for the royal caste, it was important that their homes…err palaces be accessible and impressive as it was a representation of their sovereignty.
The palace was huge
and put the ones built throughout history to shame. It was built of dark grey stone, which created a darkness to it that did little to steal away from the beauty. The curtain wall surrounding the palace was interconnected to a series of elaborate and beautiful towers, and the barbican above the portcullis was as artistically stunning as it was defensible and deadly. In the inner bailey, there was plenty of grass, plants, and trees that I would have never expected to see leading to the keep itself. The keep was almost a mix of Romanesque and Gothic arches surrounding doors and windows, yet there were turrets and spires dotting the architecture. All of the windows had gorgeous and elaborate stained glass windows that were designed to amplify the colorful natural light they let into the place.
Inside was brig
ht and beautiful. The stained glass windows reflected brilliant magical torches, which gave it sort of a rainbow effect inside. The ceiling seemed to soar far above our heads in the great hall with fabulous Gothic architecture that was as lovely as it was practical. It looked like a huge outpouring of the palaces inhabitants had lined up to welcome us. A woman in a Grecian cut black silk dress was among the first.
“
Husband,” she said as she threw herself into Adam’s father’s arms.
I watched them together. She was slight of build and stunningly beautiful. Her hair was
dark brown with chestnut shades filtering through it. She had emerald and lime green eyes exactly like Adam’s that stood out against her pale skin. She smiled and kissed Kier before looking nervously at Adam.
“
I’m so glad you are home, my Cadeyrn.” She smiled, and her entire face lit up showing an endless beauty.
“
It is Adam now,” he reminded her gently before he pulled me closer to his side. “Mother, this is Synthia, Synthia. This is my mother, Mari,” Adam said as he released my hand and placed his at the small of my back.
“
We’ve heard a lot about you. So pleased to meet you, finally,” she said, but made no move to come closer and her eyes told me another story. Her words weren’t a lie, but there was more to this than her words were saying.
“
Pleased to meet you as well,” I choked out, but didn’t lower my eyes. She did not want me here—well, that made two of us.
“
I’m sure it is. Adam, would you like to show Synthia to her room so that we can start the preparations for the ceremony soon? I have guests to attend to, and she can’t be shown off in those rags,” Mari turned up her nose at my clothes.
I almost snorted, but I had stolen this woman’s child. She reminded me of Ryder when I’d first met him. He hadn’t liked my jeans or anything else I’d worn back then, either.
“Her clothes are fine,” Adam said, narrowing his eyes and turning to meet his father’s shocked look. “This way, Syn. I’ll show you to the rooms. My sister will meet you up there as is custom to ready the bride. My mother will be up after I have a word with her,” Adam led me out of the room and up a beautifully lighted staircase.
“
She doesn’t like me much,” I said when we were out of the earshot of curious people.
“
She isn’t too keen on you yet. She’s a little upset still over you claiming me as your familiar. She thinks you should be mine as I am to be king.” He rolled his eyes and gave me a mischievous little smile.
“
Well, it’s not like I planned it or anything. Honestly though, if I could undo it, I wouldn’t. You made my life better for being in it,” I said, turning to smile softly at him.
“
I’ll remind you that you said it, Syn. After we have been married for years,” Adam laughed, but only in sound; his eyes were devoid of any humor.
We walked down a sterile white hall
, until he stopped in front of a door and opened it to reveal a room that was done in an elegant shade of blue-gray and had ornate accents of silver crown molding and trim. The bed that was positioned in the middle of the room was wide and had a golden canopy mounted to the wall behind the bed, and had darker blue curtains hanging from it that could be pulled around completely and enclose the occupants for privacy.
Tall wooden dressers made of oak sat again
st the far wall, while a clawfoot tub sat in the far corner, on a raised floor with steps leading up to it. Bubbles peeked from over the tubs round edge invitingly. The scent of sweet peas filled the air, and I smiled.
“
Sweet peas?” I asked Adam, who was watching me.
“
It’s your favorite flower and the only bottle of scent I ever saw in your bedroom,” he replied, making my eyebrows rise. “Syn, I was inside your apartment all the time working cases; I paid attention.”
“
I just didn’t figure men did that kind of thing,” I replied.
“
I do. I need to go get my sister. Kier said it takes a few hours to prepare a female for the ceremony—even with magic,” Adam said, scratching his head while he spoke. “Syn.”
“
Yes?” I asked quietly.
“
I’m going to kiss you,” he said before gently pulling me against him and lowering his mouth to mine.
His kiss was searching, and still I felt nothing
, at least nothing I should be feeling. When he pulled his lips away from me, he looked a little torn. “It will come. I promise you, Syn, it will come.”
“
What will?” I asked, pulling away from him.
“
This internal fucking lust I feel for you, but every time I kiss you…never mind. I’ll go get my sister.”
He left me standing there
as confused as he looked. I may be slow sometimes, but I had a sinking feeling that this bond we shared had fed him my emotions; ones that had nothing to do with him, at all. I still had yet to ask Ryder about the bond, and now I had no idea who I was supposed to learn from. Despite Ryder’s assurances that Adam’s mother would teach me everything I needed, she didn’t seem like she was going to teach me anything except the way to the front door, right now. The only one I knew here was Adam, and he was as clueless as I was.
I sat on the sof
t bed and waited for his sister to come. Adam had a sister; how freaking weird was that!? I hadn’t even thought to ask about my family, but it didn’t seem like a healthy idea to get too close to them, considering Dresden and my psychotic brother wanted me dead. Besides, they were Light Fae and snotty as all get out from what I saw, and I wasn’t interested in knowing anymore pretentious, adulteress, self-absorbed, homicidal snobs. What an eff-ed up family.
“
I heard she was raised by humans,” a voice sounded from outside the door.
“
Mother says she is to be groomed to become the Queen, and I don’t see that happening. I think Cadeyrn should sire the heir and toss her back to whence she came. Could you imagine it, Astrid? Raised by humans? She must be positively horrible.”
“
She stole your brother; she
is
horrible, Moira. I say your father should throw her into a pit, and only allow her out to feed Cadeyrn when he is hungry; kill’s two birds with one stone. She can have his heir, and then we can be done with the thieving bitch.”
They laughed.
“I can totally hear you,” I said, glaring daggers at the cracked door.
Silence met my e
ars until they strolled in. The one looked like a female version of Adam—thick brown hair tumbled down her back, while lime green, and emerald eyes met mine. The other was a bit taller with lustrous auburn hair, and grey and blue eyes. I was off to a smashing start with his family. Both were dressed like something out of
Pride and Prejudice
. I wanted to laugh, I may not be dressed in the most fashionable of styles, but at least it wasn’t a couple of hundred years out of fashion.
“
Positively rude. You will address us as is our right. I am Princess Moira, and this is my sister in-law. Princess Astrid,” the shorter of the two said haughtily.
“
Sorry, raised by humans. I totally have no manners,” I said, watching as they looked me up and down with distaste.
Smashing fucking start.
“
Girls, stop. Princesses should not act this way,” Mari admonished, coming in behind them with an angry glint in her eyes.
“
Look, I didn’t mean to steal Adam from you, or Cadeyrn, or whatever you wanna call him,” I blurted with a touch of annoyance in my tone.
“
Only a selfish person would steal a child from its mother,” his mother said, narrowing her eyes. So much for hoping she accepted my apology.
“
Selfish?
Didn’t Kier tell you what happened? I watched my parents being raped and slaughtered in front of me. I watched Fae kill them; assassins who were hired by the Light King, to kill me. I was a child; there was no way of knowing that the pain I felt at being helpless would bring Adam to me. Hell, I didn’t even know I had pulled him from your world into mine until this month! We had no idea we were even Fae. I get that it pisses you off, but it was not premeditated, or done maliciously. If I could give you back the years with him, I would.”
The two girls had the decency to look startled by
my words. Not his mother, though, but at least she seemed to be considering my words.
“
If it was your child who was stolen from his bed while you slept, how would you feel?” she asked.
“
I’d be pissed, but not at the other child who didn’t even know what had happened, or what she was. I didn’t mean to steal him from you, and I’m sorry for my part in it. The Guild thought him just another orphaned child and raised us together. He’s a good man. He’s also my best friend, and I’m not sorry for that. I
am
sorry for stealing your son from you and robbing you of the right to raise him, though.”
She blinked, and nodded.
“I am sorry for being rude. Kier tried to tell me what happened, but I wouldn’t listen,” she said softly. “You can’t imagine my pain to find my son missing. I grieved for him, thinking him dead by the hands of our enemies since the day he disappeared. My husband would not give up, though; he never gave up on him. He told me he would find him, and bring him home to me.”
“
Well it’s a good thing he has Ryder as his brother, or he may never have been found,” I replied and watched her eyes as they grew large.
“
Ryder?” Astrid asked.
“
Moira’s brother,” Mari recovered, and said it smoothly, and yet there was something not right about her answer.
“
Yes, my brother.”
I turned to Mari as
Moira replied. “You gave birth to him, yes?” I could play word games too if that was how they wanted to play this.
“
No. He’s Kier’s son,” she said, moving across the room and giving me her back.
“
From another woman, or?” I questioned. Just how fucked up was Adam’s family? They were starting to sound like mine.
“
You would need to ask him. Come, we need to get you ready for your wedding,” she said.
“
Handfasting.”
“
Yes,” she replied with a hint of disdain in her tone. Obviously, she wasn’t happy with the handfasting.
“
You didn’t want us to handfast, did you?” I asked, walking to the tub she stood beside. I was hoping to sweet baby Jesus that she didn’t expect me to get naked, and jump in that thing with them inside the room.
“
I wanted more for my son; he has just come home. You wouldn’t agree to marry him, which to me seems selfish, since he will be king someday.”
“
I don’t love him, and this will help ensure that one day he can find the love he deserves. The handfasting was also his idea, not mine. This wasn’t my choice at all. I love Adam with all of my heart as a brother. Not as my husband. I wanted to be fair to him; I want him to find real love.” All three women turned and stared at me as if I’d grown another head, or horns.
“
That’s…well that is actually very sweet of you,” Mari returned with a small smile that made her seem much younger than she was.