The Lost Fae Princess

by K.N. Lee

  He removed her hand from his collar, and clasped his hands together. “Fine. Meet me outside in the back of the palace, where the open field faces the mountains. Meet me there in an hour.”

  Her face flushed, but she turned to head to her room to prepare.

  “I’ll be there,” she said, over her shoulder.

  Chapter Fifty-Three

  After she was ready, Elle marched outside where Drevah waited.

  From afar, he was startling giant of a man. Tall, muscularly built, and with an air of confidence and authority that made her almost turn around and head back inside the palace.

  He was armed with the wooden sword, and looked toward the mountains in the distance.

  The sun was bright and cast golden hues on his massive frame. She clenched her jaw. If anyone was going to train her, she was pleased it was the brother she feared most out of all the Davidians.

  When he turned to see her, his eyes widened. She wore leather pants tucked into her brown boots, and a belted tunic. Her hair was braided into one long braid that hung long down her back.

  “You almost look like a fighter,” he said, and tossed her a practice sword as well. “Almost.”

  She caught the sword in her right hand and felt the weight of it. A smile came to her face as she remembered her guardian from the sky kingdom of Shiran.

  Memories of her training and mock battles with Maira returned. This is what she’d been craving when she was rescued this is what she needed.

  He stood before her, and readied himself. “Ready?”

  She lifted a brow. “What do you mean? Aren’t you supposed to be training me?”

  He grinned. “Show me what you know, and I can gauge your skill level.”

  She froze, holding onto her wooden sword, unsure of what to do.

  He sighed. “If you’re not up for it, you can scurry back inside and sit by the fire embroidering socks or whatever it is girls like you do.”

  Elle grabbed the hilt of the sword with both hands and thrust the tip toward his gut.

  Chuckling, he sidestepped her. “There she is,” he said, his voice light with excitement. “All rage and fire like that red hair of yours.”

  She lunged into him again, desperate to remember what little moves Maira had taught her. Whatever she thought she knew, it did nothing to impress Drevah. It merely left him in tears from laughing at her. Frustrated, she dropped the sword with a growl, and slapped him.

  “You arrogant bastard,” Elle screamed at him through tears. “Can’t you see I’m trying?”

  He stopped laughing, noticing her tears, and readied himself. He rolled his shoulders, and held his sword with both hands, his feet planted apart in a battle stance.

  “Again,” he said. “But—this time—stop swinging the sword around like a bloody harpy playing a game of bat and ball.”

  Somehow, that comment broke her from her foul mood, and brought a surprising smile to her face.

  From that moment on, Drevah became a teacher of sort, and she vowed to show him the warrior within.

  Chapter Fifty-Four

  The following morning, Elle chewed her nails as she stood in the courtyard with Etian while the stable boys prepared their horses for their journey into the villages. Dressed in a gold gown with an indigo cape, she was ready to leave this place.

  Excitement bubbled in her belly to be free of the palace for a whole day.

  It was beginning to feel stuffy, as if everyone stared at her, just waiting for her to trip or make a mistake.

  To get some fresh air and see what the surrounding towns and villages were like was the perfect holiday from it all.

  Drevah wasn’t joining, and that was of no surprise.

  While her horse was white, Etian’s was black, and both horses were dressed in leather that hung over their backs and shielded their heads, with holes left open for their eyes.

  There was a third horse of a light brown color already prepared, and Matthias raced from the palace, taking the steps down, two at a time. He walked past the both of them dressed in a fine red cape that was hooked by a brass hoop at his right shoulder, and leather pants tucked into knee-high boots with a embroidered tunic.

  Very royal indeed.

  She hadn’t seen him much since their midnight adventures after Thane’s arrival, and it surprised her to feel a surge of excitement at seeing him now.

  “Morning,” he said, barely looking at Elle as he did so. “Let’s get on with it then, shall we.” He leaped onto the back of his horse and glanced down at her while he turned his horse to face the archway that was the exit away from the palace.

  One would have thought he’d forgotten the night they’d shared. To her, it had been a magical experience that opened her up to him a bit more.

  It didn’t seem the feeling was mutual.

  She was helped onto the back of hers, and held onto the reigns while Etian pulled himself onto his own.

  They then left the stone courtyard and headed down the narrow path of dirt that led away from the palace stables. Trees lined each side of the dirt road, and rustled in the wind as she looked ahead to the mountains in the distance behind the thick woods.

  Pulling her cloak closer, she kept in stride with Etian as the horse’s muscles flexed beneath her thighs.

  “I saw Alexi this morning,” Elle said, glancing to her right to Etian and Matthias.

  Etian lifted a brow. “How was he?”

  She shrugged. “Not sure. He didn’t speak to me. I think he’s a bit in his head after I couldn’t heal your mother.”

  “Sounds about right,” Matthias said. “He’s always in his head, its why he doesn’t talk much.”

  “He never really did,” Etian said, leading them away from the palace grounds where a gate was opened for them to let them free from the tall, stone wall that encircled it all.

  The road led into the forest, and their surroundings darkened as they entered its domain.

  Only then did Elle realize how much at home she felt in the wild. Perhaps that was the Wolf side of her heritage. The trees called to her with the rustling of the branches and leaves, and the strong scent emitting from the white bark and wintry flowers.

  While the cold air cooled her cheeks, and the wind lifted her hair, she found herself closing her eyes for a bit, just to take it all in.

  “It’s nice, isn’t it?” Matthias asked, breaking her from her thoughts.

  She opened her eyes, and looked to him, a small smile coming to her lips. Finally, he was warming up. She nodded. “It is.”

  “Sometimes the palace can be a bit stuffy. We were meant to be wild,” he said, and she couldn’t agree more.

  She enjoyed the comforts of the palace and the privilege she’d just had the taste of.

  “My life has been quite simple until now,” she explained. “As you probably know, I grew up in the countryside, on a farm. It’ll take some getting used to. The palace and all.”

  “Of course,” he said, with a nod. He looked ahead. “But, you must remember where you’ve come from. You are from a line of royalty.”

  Her smile faded, and she pursed her lips.

  “Yes,” she said, barely above a whisper. “And, it was your mother who ended that line.”

  She watched his jaw tense, and he flickered a sidelong glance at her.

  “War isn’t meant to be pretty, Elle,” he said. “The two Great Wolf houses of the Enchanted Kingdom had been battling for centuries.”

  “And, now there is only one. How does that feel?” Elle asked, her voice coming out in a shout that surprised them all.

  Etian looked back at them.

  “We shouldn’t be discussing such things,” he said. “It is beyond our understanding, and began before our time.”

  “Of course,” Elle said, throwing up her hands. “Everyone seems to think I can’t understand very simple concepts. Typical.”

  Etian frowned. “It’s not that at all, Elle. I know you’re brilliant. I didn’t mean offense.”

>   She sighed, rubbing her temples. She quickly grabbed the reigns as the horse quickened its step. “It’s fine,” she said. “I know you didn’t mean it.”

  “She’s just tense,” Matthias said. “This can’t be a comfortable situation. But, I assure you, our mother only did what she had to as a means to protect the family.”

  Ignoring him, Elle rode up ahead. Though she didn’t know where she was going, she planned to stick to the road and was certain they’d stop her if she began to venture the wrong way.

  This wasn’t the way she wanted this day to go.

  Chapter Fifty-Five

  Riding alone, the brothers kept their distance, letting her lead the way and enjoy her solitude. The quiet and peace calmed her, and before long, she found herself drifting into her thoughts and memories.

  They rode through open wheat fields, and vast forests that opened up to several, small villages that littered either side of the worn path.

  The villages scattered on the outskirts of the Castilan Palace were charming, with lovely cottages with thatched roofs and kind villagers dressed in bonnets and plain frocks.

  After they stopped for a lunch, Elle had relaxed.

  They drank wine and ate bread and salted pork with a rich sauce the palace cook had prepared for their journey. She devoured the bread, slathering it in sauce as she took hearty bites.

  Once they began on their journey once more, Elle rode alongside Matthias.

  They came to a quaint village and she smiled and waved at a group of boisterous children who spied her from afar and ran to get a better look.

  They laughed, and chased her horse while it strode down the worn road in a leisurely pace.

  It had been awhile since Elle had seen children. Her heart soared at the innocent glint in their eyes and the magical laughter that filled the air.

  As she rode on, she wondered what it would be like to have children of her own. Such a thought made her blush, and she caught Matthias watching her, as if examining her for a hidden flaw.

  She looked away, and continued on down the road.

  They reached their destination, a cluster of cottages where Etian and Matthias tended to the sick and poor.

  Her heart filled with sorrow as she followed them on foot, as they went from house to house, checking on those who were in need.

  This was what being a Wolf was about. In their pack, they cared for one another, something she had rarely seen in the humans.

  She leaned against the doorframe of one of the homes, and a pained smile came to her face as she watched Matthias spoon-feed an elderly woman. He sat at her bedside, with a clay bowl in hand, and a spoonful of soup.

  Though she was blind, she smiled up at Matthias and cupped his face with her hand.

  “I knew you’d come back, handsome lad,” she said in a soft voice. Then, she tilted her head toward Elle. “Seems you’ve brought company along.”

  Elle left the doorway, and entered, the smell of blood and sickness assaulting her nostrils. She didn’t flinch, or cover her nose, and sat on the other side of the woman’s bed.

  She had long, stringy black hair and cornflower colored eyes that were clouded with white.

  She turned her head toward Elle, and her gap-toothed smile widened.

  “Not just anyone,” she said. “A beautiful soul.”

  Elle lifted a brow and shared a look with Matthias.

  “She may not see you in the traditional sense,” he explained. “But, she can feel your energy and aura. Something not many Wolves can do.”

  “I see,” Elle said, understanding exactly what he spoke of. The monks didn’t believe in such gifts, but why would they? They were human and without such magic. Elle, on the other hand, knew that there were many magical mysteries in the world.

  This woman’s second sight was just one.

  The magnetic pull she felt for Alexi…and Thane, was just another.

  Chapter Fifty-Six

  When they returned to the palace it was after nightfall. To Elle’s surprise, Alexi waited in her bedroom.

  Thrilled to see him, she bit her bottom lip, fighting a smile that threatened to take over her entire face. Dressed in his night clothes already, he reached for her, and she came forth without hesitation.

  “I missed you,” she said, and he kissed her knuckles, then her mouth.

  “And, I missed you.”

  They lay together then, with her back pressed against him. Though utterly exhausted, she wasn’t ready to simply fall asleep.

  Every breath was shallow, as his presence behind her was all that filled her mind.

  It consumed her.

  When his arms wrapped around her, she melted into him, in a place of bliss only he could show her.

  She whispered to him, staring into the dark, and out the window as the moon shed the tiniest sliver of light into the room.

  “Alexi,” she called.

  “What is it, Elle?”

  His voice was warm on the back of her neck, and she scooted back into him, making sure there wasn’t even an inch between them.

  “How did you find me? I mean—how did your soul reach out to mine?”

  When his hand began to stroke her arm, she chewed her bottom lip, desperate for more.

  “I have a gift,” he said, simply. “Something my brothers don’t have.”

  She turned to face him, brows furrowed. “I don’t understand. Why me?”

  He traced her cheek with his thumb, and their eyes locked. How his eyes could be so blue and cast an image of a sky full of clouds, was a mystery, but she found herself lost within them.

  “It has something to do with the curse,” he said. “When the Serpent Sisters cursed the humans and the wolves, it was mostly directed to my clan. And, since you come from our rival clan, there is a flaw in the magic. Somehow, you change things.”

  She nodded, staring at his lips as he spoke.

  “Do you feel the magic, whenever we are near one another, or when we touch?”

  “Yes,” she said.

  “It can be quite maddening, especially since I’ve felt it from afar, before we even met.”

  “Uh-huh,” she said, having lost track of the conversation as his hand found itself into her hair, and laced within the strands.

  Dizzy, she licked her lips, and when he leaned closer, all of her senses ignited.

  He kissed her.

  First, it was soft, and sweet, and her eyes fluttered closed.

  Her heart raced as the kiss deepened, and Alexi parted her lips with his tongue. She sucked in a breath as he caught her bottom lip with his teeth, and devoured her mouth.

  As his kisses trailed to her neck, and throat, and collarbone, all thoughts in her head were a jumbled mess. Her core throbbed, and her chest heaved.

  His hands explored her body, and hers touched the muscles she’d eyed when he’d taken off his shirt.

  “Elle,” he whispered.

  She swallowed, not wanting him to stop.

  “Can I do something for you?”

  Her eyes opened. “What is that?”

  Alexi rolled onto his back, and lifted her to straddle his waist.

  She inhaled, a bit nervous.

  “Do you trust me?”

  She nodded. “I do,” she said. “I trust you. But—“

  “What is it?”

  She swallowed. “I’ve never done anything with a man.”

  And, Sister Sophia didn’t want her spoiled. Though, she didn’t care about that as much. But, something told her to wait to lay with him. She still hadn’t decided whether to be his wife—his queen.

  He grinned, and her heart melted. She was certain he could do whatever he wanted, and she’d let him.

  “I won’t spoil you,” he said, knowing her thoughts. His hands went to her hips, and he squeezed them under his large hands.

  She felt the hardness between his legs, and her eyes widened.

  “What do you plan to do then?” Elle asked, a bit timid.

  “I want to
give you pleasure,” he said. “I want to mark you.”

  She didn’t know what to say to that.

  “But, we aren’t wed yet,” she said.

  He chuckled. “We also aren’t human. We are animals, Elle, and I’d be more than happy than to take you now, and be the first to show you what its like to be a wolf in a man’s body. But, we have plenty of time for that.”

  Her core pulsed and she all but ground against him.

  “Tonight,” he said, lifting her from his waist, and sliding her up until her exposed core was at his face, her eyes widened bigger than they’d ever been. “I’ll show you that there are other ways to enjoy one another.”

  Her lips parted then, and she began to speak, when he did something extraordinary. He lifted her dripping womanhood to his mouth, and feasted on her with his tongue.

  Elle gasped, and reached for the frame of the bed. Her eyes squeezed shut, and her legs trembled, as every lick, and suck sent her into a dizzying state of euphoria.

  First he started slow, and licked the folds of her womanhood. Then, he took the tiny nub that proved to be her most sensitive spot, and sucked it between his lips, flicking it with the tip of his tongue. Before long, she was grinding her hips, desperate for more pressure, and he eagerly gave her everything she wanted.

  They were lucky to be at the top of the tower, for her moans filled the room, despite her best attempts. His hands reached under her legs and held onto her by her butt, making sure she couldn’t squirm away.

  “Dear gods,” she gasped, as all of the blood rushed from her lower belly, collected at her most sensitive spot, and was released.

  She cried out and her voice was stuck in her throat as wave upon wave of pleasure flooded from her womanhood, and Alexi licked every drip of it with his warm, wet tongue.

  Spent, she rolled off of him and tried to calm her breaths.

  “That was amazing,” she said, as he kissed her arms, and gave her hip a pat.

  “There’s more where that came from,” he said, and she couldn’t help but smile.