by Sophie Stern
This is what I’ve been waiting for.
This is what I’ve been dreaming of.
This is my happily ever after.
When Tulip was bitten by a demon, I didn’t think my life could ever be okay again. I didn’t think anything could ever be okay again, but I was wrong. I was so totally, completely, absolutely wrong. Now things are different than I ever thought they could be.
Now I wonder how I ever managed to live without Edward.
Edward might be the King of the Fairies, but he’s more than that. He’s the King of my Heart and I know that no matter what I may face moving forward, he will always be by my side. He will always be with me.
Now and forever.
And I’ll be his pretty little fairy.
For eternity.
THE END
Readers! Turn the page to enjoy some deleted scenes from this story!
Deleted Scenes
When it comes to writing a fun story, every author has to make choices as to what stays and what goes. When I was writing Pretty Little Fairies, there were a lot of fun scenes that didn’t make it into the final product; however, if you loved Rose and Edward as much as I did, I want you to have a chance to see just a little more of life in Dark Falls. As a thank you for supporting me as a writer and for buying my book, please check out these deleted scenes from the story you just read. You’ll find scenes from all of your favorite characters, and perhaps a few from your not-so-favorite characters. As always, thank you so much for reading!
Rose
AS A CHILD, I WAS ALWAYS scared of demons, but facing one head-on seems even worse. This is why I always simply run away when I see them. It’s why no matter what I’m dealing with, I just peace out. I don’t want to fight a demon. I’m small and I’m a fairy and I’m no match at all for such a monster.
Tulip
The monster ahead of me is huge.
Giant.
Tall.
It’s bigger than I think a demon is supposed to be. Aren’t demons supposed to be appropriately sized? This one towers over me. Its skin is a deep bluish-grey. It almost looks like a corpse, but not quite.
“What do you want?” I ask it, but the demon just cocks its head and smiles. Its teeth are rotted and dark. Its grin seems dangerous.
Yeah, this isn’t going to end well.
“Get out of here, kid,” I say to the little girl quivering by the tree. The demon was about to bite her. She’s lucky I arrived when I did. Otherwise she’d be lying dead on the ground of running away. Good. She’s listening. I hear her feet pounding as she rushes back to the village and to the safety of her mother.
Please make it, I silently urge her. Please get back to your mom. Please.
I remember being a little kid and knowing that no matter what trouble I faced, my mom would always be there to help me.
Now that she’s gone, it’s my turn to help other people. I pull my magic dagger out and hold it in front of me. It’s covered with at least twelve different spells of protection. As long as I can actually get close to the demon, I’ll be fine. As soon as the blade touches its skin, it’ll die.
Quickly.
The only problem is that this demon is already mad, already angry, and already geared up for a fight.
Me?
I was just out here picking wildflowers.
I didn’t come looking for trouble.
It nears me, surprising me with its agility and speed, and I dart away. I move behind a tree and then out in front again. The demon swipes at me and I jab forward, trying to hit it with the dagger. It laughs – actually laughs – as it dodges me.
The creature doesn’t speak as I move once more, trying to hit it again.
This time, it catches my arm. Its nails dig into my skin, tearing them. I cry out, unable to stop myself from crying at the pain. It hurts. It hurts so much. Yeah, I think it’s safe to say that a little dark fairy is no match for a demon. Even if the rumors are true and I do have angel blood in my veins, I don’t think I’m any match for what’s going to happen next.
I try to fight.
I use all of my strength to try to escape.
I try to get away from the monster ahead of me.
It’s hurting me, but I pull and struggle. I wiggle. I move until I can’t move anymore and then I feel the monster’s teeth pressed against my skin. I scream as its teeth tear into my arm. The bite hurts worse than anything I’ve ever felt before in my life, but even as the demon is biting me, I realize that there’s still a chance.
I still have a shot at getting away.
It’s distracted with my upper arm. It loosens its grip on my forearm and I jerk my hand forward and up, digging the dagger into the demon’s body.
Now it’s the demon’s turn to scream as the poison from my blade starts pulsing through its body. Within seconds, the demon is lying on the ground.
Dead.
Surrounded by wildflowers, the demon contrasts wonderfully with the reds and blues of the delicate plants. I stare at it for a long time before I spit on it.
“Fuck you,” I groan.
Then I look down at my bleeding arm. Yeah, I think it’s safe to say it broke the skin. I’m bleeding pretty badly. I can’t rip the fabric of my clothing with one hand, so I slip my shirt off and make a makeshift bandage. I wrap it around myself.
“Are you okay?” I hear a tiny voice say. Whipping around, I see the little girl whose life I just saved. She’s peering at me from behind a tree. Her big, bright eyes are worried, concerned, and she should be. I just killed a demon for her. I just single-handedly took down a monster that was going to destroy her.
Instead, I let it destroy me.
“Get my sisters,” I tell her. Then I fall to the ground and everything goes black.
Edward
“MY KING,” WYATT IS the last person I want to see right now, but it doesn’t matter. None of it does. He’s here to console me, maybe. He’s here to tell me that everything’s going to be okay. I don’t know. No matter what words come from his lips, I’m going to feel like he’s lying because she’s gone.
Cheryl is gone.
It’s bad enough that our son died last year. It’s bad enough that a birth defect we didn’t know he had claimed his life. Now my wife has killed herself, along with her two sisters, and there’s nothing I can do about it.
Was it a suicide pact gone wrong?
Was she too sad to let them stay alive while she was gone?
I don’t know.
All I know is that everything is different now. Everything feels cold. Empty. My life used to be bright and full of hope, but now everything seems dark and pointless.
“What do you want?” I snap.
“It’s time to make a statement.”
“Fuck your statements.”
“My King,” Wyatt is persistent today, apparently. “It’s your duty.”
“No,” I stand, striding toward him. I grab Wyatt by the throat and lift him. Tiny little fairy. I pin him against the wall and feel his pulse quicken beneath my grip. “My duty is to mourn my wife, asshole. My duty is to mourn my sisters-in-law. My duty is to mourn the only family I’ve ever had. Fuck your statements, Wyatt. The people can wait.”
Wyatt
I HAVE NO INTEREST in being humiliated again.
Not by Edward. Not by anyone.
The King wants to hurt people? Fine. He can hurt his own people and not even know he’s done a thing. Isn’t that the beauty of being the villain of his story? He’ll never know what hit him. I stride through the dungeons, looking for someone to hurt. Anyone will do. I just need to feel my fist connect with something. Anything. I need to feel alive.
Strong.
Powerful.
Edward doesn’t know how good his life has been. Not only did he land the woman I loved for years, but he stole her right from under my nose. I always thought Edward and I were friends. Not anymore. Cheryl told me they’re getting married. Married. Fucking married. Not only is Edward taking her a
way from me, but he’s going to make her his queen?
What a piece of work.
I reach the last cell and pull the door open. A demon sits inside. Half-dead, it’s already been beat to smithereens by the other guards. Well, it’s about to get a little taste of what I have to offer it. Sneering, I step inside and pull my fist back.
“Wait,” the demon says. I can barely hear it through its bruised face and broken appearance. Every part of the demon is swollen and damaged. I’m surprised it’s not dead already, to be honest. Where did the guards find this one? They’ve certainly had their fun with it.
“What do you want?” I ask. I can’t help but be a little bit curious. I’m not used to being begged. In my life, I’m the one who does the begging. Not the other way around.
“Please,” the demon says. “I can help you.”
“Doubt it,” I say, and I punch him in the gut. The demon groans, and the sound fills me with satisfaction. I did this. I hurt him. I hurt someone else simply because I wanted to.
“I can help you get payback,” the demon says. This time, I hold my punch.
This time, I wait.
This time, I’m a little bit curious as to what he has to say.
“Well? I’m listening.”
Greg
THE LADY GOING THROUGH Luther’s things is tall and pretty. A fae. She’s a fae. Definitely. She’s tall and thin, like my mom was. Her eyes sparkle and shine just as much as her skin does. She looks like she’s got glitter on her. It’s pretty cool, actually. I peek out from my hiding spot as she searches. I wonder what she’s looking for.
“Fuck,” she says, kicking some things on the floor, and I cringe. Luther doesn’t like foul language. He doesn’t let me swear at all. I don’t think it’s very fair, but that’s why he’s the one in charge and I’m not. I peer out at the lady, but she doesn’t notice me. It’s kind of strange. She has an amulet, too, so she should see me, but she doesn’t. I think she’s looking for something, but I don’t know what.
She throws something down, peers behind a couple of other items. She picks stuff up and sets it down again gently. She’s in a little bit of a hurry, but that doesn’t bother me. I’m used to hiding. I’m used to being patient. Mom always said I was really good at hiding. When we’d play Hide and Seek, she could never find me. Neither could Dad.
Luther doesn’t play this game, but that’s okay. I don’t know where he was taken or why he’s gone, but I think this lady might know.
She notices something on the wall. A picture. I hold my breath because I know what’s behind that picture. Does she? She can’t know. How could she? Luther’s greatest secret is back there and I know he wouldn’t tell anyone.
Not about that.
I close my eyes for a second, hoping she won’t find it, but she does. She moves the picture and looks at it for a minute before she notices the opening behind it. Luther keeps his secret book back there. It’s the one that has his spells and enchantments. It’s the book he uses for everything ever.
And now she has it.
The woman flips through it and seems a little confused that the pages are blank, but that’s on purpose. Luther has enchanted the pages, but I might be the only person left alive who knows that. I don’t think Luther is still alive. I don’t think he’s okay. I think Wyatt has taken him and if Luther isn’t already dead, he’s about to be.
And when that happens, I’ll be all alone.
Edward
SHE STANDS IN FRONT of the mirror and twirls around. Lovely. She’s lovely. Everything about Rose is so absolutely perfect that sometimes, I don’t know what to do. I could spend the rest of my life making love to her. I could spend the rest of my life just kissing her, holding her. I could spend the rest of my life touching her. I want to spread her out on my bed and just worship her body because Rose is the most wonderful thing I’ve ever seen.
I want her.
All of her.
Forever.
“Come here,” I say to her. Rose turns and smiles, but she runs to me just the same. She places her palms on my chest and when she smiles at me, I feel like my entire heart is going to explode.
She satisfies me in ways I never thought possible.
She makes me feel like I could be more than a king.
She makes me feel like I could be a hero.
Author
Sophie Stern loves cowboys, soldiers, and shifters. When she’s not busy writing, she’s got her nose buried in a book. Sophie lives with her husband and two little boys who are always keeping her on her toes.
You can connect with Sophie through her website or on Facebook.
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Books
If you enjoyed this story, check out these other books!
CONQUERED (The Hidden Planet)
Abducted.
Taken.
Locked away.
Fiona doesn't know true fear until she is whisked away from her loving family and doting boyfriend. When she finds herself on an alien ship with only a giant beast for company, her fear turns to anger when she realizes her loved ones have betrayed her.
Quinn doesn't know what to do with the squirrely little human aboard his ship. Yeah, he bought her, but only to save her from a worse fate. She has no idea what could have happened to her if he hadn't found her. She has no idea what could have happened on Dreagle. But now she's on his ship and somehow, she's wormed her way into his heart. Can he ever let her go?
CONQUERED is available wherever eBooks are sold.
ALIEN BEAST
He's a war hero.
She's a virgin.
He's broken.
She's perfect.
When he finds her in the midst of an alien war, Luke takes Willow for himself. He can't help himself. He's never taken a prisoner alive before, but Willow is different. He needs her. He wants her. Most of all, he craves her.
Willow is a human who has the worst luck in the world. When the tour ship she's on malfunctions and crash-lands on the wrong planet, she's thrust into the middle of a war: one she has no desire to be in.
Then everything changes.
She's captured by an alien beast unlike anything she's ever seen before.
And the worst part is that after awhile, she's not so sure she wants him to let her go.
ALIEN BEAST is available wherever eBooks are sold.
ALIEN DRAGON
I'm on the last ship out.
I don't think I'm going to make it, but I do. Earth is dying and there's only one way I can possibly survive: fight for a spot on the dragon planet of Taneyemm.
They don't want humans there.
They don't like us.
They don't know us.
But when I step foot on the ship bound for Taneyemm, I know it's my last hope. I'll do anything I have to survive.
I'll do whatever it takes.
When I finally reach my destination and I see the alien dragons for the first time, I realize I'm in way over my head.
And I don't know if my heart is ready for this.
ALIEN DRAGON is available wherever eBooks are sold.
Hybrid Academy
If you love urban fantasy and fairies, you might also enjoy Hybrid Academy, a story by my alter-ego, L.C. Mortimer. Check out the first chapter here!
Chapter 1
"This isn't what I ordered." The tall man in the suit looked at the coffee and sneered. He thrust the cup back at me. A little bit sloshed over the side of the cup and onto the counter. "And you'd better clean that up."
Biting back irritation, I managed a smile.
"Of course. Anything else I can do for you?” I asked politely. Inside, I felt anything but polite. This guy was being a total jerk, as always. I knew for a fact that his coffee had been made perfectly. He just didn’t like me because I couldn’t do magic.
He wanted Maggie to make his drink.<
br />
“A free bagel couldn’t hurt,” the man said, jerking his head toward the display of blueberry bagels.
“I’ll have to get my manager’s permission,” I said. “Please wait just a moment.”
I scurried to the back of the café and knocked on the door to the office.
“Come in.”
I yanked the door open and peered inside. Tony was sitting at his desk with his ankles crossed over the top. He looked bored out of his mind.
“What do you want, Maxine?” He asked.
“It’s Max,” I said. “Not Maxine. And there’s a customer who wants a free bagel.”
“We don’t give out bagels for free,” Tony said with a yawn. He was obviously bored. He was always bored at the café.
“I know, but he said that his drink was wrong and he wants to be compensated with free food.”
Tony glared at me and got up with a huff. He acted like it was my fault that he was the manager of the café or that he had to leave the safety of his office to come do his actual job. Whatever. I’d been dealing with Tony ever since I started working at the café. He was neither a good boss nor a team player, so I tried to stay as far away from him as possible. Besides, something about Tony made me uncomfortable, and I couldn’t quite pinpoint why.
“Is there a problem, Lionel?” Tony asked the tall man.
“Yeah, your em-ploy-ee,” he dragged the word out sarcastically. “Messed up my drink. I asked her nicely if she could fix it.”
“Not a problem,” Tony said. He jerked his head toward one of my coworkers. “Maggie, make Lionel a new drink.”
Maggie shot me a nasty look but nodded and started the drink. The café wasn’t busy and the drink wasn’t complicated, so I wasn’t sure what the big deal was. Actually, I had the distinct feeling that Lionel’s original drink had been just fine, but that he wanted a bagel out of the deal.