I’m pulling away from him when he says, “If a kiss doesn’t count here, then it won’t matter if we do it again.”
The man has a point.
And I’m weak.
I don’t protest as he fits a knuckle under my chin and lifts my face. I barely breathe as he moves forward. I close my eyes when our lips connect again.
His tongue darts out, parting my lips. Surprised by his pleasant taste, I gasp into his mouth. When he does it a second time, I’m ready for it. My tongue meets his, sliding and stroking.
Groaning, he deepens the kiss, slanting his mouth over mine. My hands slide up his chest and I dig my fingernails into his pecs.
He growls, the rumbling sound vibrating against my lips.
When his hands slide down my body, they stop at my ass. He cups me there, groping the soft flesh. I automatically arch my back and it makes my nipples rub against his stomach. Pleasure zings through my belly.
I’m dizzy.
I feel like I’m falling.
Then I open my eyes and realize I am falling. Kirian’s entire body is tilting backward, and he’s taking me down with him.
“Wha—” I get cut off when cool, humid air coats my skin. Light suddenly turns to dark. “Ooof.” The air is knocked out of me when we both land on the ground, even though Kirian’s hulking body breaks my fall.
I look to my left. To my right. Down at Kirian’s grinning face.
“Welcome to your kingdom, my queen.”
Speechless, my only response is a few incoherent sounds. This isn’t my woods. This isn’t like any world I know, and it’s then that I realize what he did.
“You took me through the portal?” I rasp, pushing myself to my feet.
Disoriented, I sway as I get my bearings.
I see a night sky with the brightest stars and three moons. Three. One is so luminous it reminds me of a dimmed-down sun, and the light casts a silver glow over the landscape. There are rolling hills covered in perfect green grass—not a weed in sight. Mountains line the horizon in the distance, and right behind me is a deserted cobblestone road.
“Kirian,” I scold. “Take me back.”
“I’m afraid that isn’t possible.” Standing, he plants his hands on my waist and orders, “Arms around my neck.”
That’s all the warning I get before I hear a ripping sound and two giant shadows loom up behind him.
“Wings,” I squeak out. Maybe that’s why his back is so massive. He’s got big ole flappers in there. They’re not translucent like insect wings or feathered like a bird. They’re grayish-brown and leathery, reminding me of a gargoyle or a dragon. “You can freaking fly? Why didn’t you ever tell me that?”
“They don’t work in realms outside of Valora,” Kirian says casually, as if we’re talking about the weather. “What good would it do to tell you if I couldn’t show you?”
Before I can respond, his hold on my waist tightens, and he takes off. I scream as we leave the ground, and my arms practically strangle his neck when he tips to a horizontal position.
I could fall. I might plummet to my death right now.
Shutting my eyes, I blubber a few protests. I’m not even sure what I’m saying. There’s just a lot of please and holy crap and ohmigod.
The brute shushes me.
Shushes me. He hasn’t been that rude since the day we met when he called me a peasant.
“I have to go home!” I shout in the wind.
“You are home.”
Great. Rational, level-headed Kirian is gone. In his place is an oaf who literally kidnapped me.
Ever wonder what it’s like to witness a fae king having a mental breakdown?
Well, this is it.
Kirian
I’ve made this trip thousands of times, but never while carrying someone. A very wiggly someone.
“Stop kicking. I don’t want to drop you.” I would never do such a thing, but Quinn doesn’t know that.
She shrieks and squeezes my neck to the point of painful. Her legs wrap around my waist, and the warm place between her thighs rubs against my cock.
I groan. My wings falter and we dip, but I quickly right us as I flap harder.
I’ve been erect ever since we kissed, and I just know my cock won’t be satisfied until I have her.
Over the years, I’ve been so careful with Quinn.
After that first week of knowing each other, we never held hands again. It seemed inappropriate, given the vast age difference.
We were affectionate in other ways. Occasional hugs were fine. Comforting pats on the back were necessary. Dancing was fun. She let me touch her face whenever I wanted, since it was the only way I could see her.
But as she got older and matured, our relationship developed into something I’d desperately hoped for since I was a boy. Our interactions turned flirtatious. Our hugs lasted longer. Our hearts beat a little faster.
The past hundred years or so were particularly rough for me. It became difficult to hold back. I often found myself reaching for her when we were together. Not for comfort.
Just because I wanted to touch her.
Then today, she revealed her true feelings, without filter. I knew she cared for me, but I didn’t realize the extent of it.
She loves me.
I have the ability to break her heart, such a fragile thing.
I refuse to be the reason for her pain, even when she’s been the cause of mine. I’ve lived through hundreds of battles. Been gravely wounded. And even though waiting to see her every year was agony, nothing ever hurt as much as today.
When Quinn told me she was leaving, that she’d be gone for such a long time, I couldn’t handle it.
I snapped.
When I kissed her, I damned myself to this curse forever.
It was worth it.
Quinn has expressed her wishes to join me in Valora for quite some time, and it feels right to have her here with me.
I don’t know why it took me this long to give in, but I can recognize an ultimatum when I hear one. She pretended to be upset about her sudden departure from her home, but this is what she’s wanted in the past.
I meant it when I told her I didn’t need my eyes. I’ve been thriving without my sight for over two millennia. Blindness hasn’t prevented me from becoming one of the fiercest fighters our realm has ever seen.
It won’t stop me from taking Quinn as my chosen mate.
Having her by my side will only make me stronger. She can complete our kingdom.
She’s silent and still now. She’s hiding her face against my neck, and her warm breath puffs over my skin.
Too bad she’s missing the sights.
It’s been a long time since I saw the landscape, but I still remember the way the starlight glittered on the ponds, the waddling of the gnomes as they worked in the gardens, and the purple trees that seem to glow from within.
No matter. Quinn will have plenty of time to memorize my realm.
Soaring over familiar terrain, I listen for the sounds that guide me. The low humming lets me know I’m gliding over the sprite forest. The squeaking marks the windmill in a small village. A bell tower chimes as I near the palace in Delaveria.
I fly past the flapping Night Realm flag.
By the time we go over the castle gates, I’m exhausted from carrying the extra weight and Quinn is trembling.
“Be brave, young one,” I say as my feet touch the stone bridge right outside the large entrance. “Come meet my family.”
As soon as she’s on solid ground, Quinn lets go of me and shoves my chest. “What the hell, Kirian? Seriously. What. The. Hell.”
Dozens of footsteps hurry our way.
“You dare to speak to the king in such a manner?” That’s Torius, the head of my guard. He’s almost as big as I am. And from what I’ve been told, a scary-looking motherfucker, with dark dreadlocks and tattoos all over his face.
Gasping, Quinn backs up until she bumps into me.
I wrap my arms arou
nd her and set my chin on her head. “Torius, stand down. This is your future queen. Meet Quinn Prescott.”
I hear the distinctive scrape of their weapons as they lay them at their feet and kneel.
“Hail, Queen Quinn.”
“Oh, no.” Quinn violently shakes her head. “No, no. Nope. So much nope. Queen Quinn? That just sounds ridiculous. A whole mountain of nope right there.”
“Your Majesty?” Torius still speaks with his head bowed. “I don’t understand all of her phrases, but we’re overjoyed that you’ve found your fated mate. This is amazing news for the kingdom.”
Quinn elbows me in the ribs, and it prompts me to say, “Fated or not, she is to be my wife.” I receive another elbow jab, but she’s smart enough not to contradict me in front of my soldiers. “Where would I find my parents?”
“In the dining hall, my king.”
“Thank you.” My shirt’s shredded. Too bad, considering it’s one of the few formal outfits I own. I’ve always wanted to look good for Quinn, but the button up isn’t what I wear on a daily basis. Normally before flying, I’d take the time to remove it so it doesn’t get ruined, but I was in a hurry. I tear the scraps off and toss it to Torius. “Dispose of this.”
“Will do.” He reaches up to press my axe and my crown into my hand as I pass him.
I set the simple band of gold on my head. It isn’t flashy or overly opulent. No jewels. Just a few intricate designs carved into the precious metal, with seven dull spikes on top. I don’t wear it often—just around the palace.
My axe, however, is like an extension of me. Except for my visits to Quinn and when I’m sleeping, I always have it hooked onto my belt, and it feels good to have my weapon holstered at my side once again.
“Oh, great,” Quinn exclaims as I loop an arm around her shoulders and shuffle her forward. “As if I wasn’t already attracted to you. Now you look like a royal version of Thor with an axe.”
“Who’s Thor?”
“Remember the comic books we read? The hot guy with the hammer?”
When she says another man is hot, my blood boils with jealousy. I scoff. “Yes, I remember, but I’m way better looking than him.”
“How would you know?”
Her jab about my lack of visual knowledge doesn’t bother me—in fact, I appreciate it. She’s the only person who doesn’t tiptoe around it.
I shrug. “You be the judge. Who’s better looking?”
“That’s not fair. I’m biased.”
I stop right outside the tall palace entrance. Two men stand guard, opening the double doors for us. Before we go in, I turn to Quinn.
Running my fingers under her denim overall straps, I lower my face next to hers. “Tell me. Which one of us would you choose?”
Her breath hitches when my nose grazes her cute rounded ear.
I want her to say it. To tell me how much she wants me. Her praise is all that matters.
Vanity isn’t a luxury I’ve had in a long time, but Quinn could make me a very arrogant man.
When I grab the metal hooks on her overalls and circle the buttons with my thumbs, my knuckles brush against her chest. I feel her nipples harden under the tank top.
Now I’m just toying with her, while also torturing myself. My shaft stiffens to the point of painful, and I fear I might erupt in my pants.
“You’re both dismissed,” I bark at the guards.
They don’t question my order. Quick footsteps scurry away, and then Quinn and I are alone.
We’ve both spent so much time and energy denying our attraction to each other, but now our feelings are unleashed. As I caress her tight buds again, I feel a crackle in the air. It isn’t a palpable thing—it’s more like the hair-raising sensation someone experiences when they’re about to get struck by lightning.
“You,” she whispers the answer. “You know I’ll always choose you.”
I smirk. “Likewise. And that’s why you’re here.” Tugging her by the hand, I pull her through the doorway into the foyer. She isn’t coming along easily. “Why do you drag your feet? Are you shy?”
“Kirian, we need to talk about this.”
“What’s there to talk about?”
“Uh, for starters—your wife? Are you insane?”
“When it comes to you? Apparently.”
“And I can’t meet your family right now.”
“Why not?”
“I look like shit.”
“Nonsense.” I wave off her concern.
Quinn huffs as she glances around, her head shifting from left to right as she takes in the floor-to-ceiling marble in the grand entrance. Having memorized every square inch of this place, my footsteps are confident as we stride past the main staircase and turn left into the dining room.
I hear four different sets of knives and forks against the china. Good. They’re all here.
As we approach, Quinn moves closer to me, angles her head toward my chest, and covers her face with her hands. I want to tell her to stand tall. If she shows signs of timidity, Gia’s likely to chew her up and spit her back out.
“Father, Mother, Gia, Farrel,” I address my family by their assigned seats at the end of the long table. “This is Quinn Prescott.”
My mother drops her silverware with loud clatter. “A human? What have you done?”
Ignoring her panic, I go on, “Quinn, this is my father, Keryth, and my mother, Zella. My sister, Gia and her mate, Farrel.”
“You know our laws,” Mother scolds. “You can’t steal a human. This isn’t the Day Realm.”
“She has asked to come before.” I graze my thumb down Quinn’s forearm. “She was willing.” A half-truth. I try not to think about her request to return her to Earth. Clearly, she couldn’t have meant it.
“I’m sure,” Gia says flatly, feigning boredom. “That’s why she looks like she was just chased by a pack of lycans.”
“Is she all right?” Father asks, ever the gentleman.
“She’s fine.” I give Quinn a hardy pat on the shoulder, but she doesn’t stop cowering.
“You hide your face from us.” Mother again. “Why?”
Quinn lets out a shuddering breath. When she turns toward them and lowers her hands, they all gasp. Even the two servants who are refilling goblets suck in a breath. Dramatic as ever, Gia spits out her drink.
I frown at their reaction. Quinn is gorgeous. I know her, inside and out. She has the softest heart I’ve ever encountered, and her delicate bone structure is one to be envied.
“I’ve never seen such skin,” Gia exclaims, losing her bored façade. “So many speckles. Are they battle scars? Did someone toss a potion on your face? What caused it?”
“I was born like this,” Quinn says, her voice hard. I sense a shift in her mood as she straightens her spine. I feel anger, resentment, and strength. “Gia—can I call you that? You might want to get a napkin. You have a little something dribbling down your chin.”
Gia makes a sound of outrage as she dries her face. “Kirian, she can’t speak to me that way.”
“She can.” My statement is filled with authority and an edge of warning. “She’s my betrothed.”
Gia’s shocked into silence—a very rare occasion. Farrel is wise to stay quiet as well.
“Is she your fated mate?” The hope in my father’s question is obvious.
“Does it matter?” I spread my arms. “Am I not whole, just as I am? Why does everyone else care so much about my blindness? Haven’t I proven myself?”
“Kirian,” Mother sighs heavily, and I can hear her lifting her hand to pinch the bridge of her nose. “This isn’t about you. A human as queen… it isn’t right.”
“Why not? How could you, of all people, say that? After everything you’ve done to fight for equality—”
“For the good of our people. To better our kingdom. Strength starts at the foundation.”
It’s the same line I’ve heard from her many times.
We learned that lesson the hard way. Afte
r an uprising about fifteen hundred years ago, when my father was still king, our livelihood was threatened. We’d been dumping so much time and energy into hunting the coven, we unknowingly neglected our people. Naturally, they fought back. Our family was almost taken out by the lower-class citizens. That’s what happens when forces are joined. A million peasants were no match for our army of fifty thousand. And they didn’t even have to fight. No, they just quit working. Supplies stopped coming in. We ran low on coal, wood, herbs, and food.
Starving wouldn’t have killed us, but it was a miserable existence.
Together, the people of our realm showed us we need to value them more, and we were able to reach an agreement. Lower taxes on the poor. School for all children, no matter their social status. Two festivals within the palace walls every year, and everyone is invited.
“Exactly,” I agree with her. “No one would do a better job of maintaining unity in our realm than Quinn.”
“The foundation belongs at the bottom, not the top.” Gia’s snobby opinion is unwelcomed.
She’s lumping Quinn in with the miners and the mill workers, when the truth is, my bride-to-be is in a class all her own.
Mother makes a noise of frustration. “It’s not about station either. Look at what my brother has done to the Day Realm. Do you really want them to think we’re okay with their customs? Lead by example, Kirian.”
I can’t refute my mother’s concern. King Zarid himself took an unwilling earthling as a bride. Kidnapping is a practice we condemn, so being with a human would raise questions for our people.
I’m confident that’ll change once everyone sees how much Quinn and I care for one another. They’ll know she’s here because she loves me, not because I plucked up some random person against their will.
“Then there’s the matter of the curse,” Father chimes in, clearing his throat. “We realize you’ve been very patient—”
“Patient.” I bark out a laugh, though it holds no humor. “Patient is a child waiting for the solstice. I’ve lived a solitary existence for over two thousand years. I’ve been a good ruler, I’ve defended our lands, and I’ve brought joy to our people. All while living in darkness. Don’t you think I’ve earned the right to choose my mate?”
The Fae King's Curse Page 5