by S. Young
Rose stumbled toward him. “But … but I tried that …”
A weight Fionn hadn’t even known he’d been carrying fell from his shoulders as the now-empty silver box clattered to the pebbled road.
He felt free.
For the first time in three hundred years, Fionn Mór was free.
“An Breitheamh was made by me and can only be undone by me.”
Hope, bright and shining, glowed in Rose’s eyes. “But what about your revenge?”
Fionn shook his head. “I’d already decided before those bastards took you that I wanted to stay with you. I can’t leave you behind. Centuries of planning … ah, Rose … centuries of planning were blown to shit the moment we met. Finally there’s something in this world I want more than vengeance.”
Rose laughed softly. “You choose me?”
He stared at his love, his mate, his newfound purpose, and the future stretched wide open before them. Fionn stepped toward her, cupping her beautiful face in his hands. The gods, he loved Rose Kelly beyond anything he thought he was capable of. He loved every inch of her with every inch of himself.
Fionn bent his head to hers and whispered across her sweet lips, “No, mo chroí. I choose us.”
Epilogue
Dublin
Bran, as it turned out, was a tall, somewhat lanky, good-looking vampire who appeared his mortal age of only twenty-one. His body was in that in-between place of youth and adulthood—strong, wiry, but not entirely filled out.
With his messy dark hair, brooding blue eyes, long lashes, sultry mouth, and angular jaw, he’d have been the exact kind of guy Rose would have had a crush on in college. There was a warmth to him that could change her mind about vampires, who, until this point, she’d only had bad experiences with.
He stared at her as she stared at him, in the well-lit loft apartment with its row of windows that seriously couldn’t be good for a vamp once daylight arrived.
“Are you done staring at my mate or am I going to have to yank out your eyeballs?” Fionn asked from his place on the couch beside Rose. His body language said casually possessive, with his left arm spread along the back of the couch where Rose sat.
His tone was anything but casual.
Bran broke into a grin, dimples popping in each cheek.
Jesus, he was so cute. Rose bet he never had to worry about finding a woman to suck on.
“I’m loving this more than you’ll ever know,” he announced in his rich, Dublin accent.
Dublin was beautiful. At least the little of it Rose had seen. After the battle at the warehouse, Fionn had insisted on Rose getting some rest at An Caomhnóir before they traveled to Dublin to meet with Bran.
“What?” Rose grinned, finding the vampire’s amusement infectious.
“Him.” He gestured to Fionn. “Possessive. Territorial. Of a woman.”
“Again—” Fionn began what she knew would be a renewed threat.
“Yes, yes,” Rose interrupted. “It’s a surprising development for us all. Let’s move past that and tell us what we need to know.”
Bran stared at her a second before turning to Fionn. “She’s fucking perfect for you.”
“Bran.”
“Okay, okay.” The vampire sat up, resting his elbows on his knees as he leaned toward her. “The Blackwoods have sent out a team to find Layton and his sisters. Word is, they think Niamh might have something to do with it since she was who Nate sent them out after.”
“Shit.” Rose threw Fionn an anxious look.
His expression softened on her and she felt his hand slip through her hair to rest on her nape. He gave it a reassuring squeeze.
“As for Niamh, there’s a possibility I might have found her.”
Rose tore her gaze from Fionn’s handsome face to Bran’s. “What?”
He nodded, his expression somber. “There was an early snowstorm in Vienna. A bus driver lost control of his vehicle. It was heading for a group of pedestrians, most of whom claim that a young woman with long, blond hair stepped in front of the bus and pushed it away. With her hands.”
Fionn cursed under his breath. “She’s being careless, acting like fucking Superwoman. It was that exact thing that nearly got Thea caught.”
Melancholy swept through Rose. “Try to understand, Fionn. She couldn’t save Ronan.”
“So she’s trying to save the world?” Bran huffed. “The Blackwoods will hear of this, Rose, and they’ll come after her. If they think she’s to blame for the deaths of Layton and his sisters, they won’t make things pretty. They won’t kill her but they could do other things.”
She looked at her wrists, which her long sleeves thankfully covered. But she was scarred forever. “Believe me, I understand what they could do to her.” She turned to Fionn. “We have to go to her.”
To her shock, Fionn shook his head. “I want her safe too, Rose. I know you had these grand plans to tag along with Niamh and find the other fae-borne, but it’s not safe. For any of you. I found you by following Niamh. If you were captured in each other’s company, the gate would be in serious danger. It’s safer for you all to be apart.”
Indignation burned through her. “But what about Niamh? She’s alone now. I know she probably protected Ronan more than he could ever protect her, but—”
Fionn squeezed her nape again, hushing her. “Do you think I’d leave her out there alone?”
“What will you do?”
“Yes, what will you do?” Bran asked.
Her mate let go of a slow exhalation. “I’ll send someone I can trust to guard her. Someone almost as powerful as us.”
Who could be almost as powerful as them? “Uh, and that would be?”
“Oh, you’re not thinking what you’re thinking,” Bran said incredulously. “He’s the coldest bastard I ever did meet.”
Fionn scowled. “He’s also the only immortal werewolf in existence. And his protection can be bought, for the right price.”
“I suppose.”
“Anyone want to fill me in? There’s an immortal werewolf out there? How does that work?” Rose was stunned. There was still so much to learn!
“You’ve met him,” Fionn told her.
When had she met an immortal—
“Oh my God.” She gaped at Fionn. “You want to send Kiyo to guard Niamh?”
“He’s the only one I trust to do it.”
“But for how long? I mean, this gig is kind of an ongoing thing.”
Fionn sighed. “I don’t know, Rose. Until he discerns Niamh is stable and not going to lead the Blackwoods or the Garm straight to her. That also involves getting her to give up trying to find the other fae-borne. Which means entrusting the wolf with the truth.”
Somehow, she didn’t think even intimidating, brooding Kiyo would talk Niamh out of her personal mission.
In the wee hours of the morning, Rose walked at Fionn’s side, her small hand held tightly in his.
When they first met, Rose would never have pegged Fionn for the touchy-feely type. Yet, since her kidnapping days before, Fionn had stuck to her side like glue, touching her whenever the opportunity presented itself.
The cobbles of Fleet Street were almost empty of other people as they strolled through the Temple Bar district toward their hotel. They’d left An Caomhnóir because Rose preferred to be on the move, and Fionn wanted to give Rose whatever she needed.
Staying in one place gave her time to dwell on what had happened in that basement. She knew it would haunt her. It already was. But she also knew the one person who could help her find a way to deal with it was holding her hand. When she’d suggested they visit Bran, rather than get an update by phone, Fionn had seemed to understand.
Moreover, Rose wanted to see where it was her family came from.
From there, Fionn planned to show Rose the rest of the world. If they kept moving, stayed smart, they could avoid their enemies. Hopefully. But it also meant avoiding people she loved.
As if he’d read her mind, Fionn offered
, “If you like, we can find a way to call your parents. Let them know you’re still okay.”
Rose considered this and nodded. “Do you think I’ll ever see them again?”
“If I can make it safe for you and them both, then yes.”
Love suffused her as she buried into him. Fionn let go of her hand, but only so he could wrap his arm around her shoulders. Words she’d been dreading saying because she feared his reaction bubbled out of her. There could be no secrets between them if they were to spend the rest of their very long lives together.
“I need to tell you something.”
He squeezed her, a nonverbal go-ahead.
Rose cleared her throat. “Niamh told me something. A vague something, but … Fionn, she had a vision or, I don’t know, like a feeling or—”
“Rose.” He kissed the top of her head. “Calm. Take your time.”
She tried to relax but failed. Him being so adorable was not helping. “Okay. Okay.” She pushed away, turning to face him on the moonlit street. “Okay. If you killed one of us to open the gate, it wouldn’t have just ended with you killing Aine and then yourself.”
He frowned. “What do you mean?”
“When I met Niamh in Zagreb, she said something I didn’t get until she explained it on our second meeting. She knew we were mates. And she knew that if I didn’t trust you to choose the mating bond over your revenge, the … well, the world as we know it would end.”
“Excuse me?” he crossed his arms over his chest, visibly confused.
“Read between the lines: Fionn kills Aine, the fae reopen the gate, and then they take their vengeance out on humanity.”
His expression slackened. “And you were planning on telling me this when?”
Wincing at his accusatory tone, Rose reached out to place a soothing hand on his abs. “If you didn’t choose me of your own accord, I was going to tell you and hope it would be enough to stop you.” She grinned sheepishly. “Forgive me, yes? Okay, good. Let’s go have epic sex.”
Despite the anger flickering in his gorgeous eyes, his lips twitched with amusement. “Rose,” he huffed, exasperated.
“Oh, come on! Surely, there’s stuff you still haven’t told me.” The guy had lived for centuries!
The anger disappeared from his expression, leaving behind something like uncertainty.
“Ah-ha.” Rose wagged a finger at him. “Let it out. Once it’s done, we’re even-steven, right?”
He shook his head, affection brightening his expression. A pleasurable ache spread through her, one only he inspired. Fionn covered her hand resting on his stomach with his own. “There is something.”
“Yeah?”
“Rose.”
“Yeah?”
He bent his head toward her. “Rose … fertility amongst the fae doesn’t work the same way as it does in humans. It can take time. Years. Centuries, even. But two mated fae can have children together.”
Shock reverberated through Rose. She stumbled back from her mate, gaping, as she processed what this new, astounding, fantastic, life-changing information meant.
Fionn pressed a quick, hungry kiss to her mouth, a kiss she was too shocked to return, and said, “Forgive me for not telling you sooner, yes? Okay, good. Let’s go have epic sex.”
Fionn & Rose Continued…
If you enjoyed Fionn and Rose’s story, you can read more about them in their bonus short story included in this upcoming anthology.
TEMPTED BY FAE: A MIDNIGHT COVEN ANTHOLOGY
Fourteen worlds. Fourteen women. One fate they can’t escape.
From bestselling authors of fantasy and paranormal romance comes a breathtaking set of all new stories, available for a limited time only.
Whether kick ass, shy, or vulnerable, the women in Tempted by Fae get more than they bargain for when mysterious and sexy immortals cross their paths.
Give in.
It’s only forever.
Available May 5, 2020
Preorder:
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War Of Hearts
A True Immortality Novel
By S. Young
A standalone adult paranormal romance from New York Times Bestselling author Samantha Young, writing as S. Young.
Thea Quinn has no idea what she is. All she knows is that her abilities have been a plague upon her life since she was a child. After years of suffering at the hands of a megalomaniac, Thea escaped and has been on the run ever since.
The leadership and protection of his pack are of the utmost importance to Conall MacLennan, Alpha and Chief of Clan MacLennan, the last werewolf pack in Scotland. Which is why watching his sister slowly die of a lycanthropic disease is emotional torture. When Conall is approached by a businessman who offers a cure for his sister in exchange for the use of Conall’s rare tracking ability, Conall forges an unbreakable contract with him. He has to find and retrieve the key to the cure: dangerous murderer, Thea Quinn.
Thea’s attempts to evade the ruthless werewolf are not only thwarted by the Alpha, but by outside dangers. With no choice but to rely on one another for survival, truths are revealed, intensifying a passionate connection they both fight to resist. At war with themselves and each other, Conall and Thea’s journey to Scotland forces them to face a heartrending choice between love and betrayal.
Out Now in ebook, paperback & hardback edition.
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Extras
Kiss of Vengeance
Conversations in Translation
Chapter Thirteen - Rose’s First Dream-Walk
Light flooded into the gargantuan hall from the impressive arched windows that lined either wall. There was a cathedral-like quality to the room.
Rose blinked against the light, her vision focusing as she took in her surroundings.
School desks sat in rows, students at them bent over papers, scribbling furiously. Several older people strolled up and down and in between the desks. A huge clock hung suspended from the ceiling at the north end of the hall.
It’s ticktock was distracting.
“Stop ticking,” a voice hissed.
Rose glanced down and realized she was standing over the desk of a young woman whose face was scrunched up with frustration. She looked vaguely familiar as she glared at the ticking clock.
So consumed with the girl’s mounting panic, it took Rose a minute to realize she had no fucking idea where she was. Her own anxiety began to mount.
“Where am I?” she whispered.
The clock fell from the ceiling and smashed into pieces.
“Time is up!” a female proctor shouted from the other end of the hall. “Submit your papers, please!”
“No, no, I’m not done,” the familiar girl murmured frantically as she stood, blank paper crumpled in her hand.
What the hell was going on? And why was everyone speaking Spanish? Rose glanced around, trying to piece this weirdness together. Hadn’t she just been on the train to Barcelona with Fionn?
The stressed girl hurried toward the front of the room, and that’s when Rose realized the girl had a glow of light around her that no one else did. It was like a full-body halo. Instincts told her to follow the girl. Perhaps she knew why Rose was here … wherever here was.
However, as she took a step to follow the girl who was talking to the proctor, the room shifted.
It grew smaller, and Rose braced herself against the swift, strange change as it shrunk around her. Her heart pounded with fear; sweat coated her skin. What the hell was going on?
Attention fixed on the girl, Rose watched as the woman she was talking to disappeared and in her place was a handsome young man with dark hair and stubbled cheeks.
Rose spun around, taking in the dorm room they now stood in.
What the ever-loving fuck?
“He’s right.” Another young woman appeared in the room, as if from thin air. She sat up from a sprawl. Her blond hair fell over her shoulders as she swung long, slender legs off a bed. “You’ll be fine.”
Rose frowned. The new addition was American.
The girl with the glow scowled, and Rose instinctually knew she hated the American. “I won’t get into the program now,” the girl said in accented English. “You don’t understand. You have no ambition.”
The American seemed affronted as she stood from the bed and put her arm around the young man. “Are you going to let her speak to me like that?”
“No,” he replied emotionlessly. “You should leave, Alejandra.”
Hurt pierced Rose as the girl, Alejandra, stepped away from him and immediately collided into a guy who had appeared out of nowhere too.
What. The. Fuck.
Rose swayed as the room changed again and Alejandra turned to face the man. His features were slightly blurred. The room they were in was pitch-black, except for the three of them. The boy and his American had disappeared.
“What are you doing here?” Alejandra asked the man with the blurry face.
“You need me,” his deep voice rumbled into the dark.
“No.”
“Yes.” His hand slipped under Alejandra’s dress and she moaned, swaying into him.
Arousal instantly flooded Rose. What the— “Okay, get me out of here.”
Her discomfort grew as the sounds of sex filled the room, her pulse escalating as her body reacted to the desire pulsating between the two strangers. It was unsettling to say the very least. “Uh, someone get me out of here!” she yelled into the dark.