by Lexi C. Foss
He chuckled. “I’m pretty sure it was the only way it could have happened.”
I nodded, understanding immediately. “She didn’t like you.”
“Not one bit.”
“Good,” I replied. “She needed someone to break through the human shell and unleash the fae beneath.”
His lips curled. “You’re welcome.”
So arrogant, my brother. But I couldn’t help my resulting laugh.
Because yeah. We all had him to thank. Seeing that Claire had finally embraced her inner fae.
I sighed, both overjoyed and distraught.
Because I wasn’t sure which news I wanted to break to her less—that her mother was alive and causing chaos or that Claire had awoken a fae circle so powerful that it proved all the prophecies about her correct.
My precious Halfling was no longer a princess.
No.
Soon, she would be crowned Elemental Fae Queen.
She just didn’t know it yet.
Epilogue
Claire
A warmth caressed my heart, causing me to stir among the heavy limbs in my bed. Or was it our bed? I really didn’t know anymore. We all had our own rooms, including Titus, but he never slept in his quarters, only mine. So it felt like a shared space. And now it was littered with male limbs.
Vox in front of me, Sol yet again at my back, and Titus between my legs using my thigh as a pillow.
I can’t move, I thought.
A chuckle ran through my mind, the sound adoring and so very missed. Exos.
I’m here.
I sighed, my lips curling. I miss you.
Then come get me, he murmured. I’m in the hallway.
I shot upright, causing Sol to grumble and Vox’s eyes to fly open. “What is it?”
Titus nuzzled into my leg, then shifted a little to release me. “Exos is back,” he said, his voice deep with sleep. “Go ahead, Claire. We’ll be here.”
Sol’s hand moved from my upper thigh to his own leg, his nonverbal way of granting approval to move. And Vox rolled to his back. I tried to slide over him to get out of the bed, but he caught me by the hip. His fingers threaded through my hair as his mouth captured mine in a mind-bending kiss reminiscent of the hours we spent in bed.
How is this my life? I wondered, awed.
When he finally released me, I almost forgot what I wanted to do. Then I felt Exos’s tug again, a patient presence underlined in authority.
“I’ll be back,” I whispered.
“I know,” Vox replied, nipping my bottom lip. “I’ll be here.”
He kissed me again, gentler this time, his tongue lazily stroking mine, before helping me to stand. Titus and Sol had already passed out again, completely at ease. Vox shifted to his side, tucking his arm under his head, as he watched me pad to the door.
I slipped into Titus’s robe—an item I really needed to procure for myself—and met Exos in the hallway. He wore one of his elegant suits, his blond hair stylishly gelled, as if he were about to attend a meeting of some kind.
Yet the clock on the wall said it was just after four in the morning.
“There are some formal ceremonies I need to attend,” he explained, sensing my confusion. He cupped my cheek and brushed his thumb over my bottom lip. “Will you come with me?”
“Are you… Is everything okay?” I asked, leaning into his touch.
He nodded. “Cyrus destroyed the essence in my mind.”
Yes. I’d felt as much when he reached out to me. He felt clean. Like my Exos. And now that I saw him, I could see he was completely back to normal. Fae certainly healed quickly. “What was it?” I wondered out loud.
“Something I want to talk to you about,” he admitted. “Which is why I want you to come with me today.”
“Where?”
“To the Spirit Kingdom.”
I shuddered, not ready to experience that again. But I had to ask: “Why?”
“It’s time to take my rightful place as the Spirit King. And I’d like you by my side when I do it.”
I blinked. “What? What about Cyrus?”
“He’ll be there, too.” Exos leaned down to replace his thumb with his lips and kissed me softly. “There’s so much we need to explain, Claire. And I would prefer to do it in the Spirit Kingdom. Please.”
“What about the others? And the Solstice Ball?” That had to be coming up soon. And why was I fixated on that above everything else? “I promised to go with Sol and Vox,” I clarified, deciding that was a good reason. Well, we hadn’t really finalized it. But it was definitely happening.
Exos’s lips curled. “I’ll have you back in time for the ball, Claire. In addition to your classes, as I understand you’ve missed a few.”
“Been a little busy trying not to die,” I pointed out.
“Yes, I understand the feeling.” His palm slid to the back of my neck. “Please come with me, Claire. I need you to understand what it means to be a Royal Fae.” Because you’re becoming one, I heard him whisper, the words a haunting statement in my mind.
“I…” I glanced at his suit and frowned. “Do you want me to wear my Academy clothes?”
He chuckled. “No. I have a gown for you, princess. One that will make you look like a queen.”
I swallowed. “You’ll tell me what to do?”
“When have I not?” he teased, nipping my lower lip.
“True,” I agreed, amused. “Okay. But I need to tell the others.”
“Of course. Just one thing first.”
I stared into his ocean-blue eyes. “Anything.”
“Mmm, I was hoping you’d say that.” He pulled me even closer, one hand tightly holding my neck while his other pressed into my lower back. And then his mouth took mine in a kiss underlined in power.
My soul rejoiced, my heart beating in time with his, as he lifted me into the air to press me into the hallway wall. I wrapped my legs around him for support, not caring at all how it split my robe open to reveal my intimate flesh.
Exos rocked his hips into mine, his hardening cock hitting me right where I desired him most. I missed this. Missed him. And I told him that out loud, his name a conviction I’d whisper for eternity. His palm slid from my back to my breast, squeezing and kneading and eliciting sounds from my throat that I was sure would wake the others.
But no one disturbed us.
This was just me and Exos, his hard body against mine, his mouth tasting and licking and memorizing. And oh, how I wanted to remove the suit.
Yet it seemed sexier to have him clothed, especially as the robe hit the floor and left me naked and wanting against him.
“If we had more time, I’d take you completely,” he whispered, his voice harsh and sexy at my ear. “But for now, I’ll be satisfied with hearing you scream my name.”
I panted, shocked that my body could respond this way after so many hours of pleasure. However, Exos always knew what I needed, his touch a hypnotic caress that left me shivering and quaking for more.
And now was no different.
He pressed into me, the head of his hard cock engaging my clit through the fabric of his pants and sending me shattering on a wave of ecstasy that took me to another plane of existence.
Our plane.
The one only our souls knew how to access.
I stayed there for several minutes, reveling in the feel of us. He kissed me softly, knowingly, our bond singing in approval as our link strengthened all the more.
“My Claire,” he breathed.
“My Exos,” I agreed, smiling against him. “You can take me anywhere you want. You know that.”
“I do, but it’s nice to have your cooperation for once.”
I smiled. “A lot changed while you were gone.”
“I can see that,” he mused as he tucked a strand of my hair behind my ear, his finger running up the pointed tip that still felt so foreign to me. “I approve.”
“Good.” I tugged his lower lip into my mouth. “Because I like
the new me. I feel stronger. More in control.”
“And that will only continue to grow, Claire.” He pressed his forehead to mine. “You have no idea what destiny is laid out before you, but I’ll help you in every way I can. We all will.”
“That sounds ominous.”
“It is,” he whispered. “More than you know.”
“So tell me.”
He sighed, one palm cupping my cheek while the other clasped my hip to keep me balanced between him and the wall. “It’s your mother, Claire.”
“I know what she’s done, but I won’t make the same mistakes.” I felt it deep in my core that I could never betray my mates the way my mother had done with her own.
“No. Not that.” His blue eyes took on a serious quality, his grip tightening. “Your mother…” He paused, sighing. “Your mother is the one who tried to kill you with dark magic. She’s also the one who used Mortus as a puppet to capture me.”
My lips parted. “But she’s dead.” Which sounded like a ridiculous statement considering what he just said. Except, everyone told me… My eyes widened. “Elana said a body was never found.”
He nodded. “Because there wasn’t one to find.”
Holy fae… “My mother’s alive.”
The Trilogy Concludes with Elemental Fae Academy: Book Three
Looking for another Reverse Harem Academy in the interim? Pick up Fortune Academy by J.R. Thorn here.
Or maybe you want something a little edgier with a bit more bite. Check out Lexi’s Blood Alliance series, starting with Chastely Bitten.
How is a girl supposed to concentrate with five hot fae mentors? It’s not like I have a lot to do or anything.
Royal Coronations.
Finals.
A Solstice Ball.
And a mother hellbent on ruining the fae world.
Just another ordinary day for me, Claire Summers, the halfling fae with access to all five elements.
Everyone is counting on me, even my esteemed mentor, Elana. Because I’m the only one with enough power to take my mother down.
But what if it’s all a lie? What if the bad guy I’ve been chasing all along is the one standing right by my side?
I’m in for the fight of my life with five fae protectors and an ally I never saw coming. It’s up to us to save the Fae Kingdom before it’s too late. And it’ll require giving my heart to all my mates, to guard and to hold, for eternity and beyond.
Note: This is book three of the Elemental Fae Academy trilogy. There’s a lot of heat in this one, and a scene you don’t want to miss between Cyrus, Exos, and Claire.
Elemental Fae Academy: Book Three
You met Aflora in Elemental Fae Academy. Now she’s about to meet the Dark Fae of the world, and she’s not at all happy about it…
Welcome to Midnight Fae Academy.
Home of the Dark Arts.
Vampires.
And cruelly handsome fae.
A forbidden bite led to my capture and recruitment.
There are no flowers here.
No life.
Only death.
I’m an Earth Fae who doesn’t belong here.
They can play their little mind games all they want, but I'm going to find a way back to my elemental world. Even if it kills me.
Except Headmaster Zephyrus is one step ahead of my every move.
Prince Kolstov won’t stop cornering me.
And Shadow—the reason I’m in this damn mess to begin with—haunts my dreams.
My affinity for the earth is dying and being replaced by something more sinister. Something powerful. Something deadly.
The Midnight Fae believe this is my fate.
They claim that I was “recruited” for a purpose.
To battle a rising presence.
Or to die trying.
I don’t owe them a damn thing. But if I have to pass their trials to find my way home, then so be it. I survived a plague and far worse in the Elemental Fae realm. An ominous energy? Please. What a joke.
Give it your best shot.
I’m waiting.
And don’t you dare bite me.
Or I’ll make you regret it.
Author Note: This is a dark paranormal reverse harem romance, and despite Aflora’s opinions on the matter, there will definitely be biting. Shadow, aka Shade, guarantees it.
Preorder available now for Book One of the Midnight Fae Academy Trilogy.
About Lexi C. Foss
USA Today Bestselling Author Lexi C. Foss loves to play in dark worlds, especially the ones that bite. She lives in Atlanta, Georgia with her husband and their furry children. When not writing, she’s busy crossing items off her travel bucket list, or chasing eclipses around the globe. She’s quirky, consumes way too much coffee, and loves to swim.
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Where To Find Lexi:
www.LexiCFoss.com
Also by Lexi C. Foss
Blood Alliance Series - Dystopian Paranormal
Chastely Bitten
Royally Bitten
Dark Provenance Series - Paranormal Romance
Heiress of Bael (FREE!)
Daughter of Death
Son of Chaos
Elemental Fae Academy - Reverse Harem
Book One
Book Two
Book Three
Immortal Curse Series - Paranormal Romance
Book One: Blood Laws
Book Two: Forbidden Bonds
Book Three: Blood Heart
Book Four: Elder Bonds
Book Five: Blood Bonds
Book Six: Angel Bonds
Mershano Empire Series - Contemporary Romance
Book One: The Prince’s Game
Book Two: The Charmer’s Gambit
Book Three: The Rebel’s Redemption
Underworld Royals Series - Dark Paranormal Romance
Happily Ever Crowned
Happily Ever Bitten
Other Books
Scarlet Mark - Standalone Romantic Suspense
About J.R. Thorn
J.R. Thorn is a Reverse Harem Paranormal Romance Author.
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Addicted to Academy? Read more RH Academy by J.R. Thorn: Fortune Academy
Welcome to Fortune Academy, a school where supernaturals can feel at home—except, I have no idea what the hell I am.
Also By J.R. Thorn
USA Today Bestselling Author J.R. Thorn
Standalone
•Chasing Fate (USA Today Bestselling Book)
Seven Sins
•Book 1: Succubus Sins
•Book 2: Siren Sins
•Book 3: Vampire Sins
Royal Covens
•Book 1: Captivated
•Book 2: Compelled
•Book 3: Consumed
Fortune Academy
•Year One
•Year Two
•Year Three