Fae Lord Avenged: Real Men of Othercross (Paranormal Fae Romance)

by Marina Maddix

  “Dain.” Her hand was at her throat, and she blinked hard at the water in her eyes. She turned to Kelly. “Is that true?”

  “Has to be,” Kelly said with a flabbergasted nod. “There’s no other way.”

  “Galwyn, I’ve never before felt anything like what I feel with you.” He was speaking unprompted now, and as he did, he could feel Galwyn’s breath deepening in his own chest. “We shared something so profound and so unexpected, and yet I feel as if my entire life has been pointed toward finding you. If I lost you now, over my own pride and stupidity, I don’t know what I would do.”

  She stared at him for an eternity, her breaths coming in short pants and her heart thundering so hard he could feel it in his own chest. Her expression remained implacable, and the longer they stood staring at each other, the more hope that drained from his soul. Then she spoke.

  “Lucky for you, you never have to find out.” Throwing her arms up, she fell into his lap and squeezed him as tightly as she could manage. Finally close again, the golden light inside Dain blossomed and reached out into her, binding them even more.

  “Soooooo.” Kelly tapped her fingers on her hips. “You want me to take the spell off?”

  “Yes,” Dain exclaimed.

  “No,” Galwyn called out with a cackle.

  “Well, okay.” She stepped in front of the beaming pair. “I guess that counts as permission revoked. But—” She leaned into Dain’s face. “—let that be a lesson to you.”

  He didn’t need the warning.

  Chapter Ten

  Once the wheels were set in motion, things could move pretty quickly in Othercross. Now that Galwyn was certain of the purity of Dain’s feelings, she was determined to see an end to whatever feud existed between her family and the Oberon fae lords. The morning after Dain had been put under the truth spell, Galwyn had him and his cousins in front of the Murphy elders.

  All four of the fae lords looked serious and handsome, but Galwyn couldn’t help feeling that she had nabbed the best looking one for herself. Still, she promised herself that she would keep to the sidelines and let the men settle things on their own. They were the ones with the disagreement after all.

  “I must admit…” Balurian leaned forward, resplendent in his crimson cloak. “I’m a little perplexed about it all. The Murphys as a whole are keen on tradition, but we’ve prided ourselves on refusing to hold grudges.”

  Galwyn stole a glance over at her Aunt Aquaria, who had insinuated herself into the room by right of her husband Terrus’s rank as an elder. Being a Murphy by marriage rather than blood, she was a master grudge holder. For all her pretended patience, Galwyn knew she must be festering at not having an official voice.

  “If you’re willing to let the past melt away, then my clan, Ravencut, should be able to follow suit.” Kellen was his usual affable self and had elected to run the show.

  “The Frostfire clan can as well.”

  “As can the Stormgulf clan,” Radagast chimed in. “All of us can.” He gave more than a hint of a nod toward Dain.

  Dain rocked forward a touch, and Galwyn could see his cousins tense at what might follow. They knew him well.

  “Let me just say that, thanks to Galwyn—” He cast a warm look her way. “—I and the rest of the Hellgrim clan are ready to let all bad blood die. I give you my word there will be no more vows for vengeance.” The other three cousins rolled their eyes, but Dain pushed ahead. “The transgressions of your ancestor are forgiven.”

  The whole room shifted uncomfortably. For a young fae to offer “forgiveness” to his seniors felt presumptive. Even Galwyn felt the chill in the air.

  “I’m not exactly sure that anyone in our line has been guilty of a transgression, young man.”

  Terrus was trying to be kind but sounded more puzzled than anything. Dain clearly bristled, and Galwyn locked her eyes on her love, willing whatever composure she had to seep into him.

  “I hadn’t intended to invoke their names, but I’m speaking directly of Ewan Murphy and Libby Oberon.”

  Again, there was an uneasy breath, and Aquaria clucked her tongue.

  “Tasteless,” she hissed under her breath.

  “Darling, please.” Terrus held up a gentle hand to his wife then exchanged looks with Balurian and Priam. “Whatever you might think, Lord Dain of Hellgrim, it’s always been the position of the Murphys that Ewan did nothing wrong.”

  “Nothing wrong?” Dain balked at the idea. He was clearly winding up to launch into an argument when Eldan sailed in to the rescue.

  “We all have our own personal mythologies,” he said smoothly. “Whatever those may be, we’re here to put an end to them, not dig it all back up again.”

  “Quite so,” Priam agreed.

  “I think that just about settles everything, yeah?” Kellen rubbed his hands together, looking like he was ready to dash out of the room. “After all, with Dain deciding to settle down with your Galwyn—” He winked at her, and she got all shimmery over it. “—I’d say things are looking up.”

  “No question,” Balurian said. “The union between Galwyn and Lord Dain is a wonderful step in bridging the divide between our families.”

  “Oh, really!” Aquaria snorted and rolled in her chair, clearly itching to start a fight.

  “Aquaria, please!” Terrus again extended his hand toward his wife, and she nearly slapped it out of the air.

  Galwyn felt the storm brewing in her stomach. All her determination to remain calm would be in sore danger if her aunt insisted on kicking up a stink.

  Which she certainly did.

  “Please, yourself,” she snapped at her husband. “As much as Dain is a rude malcontent, which is bad enough, he’s still a ruling fae lord. To bind him to a null fae is an insult—even if he deserves to be insulted.”

  A thousand explosions went off inside Galwyn at once. Everyone in the room leaned back, fully expecting Dain to make a meal of the haughty siren. But before he could budge, Galwyn surprised herself and everyone else by jumping into the fray.

  “How can you stand there and call him a rude malcontent? You are the rudest, most cantankerous person I’ve ever met!”

  The older woman’s face fell at the attack, but Galwyn refused to back down.

  “Everyone who stepped into this room today did so on good faith, and here you are trying to stoke up trouble. Well, I’m sick of it!”

  “How dare you?”

  “I dare because it’s my right.” She exchanged looks with Dain and settled the fire inside her into something far more focused—like a laser. “You had one thing right, Auntie, Dain Oberon is a ruling fae lord, and that commands more respect than you’ve ever shown him. Than any of the Murphys have shown him, actually.”

  The table of elders shuffled at this, refusing to meet the eyes of any of the younger contingent. She certainly had a point, and everyone in the room knew it.

  “Whatever.” Aquaria waved her hand as if Galwyn’s words were just smoke in the air. “You merely make my point for me. For a null fae…”

  “Not that null, actually.” Eldan was always renowned for being quiet, so his calm voice shook the room more than the blusterings of Aunt Aquaria. “She and I have already been working to hone her skills. They may be mild”—he grinned over at Galwyn—“but they are definitely there.”

  Aquaria snorted her doubt.

  “Actually, he’s right.” Galwyn’s spine galvanized at the support of her new family. “Eldan is a natural teacher, and he’s been helping me get a handle on my powers.”

  “Powers?” Aquaria faltered for the first time, her hand drifting up to the neck of her gown. “W-what powers?”

  It was too perfect. Galwyn took a new kind of delight in watching her aunt squirm. After so many years of being put down by her snobby relation, there was pride to be had in getting back a bit of her own.

  “Oh,” Eldan said with a shrug. “Psychic leanings.”

  “For example,” Galwyn said, locking her eyes on Aquar
ia’s face. “I know all about the fee you were collecting from Lord Rutherford.”

  Even Dain’s jaw dropped. He reached up to place a hand on Galwyn’s shoulder, and it only made her stronger. Aquaria quailed, and Galwyn could read her desire to flee the room by any means necessary. All the elder Murphys got to their feet, and Terrus leaned across the table.

  “What’s this about a fee?”

  “It’s nothing, darling. What would a null know anyway?” Aquaria made to collect her husband, but Galwyn was relentless.

  “I know that you agreed to pawn me off on ancient Lord Reginald Rutherford in exchange for a hefty financial settlement. Basically, you were willing to sell me off, and I know it.”

  A pure silence blasted into the room. Aquaria couldn’t deny it, and her duplicity lay naked in front of all of them.

  “So, as you can see—” Eldan rocked quietly from his toes to his heels. “—she’s not really a null at all.”

  “That settles it.” Balurian straightened his cloak, determined to put all the unpleasantness behind them. Or at least to take the worst of it to a more private setting. “We’ve gathered to settle a feud between the Murphy and Oberon families, and it seems as though that task has been accomplished. Wouldn’t you all say?”

  Everyone agreed, except for Terrus, who kept his eyes burning on the table in front of him. Aquaria fidgeted like a scolded child, who knew the worst was yet to come.

  Balurian stood with purpose. “Well, then. Gentlemen, thank you for your time. Dain and Galwyn, congratulations on your union. I’d say your temperaments and integrity are equally matched. And now…Terrus, Aquaria? If you would follow with me?”

  With two brisk strides, he was out of the room, followed by Priam.

  Aquaria went to put her hand on her husband’s shoulder, but he shrugged it away and was off after his brother before she could touch him. Gathering herself up with as much dignity as she could muster, Galwyn’s busybody aunt scurried out of the room after him. At her exit, everyone relaxed at once.

  Kellen dragged a hand through his hair. “Well, that was exciting. Now if you’ll excuse me…” He was gone before anyone realized. Galwyn was slightly bewildered by it, but Rad let out a low chuckle.

  “What was that about?” she asked. “He’s been itching to get out of here since we got started.”

  Rad just shrugged. “I think he just had someone he wanted to see.”

  There was a coy tease in his voice as he sauntered out, clapping a hand on Dain’s shoulder as he went. Elden took the hint, and at last Galwyn and Dain were alone.

  “You were magnificent.” He scooped her into his arms and indulged in a small spin. It sent Galwyn kicking her heels with a giddy joy. “The way you went after her? Oh, love, I can’t wait to rule my clan with you at my side.”

  “Do you mean that?” It was the first time he had mentioned anything about having her with him in his leadership.

  “How could I not?” He leaned down to nuzzle lightly at her cheek. “You’re perfect.”

  “I just worry whether they’ll accept me. Not just as a Murphy, but with my powers so scant…”

  “Hey.” Dain cupped her face between his palms. “I don’t want to hear any more talk like that. They are going to love you just as much as I do.”

  The thought of it made her beam. “Do you really think so?”

  “No, actually.” That stopped her, but he hovered his face close to hers. “Nobody will ever be able to love you an iota as much as I do.” Her breath came back to her. “But I think the rest of the clan will be able to get close enough.”

  With that, he dusted her lips with his. Galwyn reached up and pulled him deeper into the kiss. In truth, it didn’t really matter what anyone else thought. If she had the love of this incredible man, that was more than enough for her.

  Thank you so much for reading Dain and Galwyn’s story—I hope you enjoyed it! You can tell me what you thought with a review on Amazon. Reviews also help other readers find books they might like, so if you can spare five minutes, please click HERE to review Fae Lord Avenged.

  Kellen Oberon is up next in Fae Lord Seduced. Keep reading for an excerpt, and don’t miss the rest of the books in the Real Men of Othercross series!

  REAL MEN OF OTHERCROSS

  Vampire Seduction

  Vampire Claim

  Vampire Temptation

  Vampire Reunion

  Fae Lord Avenged

  Fae Lord Seduced

  Fae Lord Redeemed

  Fae Lord Bewitched

  EXCERPT FROM FAE LORD SEDUCED

  Who’s that? Evie thought to herself, noticing a handsome fae prowling around the dance floor, watching her. He had long, flaming red hair, and brown eyes that looked almost orange. His bespoke suit fit his trim body like a glove, and the sharp lines of his jaw made Evie’s heart tighten inside her chest. She returned his gaze for a moment, but that was enough to see his eyes flashing bright.

  Shit, he’s an Oberon, she suddenly recalled, remembering the conversation she had had with her girlfriends. They were four cousins, each one of them a clan leader, and they had a reputation that preceded them. Apparently, nobody had expected them to attend Kiki and Thayne’s reception, as there was some old feud between the Oberons and the Murphys… But here they were.

  She did her best to free herself from whatever hold this Oberon guy had put on her, but it was almost impossible. Every ten seconds or so, she found herself sneaking glances at him, and he never failed to lock his eyes on hers. Whenever she looked at him, there he was—always on the edge of the dance floor, a thin smile on his lips. He looked like a predator sizing up his prey, and to think of him like that...well, that did something to her body, even though she couldn’t exactly explain what that something was.

  All she knew was that her heart was slowly—but steadily—picking up the pace, and that her insides were clenching up. Even when Galwyn was pulled away from the group by her elderly suitor, Lord Rutherford, Evie barely registered it happening. Her whole attention had been ensnared by that fae’s smile.

  Even so, she was still surprised when she felt a tap on her shoulder. She spun around to find the Oberon fae standing no more than two feet away from her, that dangerous glint she had seen before still in his eyes. She’d looked away from him for no more than two seconds but, somehow that had been enough for him to sneak up on her. These Oberon guys...they were predators, alright.

  “Dance with me,” he said, his smile never wavering as he offered her his hand.

  Before she even knew what she was doing, her fingers were resting on the palm of his hand. Her cheeks started to burn right then and there, and she looked to the side, hoping to find some help. She wasn’t used to having someone as handsome as this fae hitting on her—hell, she wasn’t used to anyone hitting on her. Despite how excited she felt about it, it was probably better for her not to fall under his spell.

  She glanced to the side, hoping that some of the girls would come to the rescue, but it was useless. Galwyn had fallen into Lord Rutherford’s trap and was now dancing on the farthest end of the dance floor. As for Kelly, the minute she noticed this fae’s approach, she seemed to have wickedly melted back into the crowd.

  “I’m not that good of a dancer,” she mumbled, the words rolling off her tongue were as heavy as boulders. It was hard to speak when looking into his eyes, she found... and yet, she couldn’t tear her gaze away.

  “I doubt that.”

  Before she could do a thing about it, the fae closed the distance between them. He pressed his body against hers, his right hand on her hip, and his smile widened to reveal two perfect rows of pearly white teeth.

  “I’ve been watching you dance…” He made a slight pause, one of his eyebrows arching up as if he was asking her a question.

  “It’s Evanora,” she said, and then bit the corner of her bottom lip. “Or, Evie. Nobody really calls me Evanora.”

  “Evie.” He said her name slowly, almost in a lazy way, as thou
gh he were tasting the word inside his mouth. “I’m glad to make your acquaintance, Evie. I’m Kellen.”

  She resisted the urge to do what he’d done and repeat his name. She was pretty sure that his name would feel like satin on her tongue, and she didn’t need to give her heart another excuse to keep ramping up the pace. As it was, she was already struggling to think straight.

  As the music stepped into a counterpoint, Kellen’s fingers gently dug into her waist, and he led her across the dance floor with smooth but carefree movements. Even though she had never thought of herself as much of a dancer, her feet were quick to settle into Kellen’s smooth cadence. Soon enough, she was dancing like she’d been born knowing how to do it.

  “Not bad.” Leaning in, Kellen whispered those words into her ear, sending a shiver skittering up here spine. “For someone who didn’t know how to dance, you sure know how to move your body.”

  His words were like strawberries dipped in melted chocolate. They were enough for the hairs on the back of Evie’s neck to stand up on end. Tall flames started warming her body from the inside out, and it didn’t take long for her blood to start simmering inside her veins.

  She’d never felt this before but, then again, when had she ever been this close to someone like Kellen? The man seemed to have been sculpted into existence by a master—every time they spun around, she could feel the twisting ripples of his abs—and he had a smooth and charismatic aura about him. He was the epitome of everything Evie considered sexiness to be.

  She knew the right thing to do here was to find an excuse and step away from him, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it. Sure, she was turning twenty-five tomorrow, and things would change for her...but she wasn’t twenty-five yet, was she? This was her true last chance to experience what life had to offer her, and she wasn’t willing to let the opportunity slip through her fingers. Even if it was wrong, she was going to seize the moment.

  “You’re the one who’s leading,” she told him, and this time she managed to return his smile. “I’m just doing what your body tells me to do.”