Bartered to the Fae Lord

by Rylee Winters

  Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright

  FREE Bonus Chapter!

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Epilogue

  Sneek Peek: Dragon Lords Blood Pact

  Sneek Peek: Finding My Mate

  Books By Rylee

  About Rylee

  Bartered to the Fae Lord

  By Rylee Winters

  Copyright © 2019 by Rylee Winters.

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.

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  PROLOGUE

  Since the dawn of time, there have been those foolish and desperate enough to bargain with the immortal folk: fairies, dark elves, demons, lords of hell, fickle deities, and other supernatural beings.

  Blinded by lust, greed, and envy, few of them ever truly understand the price or consequences of their deal until it’s too late…

  In the end, most are unwilling to pay the price of what they originally promised, and many will try to weasel out of the deal—after they’ve already reaped the benefits of their bargain. None, however, succeed.

  What these people don’t realise however, is the immortal folk don’t take too kindly on those who renegade on their promises…

  Amongst the most infamous of the deals struck between humans and these supernatural beings, are the ones known as the ’bartered brides.’ Deals where men or women promise to give their daughter as a bride to one of the immortal folk in exchange for receiving their greatest desire.

  The story you’re about to encounter is one such as this…

  CHAPTER ONE

  The moment Elise stepped through the front door, her ears were assaulted by the sound of two voices shouting loudly at each from somewhere inside the house.

  Recognizing the voices, she realized her parents were fighting…again. It seemed her ever-absent father had decided to drop in unannounced, and her mother was less than pleased with his visit.

  “How dare you Michael! After abandoning us all those years ago…you’ve barely been a father to Elise!” she heard her mother yelling caustically at her father.

  Elise groaned, letting out a sigh as she slipped off her shoes. After a gruelling twelve-hour shift standing at check-out counter of the local grocery store, this was the last thing she needed…

  “Why are you making me out to be the bad guy? You’re always doing that! This will be good for Elise; she’ll be well cared for—that’s much better than what you’re able to offer her right now,” her father threw back defensively.

  Elise grimaced, knowing her father’s words would cut her mother like a knife. She’d tried her best to raise Elise as a single mother; working extra shifts at the hospital reception desk to put food on the table and a roof over their heads, but even so, they lived almost from paycheck to paycheck.

  It didn’t matter to Elise, though. She was grateful at how hard her mother had worked to raise her, while still making sure to always be there for her.

  Her mother had loved her unconditionally, and tried her best to give Elise a good life; in return Elise had tried her hardest to be a model daughter, shouldering some of her mother’s burden when she could.

  This often meant Elise had to put aside her own needs and desires, and keep her mouth shut about how she really felt. But she never resented her mother for it—she knew life was difficult and her mother was doing her best.

  While they didn’t have a lot of money, nor the funds to send Elise to college at the moment, she was not deterred. She’d taken the job at the local grocery store and was working hard, intending to save up enough money to study part time next year. It made her proud knowing she was working her ass off, trying to make a better future for her and her mum.

  As Elise crept quietly down the hallway in her socks, towards the kitchen where the voices were coming from, the shouting intensified.

  “H-how can you…y-you rotten piece of stinking fish! You think you can just barge in here—” her mother burst out, outraged, but was cut off abruptly by her father.

  “Admit it, Maria. You know I’m right! This will provide Elise with a much better life. She won’t need to work at that crappy, dead end, minimum wage job as a check-out girl anymore—I mean, where’s that even going to lead her? She can’t be doing that for the rest of her life!”

  Her father’s words illustrated to Elise how very little he knew about her life. He had no idea the job was just a temporary means to an end. Once she’d saved up enough money for her tuition fees, she was going to study accounting at the local college, graduate and get a good, stable job in the field, and help her mother out with the household finances so they could eventually save enough money to put towards buying a house.

  Despite knowing how out of touch with their lives her father was, she still couldn’t help feeling the sting of his remark.

  At the same time, she also couldn’t help thinking how ironic it was that he was criticizing her about her job, when he hadn’t been able to hold one down for many years now…

  Her dad was notorious for jumping from one casual job to the next; and more often than not, he was actually out of work. She had no idea what he did the rest of the time…

  “That’s a load of bull and you know it, Michael! You’re only doing this to save your own hide. Whatever arrangement you have with this man is obviously for the benefit of you and you alone. Don’t think you can pull the wool over my eyes!”

  Peeking past the edge of the open door, Elise saw her mum standing near the stove, pointing a wooden spoon angrily at her father’s chest. With one hand on her hip, her steely eyes glared daggers at his face; the expression in complete contrast to the cheerful white apron she was wearing, with its smiling owls printed on the fabric.

  Meanwhile, behind her, a pot bubbled on the electric stove, emitting the wonderful, delicious aroma of beef stew, and Elise’s stomach grumbled a little as the delectable scent hit her nose.

  Her father stood defensively a few feet opposite from her mum; his feet planted firmly apart, and his arms crossed over his chest; his expression indignant at the accusations her mother was throwing his way.

  “What’s going on?” Elise asked cautiously, interrupting their fight as she slipped through the door and inside the kitchen. She eyed her parents carefully, one after the other, as she felt a sense of foreboding anchoring itself at the bottom of her gut. “What are you arguing about?”

  Without answering her question, her father rushed over to her, and squeezed Elise in a tight hug. “Hi, sweety!” he said, greeting her; then pulling away, he kept both his hands on her s
houlders as his face split into a blindingly bright smile.

  Warning bells went off in Elise’s head, but she waited to hear what her father had to say, telling herself she should give him the benefit of the doubt. Like all the times before, she was hopeful he’d come to visit her simply because he missed seeing her—only on every past occasion, she’d come out disappointed and with her hopes dashed…

  Because it always ended with him wanting something: whether it was to borrow money, or because he needed a favor from her, or he was trying to sell them on a pipe dream. Regardless of what it was, it never turned out well.

  Maybe it’ll be different this time… Elise thought to herself, letting herself get her hopes up.

  “I’m glad you’re home, honey. How was work? You must be tired...” Her father started to ramble, guiding Elise towards the kitchen table and pulling a chair out for her. “Why don’t you take a seat and rest those tired feet of yours?”

  Elise’s eyes began to narrow, glimmering with distrust. Her father was acting suspiciously, but she still allowed him to seat her on the empty, wooden chair. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught her mother frowning; and seeing her unhappy expression only cemented the doubts she had, clenching and twisting at her gut.

  “What are you doing here, Dad?” she asked him, watching him warily, as her mother folded her arms and pursed her lips from where she stood behind him. Her father only chuckled, oblivious her mum was boring a hole through the back of his head.

  “I came to visit you, sweety,” he grinned, “and to bring you some good news.”

  Her mother hissed. “As if that’s good news, Michael! Elise, your father has done—”

  “Something amazing for you,” her dad cut in smoothly. “You know how much I care about you and your future—don’t you, honey?” He looked at Elise’s face with expectant eyes.

  Elise furrowed her brows. “What did you do, Dad?” she asked him bluntly, her pulse picking up as apprehension gripped her racing heart like a person about to skydive out of a plane for the very first time.

  Her father’s smile faltered for a brief second, before he caught himself, and the mask fell back on. “Well…it’s like this, sweety. I met this really nice gentleman, who I think you will get along with extremely well. He’s very powerful and wealthy, you know…”

  In the background, her mother threw her hands up in the air, letting out a cry of dismay. It seemed she was finding trouble stomaching the story Elise’s dad was weaving.

  Her father ignored her mother’s outcry, and continued to focus his attention on Elise, smiling reassuringly at her as he clasped her hands in his in an affectionate gesture.

  “As I was saying…he’s a very powerful man, and after talking to him and getting to know him better, I found out he was also a very lonely man—who desperately wants to find a wife and have a family. Because of his work, it’s been hard for him to find time to date and to find a suitable woman to marry.”

  “Mmmm…” Elise made a non-committal sound. She had a sinking suspicion of where this might be going... Was her father trying to set her up on a blind date?

  “After speaking with him for some time,” her dad continued, “I told him I had a daughter, and started telling him about you. When I showed him your picture, he was very taken with your photo, and seemed keen to know more about you.”

  Taking Elise’s silence as a positive sign, her father ploughed on, smiling like he was about to deliver some amazing life-changing, news—like Elise had won the lottery or something. “And the more I told him about you, the more impressed he seemed—so much so, he’s asked for your hand in marriage!”

  “What?!” Elise blurted out, interrupting her father; shock reverberating through her insides, down to her very bones. This must be some sort of joke, she thought. Because the was no other way to explain it…the suggestion her father was making was absolute lunacy!

  “But he doesn’t even know me! Tell me you turned him down, Dad—please tell me you turned him down…” She shook her head in clear disbelief.

  “Well, of course I did, honey! I mean…that is…I did try to—at first. But he was so adamant… And then he told me about the great life he could offer you, and promised me he’d take really good care of you—it was just too hard to refuse in the end…”

  Elise’s face blanched, turning paper white. “Dad, you didn’t…” she whispered hoarsely, crying in disbelief. She could hardly believe what she was hearing!

  “It’s a good offer Elise! He’ll be able to provide for you and take care of you for the rest of your life! You’ll never have to work or worry about money again! Just think about it…”

  “He’s a complete stranger, Dad!” Elise shouted, jumping out of her seat and onto her feet. She slammed her palms onto the surface of the table and leaned over, glaring at her father. “I am not marrying a complete stranger!”

  “How could you, Michael! How could you do this…! After all the grief you’ve put us through over the years already!” Elise’s mother cried, throwing her hands up in the air in distress.

  “Neither of you are thinking straight! Just think about your future, Elise—this opportunity is a game-changer. You should be happy I’ve been able to find such a suitable husband to match you with! Other girls would be ecstatic, and thanking their father for such a great blessing right now.” Her father harrumphed, feeling hard done by at this point due to their pessimistic reactions.

  “Michael…of all the idiotic, hair-brained schemes—this is the most ridiculous thing I’ve seen you come up with yet! Elise does not want to get married to a strange man who you just happened to meet, and I won’t agree to this proposal either! You can go back to your friend and tell him it’s a flat out ‘no’!”

  Elise clenched her hands, straightening up. “Mum’s right! Please go back to your friend and tell him this is all a big misunderstanding. I will not be marrying him, and he should go find someone else to be his bride instead.”

  Both Elise and Maria glared at Michael, their mouths pressed tightly shut in a determined line, waiting to hear his reply. Michael cleared his throat, loosening the collar of his dark blue button-up shirt, suddenly feeling like it was constricting his breathing.

  “The thing is, uh…I’ve already agreed to it and signed the marriage contract…” he said, his voice growing lower as he quickly finished his sentence, a thin sheen of sweat appearing on his forehead, making it glisten under the florescent kitchen lights.

  “What?!” Elise and her mother shrieked out in unison. Elise’s mother came charging at Michael with her wooden spoon, and he slowly backed away. He dodged as she came at him, wielding the spoon like it was a weapon. Meanwhile, Elise remained standing, frozen on the spot, feeling completely dumbstruck.

  “Enough…” she breathed after a moment, but the sound of her voice was too soft to hear above the din of her parents quarrelling voices. “Enough, I said!” Elise yelled out, slamming an open palm against the kitchen table, making it rattle. The porcelain teapot and cups clinked under the force of the vibration.

  Both her parents froze, surprised to hear their daughter raising her voice in such a furious tone. Her dad’s hands were still gripping her mum’s wrists, holding her back. He released her mother and hurried over to Elise’s side, hoping to placate her.

  “Don’t touch me,” Elise snapped, sticking her arm straight out to stop her father from getting any closer. She scrubbed her other hand over her face, breathing heavily. Her world seemed to be toppling over due to her father’s visit, and barely twenty minutes had even passed!

  “This isn’t the medieval era,” she said, gritting her teeth. “I don’t know what backwards place your friend is from, but in this age, you can’t just go giving your daughters away to strange men! Whatever contract you signed won’t hold up in any court of law,” Elise stated between harsh breaths. “You’re just going to have to go back and explain that to your friend.”