Tempted By Fae

by Midnight Coven

  “If that’s true, we probably have many, many fights ahead of us.” He smiled and kissed my forehead. “They will be worth it though.”

  “Why are you so committed to this marriage? Why do you care at all whether you marry me or any other noblewoman? Hell, go back to that club, and you could walk out with thirty women who would pledge undying love to you, women who haven’t caused you as many problems as I have.” I jerked my thumb behind me, but he didn’t seem interested in even entertaining this line of questioning.

  “I’m not even surprised you would try to throw something like that in my face. Let me guess... because I’m a prince. I’m also a player, right?” It was his turn to glare at me now. “Have you ever seen me with a woman? Ever heard rumors of me bedding half the women in our realm? You haven’t, because I don’t. Just as you’ve waited for me despite your best efforts to stop yourself, I’ve waited for you the same. I don’t want other women. I want the woman I spent my entire life watching, knowing that she was the perfect one for me. The woman who I challenged myself every day to grow up to be perfect for.”

  “Fuck it,” I whispered.

  There was nothing I could do anymore. I had no more cards to play, no more barbs to throw at him.

  Lifting myself onto my tiptoes, I slid my arms around his neck and kissed him as hard as I could.

  What else could I do? How else could I feel? I had wanted him for so long and only stopped myself because of my own fears.

  Instead of running, now I could work through my fears with the man I loved. The man who had wanted to stand by my side all this time. I didn’t have to face life’s challenges alone.

  “Are you okay?” he asked, pulling back from the kiss to look me deeply in the eyes.

  “I didn’t think you would come for me. I never thought I actually meant anything to you.” I felt stupid for feeling this way, but tears sprung up in my eyes anyway. I should have just talked to you.”

  “We both should have spoken to each other about this, not just you,” he soothed. “It’s never on you alone. I simply always thought you would be there. Every morning, just like the dawn. When I knew you were leaving, I let you go, but I didn’t want to. It killed me to think about you walking away and never wanting to come back. I should have told you my feelings before, but I knew none of it would matter unless you got to break away and experience a different life. I knew how badly you needed this.”

  “Any chance you want to just stay here at the Rouge and come up with an act? If you did a shirtless rain dance, we could have every woman on the planet stampeding through the door.” I smiled up at him.

  “How about you take me back to your room, and I’ll give you a private dance?” He held out his hand toward mine.

  “If I take your hand now, that’s it, isn’t it?” I looked down at it then to my own.

  “If you take my hand now, we’ll never part. We will move from this moment on to all things, together.” His voice was firm but not commanding.

  I knew I could turn away and seal off that part of my life forever. He wouldn’t chase me this time. He would let me go free.

  With confidence, I slid my hand into his and watched his lips broaden into a smile. The fear was gone now.

  I still wasn’t thrilled to be fated to the crown, but I knew that together, we could build a good life and a lasting love, and I realized now... that’s all I ever really wanted.

  From the author

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  About The Midnight Coven

  Thank you for reading Tempted By Fae: A Midnight Coven Anthology.

  We hope you’ve enjoyed these twelve stories of the Fae, and of course, we’d love it if you’d check out our other books.

  We have three seasons, each with its own theme. You can find a full list of The Midnight Coven Books on our website: www.midnightcoven.com

  Vampire Brides

  Vampire Mates

  Cursed Coven

  All net profits from Tempted By Fae are being donated to World Literacy Foundation. As authors, we in the Midnight Coven believe that every child in the world should have the chance to learn to read and write, and we are so proud to be able to donate to this very worthy cause.

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