by Everly Frost
The traumas of the past can’t be erased.
All we can do is focus on the future.
I slip onto my throne as Nathaniel meets with the other fae and humans. My eyes slowly lower. I don’t stay up all day anymore, accepting the limits of my body and the need to rejuvenate the power inside my heart. But despite my resting eyes, I remain alert, sensing when everyone leaves.
Raising my gaze to Nathaniel, I find him giving me a smile. “You stayed.”
Normally, I slip away and he doesn’t see me again until twilight.
“Your sister needs your support.”
Nathaniel’s eyebrows rise in surprise, but I catch his hand.
“Come with me,” I say.
Christiana rises from her lean against the tree as we approach. She’s wearing simple pants and a long-sleeved shirt, a flattering cut. She quickly reaches into a pouch at her waist and retrieves a small bottle.
“Brother,” she says with a more formal bow than the hug she gave him before. She opens her palm to reveal the small pot of golden wedding ink. “I want your blessing… to make my match.”
Nathaniel’s focus shifts quickly to the training ground beyond us—to Hagan—and then back to Christiana.
“With whom?” he asks, even though he knows the answer.
She bites her lip. “With Hagan Shield, the man who claimed me and then pushed me away.”
I didn’t see what happened between Hagan and Christiana right after the battle, but she eventually told me that after she opened up her heart to him on the battlefield, he pushed her away—literally lifting her out of his arms and placing her on her feet away from himself. He made sure she was safe and then he walked away. I saw firsthand the quiet battle Nathaniel fought with him, trying to convince Hagan to stay and train the new army. For a while, we thought Hagan might disappear into bear territory, but he eventually told Nathaniel that he would stay for a week, maybe a month. Then he would leave.
Nathaniel exhales, shaking his head as he considers his sister, but it’s a gentle motion. “Hagan may be my champion now, but he can’t atone for the past. He knows that. You need to accept it too. You’re free to make a match with anyone else you choose.”
She listens quietly, pressing her palms together before she says, “You’re trying to protect me. He’s trying to protect me. But, Nathaniel… who else is going to challenge me when I make the wrong decisions? Who else is going to stand firm and deal with all of my fears? My flaws?” She points to the field. “That man is the only person who truly knows me.”
She grabs Nathaniel’s hand, the one with the scars. “You took hold of your future, fought for love, when everyone—including me—fought against you. I’m ready to fight for my future too.”
He covers her hand with his. He’s quiet for a long moment as she looks up at him. She will never beg him, but she won’t stop fighting for what her heart wants.
“Then what are you waiting for?” he asks.
She stares at him, surprised, hope filling her face. “I have your blessing?”
He inclines his head toward Hagan. “You don’t need it.”
She steps back from Nathaniel, flashes me a smile brighter than the sun, and then spins on her heel and strides onto the field.
Nathaniel slips his arm around me as we watch her go.
In the distance, Hagan’s focus shifts toward Christiana the moment that she appears. He takes a step away from the trainees he was working with, his head raised, the sunlight catching the silhouette of his broad shoulders and back. He has never lost his dangerous intelligence. For a moment, he freezes, his chest rising and falling as if his breathing increased just from seeing her. His gaze locks on her and doesn’t let go.
He won’t be able to push her away this time.
I lean into Nathaniel, warmth filling my heart, catching the smile in Nathaniel’s eyes as his forefinger traces the shape of his family name across my face.
With each stroke, he murmurs, “The sun, the moon. And you—the starlight in between.”
I turn in his arms, reaching up to his face, tracing my own symbol across his forehead and cheeks, stroking the last line down his lips and chin. “All of the stars. And you—my anchor.”
He returns the kiss I press against his smiling lips.
Very soon, I will sleep.
But when night falls and the world is dark, I will wake up and shine.
THE END
Don’t miss Everly Frost’s next series, starting with This Dark Wolf, an urban fantasy romance.
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This Dark Wolf (Soul Bitten Shifter #1)
This Dark Wolf (Soul Bitten Shifter)
I am a wolf shifter born with a human soul.
Packless. Mateless. Unable to bond.
Cast out of my pack, I live in a supernatural safe house filled with broken women. Other women come and go, but I remain.
I'm waiting.
For him.
Tristan Masters—the ruthless alpha of the most vicious pack in the city.
He fought for my life when my pack wanted to kill me. He saved me. I should be able to trust him.
But I know better.
Tristan Masters wants my wolf; my killer soul. When he’s ready, he will use me to destroy his enemies.
Tristan thinks he owns me. He thinks there are no consequences because I can't bond to him.
He's going to discover that I am nobody’s to command.
This dark wolf will bite back.
This is a dark urban fantasy romance. Full length. 17+ for sex scenes and language.
Get your copy of This Dark Wolf.
Storm Princess Saga : The Complete Collection
If you loved Infernal Dark, you’ll love the Storm Princess Saga.
The complete set includes all three books in The Storm Princess series plus over thirty exclusive bonus scenes and an exclusive life after story.
I am no ordinary princess. My crown is lightning, my tears are rain. I am robed in thunder and my voice is the howling wind. It's my duty to protect my people from the storm the gargoyles created to tear the elven world apart. I am a slave to the rules that dictate who I love – and when. Despite the power raging around me, the greatest storm is the one inside my heart. Do not touch me or you will die.
Taken from her family to be the chosen Storm Princess, Marbella Mercy spends her days subduing the storm that was sent to destroy her people. But the storm is growing stronger and soon it will be beyond her control. Each House sends their strongest champion to battle to the death for the right to stand by her side. Some fight for power, others seek glory. Only one fights for Marbella's heart.
Baelen Rath is the last warrior from the feared House of Rath. Determined to protect Marbella from the darkness creeping across their land, he will risk everything to reclaim her heart. But when forces turn against them and powerful enemies are revealed, Baelen and Marbella will face dangerous betrayal to break open the secrets that keep Marbella bound.
For fans of epic tales of forbidden love, heart-pumping battles, and thrilling suspense.
This complete series is over 330,000 words and contains:
The Princess Must Die
The Princess Must Strike
The Princess Must Reign
Plus exclusive bonus scenes and a life after story.
Get your copy of the Storm Princess Complete Series.
Also by Everly Frost
SOUL BITTEN SHIFTER
(Dark Urban Fantasy Romance)
1. This Dark Wolf
2. This Broken Wolf
3. This Caged Wolf
STORM PRINCESS - COMPLETE
(Fantasy Romance)
Storm Princess Complete Set: Books 1 to 3 (with bonus scenes and a life after story)
1. The Princess Must Die
2. The Princess Must Strike
3. The Princess Must Reign
ASSASSIN’S MAGIC WORLD - COMPLETE
(Urban Fantasy Romance)
Recommended Reading Order:
Assassin’s Magic
1. Assassin’s Magic
2. Assassin’s Mask
3. Assassin’s Menace
4. Assassin’s Maze
Assassin’s Academy
5. Rebels
6. Revenge
The Monster Ball Year 2 Anthology
7. Assassin’s Match - Novella
BRIGHT WICKED
(A Fae Fantasy Romance)
1. Bright Wicked
2. Radiant Fierce
3. Infernal Dark
MORTALITY - COMPLETE
(Science-Fantasy Romance)
Mortality Complete Set: Books 1 to 4
1. Beyond the Ever Reach
2. Beneath the Guarding Stars
3. By the Icy Wild
4. Before the Raging Lion
Stand-alone fiction
The Crystal Prince (short story)
About the Author
Everly Frost is the USA Today Bestselling author of YA and New Adult urban fantasy and science-fiction romance novels. She spent her childhood dreaming of other worlds and scribbling stories on the leftover blank pages at the back of school notebooks. She lives in Brisbane, Australia with her husband and two children.