Page 28 of Hunted By the Fae Warden

I was headed to my quarters, ready to claim her as my mate—finally, at long last—only to find her missing. A growl rumbles from my throat as I recall the frantic hours I initially spent searching for her. That is, until I came across a shaken human man who’d witnessed her escaping the city walls.

“You know,” she says softly as she hesitates in the doorway. “How?”

I chuckle darkly. “At first, I believed you were stolen out of my quarters by a powerful fae who could summon plant growth and break through my wards. The balcony was warded to prevent anyone from cominginside. But then I encountered a man who witnessed your escape over the city walls, a man who claimed you conjured vines to grow in the shape of a ladder. I immediately realized it was you who summoned the vines to thebalcony as well. I realized you weren’t stolen from my quarters and that you left of your own volition. I also realized you must be part-fae.”

“Not that it matters, but I only recently discovered I’m part-fae.” She flushes. “You’ve been following me and spying on me this whole time, haven’t you? Hunting me down like…” Her voice trails off and her face reddens further. Her hair is unbound and she’s not wearing a hat today, and her glorious auburn tresses blow gently in the breeze.

“I’ve been staying out of sight, but yes, little nymph, I’ve been keeping watch on you ever since I caught up to you in the forest on the day of your escape. I watched as you created your first shelter that night. Very impressive. Especially for someone who’s only just awakened to her powers. I could tell magic was new to you, but you wielded it well.” I gesture at the door. “Come inside and shut the door. Don’t make me chase you down. I’ll do it, if I must, and I can’t promise I’ll be gentle.”

She swallows hard and obeys, nudging the door shut with her foot. She takes two small steps toward me. Alarm fills her gaze as she glances around the cottage, peering at the place settings on a kitchen table and shoes scattered in the entryway. “Who lives here? What did you do to them?” She settles an accusing glare on me. “Oh gods, did you kill them? Did you kill an entire family?”

I scoff. “Between the battle at Trevos and other minor skirmishes along the road, you must realize I’ve killed hundreds of humans. What’s a few more?”

“You’re a monster.” She bends to retrieve something from the floor, then holds up a small, child-size mitten. “Oh gods, you actually?—”

“Relax, Mira. I didn’t kill them.” I’m in the mood to taunt her, but I can’t let her go on believing I would slaughter human children. I have my limits. “I suspected you would stop here, so I gave the family a bag of silver and ordered them to vacate theirhome until tomorrow. There’s a village further down the road. I imagine they’ll seek refuge there. With as much coin as I gave them, they could probably buy the whole fucking village if they wanted to.”

Her eyes widen and she drops the mitten. She starts to take a step back, but I make a noise of disapproval in my throat and motion her to approach me. I swirl the wine in my glass and take a sip, trying to affect an air of nonchalance. But inside… inside I’m reeling from the shock of her desertion, her insubordination, and the realization that she’s part-fae.

Does she comprehend her powers?

Having observed her for the past seven days, I don’t believe she’s attempted anything beyond summoning plant growth. She’s used trees and shrubs to create impressively sturdy shelters, and she’s also encouraged berry bushes to quickly produce ripe berries despite it being winter. Just yesterday, I witnessed her speak to a wild pear tree and within seconds, the tree offered up several perfectly ripe pears.

Little nymph, indeed.

“Well, I’m glad you didn’t kill them.” She takes a few steps closer, almost reaching the sitting room where I’m still lounging in the chair with a glass of wine. “What happens now? Are you going to drag me back to the castle in Trevos and keep me as your whore?”

I smirk. “Is that what you want, Mira? To be my little captive whore?” I set the wine glass aside and rise to my feet. I approach her with slow steps, and a dark part of me enjoys this moment. The moment of capture. She walked right into my little trap. This time, I won’t let her go.

“You know it’s not what I want.” She lifts her chin and her eyes flash with defiance. “I will fight you, and I’ll never stop trying to escape. Try to keep me as a pet and see how many times I attempt to cut your manhood off. I fucking dare you.”

I grasp her by the shoulders and pull her close, flush against my body. Tension crackles between us and a summer breeze swirls through the house. Despite her threat to this particular part of my body, my cock throbs hard and huge against her stomach.

Gods, I must have her. Iwillhave her. But first, I must give her honesty. I must make a full confession and also do something I rarely do. Apologize. Perhaps with a hint of grovel.

I must also let go of the betrayal I felt in the wake of her escape. She had no idea I would soon return to claim her as a proper mate, and I suppose I can’t blame her for running.

I smile. I can’t help it. Her boldness and her bravery are intoxicating. It’s almost as exciting as the time she rolled her eyes at me. “You are so beautiful, Mira, and intelligent and resilient. Talented, too, and more powerful that you probably realize. Having you in my arms and touching you again is filling up the empty places in my soul.” I lean closer and take a deep inhale, relishing her glorious feminine scent. It suddenly occurs to me that the floral aroma that clings to her isn’t just a perfume… it’s entirely natural. For a fae who hails from the Spring Court.

“You can’t just flatter me and expect me to fall into your bed.” She narrows her eyes. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

“I’m confident you’ll fall into my bed soon enough, little nymph, after I explain my intentions to you. As for why I’m staring at you in surprise, well, I believe I just figured out where your powers come from. The Spring Court. It makes sense. You have no difficulty making things grow, and you always smell like a garden in bloom. After being on the road for a week with nothing more than a few quick river baths, a full-blooded human would reek. But not you. You smell wonderful. You smell like Spring.”

She draws in a quick breath. “The Spring Court? Do you really think so?”

“I’m quite confident.”

“I-I was thinking that perhaps my powers suddenly awakened because ussha has spread into human lands, though I’ve always had an exceptionally green thumb. All the women in my family have. It’s something my mother and grandmother used to joke about.” Some of the worry lines disappear from her face, and though she remains somewhat stiff in my arms, she softens the tiniest fraction.

I grasp her hands and lead her into the living room. But rather than guide her into a chair, I sit on a sofa and pull her directly onto my lap. She doesn’t offer any resistance, and I suspect she’s still reeling from the information I just imparted about her Spring Court ancestry.

She meets my eyes. “You broke my heart when you made that comment about it being common for the fae to keep human concubines or pleasure slaves.”

“I know, and I’m sorry. I wish I’d never spoken those words to you, Mira. I’m sorry I hurt you.” I pause and draw in a deep breath, praying she will accept my honest explanation, praying she won’t fault my reasons for resisting the mating bond. “I hope that you will allow me to explain why I’ve resisted you and why our interactions have been a bit… strange.”

“Go on. I’m listening.” Her face flushes even more when my cock thickens beneath her bottom, but she doesn’t try to escape my lap.

I tuck her hair behind her ears and place a gentle kiss to her forehead. Then I pull back to stare into her bottomless green eyes, those vibrant Spring Court eyes. “Here is the truth, little nymph. We are mates.”

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