Page 28 of Accidentally Ever After
As the intensity faded, Caelen’s wings curled forward, enfolding us both in their protective embrace. He remained inside me, our bodies still joined as our breathing gradually slowed.
“That was…” I began, then faltered, unable to find words adequate to describe what had just happened.
“Yes,” he agreed, seeming to understand perfectly. “It was.”
When he finally withdrew, it was with obvious reluctance. He cleaned us both with gentle efficiency, then settled beside me, one wing draped over us like the world’s most incredible blanket.
“The bond,” he said softly, tracing patterns on my chest with his finger. “Did you feel it strengthen?”
I nodded, not surprised he had felt it too. “Like something clicking into place.”
“That is the true mating bond,” he explained. “What happened when you signed the contract was the beginning, but this—the full physical and emotional joining—completes it.”
The implications slowly dawned on me. “So we’re… more married now?”
His lips curved. “In a manner of speaking. The bond is deeper, more permanent.”
I should have felt trapped by this news. Instead, I felt something closer to contentment. “Does this change things for the Spring Conjunction?”
“It strengthens our position,” he said, his finger still tracing idle patterns on my skin. “A fully bonded pair is harder to separate, politically or magically.”
“Is that why you wanted this tonight?” I asked, a sudden doubt creeping in. “For political advantage?”
He propped himself up on one elbow, his expression serious. “No, Blake. I wanted this—wanted you—because what I feel for you has grown beyond what I can contain. The political advantage is secondary, a fortunate side effect only.”
The sincerity in his eyes banished my momentary doubt. “I believe you,” I said, reaching up to touch his face. “And for what it’s worth… I feel the same way.”
Joy bloomed in his expression, his wings fluttering with obvious pleasure. “You do?”
“Yeah,” I admitted with a small laugh. “Turns out accidentally marrying a fairy prince was the best mistake I ever made.”
He laughed, the sound warm and rich, before leaning down to kiss me softly. “Perhaps not a mistake at all, but destiny.”
“Don’t push it,” I warned, but couldn’t help smiling. “Let’s stick with ‘happy accident’ for now.”
“As you wish,” he agreed, settling back beside me, his wing a comforting weight across my body. “Though I maintain the matchmakers do not make errors.”
As I drifted toward sleep in his arms, I found myself inclined to agree. Whatever strange twist of fate had brought me here, to this realm and this being, felt increasingly like exactly where I was meant to be.
Chapter 7
“No, absolutely not. I draw the line at body paint.”
I stood in our chambers, arms crossed defiantly as Melronna held up what appeared to be pots of luminescent paint in various colors. Caelen watched from a nearby chair, amusement evident in his expression.
“It is tradition, Consort Morgan,” Melronna explained patiently. “The Festival of Lights celebrates the ancient bond between fairy and star. The paint represents stellar essence, connecting us to the heavens.”
“It’s mostly symbolic,” Caelen added, not very helpfully. “Though the paint does have certain… properties.”
“Properties?” I repeated suspiciously. “What kind of properties?”
“Nothing harmful,” he assured me. “It enhances sensation and creates a mild euphoria. Think of it as… recreational.”
“So it’s fairy drugs,” I translated. “You want me to cover myself in glowing fairy drugs for a public festival.”
“Not entirely public,” Caelen corrected. “The initial ceremonies are communal, yes, but the later celebrations become more… intimate. Private.”
The way he said “intimate” made heat rise to my face. In the two weeks since the formal banquet and our subsequent deepening of the bond, our physical relationship had intensified in ways I hadn’t thought possible. Each encounter seemed to discover new depths of pleasure, new connections between us.
