Page 47 of Fae's Mate
Well, that’s an unexpected side effect of our bond. I’m too lost in euphoria to think about it right now. My body seems to have lost its shape. I feel like a cloud. For a moment, I let myself drift in the fuzzy warmth of being utterly spent, my eyes fluttering closed.
“Are you tired, my mate?”
“Mmm hmm.”
When he withdraws and rolls off me, I can’t help but grumble a little in protest.
“You should get some sleep,” my mate advises me.
“Shall I stay here?” I ask, even though he is already wrapping his arms around me and pulling me against him.
“If you think I will let my mate sleep anywhere but in my bed, I’m afraid you will be disappointed,” he informs me, and I can hear the smirk.
I cuddle into him, his body warm and firm, resting my cheek on his chest as his arm curls around my shoulders and I place my palm over his heart. I breathe him in, pumpkin spice and forests, and release a low hum of contentment I release.
“Sleep, my Seki,” he whispers, caressing my cheek and planting a tender kiss on my forehead. And I do.
Chapter 26
Taylen
I’m not sure how long I sleep, if at all, but the first rays of morning sunlight bleed through the window. The weak light casts my bedchamber in a soft golden light and illuminates the woman curled up beside me.
My mate.
I have a mate… The thought makes my chest swell, and my heart so full, I fear my body can no longer contain it. I watch her as she sleeps, and she is so beautiful she takes my breath away. Truly, I am the most blessed of fae. Dark lashes fan over her cheeks. Elegant, elongated ears poke through her thick inky black tresses, and her soft pink lips part ever so slightly, and I ache to kiss her again.
When she stirs in my arms, I still, holding my breath, not wanting to wake her. She releases a content sigh and nuzzles into me sleepily. I can’t help the smile that tugs at the corners of my mouth.
I think back to our first meeting, when I nearly fell from my horse, and I wonder if the fates had planned it that way all along. That my brother was meant to pull her through, too. How else would I have ever met her, or even known she existed? My mind briefly considers a life without her, but I push it away. I don’t need to think about that. She’s here, warm and soft in my arms. And she’s staying.
She stirs again, and this time her dark eyes flutter open. After a moment, her head tilts, and she gazes up at me. The smile she gives me causes my heart to stutter.
“Hi,” she whispers.
“Good morning.”
I tuck the hair behind her ear, careful to avoid the sensitive tip, then let my hand rest against her cheek.
“How do you feel?” I ask.
“Good… I think… you?”
“Never better,” I grin.
She beams at me, then reaches up to feel her ear. “Did you know this would happen?”
“No,” I admit.
I glance once more at her ears, pale and pointy, still surprised that the completion of the bond resulted in her being turned fae. “I suppose it was necessary, to ensure we have a similar life span, and so that my magic could fulfil.”
My magic. I hadn’t even thought about it.
“Did it fulfil?” Seki asks, hope lacing her words.
I reach out with my senses, with my magic, and I can feel it. It ripples below the surface, just under my skin, but also all around me, thickening the air. I cast out further than I ever have before, testing my magics reach. Chuckling, I feel all the way to the boundaries of my court. I lick my lips and try something I have always wanted to attempt.
A few seconds later, rain lashes at the windows. Beside me, Seki gasps, her head snapping up to look at the water droplets pouring over the glass.
