Page 29 of Dancing Moonbeam

Raidh’s laughter was light and carefree, dancing through the air as it stirred something deep inside Jaytee. He wanted nothing more than to keep his mate safe in his arms forever, protecting him from anything that could steal that gorgeous smile away.

As Raidh stood before him, his golden hair seemed to catch the sunlight, cascading down his shoulders all the way to his waist, and framing his stunning face—the tips of his ears peeking out on either side of his head. His naked figure was slight and delicate but utterly breathtaking.

Jaytee couldn’t help but think that he was truly lucky to have this beautiful creature as his mate.

And then, in a move that took his breath away, Raidh spread his wings. They were unlike any other wings Jaytee had ever seen—delicate and translucent like butterfly wings, yet bursting with vibrant colors that seemed to shift and change with every movement. He hadn’t gotten a good look at them in his bedroom, but out in the full sunlight, he was mesmerized by them.

“They’re so beautiful,” Jaytee breathed in awe. “Would it be okay if I touched them?”

Raidh bit his lip, a hint of nervousness crossing his expression. “You can touch them, but please be careful. Just one small rip would kill me.”

Jaytee felt a surge of relief knowing the vampire who’d attacked Raidh hadn’t damaged his wings.

Thank god they’d been tucked away at the time. But now that he knew their fatal weakness, how they were connected to Raidh’s very life, he would do everything in his power to keep those delicate wings protected at all costs.

Raidh’s lavender-gray eyes glistened with an unfamiliar sadness, causing Jaytee to furrow his brow in concern. He couldn’t fathom why someone so beautiful would have such a forlorn expression. “I have something to tell you that might paint me in a negative light.”

Jaytee reached for his hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. “There’s nothing you could say that would make me see you as anything other than my little Moonbeam.”

Raidh stepped closer, tilting his head up to meet Jaytee’s gaze. “But do you truly believe I am not capable of evil?”

As Raidh circled around him, Jaytee’s gaze followed the hypnotic sway of his mate’s small hips, almost as if he was being held spellbound by their graceful movements. Each step was like a dance, like waves in the ocean, drawing him deeper and deeper into a trance-like state.

“There’s something I need to confess to you before we bind our souls together.”

With a graceful movement, Raidh sank down into a patch of purple flowers, giving off an ethereal aura.

Without hesitation, Jaytee joined him on the flower-covered ground and plucked one from its place, gently tucking it into Raidh’s wavy hair. Despite his hair being tangled from days of sleep, his mate still looked breathtakingly handsome. Raidh’s fingers caressed the flower as a burst of red ignited over his face, causing his lavender-gray eyes to sparkle like fairy dust.

“I’ve already mentioned that not all Unseelies are inherently bad.”

Jaytee nodded, wondering where this was going. He trusted Raidh entirely and never doubted his goodness.

“And you know my father forced me to learn dark magic, even though I’m very careful using it, and refuse to use it around him.” Raidh grimaced.

“Babe, please get to the point.” Jaytee wanted to hear what his mate had to say, but his focus was split between the conversation—which was important to Jaytee—and gazing at his naked body. The guy was one hell of a temptation, and Jaytee was having a hard time concentrating.

Raidh caressed the flower in his hair once more. “I might not be the incompetent student I’ve been pretending to be,” he admitted.

Understanding began to dawn on Jaytee. “So you’re saying that even though you limit your use of dark magic, you’re still pretty skilled at it?”

“What if I told you I’m better than just ‘pretty skilled’? That my father hates me because he failed to mold me into what he wanted me to be, since he thinks I’m a lousy student?” Raidh looked down. “I don’t even need a spell book. They just come naturally to me.”

“I’m still waiting for you to tell me what could possibly make me see you differently.” Jaytee wanted to hear what his mate had to say, but his focus was split between the conversation—which was important to Jaytee—and his naked mate sitting beside him, their first kiss still pending.

The guy was one hell of a temptation.

Raidh sighed deeply.

“My father pushed me so hard because his ultimate goal was for me to become the most powerful Unseelie of our kind.”

Jaytee slowly sat up. “So all this time, your father thought you were incompetent, but in reality, you actually fulfilled his goal.”

What a clever little fairy. That had to have taken great dedication and discipline to constantly hide his true skills and pretend to be inept. And for over a millennium? Jaytee wasn’t sure he could have pulled that off.

Slowly, Raidh nodded. “But I swear, Jaytee, I’m very careful with dark magic. I’ve seen too many fae fall victim to its allure and lose themselves completely. I won’t let myself go down that path.” He sighed once again. “I just wanted to be honest with you about who I truly am.”

Raidh’s confession solidified Jaytee’s opinion of his mate. He reached out and cupped his cheek tenderly. “Who you truly are is a little fairy with a heart of pure gold.”

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