Page 27 of Taken By the Fae King

She dips her chin and then turns to fly away, joining at least twenty others in the distance.

I look down at the tiny pouch. “What is that?”

“Pixie dust.” He grins, and places it in my palm. “It is yours. You never know when you might need a pinch.”

“What does it do?”

“It is a surprise spell. A boon of sorts,” he explains. “It depends upon what type of magic the pixie used to make it. It can be anything from a teleportation spell to a cloak of invisibility, but you will not know until you use it.”

Studying the pouch, I frown. “How would one know when to do that?”

“The magic will call to its owner when the time is right.”

This sounds like a boon indeed. I hold it out to Kyven. “Are you sure you do not want to keep it?”

He takes my hand gently between his, curling my fingers over the pouch in my palm as his luminous gaze holds mine. “I want you to have it, Grayce. Keep it with you at all times. Your safety is important to me.”

His words warm my heart, and as his luminous gaze holds mine, I realize that although it’s only been a short time, I am already falling for my husband. As strange as it may seem, it is as if my heart is already reaching for his, just like the threads of the fated bond between us.

Aren flies up beside us, bowing low. “The perimeter is secure. Cyral will be on watch until dawn.”

Kyven nods, and Aren leaves.

I tuck the pouch into the pocket of my tunic. “Well, it is not calling to me now. So… perhaps that means we are safe for the moment.” At least, I hope that’s what it means as I wait for his reply.

“Indeed.” He turns his gaze back to me. “You should rest, Grayce.”

I know he’s right, but after all the commotion this evening, I doubt I’ll get much sleep. Especially up high in the trees like this. I glance over the side, peering into the darkness below, wondering just how far up we are right now. I’d been afraid of resting on the tarp, but now, with just a branch, I’m even more worried.

One claw tipped finger hooks under my chin, pulling my gaze away from the drop and up to Kyven. “I will keep you safe, Grayce.”

“What if we both fall asleep and… I tumble over the side before you wake?” I voice my concern aloud, wincing at how pitiful I sound. This is not who I am. I am the strong one in my family, not the one who needs protecting. Until now.

“Come,” he pulls me into his hold. With his back braced against the tree trunk, he settles me between his thighs so that my back is to his front. He wraps his strong arms solidly around my waist and tugs me into his chest.

Perhaps it is because we’ve already had to run from danger, but as he holds me in his arms, I feel safe. And I trust that he will do whatever he can to make sure I remain this way.

He shifts slightly and folds his wings around my form, cocooning me in his masculine scent and the warmth of his body. A slight vibration begins at my back, from his chest, and I twist my head to glance over my shoulder. “What is that?” A low rumbling sound begins, and I blink several times. “Are you… purring?”

“My kind do not purr.” He tips up his chin. “Wetr’llyn.”

It certainly sounds and feels like a purr, but much stronger.

“Does it bother you?” he asks, cocking his head to one side. “If it does, I can stop.”

“No,” I reply quickly. “If anything it feels… soothing,” I answer honestly. “Do all Fae—” I start to say ‘purr,’ but instead use the term he provided, “tr’llyn?”

His vertically slit pupils widen slightly as he shakes his head. “Only Fae males do this. They tr’llyn for their mates to calm them.”

“Why?”

“Our healers claim it is a primitive instinct passed down from our ancestors. It has a calming effect and is believed to encourage closeness and intimacy.”

“Is it meant to hypnotize me?” I tease gently.

“No.” A faint smile quirks his lips. “It cannot do that.”

Despite my earlier fears, the tension begins to ease from my body as the vibrations from his tr’llyn move through me, and I lean back against him. With my head resting on his collarbone and my face turned toward the crook of his neck, every breath fills my lungs with his intoxicatingly rich and masculine scent.

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