Page 106 of Fated or Knot

“I was going to tell you something…” Oh, right. I wanted to confess my feelings, but he didn’t seem all that interested in talking. Still, he humored me, leaning up and fixing me with his gaze. I gasped, “Your eyes!”

He fluttered his snowy lashes in surprise. The sheen of stars and magic was gone, revealing the whites of his eyes and thesilvery irises that must’ve been hiding underneath. They were still beautiful, just not the purple-threaded nebulae I expected. After a moment, he said, “Just a sign of depletion. My body doesn’t have spare essence right now.”

Right. The same depletion he’d tangled with to see me through my worst forgotten memories. Something he absolutely hadn’t had to do. He was the kind of mate I’d dreamed of having for so long, and here he was and… “I love you,” I blurted before I could lose my nerve again.

He flashed his knowing smile. Of course he already knew. But I was glad I finally got to tell him. “I love you too. I have for some time,” he said.

I lit up, framing my mouth with loose fists in absolute delight. This was probably the best dream of my life. And even though a tiny part of me feared that it wasjusta dream, the crispness of the details that formed Kauz made it impossible to deny that it was him above me, taking in my reaction with a soft groan.

“No one warned me that my mate would be the sweetest thing I’d steal away to Serian,” he said. My wings fluttered in reaction. There wasn’t another place I’d rather be but here with him, in the palace he and his brothers “stole” me away to. Those silver eyes searched my face. “Are you still untouched?”

“Um, yeah…”

His laugh was a disbelieving huff. “That’s a miracle. Wait, Mother immediately accepted you as her heir, didn’t she?”

“Oh, yes,” I said quickly.

“It must be overwhelming to have four males to pick from to be your first.” He rolled onto his side and took me with him so I was enveloped in the circle of his wings. I relaxed against his chest with a nod of agreement. “Though, I must say, being untouched is more a state of mind than anything physical.”

“What do you mean?”

“Instead of explaining, why don’t I just show you?” he offered.

That was smooth.I had to admit something, at least to him. “Yes, please. I want it to be you.” I had feelings for his brothers, too, but this gentle male just… He had to be first.

He flashed his blunt teeth in a grin as he sat up. “As I promised you last time, we won’t be interrupted.” He gestured to our surroundings. “There’s no better place to experiment than your dreams.”

I followed his lead and sat cross-legged on the nest, hyperaware that Iwasdreaming and would remain physically untouched no matter what he did. Especially when he became shirtless in a blip of dream logic. His chest was a map of strength with ridges of muscle, especially in his upper chest. The tight buds of his nipples were a darker purple than the rest of him, matching the hue of his lips, which were curved in amusement as he took in my admiring reaction up and down his bare skin.

“There’s no rush. Come explore.” He beckoned with a curl of his fingers, and I shuffled closer to him. I straddled his waist and made a soft gasp when I felt his cock twitch under the fabric of his pants where we naturally pressed together. But he made no move to release it, sitting back on his hands as he watched me with half-lidded eyes.

I took his invitation and touched him. At first, tentatively. I could feel his solid strength, sheathed in the softness of his unblemished skin. “Does flying give you muscles like this?” I asked.

“I had to do a lot of training before I could fly. My father likes to joke that I have alpha-sized wings on a beta-sized body.” While he responded, I explored him again, watching the way his expression shifted when I found a place he liked. He released a soft moan when I finally touched one nipple and circled it with my thumb.

“I thought dreamlanders couldn’t be alphas,” I said.

“We can’t. But give us a few more generations to further mix with omegas and…” He shrugged. His heart thumped in a steady drumbeat under my palm as he regarded me tenderly. “Perhaps our son would be so lucky one day.”

My cheeks heated. I fought my first instinct to duck and look away. Kauz didn’t want me to hide my reactions from him, and there wasn’t much else to hide. He already knew my fears and some of the darkest corners of my mind, after all.

“I like that you’re a beta. You’re the pack’s voice of reason. Not that, I mean, any son we had would be a copy of you or anything.”

“My brothers only listen to me because they know I’ll give them nightmares if they don’t,” he said mildly. I just about choked on my next swallow.

“Isthatthe secret?” I asked. I moved my fingertips to exploring his wings, really feeling the leathery surface and the tattoos of stars and mist that I’d admired so openly. The lines of ink were smooth to the touch.

He extended out the wing I focused on, letting me feel its inner curve. A shudder passed through it in a shivery whisper of sound. “Not for you, sweetheart. You barely have to ask. You have all four of us wrapped around your li’l finger.”

I made a neutral hum, which was enough for him to catch my hand and thread his fingers through mine. “You doubt me?” he chuckled. His lips skimmed my knuckles, brushing a feather light kiss over each. Then he pressed my hand between us, cupping the hardness of his cock through his pants. “Don’t you know what this it?”

“An erec?—”

“Control. Four of the most powerful males in Faerie are yours by fate.” He moved our joined fingers, showing me how to holdand tease him. “You may feel small and unassuming alone, but you’re?—”

“Not alone anymore,” I said with him. It was still so reassuring to hear.

“That’s right. And there’s a reason every Unseelie generation is marked by the reign of its queen. I may have been born a prince, but I was raised to elevate and serve my fated mate.You. My Always, my brothers’ scent match.” As he spoke, the rest of his clothes disappeared. When he let me go, I had my fingers curled around his throbbing shaft. He released a shuddering breath as I stroked him, and his head tilted back. “And now that we’ve elevated you, I have never wanted to serve more.”

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