Page 14 of Treasured By the Fae Royal

Mine. My human. My bride.

Gods, how long will it take to convince her? I’m not a patient male, but for her, I would learn patience. Because stealing her isn’t an option. I can’t fathom forcing her to repeat marriage vows and then carrying her to my royal chambers. The very thought of her fearing my touch is maddening.

“I don’t believe I’ve ever glimpsed such a beautiful night. Summer has always been my favorite season, and there’s nothing quite like a warm summer evening.” She smiles. “Thank you for sharing your magic with me. I’ll never forget it. I’ll never forget… you. I enjoyed meeting you, Prince Lucas.”

Her words carry me to the stars, and for several seconds, all I can do is stare at her in wonderment. Though she’s not my fated mate, what’s happening between us certainly feels magical. In a way. Is this what it feels like when humans start to fall in love? Is it normal for humans to feel so strongly about one another so quickly?

“This isn’t goodbye,” I announce before I can think better of it. “I will see you again soon, sweetling.”

Her eyes glimmer with excitement, and she draws in a shaky breath. “What do you mean?”

“Tomorrow at midnight. Will you meet me outside?” Tribute Day will be over by then, and I’ll be able to escape Sorsston for a few hours without anyone missing me.

“Yes. I’ll meet you.”

I step closer and cup her face, then I lean down to place a soft but brief kiss to her lips. It takes all my self-control not to devour her, but I keep the kiss rather chaste. Not only do I want to earn her trust, but I want her to hunger for me the same way I hunger for her.

I pull back and release my hold on her as my heart thumps wildly in my chest. We stare at one another for a long, heated moment as the fireflies whirl around us and the summer breeze ruffles our hair. I grasp her hands and give them a squeeze. “Until tomorrow, sweetling.”

“Until tomorrow.”

I release her hands and take a few steps back before summoning wings and shooting into the sky.

But I don’t depart the area just yet. I land in a nearby tree out of sight, where I immediately set to work creating a protective ward around her aunt’s property. I want to ensure her safety until my return tomorrow night. Once I’m satisfied with the ward, I still don’t leave. I wait until she walks back inside. After she shuts the door behind her, I ascend to the sky and head for Sorsston.

Tomorrow at midnight can’t come soon enough.

CHAPTER7

YVETTE

My stomach flipswhen I think about tonight.

I check the time. Only four hours to go.

Gods, I still can’t believe I agreed to meet Prince Lucas at midnight. Outside the cottage in secret, no less.

I’ve never sneaked out of the house before, not even as a teenager, and my giddiness rises alongside my worries.

What if I’m caught? Yes, I realize I’m a grown woman of twenty-four, but if Mama or Aunt Heather catch me sneaking outside at midnight, they’re going to ask questions. Questions I won’t want to answer.

Not for the first time this evening, I test the window in my bedroom. Thankfully, Aunt Heather placed me in a small room at the back of the cottage. On the first floor. The only problem is that Mama’s right next door, so I’ll have to be very quiet as I climb out the window.

I ruffle through my belongings and select the least wrinkled dress. A pretty yellow gown that’s more suitable for summer than winter, but I trust I’ll be warm once Prince Lucas shows up.

My heart races as I anticipate seeing him again.

Oh gods, that kiss. It was so perfect. It was everything I ever imagined my first kiss might be. Soft and exciting with the perfect amount of pressure. He’d cradled my face with such tenderness that I nearly swoon every time I think about it.

Will he kiss me again tonight? Heat surges between my thighs at the thought, and I find myself squirming on the bed as my excitement grows.

Unable to remain still, I jump off the bed and start pacing the room.

My gaze lands on my bag of books that I relocated from the sitting room. I flush when I recall the deep vibrations of the prince’s voice as he read the explicit passage aloud.

How thoroughly embarrassing yet thrilling that moment was.

Even better, he wasn’t mocking me, or judging me, not really. He’d seemed intrigued and even excited by the subject matter.

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