Page 5 of Bonded By Moons

“You’re the crown fucking prince is who you are! Holy shit. Holy stars. Amara you realize who this is, right?!” the brute male exclaims.

Amara goes wide eyed and gawks at me too. “No way, you’re the prince?”

“In flesh and blood, now covered in dirt,” I say as I try to brush off my leathers.

“Oh my stars! I have to go! I have to talk to Em. This is the craziest day ever.” Amara starts to run in the direction of her friend Em, my mate. Leaving me here in the dirt still.

I panic, not knowing when I’ll be able to leave the palace grounds again. Not knowing when I’ll be able to see my mate again. “Please tell me her name. Anything. Please, I have to know. I can be patient, but I won’t stop trying to find her, for fucks sake.”

Amara looks back over her shoulder, “What fine words the prince has!”

The brute laughs and pats my shoulder while he follows after Amara. “Her name is Ember, and you’re so royally fucked, your highness.”

And that might be the most beautiful name I’ve ever heard.

Ember.

She’s already lit my heart a light.

THREE

Ember

Worst birthday present ever. I couldn’t have asked for anything worse than finding a smokeshow of a mate in my favorite bar on my 21st birthday. I honestly think he’s the hottest thing to walk this– NO.

I immediately stripped and got in the shower once I arrived home. Being in water just helps me feel grounded, connected with the universe. I let the trickling wash away the chaos of the night.

“Ember, get yourself together this is just the moon's mating pull bringing out crazy emotions,” I say to myself while the water runs down my back. Sitting on the ground with my knees pulled up to my chest and makeup running down my face, this is how Amara finds me.

“Oh sweet Em, I’m so sorry. Look on the brightside, you’re going to be a princess!”

What the stars?

“Excuse me?” I choke out under the water, tears rolling down my cheeks. “What are you talking about?”

She reaches in and turns off the shower. I stand up in all my naked glory. Amara is a fire & air faerie so she uses air magic to dry me off and brush my sad pink strands. She knows I’m emotionally drained from this shit show of a day. She’s truly my twin flame and my mate, in friend terms. I honestly don’t think I need anyone else in my life.

After she helps me remove my makeup, we climb into my cozy bed together, surrounded by cotton, linen, and satin blankets, in multiple shades of pink. She holds me and begins explaining what happened, helping me process in a time that is more suitable for my overwhelmed brain right now.

“Sweet Em, that was the Crown Prince Willow Bryton.”

I don’t respond for several seconds as those words sink in. Then, it feels like a tsunami of emotions has flooded my chest. “Excuse me?”

Hissing through her teeth, Amara continues. “You are mated to the Crown Prince of Estrallume and he was beyond devastated when I informed him you hate love, romance, and mates especially,” she whispers as if her quiet tone would help the gut punch not hurt so much while she tells me who I'm mated to.

“Good. I won’t be falling in love with a prince. You’ve got to be kidding me.” I scoff and bury my face into my pillows and let out a mild scream.

“Honey, he is the world's sweetest slice of elderberry pie. You better fall in love with him. You deserve what he can offer you, Em. You’re such a gem, and not just because you own a gem shop.” She gently hits me with a pillow.

I let out a sad laugh but continued to sniffle my tears away. I can’t do this. My parents died because they blindly followed each other into the mystic forest for love. They were murdered because of it.The mate bond is too strong, it’s too risky. Barely anyone is able to resist the pull of the moons. I have things to accomplish and I can’t be some Prince’s royal prize? No way.

Don’t get me wrong I love luxurious things as much as the next Fae but I refuse to let someone else own my heart. I refuse to give up that much control. With the rebellion taking larger strides, I have to stay focused.

I cannot be selfish.

“Amara, I really don’t want this. I’ve never wanted anything less than this. We are finally making strides with The Ascension and it’s possible in a few years we could see serious change in these villages. Estrellume, Faerelle, the whole world needs to experience revolutionized courts and civil freedom. We deserve our peace to be restored.”

“You could be that new court, Em!”

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