Page 13 of Fire & Ice

Tempest laughed. "I'm joking."

I kissed her passionately, loving the playful side of her just as much as the desirable minx. "I know this is the mating, but the pull I feel toward you- I can't fight it and I'm not going to try. I honestly thought that I would never have this," I whispered. My heart felt like a vice had closed around it as I opened myself up to her.

"I love you too. I believed for the longest that I was destined to just be a gifted. I had been preparing myself to stay that way, so that today I wouldn't be disappointed but I'm so glad that I was blessed to be more, that I found you," Tempest responded.

"I understand," I said, kissing the top of her head. "I have been preparing myself to give up being next in line. I told myself that if I didn't find my mated, I would search for the woman in my dreams. And then there you were tonight under the new blood moon, both of those things I sought," I said, kissing her shoulder.

I felt Tempest's body relax once more against mine. She smiled up at me, before her eyes drifted closed. I wrapped my arms around her, holding her tightly against me, not wanting to let her warmth go.

Her body began to go limp as she drifted off to sleep and I let her rest. I would take care of her in every way she needed and wanted. I sighed into her hair, my heart swelling with this new feeling of love, as I fell asleep next to her.

Chapter 15

Sara

My footsteps echo up the tower hall as I make my way towards the balcony and the muted sounds of laughter and conversation drifting from the ballroom. I emerge onto the balcony overlooking the glittering gala below. What are they all whispering about tonight? Curiosity tingles through me as I search the sea of faces for answers.

Candlelight flickers, casting dancing shadows across the ornate walls. Roses perfume the air, their scent mingling with the musty velvet drapes. Gilded mirrors reflect the intricate carvings along the ceiling, vampires riding dragons of old as they are locked in battle. My gaze settles on the one I've come for.

There he is - Beau. His presence grabs ahold of my senses as if they were my vines. I drink in the sight of him, tall and broad-shouldered in his embroidered waistcoat. His eyes are two sparkling pools I long to drown in. My heart threatens to burst from my chest at the mere sight of him.

A hush falls over the crowd. The king and queen step forward, regal and imposing. This is it - the revelation I've been waiting for. Beau turns, his expression unreadable.

"Congratulations, son. It appears that you have found your mated and we could not be happier for you." The king announces.

No. It can't be. This must be some cruel joke. Around me, applause erupts. Beau takes Tempest's hand, leading her into a dance. She has won again, just as she wins everything.

And how can he be so devastatingly handsome as he breaks my heart. His raven hair falls across his brow as his lips part in a dazzling smile. He whirls Tempest across the dance floor, her scarlet gown swirling around her. She glows under his attention, joy lighting up her face.

My chest tightens. No matter how I try, I cannot tear my eyes away. Beau spins Tempest once more before drawing her close. She melts into his embrace, as though they are the only two souls left in the world.

I should look away, but I cannot. The yearning in my heart keeps me transfixed, unable to silence the whispers that he should have been mine.

Rage and despair war within me, threatening to tear me apart. The choice looms - loyalty or love? I fear I may already know the answer.

"Tempest is my dearest friend," I say, my voice hollow. "How can I even think of stealing Beau away?"

Charlie's voice cuts through the tumult in my mind. "The heart wants what it wants, regardless of consequence."

I whirl around to find him leaning against a pillar, half-obscured in shadow. How long has he been watching me?

"This doesn't concern you," I say sharply even though I know he speaks the truth. Ever since I first saw Beau, I've been drawn to him like a moth to a flame. But to act on my feelings would destroy everything.

Charlie pushes off from the pillar, stepping into the candlelight. His ice-blue eyes glint.

"Oh, but I think it does. You see, I had plans for the fair Tempest. Ones that the South’s charming prince have thrown into disarray."

He moves closer and I fight the urge to shrink back. There's something dangerous in his energy, like a coiled snake waiting to strike.

"What do you want?" I ask warily.

"The same as you, I'd wager. To claim what is mine by right."

Thunder rumbles outside, loud enough to make me jump and to make my gift seek solaces in the plants around me, pulling their vines to me as if I required aid. Charlie smiles.

“Be true to yourself, Sara because the storm's coming. Though-Perhaps it's time we all...reassessed our positions since only we can decide our fate."

With that ominous threat, he melts back into the shadows, leaving me shaken and feeling as if I've stirred up something perilous and I don't know if I have the power to stop it.

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