Graysen’s palm cupped the side of my face and ran a soft thumb over fresh wetness on my cheeks. I didn’t notice I’d been crying. Unexpected sobs of relief caught in my throat. Everything felt right, whole, for the first time since I’d left that dark forest. I knew without a doubt that we belonged locked together as one burning entity.
“Are you okay?” he asked gently, his deep voice regaining its humanity.
I nodded with a sniffle.
“Faeryn?” His brows pushed in with concern. “What’s wrong?” His gaze locked on the tears streaming down my temple.
“Graysen—” My throat caught with the confession I was about to utter. “I think I love you.”
Water filled his usually fire-drenched eyes. “I love you too, Fae,” his voice cracked, and he held my face in his hands. “Thank you for trusting me. I promise I will spend every momentof my life earning that privilege.” A single tear trickled off his cheek onto my own.
I coughed out a weak laugh. “Does this mean neither of us is sleeping in the bed tonight?”
His reverent expression broke in return, matching my conflicted amusement. “If you think you got out of that by letting me fuck you, you are sorely mistaken.”
He kissed my forehead and began to straighten his arms, lifting himself from where our flesh had been pressed together. I felt the first swell of his cock stretch out of me. Then the second. The third. The fourth. The head. His warmth followed him, dripping onto my sticky thighs. I stared in awe. Even half softened, he lost no length. How had thatfit? He tucked his cock back into his pants as if modesty could ever be a factor again, the base of his shaft and a dusting of dark hair visible from where he had ripped the fabric open.
“Come here.” He leaned over and grabbed my arms, wrapping them around his neck before he scooped me up in his embrace. Graysen stood gracefully, our mess covering his bare stomach.
I nuzzled my face into his shoulder as he began the route toourbed.
“I should bathe,” I mumbled sleepily.
“Do me the honor of leaving you ruined tonight,” he cooed as he climbed the stairs. “I’ll bathe you myself in the morning.”
Nestled into furs, fresh sheets, and new covers, I curled into Graysen’s warmth. For the first time since that lost moment in the woods, I belonged. This was where I was meant to be, I knew it in my soul. Graysen had been the missing puzzle piece to my story, and finally I could see a clear future.He wasalways meant for me. A part of my past that I had triumphantly reclaimed.
Graysen
The sound of knocking downstairs pulled me reluctantly from the first good night’s sleep I’d had in half a decade. My eyes cracked open to a dark bedroom—still early. Faeryn and I were bundled in a cocoon of blankets, touching every square inch of skin possible. I curled around her back, our legs intertwined and arms clutching each other. Whoever was at the door better fuck off. I never wanted to leave my post at her side again.
“Graysen! I forgot my key!” Came Mykie’s raspy voice.Shit. She’d be worried if I didn’t answer. If I knew my hasty friend, she would kick down the door shortly if I didn’t appear.Let her.
“Graysen, you have two minutes before I let myself in by force!” She confirmed my suspicions. The idea of her crashing into our bedroom where my Little Fae slept peacefully, full of my seed, ignited a territorial disgust I couldn’t stomach.
I was quick but steady as I wriggled out of our nest, pushing the edges of the blankets tightly under Faeryn so no warmth could escape her. She stirred slightly before regaining her steady breaths. I grabbed last night’s discarded pants and hurried out the doorway while tugging them over my legs.
I undid the lock and flung the door open, doing my best to hold the opening I had torn in the denim fastenings over the top of my groin.
“What?” I snapped.
Mykie’s dark eyes inspected my face, then took note of my bare torso, and finally my shredded trousers. “Oh.” She blinked in understanding. “I didn’t realize you guys were—”
“What do you want?” I cut her off, not leaving any room for her to share her opinions. She would recognize the complications, and I didn’t want asingleword to trigger regret in my mind.
“Just checking in.” She lifted her eyes back to my face. “When you didn’t answer after a while, I worried something had happened.”
“Where’s the key I gave you?” Not that I would want her using it in this situation, but I didn’t need her breaking the door down in the future.
She patted the pockets of her long duffle coat innocently. “I left it at home, figured you’d be around since you didn’t ask me to watch the house this morning.” She grimaced and ran her long nails through her hair awkwardly. “I know Faeryn starting work yesterday poses some risk. I just wanted to make sure everything was alright and bring by the clothing she liked.” She tossed a leather bag into the foyer.
“I’m keeping her safe.” A growl reverberated from my chest. I was perfectly capable of keeping Faeryn protected. Inourhome.
“I know you are.” Mykie cracked a smile at the aggressive rumble. “I planned that get-together for tomorrow, but it isn’t too late to have me conveniently cancel it if you’ve changed your mind.”
“She has work at midday.”
“I scheduled it to not interfere with pub hours—seven hundred, early morning. You know my people won’t go to sleep until the afternoon anyway. They have to burn off the events of the evening first.”
