Fae's Fate: Fated Mates of the Fae Royals (Summer Court Book 7)

36. Ciara

“Ineed to see Father,” I said, tugging on Malachi’s arm.

When he’d swooped in all heroic telling Sir Axis not to touch me, it’d made my heart flutter. Not that I wouldn’t have stopped another man from touching me, but there was the way Malachi made me feel as though he’d take on anything for me. It was a heady sensation to realize there was one person in the entire realm destined for me. And that person was Malachi.

He was mine.

I was his.

Forever.

Malachi nodded and wrapped an arm around my shoulders. I dismissed Emer and Ivo now we were in the safety of the Summer Court. They both appeared as relieved as me the spring was once again flowing fast even if we had one more thing to do to fix it permanently. I’d convince Father, we all would. Our lives were about to change, but they needed to. We couldn’t hide away in our utopia forever when everywhere was suffering because of it.

The long marble hallways were still empty which made me fear we were too late to save Father, but the solid strength of Malachi by my side kept hope alive. I tugged at the human clothes, wishing to take them off more than ever. The material was itchy and added to the stress of not knowing if Father was still alive. My steps quickened. Malachi kept pace beside me.

Faster and faster, I walked until I broke into a run. Malachi ran with me. He didn’t tell me to stop. He supported me in everything I did. I loved him for it even more. We raced around the corner and skidded to a stop before my parents’ bedchambers.

I knocked, waiting for an answer. Grier opened the door, took one look at us, and ushered us in.

“He’s…” His voice cracked.

I thought the worst. Father had died. Mother’s crying filled the room making me think it even more, but then Grier stepped aside.

Father sat upright in the bed hugging Mother to his chest while she cried. It was the best night of my life. My father was alive.

“Father?” I gulped past the lump in my throat.

His head whipped my way. “Ciara? The spring… I sense it running well again.”

I nodded. “It is.”

“She fixed it,” Malachi said.

“I’m glad you figured it out.” Father smiled.

“I didn’t.” I shook my head. “The Water Sprite Master fixed it for us, but he said it’s only temporary. You need to unlock the Veil otherwise it’ll happen again.”

“Sir Axis?” Father asked.

“Aye.”

Mother sat up straight. “He helped us?”

“He did,” Malachi said. “But he had a hand in our problems too.”

“I’m not sure I understand,” Father said.

“He said it was because of a vision Saltine had, that he tried to get you to leave the Summer Court and reunite the two realms,” I said.

“Saltine? We owe him a debt of gratitude if he was acting on her visions,” Father said.

“I owe him a debt,” I said.

“No, this is my fault,” Father said throwing back the covers and standing. “I’ll talk to Sir Axis.”

“You’ll have to go to Earth,” Malachi said.

Father gazed at Mother, then nodded his head. “The family has much to discuss, and we will, but right now, I need time alone with my mate.”

“We understand,” Malachi said.

I backed out of the doorway with Malachi by my side as always. Mother’s pain-filled words drifted to us, “I thought I’d lost you.”

I couldn’t imagine the pain she must have suffered feeling like that. The idea of losing Malachi when I hadn’t even marked him sent a sharp stabbing sensation through my body. We strolled through the hallways, the relief running through my body so intense I headed toward my bedchambers so I could lie down.

Malachi paused outside my door.

I clasped his hand in mine and hauled him into the confines of my bedchambers.

He laughed. “It looks like a library in here.”

I grinned. “I know your room looks the same.”

He smiled then took me in his arms and led me toward the bed. “I believe it.”

“What?”

“We’re fated mates.”

“I do too.” I climbed onto the mattress and tugged him with me.

“For two smart Fae we sure were dumb,” he said climbing over the top of me.

“I couldn’t agree more,” I said, unbuttoning his shirt and shoving it from his body. “I never want to wear human clothes again.”

“Me either,” he said sliding his hand under the sweatshirt and urging me up so he could draw it over my head. “Were you attracted to Sir Axis while he looked like me?”

I shook my head wildly. “No, I recognized in my heart it wasn’t you, and you are the only one I want.”

“You’re the only one I want, too.”

“So…” I trailed my fingers over his chest.

“Aye,” he said. “Mark me as yours. I want your memories even though I understand you already. I want to appreciate you even more. And I want the world to realize I’m yours. I want every woman to recognize I’m yours. Every man too.”

I laughed. “Mark me too.”

“I thought you’d never ask.” He sighed.

We kissed with the love we had for each other, with the love we’d always have for each other. It was branding, deep, and full of the desire we’d always had for each other but were too scared to admit. We were no longer scared. Malachi and I appreciated we had love. We realized we’d love forever too.

There was no better emotion than knowing you had a fated mate.

Our hands tugged the rest of the human clothes free from our bodies and we caressed and stroked. Loved and pleasured until there was only us in this room. There was only the connection fated mates experienced when they were with each other. We’d always been together, so we had known no difference that we’d already found what others searched for.

I wouldn’t think back to what if we’d known sooner. There was only here and the future. A future that would spread with many possibilities. I was certain Father would do the right thing. Certain Mother would make sure she didn’t lose her mate because I’d do the same to save Malachi. Knowing I’d found a love like my parents made me happy. It’d make them happy too once we told them and we would as soon as we woke from the Quiet because marking Malachi was too important to not do right this minute.

My power flared to my palms, as did Malachi’s, but we kept caressing each other, marking the other with our power in a different way than the mating mark. Malachi’s power tingled against my skin making my core hot and slick with need. Every touch of my power over his skin intensified the sensation tenfold as though I’d sense how much my touch turned him on.

He rolled us over and guided my core to his straining cock. I slid onto him gasping at the sensation of fullness, of rightness, filling my body. My power surged more than it ever had and as I rocked my hips on top of his. My palms drifted to his chest needing to mark him. To make him mine.

Malachi’s hand pressed against my chest. The white brightness of his power lit the room chasing away my shadows and made me realize what was in front of my face my entire life. I might be dark, but I’d never be the darkness when I had Malachi as my fated mate. He grounded me. Loved me. I loved him too.

As our hips thrust faster, our powers flared harder. The building orgasm rocked through our bodies at the same time as the power took over marking us. Darkness filled my vision as Malachi’s memories swarmed into my mind.

The first thing I saw was me.

The second thing I saw was Malachi smile at me.

Our fate had been there right from our first meeting.

I slumped against his chest letting the Quiet take me under into the depths of Malachi’s memories. He would see the same as me. He’d see the love I had for him all my life. I was glad he’d see how much I loved him because words would never describe the way I felt for Malachi.

And when we woke from the Quiet, we’d spend eternity showing each other the passionate desire we’d hidden for so long.

We’d show each other and everyone else fated mates could do anything together.

We’d fix both worlds.