Chapter 21
GWEN
We reach the fae settlement of Yellona as dusk settles across the land, the setting sun slipping behind the mountains while the surrounding forest glimmers with ussha-blessed vegetation.
The last rays of golden light catch on snow-dusted branches and frost-laced bushes, making the landscape shimmer even as the sky darkens.
The town itself is brightly illuminated despite the approaching night. Blue lanterns line the streets, their radiant glow reflecting across the snow, and firepits crackle in places where faefolk are gathered. Outside taverns and shops, small groups linger in the cold, talking and laughing.
Merak circles lower over the settlement, holding me securely in his arms. From above, Yellona looks almost unreal.
The streets curve around buildings crafted from blue stone and dark wood, their steep rooftops blanketed in snow.
Bridges arch over narrow, frozen streams that curve through the settlement, and every surface seems touched by winter magic.
As Merak descends toward the main street, I tighten my hold around his neck and stare in wonder.
The frost decorating the buildings isn’t natural.
I can tell that much immediately. The patterns are too deliberate, too elegant.
Spirals and vines twist around doorways and window frames, branching into glittering designs that resemble flowers, snowflakes, and curling leaves.
He lands lightly on the cobblestone street. Our eyes meet, and warmth deepens through the bond. Before setting me down, he presses a lingering kiss to my forehead.
“My dearest,” he murmurs. Then white light flashes around him, and his massive wings vanish.
He takes my hand, threading his fingers through mine, and sends me another wave of affection.
“Merak,” I say. “My mate.”
A pleased growl rumbles through him. He likes when I refer to him as my mate. He likes knowing we will belong to one another forever.
Of course, we must seal the deal, so to speak.
We must physically consummate our union.
My face grows warm, and the sudden intake of his breath tells me he’s just heard my thoughts. When I reach toward his mind, I sense his need. His fervent longing. He’s eager to get me alone at the inn.
Eager to fully claim me. Finally.
“Come,” he says. “The inn is this way.”
He leads me down the cobblestone street while I stare openly at everything around us.
Faefolk pass by wrapped in cloaks, music drifts from somewhere farther ahead, and laughter peals out from the windows of the taverns.
A large wooden sign hangs above an especially grand building farther down the street: FROST HOUSE.
My breath catches.
The inn is unlike anything I have ever seen.
The sprawling structure rises five stories high, crafted from dark wood and blue stone, but winter magic has transformed it into something extraordinary.
Intricate frost patterns cover the exterior walls, winding across the wood in breathtaking designs, similar to the frost designs I glimpsed on the other buildings but much grander.
The frost catches the blue lantern light and sparkles across every surface.
“Frost House,” I say with a laugh. “More like Ice Palace. It’s so grand. It looks like a castle fit for a king.”
“Or a queen.” He meets my eyes and brings my hand up to quickly press his lips to my knuckles. “Tonight you will be my queen. I will get down on my knees and worship you.”
Heat pulses through my body, a wave so intense that I’m surprised the nearby frost doesn’t melt.
The things he says sometimes… gods. I recall some of the more scandalous comments he made on the morning we kissed and he carried me to the bedroom, and the heated pulses coursing through me deepen.
We didn’t mate that morning, but we came very close.
I flush at the memory of the intimacies we shared that day, the way he vigorously lapped my clit, bringing me to a climax again and again.
An ache settles between my thighs when I think about how I pleased him, how I took his thick length into my mouth, and I struggled to swallow his seed as he erupted down my throat.
He pauses in front of Frost House and turns to face me, a glint of wickedness in his dark eyes. A thrill rushes through me as he draws me closer. He knows what I was just thinking. He probably saw the memory clearly in his mind, but through my eyes.
“Patience, my dearest. We will be alone together soon.” He grins, revealing his sharp white teeth.
I flush anew, and my mouth goes dry.
He tightens his hold on my hand and leads me up the steps of the inn.
I’m so eager to get settled in a room, any room, that I scarcely look around the inn as Merak speaks with the proprietor.
I’m too focused on my mate and imagining the evening to come.
The growing ache between my thighs won’t abate, and I can’t seem to catch my breath.
Merak, however, appears calm and collected as he requests the nicest room available and passes several silver coins to the proprietor.
But I can sense his thoughts well enough.
While he might appear calm and unbothered, I can easily detect the desire coursing through the bond.
And a quick glance down shows his precious tailor-made pants are getting tighter.
The proprietor hands over a glowing blue key covered in frost, murmuring directions to the suite, since Merak declined his offer to show us the way. My heart races faster when my mate sweeps me into his arms and starts carrying me upstairs.
Under normal circumstances, I might admire the artwork lining the walls or the ornate light fixtures. I might even peek out the windows for another look at the fae settlement. But I can’t seem to focus on anything but my mate.
My mate…
My pulse quickens, and the heat throbbing in my core intensifies.
I’m about to mate with Merak.
My savage lord. My heart.
Warmth flows between us as he reaches a landing and continues climbing the stairs. I suppose we’re on the top floor again, but I find I don’t really care what the room looks like or how large it is. Gods, I don’t even care if it has a bed. Just four walls and some privacy will do.
It has a bed, my dearest, Merak says down the bond. However, if you wish to roll around on the floor with me, I suppose that can be arranged. Who is the savage now?
I scoff and lightly smack his chest.
He growls and climbs the stairs faster, taking the steps three at a time.
By the time we burst into the suite on the highest floor, I am so eager to be alone with Merak that I scarcely register our surroundings at first.
Then I blink and finally take it all in.
Gods. The suite is enormous.
Blue lanterns cast a soft glow over the polished wooden floors and elegant furnishings.
Frost covers the walls in intricate patterns that shimmer faintly with magic.
A large stone hearth crackles nearby, and plush chairs are arranged before the fire.
Somehow the fire doesn’t cause the frost to melt, and the suite is actually quite warm.
Tall windows overlook the settlement below, revealing streets lined with blue lanterns.
Though the entire place feels lavish, it also feels cozy.
And intimate. Very intimate.
Another flush rises to my cheeks.
Merak shuts the door behind us with his foot and carries me further inside. Without pausing, he walks straight for the bedroom. He sets me down near the bed before placing his rucksack on a wooden chair. He turns to me, and for a moment, neither of us moves.
We simply stare at one another, and the bond between us thrums.
“We’ve had a long day of travel, my dearest,” he says in a hoarse voice as he nods at the open doorway behind me, one I suspect leads to a bathing room. “Go freshen up, and I will do the same in the hallway bathing room. When you are finished, a hot meal will be waiting for you.”
“Thank you, Merak.”
He presses a kiss to my forehead and gives me a gentle push toward the bathing room.
As I glance over my shoulder, watching him exit the bedroom, my heart softens even more toward him. Yes, I am eager to be claimed by him, that much is true, but I could also stand to freshen up, take care of my human needs, and then eat a hot meal.
Tears sting my eyes because this feels so similar to our first night together, the one we spent in the suite back in Ellonnar.
And yet so much is different.
We both finally know we’re mates, and there are no secrets between us anymore.
I’ve glimpsed all of him, and he’s glimpsed all of me.
Our hearts seem to beat in tune, and I could not fathom ever being parted from him.
Not now. Not after everything we’ve shared.
And when I think about what almost happened on our way here today…
My throat tightens.
But we survived. Together. He conquered the shadow figure that has haunted his dreams all his life, the spirit of the dark mage that his parents never warned him about.
And I used the key given to me by the Fatekeeper all those years ago to vanquish the black frost and restore the lands that would’ve otherwise fallen into ruin.
Merak.
Gods, I love him.
Perhaps fate guided me into his path, but love is what is keeping us together. Deep in my heart, I know we were always meant to find one another. He once told me I was his other half, and I’m now more certain than ever that he is mine.
I strip off my clothes and hurry to clean myself.
Later, after rummaging through Merak’s rucksack, I emerge into the hallway wearing my nightdress and fur-lined slippers.
The suite is so warm that I don’t need a robe.
Following the scent of roasted meat, I head toward the kitchen…
only for Merak to step into my path wearing nothing but a towel around his waist.
I feel my eyes widen, and I’m suddenly parched.