38. THIRTY-THREE

THIRTY-THREE

Thorn

Wrenstrodebesideme in the thigh-length halter dress that I made her, her bare feet making soft patters against the ice, looking like an ice goddess with her white hair pinned in the updo on her head.

She was greeted as a princess when we walked into the palace, and the startled look on her face was adorable. Everything about her was adorable. I couldn’t believe that we had gotten this far.

I used to cherish every single day that I would sneak out of the fae realm and into that cursed village to meet with her in the woods. I had thought about kissing her a million times but always lacked the courage to do so.

She paused as she glanced over at me, and I chuckled.

“What?” Her sweet voice soothed the anxiety inside of me.

“Nothing. I just really love you.” I grinned.

A blinding smile stretched on her lips as she laced her fingers through mine and squeezed. “And I really love you. I always have.”

My heart squeezed in my chest, feeling the love from our bond. I still had difficulty believing that my best friend and I were mates.

We made our way into the throne room to meet Birch, who sat next to his queen, Adele.

Adele’s eyes lit up as she saw Wren, and she leaned over to kiss Birch on the cheek before getting up and moving down the stairs to stand with Wren.

They had become quick friends with our short visits. Technically they were sisters now, since they were mated to brothers.

Forrest rushed out of nowhere and ran over to Wren, reaching his little arms up.

Wren picked him up with a breathtaking smile and spun around with him, her dress flaring out as happiness shot through the bond.

It was enough to make me stumble.

“She’ll make a great mom one day,” Birch said, standing next to me.

I flinched before letting out a chuckle. I hadn’t even noticed him get off his throne and come down the stairs. “Yeah, she will.”

From the way her cheeks streaked with pink, I figured she’d heard us.

“Guess your solemn looks as a kid didn’t mean that you were an orchid, just that you were missing your mate.” Birch let out a sigh as I glanced back at him. “It’s really good to know that you can smile.”

“I smile.”

“Only around her.”

My smile grew wider, and I chuckled. “Probably true.”

“Did you get the crystal?”

“Yes. It definitely works as we were told it did, and our only hope is that the relic responds the way we think it will. If it doesn’t…” My jaw tightened as I stared at my mate, who was playing with Forrest and talking with my brother’s mate like she was family—and she was family.

Worst comes to worst, I’ll drag her and the rest of her mates back to the fae realm to live.

My heart practically beat out of my chest.

“I look at Adele the same way,” he murmured.

I turned to look at him as he stared at his mate with a love struck expression that warmed my heart. “I’m so happy for you, brother.”

My younger brother looked a lot like me, with only small differences. His hair was swept up with the ornament of our family. A crown sat on his head, and it didn’t look heavy.

“I’m so proud of you for what you’ve done with our kingdom.”

“Thank you for that. I can’t tell you what it means to me,” he croaked before shaking his head. “I’ll have the army ready to go in three days. They’ll meet you at that camp with the location you gave us next to the facility. They’ll listen only to you.”

“Thank you, brother.” I clasped my hand on his shoulder, and he jumped before lurching forward and pulling me into a hug.

“We may not have shown our affections as much growing up, but I do appreciate everything you’ve done for me,” he murmured.

“And I appreciate everything you’ve done for me, Birch. You are the reason I don’t have to separate from my mate.”

“You’re the reason that I get to rule both kingdoms next to mine,” he said, and our magic clashed, but it didn’t repel like it usually did, instead it froze. “By the way.” His voice dropped to a whisper. “I took care of Madison. She won’t be bothering you anymore.”

“Thank the Fates,” I breathed, and he chuckled. “Are our parents here?”

“No, they are somewhere in the kingdom, enjoying their vacation.”

“Good, they deserve one for how long they’ve ruled the Ice Kingdom.”

He let me go and stepped back. “It was good to see you. Best of luck with the battle, although I know you don’t need it.”

“Are you ready?” I asked Wren, who whipped her head toward me with a small frown.

“That was a fast meeting.”

“Birch already took care of everything. He’s a fine king.” I smiled, and Adele shot my brother a loving look.

Forrest cuddled into Wren’s arms before she passed him to Adele. He pouted his lips out, and Wren poked him on the nose with a soft smile. “We’ll be back to see you guys soon. Your mommy promised me a special blueberry slushie.”

“Did she now?” I mused, and she straightened up before stepping beside me and looping my arm through hers.

“One night when you and your mate can stay over,” Adele explained, her gaze slipping to my brother.

“We look forward to it,” I said before we walked out of the throne room with a wave toward my brother, his mate, and our nephew, only to step in front of Madison.

Wren stiffened, glowering at her, but Madison just stared at us with wide eyes before turning and scurrying the other direction.

“At least she finally figured out when not to talk,” Wren muttered bitterly.

I chuckled, pulling my arm from hers and wrapping it around her shoulders. “Birch said something to her family as a warning, and it looks like it worked.”

“Good because you’re mine.” She growled, staring up at me as her pheromones shifted across my skin.

I groaned. She had been insatiable lately, and I was having a hard time keeping up—but that was why she had seven of us.

Turning us to the left, I guided us down a corridor.

“Where are we going?” she questioned in a husky tone.

“Somewhere we can be alone.” I threw open a door and nudged her inside before shutting it.

Holding my hand out, I sealed over the lock with ice before turning toward her.

She glanced around the room as my heart beat louder. It didn’t matter how long I had known her. Her beauty always stunned me. She was mesmerizing. I could watch her for the rest of my life and never get bored.

“Whose room is this?” Her gaze darted around the king-sized bed and the dresser made of ice. Everything in this room was made of ice, except for the mattress and the covers.

She jumped forward and flung herself on the bed, bouncing as her body hit the mattress, and a fit of giggles burst out of her. “This is amazing!”

She squealed as I landed on top of her. “Make a contract with me,” I murmured, and she nodded with no hesitation.

“Only if we can seal it with making love,” she teased.

“Of course, Kit. We can seal it that way if that’s what you wish.”

“What’re the terms?”

“That we’ll both stay alive and come back home together. We have to face this war apart, and Kit, that fact tears my heart out of my body.” My throat tightened, and I moved my knee between her legs as I hovered above her.

“I promise you that I will come back to you,” she said, and our magic buzzed like a live wire.

“And I promise I’ll come back to you.” My magic snapped, connecting with hers as it burned between us.

She wrapped her hand around the back of my head and tugged my face to hers before capturing my lips.

My body hummed with a warmth that she always provided, and we moved together, pulling at each other’s clothing until we were both bare. Her fingers went through my hair before pulling the ornament out, letting my hair fall, and I did the same with hers. We tossed the ornaments onto the floor.

“I love your hair. It was the first thing I noticed about you.” She grabbed me by my shoulders and pushed me down before straddling me, sinking onto my hard, throbbing length until her warmth swallowed me whole.

“Fates, Kit,” I hissed as pleasure rippled over my body. “I love yours too. So beautiful. Everything about you is absolutely stunning.”

Her weight pinned me against the bed, and I could do nothing but watch as she placed her slender hands on my chest and started to bounce up and down. “Seeing your face was the only thing that kept me going back then.”

My shaft was soaked with her arousal as she moved, and her breasts bounced in the most satisfying way.

“Seeing you back then was my only true pleasure.” A groan pulled from my throat as I bent forward and caught one of her pink nipples in my mouth and circled my tongue around it, loving the way she mewled and jerked on top of me.

My ice coated my cock, cooling inside of her as her body heat melted it.

Ecstasy ripped through me like a tumbling wave, pulling my cum from my body and into hers. “Fates, I love you!”

“Fates, Thorn!” Her cries struck the frozen walls as she came apart on top of me before slumping down with a long moan. “I love you too.”

Our contract sizzled, my tip branding the inside of her with our promises.

I wrapped my arms around her tightly. “We have a couple of hours to spare. Rest, Kit. We’re going to need it.”

She mumbled something incoherent before her breath evened out, and I fell asleep, still inside of her like I was always meant to be.