18. Fae Prince

Rowan

Rowan leaned into Luca's embrace, savoring the warmth and comfort that seemed to radiate from his very being. It was strange, he thought, how quickly he had come to trust this man, how easily he had allowed himself to be vulnerable in his presence. But there was something about Luca, something that made Rowan feel safe and cherished in a way he had never experienced before.

"Rowan," Luca said softly, his voice filled with a tenderness that made Rowan's heart skip a beat. "There's something I need to tell you."

Rowan pulled back slightly, his brow furrowing in confusion as he searched Luca's face for any hint of what was to come. "What is it?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

Luca took a deep breath, his eyes never leaving Rowan's as he spoke. "We're fated mates, Rowan. Destined to be together, bonded by a connection that goes beyond anything either of us can fully understand."

Rowan felt his breath catch in his throat, his mind reeling with the implications of Luca's words. Fated mates? How was that even possible? He had heard stories of such things, of course, whispered tales of love and destiny that had always seemed too good to be true. But to hear Luca say it out loud, to feel the truth of it resonating in his very bones… it was almost too much to process.

"Fated mates," he repeated softly, his voice filled with a mix of awe and disbelief. "But how? How can you be so sure?"

Luca smiled, his hand coming up to cup Rowan's cheek in a gesture of tender affection. "I can feel it, Rowan. In my heart, in my soul. It's like a part of me that I never even knew was missing has suddenly fallen into place. And when I look at you, when I hold you in my arms… it's like coming home."

"I feel it too," he admitted softly, his voice filled with a quiet kind of wonder. "Like I've been searching for you my whole life, even if I didn't know it until now."

Luca's smile widened, his eyes shining with unshed tears as he leaned in to press a gentle kiss to Rowan's forehead. The intimate gesture caught Rowan off guard, his breath hitching in his throat as a wave of emotion washed over him. It was strange, he thought, to feel so connected to someone he had only just met, to allow himself to be so vulnerable and open with a man he barely knew.

But as he looked into Luca's eyes, as he saw the depth of love and commitment shining there, he knew that he couldn't deny the truth of what he felt. Fated mates or not, there was something special between them, something that went beyond mere attraction or infatuation.

"Luca," he said softly, his voice filled with a quiet kind of determination. "There's something I need to tell you too. Something about who I am, or at least, who I used to be."

Luca's expression grew serious, his hand tightening around Rowan's in a gesture of silent support. "You can tell me anything, Rowan."

Rowan took a deep breath, his heart pounding in his chest as he gathered his courage. "I'm the fae prince of the Seelie court," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "Or at least, I was. Before all of this happened, before I ended up here."

He saw that Luca wasn't surprised by this news and he wondered why. "Our elder told me the story about the tree though he didn't know the specifics. Do you know what happened to you, Rowan?"

Rowan shook his head, his expression growing distant and pained as he tried to make sense of the fragmented memories that swirled through his mind. "I don't know," he admitted softly, his voice filled with a quiet kind of desperation. "I can't remember much of anything before I woke up here. Just bits and pieces, like shards of a broken mirror that I can't quite put back together."

Luca's expression softened, his hand coming up to brush a stray lock of hair from Rowan's forehead. "It's okay, Rowan. We'll figure it out together. I promise you, I won't rest until we unravel the truth of what happened to you and how you ended up here."

Rowan felt a lump rising in his throat, his eyes stinging with sudden, unexpected tears. He had never had someone care about him like this before, someone who was willing to stand by his side and fight for him, no matter what challenges lay ahead.

"Thank you, Luca," he whispered, his voice filled with a quiet kind of awe. "I don't know what I did to deserve you, but I'm so grateful to have you in my life."

Luca smiled, his eyes shining with a fierce kind of love and protectiveness that made Rowan's heart ache with longing. "You deserve everything, Rowan. And I'll spend the rest of my life making sure you know that."

Rowan felt a wave of emotion wash over him at Luca's words, his heart swelling with a love and gratitude that he couldn't quite put into words. He knew that there was still so much uncertainty ahead, so many questions that needed to be answered and challenges that needed to be faced.

But in that moment, none of it seemed to matter. All that mattered was the feeling of Luca's arms around him, the warmth of his skin against his own, and the promise of a future that they would face together, no matter what.

"I can't even begin to wrap my head around all of this," Rowan admitted, his voice soft and filled with a quiet kind of vulnerability. "The idea of having a fated mate, of being connected to someone in such a profound and unbreakable way… it's a lot to take in."

Luca nodded, his expression filled with understanding and compassion. "I know, Rowan. And I don't want to overwhelm you with too much too soon. We can take this at your pace, figure things out together as we go along."

Rowan felt a rush of gratitude and affection for Luca, for the way he seemed to instinctively understand what he needed, even when he couldn't put it into words himself. "Thank you, Luca. For being so patient with me, for giving me the space to process all of this."

Luca's smile softened, his hand coming up to brush a stray lock of hair from Rowan's forehead. "Of course, Rowan. I'll always be here for you, no matter what. That's what it means to be fated mates, to be connected in a way that goes beyond anything either of us can fully understand."

Rowan felt a shockwave of emotion ripple through his body, his mind reeling with the implications of Luca's words. Fated mates. Destined partners. It was a concept that he had only ever heard of in stories and legends, a fantasy that had always seemed too good to be true.

And yet, as he looked into Luca's eyes, as he felt the warmth and the strength of his presence washing over him like a balm, he couldn't deny the truth of what he felt. There was a connection between them, a bond that went beyond mere attraction or infatuation. It was like a piece of his soul that he hadn't even known was missing had suddenly clicked into place, making him feel whole and complete in a way he had never experienced before.

Rowan leaned into Luca's touch, savoring the warmth and comfort of his presence. He knew that he should be overjoyed, that he should be reveling in the discovery of his fated mate and the promise of a future filled with love and happiness.

But even as he tried to lose himself in the moment, he couldn't shake the nagging sense of uncertainty that lingered in the back of his mind. There were still so many questions left unanswered, so many pieces of the puzzle that he couldn't quite fit together.

"Rowan," Luca said softly, his voice cutting through the din of Rowan's thoughts. "I know there's a lot on your mind right now, but there are some people who have been waiting to meet you, ever since we brought you back from the forest."

Rowan felt a flicker of surprise and apprehension at Luca's words. "People?" he repeated, his brow furrowing in confusion. "What people?"

Luca smiled, his eyes crinkling at the corners in that way that made Rowan's heart skip a beat. "The rest of the pack, of course. They've been worried about you, Rowan. They want to make sure you're okay, and to welcome you into the fold."

Rowan swallowed hard, his throat suddenly dry at the thought of facing a whole group of strangers, especially in his current state. He was acutely aware of the fact that he hadn't bathed or changed his clothes since waking up, and he could only imagine how disheveled and unkempt he must look.

"I don't know, Luca," he said hesitantly, his gaze dropping to his lap. "I'm not sure I'm ready to face anyone else just yet. I mean, look at me. I'm a mess."

Luca's expression softened, his hand coming up to cup Rowan's cheek in a gesture of tender reassurance. "You're beautiful, Rowan. Inside and out. And the pack will see that too, I promise you."

But even as he spoke, Rowan could see the understanding dawning in Luca's eyes, the realization that he needed some time to himself, to collect his thoughts and prepare himself for the challenges that lay ahead.

"Tell you what," Luca said, his voice gentle and coaxing. "Why don't we get you cleaned up a bit first, before we go out there and face the world? I'm sure a nice, hot shower would do wonders for you right about now."

Rowan felt a rush of gratitude and affection for Luca, for the way he seemed to instinctively understand what he needed, even when he couldn't put it into words himself. "That sounds amazing," he admitted, his voice soft and filled with a quiet kind of vulnerability. "But I'm not sure I even know how to work one of those things. We didn't exactly have showers back in the Seelie court."

Luca chuckled, his eyes sparkling with amusement and tenderness. "Don't worry, I'll show you. It's not as complicated as it looks, I promise."

With that, he helped Rowan to his feet, his arm slipping around his waist to steady him as they made their way towards the small bathroom attached to the bedroom. Rowan couldn't help but lean into Luca's touch, savoring the warmth and strength of his presence, the way he seemed to anchor him in a world that felt like it was spinning out of control.

As they stepped into the bathroom, Rowan felt a flicker of self-consciousness wash over him, his gaze darting around the unfamiliar space with a mix of curiosity and apprehension. He had never seen anything like it before, with its gleaming white tiles and strange, metal fixtures.

"Here, let me help you," Luca said softly, his hands moving to the hem of Rowan's shirt, his fingers brushing against the bare skin of his stomach in a way that made him shiver.

Rowan swallowed hard, his heart pounding in his chest as he allowed Luca to undress him, to peel away the layers of clothing that had been his only armor against the world for longer than he could remember. He felt exposed, vulnerable in a way that he had never experienced before.

But as Luca's hands moved over his body, as he helped him step into the shower and under the warm, cascading water, Rowan felt a sense of peace and rightness wash over him, a feeling of belonging that he had never known before.

"Is this okay?" Luca asked softly, his voice barely audible over the sound of the water. "I don't want to make you uncomfortable, Rowan. If you'd rather do this alone, just say the word and I'll give you some privacy."

Rowan nodded his head, no ready for his mate to his him at this state yet.

Luca smiled, his eyes shining with a fierce kind of love and protectiveness that made Rowan's heart ache with longing. "That's okay, I understand. Take your time okay? Call me when you need me. I am just one shout away."