Chapter 29

Chapter Twenty-Nine

TRISTAN

I sat with my back against a gnarled tree trunk. My eyes were unfocused, lost in the swirling visions that danced at the edges of my consciousness.

Fragments of possible futures flashed before me—Arthur crowned in glory, Arthur falling to a hidden blade, Arthur lost in the mists between worlds. The paths of fate were in constant flux, especially here in Avalon where time itself seemed to flow differently.

Galahad paced restlessly, pausing every so often to whistle a series of melodic notes. Each time, a bird would materialize from the shadows, trilling a response before disappearing once more. His brow furrowed with worry as he relayed the information to us.

"She's still in that tree," he reported. "The nightingales say she climbed nearly to the top and found a hollow. She's been there for hours."

Lancelot growled, sinking his fingers through his long hair in frustration. "She shouldn't be alone out there. Not with Mordred after her."

I stood, stretching my stiff muscles. The others looked up at me questioningly. "I'm going to find her," I said simply. Lancelot started to rise, but I held up a hand. "Let me go alone. She needs space, not all of us crowding her."

He nodded reluctantly, sinking back down. I could see the worry etched in the tightness around his eyes, the way his jaw clenched. We were all feeling it; the weight of Arthur's pain, of all of our pain.

I made my way through the twilit forest, following the faint trail of Arthur's energy. Here in Avalon, magic thrummed through every living thing, and those attuned to it could sense the echoes left behind. Arthur's signature was unmistakable—a blazing golden thread woven through the tapestry of the forest.

I came to the massive tree where Galahad's birds had spotted Arthur. Its trunk spiraled upwards, easily as wide as ten men standing shoulder to shoulder. As I climbed, I felt the tree's ancient consciousness brush against my mind. It was a fleeting touch, alien and incomprehensible, yet somehow welcoming. The moss beneath my hands glowed brighter at my touch.

About halfway up, I noticed a change in the tree's energy. The moss pulsed with a gentler rhythm, and the very air seemed to hum with a protective warmth. I knew I was nearing Arthur.

I found Arthur curled up in a natural hollow formed by several converging branches. Her face was tear-stained, her brow furrowed even in sleep. The golden circlet still rested on her head, the rubies pulsing faintly in time with her breathing.

My heart clenched at the sight of her, so small and vulnerable in this vast, ancient tree. I settled myself on a nearby branch, content to keep watch over her as she slept.

She was so beautiful it almost hurt to look at her for too long. Her soft, but wild curls framing her devastating face. I’d never wanted a female more viscerally than I wanted Arthur. My entire body craved to be near her. To touch her and taste her.

She’d fit so perfectly around my cock, writhing beneath me as I fucked her last night. I’d gone to sleep with that image seared into my mind. She was everything I wanted in a mate.

I wasn’t sure how I felt about returning to Avalon without her when all this was done. How could I stand to live out my years worlds away from the woman I couldn’t get out of my head? Before Arthur, Avalon was all I dreamed about, but something had shifted. Suddenly, it wasn’t the thought of home that kept me going, because home suddenly felt like some place else…some one else.

In the distance, I could hear the haunting song of the nightstalkers. Creatures with bodies of living shadow and voices like deep, haunting brass bells. Their melody wove through the forest. They were attracted to the magic that fed off of pain, and I only hoped they stayed far away from Arthur.

A soft gasp drew my attention back to Arthur. Her eyes fluttered open, confusion clouding her features for a moment before recognition set in. When her gaze landed on me, a flicker of pain crossed her face before she quickly looked away.

"Arthur," I said softly, keeping my voice gentle. "Talk to me. Please."

She remained silent for a long moment, her fingers idly tracing patterns in the glowing moss. Finally, she spoke, her voice barely above a whisper. "What's there to talk about? You've all made your decision."

I sighed, shifting on my branch to face her more fully. The ancient tree creaked softly, as if lending its voice to our conversation. "Things are never that simple. Especially not for me."

She finally looked up, her eyes red-rimmed and filled with a mixture of hurt and curiosity. I took that as an invitation to continue.

"Do you know what it's like to see fragments of possible futures constantly? To be bombarded with visions that shift and change with every decision, every fleeting thought? It's...overwhelming," I admitted, running a hand through my hair. "One moment, I see you crowned in glory, ruling Camelot. The next, I see you laying at Mordred’s feet."

Arthur's eyes widened, her lips parting. I rarely spoke of my visions, the weight of them often too heavy to share. "Every choice we make, every path we consider, it all ripples through the fabric of time. Here in Avalon, where time flows differently, the visions are even more intense. It's like trying to navigate a storm-tossed sea where the stars keep rearranging themselves."

She shifted in her mossy hollow, her brow furrowing as she absorbed my words. The soft glow of the bioluminescent fungi cast dancing shadows across her face, highlighting the sharp angles of her cheekbones and the fullness of her lips.

"Arthur, I'm not even sure I want to come back to Avalon when this is all over."

Her eyes widened as she searched my face. "But...it's your home. You've been away for so long. Don't you want to come back?"

I smiled sadly, reaching out to brush a stray curl from her cheek. The touch sent a jolt through me, like lightning coursing through my veins. "Avalon has been my home for centuries, yes. But home isn't always a place. Sometimes…sometimes it's a person."

The leaves around us rustled, as if the great tree itself was leaning in to listen. In the distance, the haunting song of the nightstalkers grew fainter, as if even they were retreating to give us privacy.

"When I'm near you, the chaos in my mind quiets," I confessed, my voice barely above a whisper. "The endless parade of possible futures slows to a trickle. For the first time in centuries, I feel grounded. Present. I've spent lifetimes lost in visions, always one step removed from the world, and I’m fucking tired.”

Arthur's eyes were rimmed in silver, a mix of emotions flickering across her absurdly beautiful face: surprise, hope, and something deeper that made my heart fucking race. Before I could react, she surged forward, her hands coming up to cup my face.

Her lips crashed into mine, soft yet insistent. I groaned into her mouth, my body responding instantly to her touch. The kiss was magic, sending sparks of pleasure shooting through every nerve ending. Arthur's fingers tangled in my hair, tugging gently as she deepened the kiss.

I wrapped my arms around her waist, pulling her closer until she was practically in my lap. The moss beneath us pulsed with a soft, rosy glow, as if the tree itself was blushing.

My cock hardened, straining against the confines of my breeches. Arthur shifted, and I knew she could feel my arousal pressing against her thigh. She made a small, needy sound in the back of her throat that nearly undid me.

I broke the kiss, trailing my lips along the curve of her jaw and down the column of her throat. Arthur tilted her head back, giving me better access as I nipped and sucked at the sensitive skin. Her pulse fluttered beneath my lips, rapid and enticing.

My hands roamed over her body, mapping every curve and hollow. Even through the layers of her clothing, I could feel the heat of her skin, the way she trembled at my touch. I slipped a hand beneath her tunic, tracing the soft skin of her lower back. Arthur arched into me, a breathy moan escaping her lips.

She looked into my eyes, and I felt something shift inside me. Something clicked into place in my head. I wanted this woman. This queen. I wanted to keep her.

“I want to be your safety,” she whispered against my lips.

For the first time in centuries, I felt a sob working its way up my throat, but I stifled it. Instead, I captured Arthur's lips again, swallowing her moans as I ground my hips against hers. The friction was exquisite torture, even through our clothes. I wanted, needed , to be inside her, to claim her as mine.

I flipped our positions, pressing Arthur back against the moss-covered hollow of the tree. She gasped, her eyes wide and dark with desire as she looked up at me.

With trembling fingers, I unlaced her tunic, pushing the fabric aside to reveal her creamy skin. I trailed kisses down her throat, nipping and sucking at her pulse point. Arthur arched into me, a breathy moan escaping her lips.

"Tristan," she gasped, her fingers tangling in my hair. "Please..."

I growled low in my throat, the sound more feral than I intended. My fae nature was rising to the surface, drawn out by the magic of Avalon and my burning desire for the woman beneath me. I knew my eyes were glowing silver in the twilight as I looked down at her.

Leaning back on my heels, I slowly peeled off her trousers and boots, and she shucked off the rest of her clothing, bearing herself to me fully.

Slowly, reverently, I ran my hands along her body, marveling at the contrast between my dark fingers against the paleness of her belly. Arthur shivered under my touch, goosebumps rising in the wake of my caress. I leaned down to capture her lips in a searing kiss as I positioned myself between her parted thighs.

Pulling my cock free, I lined myself up with her entrance, sliding through her swollen wetness. Arthur's breath hitched, her eyes locking with mine as I slowly pushed inside. The tight, wet heat of her body enveloped me, and I had to grit my teeth to keep from losing control.

"Tristan," Arthur breathed, her voice thick with desire. "Don’t you dare leave me."

" Fuck ," I groaned, my voice rough with need. “I can’t fucking leave you, little faerie. There’s no Avalon for me without you.”

She whimpered in response, her legs wrapping around my waist to pull me deeper. I began to move, setting a slow, deep rhythm that had Arthur moaning. Her fingers dug into my shoulders, nails raking down my back as I thrust into her. The slight sting only fueled my desperation, driving me to claim her more thoroughly.

Growling low in my throat, I hitched her legs higher around my waist, changing the angle of my thrusts. Arthur cried out as I hit that spot deep inside her that made her voice pitch higher. Her inner walls clenched around me, drawing me deeper. I was coming already, but I couldn’t stop.

It was a good thing Arthur was fae, and that fae women could only get pregnant when fully mated, because between the six of us males, it could have easily happened the night before.

I picked up the pace, my hips snapping forward with increasing urgency. The hollow of the tree creaked and swayed with our movements. I moaned, unable to stay silent as I fucked her into the moss roughly.

That’s it,” I gritted through clenched teeth as her hips rose to meet mine in a frenzy. “Just like that, little faerie…”

My vision blurred at the edges, silver light bleeding into the corners of my perception as my fae instincts surged to the surface.

Arthur's eyes flew open, locking with mine. I watched in awe as golden light bloomed in her irises, spreading until her eyes were twin pools of molten sunlight. "Tristan—" she gasped, her voice thick with need and something deeper, more primal.

An overwhelming urge swept through me: to claim, to mark, to make her mine for eternity. Without conscious thought, I leaned forward, my lips finding the junction where her neck met her shoulder. My teeth grazed the sensitive skin there as Arthur shuddered beneath me.

With a guttural groan, I sank my teeth into the soft flesh of her neck, tasting the coppery tang of her blood on my tongue, claiming her. Arthur cried out, her back arching off the moss as pleasure and pain mingled and blended.

Suddenly, Arthur's hands tangled in my hair, pulling my head back with surprising strength. Before I could react, she surged upward, her teeth finding purchase at the sensitive juncture of my neck and shoulder.

The moment her teeth broke my skin, the world exploded into a haze of sensation. It was as if every moment of my long life, every vision I'd ever had, every possible future, all converged into this single point of connection between us. I noticed Arthur's essence merging with mine, our souls intertwining in an unbreakable bond.

Mates. We were…mates.

The realization hit us both like a thunderbolt, our bodies shuddering in unison as the mating bond snapped into place. I felt Arthur's emotions coursing through me: wonder, ecstasy, a fierce possessiveness that matched my own. Our hips moved in a frenzied rhythm as we chased our mutual release.

"Mine," Arthur growled against my neck. The word reverberated through our newfound connection, igniting a primal fire in my veins.

"Yours," I gasped in response, tightening my grip on her neck. "And you're mine, little queen. Now and always."

I spilled into her with a growl, more animalistic than man. She followed me over the edge, moaning gutturally as her cunt squeezed me. Wave after wave of pleasure crashed over us, amplified by the mating bond until it felt like we might shatter from the intensity.

As the aftershocks subsided, we collapsed against each other, panting heavily. Arthur's heartbeat thundered in time with my own, our bodies and souls now inextricably linked. She lifted her head, those golden eyes meeting mine with a mixture of awe and fierce joy.

"What have we done?" she whispered, though I didn’t sense any regret through our bond—only a sense of rightness—of coming home.

I cupped Arthur's face in my hands, marveling at the golden light still swirling in her eyes. The mating bond hummed between us, a living connection that pulsed. I detected a hint of fear beneath it all.

"What we've done," I said softly, "is create an unbreakable bond. A fae mating bond is...it's beyond anything in the mortal realm. It's a joining of souls."

As I spoke, I became aware of subtle changes in my perception. The world around us seemed sharper, more vivid. The moss glowed with colors I'd never seen before, and I picked out the whisper of wind through leaves miles away.

"Among the fae," I continued, "mating isn’t taken lightly. It's a choice made by our souls, often without conscious thought. When two fae are truly compatible, when their essences resonate in perfect harmony, the urge to mate becomes overwhelming."

Arthur's fingers traced the mark she'd left on my neck, sending shivers down my spine. Through our bond, I felt her fascination mingled with a touch of awe.

"But how does it work?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. "I feel different. Like the world has shifted somehow."

I nodded, understanding exactly what she meant. "The mating bond enhances our natural abilities. It's a merging of life forces. From this moment on, a part of me will always be with you, and a part of you with me. You will balance me and I’ll make you stronger.”

Arthur's brow furrowed as she processed this information. Her expression became uneasy as she sat up. "Tristan. What does this mean for the others?"

I sat up too, grabbing her discarded tunic and draped it over her head to quell the chill. "There have been instances where someone has taken multiple mates. It's rare, but not unheard of."

Arthur's eyes widened, a flicker of hope sparking through our newfound bond. I experienced her emotions as if they were my own: a swirling mix of confusion, desire, and a deep-seated longing for a family. A unit.

“And what about you? It wouldn’t be fair of me to ask you to share me, would it?” Then she shook her head with a heavy sigh. “What am I even saying? They’re going back to Avalon when I take the throne anyway. It won’t matter in the end if they don’t want me back.”

I brushed a stray curl from Arthur's face. Sadness poured from her, but it mixed with overwhelming satisfaction. It was unlike anything I’d ever felt before, as if her emotions were underneath my own.

"This bond doesn't change how the others feel about you. If anything, it might make those feelings even stronger." She looked up, her eyes rimmed in silver. “They’re my brothers. I know their hearts better than I know my own sometimes. Give them time to figure out what they really want. Avalon has been the goal for seven hundred years, and that’s not an easy dream to break. But don’t write them off just yet.”