Her Forever

Fionn’s POV

I dashed out the door as quickly as I could; I didn’t need Orion asking me more questions as to why I was so happy. It wasn’t any of his business, and he had enough on his plate as it was. I was just pleased that I was allowed to fetch the boy that Willa had grown so fond of. To think that he was now her younger brother made it all the sweeter.

I went to my room; first, I threw on my more excellent uniform and made sure the buttons were shined and the slit in the back was open, so I could have easy access to my wings when needed. Fae women, way back when used to awe over a good set of wings. Mine were strong, and my heritage showed through with tiny bits of red swirled in the patterns. I straightened my coat and combed my hair back, and put on a dash of musk enhancer, all while trimming my beard. I wanted to look sharp for this visit to try and gain her attention.

“Fionn,” Eamon bellowed as he walked into our communal bathroom. “Ah, you must be going by the orphanage again,” he rolled his eyes as he put on his trousers. It was true; I had been sneaking by the orphanage to get a glimpse of the beautiful fae I had met not too long ago with Willa. She was a sight, but it wasn’t her looks that caught me, but the strong personality that she tries to hide. She was a mystery I wanted to unravel, a perfect package of a warrior fae that was hiding something.

“She’ll never falter for you,” Eamon joked as he ran his hands through his red hair. “I know it because she wouldn’t dare look at me, and we all know who is the most handsome.” I rolled my eyes, not caring to fight. Eamon was the most muscular of us all, but I had the charm. I’d do my best to flirt with her and get to know her. She had been so stand-offish, not wanting to get to know me, which drove me mad.

“She’ll come to me,” I boasted.

I had caught her staring as I would fly by. At first, she would glare at me, but I knew something was there. I piqued her interest whether she knew it or not. When I had a moment to spare, I would try and speak with her, but she could sense me. As soon as I was in the area, she would gather the children and head inside. My heart wished for her to be my mate, but when I looked into her eyes at a distance, my soul could not figure her out. A mystery.

Not today, Nana. I will have to speak with you with orders from the King. I checked myself one more time before Eamon grabbed Brenden, who was making out with some fairy servant. He needed to grow up if he ever planned to find his own mate. Eamon had calmed down considerably since Orion had his mate and now Annan. We were both getting antsy, but Brenden continued to overcompensate for his need of desire.

“Let’s go,” my beard was trimmed, my hair pulled back in a lower tail, and we were off to the one place my heart had been aching to go. Brenden shoved the female off his lap while she gave a loud whine on why he was leaving. Brenden snickered and waved her off.

We flew over the marketplace with ease. The faes and several elves were speaking with each other as we passed. Many of the faes were nobles that had split from their chosen partners who decided to look for their mates, and the marketplace was the perfect community spot to seek them. There was slight chaos at the beginning, but things have simmered down. Many couples took it as no hard feelings, while others had a difficult time with the split. They had created their own bond with their chosen and had become good friends, but that was all it was. Friends.

Once they find their mate, they would feel complete and feel more joy than they ever could have with their chosen. Then why am I obsessing over Nana? She wasn’t my mate, but I was drawn to her. It wasn’t just her beauty; I felt that didn’t matter. It was just her, her aura. I almost could see a golden glow around her as she walked and took care of the orphaned children.

As we arrived, our three cousins greeted us as they were hanging up the daily laundry. They spoke about how excited they were. They no longer had to work for coinage and concentrate on having the children adopted. There had already been several parents come by to adopted children with their newly formed bonds of parents. Thank the goddess I saw Cricket trying to fly up a nearby jumba tree instead of being taken away by new parents.

“We are actually here on business, ladies. Is Nana around?” The girls all elbowed each other and pointed to the house. I gave them a bow which they laughed at my silliness and headed inside.

Nana must not have heard me because she was in the kitchen, washing dishes and humming a tune. An old nursery rhyme that I heard Orion humming to Queen Willa just this afternoon. Nana was as radiant as the day I saw her as we approached the orphanage to return Cricket from the marketplace. I cleared my throat, and Nana turned around, startled.

“Oh, um, Commander Fionn, can I help you?” Her eyes wouldn’t look at me as I walked towards her. She was hiding her fierceness; I could feel it.

“I’m actually here to pick up Cricket, we have found his mother, and she desperately wants him back.” Nana’s face fell as she grabbed the dishrag.

“Y-you can’t. Cricket is mine.” This perked my attention. This morning, I was informed that Cricket was Elaine’s. The mother who had been given Cricket as compensation for her birthed baby was no longer around. Her identity must have been changed, but of course, Onyx kept tabs on the boy.

“Have you known Cricket since his birth?” I inquired. Nana nodded her head as she wrung out the towel. Her hands were shaking, and her demeanor started to change. Taking her hand, I felt the sparks fly across my skin, the classic sign of a mate. Gods, she was my mate; why could I not see it in her soul? Taking my hand away, she looked up at me and held her hand to her mouth.

“I-I’m sorry. I-I can’t.” Nana stepped away, but I took another step closer.

“Marsha? Are you Marsha?” Her eyes began to glisten as she held her body tightly. Out of instinct, I grabbed her and pulled her into my arms. Holding her while she cried, I held her head close to my body, not daring to let her go. Eamon and Brenden entered the room but quickly left, seeing the state Nana was in.

After a few moments of crying, she looked up into my eyes. If I had just gotten closer to her sooner, I could see the sparkle in her eyes. Her soul was reaching for me; I felt the bond within her. Why do I have to be this close? Sensing my questioning gaze, “it’s a spell,” she choked. “I did it to hide myself from Onyx.”

She was hiding from the bastard. Marsha may have thought he would come back to rape her, and I bet the damn fool would have too. I’ll crush his bones the way he has ruined so many lives.

“I hid, but the downside of using a glamour spell is that it would hide me, and I would not be able to find a second chance mate if I was granted one,” she sobbed. “How did you find me?” I wiped a tear away from her cheek and smiled down at her.

“I always find what I am looking for, and I have looked for you for centuries.” I wanted to k**s her, ravish her and take care of all the ailments she had gone through. Her heart had been broken by a mate, and I wasn’t about to do it to her. Marsha doesn’t know how a mate should be treated, so we will take it slow and prove my worth. I will be valiant and defend her honor. “Onyx is captured and will die a painful death; you do not have to hide any longer,” cooed in her ear. “May I see my future blushing bride?”

“I have the undoing potion in my room.” Marsha’s blush scattered across her face, and the tiny freckles glowed brightly. Marsha continued to look into my eyes; neither one of us wanted to let go, but until I gaze on my beautiful mate in her true form, the itch will always be there.

“Be quick,” I spoke in a hushed voice, and with a reluctant look, she ran up the stairs. My heart thudded in my chest; even with a glamor potion, I was able to find her. Granted, it took me a lot longer to see her since she had been hidden away in the forest with the orphanage, along with her own glamor spell. The real question would be if she had an antidote for the boy, Cricket, so he could grow and stop being a boy. Willa would want that for him as well as his birth mother.

Marsha will be facing hardships once I bring her back to the palace. She already knows her daughter Sibille that she birthed, had grown to be the villain in this story, along with her ex-mate. Hell, I remember when Sibille walked into the orphanage, not that of a month ago demanding money from her to pay taxes. Did she really know? There was obvious hurt in her eyes, but maybe she never saw Sibille as her daughter, she never raised her, and she never held her in her arms.

Marsha jumped down the stairs in her dull dress with a brown smock. I would dress her in the finest clothes; I have waited for her and saved for my mate to have the best. The small potion was dusty, and with one quick swig of the drink, she set it on the table and stepped away from me.

The lifeless hair started changing from root to tip. Spirals of Chesnut hair strung down to her waist, her green eyes were brightened, and her face no longer looked pale. Marsha looked rested and beautiful, but most of all, what I noticed was our bond and how strong it was. It was a damn waterfall with the water pounding me into the rocks.

I ran to her and picked her up, spinning her around while she laughed and held me by my shoulders. “We will take it slow, I know you have been through much.” My urge to k**s her still sat in the forefront of my mind and her licking her lips didn’t help.

“I know of your honor, Fionn. I’ve watched you a long time,” her finger brushed my short beard. “We won’t go too terribly slow,” she winked and leaned her lips to mine. I leaned down and pressed to hers, and our bodies instantly touched each other. Her breasts were about to spill out of her dress as I held her close. With one hand on her back and the other at the curve of her back, I let her feel how much I wanted her. So much for going slow.

The door opened wide, and a confused Cricket walked in. “Where’s Nana?!” Marsha laughed and ran to him and grabbed his hands. “It is me, Cricket. I’m Nana, well I’m Marsha. I’ve had a glamor spell on me, and I have a spell on you too, my little heart.” Cricket looked up confused, with his mouth hanging open.

“You know how you never grow?” Cricket nodded.

“Yeah, you said I didn’t eat enough vegetables,” he pouted. We both laughed, and Marsha shook her head.

“I did it to keep you safe from someone, but you are safe now. When you were a baby, I had a powerful witch cast a spell on you so you wouldn’t grow older than 8 years old.” Cricket squinted his eyes at her and nodded his head.

“Okay, so what now? Can I grow up all at once? That would be so cool!” Marsha laughed again and shook her head no.

“No, you will grow slowly once we give you the potion. We need to do it in front of a witch to make sure the spell and the potion are done properly. Now, go pack your bags. You are going to go meet your mother today.” Cricket let out an enormous scream and ran up the stairs. I was happy to see that Marsha was willing to let Cricket go, but the pain in her heart will be great once his birth mother leaves for Atlantis.

I will fill her heart, and we will create our own children in our own likeness.

Eamon and Brenden came barging in with swords pulled out, ready for a battle. Pulling Marsha close, I had her head buried into my neck. “Everything is fine,” I yelled at them playfully. Marsha leaned up and pecked my lips again.

“What the hell did I miss?” Brenden sheathed his sword and walked to both of us. “Nana?” he questioned when he looked at her. Marsha gave me another hug as my heart warmed. Even with Marsha’s bitter beginning while she hid from Onyx, she was still willing to give us a try. I guess watching me from afar, knowing who I was, gave her the extra confidence to even consider having me as a mate. I prided myself I didn’t let other women try to seduce me.

I would have to explain it to Brenden later as he continues his frivolous encounters with random fae women.

“It’s a long story; once we gather Cricket and head back to the palace, we will tell you all about it,” I smirked while holding on to my mate. Marsha was worth the wait, and I would cherish her and treat her like a queen like Orion treats his mate Willa.