Her Forever

Eamon’s POV

Dawn had come and gone. The chairs in the throne room sat empty as everyone worried about the future Queen of the Fae Kingdom. Even though His Highness said, she would make a full recovery, the people still worried for her. Willa had become part of our world in such a short time and touched so many lives she wasn’t even aware of.

Willa, just being with her mate, the King, helped the kingdom in ways she will never understand. She helped grant us our freedom, along with saving Orion’s a*s with a dragon.

Several servants walk by, watering flowers in the aisles of rows of chairs. The chairs are continuing to be dusted, the palace kitchen cooking hoards of food to feed those who were guests in the palace of high ranks. The subjects outside opened their homes to those visiting and were planning on celebrating in the streets. The kingdom had come together to supply each other and take care of the outsiders, which will make Orion very proud.

Willa’s fight just a few hours before gave the entire palace a shake when we realized someone had taken her. Witches came to find only traces of a spell newly constructed of different herbs and scents one would not pick up right away. The witches grew wary when they realized another coven must not have a justified coven leader. No witch or coven would have given away such a spell to hide a scent along with the invisibility properties to anyone but under a royal’s command. The art of this spell practiced too much dark magic. Each spell has hints of its origin, and it led to one that resided in Campania.

This only confirms suspicions of Queen Diana not being able to control the rogues that are starting to multiply. Soon the vampires will begin to feed on the innocent and not wait for their b***d supply bags to reach them and instead go to the source of those unwilling.

I threw my sword back on my h**s as I adjusted the straps. My waist had become thicker since training twice a day. Fionn, the ring leader of our brotherhood, attended to Marsha, who was now in stable condition in their room. It won’t be long before he claimed her, officially leaving just two of the ‘Red Fury’ alone. Brenden had continued sulking, and once the announcement was granted that the ceremony would take place three days from now, he headed off on horseback to get some bonding time with Neolla. His black mare was the only one that could give him comfort, and a few nights under the stars would rejuvenate him.

The drug we were given by King Nyx had done a number on both of us. I felt nothing but pain in my heart and the pull that would lead me nowhere. I wandered the palace grounds to follow the nagging pull, and as I got closer, it would pull away too fast for me to follow.

Several guards were placed throughout the city. Orion had announced for those who were unmated to hunt the city to find mates. Since faes were now allowed to leave their chosen mates to seek their true mate, many came from miles around. They started to trickle in from the Northern mountains to the Eastern sea, and I felt myself become more unnerving.

What if she doesn’t come? What if she is dead? What if her chosen one refused to let her go? Too many questions for me; I’ve never been a thinking man. I would rather act and scourge into battle as I devour my enemies. This thinking had already been too much for my feeble mind.

Maybe she wouldn’t be fae at all? There had been many inter-species mating around here. More than I last remember. It was a good thing; both species could bring much to the table in their relationship to restore a kingdom once deprived of love. There was a time when species collided with each other in harmony, but Onyx stopped that.

What was interesting were the children. Children would take on one of the species of the parents instead of producing a mixed child. At first, we found it strange, but we no longer questioned what the goddess had planned. Children would grow up and find a mate, may it be their own species or not.

There was one child that had resisted that norm, and it was now Queen Diana of Vampira. She is a mix of witch and vampire in an unholy union that had taken place when an old king of the vampires had been previously mated. This may be the downfall of Vamparia since a full-blooded vampire is not sitting on its throne. The reasoning for her mixed b***d is unknown; she has been created as a powerful being but t powerful enough to fight off a nation.

Walking through the streets, several carriages were passing by. Kids were screaming and playing as they kicked a ball around with feet and hands. Running through their playground on the main street, I kicked the ball right into one of their nets as some screamed in laughter. I pulled my red beard aside and scratched my chin, and smiled at the lot of them.

I was heading for the outskirts of town, following the nagging pulling that kept me awake. I’m not expecting to find what I look for, but it will ease my aching mind. Up ahead is the large well that many everyday folk use; several buckets lay outside as one woman walks up. She’s singing an old song, one that is older than my years on this land.

Her eyes were as violet as the light sources sunset, and her skin the color of caramel. Her black silk hair hung loosely on her back with a braid wound tightly with leather straps. She’s too busy humming, knowing my approach, but I fear she will hear my beating heart as I come closer.

The woman’s long tan dress scrapes the ground and is full of mud, and the smock she wears is full of stone fruits that are about to topple over. Her cheeks are dirtied from her time fetching food from the dirt, but my soul stirs seeing her content.

I stood still as I watched her fill up the cup near the well and drink it down. Water spilled from the corner of her mouth and dripped down her neck. Droplets disappeared in between her breasts.

Cleaning my voice, she stopped drinking to look at me in the eyes, and that was when we felt it. The pull.

Dropping her cup, she grasps her apron, waiting for a movement from me. She looked timid as she cowered back. “Please, I won’t hurt you,” I reached my hand out, still not moving my feet. Her delicate hand went to her lips to cover them.

“How can this be?” she whispered so softly I barely made it out.

“What is my little forest nymph?” Her wings fluttered softly as her face lost its initial shock.

“I lost my mate so long ago,” she spoke louder. “I’m sorry, I, I didn’t think I would have a mate again.”

The bit of jealousy rose in me knowing she had a mate before me, but the comfort I had knowing she had no mark on her neck broke me of my selfish thoughts.

“You had a mate before?” I walked around the well as she stood still, looking straight up at me. I was significantly taller than her even though she was taller than future Queen Willa.

“We grew up together, the day he turned 18, he said I was his mate, but he was called to war. Since I wasn’t 18 yet, we couldn’t solidify a bond. He died out in battle.” Her face lowered sadly while I took my hand to lift her head back to me.

“I’m so sorry for your loss,” I sympathized with her. “I can promise you when I go to war, I will never die, not when you were beckoning me in my dreams to come home.” A slight hitch in her throat left her speechless as the sparks flew down our bodies. Immediately I stepped closer to her to put her in my embrace, but she pulled away. My heart stung at the rejection, but I held on.

“You can’t promise that; he promised me that too,” she held her arms to her stomach as she sat on the well. “You can’t promise something you have no control over.” Kneeling in front of her, I put my hand on her knee.

“I have been through two wars and an infinite amount of battles, just as two days ago, and I will fight through that many more because the thought of finding you was too great. Now that I have you, I will never let you go.” Two silent tears dropped to my hand, and I kissed them with my lips.

“Now, please tell me, my forest Nymph, what is your name?” Her eyes fluttered to mine, almost accepting me. Squeezing her hand to listen to the first time she would speak her name, the word left her lips.

“Sundew,” she breathed.

Sundew led me back to her cabin in the woods. She had spent most of the summer months in the Northern mountains, and this cabin was her sisters who had already found a mate and were living elsewhere.

It was a small cabin with one bedroom, a small kitchen, and a few sitting areas. It was perfect for a single person, or better yet, a newly mated couple. While walking over to the cabin, I noticed that Sundew was a bit on the skinny side, but I would afford to give her the most delicate foods with the money I had saved over the years. As much as I like the palace, I really liked her tiny cabin in the woods.

It was quiet and away from prying eyes. Sundew led me inside and asked if I wanted some tea, but I quickly declined. I wanted to know everything about her and let her know I was never leaving.

“Come sit with me,” I beckoned her. I took up most of the room on the small couch where I sat, so it was a perfect excuse for me to touch her. She sighed a bit as I put my arm around her.

“Do you know how long I’ve waited for you?” I learned I closer. Her heart was racing, but I couldn’t feel any fear radiating off of her. Sundew had been staring at me; I could feel her heated stare while I walked into the cabin. She especially enjoyed my open tunic, and I had to do a bit of flexing to make her want me more.

It’s like a damn bird dance. I’m puffing my chest out like an i***t because I wanted to seem more immense, more intimidating when I was one of the most giant warriors. Sundew gave a shy smile as I grabbed her hand. “Do you feel this?” I put her hand on my chest as she gasped. My muscles tightened at her touch. “It beats for you,” I whispered and pulled her face closer.

I had never wanted a woman more than this moment. I wanted to show her the pleasure that no woman had ever experienced from me.

Our lips brushed each other, and I felt the warmth of my soul coming back to life.

Brenden’s POV

Neolla’s hooves drove into the ground as I kicked her lightly. She was one of the fastest horses in Bergarian, besides Asland. Noella would hardly sweat as she pounded the dirt with her fury. She was on edge, as I was. I was tired of hunting, fighting, and regretting.

I had given up; I had given up finding my mate. Sure my King and two brothers had found theirs but had seen mine long ago. She was in the shifter warfighting against us. Her body was ravishing as she stood naked with her pride. A black panther.

Her skin was the color of cocoa that had a sheen of gold. Her eyes were bright green, and her fangs were glorious. I wanted to march right across the field and claim her as mine, let everyone watch as I took her to bed. I was elated and began starving the very moment her eyes laid on me. I smiled at her, letting her know I was friendly and wanted her.

The only problem was this was a war, and we were on the opposite sides. Her pride had begun to sneak into our campsite at night, slashing many faes and elves in their sleep. A cold tactic, but all is fair in war, I suppose.

When our eyes locked, I was ready for a truce, even if the rest of the nation didn’t see it. Stopping the war and being with her would have made my life happier. Until the smile on my face had faded because her hiss shot me down cold. Quickly changing into her panther form, she raced towards me; not able to use my wings at this time, I held out my blade to block her attack, only to have her dart away and s***h me in the shoulder.

I could feel my voice calling to her, “mate, wait!” I begged and pleaded with her to stop as she wrestled with me on the ground. Her growls, hisses, and swipes to my neck made my soul break more. Maybe she had become rabid or didn’t feel the bond? Holding her maw away from my neck, I could still feel the sparks in my hands despite the fur. “Mate, stop!” I cried as I tried to let up and be gentle, but she never relented.

My brothers came to my side; Eamon used his boulder of a body to knock her off as she whimpered, skidding to a stop 10 feet away. Shaking off the dust of her fur, she charged again. Holding my sword in front of me, bracing for impact, I felt my brother push me forward, causing me to take a knee, and my sword impaled her through the underside of her body, straight through her heart.

My own heart was crushed at the moment of impact as she laid beside me. Eamon walked away to help Fionn, but I couldn’t leave my shifter mate alone. “Why couldn’t you stop?” I cried as I petted her head. “Why? Were our differences too much?” She let out a g***n, and her body shifted back to her human. The sword was empaled straight through her heart. Gasping for air, her eyes landed on mine. The bright green stole my soul again.

“Not…with….a… fae. Never…a… fae.” Her last words rung in my head as her body stopped moving.

Noella continued to pound the dirt until we came to our favorite spot. Times when I needed to be alone, I would travel to the Glowing Cavity. A cave that used to be the home of hundreds of dragons. My own brothers don’t know if this spot, I always tell them I sleep under the stars. Novella trotted in the cave, leaving loud hoof echoes. I dismounted and unhooked her bridal, and she immediately left the cave searching for sweet grass on the outside.

It had been a few years since I had been here. Orion had needed too much help, and his mental state was not well before he had Willa. My brothers and I were on constant guard as he continued to deteriorate.

Heading my storage chest, I opened it only to find a few bottles of wine left. The dried food I had stored, however, was gone. “What the f**k!?” I cried out as I pulled everything out of the chest. Huffing in annoyance and putting my hands on my h**s, I decided to walk down the cave more. The light at the end of the cave came from the many glowing pools of water. Light fairies would come here to nest in the many crevices in the rocks. Between their glow and the reflection of the water, it gave the cave a glorious shine.

I finally reached the end, and the pool was as clear as a mountain spring. It looked refreshing, so I knelt down into the water to take a sip when I saw a glimpse of something moving at the corner of my eye. Standing up quickly, I unsheathed my sword. A strong pull came to my chest as I rounded the large lake. My heart hurt worse as I neared but kept my feet moving.

A small indention in the cave, almost like a hollowed-out nest, came into view. I saw none other than my blankets covering something or someone. A small whimper came from the blanket, so I used my sword to toss it to the side. As soon as I did, a girl popped her head up to look behind her and saw me.

“Please don’t hurt me!” She cried and scooted to the back of the cave. My heart was bursting inside me, and my soul was screaming. The bright, golden eyes of a small elven girl had claimed me. “I’ll leave peacefully; please let me go!” She cried again.

My mate was a girl, not a woman. My heart was too excited to care. When she turned eighteen, she would realize who I was, and until then, I could take care of her.

“I would never hurt you,” I softened my stature and put my sword away. “I’m Brenden; what’s your name?” I held out my hand to take, but she curled up into her ball tighter.

“Emilee,” she whispered.

“Emilee, beautiful name for a pretty girl,” I cooed. “Can you tell me how old you are?”

“Ten,” she whispered again. I smiled, and she gave me a small one back.

I spent the next hour asking her questions and how she got here. Her Uncle and Aunt had raised her for as long as she could remember. Emilee couldn’t remember the last time she had fun because she was expected to do chores for the family. She knew how to cook, clean, and even sew and would be expected to do extra tasks each day. Emilee only ate the scraps of the table, which wasn’t much since her ‘siblings’ were very greedy.

Emilee had had enough and decide to run. She had no plan but to run, and she felt a pounding in her chest to lead her here and stay. She felt safe for the first time, and the food and water rations kept her stable for the past two weeks.

After she came closer to me, I saw handprints on her arms from someone trying to grab hold of her. Her arms were skinny, and the clothes she wore were nothing but rags.

Anger welled within me as she told me the punishments she would receive. The thought of having her live with a family, to grow up and have an everyday family life crossed my mind, but I wanted to be selfish. I was the only one that could genuinely keep her safe and make sure she could live a healthy life. I could send her to school and help her grow up and be the person she wants to be.

It will be a complex situation if I keep her. Once she starts to feel for me, when the bond awakens in her, she will be shocked and confused that her caregiver was her mate. The emotional repercussions may be too significant.

f**k. I don’t want to be away from her. I want to know she’s happy and healthy.

I’ve never heard of a supernatural finding their mate before they turned of age, but I suppose it is possible. Things are changing all the time in Bergarian. I know I don’t have any physical desires for her; I feel unconditional love and the need to protect. That was all I wanted for her. Protection. Seeing her smile and grow up with other children. She needed me.

She should have a mother and a father with siblings, though. Emilee should grow up and have a normal life before me; I just found her too soon. The ache in my chest grew heavy as I thought about giving her up. Letting her go would be the most painful thing, mainly since I had just found her. I saw Emilee becoming uncomfortable. “What’s wrong little one?”

“Chest hurts,” she soothingly rubbed her chest. Running my hand through my hair, I let out a gruff.

s**t, the bond is there.

I would have to take her back to the palace and get some advice from some bonding experts, preferably some witches that understood it well. Only then I could figure out what to do. Keep her with me and raise her or give her to a close family that will treat her well until she is of age.

“How about I take you to a special place, hm?” Her short red curls covered her cheeks as she plaid with her fingers.

“You promise not to hurt me, Brenden?” My eyes stung as she called me by my name.

“Never, I promise nothing will ever happen to you ever again.” Emilee quickly crawled up in my lap as she sighed contently, and I carried her out of the cave.