Emori
I cling to the man I have dreamed about for the last twelve decades. I thought I was dreaming when I saw him standing there. I knew my time was coming to an end; consciousness kept taking me under, then releasing me momentarily. I thought my mate had come to bring me to my next life. I even believed Lyric was a figment of my imagination until she kissed my hand. I felt her lips on my knuckles, and I heard how sorry she was. But Lyric had nothing to be sorry for; she only did and thought what any mate would. She wanted the woman who hurt her mate dead. I heard my mate’s words of sadness, him asking if I was willing to allow him to change me and how he loved me. I know I was out of it and probably shouldn’t have agreed to something I had no knowledge of, but ‘yes’ slipped out without any thought. My mate changed me, and now I am a Lycan. I’m no longer a Fairy and don’t know how to feel. I’m scared of what’s to come, and I have a lot to learn. I no longer have Fairy magic, and I’ll miss Valnor, but it was never a happy place for me anyway. Here, in Lykos, with Tyler, I could be happy.
I know Astro would have felt the Fairy Bond break. He’ll believe me to be dead because the bond between Fairy and King will only be severed if you are killed. I could use that to my advantage. I can train with the Lycans and learn to fight like one. Then I can help bring my brother down.
However, I also know how angry Astro will be that I’m gone. He always said I belonged to him, and my brother doesn’t give up his possessions easily, or ever, actually. He won’t let things lie, and there will be hell to pay.
I must tell Lyric and her mate everything I know about Astro and his weaknesses. I’ll tell them everything and do whatever I can to help end that monster. It doesn’t matter that Astro is my brother, I can’t stand him, and I certainly don’t love him. My loyalty is to Lyric and Harmony. I will make my sisters proud. If it’s the last thing I do, I will make them proud.
I let go a shuddering breath when Tyler kisses my head. “I’m sorry I had to do this to you.”
I lift my head enough without letting go of his waist to look at him. “Don’t apologize; you only did what I agreed to. If you hadn’t changed me, I would have died. Though I was prepared for that, I knew I wanted to live when I saw you standing there. I know everything will be different now; I am no longer a fairy…” I sigh and lower my head.
Tyler lays his hand on my cheek and lifts my head. I stare into his beautiful eyes and see the sadness for what he’s done to me. I don’t want Tyler to feel bad; this was my choice, just as it was my choice to give up my fairy self.
“I had to save you, Emori.” I smile because hearing my name on his lips is everything. I have longed to hear it for too long. “Goddess, you have no idea how much I’ve struggled since seeing you in that courtyard.
“You have to believe me, Emori, all I wanted to do that day was run to you. But knowing, witnessing what happened to Thane, and thinking I’d lost my brother…”
“It’s all right, Tyler.” I lay my hand on his handsomely scarred face.
I don’t want Tyler to beat himself up about this, it happened, and nothing can or will change that. We cannot live in the past; all we can do is move forward.
If I had known my mate was the Lycan King’s brother, would I still have done what I did?
Would I have walked away from Tyler to protect him?
Of course. The Lycan King is mighty and could hold his own against Astro one-on-one. But there wasn’t just Thane to think about; there was Lyric and Harmony.
Do I regret giving the other half of my fairy self to the Lycan King?
No, and I never will. Not only for Lyric but Tyler; he needs his brother, they all do. I may have lost who I once was and am now, something I don’t understand, but I will learn how to embrace this new life. I will welcome this chance I have been given, my life, my identity, and hopefully, my mate.
Tyler didn’t move on as I hoped he would. At least, I don’t think he did, though he may have, and he was just saying it was always me to get me to agree to the change. No, I refuse to think like that. Tyler wouldn’t have told me he loved if he loved someone else. “I understand why you walked away,” I continue. “You thought I meant to kill your brother. I could have tried to explain things, but I didn’t.”
I won’t tell Tyler that the look on his face, thinking he was disgusted with me, is why I didn’t try to save myself. I wanted to die because I believed there was no point in living.
“You changed me because I agreed to it, Tyler. You didn’t force me, though you could have, you wanted my approval, and that means everything.
“All of this is strange, but I know you’ll help me through this transition. I love you, Tyler.” He stares at me with tears in his eyes, and emotion fills me. “I loved you from our first kiss. I never stopped loving you, Tyler; it only grew stronger every day. I didn’t even know you, yet I knew I’d always love you. I prayed that you’d find someone,”
Tyler shakes his head, cutting off my words. “There has never been anyone else for me but you.”
My heart thumps hard in my chest at his honest words. He’s a virgin like me; he doesn’t have to say the words; I can feel them.
“Some would say waiting one hundred and twenty years, hoping your mate returns, stupid.” He presses his forehead to mine. “But I would have waited an eternity for you.” He takes my hand and lays it palm down on his chest over his heart. “This belongs to you; it always has and always will. I love you with all that I am, Emori. Please,” He whispers emotionally. “Accept me. Let me love you for the rest of our lives.”
I smile even though I don’t understand why he would think I wouldn’t accept him after everything. I didn’t let him change me just to reject him and run away.
“Of course, I accept you, Tyler. You and your Lycan.”
‘Axel,’ I gasp when Tyler’s eyes cloud over midnight blue. ‘My name is Axel, and you are perfect.
“Bast.ard.” Tyler hisses under his breath, his eyes returning to their natural color. “I’m sorry, he took over, and I couldn’t push him back right away.”
“It’s okay.” I chuckle and then gasp as Tyler’s lips hit mine softly.
I allow him to lead the kiss and moan shamelessly when his tongue caresses mine. I slide my hands along his thick chest, feeling the muscles under his thin shirt. My whole body is vibrating with need; I’m tingling from the tips of my toes to the ends of my hair! ‘Feels good, doesn’t it?’
I pull away from Tyler abruptly as if I’d been electrocuted. My eyeballs dart around the room while I press the heels of my hands to my temples.
“Emori?”
I can’t answer Tyler; I feel like I’m going crazy!
‘You’re not crazy. I am your Lycan.
‘M-my Lycan?’ I answer in my head.
‘Yes.’ I sense the female voice in my mind smiling. ‘What did you think turning meant? That you’d stay in this human shell and never transform? Selene told me you were smart! Cosima laughs.
‘Are you always this much of a bi.tch?’
‘Always. Now, pull your head out of your a.ss, and mark our mate already!’
‘Give me a chance! I don’t know if I’m ready for s.ex yet!’
Cosima laughs again. ‘Girl, give it up already; you’re two hundred years old. Now you’re a Lycan with a seriously hot mate, and you’re going to make him wait? He’s a prince! That is not the point, but what I’m trying to say is that it is natural to mate and mark one another. It makes us whole, makes us stronger.
“Emori?” I blink away the fog and look at Tyler. My face is between his hands, and he’s looking at me concerned. “Baby, are you okay?”
I nod and smile. “Yes, my Lycan was just introducing herself.”
‘Yeah, and I want to meet my mate ASAP!’
‘Your mate?’
‘Axel, you dimwit.’
“Her name is Cosima, and she’s a royal bi.tch. I chuckle.
“Yeah,” Tyler smiles. “Axel can be like that.”
“Tyler, will you tell me about marking? I mean, I know what happens when Fairies mark one another, but I’m new to all of this.”
I shiver and gasp when Tyler slides the tip of his finger over the skin between my shoulder blade and my neck. I don’t know if I still have a bite there from earlier, but it feels sensitive.
“When you’re ready, and only when you’re ready, I will mark you here. This can be done during s.ex or just a makeout session. As long as there’s an org.asm involved, it will feel good. We don’t have to do any of that, of course. But it’s easier, so I’m told, to feel pleasure while receiving the bite.
“I would never hurt you or pressure you into anything. I just want you by my side, Emori. I could never go back to being without you, and when the time is right, we’ll become one.”
I nod against him. I believe he’d wait until I was ready to complete the bond, and I’m so grateful. I want us to mate and mark more than anything, but I’m not ready. I need time to come to terms with everything that’s happened since I came here. I just need a few days to recuperate.
“I just need a little time to adjust. Can you give me that?”
Tyler smiles. “As long as you want, beautiful.”
“I do want us to mark one another, Tyler. The Gods and Goddesses know that all I’ve wanted for the past century is you.” I slide my hands around his neck, and Tyler wraps his arm around my waist with a smile, pulling me flush against his hard body. “We’re going to have a massive fight on our hands with Astro.”
“I know, but we’ll be ready for him.
“I’ll do everything I can to help eliminate Astro, Tyler. I have no loyalty to him, I swear. With you and my nieces are with whom my loyalties lie. Nothing could ever make me turn away from you, Tyler. You’re my whole heart, and I love you so much.”
“I love you, too, beautiful. I have no doubt about your loyalties, but Thane will want to make sure. That’s why we need to get back to the castle and see my brother. Once we’re done, I’m taking you home with me so I can hold you in my arms all night long.” I smile because I like the sound of being held safe in my mate’s arms. It is long overdue. This is the start of our new life together; I just hope we outlive Astro. My brother is not stupid, and he is incredibly powerful. But even powerful men have weaknesses; it’s all a matter of finding them.
Tyler and I walk toward the castle hand in hand. He points out his cabin home, telling me he’d show me around soon. I can’t wait, but I’m worried about what Thane will say. He may have given his blood to aid Tyler in turning me. But that’s not to say Thane is ready to pardon me for my crimes.
‘Yeah, right,’ Cosima snorts. ‘If he doesn’t, after what you did for him, I’ll rip his di.ck off!’ Selfish cu.nt!’
Hearing another voice in my head is taking some getting used to. I have to tell myself that this is normal now. But by the Gods, she is mental!
‘Can you please calm down? Jeez, you are one angry Lycan.
‘I’m not angry; I’m annoyed. Believe me; no one will like me when I’m angry. Anyway, if you let me out, I could get some with my mate, and yes, I mean Axel. That would calm me down because, mmmm, just the sound of his name makes me wet. ‘For fu.ck sakes! Will you stop, you sl.ut?!’
Cosima laughs loudly inside my mind just as Tyler and I reach the castle’s front doors.
“Try not to worry, my love. Everything will be all right.”
I hope Tyler is right, for all our sakes.