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“Please,” Theo whimpers, nodding against the door, pushing back against me. He yelps when I pick him up, throwing him over my shoulder, laughing and cursing at me. That is until I smack his ass with a firm swat, and the yelp turns to a moan. So, I do it again.
Taking the stairs two at a time, I finally reach our room. His hideous bed is there, and I guess it’s my bed now, all made up with too many pillows. I throw him onto the mattress, and he bounces twice before he sprawls out reclined on his elbows.
“You gonna join me in our bed?” His thighs part with a complete lack of subtlety, and he eyes me like a juicy peach, his tongue darting out to trace that full lower lip.
I crawl over him, covering his body with mine. Unable to resist, I lean down to bite that lip he’s taunting me with, rejoicing at his hiss of pleasure.
“Only every night, forever and ever.” I promise. Theo’s eyes flick between mine, his lips hooking up into a coy smile.
“You promise?”
“I promise.” I can feel the power of the promise, a magical oath rippling through the air, threading us together. We seal the promise with a kiss. Our future, entwined together as one.
It sounds perfect to me.
Epilogue - Theo
Six Months Later
Once, many moons ago—but not too many—a boy was born. A fae boy who was gifted with the remarkable burden of knowledge. Others considered it a gift, but they did not know, did not consider the strain such power would place on a small child. How it would isolate him.Other him.
This boy, alone in the world, neglected by his parents, navigated theories, ideas, and situations beyond his years. No matter how dark or harrowing or vast, he delved in wherever his gift pushed him. His gifts, as they were, separated him from those his own age and the adults with whom he studied and later worked.
Desperate to prove himself worthy, he persevered; despite the continual rejection of his unloving parents, judgemental social peers, and jealous colleagues, he worked diligently. Alone.
Until, one day, another boy took notice of him. But that boy was not good of heart and hurt him. Used him for his love. He took and took until there was almost nothing left.
And then, our boy genius received an opportunity. A moment to prove that he had grown, to delve further into life's mysteries. He seized the offer, but, again, all was not what it had seemed. Danger lurked behind the golden chance, and the boy's life was nearly lost.
Indeed, he did lose much—he lost his powers, his gifts, leaving him but a shell, unknowing of who he was without the responsibility he had been saddled with.
But he was rescued.
His brother, who had loved him throughout, gathered his friends and searched the deep dark woods to find the boy. After a daring rescue, they were freed. But the boy was lost.
Until another boy saw him. A man. A man whose steadfast spirit cared for the boy, even while he was broken. A man who loved him and laughed with him and gave him a new opportunity to grow. To become the man the boy was destined to be without the weight of his gift. The man saw the truth of the boy, the good and the bad, and loved him wholly.
And that man, that glorious man, with his dark eyes and horns and wicked smile, is the man I am mating today.
That is, if my friends ever get themselves together to get this show on the road.
“Seldon, you do remember thatIam the one getting mated today, right? Not you? Could youmove?” I shove at my friend who is standing in front of the singular full-length mirror in the house, primping. Hedoeslook amazing in his soft green satin suit embroidered with a riot of pastel flowers, but I still need to get ready.
Roan is back in his old place, getting ready with the help of Mauvy and Caelan. Who are, you know, actual help. I have Seldon and Tor competing for mirror space. Edith is at least floating back and forth between us, dabbing at her eyes with a lace hanky under her black veil every so often.
Seff is out in the Woods near the Falls, doing all the heavy lifting necessary to get things set up for the ceremony. And assisting in whatever secret plans are being enacted on the front lawns of the Black Stump. The ones that had seen Roan and I barred from passing the front door for the past two days. We hadn’t even been able to leave the doors open yesterday, even though it had been a beautiful spring day.
“What are you talking about? You’re all ready to go.” Seldon waves me off, leaving the mirror at last to recline on my bed and inspect his nails. He’s right, though, I’ve been ready for the past two hours—I was too excited, and we all got ready early.
Now we have to wait. It’s torture.
It’s only been six months since Roan and I moved in together, but it feels like we’ve been waiting an eternity. First, we wanted to wait till I’d recovered from everything with Darius, and then everything had happened in autumn with Seff. Before we knew it, winter was rolling around and we decided to hold off until the spring full moon.
The wait has been excruciating.
We could have done it like Caelan and Tor, alone in the Woods, but there is part of me that wants the traditional mating ceremony. And Roan wants whatever makes me happiest.
“You nervous?” Tor asks as he slides up next to me, as perfectly gorgeous as ever, his iridescent skin shining just a little brighter with his happiness. Before I can respond, he wraps an arm around my shoulder and pulls me in for a quick selfie.
