Page 74 of Fae Mates

“Are you happy?” I asked.

He tilted his head to the side. “For my entire life, I wanted to be like other faeries. Sometimes, I would imagine how I would look underneath the fur, but I couldn’t picture anything like this.”

“Maybe the curse stopped you from looking at yourself too closely. I always knew you were handsome under the fur.” I wrapped an arm around his broad back.

He chuckled. “It’s strange that the moment I accepted my old appearance, it vanished, replacing it with something new.”

“What do you mean?” I smiled down at our reflections, marveling at how good we looked together. Pokeweed’s golden hair shone brighter than mine and picked up the light of the setting sun.

“Having you choose me last night instead of the princes proved that I could be worthy of your attention even with a cursed appearance.” Curving his lips into a smile, he waved his fingers over his hands and reverted to his old appearance. “I can’t tell you what it meant for me.”

Leaning into his side, I said, “I could stare at you all day, but the princes are waiting, and we’ll be late.”

Pokeweed placed a kiss on my temple and helped me up.

The sun had set entirely by the time we reached the edge of the meadow of oversized garlic flowers. A haze swept through the tall, straight saplings that made up the beginning of the forest. Harsh whispers carried in the air from the direction of a pair of kissing trees that twisted low to the ground.

“That must be where they’re waiting.” I curled my fingers around Pokeweed’s.

He nodded and squeezed my hands.

We passed the kissing trees and walked toward a thicket of beech trees covered in stringy lichen. The whispers became louder and more agitated.

“Rory nearly ruined everything by shooting Gala filthy looks,” hissed Prince Caulden.

Pokeweed and I exchanged glances and hurried through the trees to a clearing. Prince Bradwell stood between Princes Caulden and Rory, placing his palms on their shoulders as though to separate the pair. Prince August stood to one side and glanced from side to side.

We paused, waiting to hear what they would say next.

Prince Rory folded his arms across his chest. “It was bad enough to have her steal Helenium’s magic to become my fated mate. I couldn’t stomach smiling at her when all I wanted to do was tear her apart.”

I bit down on my lip and whispered. “Do you think she suspected anything?”

Pokeweed shook his head. “If she had, Gala wouldn’t have let them out of her sight.”

My brows drew together, and I was about to ask how he knew so much about Lady Gala, but then I remembered that they shared the same mother.

“Are you alright about this?” I asked.

“What do you mean?”

“We’re plotting against your sister.”

Pokeweed pursed his lips. “We never had a sibling relationship, and she delighted in humiliating me at every opportunity.”

Like how we had first met. How many times had that spoiled brat tricked other girls into believing that Pokeweed was their fated mate? I looped my arm around his bicep and gave him a reassuring squeeze. “If it wasn’t for her mischief, we might never have met.”

The corner of his lips curled into a smile. “You were the only faerie who didn’t recoil.”

Prince Caulden paused. “Can you feel that power?”

His brothers went silent and stood back-to-back, ready for an attack.

“Let’s go.” I glanced up at Pokeweed, who straightened.

As Pokeweed and I walked into the clearing, they turned in our direction. Each of their faces softened, and my heart skittered. How long would it take for them to notice the change in Pokeweed? He’d glamoured back his cursed appearance, but he still emanated more power than the princes.

Prince August’s brows drew together. “I thought you’d been poisoned.”