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As I bumped up and down against him, hearing the howling wind rushing by me, I knew I was on a horse with my mate.
We were racing to the mountains, to find the mad king.
CHAPTER 14
The mating bond sent me a wave of warmth, love, and anxiety, but at least it was no longer dominated by fear, rage, and panic. I flexed my fingers. The bone-chilling coldness had left me. I wasn’t alone as caring voices caressed me.
I forced my eyes to open.
I was in a soft bed, surrounded by my mates. Iokul lay by my side, hugging me to him, lending me his heat and strength. Rai and Blaze perched on the other side of the bed, one holding my hand, the other combing my hair gently with his fingers.
They would all get into bed with me if it were big enough.
“Daisy? Love? Honeybee? Sweetheart?” they all called me.
“Huh?” I answered them all, my gaze sweeping over them.
They were bandaged here and there. They’d been wounded, and Rai seemed to have taken the heaviest hit, his arm in a sling. My heart ached for them. Their pain was mine. But I was also relieved that they were in one piece, which was quite a victory, considering our small numbers against the demon army. Even after Elvey’s and Adrian’s forces joined us, the demons had still outnumbered us nearly three to one.
Dragons could regenerate quickly, but while the realm didn’t allow us to use magic or shift, we had to heal naturally. The realm’s magic only made an exception to heal me because of my position as future Keeper.
Rai placed a kiss on my lips. As soon as his lips parted from mine, Blaze moved in to scorch my lips with his.
“Love,” Iokul whispered beside me, inhaling my scent deeply as his trembling, hot lips traced the column of my neck. “We thought we lost you. We wouldn’t survive if you died.”
My eyelids fluttered. Before I could say anything, a male voice beat me to it.
“No wonder Princess Daisy is overwhelmed,” Adrian grunted from the door. “Who wouldn’t be?”
I turned my aching head and my eyes landed on Adrian leaning against the wall.
Mostly, he was how I remembered him—dark-skinned, handsome, a giant of a man made of muscles and built like a warrior. He had honey-brown eyes that had once been full of laughter, light, and loyalty, and now only loyalty remained intact. The laugh had diminished long ago, but the light was coming back, gradually. He’d found me at last.
Thick bandages covered his left arm, the side of his ribs, and his leg. I said a silent thanks to the goddess. If I’d lost Adrian when I’d just gotten him back, it would have scarred me forever.
Adrian stalked toward me, his auburn hair waving at his measured movements, and all three princes growled at him.
“What?” Adrian frowned. “I’m not going to take the princess away from you.”
The princes traded an uncertain look. Right, Sphinx had forced me to spill the answer to his riddle and now my mates knew there would be four true loves for me instead of three. They’d thought it would be Elvey. But now with Adrian having suddenly returned, they weren’t sure which one would be the final mate.
“I served Princess Daisy centuries ago,” Adrian continued. “I’ll continue to serve and guard her until the end of time. Even as her mates, none of you can or shall stand in the way.”
Blaze glared at the tattoo of the daisy flower on Adrian’s left temple. Rai glanced at the tattoo with displeasure as well. Only Iokul seemed to be fine with it. I tried not to stare at it, though my breath caught at the sight of it—it was beautiful.
Adrian had been my first crush, and we’d stolen a few kisses. I’d been only fifteen then. Now, with centuries passing by and between us, and t I already having three mates, I didn’t know how I felt about him. I still loved Adrian, and I always would, but I no longer felt the spark between us. I no longer had the gut-punching feeling whenever I’d been in his presence. All I felt for him now was warmth, trust, and friendship.
Adrian caught our gazes fixing on the tattoo on his temple.
“I etched it the day Princess Daisy disappeared.” Adrian heaved a heavy breath. “It served as a reminder every time I looked in the mirror. It reminded me never to give up on my future queen until I found her and brought her home.”
“I’m glad you returned, and that we are united again, Adrian,” I said, tears moistening my eyelids. “It’ll cause me great pain if I have to hunt down my general in every corner of the universe when I need him to lead my army.” I held his gaze, which was filled with centuries of grief, guilt, and resolve. “What happened to me centuries ago was never your fault. The curse was already set upon me. Get rid of your guilt. It’ll only wear you down. War found me before I sought it out. I need your focus on our enemies.”
The light returned to his eyes, and with that, the steel will and determination to eradicate our enemies. “Yes, my queen.”
I wasn’t a queen yet, but I would be.
I nodded.As I stretched out and probed my feelings toward him, I knew I was no longer in love with him. And I knew he understood that I wouldn’t have a place for him in a romantic relationship.
