Amelia straddled Rennick’s lap on their bed as he caressed the bare skin of her back. They’d wanted time alone before their nuptials later that day.
Their mouths moved together, perfectly in sync, and he made an animalistic sound that shot straight to her core. She extracted herself from his hold and climbed off the bed. Rennick tried to follow, but she placed a hand on his shoulder to stop him from standing.
“What are you doing, little mate?”
Pre-cum leaked from the head of his cock, and she sank to her knees in front of him. His dick twitched when she wrapped her hand around the base, and he sucked air between his teeth. “If you start this, I won’t be able to stop.”
Leaning forward, she ran her tongue up the length of his shaft. “I don’t want you to.”
His head fell back with a tortured groan, and she licked again and took the tip into her mouth. There was a small knot near the head of his dick, and when she lightly scraped her teeth over it, he jumped and fisted her hair.
Smiling, she lowered her head as much as she could without gagging, using her hand to make up the difference of his length. He whispered her name and wrapped her hair around his fist as he pulsed his hips.
“I wish you could see yourself,” he rasped. She gagged when he hit the back of her throat. “Swallow, love.” She gagged again, but tried to swallow him with every thrust. “Fuck, Amelia.” He jerked back, freeing his cock from her lips, and held her in place while he came on her face, coating her with his salty release.
Stunned, she stared at him with cum dripping down her face. He silently stood, picked her up, and placed her on the bed. His hands moved gently over her face, rubbing in his cum like lotion.
She didn’t know whether to be turned on or disgusted, but her thoughts were interrupted by his silky voice. “My turn.” He kneeled beside the edge of the bed and rested his elbows between her legs. “Knees up.”
When his mouth covered her sensitive skin, she sighed with relief and rolled her hips against his face. She hadn’t realized how wound up she was until then, and his assault on her clit made her nerves go wild. His hot tongue ran through her folds and traced every inch of her as he lapped up her arousal like a starved man.
With his hair gripped tightly in her hands, she guided his head where she wanted him, preening when he hummed his approval.
“Rennick,” she breathed when he pushed a large finger into her and pumped it a few times before adding another digit. He continued his torture until she thrashed around. He replaced his fingers with his face as she came. His stubble scratched against her pussy, sending more shocks through her.
The last of her climax subsided, and he gave her one last lick before pulling up to his knees to stare her in the eyes as he rubbed the proof of her orgasm into his skin.
“Don’t try to wash me off your face,” he drawled, crawling over her. “I won’t allow it.”
 |
Rennick stood in the snow under the stars and the moon, staring at Amelia, who wore one of the unseemly dresses he’d given her all those years ago— an ugly brown thing with flowers in pink, purple, and red, and yellow vines. He was a fool. Green boots peeked out from under the hem, and her golden trout necklace hung around her neck. Two twists held her blonde hair away from her face, exposing her rounded ears, and her cheeks and nose were red from the cold.
Much to his dismay, she’d insisted on taking her coat off for the ceremony to “show off” her outfit. She would pay for that later.
When she caught his gaze, he made a show of licking his lips, and she shook her head. Before they left their rooms earlier, she’d locked herself in the bathroom and washed his cum from her face. He’d ignored her pleas for him to do the same, and while he’d already licked every drop of her from his lips, he enjoyed taunting her.
Clover, Fawn, Amos, Echo, and Birdie stood on Amelia’s side, and his father, Finn, his maternal grandmother, and Reyna stood on Rennick’s. Greta perched on a nearby tree, and Eddy sat at Amelia’s feet wearing one of his coats. Charlie’s absence did not go unnoticed, and Rennick feared he’d been wrong about the lynx being her familiar.
The royal officiant tipped his head to Rennick and Amelia. “Amelia Stratton, are you here by your own free will?”
Her nerves fluttered in Rennick’s chest, yet she straightened her shoulders and nodded. “I am.”
The officiant pulled out a small bottle and dabbed holy oil on his finger. Amelia bared her neck, and the man drew a line over the dip between her neck and shoulder. He ran through the same process with Rennick, and when they stood facing each other with oil-marked necks, Amelia’s anxiety rose.
“I don’t know if I can do this,” she croaked quietly. “What if I faint?”
“You’ve only passed out once.” He grinned. “If you do it again, I’ll have your brother hold you up and Clover hold your mouth open, and we’ll do it for you.”
She narrowed her eyes. “You’re not funny.”
His lips twitched, causing her eyes to narrow more. “I wasn’t joking, love.”
The officiant cleared his throat. “Are you two ready?”
Amelia trembled at the sight of the tiny dagger in the officiant’s hand.
“We’re ready,” Rennick announced. “Do you want to go first, love?”
She gulped. “I think you should go first.” Squeezing her eyes tight, she leaned her head to the side to expose the oily side of her neck.
The officiant handed Rennick the dagger, and he held the tiny blade to the oil and sliced a line deep enough to draw blood, but shallow enough to not inflict any real damage.
Leaning forward, he licked the oil and blood from her skin and swallowed. He teasingly licked her again and kissed the spot behind her ear, laughing lightly when she shivered.
She opened her eyes and held out her shaky hand. “What if I kill you?”
To anyone else, it sounded like a joke, but Rennick felt her worry. “You won’t.”
They could have pricked their fingers instead, but he wanted to do it the old way. Some believed doing the holy blood exchange was strongest when done on the neck.
He presented his neck to her, placing his life in her hands, and when he felt the cold steel flick across his skin, he suppressed a laugh. Did she even break the skin?
She tapped him on the chest and motioned for him to bend down. “I can’t reach you.”
He lowered himself to one knee and held on to her hips.
“Get off the ground,” she hissed, glancing at the others. “I just needed you to bend a little.”
“I am where I have always been, love: at your feet, waiting for you to claim me as your own.”
|
Amelia tried not to look at the drop of blood on Rennick’s neck. Of all things the fae could do to seal a mating bond, it had to involve blood. She tentatively leaned forward and quickly licked the oil and blood away.
The metallic taste hit her tongue, but she refused to gag like a child. Instead, she stood tall, proud of herself for not falling over, but her victory was short-lived.
A burning pain hit her chest, and she fell to her knees with a strangled
cry.
“Rennick,” she rasped.
Rennick swore and reached for her. “What’s happening to her?” “I don’t know, Your Majesty,” the officiant replied frantically.
That couldn’t be a good sign.
“She’s fine, son,” Callum said calmly. “Look at her chest.”
The pain ebbed into a distant memory, and she breathed a sigh of relief and held Rennick’s arm for stability. “It’s gone. I’m okay.”
She looked up and everyone stared at her with various looks ranging from shock to awe.
“Look at her chest.”
“What’s wrong with my chest?” She glanced down at her ugly dress to find dark lines on her skin. “I don’t understand.”
Rennick reached for her collar and, before she could protest, ripped it slightly, earning himself a glare.
“I told you I wanted to keep this dress,” she admonished. He smiled a mile wide. “Look.”
More black lines swirled across the left side of her chest into a design. “What is it?”
“It’s your familiar mark,” Amos said, unbuttoning his shirt. He opened it slightly to reveal a tattoo of a fennec fox.
She looked at Eddy and back to Amos’s chest. “I get a familiar?”
The information sank in, and she reached for the top of her dress to rip it more, but Rennick stopped her. “If you show any more of your chest, I will have to kill every man here.”
She stood and brushed the snow from her dress. “You’re ridiculous. I need a mirror.”
“My room is closest,” Fawn offered. She looked at the others. “But it won’t fit everyone.”
A light blur caught Amelia’s eye in the distance. Squinting, she smiled at the tan lynx bounding toward her. “Charlie!”
He wove around the others and stopped at her feet. “Sorry I’m late.”
She spun around. It wasn’t a voice, and she massaged her temples. “Did anyone else catch that, or am I going crazy?”
Rennick laid a hand on her lower back. “Charlie is your familiar, love.
Whatever you felt was him.”
“They can talk?” she whispered, too stunned to say much else.
“In a way,” Callum confirmed, leaning down to stroke Charlie’s fur. “You can sense his thoughts through the bond.”
She squatted in front of Charlie. “Why couldn’t I hear him before now?”
Callum straightened. “My guess is the bond wasn’t strong enough. It takes fifteen years for a royal’s magic to mature enough to bond with a familiar. I’m surprised Charlie came to you early.” He eyed Amelia. “It’s interesting, indeed.”
“Tell him to stop staring at you like that, or I’m going to claw his eyes out,” Charlie pushed down the bond.
Amelia sputtered out a laugh. “You sound like Rennick.”
“What did he say?” Rennick asked her.
She waved a hand dismissively. “Nothing important.” Charlie’s feline mouth turned down, and Amelia stifled another laugh. Of course, her familiar would be a lynx version of her husband.
Callum turned to the others. “Why don’t we offer our congratulations and let the happy couple have the night to themselves?” Following his own lead, he embraced his son and whispered something in his ear. Rennick hugged him tighter, nodding. Callum released him and opened his arms to Amelia. “Welcome to the family, little one.”
She stepped into his embrace. “Thank you.”
He released her with a fatherly smile. “I look forward to getting to know you better.” He nodded to his son, gave Amelia’s shoulder a squeeze, and walked away.
Finn took his place and stood in front of Amelia with his hands behind his back and a sheepish smile on his face. “I’m sorry I’ve been avoiding you.” He glanced at Rennick. “Had your husband seen me anywhere near you, he would have ripped my head off.”
Rennick grunted, and Amelia elbowed him in the stomach. “I’m going to hug him, and if you try to stop me, you won’t touch me tonight.”
Rennick growled. Actually growled, but he wasn’t the only one. She glared at Charlie. “Stop it. Both of you.” Finn engulfed her in his arms and held her tight. “I know what you did for us, and I’m sorry you had to shave your head.” She stage-whispered the last part, earning a snort from Rennick.
Finn released a full belly laugh and extracted himself from her hold. “He’s a good man, and he deserved to be happy. I was happy to do it.”
“No, you weren’t,” Rennick laughed. “I had to bribe you.” Finn shrugged. “And your bribes made me happy.”
Rennick shoved his shoulder, almost knocking him over, but brought him back in for a hug. “I am forever indebted to you. Anything you need, it’s yours.”
“I guess Ora finally got the message,” Finn remarked with knowing eyes. Rennick dipped his chin, and his friend nodded. “It was the right call. She would have hurt Amelia, eventually. Congratulations, you two.”
Amelia studied Finn as he walked away. He just found out they’d killed his childhood friend and he’d shrugged it off like it was nothing. Either he never liked Ora, or he hid his emotions well.
Clover wandered over, bashful as ever, and offered Amelia a hug. “Congratulations.” She released her and added, “Don’t be upset with your brother.”
Amelia spotted Amos brooding a couple of yards away. “I understand his motivations were good, but he shouldn’t have forced you to give up your home.”
Clover ran a hand nervously through the ends of her hair. “Your brother didn’t force me. He’d never do that.” She looked away and Amelia thought she saw a sheen of tears in her eyes. “I’m not saying what happened was right, but he didn’t force me by any means. I could have said no.”
Amelia sensed there was more to the story, but she didn’t want to pry. “How long will you stay? I’ve never heard you speak this much, and I don’t want to miss my chance to ask you a million questions about yourself.”
Clover smiled sadly. “I’ll answer them someday, but I’m leaving tonight.”
“Like hell you are,” Amos all but yelled as he stalked their way. “You’re not crossing the border at night.”
Her nostrils flared slightly, and she closed her eyes. Taking a deep breath, she opened them and said, “You are not my keeper, Amos.”
“I am your king,” he seethed. “You’re not leaving.”
Rennick and Amelia watched the two square off. Never in a million years did Amelia think Clover would argue with anyone, least of all a fae king.
“You owe me the right to do as I please.” Though Clover’s voice remained quiet, it was anything but meek. “Haven’t you done enough?”
“Don’t ask this of me,” Amos pleaded softly. “You know I can’t let you go alone.”
Clover scoffed. “It never bothered you before.”
The venom in her words made Amelia’s eyes widen.
Amos cracked his neck and swept his arm wide. “Then do as you please, Your Highness.”
Your Highness?
Clover turned back to Amelia and Rennick. “I’ll write soon.” They hugged quickly, and she stormed off.
Rennick kept quiet, studying Amos with a knowing look. “Go.”
Amos’ mouth tightened, and he nodded his thanks. “I’m sorry, Amelia, but I can’t stay. I promise to return when I can.”
It hit her then, and her eyes almost popped out of her head. “She’s your mate.”
“I have to go before she gets too far,” he said, ignoring her revelation. “I love you.”
She stared at her brother’s retreating back. “Clover and I have the same birthday?”
Rennick threw his head back in laughter. “That’s what you got from that?” He leaned in and kissed the top of her head. “Let’s thank the rest of our guests and retire for the night.”
|
Rennick took off his coat and hung it on a hook by their sitting room door. He scanned Amelia from head to toe. “You’re cold.”
“I’m fine,” she replied through chattering teeth. “I want to see my mark.”
“I remember the excitement when I got mine.” He trailed after her into the dressing room and unbuttoned the back of her torn dress. “When I saw the owl on my chest, I’d never been more disappointed.” He pushed the fabric off her shoulders. “But then I met Greta, and she was exactly what I needed to see you. The gods always know best. Remember that.”
Amelia stepped out of her dress and kicked it aside. “Charlie is perfect.”
The lynx seemed temperamental at best, but Rennick didn’t argue. “Are you ready to see?”
Amelia spun around and moved her hair to the side. Her eyes ate up the image imprinted on her skin, and she twisted to look at Rennick with an excited gleam in her eye. “Do you like it?”
His hands ran down her sides, caressing her curves. “I love it.” One hand curved over her ass and squeezed. “Do you know what else I love?” He pushed under the edge of her underwear and ran a finger over the plug in her backside. “The fact that after tonight, every part of you will be mine.”
She sucked in a sharp breath and met his gaze in the mirror. “What are you waiting for?”
Nothing. He ripped the underwear from her body and kneeled behind her. “Bend over, love.” She braced her hands on the mirror and bent forward. His hand slid over her back and pushed lightly. “More.”
For a moment she didn’t move, but then she walked her hands down the mirror, giving him the perfect access. He leaned forward and licked her already wet slit, and she jumped slightly.
Soft skin gave under his hands when he grabbed her hips and pressed her body against his face as he feasted on her until her legs shook. She begged him for more and he obliged, probing her entrance with his tongue as he used his thumb to work her clit until her knees buckled. Her body jerked with her orgasm, and he held her firm against his face until he’d extracted every last drop from her.
“Gods, Rennick,” she moaned with a shaky breath.
He gave her one last lick and stood. “I’ll be right back.”
After retrieving the bottle of intimate oil and a towel, he took his place behind her on the floor. She sat on her heels, staring at her familiar mark in the mirror. “It really is pretty.”
“Everything about you is pretty.” He unscrewed the jar’s lid. “On your hands and knees, love.”
Her eyes flashed with eagerness as she got into position.
“Are you ready?” She nodded and closed her eyes. Moving the plug side to side, Rennick gently slid it out and placed it on the towel. He lightly oiled his cock, lifted to his knees, and fisted his shaft. “Amelia.” She opened her eyes and looked at him in the mirror. “Are you sure this is okay?”
Her sweet smile knocked the wind out of him. “More than sure.”
The head of his cock nudged her back entrance. “Watch us in the mirror, little mate.”
Ever so slowly, he pushed into her. There was resistance, but he reminded her to bear down, and once his head pushed through her tight ring of muscles, her body let him in fully. Her mouth fell open, and his head fell back.
“I’m going to let you adjust,” he said roughly. “Breathe.” Once he saw her breathing slowly and her eyes returned to his, he pulled back and pushed in again, hissing at the tightness.
“Rennick,” she whispered and dropped her head.
His eyes moved to where their bodies joined. “Fuck, baby, you’re taking my cock like a godsdamned dream.” His pace quickened, and Amelia braced a hand on the mirror.
She cried out and pushed against him when he strummed her clit, the movement pushing him deeper. Their sounds of pleasure filled the room alongside the slapping of their skin and, when she finally came, he wasn’t far behind. His stamina grew each time they were intimate, but holding out for her was still difficult.
His cock pumped out his release, marking her completely. He hissed as he pulled out, and once he’d cleaned them both, they climbed into bed, kissing each other goodnight.
As Rennick stared at his wife’s sleeping form, he thought back to every letter, every trip to the Human Kingdom, and every sleepless night he’d laid awake and wondered about her.
It felt surreal to finally have her here with him, and now that he’d had her, no one in this life or the next could take her from him.
