Date: 2013-10-30 04:00:00+00:00
Keywords: M M Romance; Paranormal; Shapeshifters; Romance; Fantasy; Fae; Magic; M M Paranormal; M M Shapeshifters; Lgbt
Description: Sometimes falling in love is the easy part. Kylen is now king of the fae and missing his mate. The question as to whether the fae are as committed to their mates is answered when Kylen can no longer sleep, or eat. The rest of the fae worry he isn’t a good king, and truth to tell, Kylen doesn’t want to be. He wants nothing more than to curl up with Farro, play with their son, and live happily ever after, but sometimes life doesn’t give you what you need.

Keeping Kylen

Moon Pack, Book 11

Amber Kell

Keeping Kylen

Copyright 2013 by Amber Kell

Cover design: Meredith Russell

Editors: Erika Orrick, Jason Bradley

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission. This book cannot be copied in any format, sold, or otherwise transferred from your computer to another through upload to a file sharing peer to peer program, for free or for a fee. Such action is illegal and in violation of Copyright Law.

Dedication

To all my Moon Pack fans who didn’t give up on me continuing this series.

Chapter One

“Dad, where’s Papa?”

Sammy stood in Farro’s bedroom doorway, his teddy bear dangling from one small fist. Blue-footed pajamas covered him from neck to toes. Farro blinked back tears when he recalled Kylen had insisted on buying Sammy a pair in every color. Farro had only put his foot down when Kylen had pointed out the hooded ones with bunny ears. Not even Kylen’s hopeful smile would persuade Farro to let his half-shifter son dress like prey.

Brushing off the memory, Farro walked over to kneel down to his son’s level. He wrapped his hands around Sammy’s smaller ones.

Talking past the lump in his throat made speaking difficult, but he pushed through. “Papa isn’t coming home. We talked about that. Papa has taken a job that moved him away from us. He still loves you, but he’s not coming back.”

Despite his anger over how Kylen left them, Farro had no doubt his mate still loved their son. Kylen just needed a good kick in the ass. For the past four months, Farro had given several variations of ‘Papa’s never returning' talks to Sammy, and each time, the words tasted sour in his mouth. Sammy refused to believe the man who had adored him so deeply would just abandon him with only a brief letter and never a look back.

Farro couldn’t blame his son. Some days he had difficulty believing it himself. Unfortunately, Farro had grown to face the truth: Kylen wasn’t returning. Kylen was never returning. His inner wolf whimpered sadly inside.

“Why can’t he come home?” With the simplicity of a child, Sammy waited for an easy explanation.

A sigh escaped Farro before he could pull it back. “He’s in charge of the fae now. They need him to rule.”

“We need him more. You should go get him.” Sammy tilted his head and pinned his father with a no-nonsense look. In Sammy’s world, there wasn’t anything his father couldn’t do. Farro hated to disappoint him.

“It’s not quite that easy.” Farro stood and crossed his arms over his chest. He needed every advantage he could get. Unlike the other times he’d explained Kylen’s disappearance, Sammy didn’t appear willing to drop the subject. Farro wouldn’t back down. He had absolutely no plans for retrieving the asshole that had abandoned his family with only a note. He didn’t care how bad Anthony claimed Kylen felt about leaving. Kylen had left—end of story. Farro’s inner wolf might pine from lack of his other half, but Farro’s human half was made of sterner stuff and he refused to give in to his beast.

“But he’s lost!” Sammy wailed, a screechy, high-pitched sound. Farro winced at the noise.

“What makes you think he’s lost?” This was an approach Sammy hadn’t used before, and Farro had to admit he was curious over where it was going. His son had become increasingly creative in his demands for Kylen’s return.

“You told me if I’m not where I’m supposed to be, I’m lost. Papa is supposed to be here so he must be lost too. You need to go find him.” Sammy’s big eyes shone with tears.

Farro didn’t need to go and find Kylen, he knew exactly where his mate was with every breath of his being. The presence of Kylen lived in the back reaches of his mind like a festering wound, constant and painful. Farro was now eternally connected to a man who’d abandoned his family but could never leave him entirely. Now Farro knew why Silver had appeared so ragged after Anthony had vanished. Farro had already penned a letter for Dare and Steven to accept custody of Sammy if Farro snapped under the strain of losing his soul mate. Dare loved Sammy as if the half-wolf shifter was his own, and Steven would make sure Sammy wasn’t ridiculously spoiled.

Farro turned his focus on his child again. Sammy’s eyes were bright with tears, and the grip on his bear had turned his knuckles white. Biting his bottom lip, Farro nodded.

“I’ll go talk to him,” he agreed. His wolf howled in delight at the chance to see their mate again. This could either heal Farro or destroy him entirely.

He had to at least try so he could come back and tell Sammy that Farro did his best to retrieve his other parent. Kylen didn’t belong with the fae; he belonged with Farro and Sammy. Farro had held off doing anything because he thought Kylen would rather be king than Farro’s mate. Kylen’s note had explained the situation, but the least the bastard could do was break Sammy’s heart in person. After Kylen had blathered over how children were precious to the fae, he'd quickly abandoned a child he had claimed he considered his.

“I’ll go find him tomorrow,” Farro promised, his heart beating with anxiety. He didn’t know what would happen, but he couldn’t let Sammy down. He had to at least make an effort.

“Bring him home. No one tells a story like Papa.” Sammy's expression didn’t show any doubt that Farro would haul his Papa back home.

“I’ll do my best.” Farro had little hope he’d be coming back home with Kylen. This wasn’t a big romantic story where one glimpse of his mate would make Kylen abandon a kingdom for Farro’s love. If that had been the case, he would’ve returned already.

Farro would do anything to make his son happy, though, and if it involved stealing the fae king and starting an interspecies war, well sometimes sacrifices had to be made—other people’s sacrifices. He’d claimed Kylen fair and square, and it was time to take back his mate.

Farro waited until morning to descend on the pack leaders. Anthony answered his knock wearing nothing but sleep pants and cradling his adorable son. Farro eyed the boy cautiously. Trin watched him with a steady gaze unnerving in one so young.

“What can I do for you?” Anthony turned his head. A silver wolf paw glowed on his upper cheek like a magical tattoo. Zeus had left his mark on Anthony; not only was the god Anthony’s grandfather but he also considered the alpha-mate one of his few favored descendants. Farro still had slivers of guilt over what Anthony had suffered through due to Farro’s spite.

“Can I come in?” Farro didn’t want to ask his question out in the hall.

“Of course.” Anthony stepped back. “Sorry, this one decided he wanted to play first thing this morning.”

Farro nodded. “Sammy went through a stage where he woke me up every morning.”

“Really? Did he do it by starting a thunderstorm in your living room?” Anthony scowled at his son who grinned back and patted his father’s cheek with one chubby hand.

“Um, no.” Maybe they didn’t have the same experiences after all.

Anthony sighed. He waved a hand and the living room righted itself. The water vanished, and the couch fluffed dry.

“Handy.”

Silver sniffed as he walked into the room. Unlike Anthony, Silver had on a shirt and a pair of sweats. “Why does it smell like rain in here?”

“You don’t want to know,” Anthony replied.

Silver’s gaze settled on his son. “Ah, never mind.”

He took Trin from Anthony and cuddled the child closely. “Good morning, Farro, would you like some coffee?”

“No, thank you. I was hoping Anthony could get me to the fae dimension. Sammy says I need to retrieve Kylen. I’m just hoping I can get Kylen to write me a note or something. Anything I can bring back here to show my son that his Papa isn’t coming back.” Farro knew he sounded bitter, but he couldn’t help it.

Anthony frowned. “You can’t get across the portal without taking a fae with you.”

“You’re not going,” Silver told his mate. “I’m never going back there and neither are you.”

The alpha’s tone had a finality to it Farro doubted even Anthony would challenge. He saw the demi-god open his mouth but then shut it again. “Yeah, I won’t be going there for a long time, that’s for sure.”

“Or ever,” Silver scowled.

Farro watched the alpha move around the kitchen preparing coffee. Anthony set Trin down. The child scampered across the floor, no doubt seeking more trouble.

“How can I get there, then?”

“How about I send you with the twins? With the last dark fae king dead, you should be fine with only them as an escort,” Anthony said after a moment of contemplation.

“Do you think they’d be willing? They don’t like to leave Gabe.” The fae twins Viell and Vien were notoriously obsessive about their shifter mate. It surprised Farro that they still let him work at Anthony’s firm, probably only because they trusted the alpha-mate to watch out for him.

Anthony shrugged. “They can take him with them. Like I said, there shouldn’t be any issues. I can send you with an automatic return bracelet to pull you back to this side once you’re done with your trip if you find yourselves stuck. I’ll ask them today.”

“Thanks.” Relief swept through Farro. At least he was doing something. He could tell Sammy that he would be seeing Kylen. He wouldn’t promise his return, but he could at least honestly claim to have visited the man. “Do you think Dare will watch Sammy while I’m gone?”

“I’ll lighten his bartending duties if it helps,” Silver offered.

That was why Farro appreciated belonging to a pack. Everyone stepped in to help the others in time of need. It didn’t seem to occur to Silver to tell Farro to find a less busy babysitter or to deal with it all on his own. Both of the alpha pair immediately offered to do what they could to help Farro with his problem. Neither of them tried to talk Farro out of his trip.

“Thank you. I appreciate the help,” Farro said formally. A lump in his throat had him blinking back tears.

Anthony squeezed his shoulder. “Hey, it’ll be all right. Go see him. At least he can write a letter for Sammy.”

“That’s the least he could do, the bastard,” Farro growled.

“Let me go call the twins and find out when they would be willing to go,” Silver offered.

Farro nodded. “Okay.”

He paced the floor as Silver made his phone call. The alpha returned a few minutes later. “If you want to go home and pack your things, they’ll be ready in a few hours.”

Farro shook his head. “Thanks.” He wondered if Gabe knew he was taking a trip.

Chapter Two

Kylen sat on the window seat in his bedroom. His gaze focused on the midnight-darkened field he could see through the large pane of glass. The moon glowed, lending an almost magical quality to the world outside. Wet grasses sparkled from the bright light like a glowing sea, but all Kylen noticed was the lack of wolves in the landscape. There was a time when he had truly loved living with the fae. When he thought his life couldn’t be any more wondrous. A highly trained soldier of the king’s guard, he had only begun to dislike his job when the king turned mad. But now he lived in a new kind of hell—a mateless one.

No bright moonlit night could be properly enjoyed without the musical howl of the pack, the thunder of dozens of paws pounding across the earth, or the vision of large furry beasts hunting and playing beneath a star-filled evening sky. For Kylen, the lack of lupine in the field before him ruined the evening. The empty field reflected his barren soul—devoid of life.

In the human world, Kylen had spent many full moon nights chatting with Anthony and the fae twins about their wolf mates. Over drinks they had exchanged stories and watched the wolf pack romp through the forest. Damn, he missed them all. Not just Farro, but the entire pack. They had become his family, and he’d turned his back on them.

Pressing his palm against the cool glass, Kylen wished he could push his way back into Farro’s world. Memories of walking into their house after work and finding Sammy in his little footie jammies twisted his heart. He missed his little boy almost as much as he missed his mate. The young half wolf shifter had worked his way into Kylen’s soul and clutched it in his tiny fist. Kylen wouldn’t be surprised to learn pieces of him were still back at his old house.

The fae often spoke of someone fading from sorrow in hushed tones over tables of tinkling crystal and tiny sandwiches—something that scandalously happened to other people. Kylen had to admit fading wasn’t that bad. Maybe because he no longer cared what happened to him, the world had faded to a dull ache. The whispers in court of bad things happening and good events occurring all had the same effect on him. Nothing. He could no longer empathize or sympathize or any of those ‘-izes’ because his heart had broken and his soul had been crushed along with the end of his mating bond. Oh, he could still feel Farro, but the only emotion his wolf mate cared to share was so painful Kylen had had to block their connection more than once. Like a fool, he kept returning, thinking the pain would be better than soulless isolation. Each time, he’d been wrong.

“I’m an idiot.” Here in his bedroom, without any witnesses, Kylen could admit his failings. In public, a king couldn’t appear less than perfectly confident, or the jackals would begin to circle for the kill. He’d seen Silver in full rage take down an enemy with more compassion than some courtiers dealt with friends.

He’d been a fool to let the dark fae kingdom pull him back into its clutches. He hungered for Farro’s presence like a smoker craved nicotine after going cold turkey. “I miss you, my wolves.”

He knew Farro was suffering. Shifters didn’t fare well without their mates, and what about Sammy? Poor sweet Sammy had lost his mother, his nanny, and now the man who swore to stay and be his father. Kylen’s small family had been the perfect dream, now he struggled to survive his current nightmare.

“I’m so sorry, Sammy,” he whispered the words, hoping the wind could snatch them away and carry them to his son. Saying them louder might break the pleasant numbness he had going on. If he didn’t acknowledge the great losses of his heart, he might survive one more day, maybe two. Kylen didn’t have huge hopes for a more long-term existence. He didn’t want to live the rest of his life without his family. Closing his eyes, he rested his head against the glass. He didn’t understand the fuss—fading wasn’t too bad.

He heard the hinges to his bedroom door creak. Kylen opened his eyes and used the window’s reflection to watch his secretary Noel enter. He didn’t bother to turn around. Maybe if he ignored everything and everyone else, he could pretend to be back home. Every morning when he woke, he shed a few tears when he realized Farro wouldn’t be walking through the door and bringing him his morning coffee, something the shifter had enjoyed doing.

Kylen’s secretary cleared his throat—twice. Kylen might have grown up with Noel, but he didn’t have to pay any attention to him. Or listen to him harp about finding someone new. There would never be someone new. No one could replace Farro—not in his heart or in his bed.

“Go away.” Kylen didn’t bother to ask what Noel wanted. The secretary only had a couple themes he ranted about—mating and politics. Neither of which Kylen was in a particular hurry to discuss that evening.

Was it wrong to want a bit of quiet to wallow in his despair?

“You can’t go on like this,” Noel said firmly as if his words made any difference at all. Kylen resisted the urge to set the man on fire, but it took more effort than usual. He wondered how Anthony resisted killing everyone who annoyed him. With that much power at his fingertips, Kylen didn’t know if he’d be able to resist. Maybe it was a good thing Anthony had the ability and not him. Sending a lightning storm through the court a few times a day would be a constant occurrence if Kylen had that kind of magic. If nothing else, it would keep the courtiers on their toes.

“I can do anything I want. Didn’t you hear? I’m the king.” Kylen laughed, a hard sound without joy that had even him wincing at the noise. He doubted he’d find humor in anything for a while, maybe forever. Why couldn’t people let him enjoy his misery in peace? Right then, he’d rather be a stable boy than a king if it meant he got to keep his mate. Farro would be worth giving up a kingdom, but at the moment, the kingdom wouldn’t give Kylen up.

“You can’t fade, Your Majesty. Your people need you,” Noah insisted in his sincere way that reminded Kylen of a puppy, hoping to get attention from its master.

Kylen snorted. His people needed someone to blame when things didn’t go their way. They needed someone to bitch at about the last king. And when they got tired of whining about the two previous topics, they used Kylen as a source of gossip, speculating about whom he’d take to his bed now that he was king. No one. Kylen could answer that question for them if he felt inclined.

“I miss my mate.” The words bubbled out before he could hold them back. No one needed to know his pain except Farro. Those were words he should only share with the man he’d left behind.

“You spent too long with those wolves. You can replace him with a couple of fae and be perfectly happy.” Noel’s tone, consoling instead of condemning, was the only reason Kylen didn’t use his magic to punch a hole through his secretary’s chest or set him on fire. He clenched his jaw to hold back the angry words dying to escape.

Kylen breathed on the glass. He traced a heart wistfully with his finger, then stared through the remaining clear portion of the window. Was the full moon out where Farro lived? Was he running with his pack? When he finished his time as a wolf and hormones raced through him, whom would he have sex with? After all, his mate had abandoned him, and Farro couldn’t be alone for the rest of his life. He deserved better. Sammy deserved a new father or mother.

They might deserve better, but it would kill Kylen if he were replaced. Kylen’s magic crackled beneath his skin as he imagined Farro turning to someone else. Silver’s pack had a large selection of eligible people, why wouldn’t Farro choose one of them? He might claim to like men, but he’d been married to a woman so his choices would be twice as good. Who wouldn’t wish for a gorgeous, faithful man with an adorable child? Kylen, of course, would hunt down and kill whoever thought to grace Farro’s bed, but they’d get at least one good night first. Kylen would give everything to spend another minute with his mate.

Another sigh drifted out of him. Without Farro, he might as well give in to the fade. He thought Noel said something else, but Kylen had stopped listening. His imagination filled with thoughts of Farro replacing him. After a moment, the sound of the bedroom door closing behind Noel announced the secretary’s exit.

Good! At least now he could have time alone. Too many people buzzed around him all the time, always wanting something. He just wanted to be allowed to mourn for the rest of his life, was that too much to ask? Deep inside he knew he couldn’t go on this way. The kingdom deserved a ruler willing to give the people his or her full and undivided attention, not someone who wished to be elsewhere.

He jerked back when a face appeared in his window. King Sein tapped on the glass. What the hell was the king of the light fae doing outside his window?

Kylen stood on the bench and pulled down the window latch with a soft snap. He pushed the window open a few inches, enough to speak. Luckily, the hinges were regularly oiled and the large pane moved silently. He didn’t want to listen to a lecture from his guards about letting in strange rulers in the middle of the night.

“What are you doing here?”

“Let me in,” Sein demanded.

Kylen sighed. Why couldn’t everyone just leave him the fuck alone? Now even people from neighboring kingdoms were interrupting his nice pity party. He’d been thinking of getting black balloons to finish off the celebration. Maybe that would scare people from bugging him with their petty concerns.

After checking for hidden guards and determining no one was waiting to ambush him, Kylen opened the window wider, then motioned the king inside. Sein pulled himself easily through the small space. He jumped off the window seat to the floor with a quiet bounce.

“Shut it!” he ordered.

“You do know you’re not in your kingdom anymore, right?” Kylen asked as he obediently closed the window, then refastened the latch. Puzzled over Sein’s actions, he folded his arms over his chest and waited for an explanation. He knew from experience that interrogating Sein would get him nowhere. The king of the light fae would speak when he was ready. He’d always been annoying like that.

Sein flashed Kylen a wry grin. “Sorry for visiting so late, Ky, it took a while to escape my guards. I don’t know why they bother; they aren’t skilled enough to protect me from more than a field of dandelions.”

Kylen scowled back at Sein. “It’s been several years, Your Majesty. Surely you could’ve waited until the morning.”

Why Sein felt the urge to visit Kylen in the middle of the night, he didn’t know.

Sein lost his smile. “Stop the majesty crap, Ky. You might have broken ties with my half of the family, but we’re still related.”

Moving over to the bed, Kylen sat down without answering. Being related to both sides of the fae monarchies had more often been a source of stress rather than pride for Kylen. He firmly believed his light fae mother and dark fae father should’ve never become involved. They’d spent their lives pulling Kylen in opposite directions. When they were killed by a jealous lover, it had come as nothing but relief for Kylen who’d never bonded with his cold, manipulative parents. Kylen brought Milla, their killer, flowers on her birthday every year. She accepted them in a jail cell, but she seemed happier than when she’d dated Kylen’s father.

“What are you doing here?” Monarchs didn’t tend to drop informally via window if they weren’t up to something.

“I have a problem.” Sein hopped from one foot to the other, shivering in the cool night air. Kylen hadn’t bothered to have a fire started—he hadn’t cared if he froze or not. The room always had a chill to it that even a fire couldn’t deter.

Rolling his eyes, Kylen pointed at the bed. “Get under the covers before you develop a cough and your court comes to hunt me down when their king dies of hypothermia.”

Sein snorted. “Those pussies wouldn’t hunt down a bunny without having an anxiety attack.”

Still, despite his words, Sein kicked off his shoes, then climbed between the sheets. He still shivered, but his skin began to lose the hint of blue.

Memories of childhood sleepovers crowded Kylen's thoughts. Good times before the matters of adults clouded their days. Their time together as children was one of the few positive memories Kylen had of visiting his mother.

“Remember when we made a fort in the throne room?” Sein asked.

“Yes.” Kylen also remembered asking his dad why he couldn’t go play with Sein anymore and his father telling him to stay with his own kind. With both of his parents now dead, he couldn’t exactly ask his father why he’d changed his mind about letting Kylen play with the light fae boy.

A fragment of a memory drifted through his mind. “I thought your father was going to kill us when you used his crown to secure that sheet to the chair.”

Sein grinned. “He shouldn’t have left it lying around. Anyone could’ve stolen it.”

“I thought it was in the royal vault.”

Sein shrugged. “It lacked protection and made for a really good clamp.”

Kylen smiled faintly at the memory. He sat, scooting until his back rested against the headboard. “What are you doing here, Sein? You could’ve arranged for a meeting in broad daylight and maybe even gotten a meal out of it. This sneaking around after dark without guards is just asking for trouble. I have to wonder how great my own security is if you can make it to my window so easily.”

“True.” Sein shrugged. “Most people wouldn’t approach on this side of the castle.”

Still, Kylen would talk to the guard master tomorrow. These sorts of gaps in security weren’t to be tolerated. “What do you want?”

No sense in tiptoeing around the subject. If Sein didn’t want something, he wouldn’t be sneaking around.

“Don’t be suspicious like that. I just needed to see you without witnesses.”

“That doesn’t make it any less creepy. Why don’t you want witnesses? You planning on killing me?” Kylen winced at the lack of interest in his tone. When a person had nothing to live for, it was hard not to hope for the end. Better he be killed now than have a long, drawn-out existence missing his mate.

“Crap, it’s true. You are beginning to fade.” Sein’s appalled tone had Kylen blinking at his childhood friend.

“What do you care? I haven’t seen you in years.” If pressed, Kylen couldn’t truly remember the last time he’d seen Sein. They’d parted ways when he had hit his early teens, and more than a few years had passed since then. Oh, he’d glimpsed Sein from time to time, but they hadn’t truly spoken or made time to get together.

Sein made a disgusted sound in his throat. “You were busy being a kickass warrior. I always thought I would get a chance to hire you away from the king. I guess you decided to go for a bigger job title after all, huh?”

“No, I decided on a crappy job that keeps me away from my mate and my son. Excuse me if I don’t consider it a step up in life,” Kylen snapped.

Over time, bitterness would eat him up inside. He ached for Farro like a knife in the gut, twisting and turning as he bled out from the wound. To say he would prefer to stay in the fae world rather than be with his mate couldn’t be further from the truth.

“I might have a solution for you.”

Kylen quashed his immediate burst of joy. He knew better than to let optimism get the better of wisdom. Unease winnowed through him at the king’s sly tone.

“Does this solution have anything to do with you climbing through my window?”

“Yes!” Sein grinned. Kylen recognized it as the same toothy smile Sein had used when luring Kylen into trouble when they were children.

Kylen closed his eyes. His head thudded against the hardwood frame. “Fine, share with me your brilliance.” He didn’t dare hope Sein could truly get him out of the mess he’d found himself in. Farro probably already explained to Sammy about Kylen’s abandonment. The hole in his heart widened a bit more.

A strange noise had Kylen snapping his eyes open. A tree had sprouted through the marble floor and blocked the door with its branches. Leaves unfurled and filled in the holes between branches. It filled the spaces until a truly impressive tree covered the exit.

Unease turned to true concern. Why would Sein wish to keep them confined in Kylen’s room or prevent others from entering? He eyed Sein cautiously.

“I thought you couldn’t use your powers with all the marble?” The last king’s purpose behind removing most of the wood in the palace was due to his belief it would keep him safe from Sein’s control over nature. The entire building had been transformed to stone in order to keep the light fae king out.

Sein chuckled. “That’s just a rumor I started. I was sick of all Linell’s fucking whining. I just wanted him to shut the hell up. I figured if he thought he was safe, he’d stop freaking out whenever he saw a plant near the palace.”

Amusement at Sein’s antics had Kylen truly laughing for the first time since he returned to the palace without his mate. Kylen hadn’t realized until that moment how much he’d missed Sein. Maybe he should’ve worked harder to keep contact. His mate would have been appalled at how easily he let his few remaining relatives lose touch. Family was important to Farro. Kylen blinked back tears as memories of his gentle mate flashed through his head.

He swallowed back the lump in his throat before he could speak. “What are you here for, Sein?”

“I’m hoping we can come up with a mutually beneficial agreement. I propose we merge our two kingdoms. It’s time for the fae to become a united race. This light and dark stuff is all crap anyway. We share a lot of the same powers. My father and King Linnel were just too greedy to share so they split everyone up. There’s nothing inherently light about my people, and the only reason Linell kept power as the dark fae ruler was because he was an asshole who oppressed his people.”

Kylen wished he could argue with either point, but he couldn’t. Still, suspicion wiggled into his subconscious. Just because they were old friends didn’t mean he believed Sein’s sudden wish for goodwill between them. If Sein truly wanted goodwill, he went about it the oddest way. “Why didn’t you make an appointment and see me at a normal hour? Why sneak into the kingdom?”

He’d certainly be adding guards to this side of the castle since it seemed as if anyone could just wander up to his window. Why guards hadn’t been dispatched yet still boggled his mind. He’d be talking to them in the morning. Right then, he had a king to interrogate.

“I didn’t want anyone to see us talking until we were ready to make a joint statement. I needed your cooperation before our people connected us together. I didn’t want random rumors to be started about us.”

“That makes sense,” Kylen reluctantly agreed. He continued to watch Sein, cautious about the king’s motivations. Despite the king’s reassurance, he didn’t feel comforted by Sein’s secrecy. “But why are you coming to see me now? You could’ve made the same deal with King Linnel before he passed.”

Sein scowled. “Let’s just say King Linnel and I didn’t see things the same way. With you on the throne, I’m hoping we’ll be able to reach a mutual agreement.”

“And you think I will want to merge our two kingdoms?” His mind went back to Farro. Damn, he missed his wolf.

“I thought we might have complementary goals. If we married, we would be able to combine our kingdoms.”

Shock had Kylen freezing in place as he stared at Sein. “But, I’m mated!”

“Only to a shifter,” Sein scoffed. “It’s not like I’ll make you give him up.”

“I can’t betray my mate like that.”

Sein raised an eyebrow. “And you’re what? Going to stay pure for your wolf for the rest of your life?” The light fae king’s eyes traced across Kylen as if he were trying to strip Kylen bare and examine him in minute detail.

Kylen hadn’t expected to live much longer so purity had never crossed his mind. Without Farro, he had no future. “I won’t break my promise to my mate. I swore to remain true to him, and I won’t destroy that trust.”

He couldn’t toss aside his mating bond with Farro just because Sein offered him a second unwelcome kingdom to add to the first.

Sein’s snort sounded more like he had reverted back to their childhood instead of being a ruler of an entire kingdom. “We don’t have to consummate the marriage. It can be a platonic relationship. If you don’t care if I find other lovers, I won’t mind if you remain pure. I don’t have a sudden urge to jump your bones; this is a political arrangement on my side.”

Kylen rolled his eyes. “Why would I care if the kingdoms were combined? It’s bad enough that I’m the ruler of one.”

Sein pinned Kylen with a serious look. “I don’t want you to fade, Ky. I want you to be happy, and I think combining our people will be best for both of our kingdoms. I figure it’s a win-win.”

For the first time, he heard concern and a touch of fear in Sein’s voice.

“Why the hurry? I’ve barely warmed the throne, and you hotfoot it over here to combine our monarchies. What aren’t you telling me?”

The clenched jaw, the eyes that failed to meet his, and the lips folded inwardly told Kylen Sein hadn’t divulged everything. As with most politicians, Sein was hiding something, more than likely something Kylen didn’t want to hear.

Sein played with the top cover for a long moment, his head bent. Kylen had opened his mouth to ask again when the king spoke.

“I wouldn’t trust most fae with the truth, but I’ll trust you. I know you won’t help me until I tell you everything, and you’ve always been more noble than necessary.” Sein’s mouth twisted into a wry grin.

Kylen frowned at Sein’s wording. “I didn’t know there was a nobility limit.”

“Yes.” Sein nodded. “If it had been me, I would’ve told them to shove their title and stayed with my mate. Instead, you accept the rule and pine away. The only solution would be to marry me. Then you would only have to deal with things half the time. In fact, if you wanted to visit your mate, I wouldn’t mind at all.”

Kylen tried to imagine explaining to Farro that he’d married for political reasons and found he couldn’t. He especially couldn’t explain to Sammy that Papa was married to someone else.

“No, I couldn’t do that to Farro.”

Guilt over abandoning his mate churned his stomach. His lack of eating since he left Farro kept him from having anything inside to hurl.

“If you explained it to him, I’m sure he’d be fine. Wolves are notoriously practical.”

“Not when it comes to their mates.” Kylen didn’t know what kinds of shifters Sein had been dealing with, but Kylen had never found Farro particularly reasonable when it came to him.

Sein bit his bottom lip as he thought. “Why did you take the kingship if you truly loved your mate?”

The truth tasted bitter on his tongue. He’d sacrificed himself for a kingdom that didn’t appear to care who led them. If any of the fae in the dark fae kingdom showed an ounce of emotion, he’d eat his crown. After living with a pack of wolves that all but vibrated with personality and passion, returning to the cold life of a fae king had little appeal. He had thought he could live with only his duty, but it was slowly tearing him up from inside out.

“The next person in line was Gallien, and he’d make an even worse leader than Linnel did,” Kylen confessed.

The idea of Anthony’s father, Gallien, being in charge of an entire kingdom sent chills down Kylen’s spine. As much as he loved Farro, he couldn’t doom his people to Gallien’s rule. He hated to imagine what a trapped demi-god would do to the palace. Gallien didn’t suffer fools gladly, and to have him in court would surely be catastrophic.

“Huh, you’re right, Gallien would be the worst choice possible.” Sein raked his fingers through his hair, leaving a rumpled mess behind—a strong sign of distress in the usually unflappable king. “I still think my solution will help us both. I also think someone is harboring Lorus on my lands. I was hoping you could use your soldiers to help me locate him. We can put the marriage idea on hold to be discussed later.”

“Why do you think Lorus is here? Have you seen him?” If someone had allowed the evil scientist into the light fae kingdom, there had to be more fae involved than anyone had ever suspected before. There was little positive spin Kylen could put on anyone harboring the scientist responsible for mutating shifters.

Sein shook his head. “Not personally, but one of the pages claimed he saw him. There have been rumors about him in the area. Several people I trust have mentioned spotting him. If you can catch him, you can take him back to your mate’s pack. It never hurts to bring an offering when you return with your tail between your legs. Especially when dealing with wolves. When you break the news about our marriage, you can tell him you’ve found a way to get back together. As long as you come back here a few times each moon cycle, we can work things out in your absence.”

Kylen glared at Sein. “Why don’t you run both kingdoms? I can just turn them over to you and go back to my mate.”

Sein sighed. “Our people wouldn’t go for that. The dark fae would assume I spelled you into compliance, and the light fae would scream about becoming part of the dark fae kingdom. No one would understand giving up a crown for a wolf. A marriage between us would combine the two houses and get you what you need.”

“I don’t appreciate how you say wolf,” Kylen growled. “It isn’t a bad word.”

“Sorry.” Sein raised his hands in defeat. “I admit I still have prejudices about wolf shifters.”

“Get over them.” Kylen would definitely not deal with Sein if he looked down on shifters. Farro’s happiness far outstripped Kylen’s own. If he had to kick the light fae’s ass, he’d have him be respectful to Farro. Damn, he missed his wolf.

“I will, I promise. I’ll work on it. Now are you willing to consider merging the kingdoms?” Sein raised an eyebrow at Kylen as he waited for his answer.

Kylen hated to admit it, but it did sound like a good plan. If it would get him back home where he belonged, he would make a deal with the devil. Merging their kingdoms would get them united and potentially give Kylen more chances to go and see if his mate would agree to see him again.

“I’ll need to talk to Farro first. The final decision will be his.” Kylen had already made too many choices without his mate’s consent. He wouldn’t make this one alone. If Farro heard from an outside source that Kylen had married Sein, his wolf might snap. Breaking his heart was one thing, destroying him another.

Sein wiggled impatiently on the bed. “I know you think you need to look at this from all angles and figure out the best thing for everyone, but you have to do it soon because you’re running out of time.”

“What do you mean?” If there was anything they had, it was time.

“Well, if you don’t fade in the next few weeks, Anthony is going to show up. You hurt a member of his pack, and he’s going to make you a very sorry boy.”

Fear streaked through him. He’d foolishly forgotten about Anthony. The demi-god took his responsibilities as an alpha-mate extremely seriously. It was a little surprising that Anthony hadn’t done something already. He knew Anthony wouldn’t interfere with fae politics, but he might not be so discerning when it came to ripping into Kylen for breaking Farro’s heart. His heart sped up as he imagined all the ways Anthony could make him pay for his behavior toward Farro.

He groaned. “Crap! You’re right, but can I trust you to take care of our people?” He still wasn’t sure about this marriage of convenience, it didn’t sound so convenient to him.

Sein frowned. “You sound like you’re leaving permanently. I don’t think you understand my offer. I don’t expect you to abdicate the throne. I expect you to show up at least a few times a month to advise me and help me rule. You will be my husband even if you aren’t my lover. I’m not letting you out of the entire kingship. I’m just willing to take a more active role. You’ll be the representative of the dark fae. I think two kings united and ruling together will make a stronger leadership. We can withstand our enemies easier if we work together.”

Kylen tried to not let the word husband make him want to hurl. Some rulers had both spouses and lovers, but he didn’t know if he could do that to his shifter mate. He changed the subject.

“Who do you see as our enemy?” As far as he knew, they didn’t have any while the two sides of the fae were getting along.

“Besides the mutants who are probably being converted to take over two worlds? The trolls are starting to move down the mountain and invade our territory. I’ve lost two soldiers over the past three months. I don’t know why they’re coming down.”

Kylen froze. Trolls were dangerous and rarely came out of their mountain home. If they were leaving their homes, something must have triggered their movement. “Do you know why they’re descending?”

Trolls had lived in the Northern Mountains since Kylen had remembered. The news they were coming off the mountain worried him. It also explained Sein’s sudden wish to bind their kingdoms together. Trolls were fierce fighters and usually annihilated anything in their path. The light fae soldiers weren’t as rigorously trained as the dark and probably wouldn’t fare as well against them.

Sein shook his head. “We don’t know. I sent two scouts last week to find out what was going on.”

“And?”

“They didn’t return.”

“Maybe they’re still investigating.” Even as he said those words, he doubted them. Fae scouts were experts at finding out information and returning as quickly as possible. If it had been more than a few days, they’d more than likely met a bad end. Kylen doubted they’d be showing up alive any time soon.

“Are you going to send some soldiers to investigate?” Protocol demanded the king send soldiers after the scouts. Trolls made the situation more perilous and needed an armed response.

“I thought I’d talk to you first. The way I see it, we need to combine our fighting forces beneath one banner and protect our people from all sides. The mutants and now the trolls both represent danger to our kind. Enough trolls can completely wipe us out. I need your help and maybe the help of your mate.”

In his wildest dreams, Kylen would never put his future husband and the love of his life in the same plane of existence, much less the same room, if he could possibly help it. Sein’s odd interest in wanting Kylen to marry him made sense now. Sein wanted Kylen’s contacts with the shifters. The only way to ensure it was to cement their bond. Annoyance over Sein’s manipulation had him all but growling.

Kylen scowled. “So the wolves being banished is fine as long as you don’t need them, but as soon as you have a little troll problem, you think they should come back.”

“It’s time to reintroduce the wolf shifters into our world—the non-mutant variety. I understand you probably don’t understand my change of heart.”

Kylen raised an eyebrow. “Sure I do, you want the wolves to be used as cannon fodder.”

“No!” Sein’s appalled expression reassured Kylen of the light fae king’s honesty. “I think we need as many allies as we can get. If the trolls are migrating off their mountain, they are running from a bigger predator. I was never behind the wolves being tossed out of here; that was my father’s doing, you know that.”

Kylen couldn’t argue with Sein’s statement. Sein hadn’t been old enough to make any sort of decision about shifters. “You didn’t exactly rush to bring them back either.”

Sein rolled his eyes. “You know the fae don’t change their opinions quickly. I was hoping to ease them back in a little at a time. It helped a bit when Anthony bonded with Silver, but now that you mated with Farro, we have another royal connection with shifters. I’m hoping if you make your bond with Farro a priority, it will help us forge a connection with them as a whole. Right now, by tossing Farro aside, you proved that your mate isn’t important. If we were to wed and you brought Farro in as your concubine, it could cement your position of power.”

Kylen burst out laughing, the sound uncontrollably pouring from his stomach. He could barely take a breath. He swiped at the tears on his cheeks with the palms of his hands. “I can see you’ve never met any shifters before. They are scarily possessive of their mates. I doubt Farro would agree with your ideas. Not to mention I won’t bring the shifters here only to be thrown to the trolls. They are my friends, not cannon fodder.” If anything happened to Farro, he’d never forgive himself.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for it to sound like that. How about we find out what Farro has to say about the arrangement before we start making plans.”

He had a feeling his mate would have a lot to say about the arrangement. “What do you think is chasing the trolls?”

Sein scratched his chin. “Could be giants or even dragons. We won’t know until we can get a scout to return.”

“And if you can’t?”

“We’ll send soldiers and hope they don’t get killed. Unless you can persuade a wolf or two to step in. The shifters can sniff out the problem without anyone dying.” Sein left the words hanging there as if Kylen would jump in with an offer.

“I think you‘ve overestimated my ability to persuade the wolves.” Abandoning his mate wouldn’t win him any points in the wolf community, and if Sein thought offering Farro a position as Kylen’s concubine would make him any more popular, he was smoking fae dust. Kylen still wasn’t anywhere close to agreeing to Sein’s idea. Why Sein thought Kylen would be agreeable to marrying him, he didn’t know. There were several legal precedents to joint kingship, many of which didn’t include marrying. Maybe Sein thought Kylen didn’t know his history, but Kylen’s father had made sure Kylen knew everything about the fae that he could. His father might have thought Kylen a half-breed, but that only made him more determined to teach Kylen about both halves of the fae.

The light fae’s behavior had him wanting to find out what Sein was up to. He wouldn’t turn down the fae king’s offer before he discovered Sein’s plot. Until then, he’d go along with Sein’s plans up to the point of marrying him, but he’d draw the line there.

Sein studied Kylen as if he could almost read his mind. Luckily, Kylen knew that wasn’t one of Sein’s talents.

“I have a feeling your wolf will do whatever you ask.”

A bang and a loud howl yanked Kylen out of their conversation. He knew that sound.

Farro.

Kylen jumped out of bed, then ran to the window, his heart slamming against his chest with the speed of a wolf.

A familiar beast snarled back at him. The pain in the wolf’s eyes broke Kylen’s heart. Without waiting for Kylen to come closer, Farro ran off. Kylen scrambled for the latch. When he finally had the window open, a teddy bear tumbled inside—Sammy’s bear. Tears smeared his vision as a gray blur rushed away.

“Farro!” he shouted. He didn’t care who heard him. He couldn’t believe his mate had made it to the castle. He resisted the urge to run after him. He’d never catch up with the wolf, not without his horse. Two feet couldn’t beat four when it came to speed.

How had Farro gotten to the fae world anyway? It amazed Kylen that he could still stand with his heart ripped out of his chest. The gaping hole in his body should’ve had some affect on his ability to function.

“I’m sorry, Ky.” The insincerity in Sein’s voice told Kylen the king didn’t really mean it. “But now you have an incentive to marry me. Once you have the kingdom locked up, you can go explain things to him. It might not be a bad idea to start sending gifts ahead of time and maybe a letter of apology. Groveling is good too, I hear.”

Kylen gritted his teeth. “He should trust me. Why should I have to explain?”

Even as he spoke the words, he knew they were bullshit. He didn’t trust Sein not to have known Farro was on his way and use that to his advantage. The fae would do anything to ensure they got their way. If Sein had set this up, he would’ve made sure Farro saw them together.

“Well, think of it this way. If you found a man in Farro’s bed, don’t you think you’d be upset? Not to mention you already proved he wasn’t as important to you as running a kingdom. It’s not a huge leap for him to think you also replaced him in your bed.”

Kylen fingered the teddy bear. Tears filled his eyes. Sammy. How he missed his boy. He silently vowed to make it up to the little guy. He wiped his cheeks before turning back to Sein.

The fae king frowned at the stuffed animal. “I’m not sure why he brought you a teddy bear, though, is it some strange shifter custom?”

“No, it belongs to my son.” Kylen blinked back the new batch of tears. A drop fell on the well-worn toy. It was slightly damp from Farro’s mouth, but he didn’t care. He cuddled the bear close to his chest. The hollow ache in his chest didn’t disappear, no matter how tightly he clutched the small toy. Closing his eyes, he imagined he could almost smell Sammy’s scent on the beloved stuffed animal.

“I didn’t know you had a son. Who’d you have him with?” Sein had a strange tone to his voice, but Kylen didn’t look at him. Any sign of weakness could be exploited among the fae. Kylen preferred the shifter approach. If they had a problem with him, they told him to his face. Shifters didn’t play political games, not inside the pack. Sometimes between packs but everyone knew their place within the pack. Kylen longed for the simplicity of the wolves with a terrible ferocity.

He cleared his throat before he could speak. “Farro’s a widower. Sammy is from his first marriage. He’s a great kid.” An amazing kid with a big heart that Kylen crushed with careless disregard in order to lead the fae who didn’t appreciate his sacrifice.

For the first time since he discovered he’d be trapped in the fae kingdom, the weight of his sorrow was more than he could bear. He didn’t care what Sein thought of him any longer. The other king might consider Kylen too emotional, but he couldn’t contain his grief. Great sobs shook his body. He’d lost everything important to him. If he faded, Farro would be free and the fae could pick a new ruler. He wouldn’t even care who took over because he’d be gone.

“Hey, we’ll get you through this.” Sein wrapped his arms around Kylen as he cried out his despair.

Farro’s expression had broken him. His mate thought Kylen had been unfaithful. How could they come back from this? A lot of shifters would end their lives if their mate left them, but Farro had Sammy and Kylen clung to the knowledge that Farro wouldn’t do anything that would hurt his son. Farro was one of the strongest men Kylen knew, and Farro worked hard to be even stronger for Sammy.

“What if he doesn’t take me back?” Kylen had lived for decades without shedding a tear. Now the flood of emotion washing through him wouldn’t stop.

Sein stepped back, then slapped Kylen across the face. “Snap out of it. He’s your mate. That’s a big thing for wolves. Now get your shit together and go after your man. Understand?”

Kylen nodded. “Yeah. But I have to tell you that you slap like a girl.”

“Don’t make me imprison you in wood,” Sein scolded.

Kylen smirked. “I’d just set it on fire.”

“True. But you might not have enough energy. If I remember right, your fire ability isn’t super strong, not like your healing skills.”

“I’m strong enough to burn down your little wooden castle.”

Sein rolled his eyes. “Fine, you’re vastly superior. Happy now?”

“Yep.” Even the familiar bickering with an old friend didn’t tug the boulder of pain crushing on his heart. “What are your people going to think when they find out you’re sharing the crown with the dark fae king? Will they revolt?”

Sein sat on the foot of the bed. He appeared to be thinking for a long time before he spoke. “No. I don’t think so. We’ve been floundering a while. We need focus as a species. I still think by combining our two kingdoms, we’ll get the best possible future for our people.”

After thinking over different replies, Kylen answered. “I think we should investigate this troll issue before we make any final decisions.” Not only that, but it would give him time to figure out what Sein was plotting.

Sein sighed. “Fine. I think you’re wrong, but I’m willing to wait if you are. We’ve spent too long in isolation being closed-minded about other species. When our parents sealed our world away from the others, they thought they were protecting our way of life. Instead, they made us insular until we fought against each other in order to have something to do. You and I don’t even have ideological differences to battle over.”

Kylen didn’t have an answer for that. Sein made a strong argument. If the fae were being attacked by other beings, then they needed to band together. “I don’t know if I can trust you, Sein. If you have two kingdoms and you become power hungry, who will keep you in check?” Not to mention the thought of marrying Sein and keeping his soul mate on the side went against everything he believed in. Farro deserved the full title of being Kylen’s mate.

“You will.” Sein rolled his eyes. “That’s why I want a partnership, and I’m not trying to take over. If I merely wanted your kingdom, I could take you out, but I need you. You’ll keep the power from consuming me, and most of the fae respect you as a ruler. I’ve done well all this time with the light fae kingdom, but I have to admit at times I can feel my grip on reality weakening.”

Sein’s assessment of their magical power might have been true when they were younger, but bonding with his werewolf had increased Kylen’s power. Having a soul partner had definitely given him an extra boost. So far, it hadn’t faded, and neither did the connection between them.

“I have to talk to Farro,” Kylen said. “I have to go and find him.”

If Kylen couldn’t make up with Farro, he wouldn’t be around to care. He’d go into the fade without remorse. It might be selfish of him, but his love was more important than any kingdom. He’d been a fool to forget that fact.

“You should give him a night to calm down. If you go to him now, he’s going to think you only feel guilty because you were caught.”

Kylen nodded. Sein did have a good point, but Kylen hated the thought of Farro thinking the worst of him.

Chapter Three

Farro ran. He ran until his paws bled from the rough terrain and his lungs couldn’t handle one more breath. He skidded to a halt, panting and only pausing long enough to gather enough oxygen to howl.

“Farro, man, take it easy,” Vien said. The twin stopped beside him.

Farro growled at the fae, unhappy to see any of their kind beside him. Betraying creatures. A wolf would never cheat on his mate. Apparently, the same couldn’t be said for the faithless fae.

“Hey, take it easy,” Gabe’s soft voice took the bite out of Farro’s anger. Gabe was probably one of the gentlest wolves of the pack. Since Gabe hadn’t been able to access his wolf form until recently, he didn’t have as much fighting instinct as the rest of them. Gabe was always the peacemaker, and his two mates worshipped the ground he walked on. If they could rush forward and remove any rough patches in Gabe’s life ahead of time, Farro was certain they would.

Farro craved the love of his mate, but his mate apparently had already moved on to another.

“Shift. I need to talk to you.” Viell’s hard tone had Farro instinctively shifting. He didn’t have to obey the fae soldier, but he was a follower, not a leader. He did as he was told. Farro’s muscles and bones crackled and popped as he transformed from wolf to man. Vien handed over his backpack with clothes.

Farro accepted it gratefully. “Thanks,” he whispered.

He pulled on his jeans, almost falling over as he rushed to thrust his foot into the leg hole. Taking a deep breath, he tried to calm down, but concentrating on anything while his heart shattered made it difficult to focus.

“We have a saying among the fae. He who trusts his eyes ignores his heart. Do you truly think Kylen would cheat on you?” Viell asked.

Farro zipped up his pants, then stopped moving for a moment. Thinking it over, he had to admit. “I wouldn’t have thought so, but I also didn’t think he’d dump me without saying goodbye either. I don’t know him as well as I thought I did.”

Kylen’s behavior still stung. His mate hadn’t even bothered to tell Farro to his face that he wouldn’t be returning. He might as well have texted ‘I’m just not into you.’ Their parting was still a raw wound across Farro’s soul.

Viell nodded. “I agree that Kylen didn’t handle that very well. He was under pressure to take the kingship, and I’m sure he had every intention of coming back to talk to you in person. It can be difficult for a ruler to get away.”

“So I should just be understanding, is that what you’re saying?” Farro growled. He didn’t usually have a temper, but this entire mate situation was driving him insane. He needed Kylen, but he had difficulty believing Kylen needed him. After all, what could he offer a king except himself and Sammy? He already knew they weren’t enough, or Kylen would be at home where he belonged. Coming to the fae dimension had been a stupid idea. How many hints did he need before he figured out his mate didn’t want him anymore?

Vien stepped forward, protective of his brother in the face of Farro’s wrath. “I think what Viell meant is you can’t always believe what you see. From your description, the person in Kylen’s bed was probably Sein, king of the light fae. What he was doing there, I don’t know, but maybe you shouldn’t just assume the worse. He was still dressed, and they were sitting on opposite sides of the bed, so I doubt it was for anything romantic.”

“Dressed?” Reviewing the scene in his head, Farro had to admit he hadn’t noticed Sein’s state of undress. If Vien said he wore clothing, Farro believed him.

“I don’t think Kylen would cheat on you,” Gabe offered with a sweet smile.

“Thanks, Gabe.” Farro wrapped an arm around Gabe and squeezed him tight.

The twins glared at him over Gabe’s shoulder. He bit his lip to hold back his grin.

Gabe turned his head to follow Farro’s line of sight and laughed. “Please, like I would cheat on you, especially with you standing right there.”

“I think we should go back to Kylen and talk to him,” Vien said, ignoring his mate’s statement.

“I agree,” said Viell, still glaring at Farro.

“And do what? Demand my mate stop having sex with someone else?” Not only would he look like a jealous fool but a stalker as well. A vision of Kylen coming to the window flashed in his mind. He had been dressed! Kylen had worn his sleep pants. At home, he’d always come to bed naked. Maybe the twins were right, and Farro had overreacted to the situation.

A horrible twisting sensation took over his stomach. “I made a mistake.”

“Let’s go back. I’m sure it can be fixed,” Gabe said. The wolf shifter had an oddly optimistic spin on Farro’s relationship. Farro hoped they didn’t prove Gabe wrong.

A low growling pulled Farro’s attention from Gabe. A quick glance at his companions’ expressions told him they weren’t the ones making the sounds. The four men froze. Farro turned his head and paused as he spotted several pairs of feral, yellow eyes staring at him through the brush.

Mutants. Fuck.

His silent curse was repeated out loud by the fae beside him. He had thought they were clear of the mutants on this side of the portal. Where had the new mutants appeared from? Did Kylen know they were here?

Questions crowded Farro’s mind and almost ruined his reaction time when they rushed out of the greenery.

Farro jumped back out of the path of snapping teeth, barely avoiding having his stomach ripped out. He didn’t have time to shift. If he tried to transform into his wolf form now, that bit of time he lost focus to move from one shape to the next could be his last. The twins surrounded Gabe on either side, swords flashing to ward off any mutants who tried to get close to their mate.

Anthony had been wrong. The woods weren’t safe. Someone had let the mutants stay in the woods. Farro wondered if Kylen knew about the infestation in his forest. He doubted it. If nothing else, he needed to go back and tell his mate that his territory was lacking in hospitality.

“Duck!”

Farro instinctively obeyed. He hit the ground. A mutant leapt over him, tripped on Farro, and became impaled on the Viell’s sword. Six others went down between the twins’ blades. Farro snapped the necks of two mutants while Gabe watched the entire thing with bemusement because his mates wouldn’t let him take one step out of their protective circle despite the blade he held in his hand.

Gabe rolled his eyes when they shoved him back between them.

The last mutant dodged and weaved. It took Farro a long moment to figure out what he was doing. Avoiding the twins and Gabe, it rushed Farro. “I’ve been sent for you,” he whispered.

Shocked at the words, Farro was too slow to react. The mutant lunged and bit him. Teeth tore through his muscle and bone until a shout and spurt of blood spraying cross the ground caused the attacker to stop.

Farro’s shoulder burned from the mutant’s damage. A cold sliver of ice worked its way down his spine. His arm went numb, then his side until he could feel nothing as if a dentist had deadened his nerves for an extraction. Farro had a feeling this event wouldn’t be any better. Would he change now that he’d been bitten? Would he become a mutant like the rest?

As the world began to fade, he thought of his mate. If he died would Kylen watch out for Sammy, or would Dare and Steven take care of him? At least he knew whoever took over Farro’s parental duties would be someone who loved his son. The entire pack would step to fill the void of Farro’s death for Sammy, he had no doubt over that.

“Farro!” Gabe’s voice sounded as if it came from under oceans of water. How could he be drowning beneath waves when there was no liquid in sight?

“We need to get him to the castle!” one of the fae said. Without visual cues, he couldn’t tell them apart.

Someone lifted him, but Farro’s eyelids were too heavy to keep open and his body uncooperative. He couldn’t do anything more. “Tell Sammy I love him,” he whispered. Or he thought he did. He didn’t know how far the sound traveled from his lips. He wished he could say the same thing about Kylen, but it hurt too much to speak his mate’s name.

“Fuck that, you’re bouncing back from this.” It must be Viell carrying him. He tended to use stronger language than his brother.

Farro bounced along as the fae soldier carried him back to the castle. He wished he could walk on his own. He tried to focus on his mate, but the pain prevented him from making any connection. They were within blurry sight of a big building that probably was the castle when Farro felt his connection with Kylen snap into place. The sound of someone running sank into his foggy perceptions.

“What happened to him?” Kylen’s deep voice wrapped Farro in a warm glow. It had been so long since he’d heard the rich tones, he absorbed every syllable like the desert soaking up an unexpected rainfall.

“Mutant attack,” Gabe said.

“Where?” Kylen snatched Farro from Viell’s arms and cuddled him close.

“About a mile from here. There were a dozen of them. I’m sure you can go and round up the bodies if you want to count,” Vien offered dryly.

“No. I don’t think it will be necessary. I believe you. What happened to Farro?”

“That last mutant was gunning for him,” Gabe replied. “He went straight for Farro as if he’d planned it that way. He bit him before we were able to take him down.”

“You killed him?” Kylen asked.

“Yes.”

“Good.” Satisfaction filled Kylen’s voice. Farro knew in that moment if the guy hadn’t already been dead, Kylen would’ve taken care of him.

A tear slid down Farro’s face. The pain had become unbearable both in his shoulder and his heart.

“Hey, babe. Don’t worry, everything will be all right,” Kylen reassured him.

Farro kept his eyes closed. Looking at Kylen would crumble his resolve. No matter how many sweet words his mate used, it didn’t change that he’d dumped Farro and his son. How Kylen thought everything could ever be fine again baffled Farro.

A soft kiss brushed his forehead. “Don’t kiss me,” he said tiredly. He didn’t want his mate to touch him after being in bed with another man. His inner wolf whimpered at the rejection, it wanted the pets.

“Hush,” Kylen whispered in the gentlest tone Farro had ever heard. “I’m going to make sure you are better. Let’s take you to my room. Viell, Vien, take Gabe to your old room. I believe it’s still available.”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” the twins replied in unison.

“Idiots,” Kylen muttered fondly.

“I missed you,” Farro whispered. His teeth began to chatter, and his body trembled from shock.

“I’m going to take you to my room and heal you.” Kylen spoke as if it was the easiest thing in the world to fix Farro’s gaping wound as blood dripped out of his body.

Farro could feel life slipping out of him.

“No. You don’t want me. Let me go. Take care of Sammy.” It would be the perfect solution. Otherwise, Farro would die a slow death of separation from his mate.

Kylen tightened his grip, making Farro hiss in pain. “Stop being an idiot. I’m going to heal you, and we are both going to take care of our son. We’ll talk about our future after you are feeling better.”

Farro tried to pay attention to Kylen’s words. He knew they were important and probably meant big things between them, but his world blurred further and the sound of Kylen’s voice spun together in his head making no sense to his dizzy brain. Everything went dark.

Farro woke gasping for breath. He sat straight up, his heart pounding as he glanced around, wondering where he was. He took a deep breath. Kylen.

His mate’s scent filled the room along with someone else. A stranger had been in this bed.

Interloper.

A growl rolled unbidden up Farro’s throat, vibrating his fury. Unable to resist the rage of his inner beast, Farro transformed. A long howl ripped through his chest, the sound echoing around the room. He snapped at the sheet with his teeth and ripped it off the corner of the mattress before shredding the bedding with his claws. He needed to destroy the smell of the one who snuck into bed with his mate. No one but he and Kylen should—

“Farro! What are you doing?”

Farro whipped around to face his beloved mate. He flattened his ears as Kylen approached. Kylen’s eyes went wide when he saw Farro’s actions. “Oh, you didn’t like his scent in my bed, did you?” Kylen sighed. “I guess I’ll have to have my mattress replaced now.”

Farro barked. Damn right he needed to have the bed replaced.

“At least you’re feeling better. Do you think you can shift back so we can talk?”

Farro considered Kylen’s request. He’d been victorious over the evil interloper’s scent, so he could probably try his human form for a while. After another growl at the offending bedding, he changed back. The transformation from wolf to man always took a bit to adjust to. His thoughts didn’t snap back into focus easily.

Approaching the bed, Kylen crawled onto the decimated mattress. “Damn, I missed you.”

Farro wanted to move closer, but it was as if his body were paralyzed. He couldn’t force his muscles to obey.

“Hey,” Kylen cupped Farro’s face and turned his head to face him. “Sein was only under the covers because he was cold. It wasn’t a prelude to anything else. Whatever you thought you saw, you were wrong.”

Farro blinked at Kylen. His vision changed, alerting him that his eyes hadn’t completely shifted back. His wolf lay alert beneath the surface. “Truly?”

Kylen nodded. “You can smell that I’m not lying. Please try.”

It took a moment, but Farro leaned closer and sniffed at Kylen’s neck. “I can.”

The pain crushing his chest vanished beneath Kylen’s honesty. The twins had been right—Kylen hadn’t cheated on him. He still didn’t like the smell of another man that close to his mate, but he’d hold back his jealousy for when it was warranted.

“Oof.” The air rushed out of Farro’s lungs as Kylen gripped him tightly. Oxygen became a luxury as the fae warrior tightened his hold.

“I missed you, my mate,” Kylen whispered into his hair. “It was like someone had ripped out my heart. I was ready to fade without you.”

Farro pulled back to see Kylen’s face. His mate had been perfectly serious. Kylen would’ve pined to death without him.

“You could’ve sent someone to get me, idiot,” he scolded. “I understand you can’t leave right now because of your position, but you could’ve sent a messenger or something.”

Kylen pressed a kiss to Farro’s forehead. “I was too afraid you’d reject me, and then I’d know I had nothing left.”

“So you’d rather guess and fade? You make no sense at all.” Farro couldn’t understand how his stubborn mate thought both of them pining to death would solve the problem of them staying apart.

“I guess it doesn’t make sense now, but sorrow ate me up and made it difficult to function.”

The thought of Kylen sitting alone hurting for him soothed Farro’s wolf. Both sides of Farro liked the idea of being missed by his mate.

“I got the bear.” Kylen nodded toward the bedside table where the toy sat in a prominent location. “I miss him too.”

Farro saw the tears glisten in Kylen’s eyes before he turned away.

“He’d be happy for a visit,” Farro offered.

Kylen shook his head. “If I go to see him, I want to make sure I can stay or at least promise to be there most of the time. I don’t want to give him false hope.”

Farro stepped back. “I thought you were planning to return with me.”

Kylen wrapped a hand around Farro’s arm, holding him in place. “I am working on a solution. Sein thinks if we merge our kingdoms, I can spend most of my time in your realm.”

“How does he plan on merging?” Farro didn’t trust Sein. He appeared too comfortable in Kylen’s bed.

“He wants us to form a political alliance.” Kylen released Farro’s arm and settled against the headboard, avoiding Farro’s eyes.

He hated to ask, but he forced the question past his lips. “What kind of alliance?” Every muscle tensed up as he waited for the answer.

“Sein suggested we marry but in name only.”

Farro just bet Sein did. Sneaky asshole.

“What would I be then, your piece on the side?” Farro climbed off the bed and quickly moved out of reach. He’d foolishly thought his mate would return to him. In none of his scenarios did he become some royal bitch to jump at the king’s bidding.

“No.” Kylen jumped off the mattress. He wrapped his arms around Farro. “You don’t get to run away without talking.”

“Oh, you mean like you did?” Farro knew he’d hit a nerve when Kylen released him. The absence of his mate’s heat had him shivering in the cool air.

“Yes, that’s exactly like I mean. I’m sorry I hurt you and Sammy. I’m trying to find a solution. Don’t I get points for not giving up?”

“You get nothing,” Farro said, walking toward the window. “I want a mate, an equal, not to be your official plaything.”

Chapter Four

“I’m trying to come up with a way to go back to you. If I marry Sein, he said he’d take over the day-to-day running of the kingdom so I can spend most of my time with you. You don’t understand, Farro. I would do anything for you. If you say not to marry Sein, I won’t. I’m not certain he’s being honest in his dealings anyway. I need you to stand by my side. I promise in the end, I will make you the happiest of men.”

Farro didn’t know what to say. He knew Kylen thought he was acting in their best interests, but Farro couldn’t take the thought of anyone else having the right to touch what was his. He didn’t trust Sein not to take advantage. After all, Sein would be Kylen’s husband and had the right to demand husbandly rights. If the light fae king ever touched Kylen sexually, Farro would rip out the king’s heart—with his teeth.

However with Kylen standing there before him, Farro couldn’t stay mad at his mate. Kylen smelled of remorse, perfuming the air with his pain. The true devastation in Kylen’s eyes softened Farro’s fury. He’d still kill Sein if given the opportunity, but Kylen didn’t have to needlessly suffer.

Unable to take his mate upset, Farro wrapped Kylen in his arms. Kylen stiffened for a moment before relaxing into Farro’s touch. Kylen gripped Farro’s jacket. “I missed you,” he whispered.

“I missed you too,” Farro confessed. Missing was a tepid word for the gut-wrenching pain their separation had caused him. But he didn’t want to add to Kylen’s upset.

“I’m sorry,” Kylen said as tears dripped down his face.

“I know.” Farro slid his fingers through Kylen’s hair. For a long moment, he held his mate tightly, absorbing the scent of his skin and the warmth of his body beneath the clothes.

Kylen settled his face at the base of Farro’s throat and inhaled his smell as if he were a shifter himself. “I need you.”

The hunger in his voice touched off Farro’s own desire. He couldn’t deny his mate anything. Not when the need to touch and taste overcame everything else. Farro quickly stripped Kylen out of his clothes.

Farro took a moment to examine his mate. In their short time apart, he could tell life hadn’t treated Kylen well. “You’ve lost weight.”

Kylen had been slim but muscular. Now he appeared more gaunt than slender, as if his sorrow at their parting had been enough to physically eat away at him.

“I’ve been having difficulty keeping food down.” Kylen turned away, not meeting Farro’s eyes.

“Is it as bad for the fae as it is for wolves?” Farro asked. Despite knowing several of the fae, he'd never had the guts to ask them personal questions before. Anthony wasn’t exactly his closest friend, not after what the alpha-mate had suffered due to Farro’s cruel words. They’d made up, but their relationship was still a bit shaky.

“Sometimes. If we’ve bonded.”

“We bonded.” There was no doubt in Farro’s mind over the connection between them. “But you seemed to cast it aside easily enough.”

Despite Kylen’s obvious pain over their parting, Farro had to admit bitterness ate him up inside. He didn’t know if they could move past their shared pain.

“No!” shouted Kylen. “Never think I made my decision lightly.” Kylen clasped hands with Farro, squeezing his fingers tight. “It broke my heart to say goodbye to you and Sammy.”

Instead of continuing to stab at the open sore between them, Farro slid his fingers through Kylen’s hair, then used his grip to pull him close. “I’m yours, love. We’ll get through this together.”

He pressed his forehead against Kylen’s, enjoying the soft warm skin against his own, knowing in that moment nothing could part them. The reality of holding his mate again had his wolf ready to howl.

“I’m sorry I left you.” A tear dripped down Kylen’s cheek. “I’m so sorry I left you and Sammy.”

“But you’re coming back.” Farro needed to hear the words again. To be reassured that he hadn’t been given false hope only to be abandoned again.

“I am. If I have to give over an entire kingdom, it will be worth every second, every minute I get to live with you.”

Farro responded to that the only way he could. By kissing his mate. He sighed into the kiss. Bliss poured down his spine, and his skin heated from the contact. Mouths slid together, hot breaths mingled, and greedy hands clutched at each other in a firestorm of need unable to be conveyed by simple words or grand gestures but only by touch.

“Naked. I need you naked.” Farro’s words were broken with passion as his desire overcame his ability to speak in full sentences.

Kylen scooted out of reach.

Farro growled at the movement. Hair raised on his arms and the back of his neck as his wolf urged him to hunt down what was his.

Kylen quickly stripped off his shirt and pants. He paused at that moment, waiting.

“Why are you wearing underwear?” The entire time they’d been together, he’d never seen Kylen wear anything under his pants. His mate’s easy accessibility had led to more than one hot moment.

“I wanted you to notice I didn’t have anyone worth going bare for anymore.”

Tension eased in Farro. Despite their separation, Kylen had remained true. The last of his worries vanished. He’d fix things between them even if he had to move to the fae world. He’d work something out with Anthony to get Sammy back and forth between locations.

The contact of their flesh had Farro growling. He lapped at Kylen’s neck and bit at his shoulder, marking the man as his once again. The scar from his previous bite still remained, but his wolf needed to reclaim, to remind them both who Kylen belonged to.

“I’m yours.” Kylen agreed to Farro’s unspoken demand. He arched back, exposing his neck, offering everything to Farro.

Farro knew he would remember that moment for the rest of his life, when Kylen gave himself completely to him. Farro pinched Kylen’s nipples, grinning when his mate squirmed beneath him.

“Oh, do that again.”

Farro obliged.

He skimmed his mate’s body with his fingers, relearning every dip and bump, worshipping the smooth flesh and warm muscle beneath. He laved Kylen’s hip with his rough tongue and rubbed Kylen’s skin with his callused fingers. His hands were never smooth because he ran as a wolf so often.

“I love your touch.” Kylen moaned and wriggled beneath his touch. “I missed your hands.”

“They missed you too.”

They grinned at each other like fools.

Teasing and laughter turned to panting and groaning.

“I’m not going to last if you keep that up,” Kylen warned.

“You don’t have to last. We have many years to get it perfect. I’m not letting you go ever again.” Farro might have to find a way to go visit his mate when he was in his kingdom, but he’d never let him leave again. Being apart didn’t do anything positive for either of their health.

Kylen sighed his agreement of that statement.

Farro slid a hand around their erections, using their pre-cum to help the movement.

“I want you inside me,” Kylen argued.

“In the morning. That way I know you won’t sneak out early.”

Kylen laughed, but it turned into a groan as Farro continued to pump their cocks together.

“I-I’m not going anywhere.” Kylen grabbed at the bedding and snapped his hips in tune with Farro’s motions.

“You aren’t now,” Farro said. He couldn’t stop his wide smile. He knew he had the advantage.

It took little time before cum coated Kylen’s stomach from their combined orgasms. Farro lapped up their spend, growling with pleasure at the flavor of their mixed juices.

Kylen lay relaxed and happy beneath him. Pleasure poured off his mate, the scent seductive like the finest chocolate.

“Happy?” Farro asked.

Kylen’s eyes glowed as he rolled to face him. “Extremely. Who’s watching Sammy?”

“Dare.”

Kylen relaxed again. “Good. Sammy loves him.”

Farro nodded his agreement. With a bit of maneuvering, they slid beneath the bedding. Farro rested his head on Kylen’s shoulder and wrapped the rest of him around his mate. Kylen wouldn’t be able to get out of bed without alerting Farro.

“I’m not going anywhere. I told you that,” Kylen said. “But breathing would be nice.”

“Breathing is overrated. My wolf is feeling possessive. He doesn’t want you to sneak off.”

Kylen pretended to take a gulp of air. “I suppose it’s my own fault.”

“Yes.” Farro didn’t even try to sugarcoat it. It was all Kylen’s fault.

“I’ll spend the rest of my life making it up to you,” Kylen promised.

“Good.” Farro’s wolf curled up inside him and settled down. A soft yip indicated it would let the matter rest as long as human Farro kept hold of Kylen. He let out a low growl. “You’re not marrying that idiot king either.”

“Let’s keep that a secret from him for now. I want to see what he’s up to. I don’t trust his sudden desire to combine our kingdoms.”

“You think he’s trying to take them both over?”

Kylen shrugged. “Let’s just say I figure the wish to marry someone he hadn’t even talked to in twenty years was kind of sudden.”

“Hmm.” Farro kissed Kylen. Tomorrow would be interesting. Farro didn’t know much about fae politics, but he knew how to fight for his man. He was done with letting Kylen slip through his fingers. Farro intended to keep his man.

* * * *

A gasp woke Kylen. He opened one eye to see a chambermaid entering with a tray of food. He resisted the urge to yell at her to go away. No one should be so close to his mate while Farro was resting. He clenched his hands to hold back the urge to set the innocent woman on fire for approaching the werewolf shifter.

“Go fetch enough for four people. My mate will need a great deal more food than me.” Shifters had a faster metabolism so they always burned calories as if they were running a marathon. It felt good to claim Farro again. The word mate tumbled off his lips with a casual air even as his heart flipped with glee like a kid doing cartwheels on an empty field of grass.

The joy of waking beside his mate overshadowed any past sorrow.

The chambermaid curtseyed before rushing off. He expected his secretary to be there at any moment to tell Kylen how this behavior wasn’t appropriate, but he didn’t care. It would be soon all over the castle that the king had a man in his bed. Speculation would be rife about anyone Kylen might have taken for a lover. They all knew Kylen had professed to love his mate.

He fell back into a half slumber before the maid returned. He woke up again at the sound of growling. The chambermaid stood in the doorway. Her hands shook the tray, causing it to rattle from the motion. Farro crouched on the bed in his wolf form, his teeth bared.

“Easy, love, she means no harm.” To the girl, he said, “Put it on the table.”

She rushed over and set it down. After a quick curtsey, she rushed off again.

Kylen scratched Farro behind the ears. “I believe you owe me an orgasm.”

Fur sank into flesh. With a bone-crackling finale, the wolf transformed into Kylen’s mate.

Farro’s eyes glowed with pain and anticipation. “I wouldn’t want to prevent you from getting what you want.”

“Exactly. What a good mate you are.” Kylen grinned.

“Don’t push it.”

Kylen laughed. His heart couldn’t get any fuller. As Farro snuggled in closer, he pounced.

Farro grinned up at him as Kylen looked down. “I am so happy that you are here. I know you can’t stay. We’ll have sex, breakfast, then we’ll see what Sein has to say.”

“Sounds like a great plan.”

Kylen grinned, then spent the morning reminding his mate why they were so very compatible.

Chapter Five

“Wow.” Farro tilted his head up to stare at the light fae castle. The entire building was a made of wood. Spires swirled around in a beauty of timber twisted in unusual shapes and patterns. Whole trees swirled around in twisted branches and tall spires.

“All this wood probably smells like a giant forest to you,” Kylen teased.

Farro shook his head. “It’s more like Anthony’s mother, all magic and wood.”

The twins and Gabe trailed behind them as they approached the front of the castle. Vien and Viell flanked Gabe on either side as they walked. They glared at anyone who thought to look at their mate. Kylen bit back a laugh when one of the soldiers let his eyes slide across Gabe a minute too long. Viell flashed his sword at the guard who quickly looked the other way.

They headed straight for the front archway, which led to a set of enormous castle doors. Two soldiers stepped forward to block them.

“Tell the king we’re here at his request,” Kylen demanded.

Farro wondered if Sein knew he was there. He doubted the king would be happy to see Kylen’s mate.

The guard examined each of them for a long moment as if he might object, but a low growl from Farro had him stepping back. Farro frowned at the lack of courage among the guards. His pack wouldn’t let a small snarl intimidate them.

A page rushed through the crowd and bowed to them. “The king has sent me to escort you.” He then turned and walked away, leaving them to follow or not. Apparently, someone had informed Sein they were visiting.

Farro shrugged, then followed his mate who had sped up after the servant. Following a windy path through several chambers, they were eventually led to an enormous garden room. Large trees filled the area, and flowers sprouted up through the floor. The ceiling vanished somewhere between the vines and the branches. Over all, it was an overwhelming space, a tribute to the light fae king’s control of nature.

Farro sneezed. The level of magic oozing from the castle walls was messing up his sinuses. He would have difficulty scenting deceit in this setting. He wondered if it was intentional. Did the king bring visitors here who might otherwise know he was lying? Or was Farro just suspicious of the man who thought to take his place.

“Who have you brought with you?” King Sein stood to greet them.

Kylen waved a hand toward the twins. “Well, you know Vien and Viell, of course, this is their mate Gabe, and this is my mate Farro.”

Farro saw the quick flash of rage in the fae king’s eyes before he plastered on a polite smile and stood to shake hands with Gabe beneath the twins’ watchful gaze. Then he turned and gave Farro the briefest handshake Farro had ever received. Still the feel of touching something unsavory had him fighting the urge to wipe his hands on his pants.

“It’s so nice to meet you both,” Sein said. The ring of insincerity had Farro gritting his teeth. He could tell the king wasn’t happy to meet either of them. Farro wondered if the king had the common fae prejudice of disliking shifters. Sein smelled of smoky rage, from what he didn’t know, but he’d soon discover.

“You’re looking good this morning, Kylen,” Sein said, his gaze flickered over Kylen as if checking him for cracks in his façade. As if maybe he could be anything less than thrilled to have his mate by his side. Bastard.

Farro couldn’t stop the growl from rolling up his throat. Kylen linked their fingers together to soothe Farro’s inner beast. A quick squeeze of the fingers served as a warning to keep his feelings to himself. They’d agreed to pretend to go along with Sein’s plans. However, if it got to the point of the two kings going down the altar, Farro vowed to ruin the wedding.

With a quick sweeping glance, Farro scanned the other people in the room. His inner wolf wanted to check out the situation and evaluate if he could break free if necessary. The soldiers standing around didn’t appear tough enough to take on a shifter. They certainly didn’t have Kylen’s muscle mass and confident manner. If it were pure physicality, Farro knew he had the edge. However, if magic became involved, Farro could have his ass handed to him. His attention snapped back to the conversation when Kylen spoke.

“Thank you, having the other half of my soul returned does that to a person,” Kylen commented.

Farro hid his smile when Sein’s mouth tightened with annoyance. Kylen didn’t even try to appear less than thrilled to have Farro back.

“Well, you certainly don’t appear like you’re about to fade anymore. Why don’t you all have a seat?” King Sein pointed to the other chairs surrounding the table.

Vien and Viell bowed before accepting chairs on either side of Gabe. Farro could tell the twins considered this hostile territory and were on high alert. It helped a bit that no one had confiscated the twins’ weapons. Farro wondered if that had been intentional to show they weren’t worried about the double fae warriors, or they were just that incompetent. Kylen was betting on the later. The light fae were probably too chicken-shit to ask the twins to give over their steel.

Kylen ran a hand up and down Farro’s back in a calming motion before pulling out a chair and seating Farro before sitting himself. Farro smiled at Kylen’s manners. Kylen pressed a kiss to his head before taking the seat beside him. The casual affection warmed him more than full-on sex. He’d had sex enough in his life in situations when it meant little more than fucking between two people. The tender adoration Kylen easily offered never failed to warm Farro’s heart.

“Are you hungry? I could have some food brought out,” Sein said.

“No, we’ve eaten,” Kylen spoke for them all. Farro wondered if his mate didn’t trust any food from the light fae king. He’d certainly be suspicious of anything given to him by the man who planned to take his place.

“Tell me, what do you think, Farro?” Sein asked.

“About?” No way would he give the bastard an inch.

Kylen squeezed Farro’s leg in support.

“Do you care if Kylen and I marry? I told Kylen that wolves are practical and you’d want him to do what is best for the country.”

Farro’s took a few deep breaths to keep his inner wolf from ripping out Sein’s throat. The king’s pulse beat temptingly. He smiled slightly before speaking, hoping to hide his canines that abruptly descended. “I think combining your kingdoms is up to you two. I know nothing about ruling anyone. I do, however, object to you carrying the title of husband to my mate.”

He knew Kylen didn’t want to raise Sein’s suspicions, but Farro thought the fae king would be more suspicious if Farro tamely went along with everything. No shifter in his right mind would calmly hand over his mate.

Sein took a sip out from his cup before speaking again. “You’ll be happy to know your mate didn’t like that idea either. I still think it will be the easiest way to unite our kingdoms. Otherwise, we’ll have to have a long, drawn-out legal process that could take years of negotiating.”

“That works for me,” Farro said. He didn’t care if it took them a million years. He’d just take his king and go home.

Kylen’s shoulders shook with silent laughter while the light fae king’s face took on a sour expression. Farro didn’t appear to care how much time it took as long as Kylen still belonged to him. He knew his mate wouldn’t ditch him again, and that was all he cared about. If it turned out to be important to combine the two kingdoms, Farro trusted Kylen to do it in a manner that affected their bond the least. Slowly, he was regaining his trust in Kylen. His mate had agreed that he’d made a mistake in leaving Farro and Sammy. Now Farro had to find a way to extract Kylen from this entire situation and take him back home.

Sein turned his head away, as if unwilling to get involved in an eye lock with the shifter. Farro silently applauded the king’s caution. Staring a shifter down never ended well for the challenger, especially if they didn’t have another form.

The king cleared his throat. “Has Kylen told you of our need to have someone check out the mountain and find out what is living there? Something is frightening the trolls into our territory. I want to find out what it is before any more fae die.”

After dealing with Anthony and Silver on a regular basis, Farro knew a bit about dealing with powerful men who could smite him at any moment. The light fae king was nothing compared to the wolf alpha and demi-god Farro dealt with on a daily basis.

“I’m happy to do some scouting, but I will need more information before I recommend the pack become involved.” Farro wouldn’t bring the others over before finding out if there was something larger to worry about. If it were just a way for King Sein to yank the chain of the wolf pack, he’d deny him the pleasure. Kylen patted Farro’s leg in support. The knot in his stomach eased a bit. Farro had worried his mate would be upset for Farro’s lack of immediate support of the fae.

“I’ll go too,” Gabe offered. “It’s better with two of us to scout.”

Farro smiled at his friend’s support. The fae twins didn’t appear as happy with Gabe’s decision, but Farro knew they wouldn’t contradict him in front of Sein. They’d wait until they were all alone before screaming their heads off. Farro was happy he didn’t have to deal with two mates. He had enough difficulty with just the one. Gabe must have the patience of a saint to deal with his pair of demanding and difficult lovers.

“I can’t ask for more than that,” Sein said, smiling. Something about the light fae king’s smile rubbed Farro the wrong way. There was a slyness to Sein that told Farro the king would sell his soul if he thought it would get him a good deal. Farro wondered if the king really knew what was up the mountain and was sending them to their deaths. After all, with Farro gone Sein could be seeing himself as the sympathetic shoulder to cry on. Had Sein known about the mutants?

Farro stood, done with the meeting. He didn’t need to talk further to determine the king was an asshole. If Sein turned out to be a permanent part of his life, he’d make sure the smug jerk never had contact with Sammy. “I suppose now is as good a time as any to go check out what’s up the mountain.”

The sound of alarm bells frantically ringing put an end to any objections.

“Trolls!” the shout rang out through the palace.

Farro jumped up and shifted, instinct changing him almost immediately into his more deadly form in order to protect his mate. Gabe transformed beside him. Tilting their heads back, they howled their warning to any enemies who dared to challenge them. Gabe’s usually gentle manner eroded beneath his fury to protect his mates.

“Let’s go see what came off the mountain,” Kylen said.

Farro tilted his head at his mate’s calm manner. Maybe trolls weren’t so scary. At least they got him out of this meeting before he started an interspecies incident that would involve a vicious king mauling.

Kylen followed Farro through the archway and into the courtyard where fae soldiers were battling trolls. The green-skinned creatures waved their long arms, spearing through fae armor with their tusks and long, curved knives.

His heart caught in his throat when Farro leapt and took down one of the trolls by the throat. Green blood spurted everywhere, covering Farro’s fur in a nice layer of slime. Gabe bit a troll behind the knee, bringing the creature down. He howled his victory, startling another troll onto the tip of Viell’s sword.

A whoosh of air warned Kylen in time to duck. The club aimed at his head sailed harmlessly overhead, a whistle piercing the air as it passed. Kylen punched out with his magic, setting the troll on fire.

One after another, Kylen set them ablaze.

“Stop!” Sein shouted. “You’ll set the castle on fire.”

Kylen stared at the king for a moment before he took in the amount of wood in the castle. Crap! He’d been thinking of survival, not about what might damage their surroundings. Frustrated, he grabbed a sword off of a fallen soldier and started hacking at them the old-fashioned way. The twins came to guard his back. They didn’t have any fighting magic, as they were still too young to develop their powers. When they did finally come into their abilities, they would be powerful allies.

His arm started to ache, but he didn’t lower his sword until the last troll lay on the floor, choking in his own blood.

“Die, bastard,” Viell growled. The troll had made the mistake of turning toward Gabe as if to attack.

Farro and Gabe trotted back to them covered in green splatters of troll blood and with bits of flesh sticking to their fur.

“You are definitely getting a bath before we go anywhere.”

“The servants will show you to rooms,” Sein offered. The light fae king had little blood on him, but he did appear tired from the battle.

Kylen nodded. They’d need a full night’s rest before they continued up the mountain. “Thank you.”

The courtyard had red and green stains covering the ground like a sick Christmas celebration. He placed a hand on Farro’s head and kept his mate in place while they waited to be led to their room.

Farro licked his hand.

“If you come this way, Your Majesty.” A servant beckoned them down the hall.

Kylen’s nerves were frayed. He could’ve lost Farro if one of those trolls had gotten lucky. He didn’t like the fact that his mate had been endangered twice since he’d come to the fae land. Someone was looking for a way to destroy his beloved, and Kylen wouldn’t allow that.

Their room was obviously one given to visiting dignitaries. The over-the-top luxury and size told Kylen he’d been show to the best. He tossed the girl a coin and kicked the door closed behind her.

“Bathroom,” he ordered.

The wolf padded into the other room. While Kylen stripped down, he heard the water start. He quickly picked up his pace, tossing the clothes around. No way would he miss the chance to bathe with his mate.

Kylen rushed to the bathroom, coming to a sliding stop at the base of the tub. Farro lay sprawled in the large basin, his head thrown back, his eyes closed in bliss.

“Is there room for two?”

Farro laughed. “There’s probably enough space for a dozen.”

“You’d best only have me in your bath,” Kylen warned. “I might have been an idiot in the past, but I won’t share you.”

A low growl rumbled from his mate. “Good. If I find that asshole king in your bed again, I’ll shred him. No scent but ours should ever touch our sheets.” Farro’s eyes opened in slits, his mouth tight with irritation.

Kylen didn’t bother to argue. If the smell of someone else in their bed offended his mate, then no one else would be there. “Agreed.”

“Then stop standing there and come join me.” Farro held out his hand.

Kylen slid his palm against Farro’s and stepped into the steaming water. He let Farro settle him between the shifter’s thighs.

Ohh, bliss. More than the sex, he’d missed companionship. He’d hated turning his head and finding nothing. He’d started conversations only to find Farro not by his side. Suddenly, the stress of their separation broke him. Great sobs shook his body as the tension and shame of abandoning all that he loved came out.

“Shhh, babe, I’ve got you now. We’re never going to be apart again.” Farro’s deep voice and gentle touch penetrated the cloud of distress wrapping him in grief.

Kylen couldn’t speak, couldn’t return the conversation. He needed to purge his system of the pain. When he’d decided to give up Farro for the good of the kingdom, he hadn’t realized the process would erode his soul. Another month and there would’ve been nothing left of him.

“I-I was beginning to fade, and I didn’t care,” Kylen confessed. There in the bath with the warm water and loving man, Kylen knew he could say anything and it wouldn’t leave the porcelain confines of the tub.

Farro carefully turned Kylen to face him, cradling him against his broad chest. “I know, love. I could feel your sorrow.”

“I’m so, so sorry.” No matter how many times he said it, he knew it wouldn’t erase the pain he’d caused them both.

Farro pinched Kylen’s chin between his fingers and forced him to look up. “You fae have a lot of sayings. Us wolves do too. My favorite is ‘forget the rabbit you ate yesterday because today is a new hunt.’ To me, that has always meant to let go of my actions from the day before because each day you start fresh. Let’s put the past behind us and focus on today.”

Relief swept through Kylen, cleaning his despair like a fresh rain. “Okay. I can do that.” He offered Farro a tremulous smile.

Farro kissed him. The hard embrace left no question in Kylen’s mind that Farro had forgiven him. No one who touched like that was feeling any resentment toward his lover.

“I missed you too, love. Let’s begin again.” Farro grabbed a bar of soap from the side of the tube and rubbed it between his large hands until he worked up a lather. “I’m going to jack you off. We’re going to wash our hair, and then I’m going to go and find out what’s up the mountain.”

Kylen wanted to object and state they needed a nap first, but despite the events of the day, it was still early morning. “Okay.”

He nestled his head in the crook of Farro’s shoulder and gave up control to his mate.

Farro wrapped his right hand around both of their erections, his long fingers soapy and slick. “You are all mine,” Farro growled as he squeezed and pumped their cocks in a breath-taking rhythm that soon had Kylen’s hips snapping and his groans echoing in the bathroom—all those tiles created excellent acoustics.

“Oh, like that,” Kylen sighed against Farro’s neck. “More.”

Farro picked up the pace, his grip and technique familiar and perfect. They’d been together long enough that Farro knew how Kylen liked to be touched, the angle he preferred, and how the scrape of Farro’s incisors across his neck triggered his orgasm faster than anything else.

“Yesss,” Kylen hissed as cum spurted from his cock and splashed into the bathwater. His embarrassment over his speed vanished when Farro joined him quickly after.

Farro sighed, then kissed Kylen on the forehead. “Let’s rinse off. I have an errand to run.”

“If anything happens to you, I’m going to kill Sein,” Kylen promised. He knew he sounded fierce, but he meant every word. The fae king’s life would be forfeit if this scouting mission got Farro killed. He pressed a hard kiss on Farro’s mouth. “Let’s rinse off.”

Chapter Six

If anyone had asked a few days earlier if he trusted King Sein, Kylen would’ve said yes without hesitation. In reputation, the light fae king had been a faithful ruler of his people for years. However, the last few days, something had shifted in his perception of his childhood friend. Sein was up to something. Kylen didn’t know what Sein was up to, but he had a bad feeling things were only going to get worse.

In the end, Kylen had been unable to allow Farro to go on his own. It helped his case that the twins refused to let Gabe travel without them. Apparently, Kylen wasn’t the only fae concerned about the safety of his mate. Unfortunately, Sein had refused to be left behind and insisted on traveling with them. Kylen thought they’d all probably do better if the light fae king had stayed behind. Now instead of a small scouting party, they had a dozen of Sein’s soldiers traipsing along in the underbrush beside them. If whatever they were scouting hadn’t known they were coming before, it certainly knew now.

He kept a close eye on their surroundings as they walked up the hill. So far the trolls appeared to have finished their downward motion for the day. He doubted that was all of them. He suspected there were dozens of trolls still hiding up in the caves.

“I don’t see anyone,” Sein said.

“Yeah, me either.” Kylen didn’t like it. The quiet of the forest sent chills of foreboding down his spine.

The fae soldiers followed at various distances behind. Once Sein announced their plan, his people had insisted that he take some soldiers with him. After Kylen approved the plan, Sein chose a handful of men to go with them. Kylen made sure everyone stayed behind the shifters. The wolves needed to be ahead of everyone to scent.

He kept a close eye on Farro. If his mate surged forward, Kylen would be the first one behind him.

“You really do love him, don’t you?” Sein’s quiet question pulled his attention away from his mate.

“Yes,” Kylen replied. The declaration didn’t need any window dressing. Farro held Kylen’s heart and soul in a tight fist, and Kylen wouldn’t have it any other way.

Kylen didn’t need to think about his emotions. No one meant more to him than Farro and Sammy. He’d been an idiot to put his people ahead of his heart. A happy ruler made for happy people.

A howl rose, and Kylen rushed to catch up. The wolves began running. Kylen ran after. His two legs couldn’t catch up with four running at full speed. He could hear the others running beside him. Gabe and Farro vanished over a hill. Kylen struggled to gather air into his lungs as his mate disappeared.

No!

Kylen had promised himself that Farro would never completely be out of sight, and in the first rush, he lost him. They reached the tip of the hill and spotted Farro and Gabe battling with a dragon. Estimating its size, Kylen decided it was a baby or a young adult dragon. It wasn’t big enough for an adult reptile. Its rainbow scales shimmered in the sunlight. A soft puff of flame came out of the dragon’s mouth as it dodged back and forth between the two wolves.

“I think he’s playing,” Vien said.

Kylen took another look at the scene, and he decided Vien was right. The dragon gave a quick bark, as if hoping to be one of the wolves.

Kylen laughed. Relief washed through him. If he were playing, the dragon probably wouldn’t hurt the wolves.

He watched them play for a bit. The two wolves bounced back and forth, wagging tails and giving happy yips.

“Are they going to kill that thing, or are we going to be here all night while they play ‘chase the dragon’?” Sein asked, scowling.

Kylen opened his mouth to give a scathing retort to the grouchy bastard when the little reptile let out a weird barking noise before flying away. Watching the creature leave, Kylen hoped the small beast didn’t get lost. If it had parents, they wouldn’t take his disappearance well. Unfortunately, Kylen didn’t know much about a dragon’s family unit.

The gaping hole in the mountain told Kylen he would soon learn more about them than he ever wished to know.

Farro ran back to him in long, easy lopes.

“Shift,” he ordered his mate.

The wolf sat down and changed. Farro shivered in the cool breeze for only a second before fabric slithered around him like living snakes.

Farro raised an eyebrow at Kylen.

“What? They don’t need to see you naked.” Kylen’s mouth tightened. He wouldn’t let the others leer at his mate. It was one thing when all the men were shifting into wolves, completely another when Farro was the only one besides Gabe to be naked. Kylen let Gabe’s mates take care of his clothing.

Farro kissed him. It would take a stronger man than Kylen to resist his beautiful man.

“Mine,” Kylen said fiercely once they separated. “You will always be mine.”

Farro smiled. “I will.”

“If you’re done making goo-goo eyes at each other, we need to go find out what drove the trolls off the mountain,” Sein said dryly.

“I think we might be done,” Kylen said. He pressed a quick kiss to Farro’s cheek. He always enjoyed the expression on Farro’s face whenever Kylen showed a spurt of affection.

Gabe grabbed Farro’s arm and pulled him away. “Let’s get going. We’ve got a cave to explore.”

Chapter Seven

Things went to hell as soon as they entered the cave. Trolls came from all directions to divide the group, and it took several minutes before they could go more than a few feet without another attack.

After an hour in the tunnel, they’d lost three of the light fae soldiers to troll attacks, and Farro sported a bloody new scratch on his cheek. The pile of bodies made it difficult to move forward. Kylen ended up having to use his sword like a hiking stick to climb his way over the bodies. He jumped to the ground on the other side, landing beside Farro.

“You all right, love?”

Farro nodded. “Yeah, we’re all good.”

Kylen knew Farro meant their small group. Sein’s soldiers hadn’t fared as well. They stood between two tunnels examining them for signs of occupation.

Farro took a deep breath. “There’s the scent of a large dragon down the right tunnel. That small dragon we played with earlier said something about his family being awake now. Something roused the dragons. They, in turn, evicted some of the trolls and other inhabitants of the cave. I don’t know all the details, but I’m thinking if we talk to the head dragon maybe he can tell us what’s going on.”

“Good idea.” Kylen walked shoulder to shoulder with Farro down the tunnel he’d pointed out. The temperature became more stifling with each step. The hint of brimstone in the air became stronger until it seared Kylen’s nose and he could smell nothing but ash, fire, and the metallic smell of heated gold.

Kylen clenched the handle of his sword and sent a quiet prayer to the green god and goddess to watch over them all.

“Between us, we can handle one measly dragon,” Sein boasted from behind them.

Kylen couldn’t stop the hysterical burst of laughter that broke free. “Unless you’ve acquired magical dragon-capturing skills over the past few years, I’m not certain how you think we’re going to do that.”

“It’ll be fine.”

Sein’s confidence confused Kylen. Why was the fae king so certain a dragon could be reasoned with? The older the dragon, the more territorial they became. Kylen wondered what the dragon would want in trade to stop him from scaring off the trolls. While he couldn’t blame the beast for not wanting the trolls in his territory, the mountain had been the trolls’ home for the last few centuries. If the dragon vacated them all, there would be a full-out war for territory.

The scent of sulfur became stronger until Kylen choked on the smell. A shove from behind had him stumbling into a larger cave. Sein rushed behind him.

“Protect!” Sein shouted, pointing his hand toward the cave entrance. A blue light shimmered, then transformed into a spider of lasers blocking the entrance and keeping everyone but Kylen and Sein on the other side.

“What did you do?” Kylen reached out a hand to touch the barrier only to be slapped down by Sein.

“Don’t touch it or it might cause a magical backlash. I’m not ready to lose you yet. I’ve been waiting and plotting for too long to let you be injured before your time,” Sein declared.

Kylen opened his mouth to ask what the hell Sein was talking about. Sein didn’t give him a chance to ask any questions. Instead, he grabbed Kylen’s arm and dragged him farther into the cavern, but when they turned the corner, he had a sinking suspicion that he was the Titanic and the dragon curled up before them was a giant fucking iceberg. Farro’s howl echoed behind him, low and mournful.

“Hello, little fae king,” the dragon rumbled. “Is this your friend?”

“Y-you know this dragon?” Kylen jerked free of Sein’s hold. He could already feel the bruises forming from the fae king’s grip.

Sein smiled. Not the happy carefree grin he often saw on Sein’s face growing up. His smile had a sinister cast that made the dragon on the other side of the room appear the less threatening of the two. Kylen pulled at his magic, but nothing happened. His throat dried as he contemplated what that might mean.

Laughter had his heart sinking. “Looking for something?” Sein asked. “If you’re trying to access your magic, I should warn you it doesn’t work around dragons.”

Kylen looked around for something to help him. Piles of gold and weapons rose in heaps on both sides of the caves.

After a moment of watching his antics, Sein turned his back on Kylen.

“Oh, great dragon, I’ve brought you a sacrifice.”

Kylen rolled his eyes. The dragon was an idiot if he thought Sein would do anything for him.

“He doesn’t look willing,” the dragon commented as it lumbered over.

Kylen locked his knees so he wouldn’t fall down with fear. Dragons were known for their ruthlessness and cunning. How Sein got the better of one, Kylen didn’t know. Now he knew the trolls were only the hook to get him up the mountain.

“You come to me willingly?” the dragon asked.

“No,” Kylen replied honestly.

“He does, if he wants his mate to make it back home to his son.” Sein’s glare promised retribution.

Kylen couldn’t admit defeat. He sacrificed himself once for his people. This time they’d have to rip out his still-beating heart before he abandoned his family again.

Spotting a sword in the stack of weapons, Kylen sprinted for it.

“Are you kidding me? Get back here!” Sein shouted.

Kylen heard Sein running behind him, but he blocked him out. He needed a weapon. He would take care of his family if he had to die fighting a dragon. No one would hurt his Farro, not while he still had breath in his body.

The pile he’d spotted the sword sticking out of was before him. Scrambling up the loose stacks of gold coins had him sliding down the mountain of metal, moving backward instead of up.

“Gotcha!” Sein shouted.

Sein grabbed Kylen’s shirt and yanked him back. Kylen flew through the air and slammed into a pile of coins on the opposite side.

“Ow.” Pain ripped up Kylen’s back from the impact. His muscles clenched and twisted together. He knew he’d find bruises all up his spine tomorrow.

“You’re ruining my cave!” thundered the dragon.

“I’ll deal with you in a minute,” Sein said.

The kind-hearted boy who once cried himself to sleep over the death of a bird had morphed into someone Kylen didn’t recognize.

The ring of Sein’s armored feet against the hard stone sent a shiver of foreboding through Kylen’s body. Jumping to his feet, he faced off before Sein. The light fae king pulled out his sword.

“At least one of us was better prepared. You should’ve brought a backup weapon, dear Kylen. Now what are you going to do?”

A crash had them both looking away. The dragon swung his tail into the pile of treasures. With a practiced flick, he whipped the sword toward them. Kylen grabbed the weapon as it spun past and leveled it at Sein.

“I believe I found my backup.” Kylen swung the sword at the light fae king before Sein got his hands up, slashing through his upper arm.

“Good thing you didn’t get my sword arm with that trick,” Sein said.

Blood dripped from the wound.

“Shame,” Kylen swung again. He’d spent his years as a soldier training for this type of thing. He didn’t sit around and point from his throne. He’d kept up his skills with his own soldiers. The dark fae were warriors first and foremost.

Sein swiped a respectable swing.

“Nice try,” Kylen commented.

“Nice? I’m the best fighter in my kingdom!” Sein screamed.

“Then you were right,” Kylen said, panting as he clashed swords with Sein.

“About what?”

“That your men are all pussies.” Kylen ducked Sein’s blow and dived low to slice at his legs. There were no rules when fighting for your life except the victor was the one who survived.

Sein toppled to the ground. Grabbing some gold, he flung it at Kylen’s face.

One coin caught Kylen’s eye, making it water and causing him temporary blindness.

Kylen ducked. A whistle over his head alerted him to Sein’s location.

A humming filled Kylen’s ears. He couldn’t hear anything else over the loud noise. What was it? He blinked repeatedly, trying to clear the water out of his eyes.

The hand holding the blade warmed as if the handle had superheated.

An instant passed, and for a second, he thought he saw something. Kylen stepped to the left and swung. A cry of pain greeted his push, and he shoved the sword deeper into the soft flesh at the tip of his weapon.

His vision cleared. The metal of his weapon glowed a bright green through Sein’s chest.

Startled, Kylen released his hold. The sword flew up from Sein’s body, then settled at Kylen’s feet.

“I think there’s a scabbard in there somewhere, Your Highness.”

“What? No!” Kylen fell to his knees. He’d thought Sein was the answer to his problems. The light fae king was going to free Kylen from the chains of ruling. Now, instead, Kylen had just proclaimed himself king of both kingdoms. Unlike the dark fae, the light fae kingdom was ruled by direct combat, one of the reasons Sein didn’t want his soldiers too powerful. By defeating Sein, he claimed the rule to two kingdoms.

“All hail the king!” the dragon said.

Tears tracked down Kylen’s face. He’d utterly destroyed his chance of being free.

“What’s wrong?” the dragon stomped forward. Kylen could’ve sworn compassion crossed the dragon’s face.

“Sein coaxed me here with the chance of no longer being king.”

“You don’t seek power?” The dragon’s tone indicated he had never heard of such a thing.

“No. I just want to have my mate by my side.”

“Why can’t your mate join you?”

“He’s a wolf shifter with a young son back home. I can’t ask him to abandon his whole world. Wolves need packs.” Kylen didn’t know why he confided in the dragon, but the words tumbled out before he could stop them. It was as if the floodgates had opened and all the words he’d held inside were spilling through a barrier.

“Do you know why the sword turned green?”

“No.”

“Because you are the rightful king of the fae. You were born to lead your people. For centuries, your rulers were chosen by that sword.”

“What changed?”

Kylen didn’t even know if he cared, but the dragon was being patient with him, and curiosity had always been his downfall.

“The kings became greedy, and the ones who thought they should rule didn’t like it when the sword didn’t pick them. They got rid of the sword and chose their own path.”

“Well, that wasn’t a great idea.” Kylen couldn’t remember a great deal about the previous rulers, but the story books always painted them as great. Of course, give them a few years and the historians would probably proclaim Sein a caring and compassionate man. Time had a way of smoothing out the sharp edges of memory.

“No, but now, through you, the balance has been restored.”

Kylen climbed to his feet and rifled through the rubble to find the scabbard to the sword. A few minutes search located it close to where the blade had been before.

After reuniting the two halves, Kylen strapped it around his chest.

Hollow.

He was empty inside.

“If you plan to eat me, go ahead. It can only improve my day.” He’d woken up with such optimism, certain he’d now be able to awaken beside his beloved every morning.

The dragon laughed, a deep booming sound. Any other time, it probably would’ve made Kylen smile. “I don’t eat fae, despite what I told your stupid relative. I needed you up here for us to form a pact.”

Kylen sighed. “How did you know I was the one to come?”

The dragon’s smile, all teeth and little humor, conveyed his vicious spirit. “Because you were fated to be our peacemaker. It was foreseen by our prophet.”

Kylen glanced around but didn’t see signs of any more dragons. “There are more of you?”

“Of course. Did you think I was the last of my kind? This entire mountain is riddled with dragons. We keep to ourselves unless we have something to say.”

“Then why did you scare the trolls away?”

“Trolls are like rats. After a while, they breed too much and have to be exterminated. We scared them down the hill to trigger your visit. When Sein came, he claimed you were perfect for a sacrifice. He didn’t know we can’t accept anyone who is already mated.”

“If you don’t eat us, what do you need a sacrifice for?”

“Companionship. We need partners. A thousand years ago the fae used to have a pact with dragons to bring us all your unmated kin. Among them, we would choose dragon mates. However, the pact fell apart when one of your ancestors was unfaithful. She killed her dragon mate and, along with her lover, stole his treasure. We killed them both in retaliation. It is high time to make our peace, but we couldn’t do it with just half of a kingdom.”

“You set this entire thing up so I would claim the spot as the one king? And how does one of our kind become your companion anyway?”

The dragon glowed red. For one bright moment, the image seared into Kylen’s eyes before the enormous beast turned into a rather ordinary-looking human. If it wasn’t for the gold hair and the red eyes, he might be taken as anyone else.

“If you can look like that, why didn’t you just come down the mountain and introduce yourself?”

“Because in this form, we are vulnerable. I can’t risk going among the enemy where I might be caged or killed,” the dragon explained.

“So you need me to make a pact with you to bring you mates, and what do we get in return?”

“We don’t raze your kingdom to the ground?”

Kylen crossed his arms. “I think you can do better.”

“We’ll help protect your lands against trolls and provide you with metal to build your weapons.”

“And in turn, we provide you with mates?”

“Only willing mates,” the dragon decreed. “We have no interest in those unwilling.”

“And how many of these mates would you need?”

The dragon shrugged. “It depends on the dragon. If you could guarantee us safe passage, we’d be happy to come to you.”

“I can see what the people are willing to do. I’m not going to start a system where all unmated people have to trudge up the mountain, imagining their doom.”

The dragon chuckled again. “You are as wise as you are handsome.”

A low growl filled the chamber. “Why are you hitting on my mate, dragon?”

“Oh, you must be the king’s puppy.” The delight oozing off the dragon would’ve made Kylen smile any other time.

The spell must’ve broken when Kylen killed Sein.

“He won’t be king much longer.” Farro’s smug smile changed when he saw Sein dead on the floor. “What happened?”

“He set me up to be killed by the dragon.”

The heavy footsteps of the fae soldiers echoed in the flagstones.

“You will pay for our king’s death!”

“Knock it off, Hardour. He probably had it coming,” another knight said. “He’s a complete ass, and I’ve always wondered if he was the true king.”

“Apparently, I’m the true king of both kingdoms now.” Kylen didn’t take his eyes off Farro when he made the announcement so he caught the sorrow in the shifter’s eyes.

Chapter Eight

Farro barely resisted the urge to clutch at his chest. It hurt so badly he was certain he would be the first wolf shifter to die of a heart attack. The room spun a bit. He clenched down his jaw. He wouldn’t let this overwhelm him. If Kylen decided to leave him again, he wouldn’t beg for his return. Despite being mates, there was only so many times he could take a kick in the nuts.

“Breathe, baby,” Kylen whispered in his ear. “I want you to stay with me.”

Farro shook his head. “I can’t…Sammy.”

“We’ll invite a group of wolves to come and live with you. We’ll start you a small pack, love. I’m going to see if maybe Gabe would be interested. Both of his mates are fae, and they might want to return home. There are others I’m sure who might be willing.”

The world settled as Kylen’s words sank in. “You don’t want to leave me?”

Kylen kissed him on the lips—hard.

“I never wanted to leave you. Now I refuse to. I would give up two kingdoms for you.” Kylen’s sincere gaze sank into Farro’s mind, unraveling the pain and fear waiting to pounce.

“I don’t know. Sammy might have problems here.”

“Because he’s a small wolf shifter?”

“Yes.” Farro wouldn’t move if it would upset his son.

“I need my son here, Farro. If he prefers to go to his current school, I can arrange for a portal to drop him outside class each morning. He goes to a shifter school, correct?”

Farro nodded.

“Then there is no problem. I can see he gets there. I wouldn’t take away his friends.”

With each solution, Farro’s heart beat a little slower and each breath became less panicky. “Why do I always feel that you are one step away from leaving me?”

“Because I was an idiot once.” Kylen wrapped Farro into his arms and held him close. “Right now with everyone depending on me, I want to stay here and help the two kingdoms become one. If, instead, you want me to return to your dimension and be your mate there, I will do it. You are in charge, my love. The decision is yours.”

Farro couldn’t hear anyone else breathing, as if they were all holding their breath until he spoke. “I’ll stay here with you but only if Sammy agrees. I won’t have him be uncomfortable.”

“He’ll be fine. By the time he figures out the difference between fae and wolves, we might have companions for him around,” Kylen said.

“Sammy still has a few years before he truly understands about prejudice, but a young child still knows when he’s not welcome,” Farro argued. “I won’t raise him in an island of hatred.”

“Do you think I would?” Kylen’s cold tone had Farro reconsidering his statement.

“No. I don’t. Sorry, I’m just feeling protective.”

“No one besides you loves that boy as much as me. I would never let anything happen to him.”

Farro knew that. Kylen loved Sammy almost as if he were his biological child. “Okay. I guess we can give it a try.”

“No.” Kylen stepped back. He gripped Farro’s arms in a tight clench. “We aren’t an experiment to try. We will make this succeed. We are a family, and we belong together.”

Farro couldn’t talk past the emotion clogging his throat. He wanted to believe Kylen. It would be great if he thought they would all have a happy ending. “Okay. You work on your super school portal, and I’ll talk to Sammy about his new transportation.”

Kylen pulled Farro close, holding him to his chest. “I will do anything to keep you. We can do this together.”

A long sigh left Kylen as their lips brushed together. “We’ll make things work.”

“Just don’t leave me.” Kylen could do anything if he knew Farro was by his side.

“Never. I’ll never let you leave me again.”

Smiling, Kylen entwined his fingers with Farro’s. “Let’s go.”

* * * *

“Shhh,” Kylen said. He tiptoed into the little boy’s room. A messy head of curls showed above the blankets.

“He’s going to wake up when he scents you,” Farro muttered.

“Papa?” Sammy pulled down the covers and peeked out as if he didn’t dare hope.

“My boy,” Kylen’s throat choked up at the sheer joy on Sammy’s face. The little boy didn’t even try to hide his excitement over seeing Kylen.

Tears dripped down Kylen’s cheeks. Leaning down, he scooped Sammy up and held Sammy close to his heart.

“Are you back?”

“Yes, we’re a family, and families stay together. Would you mind coming to live in a castle? I promise you can come back and see your friends.”

Sammy frowned. “Are there any wolves there?”

Kylen nodded. “Your father will be there, and I’m going to ask Viell and Vien to come stay with me for a bit so you’ll have Gabe to keep you company. Maybe we can convince some other wolves to come live with us.”

“M’kay,” Sammy agreed. “I told Daddy to go find you. I knew you were lost.”

Kylen kissed Sammy’s forehead. “You were right. You’re such a smart boy.”

Sammy nodded. “I know.”

“Yes. We’ll work it all out. Don’t worry.”

“Love you, Papa,” Sammy whispered.

“Love you too, son.” Kylen tucked Sammy back in bed. “Get some rest. I promise I’ll be here in the morning.”

Sammy smiled. “If you aren’t, I’ll send Daddy to find you. He’s good at hunting.”

Kylen laughed. “Yes, he is.” Kylen kissed his son on the forehead, then ushered Farro out of the room. They had some bonding to do.

The End

About the Author

Amber Kell is a dreamer who has been writing stories in her head for as long as she could remember.

She lives in Seattle with her husband, two sons, three cats and one very stupid dog. To learn more about her current books or works in progress, check out her blog at http://amberkell.com. Her fans can also reach her at amberkellwrites@gmail.com

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