Yet I find I do not wish to change my circumstances.
I do not regret that my mate is a human female.
Gwen is mine. Forever.
From the depths of my soul, I adore her.
All at once, the wind ceases howling, and the snow stops pelting the windows. A sudden silence falls over the suite, broken only by the steady crackling of the fire. We both glance toward the mountains. The sky is clearing, the storm finally letting up after battering Ellonnar for three days straight.
I look at the bird, and Gwen follows my gaze.
“We can free him soon,” she says with a wistful expression.
“Yes,” I agree. “Once he’s finished resting, we will set him free.”
CHAPTER 15
GWEN
As I finally get dressed forthe day, donning the green gown trimmed in fur, I look at the boxes that contain all the new clothing and shoes Merak bought me. Surely we can’t fit all these items in his rucksack. I suppose most will have to be left behind here. I try to push away the pang of sadness that accompanies this realization. I’ve never been a materialistic person, but I will mourn these clothes simply because Merak gave them to me. I know he promised to have clothing tailor-made for me once we reach the war camp, but these items represent one of the very first acts of kindness he showed me.
The war camp…
Gods. We will travel there soon.
A shiver rushes through me at the thought.
Tomorrow, we will depart Ellonnar and head for the Winter Court army.
A few times, I’ve sensed Merak’s reluctance to take me there, but he hasn’t mentioned any alternative plans, so I assume that is where we are going. It’s my understanding that Helena isliving in the war camp with King Theron, and I can’t help but wonder how she is faring. Is it difficult for her to watch tribute-cursed slaves being mistreated?
I remind myself that even if some of the tribute-cursed slaves are being treated well, they are still not free. They are still slaves.
I am still a slave.
At least, I think I am.
Yes, I am also Merak’s mate, but before that I was a tribute-cursed slave, and then I was a slave bought off an auction platform.
I glance at the closed bedroom door, thankful that Merak told me to take my time getting dressed. The meaningful look he gave me as he said it, as well as the surge of warmth he sent through the bond, made me understand that he hoped I would use the time to gather my thoughts, in private, and consider how I truly feel about the fact that we are mates.
My heart races. For a moment, panic starts to rise, though it just as quickly fades. On the surface, the idea of belonging to a highborn fae male is terrifying, but the prospect of belonging to Merak doesn’t frighten me the way it did just a few days ago.
Not only do I trust him, but I am also falling for him.
Hopelessly, madly, and deeply.
The realization should scare me. Instead, it’s a comfort. It causes a calming sense of peace that spreads through my chest. And I am starting to believe that maybe, just maybe, we might find real happiness together.
Even if I weren’t his slave, he would not free me—because I am his mate, and fae males are possessive of their females.
As I think of my family, I feel myself soften further toward Merak. Not only will he allow me to write to them, he says he will take me to visit them. He’s also promised to provide for them, whatever they might need. I can scarcely believe a Winter Court lord could be so generous.
Again, I think of the kindness Merak has shown me since we first locked eyes in the remote mountain village only a few days ago, and my throat tightens.
He could’ve been cruel. He could’ve kept my wrists bound as he flew me away from the village, but he didn’t. Instead, he used his winter magic to remove the bindings, draped my cloak over me, even pulling up the hood, trying to make me as comfortable as possible before he finally swept me into his arms and flew me away from that awful village.
Then he stopped in a clearing when he sensed I was injured. He’d smelled my festering wounds. At the time, I found his worry for me confusing. I didn’t understand it. But now it all makes sense. From the moment he first laid eyes on me, he knew we were mates.
