Page 54 of Confessions of a Wicked Fae

I supposed Ihad.

And now, I was getting a second chance at life. A different kind oflife.

One that sounded scary, but...hopeful.

I smiled. “That’s why you’re wearing glasses. They look cute onyou.”

His eyes flicked up, spearing mine. “You aren’tangry?”

“Why would I be? You sacrificed your immortality to bring me back into this world. The only thing I want to do is thank you. And spend a very long time in this bed in yourarms.”

Surprise flickered across his face. “You really mean that? You don’t mind being mortal? It means you’ll have a human lifespan. It means your eyesight and your hearing and your sense of smell will be far less than what it once was before. You won’t have your skill with the blade, andyou—”

“Shh.” I pressed a finger against his lips, and smiled. “I don’t need all that, Lugh. Not as long as I haveyou.”

But then I felt a seed of doubt in my gut, threatening to bloom into something more. Lugh was right, of course. If we were both mortal, we had none of the magic or the powers of the fae. I could live without the enhanced senses. I could enjoy a shorter life. Hell, I could even learn to wield my sword without my extraadvantage.

What I couldn’t live without, however, was Lugh. He hadn’t mentioned the bond, but he didn’t need to. That was gone, too. It no longer pulsed between us, drawing uscloser.

Lugh,” I said quietly. “With the mating bondgone...”

He sighed and loosened his grip on my hand. “With the mating bond gone, we are no longer destined to be together. There is nothing binding us togetheranymore.”

A tear slipped down my cheek. “I suppose that means you want to partways.”

Hurt shone in his eyes. “If that is what youwant.”

“What I want? Of course that’s not what I want.” I shook my head. “But I’m also not going to force you into something, just because I still love you the same as I alwaysdid.”

It was the truth. Mating bond or not, I loved Lugh. The magic may have been taken away from us, but it didn’t change the way I felt. I hadn’t fallen for himbecauseof the bond. I’d fallen for him in spite of it. All my life, I’d hoped I’d never find my mate. I’d outrun fate as long as I could, but it had finally caught up to me. And now, he was still here sitting in front of me. There were no more prophecies hanging over our heads. No more cauldrons orspears.

It was justus.

His lips twisted into a smile, and my heart skipped a beat. My very mortal heart. “And I still love you. All I want in his mortal life is you. One day, when we’re old and sitting by the fireplace, I want to reach over and take your hand, smile at the wrinkles on your face and know that I have lived a life worth living. One that I never would have had if I’d stayfae.”

My heart swelled. “That’s all I want,too.”

* * *

My mortal lifewas exceedingly different than the one I’d led before. For one, I no longer stood as a warrior for my Queen. So long I had fought. So long I had wielded mysword.

I still trained, becoming accustomed to my slower reflexes, no longer depending on my enhanced skills to get me by. But I did not stand guard. That responsibility was taken up by another fae who took my place. I would say I missed it, but...I had something far better thanthat.

The Great Hall had been transformed. The long wooden tables had been replaced by dozens of bow-accented seats. I stood in the center of the aisle, gazing forward as Celtic music swirled through the air. Lugh stood on the dais. He wore a black tux, fitted perfectly to enhance his well-muscled chest and arms. Beside him stood several males. Warin, Nero, and Uisnech. They all beamed atme.

As the music filled the expansive space, I moved down the aisle, my long white dress rustling around my heeled feet. I held a bouquet in my trembling hands, white peonies mixed in with splashes of goldenroses.

To the left of Lugh stood Saoirse, Clark, and Boudica, all wearing matching golden gowns. They all smiled, encouraging me forward, but I didn’t need any help at all. My feet weren’t cold. No fear lurked behind me like a wraith in the night. I felt happy, calm....free.

When I reached the end of the aisle, I smiled up at Lugh, who leaned forward to drop a kiss on my cheek. We might no longer be fated mates. The magic might no longer bind us together asone.

But we would become one all the same. Today, I married the love of mylife.

And I didn’t need a druid to tell me that we would live happily everafter.

* * *