Page 92 of Fae Mates

Coltrane winked and adjusted his grip around her naked body. “I know just the hag!”

He galloped away, carrying Lady Gala through the trees and in the direction of the rising sun. I tilted my head to the side and smiled. “If it wasn’t for her, I would never have gotten cursed.”

Prince August leaned down and placed a kiss on my temple. “And you would never have met us.”

“Or become the Queen of the Isle of Fae,” added Pokeweed.

“I look forward to seeing how you will reform your new kingdom,” said Mistress Ellyllon.

Warmth spread across my chest, filling it to bursting, and I shared a smile with each of my mates. Months ago, when I had been kneeling on the dock of Saltbay Port, I would never have imagined that I would have a happy ever after that bettered anything I had seen in my DVDs.

Epilogue

Five years passed, and life on the Isle of Fae had changed. Shortly after the Duke of Nevermore’s imprisonment, Pokeweed donated his lands and assets to all the half-bloods who had been cast out by their Lord fathers and left to fend for themselves.

We also negotiated with the United Nations for them to rehouse any humans who wanted to leave the island. The peacekeepers finally made themselves useful and taught adults and children to prepare them for the outside world. The rest of the reforms we left to the human prime minister, who liaised with the mayors of all the human settlements.

Lady Gala never returned to the Royal Fae Academy. Nor did she show her face at Court. She hadn’t made contact with her former friends, either. When she didn’t return after the centaur gestation period of eighteen months, we released Queen Titania from the stables to investigate the matter with the centaurs, but they frightened her away with their constant requests to mate.

A seeing hag would have been able to locate Lady Gala, but we didn’t want to waste the money beads.

I lay on a mattress of saffron petals with four of my mates, watching the closing credits to the Lumberjacks of Switzerland. It was August and Caulden’s turn to be in the middle. August pressed his warm, hard body against my side and nibbled on the base of my neck.

Rory, who had been sucking my toes under the covers, reached for the remote and paused the DVD player. “Ever since Sicily arrived, Johann no longer gets into so much trouble.”

Bradwell chuckled. “He and his brothers are just as busy as us, now.”

I leaned back onto the cushioned headrest and wiggled my toes. It had taken me weeks to work out the best way to word my first wish. With one reserved for McVittie in case he changed his mind and wanted to become human, another reserved for Helen when she resurfaced, I had to be careful how I would use the one to help Sicily.

According to a seeing hag, wishing for the betterment of all humans on the Isle was too vague. A wish could only affect a specific group of people and the more individuals I included in my wish, the more likely I would waste the magic and achieve nothing.

After consulting with Rory and Pokeweed, we decided to wish for Mom and Dad to have escaped the Isle of Fae while Mom was pregnant with Sicily. The seeing hag assured me that it wouldn’t affect my birth, and I would remain a faerie and the Queen of the Isle of Fae.

My sister wouldn’t know I existed, but Mom was alive, and Dad was no longer lost within the depths of the Mound. Best of all, Sicily had become a reality TV star with four devoted boyfriends.

“What did you think of this episode?” Caulden placed an arm around my shoulders, bringing me into his warmth. “Your mother’s appointment with the doctor was my favorite moment.”

A wave of happiness surged from my heart, and I wrapped my arms around Caulden’s middle. “I knew the outsiders would cure her wasting sickness.”

Bradwell reached across from his brother and squeezed my hand. “It’s amazing what humans can achieve without magic.”

“They’re so lucky to have such great healers,” said Rory around a mouthful of my toes.

August kissed my shoulder. “They’re lucky you sacrificed your place in the family for their happiness.”

My hand slid up his muscular thigh. “I’m delighted with the family I’ve made.”

The bell over the cat flap tingled. McVittie padded into the room and jumped onto the foot of the bed. “I’ve just had a report from Mistress Stinkhorn from the Flesh Market Brothel. The enchantment on Elijah Meadowhawks has worn off, and he has reverted to his male form.”

I bit down on my lip. “What happened?”

McVittie raised a paw into a feline shrug. “The client got a bit of a shock but said he didn’t mind continuing.”

Prince Bradwell chuckled. “Good for that client. How are those human girls Meadowhawks victimized?”

“Doing well,” said McVittie. “One of them has opened her second sorbet parlor in Balley Chashtal, and the others are in that school with the outsiders, preparing to leave the Island.”

A soft knock on the door had us all turning away from the cat. Pokeweed walked in and threaded his fingers through his long, golden hair. “Sorry I’m late. That meeting with the centaurs overran.”