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“Believe it or not, I knew very little as well, despite my mother’s influence. But her limited knowledge included teaching on magically compatible mates. High Fae magic is potent—stronger than many other fae magics—which is why the royal bloodline is primarily High Fae, but it has weaknesses.”

He began rolling the cuff of his left sleeve up, exposing a muscular forearm covered with a light dusting of hair, a few scars, and a tattoo of a vine that encircled his wrist twice. It was an interesting choice considering Kent didn’t seem like a person who would be interested in enduring pain purely for personal adornment.

“One of them is a lack of stability. Similar to the Dullahan magic, High Fae magic craves a match, a balance. Another magic source to entwine with, strengthen, and receive strength from. Linked this way, the fae will become stronger at the cost of permanent and exclusive connection. Unlike the Dullahan magic, High Fae magic doesn’t bind with a single touch; it requires more connection for a longer period.”

Kent paused and met my gaze. “The level of connection determines time required for entwining. The more compatible, the more quickly the connection forms.”

He extended his left hand toward me. “You are my match, Rue.”

“I—” My voice caught in my throat. “I don’t understand.”

Closing his eyes, Kent muttered something under his breath that I didn’t catch. Then he met my questing gaze with a soft smile. “I am sorry, Rue. You deserve better than this—better than me and my bumbling.” He extended his hand again. “May I take your hand?”

I nodded and shifted his coat from one arm to the other so I could extend my right hand to meet his outstretched one.

The moment our fingers touched, his and my magic entwined and a wave of complicated emotions hit me like a punch to my gut, stealing my ability to breathe for a moment. It took all I had just to keep standing as I tried to sort through the magic whirling around me. Delight, warmth, familiarity—they flooded over me, culminating in one overwhelming sensation of belonging—home.

Kent’s sharp inhalation reminded me that I wasn’t alone. “Rue.” He pulled me into a one-armed embrace—our clasped hands caught between our chests—and rested his cheek on my hair.

My heart pounded loudly in my ears as I sank into the whirlwind of sensation and rightness. What is happening to me?

His voice rumbled in his chest. “Oh, Rue, I have waited so long for you.”

“But—” The protest fell from my lips without a coherent thought to back it up. Just some part of me knew I couldn’t give in to the attraction without… The thought disappeared before I could form it. But deep down, I knew I needed to grasp it. Rallying what little self-control I still had, I pushed against Kent’s chest.

His arm loosened, and he lifted his head to lean back and gaze down at me. “Too fast?” he asked.

Unable to form words, I nodded. Something in me wasn’t at peace despite the allure of comfort and safety he offered. I couldn’t articulate it or even conceptualize it, but I knew on a deep, wordless level that something was off.

“Sorry.” He eased back, giving me space, but not releasing my hand until I stood steadily on my feet. Only then did he reluctantly extract his fingers from mine. Finally, he took a very slow and deliberate step back before taking a shaky breath. “I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

I shook my head. “No. It’s just—” I avoided his gaze. I didn’t need to see the longing in his eyes when I could feel it in my bones. I ached with it. Closing my eyes, I struggled not to cry at the intensity. “Explain.” I drew air into my starved lungs. “I need time—to process it all.”

“Didn’t want to spring it on you, but this—” He motioned to the tattoo. “It kind of demanded I act sooner than I wanted to.”

“A mating mark?” I lifted my face to look at him once more. “What does it mean for us?”

“Marriage eventually.” I felt his hope before I saw it in his expressive eyes. But as quickly as it rose, it dampened. “But only when you are ready, Rue. I would never force you.”

“And until then?” I asked.

“It would be very helpful for me if we remained close. Based on my mother’s experience—”

“Which wasn’t ideal,” I observed.

He acknowledged my comment with a perfunctory nod. “—the more we are together, the better it is for both of us. I am messing this up, aren’t I?”

I steadied myself, stepping back to give myself space to breathe. “It is a lot all at once.”

“You aren’t saying no, then?”

I examined my turbulent emotions and tried to put them into words, struggling to trust my instincts. I feared hurting him, but Kent needed some reassurance I wasn’t going to turn my back on him and run. “I’m not saying either no or yes. I—I need time.” I checked his expression. “May I have time?”

He nodded. “All the time I can give you.”

I tried to offer him a smile, a small reassurance that I would be well, but it faltered.

Chapter Thirteen