AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Afraid of a little work to get what you want?” I ask.
He smiles. “Never, especially when the prize is being able to taste and tease the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.”
“I feel like that’s a bit of an exaggeration, but I’ll take it.”
“I never exaggerate, and I promise to only speak the truth to you.”
When I look into Oberon’s eyes, I know he means his words. Even though I haven’t known him for very long, I feel like we’ve been together forever. Every kiss, every caress is exciting and new, but at the same time it’s natural, like we were always meant to be. Is Oberon the man I was always destined to be with? Was my love for Mark simply a prelude to a deeper connection with the man in my arms? A small part of me feels like I’m cheating on Mark, but the sensible part reminds me that Mark is simply a memory. You can’t make love to a memory. You can’t hold a memory in your arms or build a life with it. There comes a time when you have to let memories stay where they are, in the past. I want a future and the man I want to have that future with is Oberon.
A little while later, three hard and rapid knocks interrupt us. Oberon breaks our kiss and stares at the door like he wants to murder the person on the other side. His fierce expression makes me laugh.
“Who is there?” I call out.
“Forgive me, Princess,” a woman says, “but Justin thought you would want to see what’s happening to Harold.”
Immediately, I turn and walk toward the door, stuffing the tails of my shirt back into my pants. When I open the door, I look back at Oberon.
“Are you coming?”
“I was hoping to, but I don’t think that will be happening anytime soon.” His snarky comeback causes my gaze to lower, seeing his problem.
“Do you need a minute alone?” I can’t help but smile, pleased that I have such a rousing effect on him.
“That might be best,” he answers. “I’ll be in there as soon as I’m decent.”
I’m still smiling when I enter the laboratory to see what could have happened in the short time I was away. At least, it felt like a short time. Oberon and I must have been making out longer than I thought because the changes in Harold’s appearance are extraordinary.
Gone is the wolf head. In its place is a handsome, if somewhat brutish, face. His hair is still the color of his wolf pelt with the ends brushing his broad shoulders.
“That’s amazing, Justin,” I say in awe of the miracle before me. As I stand by the glass cylinder, Justin remains quiet while studying a screen with a confusing amount of numbers flashing by. I have no idea what they’re telling him, but he looks concerned about something he sees.
“What’s wrong?” I ask.
“It’s probably nothing,” he says but the worry in his eyes remains. “Some of these numbers indicate he still has wolf DNA in his system.”
With a brief examination of Harold’s body, I don’t see anything wolfish about him anymore.
“When can he come out of this thing?”
“Shortly.” Justin instructs one of his lab technicians to monitor the screen he’s been studying while he mans the control panel that regulates the flow rate of the serum.
One by one, he detaches the tubes from the injection sites on Harold’s body. The healers continue to cast their magic, instantly pointing to a future problem with this procedure.
Each fae is born with a finite amount of magic. How are we going to heal the remaining humans with the few healers we have?
Oberon walks into the room and makes me realize he may hold the answer to that question on his ship. He’s made a promise of unlimited magic which is exactly what we need to make this plan viable.
Oberon takes his place by my side, gaping in wonder at Harold’s extraordinary transformation.
“I can’t believe it worked,” he says in astonishment.
“Thanks for the vote of confidence,” Justin jokes. “To be honest, I wasn’t sure we would be able to transform him either. It’s a win we all needed in this lab.”
“Thank you all for your work,” I say to those gathered in the room. “You truly have worked a miracle here. I know you might be tempted to tell your loved ones what happened tonight, but I beg you not to do that just yet. Once Oberon and I are married and crowned king and queen, we’ll do a formal announcement about your work and that we intend to start administering this treatment to all humans.”
Justin holds up his hand in a gesture of caution. “As long as they meet the criteria,” he reminds me.
“Of course,” I acknowledge with a nod.
