Page 29 of Broken Hearted (Cursed Fae #3)

I never expected my wedding night to be spent on a train with not one, but three Ethereum lords and my best friend who’d been raised to kill them, but here I was.

In all fairness though, I’d never really imagined my wedding night before because I hadn’t thought I’d get married, so it was not as if it wasn’t living up to expectations.

Married. I was married to Adrien. I was Adrien’s wife, and he was my husband.

I thought there’d be a wave of panic and regret to accompany those thoughts, but there wasn’t. Not even a little. Instead, I felt at peace. Maybe even for the first time in my life as I snuggled into Adrien’s side.

After our spur-of-the-moment wedding, all of us had taken a quick swim in the pond at the base of the waterfall to wash the battle off. We then returned to the station where Zane’s train was waiting and departed for Windreum right away. We were hopeful that Aribella and Stryker would be there when we arrived so Zane could leave for Faerie soon. And we knew that the train was needed to bring refugees from the south to the west, where all of Ethereum was now traveling to safety. We didn’t want to take it up any more than we had to when so many others had need of it.

The original plan was for Adrien and me to retreat to one of the sleeper cars to spend our wedding night alone once we all briefly discussed our next steps, but I’d been so exhausted I’d fallen asleep against him almost immediately.

I’d been embarrassed when I’d woken hours later and realized I’d slept almost the entire way back to Windreum, essentially ruining our opportunity to have time alone together. But Adrien had just looked at me lovingly as he ran his fingers over my cheek and told me we had a lifetime together, so there was no rush. It was the perfect response and made me fall even deeper in love with him.

According to Zane we were now less than a half hour from Windreum. Dawn and Zander sat in the passenger car a couple of rows in front of us, cuddled together. I glanced across the aisle at Zane who sat alone. His gaze was trained out the window even though it was still too dark to see anything. I could see his face in the glass’s reflection, and there was a faraway look in his eyes. I knew his mind wasn’t with us right now, but instead fixed on Lorelei.

If Stryker and Aribella were already in Windreum, Zane wanted to try to leave for Faerie immediately. His plan involved creating a portal using the brothers’ combined powers, and none of us knew if it would work or what it would do to the lords. Zander and Adrien had both insisted Zane spend the day preparing and get one good night’s sleep before attempting his half-cocked plan. Zane hadn’t agreed, so they were in somewhat of a stalemate currently.

As much as I knew it pained him to wait even one more night, I agreed that Zane needed the rest, and waiting just one more day would also give Dawn, Aribella and me some time to teach him all we knew about Faerie. He didn’t know what he was going to face when he arrived there, so journeying exhausted and ill-prepared wouldn’t do him any favors. Even now, I could see the dark smudges under his eyes in his reflection, telling me he hadn’t slept at all.

Seeing the forlorn look on his face made my heart ache for him, but what he didn’t understand was that Queen Liliana was as ruthless as she was cunning. Zane had come to mean something to me, and if he was going to have to face off against the Summer Court queen—which I feared might end up being the case—he needed to be rested and at full power. So if I got a vote on the matter, it would be to wait the extra day as well.

The train whistle rang, letting us know we were getting close to the Western Kingdom’s capital. I sat up fully, but Adrien wouldn’t let me get far. Putting an arm around me, he tugged me so that we were still pressed up against each other with my head resting on his shoulder. I couldn’t look into his eyes from my position, but I felt his steady heartbeat beneath my hand where it rested against his chest, and the distracting movement of his thumb as it brushed back and forth over my hip.

Adrien shifted, and I felt the press of his lips as they whispered over my forehead in a gentle kiss. “Having regrets?” he asked, his voice light and laced with humor, but he tensed when I didn’t immediately respond.

I pressed against his chest, forcing some space between us so I could look into his eyes. I saw concern and doubt there, and my heart squeezed.

Of course I had no regrets. I hadn’t meant to make him insecure about my feelings for him, but I wanted to be looking in his eyes when I told him that so he could see the truth as well as hear it.

Reaching up, I placed a hand against his cheek and ran my thumb over his full bottom lip, enjoying the smooth contrast to the rough stubble against my palm. His eyes became heavy and dark with desire, which sent a sudden bolt of awareness through me that I tried my best to ignore.

“Adrien,” I said, speaking deliberately. “I know I was scared before, but hear me when I say there’s nothing in this realm or any other that can make me regret the decision to be your wife.”

He released a heavy sigh, his relief clear as a soft smile turned up the corners of his mouth. But I wasn’t done.

“We don’t know what the future brings,” I admitted. “But whether we have a lifetime together or just a few more days, marrying you will always be the best thing I ever did.”

Adrien growled low in his throat and tugged me closer. “We will have a lifetime together,” he vowed, his voice deep and dripping with conviction. “I won’t allow anything less.”

“And I look forward to every single day of it,” I said as I smiled up at him.

I loved seeing the fire stoke in his gaze as I ran my fingers slowly down the column of his neck until my hand rested over his heart once again. This time, it beat a furious pace under my palm.

He let out another low noise that was half growl, half moan. “Do you think we have time to find that sleeper car?”

I grinned, liking where his mind was going. I opened my mouth to tell him it was worth a try when the train whistle blasted, interrupting me.

“We’re fifteen minutes from the station,” Zane called from somewhere behind me, and Adrien heaved a frustrated sigh, looking up at the roof of the train car before tipping his head back down to me.

Reaching out, he traced my upper lip and then lower lip with the tip of his finger, his gaze following the path. His attention made my mouth feel extra sensitive, and I wanted nothing more than for him to kiss me, and kiss me hard.

“As anxious as I am to get you alone,” he said, his voice dropping an octave and making a delicious thrill run through me, “what I have planned for you will undoubtedly take longer than a quarter of an hour.”

His words caused a fire to stoke low in my gut, and it was my turn to smother a groan.

A smile broke out on Adrien’s face at my reaction. Leaning down, he placed a feather-light kiss on my lips that in no way satiated the desire now running through me before pulling back again. “The wait will be worth it.”

“Do you promise?” I asked breathlessly, even though I’d done no physical activity.

“Always.”

* * *

It was a flurry of activity when we reached the station in Windreum. Stryker and Aribella had arrived only a few hours before us in the middle of the night. The sun was just starting to crest the horizon as we traveled through the city to Zane’s castle. Once we arrived, even though it was early, we all went to meet Stryker and Aribella in Zane’s drawing room.

I wasn’t as close to the Fall Court princess as I was to Dawn, but our reunion was still a warm one. We hugged and her face beamed when she heard that Adrien and I were married. She introduced me to her husband, Stryker, who was as handsome and fearsome in person as I remember him being when he’d appeared in my room with the rest of them.

Stryker didn’t come off as a particularly warm fae. I could tell it would take more than one interaction to feel at ease with the brooding lord, but what sold me on him was how he looked at Aribella. The way his eyes lit up with unveiled love and his face softened told me everything I needed to know. There was no doubt in my mind that he loved her deeply, and that was enough for me.

After strategizing the whole morning and listening to Zane argue with his brothers again about trying to make a portal immediately, we all finally convinced Zane to wait another day. Yet the compromise was that he would leave at first light and not a moment later.

Assuming this portal he and his brothers intended to make even worked. He hadn’t explained much in detail, just that with their combined magic they should be able to do it and it would leave them all weak for a day afterward. I just trusted that they knew what they were doing.

We disbanded after that, Zane going to gather what he needed for his journey. Since we’d all been traveling and were tired, Dawn, Zander, Aribella and Stryker retired to their rooms to rest. Before resting myself, I wanted to check in on my sister and explain to her about my marriage to Adrien. It was going to be a shock to her to find out that I’d married the Ethereum lord, and I didn’t want her to hear about it from anyone else.

I told Adrien I also wanted to clean up. I wasn’t a particularly fussy princess with regards to fashion and appearance, but my hair felt like a litter of squirrels had made their home in it and my clothes were stiff and uncomfortable. And if I were being honest, less than fresh smelling.

Adrien was gracious about my wanting to visit my sister, and gave me a toe-curling kiss before letting me go that almost had me abandoning my plans.

I went as far as to turn to follow him when my name was called, snapping me out of it.

When I glanced over my shoulder I saw my sister running up the stairs to meet me, her dark hair streaming behind her. Zane’s healer must have been one of the best because the color had returned to her face, and since she was running, she didn’t appear to have any lasting physical effects from her ordeal.

Thank the stars .

Sera and I collided in a giant hug. I wasn’t sure who squeezed who the hardest, but my ribs were sore when we finally broke apart. Sera wanted to know everything that happened with Elisana, down to the last detail, and so it took more time than I would have liked to relay the entire story.

Finally, I got to the part where I’d basically proposed to Adrien and then our hasty wedding.

Her brows shot straight up her forehead. “You’re married?” she asked with something akin to awe.

I nodded.

“I’m …” she said.

I bit my lip, bracing myself for her reaction.

“… glad,” she finished with a soft smile, and then it was my turn to be surprised.

“You are?” I asked. I’d expected her to be at least a little upset that I’d married an Ethereum lord, our supposed enemy, but the look on her face only conveyed sincerity. She truly seemed happy for me.

Reaching forward, she took my hand in between both of hers, her face turning serious. “Yes, I am. I know that what happened between Mother and Father hit us all hard, but I think in some ways as the eldest, you the most. I’ve been concerned that you would never open yourself up. That you would only ever push love out of your life, but I can clearly see that you’ve let it in. When you talk about Lord Adrien, joy shines from your eyes. It’s apparent to me that what you have with him is special.”

I blinked back at my sister, wondering when she’d gotten so wise. “Thank you for understanding,” I said with unexpected tears prickling the back of my eyes.

“Of course,” she told me. “It makes me happy to see you happy.” She grinned. “Now go on. You’ve already wasted enough time with me. I appreciate you humoring your sister, but you have a handsome lord waiting for you. If our situations were reversed, I certainly wouldn’t still be here with you.”

* * *

Much to my disappointment, I couldn’t find Adrien right away. I searched a whole floor of Zane’s castle for him, but he was nowhere to be found. When I finally questioned one of Zane’s staff about where the Southern lord was, she directed me to what was supposed to be our shared bed chambers, but he wasn’t there either. There was, however, a steaming bath already waiting for me. The woman who showed me to the room said it was filled for me at Lord Adrien’s request and then with a wink, she left me.

The bath felt amazing, but I couldn’t fully enjoy it because I missed my new husband. At some point, Zane had had all the clothes he purchased for me in Soleum moved to this room, and so after I’d thoroughly washed my body and hair, I changed into a pretty deep purple dress that hugged my ribs and flared at the hips. It was a little lower cut than I was used to, but I felt beautiful in it.

I chuckled to myself when I realized that Adrien had never even seen me dressed as a princess before. The dress wasn’t as extravagant as what I might have worn in the Winter Court, but it was a far cry from the torn and dirty pant and shirt combinations I’d mostly been in around him.

I was sitting in front of the mirror vanity, combing out my mostly dry hair when the door to the chamber opened behind me. Adrien appeared in the mirror’s reflection, his gaze connecting with mine immediately. The look on his face was one I knew I’d never tire of seeing. It was part awe, part desire. He gazed at me like he was a starving man, and I was his meal. And I loved it.

Warmth gathered inside me, growing in heat and intensity the longer we stayed locked in our stare. He looked like he had bathed as well, hair wet and slicked back with fresh clothes on.

Finally, Adrien moved toward me, practically prowling, his intent clear. I stayed perfectly still, keeping my gaze connected with his in the mirror’s reflection as my heart pounded furiously in my chest.

He took his time reaching me, drawing out the moment. It was an exquisite kind of torture to wait for him to make a move.

When he stood right behind me he finally broke our stare. Glancing down at me he reached forward and pulled the length of my long raven hair over one shoulder, exposing my neck to him. My breath caught in my throat when he ran his fingers gently over the base of my neck, and I tilted to give him more access.

“You are the most beautiful creature I’ve ever laid eyes on,” Adrien said.

His reflection was no longer enough for me, and I twisted in my seat so I could look up into his true face. His eyes shone with love, overwhelming me.

“I don’t deserve you or your love,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

A touch of sadness infiltrated my haze of desire. Adrien was the most amazing man I’d ever met. Brave. Honorable. Kind. Not to mention irresistible. He was more than deserving of me and my love.

“Don’t say that,” I said, reaching up to place my fingertips on his lips. “I love you.”

He softly kissed my fingertips and then took my hand. “I love you too, and I will spend a lifetime making sure you never regret the decision to marry me, starting now.”

With speed I wasn’t aware he was capable of, Adrien reached down and gently ringed my waist with his free arm, pulling me to my feet. I blinked and then was standing with my back to the thick bedpost and my front crushed against Adrien’s chest.

My heartbeat started to race like the flapping of a hummingbird’s wings as anticipation bubbled inside me.

“I can’t wait to give you the wedding night you deserve,” he said, his mouth mere inches from mine.

Yes, I wanted that too.

I glanced over his shoulder to where the windows were letting in the early afternoon sun. “Wedding night?” I asked with a coy smile. “But it appears to still be day, my lord. Does that mean you intend to make us wait until the sun sets?” I joked.

Bending his head, he ran the tip of his nose from the base of my neck up the column of my throat. The light touch felt criminally good, and when he reached the sensitive spot behind my ear a soft growl rumbled in his chest. “The length of a single night isn’t long enough for what I plan to do with you, so we need to start early.”

“Is that so?”

He made a purring sound at the back of his throat that sent a wave of warmth straight to my belly.

Adrien pulled back slightly, and I already missed the full press of his body against mine. “This is a lovely dress,” he said, running his fingers over the edge of the low-cut bodice, making a shiver of pure desire run through me. When he looked up, his teal eyes were blazing. “Do you mind if I rip it off you?”

With those words, my mouth went dry and my mind went blank, so all I managed to do was nod.

A wolfish smile appeared on his face, and I knew then that Adrien was right. The length of a single night was certainly not long enough.