Page 9 of Fairy’s Forbidden Touch (Wings & Whispers #2)
Six weeks after first touching Thalen—six weeks of increasingly intimate “exploration” and one mind-blowing weekend in the fae realm—I was finally moving out of Maya’s couch and into my own apartment.
It was tiny, barely more than a studio with a separate bedroom, but it was mine, paid for with my Moonlight Brews salary and surprisingly generous tips.
“You know,” Maya observed as she helped me carry the last box up the narrow stairs, “when you showed up at my door two months ago with your life in shambles, I didn’t expect this outcome.”
“What, me getting my own place? I told you I would.”
She gave me a knowing look. “I meant you dating fairy royalty and actually getting your act together. It’s like the opposite of your usual pattern.”
I couldn’t argue with that. My previous relationships had a tendency to drag me down rather than lift me up. Thalen, despite the inherent complications of dating someone from another realm who happened to be a crown prince, had somehow become a stabilizing force in my life.
“He’s different,” was all I said.
Maya’s expression softened. “I can see that. You’re different with him too. Less…” she waved her hand vaguely, “chaotic.”
Before I could respond, there was a knock at the door—a precise, measured knock that I immediately recognized.
“Speaking of your fairy prince,” Maya said with a grin.
I opened the door to find Thalen standing there, looking slightly out of place in the dingy hallway of my new building. He was dressed more casually than usual—by his standards, anyway—in tailored trousers and a simple silk shirt, his hair in a loose braid over one shoulder.
“Greetings,” he said formally, then seemed to catch himself, offering a more casual, “Hi.”
I couldn’t help smiling at his attempt at human informality. “Hey. Come in. It’s not much, but it’s mine.”
He stepped inside, taking in the small space with curious eyes. “It has excellent energy,” he declared. “Very much yours.”
Maya coughed pointedly from where she was unpacking kitchen items. “Hello to you too, Your Highness.”
Thalen turned to her with a slight bow. “Maya. Thank you for assisting Jesse with his relocation.”
“Just trying to get him off my couch,” she said cheerfully. “Though I’ll miss having someone to blame when the milk disappears.”
I rolled my eyes. “That was one time.”
“Three times,” she corrected, then glanced between us. “Well, I should get going. Let you two… settle in.”
The suggestive emphasis made me groan. “Maya…”
“What? I’m being supportive of your interspecies relationship.” She grabbed her jacket, then paused to look at Thalen seriously. “Take care of him, okay? He acts tough, but he’s got a soft center.”
“I am well aware of Jesse’s qualities,” Thalen replied with equal seriousness. “I value them greatly.”
Something passed between them—an understanding or acceptance—before Maya nodded and headed for the door. “Call me when you’re ready for a housewarming,” she called over her shoulder. “And maybe install some soundproofing first!”
The door closed behind her, leaving Thalen and me alone in my new apartment. He immediately moved closer, cool hands framing my face in what had become a familiar gesture.
“Your cousin is protective of you,” he observed. “It is good to have such connections.”
“She’s seen me through some rough patches,” I admitted. “Including the most recent one.”
His thumbs traced my cheekbones gently. “I am pleased you have your own dwelling now. It will afford us more privacy.”
The implications of that statement sent a pleasant warmth through me. “No more cramped couch encounters.”
“Indeed.” His lips quirked in that almost-smile I’d come to recognize as genuine amusement. “Though your cousin’s furnishings have certain… nostalgic value now.”
I laughed, leaning in to kiss him. What started as a simple greeting quickly deepened, his cool tongue sliding against mine with practiced familiarity. After six weeks, we knew each other’s bodies well, but the desire showed no signs of diminishing—if anything, it had only grown stronger with time.
When we finally separated, I noticed tension in his features that hadn’t been there before. “What’s wrong?” I asked, immediately concerned.
He hesitated, his fingers absently adjusting one of the silver cuffs on his ear—that nervous tell I’d come to recognize. “There is a matter I must discuss with you. Something that has… arisen.”
The seriousness in his tone made my stomach clench. “That sounds ominous.”
“Not ominous,” he corrected quickly. “Merely… complicated. Perhaps we should sit.”
My apartment came with minimal furniture—just a bed, a small table with two chairs, and a secondhand couch Maya had helped me find. Thalen chose the couch, perching on the edge with that perfect posture that always made me feel slouchy in comparison.
“So what’s this complicated matter?” I asked, sitting beside him.
He took a breath, composure slipping just slightly. “Our relationship has not gone unnoticed in my realm. The fact that you can touch me when others cannot has become… a topic of significant interest.”
“I figured as much from all those stares when we visited your place,” I said, trying to keep my tone light despite my growing concern.
“Indeed. Initially, it was mere curiosity. But now…” He paused, choosing his words carefully. “There are those in the Court who believe your ability represents something significant. A bond of magical importance.”
“What kind of significance are we talking about?”
His fingers went to the ear cuff again. “In fae tradition, when a royal finds one who can withstand their inherent magic—their perfect counterpart—it is considered a true bond. A… destined connection.”
Oh.
“Like soulmates?” I ventured, my mouth suddenly dry.
“A crude approximation, but essentially correct,” he confirmed. “Such bonds are exceedingly rare. The last confirmed case was over three centuries ago.”
The implications were beginning to sink in. “And people think that’s what we have? This… magical bond thing?”
“Many do, yes.” His eyes met mine directly. “Including my parents, the King and Queen.”
Holy shit.
“Your parents know about me?” I asked weakly.
“They have known since the first night you touched me without harm,” he admitted. “Nothing occurs in the realm without their awareness, particularly regarding me.”
My head was spinning. “So for six weeks, the fairy king and queen have known about us? And they think we’re… magically bonded?”
“Fae,” he corrected automatically. “And yes.”
“Why didn’t you tell me this sooner?”
He looked genuinely remorseful. “I did not wish to burden you with the politics and expectations of my world. I wanted what grew between us to do so naturally, without external pressure.”
That was… actually rather sweet, if potentially misguided.
“Okay,” I said slowly. “So your parents and the court think we have some magical bond. What does that mean for us? For… whatever this is?” I gestured between us, suddenly acutely aware that we’d never actually defined our relationship.
Thalen’s expression turned grave. “Traditionally, such a bond would be formally acknowledged. The human counterpart would be brought into the court as a consort to the crown prince, with all the responsibilities and privileges that entails.”
I blinked. “Are you saying they expect me to become some kind of… fairy prince consort?”
“Fae,” he corrected again, more gently this time. “And yes, that would be the traditional path.”
“But I’m just… me,” I protested. “A human who can’t even keep his life together without help. I work in a café, Thalen. I just got my first apartment at twenty-six. I’m not consort material.”
His cool hands captured mine, squeezing gently. “You are far more than you give yourself credit for, Jesse. Your spirit, your resilience, your capacity for joy despite adversity—these are qualities valued highly among the fae.”
“Still,” I insisted. “There must be some mistake. Why would I be able to touch you if hundreds of other humans can’t? It doesn’t make sense.”
“The bond manifests between souls that resonate at complementary frequencies,” he explained. “It cannot be predicted or forced. It simply… is.”
I stood up, needing to move as I processed this information. “So what happens now? Are your parents summoning me to fairy court or something?”
“They have expressed a desire to meet you,” he confirmed. “But I told them it would happen in your time, not theirs. I will not force you into anything, Jesse.”
The sincerity in his voice made my chest ache. Despite the absurdity of the situation, I believed him—he wasn’t trying to trap me or manipulate me. He was caught in this unexpected situation just as I was.
“And what do you want?” I asked, turning to face him. “Not what tradition says, not what your parents expect. What do you, Thalen, actually want?”
He stood, moving to stand before me with unexpected vulnerability in his expression.
“I want you,” he said simply. “In whatever capacity you are willing to give yourself. If that means merely continuing as we have been, I would accept it gratefully. If it means more…” He trailed off, leaving the possibility hanging between us.
“More,” I repeated. “Like… fairy prince consort more?”
“Like partnership,” he clarified. “Like building something meaningful together, bridging our worlds. The title is secondary to the bond itself.”
I took a deep breath, trying to organize my thoughts. “This is a lot to process, Thalen. Two months ago I didn’t even know fae existed, and now I’m apparently magically bonded to their crown prince.”
“I understand,” he said gently. “I do not expect an immediate answer.”
“But there’s more, isn’t there?” I guessed, reading the continued tension in his posture. “Something else you haven’t told me.”
He hesitated, then nodded. “There are… elements in the court who view human-fae bonds with suspicion. Who believe such connections weaken our bloodlines and compromise our magic.”