Page 36 of Kingdom of Betrayal and Unknown (Kingdom of Bellhollow #1)

“ I think I would like to meet some of the other females who are mates with the Fae,” I tell Kieran when I see him walk out from behind the tree.

Two weeks are almost up, and Prince Archie should be back here any day now. I’ve loved having freedom without so many guards in town, and without having to worry about Prince Archie trying to find me. It’s been nice to walk and let my mind clear.

“What has changed your mind?” he asks. “I will let their mates know so they can tell them.”

I shrug. “I’m curious.”

I really just want to see if I’m alone in this or if there are other people in the same situation as me.

I take a deep breath and look back at Kieran.

How is any of this going to work out between us?

He’s a Fae, and I’m human. There are laws in place that could get us both in trouble.

He could die, and I could get whipped and thrown in the dungeon.

Or how is it going to work out since he is so much taller than me?

“Take a deep breath,” he gently reminds me. “Hold it for a couple of seconds and slowly let it out.”

I didn’t even realize I had been holding my breath. My shoulders slump as I inhale.

“Sorry,” I mumble.

Kieran bends down slightly and cups my face with his right hand, and I find myself leaning into it. “There is no need to be sorry. Everything is okay. Everything is going to work out.”

“Is it though?” I ask. “How is it going to work out between us if we really are mates? How is this going to actually happen when you are a Fae and I am human? How? There are rules against this. We wouldn’t be able to do anything.”

Kieran searches my face and gives me a small smile. “Everything is going to work out. I know it’s hard to believe and see past everything happening right now, but everything is going to work out. We are going to get out of the curse, I promise you.”

“Before I die?” I take a step back. “You’ve been slaves, under this spell, for hundreds and hundreds of years. What has changed?”

“I found you,” he gently says.

“Wh-what?” I stutter.

Kieran takes a step closer to me. “The thing that has changed is that I found you. That is what is different and is going to change everything.”

I shake my head. “You are crazy. You don’t know how to break the curse. No one does, so how am I going to change anything?”

I knew I shouldn’t have believed a word he said. Everything he has been telling me probably has been lies.

“We may not know how to break the curse yet, but we will. We have been slowly working on it, but everything is going to go much faster now,” Kieran tells me. “Soon, we are going to be able to be together in public without any fear of being hurt or killed. I promise you it will happen.”

I take another step back as his words sink into my brain. Could he be behind all of it? I know Fae are said to be vicious, but ever since talking to Kieran, he has changed my mind.

“Why are you giving me that look?” He cocks his head to the side.

“Are you.” I take a deep breath. “Are you behind all of those attacks happening in the other towns?”

He shakes his head. “No. They have gone rogue, but they will be hearing from me. As High Lord of the Fae, I do not tolerate what they are doing. Word has been sent for them to stop what they are doing. Now is not the time to attempt a revolt. Not when I just found you, and not when we don’t know how to break the curse or even who the witch is. ”

I shouldn’t believe him, but it sounds like he is telling the truth. Everything that I have seen has made the Fae non-violent. Maybe they are and are just trying to show that they have changed so the curse gets broken. Or maybe that’s how they always were.

“In the beginning, we tried to revolt and take over, but we lost many and realized if we killed everyone, then we wouldn’t be broken from our curse,” Kieran tells me. “So we have been slowly trying to figure out how to break the curse without raising any alarm and getting us all killed.”

That all made sense, but how does me joining the equation help push things along? Unless he thinks… No.

“Are you expecting me to find out how to break the curse?” I ask, taking another step back.

“No, I would never ask you to put yourself in danger. We are working on it daily, trying to hear the conversation and read what the witch said all those years ago. I don’t want you to go after it and put yourself in danger,” he says.

“I want you safe and sound so that when we do find out how to break it, we can spend the rest of our lives together.”

My shoulders relax once more. As much as I want to help them out, I can’t risk my life like that. Not when my mother needs me. Well, I actually would and kind of have. Asking my sister questions wasn’t smart.

“If I hear anything about the curse, I can let you know,” I offer. “I won’t go asking around, but if I happen to hear anything when I go to the palace for my lessons, I’ll let you know after.”

It’s the least I can do for him. Kieran has been nothing but nice to me, and this is the least I can do for him, right?

“You don’t have to do that, but we would appreciate it,” he replies, taking a step toward me. “But do not put yourself in danger, no matter how much you want to at the time.”

“I won’t, I promise,” I honestly reply.

At the time. It may change if I find myself in a situation where they are discussing it. I may need to get closer to hear better or follow them, and I would. It might put me in danger, but it would help them out.

“I have,” but I stop myself.

No. I can’t ask that. It’s been on my mind for a while, but I haven’t had the courage to ask about it yet.

“Ask,” he encourages me.

“Can wings be removed, and after a time, can they be replaced and work, or once they are off they cannot be used anymore?” I rush out but wince when I hear what I just said. “Sorry, I shouldn’t have asked that. It wasn’t okay.”

Realization crosses his face. “You saw the wings on the wall.”

I nod and look away. I have seen them on the wall, and it pains me. I can still remember the dried blood on the wall from where it looked like they placed the freshly cut wings. How cruel.

“We’ve never tried to reattach wings before to know if they would work again or if the healer could even do it,” Kieran softly says. “Only one of those people is still alive, but they are very old and probably wouldn’t be able to fly even if they had wings.”

My heart breaks at his words. The last one living, and they wouldn’t be able to fly even if they were able to get the wings back on him somehow.

“Has he.” I clear my throat and let out a shaky breath. “Has he been mistreated?”

I hope for his sake he hasn’t. He didn’t have a choice in whether he wanted his wings cut off.

“No, he hasn’t,” Kieran replies. “Everyone knows he didn’t have a choice, and no one blames him for it or treats him badly. Even though he is old, he still lives his life.”

“But he knew that he would never get them back,” I mumble, feeling even more sad than before.

“Yes, he did, but he is grateful to be alive. I hope one day to be able to have the healers reattach them so he can feel them move before he dies,” Kieran gently says. “Whether that will happen, I do not know.”

I want to help make it happen, but I know I can’t really do anything.

They are far too high for me to get by myself, and I know they will weigh a lot.

And who’s to say he will actually be able to feel them move since the curse is still in place.

Maybe they’ll disappear once they are attached, like everyone else’s.

“Are your father’s wings up there?” I can’t help but ask.

Kieran shakes his head. “No. The king at the time wanted my father’s wings, but several people kept the guards from getting to him which resulted in them losing theirs. ”

They sacrificed themselves to save their High Lord’s wings.

“Now, come here.” He holds his arms open. “Let me hold you. Let me hold you like I held you that night in the tent.”

Without thinking, I take several steps forward and wrap my arms around his waist. His arms cocoon me, making me feel safe and relaxed.

“Why does this feel so good?” I mumble into him. “Why does it feel like I belong here, in your arms? It felt like this the night you rescued me from the snowstorm. I can’t explain it. I haven’t felt this way with anyone. Not even my dad who I feel safe with.”

“Because I am your mate. You crave being in my arms and will always feel like you belong,” he gently replies. “Do you feel any other way?”

My cheeks heat as I think about all the other feelings I’ve experienced. Kieran can’t possibly know what I’ve been feeling, can he? My whole body stills. He said he could feel my emotions, which means he could feel those emotions.

“Yes,” he whispers in my ear. “Tell me.”

I shake my head, but I don’t pull away. I don’t want to leave his arms. I don’t want to leave the security and rightness right now. I want to stay here forever.

“I think you’ve had some very strong feelings,” he murmurs. “I think they shocked you.”

They did shock me all right. I’ve never felt this way before for a man… well, Fae. But Kieran does things to me, and I don’t know what to do with them.

“I think you secretly want to meet me in the dead of night, only wearing your nightdress and let me have my way with you,” he purrs in my ears.

I chuckle awkwardly. “That would be one sure way for me to get sick and die.”

“Oh no, you wouldn’t be cold. I would keep you warm, toasty.” He holds me closer. “You would never have to worry about that.”

“Unless I’m walking home or to the forest. You can’t walk with me to my parents’ house.” I don’t know why I’m trying to deflect the conversation. Maybe because I want it to happen, but I know it never can. Or maybe it’s because I want it so badly that I’m trying to stop myself.

Kieran chuckles and slightly pulls away from me. “I see what you are doing.” He runs his thumb across my face. “I would never allow you to walk from your house to the forest in just your nightdress. I would tell you to put on a jacket before, and then I would slowly take it off.”

“Wh-what else?” I breathe out.

He smiles. “As I slowly push it off your shoulders, I would dip down and kiss them, leaving a trail of my love. Once the coat hits the ground, I would kneel in front of you and worship your body. Show you how much I appreciate you.”

A shiver works its way through my body as I suck in a breath.

“Like that, don’t you?” He smirks.

“I.” I stop myself.

Do I want to admit that I love the sound of that?

“I would then take you back to my camp, lay you on my furs and show you just how much pleasure I can bring you,” he purrs in my ear.

I grip onto his shirt and clench my jaw. No. I shouldn’t want this, but I can’t deny that I’ve thought about it several times. It’s been on my mind at all hours of the day.

“I think deep down you really want it. You want me, but aren’t ready to admit it.” He pulls away.

Whimpering, I close my eyes at the loss of contact. I shouldn’t be this affected by him… but I am.

“That’s okay. I can be a patient man.” He nips the tip of my ear. “I can be a very patient man. I’ve waited over four hundred and fifty years for you, and I can wait a couple more until you are ready.”

My hands are still full of his shirt, and I grip him tighter, looking at them and not his face. No. I shouldn’t be falling for him even more. I shouldn’t be letting his words affect me like this, but Kieran has a way with them. He knows exactly what to say to me.

“I love the way you are holding onto me. Like you need me.” He kisses the tip of my nose.

I do need him.

Something flashes in his eyes, and he lets out a slow growl. “Don’t tempt me, spitfire.”

“What if I want to?” I ask before I can stop myself.

Kieran takes a big deep breath and slowly lets it out, maintaining eye contact the whole time.

“Guards!” Zayden yells as he runs to us.

I look over to see the panic across his face.

“They are back and are searching the forest,” he says, out of breath.

Kieran kisses my forehead, his lips lingering for several seconds like he doesn’t want to leave. I don’t want him to. I desperately wish things were different.

“Go back home,” he whispers. “Be safe.”