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Chapter Twenty-Five

Peter

Present Day

I clasped Gwen’s hand in mine like she was my lifeline. She was. Gwen had continually been in my thoughts, and there she was. I deeply desired to kiss her, to hold her close, and to whisper into her ear how much I had missed her and worried over her, but the time to do that was not then.

Once we took leave of Pixie Isle, I would marry her as soon as possible.

But first, to get off the island meant hunting down Hook.

Back when Gwen had been stolen by the pixies, I had the thought come to me that, perhaps, she had been married off by her family.

William, and others, made that seem like a possibility.

It had hurt me to think that my storyteller might not have told me about such a thing, but I knew her mother was awful.

Something inside me, however, understood that it didn’t make sense; there was something else.

I was right; she had been taken. But part of that fear still remained with me until I found her and saved her from the pixies.

“Peter? Are you alright?” Gwen asked as we made our way through the foliage.

“Yes, just lost in thought. You know, I did not do this on purpose, leave you, right?”

“I will be honest, I did worry. Mother said, perhaps, you did not care for me after all. She said there were rumors that you had left me.”

“Well, I guess it is understandable to have that fear, but I would never leave you. I am sorry. I hope I have made that fear sink to the fathoms of the sea?”

“Yes,” she said with a smile as I tangled my hand in her hair. My, it was so soft. I pulled my hand away and cleared my throat. We were still around people, and I knew how Gwen was. I did not want to shower her with too much affection and make her uncomfortable.

“I never told you, but when you were kidnapped by the pixies, I believed that you ran away–or that you were forced by your mother to marry someone else. William planted that one in my head, so I just assumed my storyteller was yet another person set on leaving me.”

She clutched my arm in her free hand, pulling us closer together.

“Peter, I would never leave you.”

“I hoped, at least, to find answers about where you’d gone, and then I remembered what we had read about the pixies.

As impossible as it seemed to me that they might have come for you, it somehow seemed possible, and I started to believe that the rumors about you marrying a wealthy lord far away were, perhaps, just that— rumors . ”

“Peter, I am sorry to have made you worry.”

“But I also knew you . I knew you cared for me enough to not just abandon me without saying a word, especially after I told you about my family.”

“Yes, thank you for trusting in my integrity.”

“Of course, I know you to be a very fine and proper lady. That is the only thing keeping those lips of yours from mine right now, you know.”

“You have kissed me before in the present company.”

“That is true, yet somehow, I do not think what I shall do to you will seem proper for anyone to observe—”

“Peter!” she said, removing herself from me and placing a hand over her heart.

I smiled. I loved making her blush just a little. Her gentility was one of the most adorable things I had ever experienced. Slightly more adorable was when she dropped all the appropriateness, just for me, and when we were alone, I felt like the most special man in all the world.

“I am only joking. Come here, my darling, I need you.”

“Peter,” she said warily.

“Can you two stop flirting? We get it, you are in love and happy to see each other, but alas, I have no desire to see anyone look at my sister in the way you are looking at her right now. And I cannot lay hands on a prince.”

“Michael!” Gwen gaped.

I chuckled.

“I can wait till we have better cover and privacy.”

“Thank the Ancients,” Michael said.

We walked in silence for a few moments. Gwen was a few feet away from me, but still at my side. I moved closer, playfully letting our fingers brush each other’s until I took her hand in mine.

Once we finally arrived at the lagoon, everyone wanted to stop and look at the gems glowing in the water. The sun was beginning to set, and I wanted some time with Gwen.

“We will be back in a few,” I called to Dominick.

“Okay, we will rest and then make the rest of the way to the lost boys’ camp when you return?”

“Yes, and if I do not return, the pixies and lost boys can lead you to it through their cave, or you can go around this waterfall for a bit, and you’ll run right into it.”

“Do not return?” Michael asked. “I am aware that you are the prince of my kingdom—”

“I will not dishonor her. Even if I tried, she would slap me—would you not, Gwen?” I turned to her. She just stood there in shock.

“I would never allow him to!” she said, looking at Michael.

Michael and I laughed.

“See you, Your Highness,” Micheal said before walking to the edge of the gem-filled lagoon.

“Peter, I am not sure this is proper.”

“Of course, it is not,” I said, pleased to hear her gasp. I took her hand and pulled her to me. “I deeply desire to show you something. Please, will you—can you—trust me, darling Gwen?” I asked, tucking a wayward strand of hair behind her ear.

“I trust you, Peter.”

She squeezed my hand tighter, and I motioned for her to walk beside me. Finally, we would be alone. Finally, I could tell her all I had kept inside and, hopefully, kiss her to my heart’s content.

Gwendoly n

We trudged into the jungle, my hand in Peter’s.

I wondered how I had been so blessed to be the one who Peter wanted to spend so much time with.

It may have been hard to fathom, and the voice of my mother in my head often caused me to question it, but the truth was right there before me.

Peter wanted me; he wanted to speak to me.

“I’ve missed your stories.” He looked at me with his joyful smile. “The way you recite them. No one has the magic you do when you read.”

“No magic at all, I assure you,” I said, knowing my cheeks were darkening. “I am sorry I haven’t been here to read to you—but how are you?”

“I feel well, knowing you are safe, although I’d rather you were still safe at home.”

I pushed away the thought that he regretted my coming.

That’s not what he said.

I went back to talking with him. “I was so worried about you, Peter—”

He stopped, and I looked up. For most of the conversation, I had been looking at my feet and had only taken short glances toward Peter.

We stood on a cliff, the sunset before us bright with hues of yellow, orange, and pink. I gasped, looking at the beauty before me.

“Peter, this is incredible. ”

“I’ve never been here before, but I did notice this area when I was flying earlier and thought it would be a pleasant spot.”

“It’s breath-taking,” I said with clear awe in my voice.

The sea seemed to sparkle in the same shades as the sky, dancing back and forth.

“I have something to tell you that I should have already told you. I am sorry about that. It was not because of you; it was me. After we leave this island, I wish to marry you right away; however, I must tell you this before we wed.”

Fear mixed with joy inside of me.

“What?”

“My curse, Gwen. I must tell you what it is. I am sorry to bring the burden of it into our marriage.”

“What is it, Peter? I will ever be at your side.”

“I have been cursed to never be satisfied in my life, to always crave and seek adventure.” He turned away from me. To be honest, while a curse is, in itself, a wretched thing, I am grateful for the one I have. Dominick’s was far worse, and—”

“Do not downplay your curse. It is dreadful, Peter. Your struggles, although different from your brothers, does not mean it isn’t difficult for you.”

“It is the reason I always have a storyteller. Mother found that when she read stories to me, I would just sit and listen. The way my mind is wired, I am able to place myself inside the stories as if I am living them, myself, and doing this has helped curb my desire to leave my home throughout my life.”

“So, that is why I was tasked with being your storyteller.”

“Yes, it was a rather important royal job,” he said, kissing my cheek.

“And do you not know how to break this curse?”

“No. I realize that some royals figured out how to break their curses, but my mother said when Draken cursed our family, he left no hope behind.”

“I am so sorry.”

“So, I wanted to ask you, could you, would you, be alright with not only being my wife, but also being my storyteller for the rest of our days?” He looked down at his feet as if he were afraid of my answer.

I moved his face, tilting it slightly to lock eyes with him.

“There is nothing I want more.”

“Truly?”

“Of course, Peter. I love you, and I do not care if you are cursed.”

His green shirt billowed in the slight breeze. My skirts blew back as he moved in closer.

“How are you so incredible?” he asked.

“I assure you, I am not.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you earlier. I am surprised you did not press me for it. ”

“I was not worried about it. I figured that in time you would tell me. I trust you, Peter, more than anyone.”

“Gwen—darling Gwen.”

I loved it when he called me that—using my surname as an endearment brought me back to those simple days in the library when we first met. He pressed his forehead against my shoulder, tilting his head slowly to caress my neck with his lips.

“I love you so much.” He pressed the words into my skin like a searing promise I could never and would never wish to remove. “I feared—” He peppered more kisses up my neck and to my jaw. “–You would never read to me again.” He kissed my nose and smirked.

“No, I love reading far too much, and reading to you has become one of my favorite things. Yet ? you are enough reason for me to do anything.” I caressed the side of his face.

“Truly? You would have come every day to spend time with me?”

“Yes. I know I’m odd. I know this about myself—”

“You are not. I love the way you are.”

“Even my timidity?”

“Yes, I truly would not change it. I will kiss you in private for the rest of our lives if you would allow me. I don’t need to share our moments with anyone else.”

“Peter, you truly do not mind? You truly do not see me as a fool? I know other ladies are not as delicate as I tend to be. And you have sacrificed so much more than I had realized to save me—to save the children. How can I ever repay you?”

“I need you just as you are, always. I would do it a thousand times,” he said, pressing the softest of kisses against my lips.

“Be captured by pixies a thousand times?” I asked as he moved away.

“Yes, if it meant I could save you. And knowing you’d come after me, well, that means I will never have to be without you.”

“I’ll always come if you need me, Peter.”

“ If I need you?” he said with a laugh, pulling my face into his hands. His gentle touch made my body feel alive, like it only did with him. Peter’s thumbs were so close to my mouth. His touch was everything.

“Gwen, my darling, I will always need you.”

Then, his lips were on mine, finally.

We had shared many kisses before that moment.

Many of them were heated and seemingly untamed.

But that kiss—that was something more than two people who respected and cared for each other could ever experience.

As his lips danced with mine, and as he pulled me closer and my lips followed his lead, the word love drummed inside of me to the rhythm of my heart.

I walked backward a little, and Peter followed .

“Be careful, Gwen.” He paused, stopping my movement. I looked over my back to see that we were far too close to the cliff.

“I thought you could fly?” I said, trying to calm down my racing heart.

“I would, of course, catch you. I am a fantastic flyer. Do you wish to learn to fly? I can teach you.”

“To fly?” I asked, turning in his arms to press my back against his chest. I looked over the cliff at the view.

He slowly wrapped his muscular arms tighter around my waist, his head upon my shoulder, his lips kissing along my cheek and neck. He was intoxicating, addicting, everything I needed.

“Yes. I’d love to show you how to fly,” he whispered.

“Ladies were not meant to fly,” I said softly, wondering if Peter could hear me.

“Ah, that may be true, but what of princesses?”

I turned in his arms to face him. What a question.

“I could not say—”

“Meria, for example, is a princess.”

“Yes.”

“So, could you see her learning to fly?”

I thought for a moment. Meria was brave and so different from anyone I had ever met.

“Yes, I could see her flying. ”

“Good to know,” Peter said, looking at me with a smirk. “Princesses fly. I shall have to make you a princess fairly soon, then.”

“Peter!”

We were quiet for a few moments, my cheek resting against his chest. We’d have to go back to the others soon. The sunset was gone and stars dotted the sky. I looked up at him, and he was watching me.

“The stars are beautiful here,” I whispered.

He did not take his eyes off of me. “The most beautiful sight I have ever seen.”

“Peter!” I said with a laugh, touching his chest.

“When I lost you, I lost all the starlight in my sky.”

“Peter–”

“But with you here in my arms, I can do anything. You are every star in my sky, my moon and my sun.” Then his lips met mine, and I never knew more joy in my life.