Page 1

Chapter 1

Della; 293 years ago

I tilted my head, as if a different angle might change what I was seeing. My mate was kissing a pretty, blonde-haired woman—the same one he’d been with every day I came to see him. I took in everything about how his eyes softened when he looked at her and how his hands lingered when he touched her. I'd been coming to Kizar every day for two weeks, ever since I stumbled upon him by accident. His dark blonde hair was chaotic as she ran her hands through it. She deepened the kiss, and a small sliver of confusion passed through me.

I wanted to know what that was like. He pulled back and smiled, tucking her hair behind her ear. He was in love with this woman. The love for her was undeniable in his stormy blue eyes. My mate already belonged to another. I was too late.

This should hurt my feelings. I should want to kill this woman. But I was more confused about how little it upset me. He was supposed to be mine. I did not want to share him. So why wasn't I more upset seeing him kiss someone else?

“I love you,” he said softly.

The woman stilled at his confession. I knew that if she said it back, I wouldn't ruin his happiness. My heart pounded as I waited for her answer. She touched his cheek, her finger tracing over the curve of his jaw.

“I love you, too.”

My mating bond burned at her words. I waited my entire existence for him. My eyes stung as tears spilled out. My sudden grief had the sky ripping open, making rain pour down onto the two of them as they started to kiss. Lightning scattered across the sky as rage filled my chest. My mate and the woman began laughing at the sudden change of weather, unaware it was my heartbreak.

He stood, pulling her with him, and twirled as they began dancing. I was unable to turn away, as this sick display of love exploited my pain. I did not understand why the heavens made my mate love another. Was it because he hasn't seen me yet? Maybe that is why he thinks he loves her instead of me. Hope slowly crept into my chest as I watched them dance.

The sun began to set, and he would be heading home soon. I would find a way for our paths to cross so that he could see that I was his, not this woman. I smiled to myself as I vanished and reappeared closer to his home.His family home was quaint—not oversized, but not small either. I had seen his parents once. Both of them seemed so kind that I hoped my mate would be just as nice. I scanned the street, searching for the perfect excuse to cross his path.

Maybe I would pose as a seller or fall—so he would stop to help me. My mind raced with ideas as I muttered to myself. I began pacing back and forth, my heart pounding, my thoughts scattering. I had to do this perfectly so he would feel our connection immediately.

I wanted my mate, even if the connection was not snapping into place like it should. His stormy eyes and dark blonde hair filled my thoughts. He was handsome, and hope filled my chest that he would find me pretty. But first, I needed to kickstart this damn bond inside of me to wake its ass up and claim him from the woman he thought he loved.

I would show him what love actually was. I stopped pacing and began practicing falling so it looked natural—not desperate. I pretended to trip over my feet, but what if he thought I was clumsy? So, I practiced tripping over a rock I tossed on the ground. After a few attempts, I felt dumb, so I stopped.

“This is so damn stupid. Why is this so fucking difficult?” I asked no one in particular. I shook my arms, trying to loosen the tension in my body. I could do this. My mate would love me. I had not waited an eternity for him to belong to someone else. He belonged to me.

I would fight her if I needed to.

“Get a grip on yourself,” I said out loud. “You can do this. It’s simple. You’ve done harder things than talking to a man before.”

But none of them had to do with my mate. I should not have to convince him to pick me over another woman. He was only supposed to be attracted to me, unless everything we knew about mates was wrong.

“That’s ridiculous,” I scoffed. I turned to take my place—only to find him already there, smiling softly. His hand was resting on the gate to his family’s yard. Gods, I hadn’t even heard him come up. I stilled. He could see me.

“Are you alright?” he said with amusement. His stormy blue eyes met mine, and I swallowed hard. Fuck, how much did he see?

“Umm.” I glanced down at my dress, which was covered in dust from my fake falling. When I looked up, he had a full smile. Fuck, he was more handsome this close.

“Is there a reason you kept falling for no reason? Do you need a healer?” His deep voice wrapped around me like a hug.

“I… really don’t know how to answer that.” My cheeks heated. His eyes drifted over my face like he was admiring what he was seeing. My heart pounded, hoping he liked what he saw.

“You seem very familiar.” He tilted his head to the side. “What’s your name?”

His hand dropped from the gate as he took a step toward me. I smiled at the gesture; maybe his mating bond was telling him to come near me. I didn’t understand how he saw me right now when he hadn’t noticed me once in the past two weeks.

“Ardella," I said with a nervous smile.

I glanced over his tall frame; his dark blonde hair was shorter than I realized earlier and messy, like he'd been running his fingers through it.

“Are you lost?” he asked.

“I think I’m exactly where I should be.”

He stepped closer and glanced around, checking if anyone else was nearby. He stopped a few feet in front of me. He smelled good, like a frosty morning in winter. Gods, he was taller than he looked from a distance, too. I craned my neck back and looked up at him.

“Tell me why you’re out here tripping and talking to yourself.”

I blushed at his question. Gods, this was fucking embarrassing. His eyes stared intently at me as if he already knew this was a ploy to talk to him.

“I was trying to find an excuse to get you to notice me.” I decided to be honest. He cocked his head to the side, watching me.

“You’ve seen me before?” he asked.

“Yes, but you haven’t noticed me." My voice was barely audible.

He frowned slightly.

“I don’t know how I could have missed you.”

His words hit low in my gut—warm and sharp. He was flirting with me. Gods, I didn’t know what to say to him. He glanced at his home before looking back at me, hesitating for a moment.

“I was going to grab something up the street. Do you want to come?"

I looked around us before staring at him.

“Unless you actually hurt yourself falling like that,” he said with a grin.

I narrowed my eyes at him.

“Let’s go.” I turned and started walking but stopped when I didn’t hear him following behind me. He was biting his lip to stop smiling. I swallowed hard at how cute he looked.

“This way.” He tilted his head in the opposite direction I was going. Heat crept up my neck again. But I lifted my chin in defiance and walked past him. He was quick to move next to me.

“This was a pleasant surprise,” he said with a smile. “I thought today was going to be boring.”

I chuckled softly.

“Well, it certainly took me by surprise.” I looked over at him as he stared at me intently. I thought today was going to be a regular day. I didn’t expect that my mate and I would finally talk. We walked in silence for a moment, and there was nothing awkward about it.

“Are you always so quiet?” he asked.

“Only when I am nervous.”

“Do I make you nervous?”

“Yes.” I peeked up at him, then quickly looked away toward the vendors lining the path. We walked past quite a few of them, and he hadn’t even glanced in their direction. Maybe he was looking for something specific.

“So, what are you looking for?” I asked as the end of the vendor carts drew closer. He glanced over at the carts before looking back at me, rubbing the back of his neck and chuckling softly.

“I didn’t actually need anything. I just wanted an excuse for you to stay a little longer.”

“Oh.” My face was on fire. I did not know how to respond to him.

We awkwardly turned back around and started for his home. He kept looking at me—watching me like he was trying to figure me out. When our eyes met, I gave him a small, shy smile.

“I was just about to eat dinner; do you want to join me?”

“Really?” I gawked. “You don’t know me.”

He paused for a moment as if he were thinking of something.

“I don't understand why that phrase seems so wrong, but I feel like I’ve known you for my entire life.” Gods, I was not expecting him to be so forward with me. He always seemed so timid when I watched him from afar. Maybe his mating bond was making him brave. “You don’t have to stay if it makes you uncomfortable.”

“No, I would love to,” I said too quickly.

He chuckled softly as he nodded for me to follow him. He pushed open the wooden gate, holding it open for me. I slipped past him, brushing dust from my black dress. He walked next to me, and I could feel his gaze, but I was too nervous to look up.

I didn’t realize the mating bond would snap so suddenly, that he would want to spend time with me immediately. Not that I was complaining. I was desperate to learn everything I could about him.

When we walked into the house, I was pleasantly surprised by how bright and homey the space was. It was bigger on the inside than it appeared from the street. The comforting feeling of this home was unlike anything I had experienced before. Mine and Mikel’s home was nice and large but not comforting in the same way this was.

I followed along as he walked through a sitting room and toward the sound of clanking dishes. I froze. This was his parents’ home. We weren’t going to be alone. He stopped and looked back at me.

“What’s wrong?”

“I just realized that there will be others.”

“There is no reason to be worried. My parents are the nicest fae you will ever meet.”

It wasn’t them being mean I was worried about—it was me embarrassing myself.

“Won't they think it's odd that you're bringing home a stranger?”

“Yes, but not for the reason you think,” he said with a chuckle.

He reached for my hand, causing a warmth to spread through me. I glanced up at him.

“It'll be alright,” he said, smiling gently.

I nodded, and he didn’t drop my hand; he only squeezed it tightly in his and tugged me along with him. When we entered the next room, there was a mid-sized dining table next to a spacious kitchen. His parents had their backs toward us.

They were talking softly before they both laughed loudly at whatever joke they shared between themselves. His father was tall like him, and his mother was small and petite beside him. Her dark hair tumbled down her back in tight curls. His father must have heard us because he turned, and I could not believe how much they looked alike. His dark blonde hair matched my mate's, but he had dark brown eyes. He looked between the two of us, and then our hands connected. His wife seemed to notice his silence and turned to see what he was staring at. Her pretty, stormy blue eyes stared at both of us. Her mouth fell open before shutting quickly, like this was the last thing she expected.

Gods, did they know he was seeing that blonde woman? I dropped my hand quickly from his. I didn’t want them to think I was a mistress or something. My face was burning with worry. Did they like his girlfriend? I had not seen her come here, but that didn’t mean they didn’t know about her.

“Haden, you brought a guest.” His mom smiled brightly.

Haden. I had not heard his name yet. Him and the blonde woman just called each other baby or sweetheart. Shit, I was jealous now that I talked with him. I was upset that he had kissed that woman and told her he loved her. Betrayal was pumping through me. He shouldn't have desired anyone else but me. I wasn’t getting any of his firsts, and he would get all of mine.

“This is Ardella. Can she join us tonight?”

His parents practically ran over to us and smiled brightly.

“Of course,” his mom gushed. “I am Penelope, and this is my husband, Henry.” She hesitated when I put out my hand to shake hers, instead stepping forward and pulling me to her for a tight hug. “We are a hugging family.” She smiled, and Henry laughed when I looked terrified.

“Gosh, you are so pretty,” she cooed, and I felt my face heat even more.

“Mother, you’re scaring her,” Haden said.

“I’m sorry, we just thought you would never bring someone home to meet us.” She beamed, and Henry pulled her away from us and back to the kitchen with an apologetic look. I looked at Haden, and he smiled. His hand came to rest on my lower back as he led me to the dining table. He pulled out the chair for me, and I sat down. Haden slid into the seat next to me, and his eyes softened at my terrified expression. Is this how all families are?

“You look like you might bolt,” he laughed. “My mother has waited for this moment since I was old enough to date. Let’s not disappoint her,” he challenged me.

My throat tightened.

“Maybe you shouldn’t have brought me then. Shouldn’t you want to save this for someone special? You don’t know me at all.”

“Something tells me that you will be very special, Ardella,” he said as he picked up his drink and sipped it. Gods, his mating bond must be going crazy to want me this close already.

“Your parents seem wonderful.” I changed the topic. “You are lucky.”

He glanced over at me and grinned before looking into the kitchen to see his parents spying on us. They quickly pretended to be busy so it wasn't obvious they were watching. I looked back at Haden.

“So, you’ve never brought a girl home? What about girlfriends?” I wondered if he would tell me about the blonde woman he said he loved only an hour ago.

“I’ve not dated anyone. No one ever really caught my eye.”

I wanted to press the issue because he was lying, but his parents set down the food, which smelled so good. I glanced over the roast, bread, and vegetables. Haden helped me get a plate before his parents both bowed their heads.

“Thanks to the gods for a wonderful life full of health and love,” they said in unison. I stared at them because I did not know that the fae expressed gratitude in this way. My chest was tight with emotion as I watched them. Haden was observing me closely as I took my first bite. Shit, this was good.

“So where did you two meet?” Penelope asked.

Haden looked at me with amusement when I froze.

“Ardella fell, and I helped her.” He had a mischievous glint in his eye. I relaxed slightly when I met his gaze.

“I’m pretty clumsy." I smiled at Haden. “Haden was very nice.”

He watched me as his parents beamed. Why was he staring so much? I raised my eyebrow at him, and he seemed to snap out of whatever trance he was in.

“What do you two do for a living?” I asked as I took a bite of everything on the plate. Gods, they were wonderful cooks.

“I’m a healer in the village, and Henry is an artist.” Penelope looked behind me. “All the artwork in here is his.”

I glanced behind me at the paintings of nature and animals. They were so well done that you could hardly tell that it was a painting. I had always wished I was artistic, but I could not do anything of the sort.

“They are beautiful.”

“Thank you. What do you do?” Henry asked.

Shit.

I couldn’t tell them I was a goddess. I hesitated for a moment before the lie blurted from me.

“I am a maid.” I glanced at my plate, feeling guilty for the lie. They didn’t say anything for a moment before Haden filled the silence.

“I am a builder,” he said. “I build houses.”

“You didn’t tell her about your job before?” Henry asked. His friendly eyes filled with confusion as he looked between the two of us.

“No, we just met outside before dinner,” Haden admitted as he took a bite of his food.

My eyes widened. His parents were silent, and I glanced up at them. Haden was grinning at me.

“Don’t worry, Ardella. My parents aren’t judging us. They got married after knowing each other for two days.” He looked at his parents. “Right?”

“When you know, you know.” Penelope smiled as she glanced between the two of us. I relaxed when Haden’s hand rested next to mine on the table.

“We always told our children that sometimes the right thing happens at the exact right moment, and time does not matter.” Henry looked at his wife and gave her a kiss.

I looked at Haden as he studied me closely. I did not know our mating bond would make us feel this way so quickly. I suppose it made sense. The heavens knew we were meant for each other. His eyes drifted over my face and down to my mouth before meeting my eyes again. Something in his eyes made my insides melt with anticipation.

"Everyone told us that we didn't know each other well enough to get married. They said we would regret it. Now look at us." Henry glanced at each one of us. "Although Haden has always been the skeptical one about finding true love."

My gaze snapped to Haden.

"Really?" I asked.

"Yes." His eyes filled with a look I didn't know how to decipher. "Don't worry, I think I am changing my mind on the matter."

My eyes widened with how forward he was being. But gods, I liked how confident he was. I turned back to my plate of food and finished. Mikel and I really needed to figure out how to cook better.

As soon as we were done eating, they began clearing the table, and I stood to help.

“We’ve got it,” Henry insisted. “Haden, you should show her the plans you’re making for the house you want to build.” Henry looked at me. “Haden is only living here until he can get his house built.”

“I would love to see it.” I smiled at him.

He looked at his parents and gave them a look like he knew they were up to something. He stood and held his hand out for me. I took it, and Haden led me up the stairs to a small bedroom. I knew it was his immediately—it smelled like him. There was a desk overfilled with plans and paper, and his walls had sketches pinned on them. But the rest of the room was tidy.

He just stood at the doorway with me, holding my hand and letting me take in everything. I stepped toward the desk, eager to learn about this home he had envisioned for himself. Honestly, I was just so nervous that I needed to do something with my hands so I didn't stand awkwardly. Haden walked with me, not letting go of my hand. I reached out with my free hand and started to trace my finger over the plans for the house sitting on top. It was a large home with open living spaces and a second story. I looked at the picture of the outside he had drawn and colored. It was dark wood, with lovely stone accents and big windows.

“It’s a large home.” I glanced over my shoulder at him.

“I plan on having a big family.” He smiled.

I averted my gaze from him as I bit my lip nervously. A big family. I never gave much thought to my life after I met my mate. I didn’t think about children or the type of home we would share. But now that I had seen a glimpse of what he pictured, I realized how badly I wanted all of that. Haden squeezed my hand softly until I looked at him.

“Why did you come here today?” he asked.

“What do you mean?”

“You said you have seen me before and wanted to speak with me. Why did you decide that today was the day to approach to me?”

I would rather not tell him that I heard him and that woman exchanging heartfelt words or that he was my mate.

“It just felt like it was time. I just wondered if you would feel the same about me.”

He moved slightly forward, easing the embarrassment of my oversharing.

“And what do you feel?”

“A strong connection to you,” I said honestly.

He smiled softly.

“Me too. But I have to come clean about something.” He looked over at me. “I have seen you around for two weeks, Ardella. I told myself this morning that if I saw you again, I would talk to you. Imagine my surprise when I find you standing outside of my family’s home. It’s like our paths were meant to cross today.”

He had seen me before and was drawn to me. My heart was racing. His gaze dropped to my mouth. This was overwhelming. I was feeling all sorts of things toward him that I didn’t understand. Where were all of these feelings these past two weeks? Being this close to him was… different.

“You can kiss me if you like,” I said, feeling confident in the way he was watching me.

Haden dropped my hand and pulled me to him; his fingers slowly moved the hair from my face and skimmed over my cheek before grabbing my face on both sides and leaning in closer. Our lips met softly, but it ignited a fire inside of me. Haden pulled back and stared at me like he didn’t know why a simple kiss felt like that.

We both rushed toward each other at the same time. Our mouths clashed as we deepened the kiss. Haden held me against him with one hand on my lower back and the other on the back of my neck. I ran my fingers through his hair as his tongue swept across my lips, and I parted them to let him in. He hummed as our kiss quickly became desperate.

A sudden loud crashing downstairs made us pull apart and look at the bedroom door.

“What was that?” I asked, out of breath.

“I have no idea.” He looked back at me and gave me one last lingering kiss. “Let’s go.” He grabbed my hand and dragged me downstairs with him.