Fae Mates Read online

  Fae Mates

  Royal Fae Academy Book Three

  Sofia Daniel

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  21. Epilogue

  From Sofia Daniel

  Chapter 1

  I lay on the mossy ground with Lady Gala’s cruel voice echoing through my ears. The shrill sound picked up in volume until it drowned out the beating of my pulse. If I didn’t break free of her freezing curse, she would steal my destiny, and I would turn human for the academy’s sadistic wards to take care of the rest.

  She loomed in my limited line of sight, her pale, blue eyes cruel and bright, and the blood on the tips of her ice-pointed nails glistening in the sun like jewels. I wanted to snatch my gaze away from Lady Gala’s, but her terrible magic held me in place.

  With a malicious smile, Lady Gala knelt at my side, and the curtain of her platinum hair swept over my face. With a pop-pop-pop, her icy talons ripped the buttons of my stolen jacket open. A cool breeze swirled around my bare chest, making my insides shudder with revulsion.

  As I clenched and unclenched my muscles, all four princes stepped close to get a better look, but not even the anger and humiliation burning through my veins could set me free.

  “You failed,” she whispered into my ear. “In the end, my princes were too noble to fall for your lustful ways.”

  Anger flared through my insides. She was wrong. She had done something to them—I was certain. The tip of one finger twitched. Then another. If I could ball my hand into a fist and move my arm, I would ram it straight into her smirking face.

  “Well, let me tell you something.” Her cool breath chilled the shell of my ear. “You’re not the only female who can mate outside her heat, but you’ll soon realize that when the throne is mine.”

  Before I could wonder what she meant, icicles plunged into my heart. A cry spilled from my lips along with coppery liquid, and my vision turned black.

  “Oh, my lord,” whispered Sicily’s voice. “It’s Prince August.”

  My arms collapsed to the cobblestones, and I jerked my head up to meet my sister’s brown eyes. We were kneeling side-by-side on the paving stones with a bunch of other people I recognized from the fateful morning the princes stole the apple boxes.

  All the air left my lungs in a pained sob. “Sicily?”

  She stared back at me as though I’d gone mad, and I sucked in a deep breath, trying to make sense of events. The last thing I knew, Lady Gala was trying to turn me human, but I hadn’t expected to be back in Doolish.

  Up ahead at the waterfront, one of the United Nation’s floating containers stood with its door open, and a huge ogre lifted a box with an apple logo. My throat spasmed. This wasn’t right.

  I blinked hard, but the illusion remained. Then I closed my eyes for a few seconds and imagined salt in my mouth. Of all the glamours to fabricate, why did it have to be with my sister, who no longer existed?

  “This isn’t real.” Ignoring a twinge deep in my heart, I staggered up to my feet.

  Sicily grabbed my arm. “Are you trying to get yourself killed?”

  “Maybe.” I walked through the crowd of kneeling humans, ogres, and even Coltrane, the horny centaur, and walked to the white carriage. A few people hissed at me to get down, and someone tugged at my ankle, but I shook myself free.

  A sea breeze blew hair into my face, and I licked the salt off my lips, but it did nothing to dispel the glamor. It didn’t matter. This situation was no different than my jaunt through the skies with Elijah and the scene at the remedial building where the other fated had tried to convince me to side with them against Lady Gala. Someone was running some kind of glamour.

  Prince August stood by the white carriage dressed in his school uniform, and Prince Caulden stood at his side. They both stared me down, one with a heated glare and the other with cold disdain.

  “What is the meaning of this?” Prince August’s dark eyes blazed.

  My insides shriveled under the heat of his glower. What if this wasn’t a figment of Lady Gala’s magic? Prince August could have me arrested for treason.

  Thinking fast, I bobbed into a deep curtsey. “Begging your pardon, Your Highness, but if you’re looking for iPads, they’re not in those boxes.”

  Prince August glanced at his brother, whose stoic mask curved into a tiny smile. He turned back to me and said, “If this is your attempt to secure the iPads for yourself and this rabble, I’ll make sure you have no fingers to tap on the screen.”

  My lips trembled as I spluttered out my explanation that the logo didn’t share the same features of the one used by the computer company. Throughout this, Prince Caulden’s gaze narrowed, and it reminded me of how he had looked in my direction the first time we’d met on this very dock.

  “Let’s see if what the human says is true.” The Winter Prince flicked a wrist, parting the crowd with his ice pathway.

  My heart pounded hard enough to rattle my ribcage, and I swallowed hard. If this was real life, and the boxes contained iPads, every faerie who had conspired with the princes to get one was entitled by magic to dole out a punishment.

  Just like before, one of the guards walked to the container, but this time, he only took one box.

  “You there,” said Prince Caulden to someone within the crowd. “Which human dares to stand in the presence of two princes?”

  I’d forgotten this aspect of his personality, the cool, haughty Winter Prince with a gaze that could turn a girl’s heart to ice. A glance over my shoulder told me that Sicily was headed in our direction.

  “She’s my sister,” I said.

  Sicily bowed. “We didn’t mean any harm, Your Highness!”

  “Sire!” shouted the guard at the edge of the water. “You’ve got to see this.”

  Prince August strolled to the box, and every ounce of blood drained out of my face. I’d never asked Prince Caulden what he had found in the boxes on that day, and now I wished I had, instead of glossing over the incident to prove that my human life had been real.

  Prince August melted the path of ice with each footstep. When he reached the guard, he peered into the box and hissed.

  An iron fist of dread punched me hard in the stomach.

  “Take the girl and her sister,” he snarled. “I’m going to remain here and find out why the United Nations is smuggling grenades onto the Isle of Fae.”

  The guards bundled us both into the back of the carriage and forced us onto our knees. My knees sank into the carpet’s white velvet pile along with my plummeting heart. Beside me, Sicily curled into a ball, each wracking sob making my insides shudder with guilt.

  I glanced up at Prince Caulden, who sat on the seat and sneered. If this was real, I’d probably end up in front of King Oberon and Queen Titania facing charges of treason.

  The horses leaped into the air, jerking Sicily back toward the seat and me into the side of Prince Caulden’s leg. With a disgusted huff, he pushed me aside.

  “Your Highness?” I gazed up at Prince Caulden.

  His eyes, the color and sharpness of steel, sliced through my courage. Right now, I hoped this was a glamor because there were no signs of the affectionate prince who had won my heart.

  “Are you ready to tell me how you knew the contents of the boxes?” he asked.
>
  I lowered my gaze. “It’s like I said about the logos. The only thing I knew was that they weren’t iPads.”

  “Tell your sister to stop sniveling,” he snapped.

  Sicily raised her head, her face streaked with tears. “Will we be executed?”

  “Probably,” he drawled.

  I squeezed my eyes shut. With every passing moment, the chances of this being a glamor dwindled to the harsh reality that I’d acted rashly and was about to get Sicily and myself killed. This version of Prince Caulden hadn’t encased me in a sphere of ice, but I was hoping that the same tactic I had used to get free might work.

  “Alright then, Your Highness.” I sat on my haunches. “Is it possible to make a final request before I die?”

  Prince Caulden scoffed. “You’re in no position to demand anything, human—”

  “I want to suck your big, royal cock.” The words tumbled out of my mouth.

  “Unity,” Sicily hissed, her voice scandalized.

  I ignored my sister. A mouthful of salty cum was the only way to determine the truth of my situation. If it wasn’t a glamor, I might even ingratiate myself with Prince Caulden.

  He leaned forward, outrage blazing in his cold eyes, and whispered, “How. Dare. You.”

  Prince Caulden’s glower chilled my blood. I gulped and glanced down at my oversized, faded clothes. A curtain of mousy brown hair fell over my face, making me wince. With wings and golden hair, he had been so easy to seduce. This time, I would have to try harder.

  “Your Highness,” I said, my voice breathy. “I can’t help myself.”

  “Don’t touch me.” The lack of venom in his words told me he was at least curious.

  Making a show of rubbing the back of my neck, I murmured, “I mean, what would it feel like to have that big, fat cock down my throat? Is it like a block of ice, Your Highness, or is it a hot rod?”

  Prince Caulden’s nostrils flared, and I slid my palms on his muscular thighs.

  “Unhand me,” he murmured.

  “I can’t.”

  “Unity!” Sicily whispered with a sob.

  I continued to ignore her. There wasn’t a single guy, human, faerie, or centaur, who would turn down a chance of a blowjob, especially if his arrogant older brother wasn’t around to disapprove.

  Prince Caulden’s face went slack, but he made no move to shove me away. “Why won’t you take your hands off my person?”

  “Forgive me, Your Highness, but I need this.”

  His pupils widened. “Explain.”

  I slid my tongue over my bottom lip, and his eyes tracked the movement. A thrill of excitement gathered between my slickening folds and made the muscles of my core pulse. Sliding my palms further up those glorious, hard thighs, I said, “It’s all I’ve thought about. Worshipping that royal rod.”

  “Go on.” His voice was breathy with lust.

  “If you granted my request, I would take it out from your breeches. I’d wrap my fingers around it, but they wouldn’t fit all the way because you’d be so thick and juicy.”

  “Yes,” he whispered.

  “Your tip would glisten with royal precum, and my mouth would water.”

  He leaned so close, his warm breath fanned against my skin. “Because you want to taste me?”

  Swallowing hard, I squeezed my thighs together. The thought of sucking him off was becoming more appealing by the minute. “More than anything, Your Highness.”

  “Then what?” he asked.

  “I’d slide my tongue along your…” Lowering my gaze to the huge erection protruding through his breeches, I shook my head. “Forgive the expression, Your Highness.”

  Prince Caulden’s legs parted, giving me a better view. “You may speak freely.”

  Pushing my shoulders back and my breasts front, I gave my lips another lick. “I would slide my tongue over your cock-hole, trying to get out the last bit of fluid.”

  His eyes closed. “You are a very naughty human.”

  “Can you blame me when I’m in the presence of such masculine magnificence?” My hand slid up over his erection to the button of his breeches.

  He grabbed my wrist. “Are you in any way part of a plot against the crown?”

  “No, sir.” I shook my head for emphasis.

  Prince Caulden moved my hand aside and released my wrist. Regret flickered across his features, and he shooed me away. As I scooted back, he gave his head a tiny shake. “For reasons I cannot fathom, I believe you.”

  Sicily gasped out a relieved sob, and all the tension around my lungs loosened, allowing me to exhale a long breath. If this was a glamor, the person behind it would have let me suck that cock, only to dispel it to make a few choice taunts. Or was I underestimating the intentions of my enemy?

  My gaze darted to the window, where the mountainside whizzed by in a blur of greens. This situation was getting too real.

  Something cold wrapped around my wrist, making me gasp. I stared down at a bracelet made of ice.

  “Your Highness?” I stared up at Prince Caulden, whose features had returned to normal.

  “It’s a piece of my magic,” he said. “If you conspire with anyone against my family, I will overhear, and if you hide, I will find you.”

  I tilted my head to the side. “Your Highness?”

  Prince Caulden’s lips curled into a smile. “I find you amusing.”

  Judging by the erection still straining through his breeches, I was guessing the word he meant was arousing, but he was too proud to admit that to a lowly human. I returned his smile with a saucy wink. “Thank you.”

  Prince Caulden deposited us at a centaur stop on a roadside in the Courage District, which was on the fourth level of the mound, he paid a pair of centaurs to take us home with no detours or indecent propositions.

  Throughout the journey, Sicily stared at me as though I’d become another person. I suppose I had, but it was going to be impossible to explain.

  The centaur’s black ponytail swayed from side to side, and I held onto the horn of his saddle for balance. He galloped down a highway with trees along the left and a chasm on the right. He remained silent for the entire ride. I supposed the high-class centaurs who worked the higher districts kept things professional, unlike the ones who sometimes catcalled human girls in Doolish.

  I glanced up along the road at my sister on the back of a mahogany centaur, and joy filled my chest. I crushed it into a tight, little ball and shoved it to the back of my mind. Until I had tasted salt, I couldn’t trust anything.

  But if Sicily was back and my old life had returned, why did it feel like someone had ripped out my heart?

  Chapter 2

  I stepped into our home, which was dark and dreary and cramped compared to the academy’s spacious surroundings. The sofas were just beds jammed up against the walls with large cushions forming backrests, and the kitchenette was a rickety table, a one-ring stove, and a rusty, metal sink.

  After seeing the equipment in the remedial common room, even the television and DVD player looked clunky. The warm scent of mulberry wine filled my nostrils, reminding me of the night before. Elijah had brought a bottle and taken me to the backroom—

  Sicily slammed the door shut, breaking me from my thoughts.

  She whirled on me with her hands on her hips. “What was that all about? You could have gotten us both killed!”

  “One second.” I headed for the kitchen area and reached for the salt bowl.

  “Oh, no you don’t,” my sister snapped. “You’re going to tell me what’s going on. Right now.”

  “Alright.” I took a hefty pinch and placed it on my tongue. Its concentrated taste flooded my mouth with saliva and made my eyes water.

  When my vision cleared, it was to see Sicily standing in front of me with her arms crossed over her chest and a look of thunder on her features.

  It was only then that the hope I had tamped down to recesses of my mind flooded my system with joy and a warm rush of happiness that and brought tea
rs to my eyes. Lady Gala’s attack really had reversed the curse and returned my sister.

  I threw my arms around her neck. “You’re real?”

  “What?” Sicily stiffened. “We’re in deep shit because of your little stunt. Is this something to do with Elijah?”

  I stepped back, blinking away my tears. “It’s a long story, and I don’t think you’ll believe it.”

  Her gaze fell to my wrist. “You’d better explain because you’ve caught the attention of the royals. Remember what happened to Great Aunt—”

  “Queen Maeve’s lady-in-waiting cursed her to birth a cat, not the current royals.” I held up my wrist. “Things are completely different under King Oberon.”

  Sicily pursed her lips and ran a hand through her hair. “I still can’t believe you talked so dirty to a prince. Before you met Elijah, you would—”

  “Have been fourteen going fifteen.” I placed both hands on her shoulders. “Sweet and innocent, but no longer. Prince Caulden was kind enough to let me off with a warning, so let’s not fight.”

  Her eyes flashed with the beginnings of a rant. My shoulders sagged, and I exhaled a long breath. As much as I loved my sister and as right as she was about Elijah being an unworthy asshole, I really didn’t need to hear this. Not when I knew nothing of the state of Helen’s magic and her freedom and of Lady Gala’s machinations.

  I walked to the stove and picked up the chipped, enamel kettle. “Why don’t I make us a cup of tea?”

  A cup of tea and a long conversation later, Sicily dismissed my experience as a dream, saying it was unlikely that three princes would be present in Doolish on a single morning.

  I didn’t bother to press the point. My adventure with the faeries was over, and I had a better understanding of life at higher levels. Everything came with a price, and life as a faerie wasn’t better, just different.