A special thanks to my husband, the Alisha and Eileen’s Dragon Den Facebook Group, my Typo Hunters, the Noble ladies, my Uncommon Crew, the Fae, Fur, and Fangs Facebook Group, and my editor Laura Josephson.
Feel free to email me anytime [email protected] to say hello. And yes, Eve is a pen name if you hadn’t already figured that out. I write epic fantasy under my real name and wanted to be clear to all readers about what they can expect from both versions of me.
Yours,
Eve
1 Coren
“All I need is a braid, and I’ll be in a constant state of Hunger Games cosplay.” I met Lucus in my living room and adjusted the Yew Bow on my back. I had to cart the magical weapon around because we had no idea when the Mage Duke might strike. Sure, my unicorn of darkness pal had said he could keep the jerk busy until the New Moon, but I wasn’t taking any chances.
“I don’t know what Hunger Games are.” Lucus tugged at the jeans Hekla had ordered him online. He also wore a plain black tee and this vintage-looking dark gray jacket. He looked full-on delicious. “Or cosplay,” he said. “And why must these trousers have holes? Isn’t it customary to purchase new clothing?”
“They are new.”
Lucus’s frown deepened.
“It’s Hekla. She digs the distressed jeans even on older guys like you.”
“Young ones wear this type of trouser?”
“Teens, yeah. But it’s fine. You’re hot as hell, so no one is going to gripe about your clothing choices.”
He released his hold on the leg of his jeans and grinned wickedly as he stalked toward me, his new boots leaving muddy footprints on my carpet. He’d gone outside early this morning to feed on the trees behind my place while I was asleep. The darling hadn’t wanted to wake me. Good thing too because I had needed that rest.
We’d had two full days of earthquakes before the shaking had stopped. The last three days had been nice though, no trembling or curse evidence to be seen. I was living for the moment right now and hoping we could survive when the Mage Duke made his appearance. My newest friend, a telepathic unicorn of darkness, was keeping tabs on our arch enemy for the time being.
Lucus’s grin warmed me in all the right places. “As long as you think I’m attractive, that’s all I need,” he said.
He kissed me hard, the hint of his lure spreading over me like starlight I could feel. Spinning, he had me up against a wall before I could suggest it myself. No longer as worried that I might break under his fae-strong hands, he lifted my mini skirt—a clothing item I had recently decided was rather perfect for this new life of mine. His fingers raked across my skin before cupping the warmth between my thighs. His mouth hovered at my ear, and shivers of pure pleasure danced over me.
“You smell divine,” Lucus said. “Like mysterious herbs found in dark forests and the scent of a night-blooming rose.”
I rocked my hips against his hand, savoring the rush of sensations flooding me. “I approve. Never heard of a night rose,” I managed to gasp out as he showed how skilled he was in the seduction game.
The scent of pines and summer-heated sap floated through the air. His glamour faded a bit, just showing his horns, pointed ears, and leaf-tipped outer lashes. He bent his head to my cleavage, and my head fell back as I completely gave up on talking.
With a couple of deft adjustments, he had me on the floor, where he showed no mercy, grinning like a devil again and dragging a scream of sheer pleasure out of my throat.
His wings shimmered into view, and the vines at the top edge of each one reached around us, growing and expanding to create a bower of sorts. He found his own pleasure then and cried out. Leaves broke from the vines, darkening the magical shelter and making my living room smell as green as summer.
I smiled and looked around at what he’d created. “This is new.”
He rolled to one elbow and grinned sheepishly, his cheeks darkening. “My feelings for you are in full bloom, my queen.”
His glamour back in place, Lucus rode behind me on my bike all the way to the bakery. The town of Franklin was gearing up for Halloween, and pumpkins appeared around every corner. Blow-up ones in yards. Painted versions of jack o’ lanterns by doors. Chalk iterations on blackboard store signs. If the unicorn was right, the Mage Duke would show on the big night, which was painfully fitting. He was going to ruin my favorite holiday. Of course.
Lucus and I walked through the back to see Hekla lifting Oliver so he could push a button on the mixer.
“That one there,” she said, flour covering her chin and whitening her sleeve.
The Binder sat in the corner on a chair, his eyes haunted despite having his son Oliver safely away from the unseelie court. He hadn’t handled the newness of being here very well. Of course, he had so much to work through. I only wished I could have helped him more. He didn’t seem to want to open up or talk at all, really. He only spoke to Oliver and Nora, and we all worried about his mental state. We still didn’t even know his name.
And now Nora was gone. She’d talked to us as a group yesterday, telling us how this was the first taste she’d had of freedom, and she wanted to see what she could manage on her own. Of course, we’d wished her well. Who were we to blame her for getting out of
