Reign of Ice (Forever Fae #4)(17)

“I know that. He was one of the Winter Court’s finest warriors. I hated to see him go, but he was closer to Kalen than anyone. I wasn’t surprised when he chose to switch allegiances.”

With my eyes still closed and his body so close as he lay against me, I asked the one question that hung thick in the air. “Where do we go from here?” Opening my eyes as Brayden lifted up on his elbows and released my hand, I watched as he ran his thumb over the wound that was slowly healing already from the feel of it.

“I’m not sure,” he said, gazing down at me. Out of nowhere, his eyes went wide and a slow smile spread across his face.

“What’s wrong?” I asked nervously. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Well … I think we just got that question answered and it’s pretty obvious where we go from here.”

“Which is?” I prodded.

He ran a finger down my cheek all the way down to my hand, where he clasped it and brought it up to my face so I could see. I gasped, looking down at my arms and touching my face. “Oh wow,” I breathed. “I’m pale.”

“And completely Winter,” he added. “I don’t see a trace of Summer in you at all. We might need to tell our families. They’re probably afraid you killed me.” He slid off of me and grabbed my hand to pull me up from the bed. His touch was gentle as he led me to the door, but I squeezed his hand and anchored my feet to the floor.

“Wait,” I said. “I don’t want to go out there right now. I’m not ready to face them all. I need some time to process this, and the last thing I want is a bunch of questions directed at me. It’s all happening so fast, and now that this has happened …” I said, gesturing to my creamy, pale skin, “… I know there’s no way I can stay here in the Summer Court anymore. I’m not going to belong here.”

Brayden took my face in his hands, and I noticed that his skin felt the same on mine, there was no difference. They weren’t cold like they used to be … but perfect.

“Do you want to stay hidden away until the morning?”

“Yes,” I said, nodding my head.

“Do you want me to stay in here with you?” he asked. He bit his lip and added quickly but silently, “I’ll keep my distance from you if that’s what you want, but I know it’ll be easier to explain things with you by my side.”

“I know,” I assured him. “We can talk to them tomorrow. And yes, you can stay in here with me. I know how you are in a crowd, so sending you out there would be like torture. However, I am kind of tired. We both have a busy day tomorrow.”

I was a little nervous to see myself in the mirror, but I grabbed a nightgown and robe to sleep in before going into the bathroom and shutting the door behind me. Taking a deep breath, I blew it out slowly and lifted my eyes to the reflection in the mirror. I gasped at the sight before me. My hair was still the same platinum blonde, almost white, and my eyes were still the same color of blue ice. My skin, however, was completely different. The once golden hue signifying my birth as a Summer princess was now gone and replaced with the paleness of the Winter.

Brayden’s blood made me change, the guardian bond made me change … we were both connected. It made me wonder if it had changed my magic. I guess it was time to find out. Concentrating on myself in the mirror, I willed my body to change, to make me look like someone else. I thought about Calista and her golden blonde hair and bright green eyes with the subtle golden skin of the Fall Fae. The magic swirled inside my body and I could actually feel the change happening as I was thinking about it. Calista’s form slowly morphed into being as I watched it progress in front of the mirror.

I still have it, I thought excitedly.

Briskly, I changed into my short, silky red nightgown and put on my robe, leaving it open in the front. Before I left the bathroom, I made sure to shift back into myself. The second I saw Brayden my mouth dropped open. He was lounging in one of my chairs with a book in his hands, his shirt completely off, exposing every hard plane of his abs and chest. All I wanted was to feel his bare body on mine, to taste every square inch of him with my tongue.

He slowly closed the book and lifted those hooded chocolate brown eyes up my body until he met my gaze with a devilish smirk on his face. “You were saying, angel?”

My mouth gaped open. Shit, I forgot to shield my thoughts! I could feel my cheeks flush with all the blood rushing to them, and if there was any way a Winter Fae could turn bright red I was sure I was flaming. And what’s worse was that hearing him call me angel in that deep husky voice of his made the spot between my legs clench and tighten. I could imagine him calling me that while we made love.

Stop it, Ariella! I screamed at myself.

I was beginning to think bonding with him was a mistake. I was definitely going to be in some deep shit.

Standing up straight, I sauntered over to the bed and buried myself underneath the covers, feigning indifference. “I have no clue what you’re talking about,” I lied, hoping I could play it off.

Brayden stood and approached the bed, his stride graceful yet determined. “Ariella,” he whispered gruffly. “You need to let me in. The tension between us will only get worse if you don’t.”

Softly, I sighed and said, “I know, but I’m not ready.”

He narrowed his eyes and climbed up on the bed. “You lie. I know you’re ready, but you’re scared of something. What is it?”