Reign of Ice (Forever Fae #4)(79)
I smiled and glanced down at his hand running circles across my stomach. “Originally, I wasn’t supposed to come back, but our fate had taken a new turn and had given us our daughter. She’s special, Brayden. I was sent back so I could bring her into the world. I don’t know what is going to happen in the future, but I do know that she’s going to play a huge part in it and she’s going to need to be strong.”
Brayden took my face in his hands, pressing his lips firmly to mine while never taking his eyes off of me. When he pulled back he said, “And we will make her strong … together. No more running away and trying to save the day by yourself. We are bonded for a reason, angel, and that is because we love and want to protect each other. What you did, sacrificing yourself like that, hurt worse than a thousand deaths.”
I nodded and closed my eyes. “I know, and I will never forget the pain of that for as long as I live. I didn’t know if you could ever forgive me for that.”
He sighed, tilting up my chin. “I will on one condition.”
When I opened my eyes, a tear escaped down my cheek and he wiped it away. As I gazed up into his soft, brown eyes I knew without a doubt that I would do anything to heal the wound I caused in his heart.
Softly, and with all the love in my being, I murmured, “I will do anything you wish, Brayden. Just name it.”
Grazing my lips with his finger, he took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I need you to promise me something. Promise me that no matter what happens in our future or how you think you are protecting me that you will never try to run off and save us again. We are one now … a solid bond that will always be stronger together. I can’t lose you again, angel. I don’t want to ever know that kind of suffering again.”
I nodded sadly, but it was my turn to wipe the tears away from his eyes. “You will never know how sorry I am for doing that to you. But I can tell you this … I promise I will never do it again. You have my word, my oath, that from this day forward we will do everything as one. I will make it up to you for as long as I live.”
Biting his lip, he turned his head toward our icy cottage with a mischievous grin on his face. “Well then, in that case you can start making it up to me now,” he replied huskily. He reached down and lifted me up under my legs, making me giggle, and carried me the rest of the way to our little hideaway.
“And how would you like for me to make it up to you?”
Once inside, he shut the door and carried me over to the blankets, laying me down gently. He slowly lowered the straps of my dress off my shoulders, kissing along the way as he bared my naked flesh. “You’re going to let me make love to you all night, angel, and then when we wake up tomorrow morning we are going to start all over again.”
I smiled up at him and kissed him tenderly on the lips. “I think I like the sound of that,” I cried softly. “It’s the perfect start to a new beginning and a beginning that we will share together, just you and me … and our daughter.”
For the rest of the night we made love to each other and basked in the joys of knowing that everything was going to be fine from now on, especially since we were together again and I was alive. There was no evil, there was no dark sorcerer … only us, our love, and our magic. The Land of the Fae had triumphed, we had won, and I was home.
My Winter of ice …
Five Years Later
“DADDY, CAN YOU tell me the story again?” Ella chimed, jumping up and down. Brayden looked back at me and smiled, shaking his head incredulously.
He tucked our daughter into her small bed and we both took our place on each side of her. Brushing away the blonde hair out of her face, we both gazed down at her angelic, light brown eyes. Even though we knew the answer to the question, Brayden always asked it. “Do you not get tired of hearing the same story every night, little one?”
Ella beamed at us and shook her head. “Uh-uh, I love hearing how mommy saved us. I think the baby likes to hear the story, too.”
“Actually, you saved us Ella,” I said, tapping her nose playfully. “And the baby does like to hear the story. He wiggles around in my tummy when Daddy tells it.”
Our son would be here any day now and I had Elvena on standby for when that time came. Brayden was excited to be welcoming a son into the family. He said he was going to go crazy with only females around him if we didn’t add a son.
Ella giggled. “I know, because I can sense his happiness. But I still like to hear how brave you were, and also how fun it was to ride on Uncle Drake’s back. Do you think he will let me ride on Aidan’s back when he gets older?”
Brayden and I both chuckled. Aidan was Sorcha and Drake’s newborn son, and a dragon as well. We all thought they weren’t going to have any, but they surprised us a year ago with the news. It was very exciting considering it would be adding more dragons to our land.
To Ella, I said, “I’m sure once Aidan gets old enough you’ll be able to, but it’ll be a while considering he’s only a baby right now. When you get older you will be able to fly as well when you get your wings. Don’t forget that.”
She nodded cheerfully. “I know,” she squealed. “Lailah says she will teach me how to use my wings when I get them. I told Merrick I will fly him around.”
“Is he here?” Brayden asked curiously.