Summer of Frost (Forever Fae #3)(29)

“Then why don’t we have others coming with us to help?”

“Because, beautiful, if I needed to transform quickly to get you away from danger, where would that leave my warriors? I wouldn’t be able to protect them or get them out safely. It would be sentencing them to death.”

He helped me up on my horse, and climbed up on his looking confident and strong. The gold plated armor, along with the sleekness of his body, made him look like a God of War. No wonder everyone was in awe and also afraid of him.

“I understand,” I said.

It all made sense after he explained. We had to do this alone, to be quick and stealthy, and to spare the lives of so many others if they were to come with us and danger followed. Drake rode up beside me and pulled me over by the arm until he could reach my lips.

“Last night was amazing,” he breathed against my lips. “Let’s get this over with so I can claim your body and make you my queen.”

His gray eyes slit to that of the dragon, which I’d grown to realize they did when he felt strongly about something. It was amazing to watch and also intoxicating to know he felt that strongly for me. “Sounds good to me,” I replied breathlessly.

We took off at a rapid pace toward the Endelyn Mountains, where the scroll was supposed to be hidden. If everything went smoothly, we should get there by tomorrow and be back by nightfall. We were one step closer.





Watching Sorcha on her horse—the way she rode, the way her sleek black hair billowed out in the wind—made me hard as a rock. No other female has made we want something so bad the way she makes me want her. The magical pull to her didn’t help matters either.

We laughed and raced for hours until the terrain grew too wooded and bumpy to continue at that fast pace. It also helped give the horses a break. “You’re really competitive. It’s one of the things I love about you,” I said to her.

She laughed. “Yeah, you should know about that. Don’t you remember how angry I’d get when you’d kick my ass when we trained in our dreams?”

Smiling, I remembered our dreams very well. I’d taught her so many new moves and she was an ace at them. “I did that on purpose, you know. You were always so hot when you got angry. It was a warrior’s wet dream come true.”

Rolling her eyes, she smacked me on the arm. We rode side by side in silence until a noise off to the side had us halting in our tracks. I drew my sword just as Sorcha grabbed her spear. “Someone’s out there,” I said carefully. The forest was quiet, but I could hear the labored breathing of someone, or something, coming from the thicket. “Wait here,” I commanded forcefully. She narrowed her eyes, but nodded. Thankfully, she didn’t argue with me.

Climbing off my horse, I headed straight for the overgrown grass of the thicket. Slowly and with my sword drawn, I made my way to what appeared to be a warrior lying on the ground. When the person came into view my eyes grew wide in shock.

“Sorcha!” I yelled.

She jumped off her horse and ran straight to me. When she looked down at the warrior on the ground she screamed in joy. “Alston!” she called out, falling to her knees beside him.

He opened his eyes wearily and settled them on her. “Sorcha?” he responded weakly, pulling her down to the ground and into his arms.

Jealousy instantly flared in my gut watching him touch her, but I clenched my teeth together to keep my mouth shut. I didn’t wish the guy to be dead, and I was glad he was alive for Sorcha’s sake, but why the hell was he always in the way somehow?

“We thought you were dead! Sarette thinks you’re dead! She’s been grieving for days,” Sorcha said to him.

When his eyes focused on her they instantly grew dark and dangerous. “Well I see you hadn’t been grieving for me,” he spat out.

I was two seconds away from shutting that mouth of his up when Sorcha beat me to it. “Really, Alston? That’s what you have to say to me after we find your sorry ass. Get over yourself!” She got up from the ground and came to my side. Alston staggered to his feet, glaring at Sorcha and me. I kept my face blank, but made sure to show some of the smugness I felt.

The tension visibly regressed from Alston’s shoulders when he lowered his head, but it looked forced. “I’m sorry,” he sighed. “It’s been a long couple of days.”

“What happened to you?” Sorcha asked. “Why didn’t you make your way back?”

“When I got hurt and went down, no one saw me, and when I woke up everyone was gone. With no food or water, I drifted into a haze and wandered around until I ended up here. I wanted to wait until I was perfectly healed before I made my way back. If anyone attacked, I wouldn’t have had the strength to fight.”

Sorcha nodded in understanding. “Well, I’m glad we found you. Sarette’s going to be so happy when you make it home.”

Alston furrowed his brows and looked around the forest. “What are you two doing out here by the way?” he asked.

“It’s a long story,” Sorcha said, glancing at me then back to him. “We need to rest anyway. I know you have to be starving.” She turned on her heels and headed back to the horses while Alston fell into step beside her, a little too close.

After we ate our food, Sorcha explained to Alston what all had happened and where we were going. She even told him about us and the changes that were getting ready to happen when we form our own Summer Court. He became visibly angry and stalked off from us. I was glad he didn’t pick a fight because I probably would’ve killed him, and I was glad Sorcha didn’t want to follow him because I wasn’t going to let her.