I shook my head and pressed my fingers to my lips before blowing him a kiss.
Self deprecation blazed within his irises, and it broke me.
Thorn nodded as Rowan’s gaze shifted to him. “I will.”
Rowan let out another roar before taking flight, pushing off the ground with his massive claws. His wings flapped as he flew further into the sky. The way he glided through the air and breathed fire into the sky was beautiful.
Thorn shook his head. “I read his thoughts. Rowan said he needed the rest of the day to cool off. He said he’d get back with us tonight. But he also asked if I could take Wren to the Ice Kingdom with me, so he doesn’t have to worry about any dragons getting a hold of her.”
My head whipped toward him. “Are you serious?”
The corner of his mouth tugged into a small smile. He had asked me to go to the Ice Kingdom with him so many times, but I never wanted to go in fear of being tricked. Thorn was a fae, and if the Arctic Wolf Village taught me anything, it was that fae couldn’t be trusted. But they were wrong. It was Thorn, and I should have known better. Excitement trickled through our bond. I would finally see where Thorn not only grew up, but where he would rule one day.
I gnawed on my bottom lip. How would he rule a kingdom and still come to Kalista? Would we have to go there? Each of my mates had their hearts in Fate Hollow. At least, the majority of them did.
Damien walked up and tucked a piece of my hair behind my ear before shoving his thumb into my mouth. “Stop chewing on your lip. You’re gonna make it bleed. It hasn’t healed yet from the burn.”
I bit down on his thumb, and he dropped his head back with a low moan.
“Fuck, little bird. I didn’t know we were doing foreplay now.”
My face warmed, and I grabbed his wrist and pulled his thumb out of my mouth. “Damien,” I hissed.
He chuckled, but there was pain in his eyes. “I think you need some time with the fae. So as much as it kills me, I’m going to stay back and let you go into the Ice Kingdom alone.” He darted his gaze toward Thorn. “You better fucking take care of her.”
“With my life,” Thorn said.
“Better than that.”
“Nothing will happen to her.”
“No, it won’t,” Rhett said as Damien swooped in to capture my lips in a kiss filled with longing.
I knew Damien had just gotten me back to the academy after being with Kian and Lachlan. It hurt him not to be right by my side, and it hurt me too—but he was right. I needed to spend time with Thorn alone. He was my best friend before I came to the academy. He was also the only person back then I thought ever truly cared about me, including Alice.
Rhett pulled me into his chest and bent down to kiss me softly. “Stay by Thorn at all times. We’ll figure out what’s going on back here.”
Kian and Lachlan hugged me, and Shade kissed my nose. “Promise me that when we get back, all of you will be here, and you’ll be safe.”
They nodded, and Alister chuckled. “We promise, sweet ruby.”
Thorn wore a mischievous smirk. “First, I convinced you to enter a contract with me, and now you’re coming to the Ice Kingdom. Are you sure you’re ready for this step in our matebond?”
I threw my head back with a laugh. “You’re not only my mate, but you were my best friend first. I’m more than ready to see your world.”
FORTY
Wren
Steppingthroughtheportalinto the fae realm was indescribable. The portal itself had been like walking through a thick wall of electrifying magic, and to come through it and be in another world had been enlightening.
The Ice Kingdom in the fae realm was the world of my dreams. We entered a frozen Wonderland.
A little gasp left my lips as I swept my gaze over the stunning kingdom. Three large white spheres decorated the gloomy gray sky, lighting the surface in a pale white. It was much more enchanting than the bright yellow sun back in Kalista. Snow and ice layered the grounds, and a gentle gust of freezing air brushed past us, alerting me to the true arctic temperature of the realm. My arctic side brimmed with excitement.
The trees were colossal. They had to be three times the size of the trees back in Kalista. The trunks and branches were solid ice, and the leaves looked to be ice encased in a fluff of snow. It was a forest of ice, and it was enchanting. An extravagant ice castle stood tall in the distance, and there was a vast frozen lake nestled in front, stretching the length of the castle itself.
“This is the most amazing scenery I’ve ever seen,” I breathed out, and my breath puffed visibly into the air.
