The Lost Princess Book 2
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Holly Prange
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Chapter 52
Book Two
Everly’s story isn’t over yet, even though she’s found her happy ending. As she uncovers more about her Fae heritage, her troubled past starts to creep back in. She tried to leave it all behind, but she knows better than most that nothing stays lost forever.
EVERLY
Happy endings are a funny thing…
They suggest you’ve reached the end, but that’s not really how it works, is it?
I found my happy ending with my true mate, Logan, but our story didn’t stop there.
There’s so much more to my life after my happily ever after…
Especially what happened after my mating ceremony…
That’s a story worth telling—one that opens up a whole new world of possibilities…
And brings back some ghosts from my past that I thought were gone forever.
But I know better than most, as I was once a lost princess running from her past, that what is lost can always be found…
ONE YEAR EARLIER
I hear Logan’s steady footsteps coming down the hall—a sound I know anywhere.
He’s headed straight for our bedroom.
I focus hard, doing everything I can to block my mind-link.
If he can read my thoughts, then the sexy surprise I’ve planned will be ruined.
His footsteps are getting closer now. I need to move fast.
Closing my eyes, I channel my Fae powers, and all at once, the white pillar candles that I’ve arranged around the room light up.
I sprinkle a few final rose petals over the bed and then quickly slip out of my nightgown and into my birthday suit.
I grab the amber bottle of massage oil from the nightstand and start to rub the sweet-smelling oil over my naked body.
Delisia made this oil using a strong aphrodisiac that she found in a berry while traveling through South America.
It’s not like Logan and I really need an aphrodisiac… We haven’t been able to keep our hands off of each other since our mating ceremony two weeks ago... but the oil works like a charm!
In an instant, I’m dripping wet, desperate to feel my mate’s member sliding in and out of me.
Suddenly, I hear a soft knock at the door.
I place the bottle back on the nightstand and lie down on the bed.
“Come in, my love,” I say.
The door opens and Logan’s tall, strong form appears, silhouetted in the doorframe.
He steps into the dim candlelight and I see his face breaking into a smile.
“What’s all this?” he asks me.
“Surprise,” I say, in the most seductive voice I can muster.
Logan doesn’t waste any time. He kicks off his shoes, throws his jacket onto the floor, and leaps onto the bed.
“This is the best day ever,” he says.
“You said that yesterday,” I say.
“Every day with you is the best day ever,” he says with a grin.
Logan runs a finger along the skin of my arm. It glides easily, lubricated by the magical oil.
Then he presses his face into my stomach and runs kisses along my torso.
“My God…,” he says. “You smell incredible.”
“Take the rest of your clothes off,” I say. “I don’t want to be the only naked one.”
He props himself up onto his knees and pulls off his shirt, unveiling each row of perfect abs, one at a time, while I make quick work of his belt. Then he strips off his jeans and they join the rest of his clothes on the floor.
Logan’s member is already standing at full mast.
I take it in my hands and slip the head into my mouth, relishing the sound of his moans.
“Everly,” he whispers, “that feels incredible.”
He runs his fingers through my hair, gripping it tightly at the roots.
I continue to lick his member up and down while his hands trail down to my neck and then over my breasts.
He pinches my nipples and now I’m the one moaning. But the sound is muffled by his hardness, which is now lodged deep inside my throat.
“I want to touch you,” he says.
He doesn’t have to tell me twice…
I release his member from my mouth and climb onto my knees, meeting him at eye level.
Our lips collide as I grip his hardness with my hand again, stroking harder and harder.
His fingers find my slit and he moans again.
“Shit,” he says, “you’re so wet.”
“I want you, Logan,” I say. “I want you inside me.”
“Turn around then, my little mate,” he says.
I follow his command and turn on the spot, pressing my ass against his hips.
He grabs it hard and gives it a little slap before positioning his member at my opening.
I dig my hands into the mattress, steadying myself, and shudder in anticipation.
But just as he’s about to slip himself inside of me, a loud crack shoots me out of pleasure mode and into panic mode.
I look frantically around the room and see that the fire in the fireplace is sparking and roaring out of control.
“Are you doing that?” Logan asks me.
“I don’t think so,” I say. “Not on purpose, at least.”
He positions his body in front of me, protecting me from whatever might happen next.
Suddenly, there’s another loud crack, and something truly bizarre happens.
An envelope comes shooting out of the flames, flying through the air and landing straight on our bed.
We both stare at it in shock.
The envelope is scarlet red and has our names scrawled across the front in immaculate calligraphy.
I reach for it, but Logan puts his hands on mine.
“Let me open it,” he says. “Just in case…”
He grabs it and rips through the paper, pulling out the letter inside.
Along with the paper comes a sprinkling of what looks like silver glitter. I know what that substance is... I’ve seen it before.
It’s Fae dust!
“Read it out loud!” I urge him, my excitement bubbling over.
Logan clears his throat and starts.
Dear Everly and Logan,
Congratulations on your mating ceremony! My family and I are thrilled to throw a party in your honor and finally meet the man who captured my cousin’s heart.
Please join us this Saturday, and we’ll show you how we party, Fae style.
All my love,
Crown Prince Jedrek of House Valdus
a.k.a. Jed
PS: I hope our mail delivery system didn’t startle you. It’s a bit outdated... and a bit dramatic.
I can’t help but beam at this wonderful invitation.
“Saturday?” Logan says. “That’s tomorrow!”
“This is going to be fantastic!” I exclaim. “I’ve been longing to show you the Fae realm. You’re going to adore it.”
But I can tell from Logan’s face that he’s not as thrilled as I am.
“What do you think?” I ask him, waiting eagerly for his answer.
LOGAN
The letter feels heavy in my hand—and not just because it’s written on extra thick card stock.
Everly is looking at me with anticipation, waiting for a response. So I just open my mouth, and the words start to tumble out.
“I guess I’m just,” I stammer, “well, meeting your family—it’s kind of a big deal—”
“Hold on, hold on, hold on,” Everly interrupts. “Are you telling me the strongest alpha in the South is... nervous?”
“It’s just—what if they don’t like me?” I ask her.
She bursts out laughing. “It’s a bit late for their approval, don’t you think,” Everly says, pointing at the mating mark on the side of her neck.
“I suppose that’s true,” I admit. “But I still want them to like me.”
“Like you?!” Everly exclaims in disbelief. “What are you talking about? They’re going to adore you!”
She pulls me in close, and I can instantly feel my worries starting to fade away.
“It’s going to be so much fun,” she assures me. “And if you’re worried about leaving the pack behind, remember that time moves faster in the Fae realm. A few days there will only feel like one day on Earth.”
“You’re right,” I say, a newfound sense of relief washing over me. “We’ll get to make love twice as much in half the time,” I add with a wink.
“Exactly,” Everly agrees. “And you’ll get to meet Snow, and my cousins, and my aunt and uncle, and—”
“Am I the first guy you’ve ever brought home?” I tease her.
But as soon as the words leave my mouth, I realize the absolute stupidity of my question.
Everly didn’t even know she had a Fae family until a few months ago. And her mother and father have been dead since she was a child.
Sometimes I forget how much trauma this girl has endured because she’s so damn strong.
“I’m sorry,” I apologize before she has a chance to respond. “That was a stupid question.”
But I can see the damage is already done.
A sadness has appeared in her eyes, replacing the joy that was there just moments ago.
EVERLY
“Am I the first guy you’ve ever brought home?”
Logan’s words echo in my mind, and suddenly my heart is gripped with fear, and my breath starts to quicken.
My mind instantly travels back in time, bringing a memory to the surface that I try desperately to suppress.
Logan is the love of my life…there’s no doubt about that.
But he’s not the only man I’ve ever loved.
Before Logan, there was Phillipe. He was a vampire who used to visit the Blood Bank. He was kind to me when none of the other men were. He loved me, too, and he was going to help me escape.
I try to resist the memory, but the tape is playing, and I’ve lost the remote.
“I’m going to get you out of here tonight,” Phillipe promises. “I want to take you far away from this place and start a life together.”
Those are Phillipe’s last words before Lord Vlad Lacroix bursts into the room and drives a stake into his heart.
Then it gets worse. The image in my mind starts to change.
Suddenly, it’s not Phillipe bleeding out on the floor in front of me, but Logan.
The sight sends me into hysterics. If Logan dies, I don’t know how I will survive. I can’t live through something like that—not again.
I feel a hand on me, and on some level, I know it’s my mate trying to comfort me, but all I can feel is the ice-cold hand of Lord Vlad resting on my arm.
“You’ll never be free,” he whispers to me as the light leaves Logan’s eyes. “I own you...forever.”
But he’s wrong. I have found freedom with Logan.
And since then, my life has been so good. But what if it’s too good to be true?
What if my happiness is just an illusion and this “memory” is the truth?
What if misery is lurking just around the corner?
