The Fae Princes (Vicious Lost Boys, #4)

by Nikki St. Crowe

“All that time I spent down there with the spirits of the lagoon, you hear many curious things about myths and men, and men who think they are myths.”

Tinker Bell is also Peter Pan’s weakness because I think deep down her betrayal of him is one of his deepest wounds. One that has yet to heal.

“You are on a blind pursuit for power, and you’ve sacrificed the one thing any of us had for the resurrection of a dark, twisted, mother who never loved us.”

“You were so cruel to me when I first got here. You were the one trying harder than the others to put as much distance between us as you possibly could. But you were also the one who closed that distance by calling me by my name in a way that was more intimate than ever before.”

I’m tiny in his grip, but I’ve never felt so damn safe. And a flame of grief catches me off guard as my brain goes to flight mode. It says, You can’t have anything good. And even if you do, it won’t last. This will end. He will see through you. They all will and you’ll wake up one day and realize you’re alone again.

I am forever changed by him. I love him. I love him so much it burns,

“I can feel it,” he says, a soft utterance, a quiet secret. “Feel what?” “Your love,” he says. “In my chest.” He kisses my cheek, lingering close. “I can feel your love like a million golden stars in the endless abyss that is me.”

“Promise me you will always be there.” He

tilts me up to him and kisses me gently. “I promise, Win.”

Apparently us Darlings have a thing for morally grey assholes with rock-hard abs and cunning good looks.

“I’m sorry, Tinker Bell. I’m sorry we loved each other so much we destroyed one another.”

For one brief moment, I see the old Tink. My best friend. The first person I got to share Neverland with in any sort of meaningful way.

I loved her back then because I was desperate not to be alone. But it was misplaced. I clung to her because I had no one else. And maybe in a way, we both abused that love because of the things we needed and had no language of how to ask for it. ...

She’s the brightest shining light in the dark. The second star on the right.

“I’ve lived my entire life doing what I thought everyone else wanted me to do. It’s time I live my life on my own terms. But somewhere off Neverland.”

When she arrived on Neverland soil, I immediately softened to her. I didn’t want to admit it. She was water that seeped into my hard cracks. “I am a better man because of her.” I shift back to Vane. His gaze is narrowed, searching me. “We all are,” he admits.

“I’m serious. Take the warmth from me, Vane. Accept what it is.” His jaw flexes. He finally nods. “I love you too, you fucking asshole.” Across the clearing, Darling mouths to me, I love you three. Bash draws a heart with his fingers. I love you four. I laugh and return to the dirty work. There is no way to measure love, but if there were, I know I would be full.

I look around the room at the four men before me, on their knees. I love them, each of them, in my own way and they love me in turn. My vicious men. All of them, mine.