Thorns of Frost (Fae of Snow & Ice, #2)

by Krista Street

The guard slumped, falling to the floor. The prince moved faster than lightning and broke Haxil’s fall before the guard’s head could crash into the table. “Haxil,” the prince said urgently as he peered down at his friend. Guilt coiled Norivun’s features. He pounded his fist on the floor. “Fuck, no, what have I done? Haxil!” The guard blinked, then opened his eyes. “Thank the gods,” Norivun said, slumping forward and cradling the guard to him. Groaning, Haxil frowned. “Is that the thanks I get for keeping your—” The

The blood drained from my face as any lingering doubt over what the prince and I truly were vanished from my thoughts. I knew. Prince Norivun was my mate, and there was no running from that even if he’d killed my family.

realized he wasn’t going to admit what happened, so finally I said, “How long have you known?”

Everything he felt and knew was in his eyes, but he wanted me to go first. Tradition dictated that males wait for females to acknowledge the bond before acting.

I knew I could deny it, could continue pretending that I didn’t know, but there was no running from fate. Inevitably, it caught you, and I would rather this moment be on my terms than his.

“That I’m your mate?” I ...

He met my gaze again, his eyes swimming with barely leashed wildness. It was a look I’d seen so many times in him over the past two months, so⁠— My breath caught. Months? I’d been seeing that look on him for months.

I fled from his sight, flying through the doors to my courtyard, needing to get away from him and this bond that stretched so tightly between us that it felt as though my chest was caving in. Moonlight pierced the night sky, and the warmth of my courtyard’s orem bathed my senses.

I leaned my head back, closed my eyes, and inhaled deeply. Scents from the juniper blossoms tickled my nose, and the thick, cloying potency of the roses came next. Breathe in and out. Just breathe.

“Because I may be the Death Master of the continent, but I’m not what everyone claims me to be. I bring fae here, fae I was supposed to execute, but they are fae that I cannot kill. I stopped murdering innocents a long time ago, but my father doesn’t know that.”

My heart beat harder. Faster and faster and faster. Innocents. Innocents were my parents and Tormesh. He couldn’t be saying what I thought he was saying. He couldn’t have brought me here to . . .

“Are you saying that my parents—” My throat grew dry, my tongue nearly paralyzed. “That my brother⁠—”

“Yes. They’re alive, Ilara. They’ve always been alive. I never killed them.”

“This is your bedroom chambers? But isn’t it warded?” “Of course it is, but it’s never been warded to you.”

My heart thundered. Everything in me was swirling, colliding, igniting. Being here, with him . . . everything about it felt right. I felt complete.

“I want you to be mine, Ilara. I never want to be parted from you. Let me claim you. Please.”