Viciously Yours (Fae Kings of Eden, #1)

by Jamie Applegate Hunter

Rennick didn’t know which frightened him more; the voices in his head no one else could hear, or the name those voices whispered

and what it meant. “Amelia,”

Rennick already stood six feet tall, with broad shoulders that rivaled those of fully grown men.

Once a royal fae heard the name of their mate, they needed to find them as soon as possible and move them to their kingdom’s capital for their own safety.

Through the gaps between the guard’s body and the door, Rennick watched his father lay his unconscious mother on a bed. Time stopped.

Fae were stronger and faster than humans, royals even more so, but they weren’t immortal, nor did they heal rapidly, like the human fairytales claimed. The healer hung his head and stepped away.

Amelia. It took months, but his father found Amelia living in an orphanage in the Human Kingdom after receiving a tip from an unexpected source.

“I need to send her a gift.” Finn looked ready to strangle him. “Why?” He motioned for Finn to follow him back toward the palace. “I missed her birthday.”

“Orissa is close to Ora,” she’d said lightly. “Are you sure you heard correctly? It can’t be a coincidence that our birthdays are on the same day.” He’d furrowed his brow, confused at her statement. “I’d never mistake the name of my mate, and there are several girls in the kingdom who share our birthday.”

When royal fae turned fifteen, they bonded to an animal companion for life—their familiar. Magic marked them with a tattoo of their familiar’s species.

Etched in his skin was the side profile of an owl in flight. Its large wings stretched over Rennick’s collarbone and up the side of his neck, and its rounded head with large eyes covered the front of his shoulder. The rest of the owl’s body covered the entirety of his left pectoral.

“They swallow their food whole, and when someone threatens what is theirs, they attack without question.” His father smirked. “Seems perfect to me.”

Amelia held up the gold necklace and stared at the trout pendant dangling from the chain. She hated Ora.

Inside the bag is a mold of my hand, so when you feel like holding someone’s hand, you can hold mine and not the lanky blond boy’s who walked you home. Seeing your perfect hand in his unworthy one made me murderous, little mate. You are mine, and I will do whatever is necessary to keep you, no matter how unconventional or vicious I have to be. Always remember that. Viciously Yours, Nick P.S. I wish I knew your favorite color. Mine is red, like blood.

As his breathing evened out and the tingles subsided, his heart dropped at the realization of what he’d felt. She gave someone what Rennick thought would be his. It’d been almost five months since he’d seen her, and six since he’d written.

“We will move back. I will follow you anywhere, little mate, even to hell if that’s where you wish to go.”

“I don’t need a line to know what’s considered good or bad, but if I did, there isn’t a line I wouldn’t cross for you.” He lowered himself and brushed his lips against hers. “I will write your name on my chest with the blood of any man who tries to covet what is meant to be ours. Innocent or not.”

She wanted to disappear, to go home, to do anything but stand in the hall and listen to him with her. Birdie jumped back, looking around frantically. “What in the world?” Her hand reached out, bumping into Amelia’s shoulder. “Where did you go?” “What do you mean?” she asked the woman, still staring at the office. “You’re a royal,” Birdie breathed in awe.

“I am where I have always been, love: at your feet, waiting for you to claim me as your own.”