Of Mist and Shadow (The Mist King, #1)

by Jenna Wolfhart

I’d been born to fulfill a promise to the fae king. It was an ancient promise, bound in powerful magic. I was sworn to serve his every need, smile and laugh at his jokes, be silent when commanded, and offer myself up as his next mortal bride.

Our souls were inexplicably entwined, as if we’d come into this world together.

“I know you’re a powerful king, but I won’t let you treat me like King Oberon did.”

“There’s only one bed in there. You take it. I’ll keep watch.”

would kill him for what he’s done to you if I could. I would rip his head off his body. And then I would feed the rest of him to the mists. He would be nothing but ash when I got done with him.”

“It would have to kill me before I would let it take you from me.”

“Who did that to your back?” I growled, unable to stop myself.

His eyes softened, and my heart did something strange in response.

“You’re worried about me trying to stab you, but you’re happy enough to call me incompetent.”

His eyes locked on mine, and for a moment, the world stopped. I swore it was as if he stared right into the very depths of me. He saw all my anger. All my rage. And he didn’t flinch away.

His eyes darkened even more. “Because I can’t stand the thought of his hands on you.”

“You’re right. I do bite sometimes. But I wouldn’t do it to you. Unless you asked.”

“I have never met someone who I felt matched my soul.”

“Mates are a forever thing. It is a bond that cannot be broken. It transcends even death. I do not want anything less than the deepest connection I could ever find. Anything less than that is not worth the trouble. I want—no, I need—someone whose soul matches mine.”

“Fuck it,” he growled.

A low growl rumbled in his throat. “You are going to drive me to madness with that sound.”