The Lynx Who Purred for a Sidhe Prince (10 page)

anything he wanted.

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For the moment, though, Sterling was king, and as such, needed to

be greeted with full pomp. Together with the Cunninghams, Corbin

accompanied Winter to see to the Sidhe delegation.

Corbin had never actually met Sterling Tomacelli before, and it

surprised him to see that the Sidhe king was actually much younger

than Corbin had expected. Or perhaps he just looked that way. For all his youthful appearance, his eyes held a very old look.

“Hello, Your Majesty,” Winter said, bowing. Corbin followed his

example, even if the only thing he wanted was to kick Sterling in the face.

“Please rise, nephew,” Sterling said. “And this must be your

intended. It is a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Mckenna.”

“The pleasure is all mine,” Corbin said with a tight smile. “Winter

has told me so much about you.”

“I’m sure.” Sterling smiled back, somehow managing to make the

expression look both pleasant and condescending.

Thankfully, Skylar intervened before the situation could get nasty.

“We are honored to have you here,” he told Sterling. “Please, step this way. Would you like me to show you around?”

“Thank you, Mr. Cunningham,” the Sidhe king replied. “I’d like

that very much.” Before he left, however, he said to Winter,

“Congratulations on your engagement, nephew. You and I will talk

later in more detail.”

To Corbin, those words sounded ominous, and he glowered at

Sterling’s back as the Sidhe began to walk away.

“It’s okay,” Winter whispered in his ear. “He was actually much

more pleasant than I thought he’d be.”

Corbin supposed Winter meant to soothe him, but it didn’t quite

work. He couldn’t help but wonder what exactly counted as

unpleasantness for Sidhe. Clearly, Corbin would have to learn to have ice flowing through his veins if he meant to be the future consort of the Sidhe king.

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69

Chapter Six

A few days later

Winter looked into the mirror, scanning his own reflection with a

critical eye. The outfit his uncle had deigned to bring was, well, made for a king. Woven from a thread of pure silver using the ancient crafts of the fae, it folded around Winter in several layers. Tradition spoke that as the ceremony progressed, he would shed more and more of the

clothing, until at last, during their wedding night, he would be naked.

Sadly, the entire proceedings, including the party to celebrate the

event, always took a long, long time, especially for Sidhe with high

titles. This meant that the more important the Sidhe was, the more

layers his or her outfit would have. For Winter, his garb had no less than twelve layers, one for each age in Sidhe history. If not for the skill of Sidhe tailors, Winter would probably look twice his size and be sweating like a pig.

Winter turned toward his only companion and asked, “How do I

look?”

Alexis snickered at him. “Don’t fish for compliments. You know

you look great.” The demon made his way to Winter’s side and

caressed the lapel of Winter’s shirt. “Your uncle really outdid himself.

God, I could come just by touching this material.”

Winter slapped the incubus’s hand away. “Leave my clothing out

of your dirty fantasies. Does Morgan know you have such fetishes?”

The demon laughed gaily. “Oh, he knows, and he loves to indulge

me.” His expression sobered a bit. “Sorry I’m such a nutcase today. I never thought people could be more agitated than the day of my

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mating, but compared to this, that party was nothing. There’s just so much emotion it’s unbearable.”

Quite honestly, Winter agreed with the incubus. With the elders of

so many different species present, the potential for discontent was

astounding, and more so since some species had been involved in

attacks on shifters before. The merfolk leader had been unexpectedly

open and had punished the siren guilty of attacking Preston and

Layton the year before. The warlocks hadn’t been so nice, or at least, not to Winter’s knowledge. But they weren’t actively hostile, and that was always something.

Winter shook himself, forcing his mind away from issues of

foreign politics. This was his wedding, and he would enjoy it. “Do

you think Corbin will like the way I look?” he asked Alexis.

“Oh, he’ll have trouble not ripping those lovely clothes off.”

Alexis beamed. “Stop worrying. Corbin cares about you deeply. Just

enjoy your special day.”

It was easy for Alexis to say. The incubus had become Morgan’s

official mate a year after they’d actually bonded. By then they even

had a child and everyone accepted the process as normal and

expected. This was entirely different, and Winter knew that not

everyone close to the family was so accepting as Alexis.

He took a deep breath and struggled for calm. Truly, if he left

aside all the political machinations, he wanted this. Perhaps he and

Corbin needed to elope.

Winter was deeply considering this new idea when a knock

sounded at the door. He groaned, already knowing who was on the

other side. Alexis gave him an inquiring look, to which Winter just

nodded. There was no point avoiding this conversation. He’d known

it would come.

Without a word, Alexis opened the door and allowed Sterling in.

He greeted Winter’s uncle respectfully, as befitting the Sidhe king’s station, then turned toward Winter. “I’ll step outside for a moment to check on Elian. I’ll be right back.”

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71

With that, Alexis took his leave, abandoning Winter to his fate.

Winter forced himself to smile at his royal uncle. “Greetings, Uncle.”

For a few moments, Sterling just looked at him. “You look

wonderful, nephew,” he finally said. “Your parents would be proud of

you.”

Winter honestly didn’t know what to reply. He’d been ready for

Sterling to rant and rave at him for spoiling his plans, but the older Sidhe had done no such things. Instead, he’d been shockingly helpful, going as far as helping the Cunninghams shield Winter and Corbin of

some of the political aspects of the day. For that and for bringing everything they needed for the ceremony, Winter owed him. But that

didn’t mean he trusted the other Sidhe. For all he knew, Sterling was only using this opportunity to find out more about the Cunninghams

so he could later steal Shea.

Even so, the mentioning of his parents touched Winter’s heart.

“Do you really think so?” he asked in a soft tone.

“I know so.” Sterling reached into his pocket and retrieved a

pendant in the shape of a teardrop. It was beautiful, and Winter felt immediately drawn to it. “This gem was given to me by your mother

to gift on your wedding day.”

Winter’s eyes widened. “But when? How?”

“The last time I saw her,” Sterling replied. “I know you don’t trust

me, but take this as a present from her, not me.”

Winter couldn’t refuse such an offer. He knew magic could be

deceptive, but this pendant held a piece of his mother. He could just sense her energy, warm and loving. He took the gem and squeezed it

in his fist, reveling in the feel of it against his palm. He could almost feel her embrace now, just like when she’d been alive.

“Thank you,” he told his uncle. “I don’t know how you got this,

but thank you.”

“My pleasure.” Sterling squeezed Winter’s shoulder. “I really am

happy for you, Winter, and I only wish you the best. Please believe

that.”

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Winter couldn’t lie or promise falsehoods, not when he held his

mother’s pendant in his hand. So he said nothing, even if a small part of him dared to hope his uncle was being honest.

Sterling didn’t seem surprised by his silence. “I take my leave

now.” He started to turn then suddenly stopped. “For the record, I’m

proud of you, too.”

Without giving Winter a chance to reply, Sterling left the room.

Winter watched him go, still wondering about his uncle’s change of

heart. Then his focus went on the pendant again, and the only thing he could think about was how much he wanted to share this find and this

gift with Corbin.

Anxiety and anticipation filled him as he thought about the lynx.

Tonight would be their wedding night. He would finally feel Corbin’s

touch like he’d wanted for so long. Did it matter that the

circumstances were far from ideal? Of course not. Whether all these

guests knew it or not, the only people who mattered today were

Winter and Corbin, and their bond.

With that in mind, Winter resumed his preparations for the

ceremony. The pendant went around his neck and under the numerous

layers of fabric. Its weight comforted Winter, and for the first time that day, he could honestly say he was absolutely certain he was doing the right thing.

* * * *

“Are you sure this is the place we’re supposed to be in?”

Corbin toyed with his cravat, fidgeting in the formal clothes that

made him feel out of place. He gave his father an anxious look,

hoping the other lynx would have an answer to his questions.

Garth released a sigh of exasperation. “This isn’t a human

wedding. Hell, it isn’t even a shifter wedding. You heard what Winter said. Sidhe are high on ceremony. So since we insisted on holding the wedding here, we have to do everything right.”

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“Yes, but…The ocean?” Corbin looked down for good measure.

Through the transparent platform he was standing on, he could see the fish and other sea creatures swim around. It made absolutely no sense to Corbin that shifters like the Cunninghams had not thought it

necessary to wed in the middle of the ocean, even if their inner animal was naturally aligned to the sea, but the Sidhe insisted on it.

“Apparently, their religion demands transcendental coalescence

with the Nameless One through the Silver Pool. We’re using the

ocean as an equivalent.”

Corbin knew that. He respected it and had agreed to it. But what

made him nervous was that he was here, with his father and most of

the guests, whereas Winter was nowhere to be seen. Hell, not even the religious authorities who were meant to bind Corbin and Winter in

matrimony had arrived.

There were boats all over the place, as far as the eye could see.

Family and friends were close to Corbin in smaller, ornate, almost

mystical-looking wooden rowboats. Everyone else was lined up in

yachts all around Corbin, while Corbin himself sat on the platform,

alone. It was somewhat isolating, and Corbin was thankful he had his

family around.

“Don’t look so glum,” Preston said. “Winter’s coming.”

Corbin wanted to think that, but with every passing second, it

seemed more and more unlikely that Winter could want him. Winter

was used to magical platforms forming out of nowhere in the middle

of the sea. He’d grown around stoic, insanely beautiful people, and

could have anyone he wanted. For his part, Corbin had broken his

own share of hearts, but the people he’d been with were all shifters.

This was so very different.

“I know he’s coming,” he told his brother bitingly. “This suit is

just uncomfortable.”

Preston gave him a knowing look. “Right. Whatever you say,

brother.”

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Layton was just smiling, and when Corbin turned to glare at the

seahorse, the younger man directed his full attention to the baby he

held in his arms. Shea had been quiet, as if sensing the importance of the moment. At all times, his parents had watched him, mindful not to leave him alone around the Sidhe delegation. But nothing had

happened, well, nothing bad. Sterling and his men had minded their

own business, simply assisting in the organization of the wedding. It was very confusing.

“I assure you, Winter wants to marry you,” Alexis said. “He’s just

as excited as you are.”

The incubus and his mate, Morgan, had arrived a bit later than the

other guests, having stayed behind to keep Winter company. As such,

Alexis was the last one out of those here who’d seen the Sidhe.

Alexis’s encouragement meant a lot, but it didn’t fully cast aside

Corbin’s disquiet.

Corbin toyed with his cravat again, this time earning himself a

glare from Nicolas. The hummingbird slapped his hand away and

said, “Stop it. By the time your mate gets here, you’ll make a mess of your clothes.”

Corbin might have protested at being treated like a child, but

doing so might have pushed Nicolas’s boat away from the platform

or, worse, cause the hummingbird to fall into the water. In the end, it no longer mattered, as the sound of an approaching aircraft reached

his ears. He held his breath, instinctively knowing that finally, the moment he’d been waiting for had arrived.

Silence fell as a small airplane appeared against the horizon. The

seconds seemed to drag forever until at last, the plane hovered above the platform where Corbin stood. Corbin wondered how in the world

his mate would come to him. He could hardly see a ladder descending

from the tiny plane.

The door of the plane opened, and much to Corbin’s dismay,