"It might be too soon for you to decide, but if you want me—then I'm yours. Mark me if you want—I would love that." Sleepy's words hit me on a deeper plane, and I take him in, recognize the decision in his eyes—he has thought about this already. My heart squeezes at the sight of his brimming confidence, those red eyes telling what I already know—that he is in love with me. Is this truly happening? I bite my lower lip in an attempt to keep the tears at bay, but the teardrop slipping down my cheek informs me that ship has already sailed. I'm emotional, and it's not because I'm about to turn him down, but because I now realize that I want him. Thinking back, Sleepy has never once turned away from my side. He has always been there when I've needed him, so this is probably the most enlightened decision I've ever made. "Yes," I tell him, barely able to breathe with my heart thumping so fast. Seeming amused, he chuckles. "What are you

Alyssa "What is your idea?" I shout at Azrael over the wind, hoping he will hear my voice. My hair is blowing in the wind, slinking into my mouth and forcing me to spit it out. "This!" Azrael speeds up, flying higher until we are right above the gigantic bat. His eyes lock on the target, and I shake my head, finally realizing what he is about to do. "No-no-no!" I warn him. "That is a terrible idea!" Azrael smiles goofily, fanning my face with his warm breath. "You have a better idea, princess?" "Anything that doesn't involve trying to tackle him into the portal sounds good—what if we get sucked into it too?" Azrael rubs his chin. He needs to shave. "I haven't thought about that..." I roll my eyes. "Figures." "But I know we can't defeat Fabian—look at him!" Azrael roars. "He is a monster!" Bitter laughter comes out through my mouth. Fabian is searching for us with his fierce eyes screeching when he catche

Alyssa I'm rendered speechless after Azrael's spoken words, left staring up into his eyes that gleam brightly. He doesn't need an answer today. Azrael knows to be patient. We have gone through a lot, and yet, my heart is dicing into pieces. I'm not sure if my kind can perform the mating ritual with two people, but it's evident that I want Azrael. Blonde hair is hanging down in thick clusters into his eyes, spiking along the top and giving him that look of having just rolled up from bed. His lips are looking soft, curving as he tilts his head at me, and I have to hold my breath because he smells so damn good. Leaning in to sniff him would be a crime, and resisting will leave me with regret. "Where do you want to start looking for Sleepy?" He asks. I gather myself, cursing my weak brain cells for already having fallen victim to Azrael's charm. He seems to notice the attention and smiles wider when he catches me checking him out. Cockiness doesn't come t

AzraelI kick up sand on the beach, watching it cover my foot before a salty wave takes it away from me. The sun shines into my eyes, and I squint at it with a small smile tugging on my lips. I've always been a man in control, afraid of letting other people close in fear of them falling for me.But now, the tables have turned because while I'm head-over-heels in love with the woman searching for her mate, I'm unsure if the feeling is mutual.I glimpse ahead, observing Alyssa search through some bushes while being down on her knees. Earlier, we realized Sleepy might be in his fairy form, and now we are looking under every rock."Sleepy? Are you in there?" She is staring into some hole in the ground with her flaming hair falling to one side of her shoulder. "Make some sound if you're in there! Please!"A sharp tinge of pain bites at my heart, and I'm forced to look away, pretend I'm not wishing Alyssa was using that tone for me. I stare at the glitte

Alyssa The entire walk through the forest got my stomach in knots. I'm nauseous thinking about having to face Fabian again. I haven't had time to practice my magic, and it bothers me that the prophecy spoke of me having two mates, while in reality, I'm only bonded to one. "Man, these acorns are killing my feet," Sleepy complains. He is walking behind me, muttering at everything he steps on. No shoes are covering Sleepy's feet—the fairy is in some battle for power against the angel, which means he is refusing to be in fairy form. Men can be so ridiculous. It's as if Sleepy believes I would look at him differently if he sat on my shoulder. "If the ground is too hard for your poor feet, I could always borrow you a shoulder," Azrael teases. He winks behind him, and I stifle a laugh seeing Sleepy turn beat red. "I'm fine walking!" Sleepy barks. "Using you as a taxi was a one-time thing, not that I understand why you changed into human form."