Curse of the Wolf King - Tessonja Odette Page 0,132
than a second.”
His grin mirrors mine, and I break away from him before he can reel me back in. My head feels light from our flirtation, my heart doing somersaults as I make my way to the table. Elliot takes a seat at the head of the table, his eyes burning into me while I help Bertha lay out the final dishes. I flash my mate a grin. “Stop staring, Elliot. When will you ever learn?”
“Never,” he says with a wink. “You’re just too freezing beautiful.”
Blackbeard, who decided to keep the adopted name even after his memories returned, makes a mock-gagging sound and lowers into his seat. “Get a room.”
The king throws a hand in the air. “She won’t! She insists we must have dinner first.”
Ellen, the wolf we used to call Gray, comes padding into the room in wolf form. “Did I hear dinner? Sorry, I was taking a bath.”
“Finally,” coughs Blackbeard. Ellen somehow manages to twist her canine features into a scowl, then joins the other wolves around the deer.
Bertha and I finish laying out the final plate just as our guests arrive.
“Gemma!” Nina runs to me, and I embrace her.
“How was your honeymoon?” I ask when we pull away.
A blush creeps up her cheeks, and her smile grows wide. Her eyes flash to her new husband, who shifts awkwardly from foot to foot as he looks from Nina to the dinner table, then to the pack of wolves. “It was wonderful.”
I turn toward her husband. “James, it’s great to see you again. I’m so glad you could come to dinner. Although, I do hope my sister warned you about us. We aren’t a formal household.”
He gives me a shy smile. “She has told me much about you and…and His Majesty.” He bends into an abrupt bow, and I turn to find Elliot approaching.
“Oh, none of that,” my mate says, then gives my sister a hug. To James, he offers a handshake. “It’s just Elliot on casual occasions like this.”
James stammers before finding his words. “Elliot? But is your name not Flauvis?”
The king grimaces, then smirks at me. “That’s only my name when I’m in trouble. Isn’t that right?”
I swat him playfully on the chest, then turn my attention to our third and final guest. “Mr. Cordell, I’m so happy you could make it.”
“Oh, come now,” he says as I pull him into a hug. “I know it’s only because I brought with me the newest Governess in Love book.”
My eyes widen. “No! It’s out already?”
He pulls a cloth satchel from his shoulder and withdraws a rectangular package wrapped in brown paper. “You’ll be up all night. Trust me.”
“We’re already planning on that,” Elliot says, earning another playful swat from me. He then greets the bookseller, who has become a regular dinner guest of ours.
With all the greetings out of the way, I say, “Come, sit wherever you like. And I do suggest you choose a seat facing away from the wolves at the other end of the room. I know not everyone can stomach their choice of dinner.”
James pales but Nina simply chuckles. I lead our guests to the table, and Elliot returns to his seat. I take my place to one side of him, opposite Blackbeard. Micah leaps from his chair at the other end of the table to steal the spot next to me instead. Bertha shakes her head with an amused laugh and sits on the other side of him. Nina, James, and Mr. Cordell take my advice and claim seats next to Blackbeard, backs facing the wolves and their unsightly meal.
“Let’s eat,” I say.
Everyone reaches forward and begins passing plates of food around. It takes James a moment to fall into the rhythm of our organized chaos, but Nina and Mr. Cordell help him. The table quickly erupts with chatter and laughter, not to mention playful growls and barks.
I scan the table, then the room at large, taking in the faces of the people and wolves who have become my new family, plus Nina, who has always been that to me. Even though linked through blood, we’ve grown closer this past year, as I’ve learned to open up in ways I never have before. She catches me watching her and smiles at me with a full mouth. I grin back, then slide my gaze to my mate.
He meets my eyes, and I find his glittering with a joy that reflects my own.
I return to my plate, but I’m almost too happy to eat, my heart full and warm in ways I never thought possible a year ago.
Back then, I’d convinced myself love wasn’t real. Or that it had to last for it to have ever been real. But now I know love is more complicated than that. I didn’t get it right the first time, and I almost messed it up the second time. And even if I had and went on to try a third, fourth, or thirtieth time…I think it would still be worth it. Love is worth it.
Whether I must be the storybook boy and lose someone important to me…
Or the dog and make a sacrifice for another’s wellbeing…
Or the governess on the other side of a love that conquers all, with happily ever after spread out at my feet….
No matter what, love is worth believing in.
A warm hand falls on mine, and I glance again at Elliot. I turn my hand up, lacing our fingers together, and allow myself to get lost in his ruby gaze. No, not lost.
Found.
He leans toward me, and I do the same. His mouth moves to the side of my face where he whispers what has become our deepest expression of adoration. “You make me feel the way books do.”
Before he can lean back, I turn my head and steal his lips with a long, lingering kiss. When we do finally break away, I whisper back, “As do you, my love. My wolf. My Flauvis. My Mr. Elliot Rochester. My everything. I love you too.”
End of Curse of the Wolf King. The next book in the Entangled with Fae series is a Cinderella retelling that follows Ember’s love story. Stay tuned for Heart of the Raven Prince releasing July 2021! Click here to order your copy!
In the meantime, continue your journey through Faerwyvae with The Fair Isle Trilogy, which takes place twenty years before Curse of the Wolf King. This series contains several characters you’ve met in this book. You’ll even get a glimpse of what Elliot/Flauvis was like before he met Gemma. Click here to start reading!
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Thank you so much for reading this book! I loved playing with one of my favorite fairy tales and giving it a fae twist. If you enjoyed Curse of the Wolf King, please consider sharing your thoughts in a review on Amazon, Goodreads, or BookBub. Reviews are SO helpful both to authors and readers.
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About the Author
Tessonja Odette is a fantasy author living in Seattle with her family, her pets, and ample amounts of chocolate. When she isn’t writing, she’s watching cat videos, petting dogs, having dance parties in the kitchen with her daughter, or pursuing her many creative hobbies. Read more about Tessonja at www.tessonjaodette.com
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