Carve My Pumpkin (The Night Realm: Halloween Marked #3)

Chapter 31

THIRTY-ONE

COLETTE

“Oh my god!” I cried, tears spilling over my eyelashes. “It’s me!”

I didn’t know how or why this happened, but all I knew was there was a mark on my arm now, and I recognized it in an instant. I’d been staring at it all month. It matched Mateo’s perfectly. I’d wanted it so much it hurt and now I had it. I had him .

How? How? HOW?

God, I don’t care how just don’t ever take it back. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

“Mateo—”

“Colette—”

“IT’S ME.” I held my arm out like he hadn’t already seen it.

“I can’t believe it. I’m afraid to.” His eyes brimmed with tears.

I tackled him, jumping up to wrap my arms around his neck. “Even if it’s a dream, let’s not wake up.”

He let out a strangled cry, then his lips crashed into mine. They were warm and soft and tasted slightly like blood, but I didn’t care. It was perfect. This kiss was perfect. I wrapped my arms around him tighter. His body was pressed to mine, and I never felt so complete. Warmth surrounded me. I was so happy I felt like I could fly. I closed my eyes, savoring this moment. This kiss. The moment my life all fell into place.

“COLETTE, YOU’RE FLYING!”

I gasped and pulled back—and my heart stopped. Mateo and I were hovering ten feet in the air. I didn’t fall or drop back down. I felt strong, so strong. Power surged through my limbs. I felt different, more myself than I had ever felt in my life. I felt heat rush to my face, and I had to make an effort to stop my wings from fluttering with excitement.

“Sorry.” I slowly drifted back down to the ground beside him, and he wrapped his arm around me, pulling me close.

He pressed his lips to the side of my head and sucked in a deep breath. “You might look different, but you still smell like you, and I love that.”

I glanced down at myself. He was right. I did look different. My hair was no longer that light-blonde. It was now a deep forest-green and fell in wild waves around my body. My skin was a rich olive tone that felt so lovely and yet very familiar to me. But beyond that, I felt the earth around me. The plants and trees all called out to me in their own gentle way. I could hear them. I knew if I wanted them to grow, they would.

My smokey green magic drifted from my fingers, and I held my hand up. “How is this possible? How could I have been yours this whole time and we never knew? How am I this ?”

“I think deep down we always knew.” Mateo gave me a little squeeze. “From the beginning.”

I chuckled. “You and I are going to remember the beginning of our story in very different ways.”

“I don’t care how we began.” He held me higher as though he never wanted to let me go. I didn’t want him to. “I only know now that there is no end.”

He was right. We had eternity together and I was looking toward to it. The dreams of traveling the world always seemed incomplete, but now with him by my side, they all fell into place.

I was so grateful I almost didn’t want to question it, but my fae curiosity wouldn’t be denied. “I still don’t understand . . . just how?”

“It’s about time.” Constantine strolled up to us. While I would say it was from out of nowhere, that was just him.

“You knew?” I raised my eyebrows at him.

He held his finger up, making the motion for a little bit with his thumb and pointer finger. “I had an inkling. It was difficult to tell with the spell cast over you, so I didn’t know for sure.”

My brow furrowed. “Spell? What spell?”

My mother cleared her throat. “The one I cast over you so many years ago.”

“Wait, what? You adopted me, then cast a spell on me? I don’t understand.”

And then I noticed it. She too had changed. She no longer had her dark-brown hair. It was now a brilliant white-blonde, and her eyes sparkled an even more brilliant blue. Her skin turned even paler, and her cheeks held a deep ruby color. She was absolutely breathtaking.

“Because I am your birth mother. I never adopted you. I never let you out of my sight. That woman Bash saw carrying the baby through the portal was me. ” She glanced around at the others and pressed her lips together.“Your father was a monster, and I was not going to let that family get their hands on you, so I escaped once you were born and fled here. I’ve hidden in that cottage ever since praying Tephine never found us. Praying your father never found us.”

“My father is King Bregan?” When she nodded, my stomach rolled. “And he died.”

“Oh, he’s dead.” Bash scoffed. “Like dead, dead.”

Collins elbowed him. “That’s not how we should approach this.”

“Allow me.” My mother stepped closer. “A long time ago, I met your father in the forest in Third Realm. He was sweet?—”

Bash snorted.

Collins turned toward him. “We have got to work on your tact.”

“It’s just honesty.” He shrugged.

“Honesty without tact is what? Say it with me . . .”

“Cruelty.” He sighed. “I’m sorry, Fauna. Please continue.”

“Well, he was sweet . . . at first.” She folded her hands in front of her and began to wring them. “And I fell in love with him. He was charming and charismatic. His hair was the most beautiful shade of dark-green and his eyes matched. Like yours, my dear. He was amazing . . . until he wasn’t.”

“Is this what you were trying to tell me yesterday?” I wish I’d listened to her more, but I was too wrapped up in my own hurt. When she nodded, I felt awful. “Oh, Mom, I’m so sorry.”

She waved my words away. “I should’ve told you long before this. But it wasn't safe. I’ve been trying to figure out how to tell you since they died and . . . I failed you. I’m sorry.”

Gertie, Susan, and Sylvie all moved closer to my mom, and each of them laid a hand on her, comforting her. Sylvie gave her a little squeeze. “Go on.”

“He got angry when he found out I was pregnant with you and turned violent. It wasn’t until I had you that I found out he was the King of Third Realm. I thought he was just a nice fae I’d met in the woods. Turns out he was married to Tephine and had a whole horde of awful children.” She glanced to Bash. “No offense.”

“Oh, they were awful. No offense taken.” He waved her words away. “It must’ve been difficult for you. If my mother found out, she would have killed you both at once.”

My mother nodded. “So I had to hide us, you see. I found this spell and I just did it hoping it would help us somehow, and it hid everything. You were a completely different baby, and I didn’t look anything like myself. But I knew it wasn’t enough, so I snuck out of Third Realm and found refuge here. I stayed hidden and kept you safe. I didn’t mean for any of this to happen. I didn’t know it would deny you your soulmate. If I had known . . .”

She started to cry, and I hurried to her and pulled her into a tight hug. “No, Mom, you did what you had to do. You kept me safe and yourself.”

“But I’ve made you so miserable.” She swiped at her tears.

Mateo cleared his throat. “Exactly, Fauna, you kept her safe. If it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t have a soulmate. Even Bash thinks you both might’ve been killed.”

“Oh, there’s no might have.” He shook his head. “The man who claimed to be my father would have killed them for fear of my mother finding out. And my mother, when she found out, would have also killed them. You were brilliant to remain hidden.”

“And you came to the right place,” Constantine added. “This is your home. This is where you belong. I knew there was a magic around you, but I couldn’t put my finger on what it was exactly. But you, Fauna, are lovely, and Colette could not have been a more welcome addition to the Island.”

“See, Mom? We’re all okay.” I gave her another hug. “Thank you for protecting me so fully and giving me the chance to find Mateo.”

I stepped back from her, and he was there waiting to pull me into his arms.

My mother glanced down at herself and back at me. “I still don’t know how it was broken though.”

“Oh, I got this.” Collins lifted her hand. “That tiger’s-eye stone used to be a part of King Bregan, and when he died, Third Realm reclaimed it. But it was just waiting to connect with its forever home. Once that stone touched Colette, it unleashed her fae magic. Her royal fae magic.”

My eyes widened.

Collins motioned to the scene around us with the flowers and greenery. “She’s very powerful, and once that power let loose, the spell didn’t stand a chance of containing her true nature.”

Bash chuckled. “You’re a royal of the fae realm. Congratulations.”

“I don’t want it.” My eyes widened. “I’ll be happy here.”

“Why?” His brow furrowed in confusion. “You should be able to explore your home. I assure you it’s very safe now. We might not be blood-related, but I’d consider you my new baby sister, and God help anyone who made you upset.” He glared at Mateo.

Mateo shifted uncomfortably under his gaze. “Message received, big guy.”

“You should come to the realm any time you wish. The people would love to have a princess such as yourself.” Bash winked. “And her soulmate.”

I turned toward Mateo. “Will you come? I need you with me for this.”

“As if I’d ever be anywhere else.”

When I looked up into his eyes, everything felt right with the world. My forever was right in front of me.

I needed Mateo with every fiber of my being, and when I looked down at my arm, I smirked, knowing that fate thought so too. “So, I guess we’ll be planning some new adventures, Mr. Vauntero ?”

He dragged me against his chest and placed a kiss on my lips that I savored for a moment, knowing that he would be mine forever and always. He smiled down at me with that breathtaking, charming grin and I was a goner. I had been from the beginning.

He licked his lips and held me close. “I’d go to the ends of the earth for you, Ms. Rothchild .”