Fake Mate of the Enemy Shifter (Red Oak Shifters #2)

29. Grey

Chapter twenty-nine

Grey

“ I t’s your choice and only yours.”

Cassia stares through the bars of the cell in front of us, low murmurs and whispers echoing throughout our castle’s dungeon. Moonveil prisoners lurk in the cells, but Cassia’s gaze is only focused on one of them.

“What is it going to be, Cassia? Are you going to kill me?” Lucian questions her as he stands just on the other side of the bars. His eyes sharpen into a narrow, but I can see the glint of fear within them.

He knows that his life is in Cassia’s hands.

Cassia breathes in slowly through her nose and lifts her chin. “You were prepared to murder dozens of innocent wolves and witches. You don’t deserve a scrap of sympathy for what you have done and what you were planning to do.”

Lucian’s jaw tenses, his breathing quickening.

I remain silent as I stand beside Cassia, letting her take control. I’m sure she’s tired of making decisions, but it has been a week since the battle. Moonveil is fragmented, and the good witches of her clan look to her for guidance.

Soon, they will look to us , but she has one more decision to make on her own first.

“Morgana received her just end. She wouldn’t ever have stopped killing,” Cassia says as she crosses her arms over the fitted corset dress she wears. Gold laces adorn the bodice, matching her bracelets and the moon charm of her necklace. “I think you mostly followed her like a lost puppy, but you’re still too dangerous to be free.”

“So, kill me,” Lucian grits out, his teeth slightly chattering from fear.

I turn to Cassia, waiting for her order. Some of the captured Moonveil witches have already been escorted out of the region, while a few claim to want to join our kingdom. It will take an immense amount of time for them to gain our trust, but I’m just glad the bloodshed is finally over.

“No,” Cassia states, making Lucian’s eyes widen. “You will remain in this dungeon where you belong.”

“Until when?” Lucian questions her as bewilderment fills his face.

Cassia smiles a little and shrugs. “Until I believe your sentence has been fulfilled.”

“You can’t do this!” Lucian shouts, the chains rattling on his cuffed hands.

Pride swells in my chest as I follow Cassia out of the dungeon, reaching up to adjust the collar of my black suit jacket. Watching her go from a scared prisoner of her own coven to the confident leader she is now has been a surprisingly fulfilling journey.

I never expected to fall in love with a woman from a rival coven, but here we are.

Victorious. Strong. United.

“Now that that’s over with …” Cassia sighs as she smooths down the front of her dress. She looks over at me with a warm smile. “Ready to do this?”

I don’t think I’ve ever felt so ready for something in my life. This is our new beginning. Our new life.

“Of course,” I say as we stop outside the closed doors of the throne room where two guards are stationed. I take her hand and press a gentle kiss against her knuckles. “I’m right here with you.”

Cassia squeezes my hand and breathes in deeply. “Let’s do this.”

The guards open the doors, revealing a packed throne room and my parents standing on the stage at the back. Everyone turns in their seats to look at us, an air of hope and pride filling the space as we step inside.

Wounds are still healing from the battle. Loved ones are still being mourned. Damage is still being fixed.

However, everyone here is free. No one is caught in Morgana’s and Lucian’s dangerous clutches any longer, and Shadowfang is now a nightmare of the past instead of a monster in the present. We’re at peace.

We just need to make it official.

With our hands joined, Cassia and I make our way down the middle of the throne room, smiling and nodding to those who wave at us and quietly cheer us on. Our closest friends and supporters, Gliselle, Callista, Garik, and Jules sit in the front left row, while my parents rise out of their thrones one last time to greet us.

“Emeric,” Cassia says, giving him a timid yet warm smile.

Emeric peers down at her for a moment before smiling back and accepting her with open arms. Gently. His wound continues to heal, but everyone knows that he wouldn’t be alive right now without Cassia’s help.

My mother pecks me on my cheek before squeezing Cassia’s hands. “Thank you. I will never be able to thank you enough.”

Cassia gives my mother a warm look. “I have both of you to thank as well. For accepting me and helping me get my powers back.”

Bad blood must be cleansed with good magic and good intentions.

Cassia helped my father, the one who trusted her the least, and was cleansed by her act of good. She didn’t have to help him. She didn’t even have to stop to check on him.

Yet, despite how he treated her, she still helped. She proved that she’s nothing like her mother.

That was already obvious to me.

“Everblade lives on because of you two,” my father says as he looks between Cassia and me. “I can’t think of anyone better to hand our kingdom over to.”

My mother smiles and nods in agreement. “Are you two ready?”

Cassia and I nod at the same time before we shift to stand next to each other facing my parents.

“Everyone,” my father says, his voice booming throughout the throne room and capturing everyone’s attention. “Today is a special day. It’s both an ending and a new beginning for us all.”

My mother takes his arm and lifts her chin in pride. “Today, Emeric and I will step down from the throne and hand our rule over to the next generation of Everblade’s leadership.”

I take a deep breath as my father takes my hand and Cassia’s hand and lifts them in the air. “Grey and Cassia!”

Cheers and applause ring out through the throne room, soothing my nervousness a little. It’s already nerve-wracking to be given this honor, but at least Cassia’s and my rule won’t be opposed. We’ve done a lot for this kingdom, and it seems like everyone recognizes that, even if Cassia is coming in from the outside.

“May you reign long and successfully,” my mother tells us as she gestures to us with her hand, conjuring a gentle sprinkle of magic to glitter around us.

“May you lead with pride and strength,” my father adds, giving us a firm nod. “Together, you are the new rulers of the Everblade Kingdom.”

“The new Everblade Kingdom with our new brothers and sisters from what was once Moonveil,” my mother says as she gestures toward the crowd where all the good Moonveil witches will now become one of us. They’ve proven their loyalty in battle and in their darkest moments.

As my parents bow to us and step back, I twine my fingers with Cassia’s and lead us closer to the front of the stage. “With gratitude and pride, we accept our new responsibility as your leaders.”

Cassia smiles and stands up straighter. “We are a united force. We helped each other when we needed aid the most. We stood by each other’s sides against a threat that wanted to destroy us. Now, we will be stronger than ever, and Grey and I will continue to fight for you until our last dying breath.”

I look over at Cassia, tugging on her hand to make her turn her body toward me. “Our wedding was interrupted. In front of our people, on the cusp of our victory, I want to finish it.”

Cassia’s eyes widen as applause thunders throughout the throne room. “Really?”

I grin at her, keeping myself from kissing her right then and there. We deserve a complete wedding ceremony in front of the ones we love and those who genuinely support us. This isn’t a plan any longer.

This is true love.

My father carries the tree sapling over to us and hands it to Cassia.

Cassia stares down at the sapling as she extends it closer to me so that I can hold it as well. She gives me a nervous smile. “Let’s hope it doesn’t take my powers again.”

I lightly chuckle and shake my head. “You have more than proven that you’re good, Cassia.”

Cassia’s face softens as she nods. “I’m ready. I want to be bonded with you. Forever.”

Warmth glows in my chest, and I don’t waste another second. I start to cast with her, initiating a bonding spell. A wispy, white strand of magic coils around us, coaxing us closer as we chant under our breaths.

We feel closer and closer by the second, a light, warm sensation overtaking us like a thin sheet. The strand breaks apart into a dazzle of magic that rains down around us, leaving behind a slightly tingling sensation that covers my entire body.

Cassia lightly gasps, her eyes widening at the feeling. She lifts up on her toes and presses her lips against mine, the sound of everyone cheering fading into the background.

I cup her cheek, my lips gliding along hers. We’ve been so busy this past week that we’ve barely had any time to ourselves. The bond we just shared sinks deep into my soul, warming my body all over with pleasurable heat.

I want her all to myself.

And I get her all to myself after accepting countless congratulatory words, embraces, and handshakes. After a wonderful reception with our closest friends and family members over delicious food and joyful music. After finally dragging her away into the night while the celebration dies down.

“Impatient?” Cassia laughs breathlessly as I drop her down onto my bed.

I tug off my jacket and buttoned shirt before crawling over her. “That’s an understatement.”

Cassia lifts off her back, helping me undo the ties of her dress so that I can peel the soft fabric off her perfect body. She raises her hips, goosebumps floating on her skin as I ease her panties down her legs. “Grey.”

Her whine spurs me on, prompting me to kiss my way down her body. I pause at her breasts, letting my tongue flick and circle her nipples. My lips wrap around the stiff peaks, sucking hard to make her back arch.

“Oh …” Cassia gasps as she pushes her fingers into my hair, twisting them with the short strands. Her beautiful figure continues to contort as my mouth moves lower, kissing between her breasts and down her stomach.

I bury my face between her soft thighs, lapping at her wet folds and reveling in her addictive taste. I push a finger inside of her under my tongue, still flicking the tip over her clit to make her writhe beneath me. If I wasn’t throbbing so hard it hurts, I could do this all night long.

Cassia grinds herself against my face, yearning for more. For euphoria.

I add another finger, curling them upward as I suck her clit into my mouth.

Cassia cries out and pushes herself down on my fingers, a weak whimper trembling on her lips. “I need you, Grey.”

Her words make my cock pulse with need, heat flaring through me. I need her just as badly, and I’m going to show her that.

I drag my tongue over her one last time before pulling away from her. I quickly take off the rest of my clothes, finally freeing my aching cock before sinking it inside of her.

Cassia tosses her head back, her nails cutting into the back of my shoulders. A moan tears from her, hitting every wall in my bedroom, followed by the sound of our quick breathing.

I thrust into her over and over, picking up my pace and driving into her harder and deeper. Every moment gets more and more intense, the air around us growing hotter and hotter. I can’t get over how good she feels. How sweet she sounds. How amazing she is.

And she’s mine. And I’m hers.

How can things get any better?

Cassia drags me down for a heated kiss, flashes of tongue breaking through the brush of our lips. She moans into my mouth as I snap my hips hard, her body starting to tense more and more. She’s getting close.

Very close.

I hover over her with a hand planted on the mattress next to her head. My other hand pushes its way through her thighs, my thumb pressing against her clit.

Cassia gasps and grips my hair, nodding fervently. “So close. Please, Grey.”

Just hearing her moan my name nearly does me in, but I clench my jaw and keep going, determined to make her fall apart. I barely have to move my thumb. The friction and pressure of my mere touch combined with the deep pumps of my cock shuttle her toward her orgasm at lightning speed.

Cassia succumbs to the pleasure after a few more thrusts, her body shaking from the intensity.

I watch her fall apart, drinking in the sight and sound of her pleasure. It completely does me in, my control snapping. I bury myself inside of her as I come, my lips crashing against hers.

We share a breathless, messy kiss as the bliss overtakes us, eventually calming into a gentle warmth that blankets us. Our bodies melt into one vessel, our hearts beating in sync. Tired smiles cross our faces as we gaze at each other.

“I love you … so much,” Cassia murmurs as she lazily plays with my hair.

I kiss her forehead before pecking her lips. “I love you. I can’t wait to rule with you.”

Cassia’s face softens as she nods. “I can’t believe it. I never thought I would make it to a point like this. Be with someone like you.”

“I didn’t see you coming,” I say. “But I like the surprise of you. Of all this.”

Cassia gives me a loving look before our foreheads touch. “Then, I look forward to whatever surprise comes next.”

A light chuckle breaks from me as I nod, losing myself in the warmth and comfort of our bodies being wrapped up together.

Because of us and the people who surround us, Everblade’s history will forever be changed. We’re no longer prisoners. No longer abused, humiliated, or killed. We’re entering a new era of peace, and I’m grateful to be leading this kingdom into a new beginning with the love of my life by my side.

May our reign be as strong as our unbreakable bond.

As impactful as the reign of those who came before us.

And as long as our promised eternity together.