I want so badly to let him kiss me. My body practically thrums as one of his hands lazily runs up and down my back, stroking, reminding me how he once lavished that same gentle, meticulous attention on my thighs, and other places.

He must feel the shiver that slams through my core, because he chuckles.

Not fair. “Is there a way to inactivate the, you know, mating bond, once we . . . turn it on?”

His fingers slide up my neck, take hold of my jaw, and gently tilt my head back. His eyes dance with amusement and something else, something more primal. “You mean, once we make love and the magic binding your soul to mine reaches its full power?”

I nod, my throat suddenly dry. “Yeah, that.”

Another wolfish smile. Shimmer save me. “No, there’s no turning it off. Our soulbond isn’t a light switch, Summer. It’s a rare gift from Queen Titania, one that every Evermore in existence would kill for. Once the powerful magic is finalized it’s permanent.”

“Permanent,” I repeat, breathless, my throat choked with emotion.

I still struggle to commit to my sock color every morning; I’m definitely not ready to activate some magical bond thingy that locks me with a Fae male for the rest of eternity. Especially considering Vi’s reaction today.

Over the summer, I let myself believe she would warm up to the Fae world, given enough time. I ignored the rancor in her voice whenever I brought up anything academy related. Overlooked the horrified way she would stare at the prince’s brand on my arm when she thought I wasn’t looking.

Speaking of . . .

“And when do I get this removed?” I hold up my arm, moving it so that his metallic gold swirls glint softly. Admittedly, a part of me relished having something of the prince during his absence. At the same time, having a tattoo that marks me as someone’s property goes against everything I believe.

His gaze shifts to the mark, the corners of his mouth hardening. “You know I can’t remove my claim on you, Summer. As long as it darkens your flesh, you’re protected.”

That all sounds fine in theory, but . . .

Sighing, I retreat from his embrace.

A muscle ticks in his temple. His sensual lips purse, as if he has a thousand things he wants to say, but then he nods. Swallows.

“If you need to get to know me before you make your decision, I respect that.” He reaches for me, purposefully brushing his fingertips lightly over my waist just so I’ll squirm at his touch. “You can get to know as much of me as you want.”

My eyes widen. Titania restrain me, he knows exactly how dirty that sounds.

“Just be aware,” he continues, teasing me with that gravelly voice, “I don’t fight fair when it comes to getting what I want. So from now on, I’ll be helping Eclipsa train you. We’ll be in close contact every single day, giving you countless opportunities to discover what sort of . . . underwear I prefer.”

This mofo came to play. Against my will, a rush of excitement surges through me at the thought of seeing Valerian every day. The physical contact, the adrenaline of the fight. That sex-on-a-stick Fae body slick with sweat—

Get. Ahold. Of. Your. Thirsty. Self.

I brush off my enthusiasm with a cool shrug. “Okay.”

From the corner of my eyes, I see Asher waving and mouthing something, but Valerian ignores him. “See you at the academy?”

“Yep.” I force a cool smile. “I’ll be there, ready to kick some ass.”

An arched dark blue eyebrow lifts, a devilish look overtaking his face. “Good. Because as my shadow, I don’t plan on showing you any mercy.”

Mack pops her head out the door, pink strawberry frosting rimming her lips. “Sorry to interrupt this love fest”—she waggles her eyebrows at me when she says this—“but Nick sent the doorman out for another cake, and they’re all ready to sing happy birthday to you.” Her gaze skips from Valerian to Asher, her lips curving upward. “You guys are welcome to join us.”

A smile stretches across the dragon shifter’s square jaw, but Valerian shakes his head. “Thanks for the offer of what I’m sure are delicious mortal treats, but we were just about to leave.”

As I watch Valerian create his portal, the snowflakes drifting into that rainbow oval and disappearing, a part of me aches for him to stay.

He catches my gaze, gives a dark smile, and disappears along with a sullen Asher before I can say anything.

Mack squeezes my shoulder, concern welling inside her corn-flower blue eyes. “What did he do? Do I need to murder him? I will, you know. I’ll make the ice prince my bitch.”

“Now that I would love to see,” Eclipsa drawls from the doorway. She has a death-grip on the now empty bag of Zapp’s potato chips, and she’s licking the last bit of spice from her baby-blue fingernails.

Frick, how does she sneak up like that?

“The prince didn’t do anything,” I assure them both. “In fact, he was actually pretty decent.”

Which is super annoying because this would all be so much easier if he switched back to dickhead mode.

Eclipsa raises a silver eyebrow, causing the jewels above to sparkle. “The Winter Prince, decent? Has the seven Fae hells frozen over?”

I shake my head, just as confused as she is.

“Oberon’s beard, I never thought I’d see the day. The Winter Prince, tamed by a mortal.” Eclipsa finishes licking her fingers and jerks her head toward the door. “You have to come back in there with me. I thought the tension between the Summer and Winter Courts was bad, but that room—”

I hold up my hand. “Coming. Just keep my aunt away from any weapons until then, okay?”

As soon as Eclipsa disappears, Mack wraps her arm in mine. “Pfft, how dare the Winter Prince be nice to you. Now, let’s go drown your sorrows in grocery-bought cake frosting before the tiny terrorists ruin that one too.”

I roll out my shoulders. “Mackenzie Fairchild, I don’t deserve you.”

She laughs. “Just wait until you open my gift. Then you really won’t deserve me.”

We spend the next two hours doing just that. Opening my presents and eating ourselves into a sugar coma. When it’s time to return to the academy, I check my phone, annoyed at how my heart leaps when I see Valerian’s text.

Silk briefs are my favorite . . . if you’re still curious.

I smile at the winky face emoji he added before my grin falters.

Summer Solstice, you’re so epically screwed.

4

The first day of school starts off completely different than last time. First, I’m not freezing my lady balls off. Second, I actually fill out the hunter green shorts and white tank top, and my arms ripple with muscles. Third, thanks to the highly complicated espresso machine Mack’s dads gifted her for the first day, a latte warms my fingers. The rich coffee aroma, intermingled with the perfume of tulips and lilies drifting in the air, makes me grin like a maniac.

If victory had a smell, it would be this. And my day doesn’t start with swimming for my life, performing CPR, and then being ogled and fought over.

The only downside is not getting to punch Reina in her surgically enhanced nose—but the day is young.

I take a sip of my latte and sigh. “This year is going to be my year, Mack. I can feel it.”

“Correction, it’s going to be our year.”

Mack tucks a strand of her chocolate shoulder-length hair behind her ear. It’s longer than the last time I saw her, and she must have had it straightened, large chunks dyed pink and yellow. No doubt to expertly match the tulips lining the path to school.

A flower print romper and brown leather booties make her even more adorable than usual.

Her sprite, Thornilia, flies just above her. Thornilia lists off Mack’s class schedule, which she’s already memorized, the showoff, and reminds Mack which books she needs for the first period.

Somehow, Thornilia also carries Mack’s triple almond-milk latte.

Ruby, on the other hand, hasn’t even woken up. She’s nestled on top of my backpack, snoring in my ear.

My new phone buzzes in my short’s pocket. I grin as I pull it out, ignoring Mack’s knowing look.

Valerian’s message pops onto the screen. Sorry I can’t be there for your first day. Want me to send Asher back, just in case?

I release a breath. Eclipsa told me this morning during training that she was accompanying him to the Winter Court, but in her typical cryptic fashion, left out why. I gathered from her grumpier than usual morning mood that it was pretty serious.

If Valerian is taking both the dragon shifter and the lunar assassin with him, it’s really bad.

No way will I leave him unprotected.

Besides, what have I been training for this entire time if I can’t survive the first day of school?

No, I one-handedly text back, I’m a badass now, remember?

An eternity passes as he types out a response, and I grin imagining him searching for the right letters, erasing, and grumbling. He’s the absolute worst at texting, or technology in general.

Stay out of trouble. The snowflake emojis punctuate the command.

Smiling, I hurriedly type back, Too bad you’re not here tho. Mack and I thought it would be funny to sneak in a couple baby orcs on the first day.

Funny. I look forward to bribing your way out of detention. Be thinking of ways to repay me.

I send him little angel emojis and then slip the phone back into my pocket.

Mack hip checks me. “Just friends, huh?”

I erase the humor from my face and sigh. “Just friends.”

“You lying little B. There is no ‘just friends’ with the ILB.”

As we near the wide steps leading up to the main courtyard, second year shadows Jace, Layla, and Richard join us.

Jace grins, his handsome face brightening, and tips his head. “Ladies.”

Richard stares glumly forward, his fingers clenched tightly around his backpack straps.

A pang of sympathy threatens to darken my happy mood. I can’t imagine what he’s feeling after Evelyn’s transformation to a darkling. Especially considering what caused her change.