My first ACOTAR story.
This starts on Calanmai when Feyre snuck out of Tamlin's manor and was cornered by the three faeries.
The first few paragraphs are taken directly from ACOTAR, then it all changes.
I hope you like it!
"Once the Rite's performed, we'll have some fun, won't we? A treat—such a treat—to find a human woman here."
I bared my teeth at him. "Get your hands off me," I said, loud enough for anyone to hear.
One of them ran a hand down my side, its bony fingers digging into my ribs, my hips. I jerked back, only to slam into the third one, who wove his long fingers through my hair and pressed close. No one looked; no one noticed.
"Stop it," I said, but the words came out in a strangled gasp as they began herding me toward the line of trees, toward the darkness. I pushed and thrashed against them; they only hissed. One of them shoved me and I staggered, falling out of their grasp. The ground welled up beneath me, and I reached for my knives, but sturdy hands grasped me under the shoulders before I could draw them or hit the grass.
They were strong hands—warm and broad. Not at all like the prodding, bony fingers of the three faeries who went utterly still as whoever caught me gently set me upright.
"There you are. I've been looking for you," said a deep, sensual male voice I'd never heard. But I kept my eyes on the three faeries, bracing myself for flight as the male behind me stepped to my side and slipped a casual arm around my shoulders.
The three lesser faeries paled, their dark eyes wide.
"Thank you for finding her for me," my savior said to them, smooth and polished. "Enjoy the Rite." There was enough of a bite beneath his last words that the faeries stiffened. Without further comment, they scuttled back to the bonfires.
I stepped out of the shelter of my savior's arm and turned to thank him.
Standing before me was the most beautiful man I'd ever seen.
Everything about the stranger radiated sensual grace and ease. High Fae, no doubt. His short black hair gleamed like a raven's feathers, offsetting his pale skin and blue eyes so deep they were violet, even in the firelight. They twinkled with amusement as he beheld me.
He, too, wasn't wearing a mask. From another court, then.
For a moment, we said nothing. Thank you didn't seem to cover what he'd done for me, but something about the way he stood with absolute stillness, the night seeming to press in closer around him, made me hesitate to speak—made me almost want to run in the other direction. There was something strangely magnetic about him. Every nerve in my body was on alert, but I didn't move away.
A half smile played on his lips. "You're welcome."
"Thank you," I said with genuine gratitude, even as his cocky smile provoked something violent deep within me, "I don't know what would have happened if you hadn't shown up."
"I do," the smile disappeared from his spellbinding face, "Why is a beautiful mortal woman wandering around alone on Fire Night?"
"I-," I hesitated, "I'm not alone."
He cocked his head to the side, "Oh? Who is your escort? They must not be very competent if they let such a delicious enchantress out of their sight."
My breath caught in my throat as I took in the piercing depth of his eyes. Something about him was threatening to overtake every semblance of sense I had. I should lie. I should run. I should be running as fast as I possibly could back to the safety of the manor.
Should - but I couldn't force myself to break his gaze. I wanted to know him, I realized. There was something dark, painful, and absolutely heartbreaking in his eyes - but it was mixed with kindness, courage, and beauty. I needed to find out more about this captivating stranger.
"Actually, I - I'm not supposed to be here," I spat out the truth before I could stop myself, "I snuck out to see the festival. Something was… calling me."
He took a step toward me. I didn't move - I couldn't. I couldn't even think. The sounds of the revellers faded around us and my vision slimmed until the sole focal point was his deep blue and violet eyes.
"It called me here, too…" his voice was barely a whisper as he closed the gap between our bodies, slid an arm around my waist, and placed his other hand on the side of my neck, "It's been calling me to you."
When his lips connected with mine, I lost every sense of self. His kiss was overwhelming in it's passion - it's pure longing. The hand on my neck was now in the back of my hair, holding me to him as he deepened the kiss, and my arms locked around his neck.
As we kissed, everyone and everything ceased to exist. All my worries - everything that tied me to this world - dissolved into nothing. None of it mattered. Tamlin, Lucien, Alis - even Elain, Nesta, and my father - slid to the farthest reaches of my mind. Nobody was, or could ever be, as important as this hauntingly gorgeous male fae who now seemed to be the source of the very beating of my heart. Of the blood rushing through my veins.
The arm he had around my waist pulled my body even closer against him. I let out a little moan - my head tilting back slightly as I sucked in a deep breath. His lips instantly moved down to my neck and trailed across my collar bone.
"Who are you?"
I didn't want to end the moment - my body was screaming at me not to - but I needed to know this stranger was.
He slowly slid his lips back up my neck until they were at the base of my ear. His breath was a caress across my skin as he whispered, "I'm your mate."
Mate? Mate. Was it even possible for a human to be a fae's mate? It must be, for the word seemed to resound throughout my body, and I knew it was true. I felt it echoed in my very bones.
Mate.
Mate.
Mate.
He's my mate.
I pulled him in for another kiss, my fingers tangling into his silken black hair. I wanted more of him - needed to feel his skin. As if reading my mind, his fingers pushed under my tunic gliding playfully across my lower back. Each spot he touched seemed to leave my flesh almost scorched by the heat between us.
He slid his hands down to my thighs and lifted my legs up to wrap around his waist. I rolled my hips against his - moaning into his mouth when I felt the hard length of him - and he let out a groan. He took a few steps until I felt my back pushed against a tree, then roughly ground his hips into mine.
"What's your name?" He asked between kisses, his voice hoarse.
"Feyre," I managed to breathe out.
"Feyre…" he said my name like a caress, "Feyre. My mate."
"What's yours?"
"Rhysand."
I wanted to ask more - I had so very many questions - but his lips were on me again. It was all I could do to remember to breathe. I had a mate. A mate.
Rhysand.
Rhysand. Rhysand. Rhysand.
My thoughts were an endless chant of his name as my hands moved down his chest and torso until I found the hem of his shirt. I slid my hands underneath, feeling the tightly contracting muscles of his stomach, and tightened the lock my legs had on him. He pushed against me once more - right into my oh so sensitive bundle of nerves. My back arched as I let out a deep, lustful moan.
"Feyre?!"
We froze. The world slowly came back to me as I looked around. Lucien was standing a few yards away, his gold eye whirring. A look of shock and even betrayal painted his features. My mate glanced lazily over his shoulder, as if barely aware that we were being interrupted.
"N-no. It can't be… Rhys?!"
My mate let out a long groan and pulled us away from the tree. He set me down, but kept an arm around my waist. I couldn't help but lean into him.
"Hello Lucien," his voice was suddenly tense.
Lucien took a step towards us, "Feyre - are you okay? Did he hurt you?"
"What? No. I'm not hurt at all."
"What's going on then?" His voice was terse, almost accusational. "Why would you do this? Did he do something to coerce you?"
I felt a small pang of guilt when I realized what this looked like to him. He thought my heart was so easily swayed that I would forget about Tamlin for just any male who appeared in my path. But he didn't understand… I didn't know how to explain to Lucien what had happened - what Rhysand was to me. I looked up into my mates burning violet eyes for help.
He gave me a slight nod, then turned his attention back to Lucien.
"There was no coercing necessary, dear little Lucien. Feyre belongs with me - and I with her. She's my mate."
Lucien's face paled.
"N-no. She can't be! She's our only shot against her, Rhysand. You can't have her."
He took another step forward, but scrambled back when the shadows of the trees suddenly began to converge around us. They circled around our bodies - wiping away all light and signs of the world around us. Even Lucien's yells sounded far away…
"Feyre," he turned me around in his arms so he was looking into my eyes, "I want you to come with me - but it's your decision."
"Feyre!" Lucien's scream was a whisper in the dark wind.
I look into Rhysand's crushing blue eyes, "I want to stay with you."
A lopsided grin broke out over his face. He gave me a quick kiss as the shadows closed in on us. My heart stuttered.
"Do you trust me, Feyre?"
"Yes."
I didn't even have to think about it.
"Then hold on."
Darkness roared around us, a wind tearing me this way and that, the ground fell away beneath me. The world was fully gone. Only Rhysand remained.
I held onto him with everything I had.
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