Sorry for the short chapter but I hope you enjoy. All feedback is appreciated!

Chapter 9

1 week later

It must have been about a week later when I got the second note. I had just had breakfast and Rhys was clearing the table when I saw some paper jammed in the window. Yanking it out, I saw my name on it. With sinking dread, I unfolded it and read:

Did you get my first note? You didn't reply to it. Oh well, anyway, you look beautiful today, Feyre, in that emerald dress, absolutely stunning.

Fear settled in me; he knew what I was wearing. He could see me! I stared out the window, searching the shadows for a figure.

"Feyre? Feyre darling?"

It was Rhys. I turned and he instantly saw something was wrong. "There was another note," I whispered, handing it to him, trembling. I was scared now. No one, even from Velaris, should be able to enter the grounds because of the wards Rhys had raised so that meant this stalker could get passed them. If he could, other could. Enemies could.

It didn't take a genius to see Rhys had worked this all out as well. He pulled me to him and dragged me into a shadowy corner, away from any windows, glaring at anything he could see suspiciously. He took a deep, shuddering breath as he wrapped his wings around me, hiding me away from the world.

"I'll keep you safe, I promise. I'll get rid of this stalker, I swear," he babbled on and on, trying to comfort me, to promise me he could keep me safe but he knew as well as I did even his own wards couldn't keep this stalker out and that scared him. It scared him that something like the Hewn City situation would happen again.

"Um, Rhys? Is that Feyre in there?" Cassian asked cautiously and by the footsteps, I could tell Azriel was with him.

"Shut all the curtains," Rhys demanded.

"What?"

"I order you to shut all the curtains!" Rhys snapped, darkness starting to leak off him as his control began slipping away. Cassian, realising he was being serious, began shutting the curtains along with Azriel until the room was plunged into darkness. They then turned the lights on and Rhys slowly unwrapped his wings when Azriel gave a growl, his shadows snatching the note in Rhys's hand to him.

"Another note! What's it say?" Cassian asked, concern on his face.

"Did you get my first note? You didn't reply to it. Oh well, anyway, you look beautiful today, Feyre, in that emerald dress, absolutely can see Feyre?!" Azriel cried, his skin an ashy tone.

"That's why you ordered all the curtains closed," Cassian murmured, looking sick. "We'll get straight on it."

"You should've figured it out from the first note," Rhys snarled.

"The first note didn't come from anywhere, I checked. The only place it could've come from is, well, here," Azriel said quietly. Rhys immediately gave both of them death glares.

"If either of you are sick enough to write these notes," he threatened.

"We didn't! You can check, go into my head. I swear it wasn't me," Cassian said. Rhys, taking no chances, searched through both their minds but came up empty.

"You two are to be around us at all times, got that," Rhys ordered and both immediately nodded.

"Do you want all the curtains in the house closed?" Cassian asked and Rhys nodded. I was too shaken to even answer.

"We'll be in our bedroom," Rhys said and lifted me up, flying to our room. He then drew all the curtains shut, blocking out the sunlight and lay me on our bed.

"I don't like this," I whispered, "I'm scared Rhys."

"I know darling but Azriel and Cassian are on it, they'll make him go away, okay?" he kissed me on the forehead and we cuddled for a bit, him stroking my bump gently.

They didn't. Rhys strengthened the wards fully while Azriel and Cassian worked on it full time with Mor and Amren but none had any leads. The next note came two days later. We were all playing bridge when I kicked something with my foot. A piece of folded paper. Rhys gave a cry and Amren grabbed it, reading:

"I'm not as easy for your mate to get rid of as he hopes. It's cute he has his pet Illyrians trailing after you but that won't do anything. I would recommend you start replying to these notes because I love you Feyre. I think you're wonderful. When you're mine I won't keep you locked away in a dark house all day. Don't worry about feeling unsafe, you seemed quite upset about the last note, as did your mate but I'll always be watching you, I'll always be guarding you. I'll be nearer than you think xxx."

I whipped my head around to my mate, terrified. I was shaking as Rhys bundled me into his arms, twisting his head around to look the room. Mor was trembling too while Cassian and Azriel stared at the note, white faced. Amren was glaring at the note. "This has to be impossible," she spat. "No one can do this."

"Well, clearly this psychopath can," Rhys spat.

The next day there was another one.

I do not appreciate being called a psychopath, High Lord. Feyre dear, you are the moon among the stars. I love you darling. Come alone to the dining room tonight. I shall be there.

"You are not going," Rhys hissed, staring intently at me. I nodded instantly, leaning into him. I had no intention of going into the same room as my stalker, especially while pregnant. He, Cassian and Azriel hadn't left my side since the second note, taking it in turns to guard me through the night while the other two slept. Or attempted to at least.

"I'll go," Mor volunteered.

"No you fucking won't," Cassian objected and Mor glared at him.

"Who else can? It's either Amren or I as we're females and I'm roughly the same height as Feyre. I'm going."

"I'll be with her," Azriel said, "I'll stay in the shadows though."

Rhys nodded, "That's our best shot."

I remained with Rhys, Amren and Cassian while Mor and Azriel left. We followed them distantly and then Azriel vanished, leaving Mor alone. She walked in one of my dresses to the door and opened it. My hand flew to my mouth. Someone was in there!

The man raised his head and upon realising it was not me he vanished before Azriel, who had appeared behind him, could grab him. Azriel cursed while I trembled. Someone had actually got through the wards. Someone was actually in my house and he wanted me. I swayed slightly and Rhys tightened his hold on me, supporting me but everything collapsed into darkness.

Rhysand

I lay my mate on our bed, everyone gathering in our room. After seeing that figure she had collapsed and I was terrified. I sat down on the bed, head in hands. And I thought things couldn't get any worse from the first month when we discovered she was pregnant. Now I had a stalker in our fucking house.

"Rhys, there was a note left in the dining room," Azriel said.

I swallowed. I couldn't take anymore of this. My mate certainly couldn't. We needed this done, now. "What does it say?" I said hopelessly.

"I don't appreciate you ignoring me, Feyre. I love you. Come to me or I shall come get you myself."

"He can fucking try!" I snarled, my protective instincts flaring in me.

"Try what?" My mate's weak voice came from the bed. I scooped her into my arms as she caught sight of the note. "What does it say?"

Azriel repeated it to her and she felt like a rag doll in my arms, limp and fragile.

Thump. Thump. Thump. Footsteps. We all stood instantly, even Feyre, though I still held tightly onto her as she clung to me. Amren strode forwards and we all readied to fight when she flung open the door. Nothing. No one was there. Confusion rippled through us. I felt something cold touch me and Feyre started screaming, struggling as shadows, neither mine nor Azriel's, curled around her.

I latched onto her, attempting to rip the shadows off her as she was dragged back and planted my feet onto the floor. They were too strong. Even using my darkness to combat them it was like fighting Azriel's shadows.

"Shadowsinger!" I gasped. "He's a shadowsinger!"

Suddenly everything made sense. The getting through the wards, being able to see us when we couldn't see him, being able to get around the house unseen. All tricks Azriel used.

Cassian and Mor latched on as well, trying to rip the shadows off and drag her back. Fear built in me as shadows slid into her mouth and bound her arms and legs. Shadows lashed out suddenly from Azriel and a man appeared in the corner of the room. Before the man could even say something Azriel had him and bound him. His shadows immediately dissipated from Feyre who I quickly wrapped my wings around, blocking her from her stalker.

I nodded at Azriel to take him away, we could interrogate him later. My first and only concern at the moment was my mate. Azriel winnowed away and Cassian, Mor and Amren left to give us some privacy.

I carried my mate back to the bed and lay her down, curling up next to her. "He's gone," I murmured to her, "He'll never be able to touch you again."

I could feel her trembling against me, her skin cold where the shadows had touched her. "Thought for a thought?" I murmured, deciding to go back to our old game.

"I'm relieved he's gone," she whispered, "I was scared he'd do something to the baby or that with all the stress of someone watching me I'd miscarry." Suddenly, to my shock she giggled. "I swear we must have the most eventful pregnancy recorded."

"I'd rather have the most boring," I said, kissing her gently, "At least I wouldn't be getting constant heart attacks."

She smiled at me and all my worries melted away. Just seeing her smile after all that had happened… she truly was the strongest female I'd ever known.