I groaned in slight pain as I woke, mind groggy and body stiff. I was half sitting up on something hard, legs tickled by something. My chest rose and fell a bit hard, some unknown panic vestiges still there.

My eyes popped open, sharp teeth short of shredding my lip as I panted hard. It was…a prettier version of the cemetery. Ben was up at a tree, seeming to fuss at the long streamer like flowered branches. My brow furls, struggling to understand. But it called to that memory of Sook and I as children dancing about a tree.

She'd gone on and on about handsome princes and getting married around then. I'd been all about just having fun. Still was. I was more focused on what could be done to the tree and how best to climb it. She was all about flowering it up and acting out. I'd played the prince and her the princess, that was before I'd lobbed mud at her.

She'd screeched in indignation and ranted on and on about how princes didn't do that. I'd laughed, flopping into the mud and mocked it all. 'Who wants a prince, Sook? Why not be your own hero? Then you can do it all.'

Ben smiled as he looked my way.

"Awake finally?"

I blink, wincing as I shift my hips on the …ground. My eyes flick away, frowning in confusion, still struggling to think clearly. I was on the ground? Twisting, I realized I leaned on one of the grave markers. A breath leaves me, trying to force my eyes wider to help keep awake.

"What happened?" I croak, throat dry.

Ben leaves the tree he worked at. His eyes were set upon me, crouching at my side while I sat up with a hint of struggle.

"I brought you to a middle realm. Fairy plane on your own, little pockets of them around the world."

I grunt a bit, shaky hand lifting to press to my head. "Feel like I got hit by a train."

"Ah, here."

He pressed his wrist to my mouth, pressing it into the teeth still out. My eyes flutter, lips closing over the space to lightly pull at the blood. There was no rush, still very tired. But one hand lifted to loosely grasp the arm.

He gave a warm smile, eyes flicking over me. One hand lifts to brush knuckles down my cheek and jaw.

"You're perfect, Faelyn."

My eyes tiredly look to him, pulling my teeth from his arm to lick at the blood. A bit of hair is lifted to examine.

"Even your name fits."

I lean back, sagging into the gravemarker with a sigh. His arm is folded to dangle between his knees with the other joining it. He looked over me with an almost coveting gaze.

"It was no surprise your mother got pregnant. Not with her tendencies. Pleasant when it was found to be a female."

My brows quirk. Why was his voice different? It sounded utterly different. British maybe? Some English accent with a hint of growl to the voice now, rougher sounding. How'd he..

He let his eyes trace over my face. "I knew you would have the Light. A lovely surprise that there is so much more to you."

"Ben?"

His hand reaches out, cupping my cheek. "Macklyn Warlow."

I felt like my breath gushed out, eyes widening a bit as I felt like I was slapped awake. His thumb brushes my lower lip, eyes following it.

"So.." I felt like such an idiot, eyes shutting tight as I wince. No wonder this 'Warlow' never attacked. I was with him from the beginning. "Oh gosh," I gush faintly, hand lifting to cover my face some.

I felt the flush of embarrassment for my utter stupidity. Ben was a vampire. Ben was a fairy. Warlow is a super old vampire. Warlow is obsessed with fairies. He knew everything about me almost. He really knew me. I'd all but gave myself to him. Shit, he even knew what I would do if he went after my family.

Could I hold it against him? What if Gramps never came and he just went about wooing me? I'd still be just as into him. How did who he was matter? He'd proven that he cared. He'd showed that he'd help my family. My family was the most important thing in the world to me. I'd do anything for them.

It just felt like I was an idiot for not noticing it. I mean, even Eric had sort of picked that up a hint. He'd even said it was odd timing. But I couldn't hold it against him, Ben..Warlow..Macklyn? What the fuck do I call him now?

Side note, I felt a lot better now. Still hungry. But I wanted a huge plate of fried chicken and potatoes. That sounded fantastic.

"Fae."

My hand lowers to cup my face on his side, eyes to the grass. "I feel like an idiot."

"Is that all?"

"Nah. But a very prominent feeling that isn't going away soon, I think."

He chuckles, hand resting on my knee. "I'd have preferred to change you myself," he speaks up after a moment, looking to his hand on my knee. "But I think this may be better."

I blink, frowning in utter confusion as my hand falls away to look at him. "What?"
His eyes look up, seeming to probe mine. "For us to be together. But you're something else, immortal in your own right."

"Wait." My hand lifts to go with this, clearly struggling mentally here. "Let's back track for the slow one here. You're the one Gramps was worried over." He looked amused, but ticked a brow up. There were those dimples I was mad about. "Your name isn't Ben. Going to have a few problems getting used to that, by the way. But, the whole point here, is you're leaving Sook alone. Right?"

He chuckles again as he shifts a bit back on his haunches. "Yes."

I let out a breath, slouching back on the grave stone. "Wooh."

"Is that all you have to say?"

"I'd say a lot more," I say with a light grin. "But I'm still on this whirlwind of shit changing left and right. Just going to sit back and watch the pretty colors. Sounds a lot better."

He leans a bit in. "And that is exactly why you are so perfect."

I peek an eye open to give a small glower. "Coming from the guy I was just snapping at for being super jealous of my boss?"

He frowns. "You have tendencies as your mother. I have every right to be."

The other eye peeks open to shoot a 'you better be kidding' glower. Digging a grave with two hands now.

"She was with a new lover nearly every night. Even when she was proclaimed to be 'steady' with one."

"And yet I have never done such a thing. You forget I was raised mostly by Antony when I got to the age to do any of that. Mom was a hoe. I'm just open to my urges."

"And this boss?"

I scoff, glancing away before looking to him. "Eric? We have this two-peas-in-a-pod thing going on. He's actually a bigger player than I could dream to be."

"And isn't that reason to worry enough? If his sights set upon you? Where will that leave me?"

I huff, shifting to sit up again and get closer to his face. "I'm not going to be mushy and try to explain why that would mean nothing to me. That's Sookie's ball park. Just stop questioning. If I didn't like you, I'd not have wasted my time on you. Enough said."

I glance down, smoothing the skirt a bit. "How is any of this proving that I care for you?"

"Uncomfortable saying it now?"

He found that funny, shifting up to his feet. He offered a hand out to help me up. My hand took his, legs curling to better get up. Thankfully my heels were removed, so it made it easier to stand on the softer ground. My eyes flicked to the side, spotting the heels just shy of me. He followed the look to them.

"I will never understand women and their shoes."

I laugh, looking up at him. My hands motion between us, at the difference in height. "I'm a midget. Heels are my best friends." A flirty wink is given. "Plus they make my legs look great."

His hand slips to the dip of my waist, eyes dancing with humor, dimples there with the smile. "That I will agree."

I nod at the shoes. "Those are the ones I won. Christian Louboutin's."

"The name means little to me."

"Means a deal to me," I titter, patting his arm to step away.

My gaze was to the tree, taking it in with curiosity. Not a tree, a pole of sorts. A hand lifts out, touching one of the vines with purple ribbon. I felt his eyes on me as I moved through the dangling vines of flowers and ribbon. The trunk was covered in pink and red flowers.

"What is this? A maypole?"

He let out a sound of a breath, stepping closer to touch one on the opposite side of the tree. He looked animated about it, pleased.

"This is how you prove it. But similar to the maypole."

I glance away to look at the decorated tree again, still holding one of the vine…branch things. My fingers brush the flowers at the trunk with care to not mess them up. I'd yet to push off the change, purple/black claws stark against the flowers.

"Sookie used to have this game she loved to play. Had this tree with vines that hung like this. She'd make me play the prince and her the princess. We'd dance about the tree with the vines. I usually ruined it all."

"You the prince? A dangerous thing."

I grin toothily at him. "Oh, you know me too well."

"Dare I ask some of the dangers?"
I shrug, highly amused as I shift a bit back to feel the bit in my hand with the flowers and ribbon.

"Threw mud at her mostly. My favorite mud pit was there. Really soft and great for building with, like kids do in the sand. Also made my mom mad when I came home filthy. Played Tarzan a lot with the vines, got close to breaking bones there. Definitely knocked a few teeth out on that tree."

He laughs. "A handful."

I glance through hair at him, smirking. "Course I was. The only actual attention I got when I was a kid was from Sook's side of the family. If I wanted my mom's, I had to do something to make her mad. Possibly not a good way about it, but it served the purpose back then. Proved she knew I was there."

He frowns. "And where is she now?"

I shrug. "Think the Authority said she's with the King back home. Wants to be there. Always was wooed with money."

"She just abandoned you? Again?"

I glance to him, lifting my brows. "I'm used to it. Antony more than filled the place as my parent. Helped make me more independent from a young age. It's long past now, nothing to worry over."

I lean forward, cheek pressing lightly into the flowers of the pole to playfully grin at him.

"You've let me distract you," I pause, almost saying Ben. "Macklyn."

Clearly an after thought, but it seemed to warm him up. He searched my eyes, seeming to take in my pale hair and the way I was with the flowers.

"That I have."

"So. How do I prove it?"

He lofts his hand holding his own vine bit. "We'll take our vines, as we are now, and wrap ourselves around the maypole. And once we are entwined, we use both our lights," He reaches to the necklace he always wore to loft that ring. "To render this one closed circle into two and they become our wedding rings."

I stiffened, staring at him. He glances from the ring to me. There was silence as I just started at him, dumbstruck. His brows lift, head tilting a bit in.

"Fae? You still with me?"

I swallow thickly, eyes set on the ring. He lets it fall back to his chest. Only then do I look up at him, anxiously licking my lips.

"D-did you just say wedding rings?"

He lowly chuckles, leaning in so our faces were closer. "I did."

"You…want me to marry you to prove it?"

"I do," he says with a low voice, something that could pass as loving in his tone.