"But there is something I need to tell you."

He froze under her but kissed their intertwined hands. "I know about you and Azriel..."

"It's not that." She bit her lip nervously. "I've been taking a potion."

"Alright." He frowned, not knowing what that meant.

"I've been taking it for hundreds of years. It's a -" She took in a deep breath. "It's a potion that blocks the mating bond." She took out a small vial from her pocket. "I take it once a month. And I need to take it now if I want it to keep working."

He looked at her, trying to process this new information. He lowered their hands between them. "I understand why you take it. With everything that happened, with your work. You didn't want anyone getting close to you again."

"But now, here you are." She smiled a little. "Do you want me to keep taking it?"

"Jo." He whispered cupping her cheek. "I don't care if you are my Mate or not. I love you and I would never want anyone else. I asked you to marry me because I'm in love with you and you will always be the one for me. If we're are Mates, that's a bonus. But if one of us would meet our Mate later, I would still pick you. I will always choose you, baby."

She leaned her head against his. "I will always choose you too." She tossed the vial to the side before claiming his lips. She pushed until he was flat on his back, and she grabbed the hem of her dress and pulled it over her head. She was straddling him naked except for the dagger that was tied around her thigh, and his cock twitched at the sight. He could see most of her tattoos. He had treasured each one of them the first night they came together. Like he had said, he would take his time to thoroughly claim her. She took out her dagger and slipped it under his shirt before bringing it upwards to tear the shirt in two. Fuck, she was so violent if she wanted. And he fucking loved it. She kissed his first and so far, only tattoo, the ancient symbol of Ghost on his ribs before she made quick work of his breeches and when they were both naked, he slanted his lips over the peak of her breasts. While he focussed his attention of her perfect, full breasts, she lowered herself on to him. The feel and smell of her, still made his head dizzy. He wanted to grab her waist and push himself up in her, but he knew when they were in this position, she was the one in charge. He nipped at her nipple as he was eager for her to start. A female in charge, no – Jo in charge, it was something he would never grow tired off. And it was something to make him come quickly. That beautiful sight above him, that perfect curvy body moving on top of him just like now. But the moment her green eyes met his, that was his undoing. And she knew it. So, she kept her eyes closed as she rode him, her nails digging into his shoulders as he continued on her breasts, his free hand finding a way between her legs. She clenched together as his finger rubbed her apex. He groaned at the feeling. She chuckled.

That night, the switched off by looking at the dancing leaves and taking one another. Over and over again.

ACOTAR

The wedding was today. Not many people were invited as they wanted to keep it small. Eris looked out the window to see his three remaining brothers there. Lucien sat with their mother and Helion in the first row. A few months after the Dance of Trees, mother and Helion's Mating bond snapped into place when she agreed to move in with him. Lucien and Helion got on pretty well and they fell into a natural father-son relationship. He was a little jealous of that, it was a sort of relationship he never had with Beron. But Helion took him, Paxton and Micah under his wing too. That was something good, because those two had more traits of their father then he wanted. Maybe being around him, they would change for the better. He found out, when Jo was attacked by the Griffin, it was a job for Helion. To capture the remaining Griffins. To help them bread and repopulate. In those eighty years since, the remaining six or so, had become a population of eighty and still growing.

He saw Walt and his family sitting there too. Jo's father died when she was young and her mother died a few years after that, not being able to live without her Mate. So, he was happy to see Walt there. Walt had clapped him on the back and said he did the first smart thing in centuries. It made him laugh.

Since Jo didn't have much family, she invited a few friends. That friend group seemed to be filled with High Lords. Viviane and Kallias were there. Then Thesan with his Royal Guard. The young High Lord, Tarquin sat next to Rhys and Feyre. That was everyone they had invited. Except for the one who would lead the wedding and made the official announcement of Jo as High Lady, the third in their history. It was obviously time for change and new beginnings.

He made his way down and greeted his guests. It was still hard for him to act nicely towards them after centuries of him making snarky remarks and shooting glares. But he was trying. For her. He would do anything for her. He didn't care how it made him look, it was the truth. With Rhys and Kallias he had the most trouble, but hopefully one day they will get there.

When everyone started smiling, he turned around. Because he knew they weren't smiling at him certainly not like that. And when he turned, he saw he was right. His whole body went on high alert, his breath catching in his throat as his pants became tighter.

Jo stood there. Her hair half braided while the rest flowed beautiful over her shoulders. Her green eyes were bright and so fucking beautiful. The dress she wore almost made him toss her over his shoulder and lock them in the bedroom for hours on end. It was a burgundy silk dress, that showed every curve and swell of her perfectly delicious breasts. Her neckline was deep, showing of the tattoo between her breasts. The slid in her dress was high enough so he could see her dagger strapped on her thigh. He groaned internally from the sight. She was barefoot like him, an old tradition of the Autumn Court. Her beaming smile at him, the way she took him in like he did her, made him step closer. He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her in before kissing her deeply.

"You look so fucking gorgeous." He breathed.

"I must say, you clean up quite nice yourself, poor little High Lord."

He laughed before kissing her again. Someone cleared their throat and they turned to look at the officiator. "It's almost sundown." He stated.

They nodded and as he looped her arm through his, they made their way into the forest. The Autumn Court had a few old traditions he didn't want to stray from. Like they needed to be bare foot during the union, to stay in touch with the elements and nature. Or that when you marry during sundown it would mean for a bright future. He almost wished he could have married her during the Dance of Trees, but he didn't want to wait another hundred years to make her his wife. Other traditions or laws from the Autumn Court, he was gladly to get rid of. First act as High Lord was the undo the law that made him leave Morrigan bloodied behind.

When they reached the clearing, the guests all came to stand in a circle around them. The officiator next to them as they turned towards each other. He clasped her hands in his, his finger going over her wedding ring. Behind the officiator was a large lake, on the other side was his favourite Red Oak. They were surrounded by dozens and dozens of trees, all in different colours. Autumn Court marriage ceremonies were short, so the officiator didn't wait a second. The celebration after, that could take forever.

"High Lord Eris Vanserra of the Autumn Court, will you vow your life and love to Joénna-Bry Terrin? Will you, Joénna-Bry Terrin." He smiled as she crunched her nose adorable at her full name. "Vow your life and love to Eris Vanserra?"

"We do." They said together, then added something that was not needed, but they wanted. "In this life and the next."

"Then you may kiss." The officiator stepped back.

He grasped her hip, and his other hand went to her cheek. I love you. He mouthed to her. They smiled at each other before they kissed. Applause was heard in the background, but he was focussed on something completely else. As he kissed her, he felt something. A sensation he never felt in his life. He pulled back, both of their eyes wide as the Mating bond snapped into place.

"Oh my." He heard, he thought it was Viviane. Then she said, glee in her voice. "I knew it."

Golden lights surrounded them, and he saw tears gathering in Jo's eyes. Tears of happiness. She kissed him again, deep and passionate and utterly happy. She clung to his clothes, pressing her eager body against his. He could have lost himself completely in her, devoured her right there in front of the others. It took everything in him to pull back when the officiator spoke. He's heart stopped for a second as he and Jo looked around. All the trees were losing their leaves. It was like it was raining fall leaves. The moment, they fell from the branch a new leaf grew there. This was a blessing from nature.

But then the officiator said something he had never said in his old life. "Now I present you, the High Lord Eris Vanserra and his wife and Mate, the first High Lady of the Autumn Court, Joénna-Bry Terrin." He swore the officiator's voice shook.

It was Viviane who stepped towards them, the males all wisely took a few steps back. "Congratulations you two." She kissed their cheeks. "Now with the Mating bond just in place -" She glanced quickly over her shoulder. "I think it's best to post-pone the celebration." Jo laughed. "You two enjoy each other." She winked at Jo and handed her a small box.

"Thank you, Viv." Jo said, her voice shook a little. "We'll let you know when we'll have the wedding celebration."

"I can't wait." She smiled. She squeezed both of their hands before she and the others all walked back out the forest.

He turned to her, cupping her cheek once more. "Hi, Mate." He whispered and she chuckled.

"My Mate." Her fingers trembled as they weaved through his hair. "I love you so fucking much."

"Not as much as I love you." He kissed her neck, eager to get this started.

"You're so cheesy." He laughed against her neck. She pushed him back a little and opened the box. A miniature wedding cake of the big one they had at the house was in the box. "I guess Viv was sure about us being Mates." She grinned, biting her lushes' bottom lip. She swiped her finger on the creamy cake, a large piece resting on top of her finger and held it out for him.

He swallowed. "Is this what you want?" He asked.

"I want you, Eris. I will always want you. I knew I was in love with you the moment you forgot about me because I never felt that pain in my life. I will want you now and in the future. In this life and in the next."

He wrapped his lips around the cake and her finger the moment she finished her sentence. He moaned at the taste of her and the cake. When he pulled back and licked his lips, he said hoarsely. "I am going to eat this whole cake of your body, baby. Over every part that I love." He frowned. "Well, that maybe impossible because I love every part of you."

She laughed, her hands already undoing his shirt and pants. "I guess I have to start here." He traced a finger over the silk of her dress, over her breasts. "Then here." He whispered as his hand slipped between the slid and rested between her legs. "And here." He grabbed her ass. "I can cover your whole body in cake with the actually wedding cake."

"You can do all of that on one condition." She said, grinding her hips against him.

"Of course." He chuckled, kissing her neck as his fingers undid the buttons of her dress.

"I want to eat a piece of that cake -" Her hands pushed his pants down and she took his hard cock in her hand. "Off my favourite part."

He laughed, free and happy as he pulled back and let her dress slid to the ground. She was completely naked. His cock twitched. Her eyes brightened at his laugh. "You can eat anything of me, my wife."

She kissed him quick before she dropped to her knees and put cake all over his cock before taking him in his mouth. His knees buckled at the feel of her, the feel of her mouth, her tongue. Of how her hands ran up and down his thighs before grabbing his ass firmly, pushing himself deeper into her. He has on the edge in minutes, so he quickly pulled back and laid her down on the leaf filled ground, making it soft for her. Her swiped the cake of her breasts, over her sex and over her lips before he took his time cleaning her up with his mouth and tongue. Licking, nipping, sucking.

They stayed in the woods the whole night. And he couldn't bare any male in her sight for two weeks before he calmed down enough. During that time, they fucked in every room in the house, chasing out his younger brothers. They also smashed and burned Beron's office and bedroom because they didn't want anything of him in their sights ever again. A clean slate. For him and his wife. His Mate. His best friend. His one.