“You’re so beautiful.” His jaw clenched. “So damn beautiful.”
Her head swam, her pulse raced, and her blood resonated with song. “I’m dying,” she cried.
“Then take me with you.”
And with one powerful, final thrust of his hips, she spilled into the little death, taking her dark prince with her.
His howls echoed like thunder, and she trembled into it. Lost, but not alone. He was holding her and he brought her back. His touch, his whispers, his love…
Then she blinked open her eyes and they were present in one another’s arms. She laughed, hugging him tight, and so did he.
“Was that even possible?” She blinked up at him. “No one ever told me it would be that way.”
“It’s not that way. Only for us, Carrot.” He twisted a hank of her hair around his finger as he nuzzled the side of her neck, breaking her out in a wash of goose bumps.
Gasping, feeling as though she’d run a mile, she slapped a palm over his chest. Straight over the spot of his heart.
“I adore you.”
“I will work the whole of my life to ensure you say that to me every day.”
His ruby eyes gleamed and she had to frame his face.
“My dark prince, I vow it.”
He sealed that vow with a kiss.
Epilogue
Euralis, under the guidance of Danika and Rumpel, was beginning to grow out of his shell. They allowed Shayera twenty minutes each day to go into his cell. The first day was not fun. The boy tried to attack her and might have succeeded if not for the cage.
But weeks had passed and now his son smiled at Shayera. Her charms, which had once been such a curse, were now a miracle.
Today he allowed his siren into the cage.
She was a vision dressed in white with flaming red hair curling wildly down her back. Euralis was in boy form and had his head in her lap while she read a storybook, a tale of a boy who cried wolf.
The child never took his eyes off her, his look adoring, and Rumpel could understand. She’d bewitched them all.
They’d gotten married in the traditional binding ceremony of Kingdom denizens, trading the stones of Veritas, but in his heart, their wedding had happened the night before. In the quiet, peaceful darkness of a storm, he’d pledged his soul to her.
She glanced up then and smiled.
I love you, he mouthed to her.
Her cheeks heated to a bright pink.
He loved everything about her. Her spunk. Her intellect. Her body. But mostly he loved the purity of his siren’s soul.
Rumpelstiltskin had discovered the greatest prize of all was the love of a good woman. And while this interlude was wonderful, he could only hope that Giles would return soon.
Euralis was stronger, but he was still too weak.
That amulet had to work; there could be no other option.
She joined him back in their chambers ten minutes later. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she kissed his cheek. “Become who you really are, my darkness.”
Smiling, he transformed for her and then slipped his arms around her waist.
“No regrets, Rumpel?” Her blue eyes gleamed.
“None.”
“Euralis will be okay.” She sighed. “I believe it with all my heart and soul.”
And so did he—he believed in magic when she was with him. Believed that good would come to those who waited.
“I love you, Shayera. Always.”
Her smile sank into his soul and no matter what the future held, they had each other, and that was enough.
It was always enough…
“No regrets, my dark prince. None at all. Believe in Giles, in Danika, and the strength of my love. He will be saved. Have no doubt of that.”
“Is that a deal?”
“Do you want it to be?” She quirked a brow and wore a sultry smile. “Does that do it for you, love?”
“Always.” He pinched her bottom.
“Rumpel, you’re incorrigible.”
“Would you have it any other way?”
“No.” She kissed his lips. “Absolutely never change.”
And for her, he never did.