nowhere to go. “Thanks for that... again.”
He chuckled and pulled her in for a hug. They were lying face to face on her bed, and her clothing had been removed. He was naked as well. She stiffened up at the impact of all that hard skin, and he stroked his hand over her spine. Her relaxation came in tiny increments, but he didn’t seem to be in a hurry.
“You have seen my nature. Do you understand why I did not lunge for you the moment that I saw you?”
She nodded; her nose rubbed the crook of his neck. “I understand. Attraction and repulsion in equal measure become a static state.”
“Of course you would understand. Well, attraction is winning, and the repulsion died with Arion.”
“Gee. I feel so special.”
He chuckled. “You know the constraints of magic and the nature of beasts.”
“I do. I just hate to be on the receiving end of that kind of attitude. Just because you understand something doesn’t mean you like it.”
Magnus continued to stroke her back. “I will make you a deal. I will be your partner when you go out as the Cursed One, and you will have dinner with me once a week. Oh, and we will share the bed.”
She frowned. “That is a lot of demands. What do I get out of it?”
“One of the greatest mages of the ages and a companion who understands your nature as well as you do.”
Sophia looked up at him. “You are serious?”
“I am. I will prove that I am the best candidate to be your mate, and I will do it by the effect of proximity.”
She was quiet for a moment and then asked, “How many other bicorns are their out there?”
He chuckled. “As far as my mother has been able to tell, I am the only one.”
“And you were slutty enough that you couldn’t find a woman you hadn’t slept with to ask for your freedom?”
He rubbed his chin on her head. “I was following my baser instinct and that led me to the married ladies of the Mage Guild. When an irate husband caught me, it spurred on my transformation and the amber came next.”
“So, you were punished for being promiscuous more than for being a creature.”
“The Archmage certainly wanted to kill me, and he did try, but it was thought that the amber would leave the building standing.”
“And you went quietly.”
“I hadn’t aged up until then. I could wait for the chance to come out and look for a proper mate, fighting my instincts the whole way.”
“Why was it a concern? Why want a family? And why did you need a mate to do it?”
“That is the unicorn part of me. I want children, always have. The mix of chaos in my loins kept me from procreating. That is why my mother encouraged the guild to put me in amber. It would give me time to balance myself out. It did. When they came to me, I was more than ready to serve you in any capacity. My time with you gave me a respect for your thoroughness and intellect. My body was just the last to follow the path.”
She burrowed into his embrace, pulling herself tight to him. “Remind me to tell you of the first Cursed One. She had a pen pal that turned into her partner, and they founded our dynasty, such as it is.”
“I think I would like that story, but now, Delwin has made dinner, so we need to get you up and fed.”
She reached up and stroked his forehead. “The horns are very pretty when they are there.”
“You don’t mind the monstrous look?”
She chuckled. “I keep telling you. I know what a monster looks like, and you are not it.”
Eventually, they stopped cuddling long enough to get up and have part of the meatloaf casserole that Delwin had created. He hadn’t skimped on the cheese, and it was appreciated.
Epilogue
Lillian settled on her chair in the Patchwork Dragon. The chai blend was aromatic, and the milk gave it the appearance of the mist over the mountains.
Her companion arrived with all the grace and elegance of her kind. A double shot latte with chocolate sprinkles was her potion of choice.
They sat and sipped at
He chuckled and pulled her in for a hug. They were lying face to face on her bed, and her clothing had been removed. He was naked as well. She stiffened up at the impact of all that hard skin, and he stroked his hand over her spine. Her relaxation came in tiny increments, but he didn’t seem to be in a hurry.
“You have seen my nature. Do you understand why I did not lunge for you the moment that I saw you?”
She nodded; her nose rubbed the crook of his neck. “I understand. Attraction and repulsion in equal measure become a static state.”
“Of course you would understand. Well, attraction is winning, and the repulsion died with Arion.”
“Gee. I feel so special.”
He chuckled. “You know the constraints of magic and the nature of beasts.”
“I do. I just hate to be on the receiving end of that kind of attitude. Just because you understand something doesn’t mean you like it.”
Magnus continued to stroke her back. “I will make you a deal. I will be your partner when you go out as the Cursed One, and you will have dinner with me once a week. Oh, and we will share the bed.”
She frowned. “That is a lot of demands. What do I get out of it?”
“One of the greatest mages of the ages and a companion who understands your nature as well as you do.”
Sophia looked up at him. “You are serious?”
“I am. I will prove that I am the best candidate to be your mate, and I will do it by the effect of proximity.”
She was quiet for a moment and then asked, “How many other bicorns are their out there?”
He chuckled. “As far as my mother has been able to tell, I am the only one.”
“And you were slutty enough that you couldn’t find a woman you hadn’t slept with to ask for your freedom?”
He rubbed his chin on her head. “I was following my baser instinct and that led me to the married ladies of the Mage Guild. When an irate husband caught me, it spurred on my transformation and the amber came next.”
“So, you were punished for being promiscuous more than for being a creature.”
“The Archmage certainly wanted to kill me, and he did try, but it was thought that the amber would leave the building standing.”
“And you went quietly.”
“I hadn’t aged up until then. I could wait for the chance to come out and look for a proper mate, fighting my instincts the whole way.”
“Why was it a concern? Why want a family? And why did you need a mate to do it?”
“That is the unicorn part of me. I want children, always have. The mix of chaos in my loins kept me from procreating. That is why my mother encouraged the guild to put me in amber. It would give me time to balance myself out. It did. When they came to me, I was more than ready to serve you in any capacity. My time with you gave me a respect for your thoroughness and intellect. My body was just the last to follow the path.”
She burrowed into his embrace, pulling herself tight to him. “Remind me to tell you of the first Cursed One. She had a pen pal that turned into her partner, and they founded our dynasty, such as it is.”
“I think I would like that story, but now, Delwin has made dinner, so we need to get you up and fed.”
She reached up and stroked his forehead. “The horns are very pretty when they are there.”
“You don’t mind the monstrous look?”
She chuckled. “I keep telling you. I know what a monster looks like, and you are not it.”
Eventually, they stopped cuddling long enough to get up and have part of the meatloaf casserole that Delwin had created. He hadn’t skimped on the cheese, and it was appreciated.
Epilogue
Lillian settled on her chair in the Patchwork Dragon. The chai blend was aromatic, and the milk gave it the appearance of the mist over the mountains.
Her companion arrived with all the grace and elegance of her kind. A double shot latte with chocolate sprinkles was her potion of choice.
They sat and sipped at
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