Winterland Destiny: Kismet, #1

By Jaci Burton

Book 1 of a sexy series from the New York Times & USA Today bestselling author of the Play-by-Play series and Hope series.

Noele, Faerie princess of D'Naath, is destined to wed Garick, the Elvin king of Winterland. Their union will strengthen their territories against the evil wizards.

Happy with her carefree life in the woodglen forest with her sisters, Noele is loath to have that freedom taken away. But her enigmatic fiancé wields considerable sexual power and she finds him hard to resist, even though he alone will make the decision to keep her or cast her aside after their marriage. But physical attraction is not enough for Noele to give up her heart. She must be able to tap into Garick's emotions. His will is strong, though, and she's unsure of her own powers to attract and hold him.

But the beautiful faerie wields a power of her own, the power to touch Garick's heart, to make him experience unimaginable erotic delights. Though Garick doesn't care for the magical hold his new bride has on him, he can't deny his awakening emotions for the beautiful princess.

Two hearts destined to be together must fight not only the evil wizards, but their feelings for each other. Yet love is tied to fate, and some ties cannot be broken.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jaci Burton, Inc
• Release date: Jun 14, 2017
• ISBN: 9798201661267

Book preview

Other Titles by Jaci Burton

PLAY-BY-PLAY NOVELS

The Perfect Play

Changing the Game

Taking a Shot

Playing to Win

Thrown by a Curve

One Sweet Ride

Melting the Ice

Straddling the Line

Quarterback Draw

All Wound Up

Hot Holiday Nights - A Novella

Holiday Games - A Novella

Holiday on Ice - A Novella

Unexpected Rush

Rules of Contact

HOPE NOVELS

Hope Smolders

Hope Flames

Hope Ignites

Hope Burns

Love After All

Make Me Stay

Don't Let Go

Love Me Again

WILD RIDER NOVELS

Riding Wild

Riding Temptation

Riding on Instinct

Riding the Night

KISMET NOVELS

Winterland Destiny

Fiery Fate

Aftermath

ANTHOLOGIES

Unlaced

Exclusive

Laced with Desire

Nauti and Wild

Nautier and Wilder

Hot Summer Nights

SPECIALS

The Ties That Bind

No Strings Attached

Wild Nights

Rescue Me

Nothing Personal

Unwrapped

Dare to Love

Unraveled

SINGLE TITLES

Wild, Wicked, & Wanton

Bound, Branded, & Brazen

Winterland Destiny

By

Jaci Burton

Winterland Destiny

All Rights Reserved ©2004 by Jaci Burton

ISBN: 978-1-946535-13-9

Cover by Designs By Dana

eBooks are not transferable. They cannot be sold, shared or given away as it is an infringement on the copyright of this work. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without the written permission of the publisher.

This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locale or organizations is entirely coincidental.

Published by Jaci Burton

Praise for Jaci Burton

A STALWART IN THE ROMANCE GENRE.    —USA Today

A wild ride.    —#1 New York Times bestselling author Lora Leigh

Jaci Burton delivers.    —Cherry Adair, New York Times bestselling author

As always, Jaci Burton delivers a hot read.    —Fresh Fiction

Burton is a master at sexual tension!    —RT Book Reviews

One to pick up and savor.    —Publishers Weekly

Contents

Other Titles by Jaci Burton

Copyright

Title Page

Praise for Jaci Burton

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Epilogue

About Jaci Burton

Chapter One

Noele sighed heavily as the entourage approached the elvin castle where she was to make her new home.

Behind lay the forests of D’Naath, her home for almost twenty-five seasons. Ahead lay her future, as uncertain and overwhelming as the castle towers that reached high above the clouds of Winterland.

You fear the joining?

Noele turned to her sister. Solara’s red wings fluttered in the cool northern breeze. She shook her head and flew closer to Solara, squeezing her petite hand. Do not worry for me, sister. I have known of this betrothal my entire life. I do not dread what may be.

‘Twas true, at least partly. Resigned to do her duty as the new queen of the Winterland, she did not fear joining with the elvin king, Garick. Neither did she feel joy at the upcoming nuptials. It was simply the faerie way.

Their entourage was protected by the elvin guards who’d accompanied them on the trek from the D’Naath forests to Winterland. Somber and quiet, the men concentrated on the woodlands on either side of the trail.

Noele knew what they watched for. Or rather, who. She shuddered, suddenly anxious to reach the safety of Winterland’s gates.

She flapped her wings quickly, rushing toward the castle entrance. She only hoped her mate-to-be wouldn’t possess the visage of an ogre. If he were moderately pleasing to look upon, she could at least tolerate the union.

The tall gates opened before them. She took a deep breath and peered inside. The common area was filled with people bustling about. All activity came to a halt as they stood at the entrance, awaiting an official greeting.

M’lady Noele of D’Naath, welcome to Winterland. An old elvin male greeted her with a bow, his gnarled hand sweeping forward as a signal for them to enter the courtyard. I am Limon, the ancient.

Noele nodded and smiled politely at Limon, ignoring the curious stares of the elvin people assembled there. She turned quickly to glance once more at the deep green forests of D’Naath. She hoped one day to return to her woodland for a visit. She would miss all her family and friends.

Especially her parents, who had bravely sent her on her way with tears in their eyes. But they, like she, knew that this union would provide protection for them all. Hopefully her new husband would allow her to go back to D’Naath and see them. As King and Queen of D’Naath, her parents could not leave the woodland forest, lest it fall under attack by those who wished to harm the faerie people.

They could not even see their daughter marry. Noele fought back the tears. She would cry no more. She had duties. Duties she’d prepared her entire life for. And she would not shame her family by acting like a child.

At least she had Solara and her other sisters to keep her company, as well as the guardians of the faerie and a handful of elders who’d come to witness the union.

Limon spoke, breaking her mental connection to her past. Garick will be joining you later. He wishes you to have enough time to settle in. He will have the evening meal with you in your chambers.

Grateful she wouldn’t have to undergo the inspection rite just yet, she let out a sigh of relief and followed the old man through the castle.

It was certainly spacious, and the doorways and chambers were wide enough that she could keep her wings extended. She was settled in a spacious room with a lovely bed draped in a silver gossamer to match her wings. Waving her wings excitedly at the gray stone hearth near the bed, she anticipated the warmth it would put out on the chilled, northern nights. Large rugs were scattered over the wooden flooring and would ward off the chill at night. She settled on the floor and brushed her toes against the thick carpet, thankful for its softness against her feet.

A floor to ceiling window nearby overlooked D’Naath forest. An open view upon her homeland, a constant reminder of the place of her birth. The sight brought her great comfort, almost as if she could still feel the warm embrace of home and family.

For a castle that had always appeared so imposing from far away, it held a strange comfort she hadn’t expected. Many times she had stood at the edge of the forest and looked across at the great castle, wondering what lay within the walls of Winterland. Knowing it would someday be her home had made her curious.

If only the king would turn out to be as warm and comfortable as his castle.

A young elvin woman appeared, curtsying and scurrying about the room. I am Isolde, your handmaiden, she announced, curtsying again.

It is not necessary to curtsy before me, Isolde. I am happy to know you and welcome your aid.

The young girl appeared as nervous as Noele felt. Thank you, my queen.

Queen. By tomorrow’s sunset she would be a queen. Although not her choice, she accepted her fate as did all faerie, knowing their destiny had been decided the moment of their birth. As the first female child of her parents, Noele had known early on that she would some day become a queen and rule alongside her mate.

She’d pushed her destiny to the back of her mind for all these years until the inevitable twenty-fifth solstice approached. Now there was no turning back. Her days of frolic and gaiety were over. No more playing in the woodlands with her sisters. No more spying on the other creatures of the forest. No more basking away the days