Fae Lady Rebellion: Real Men of Othercross

By Celia Kyle and Marina Maddix

Wren is determined to have an adventure this holiday season, but no one mentioned she might find her mate!

 

Chafing under the watchful gaze of her overprotective big brother, Wren Oberon had to use all of her fae powers to get her sneaky-sneak on so she could attend the holiday party of the year at Othercross. Now she finds herself in a compromising position with no help in sight—until some random wolf shifter comes to her aid in a most dramatic fashion.

 

When he claims to be her fated mate, Wren begins to wonder if she might need a second rescue. Before she can determine if the guy's a nutjob, her hot-headed brother finds her and locks her away for her own good. But Wren can't stop thinking about the sexy shifter and what their mutual attraction might mean. Can she figure out a way to escape her brother's enchantments or will she live the rest of her life wondering what might have been?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Summerhouse Publishing
• Release date: Mar 28, 2023
• ISBN: 9798215663325

Celia Kyle

Ex-dance teacher, former accountant and erstwhile collectible doll salesperson, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Celia Kyle now writes paranormal romances for readers who: 1) Like super hunky heroes (they generally get furry) 2) Dig beautiful women (who have a few more curves than the average lady) 3) Love laughing in (and out of) bed. It goes without saying that there’s always a happily-ever-after for her characters, even if there are a few road bumps along the way. Today she lives in central Florida and writes full-time with the support of her loving husband and two finicky cats.

Book preview

CHAPTER ONE

A jolt shook the entire sleigh, sending the hard edge of the rear bench digging into Wren Oberon’s side and causing a shooting pain to radiate around her ribs. She stifled a pained grunt while her big brother Dain cackled in the front seat.

That was a good one, he crowed, sending his mate, Galwyn, into fits of laughter.

He’d been doing that kind of thing the entire trip, and Wren was pretty much ready to strangle him. But to leap up and wrap her fingers around his throat would have given away her position—hiding in the back of his sleigh. Then, no matter how close to Othercross they happened to be, he would turn the whole thing around and cart her straight back home to the rest of the Hellgrim clan.

And that would have barely been the beginning of the hell she’d probably wind up paying over sneaking in and accompanying Dain and his mate to Othercross. To say Dain was protective of Wren would have been like saying the sun is a little warm. Add his temper into the mix…and she’d get a real earful.

So, instead of exacting revenge for every little bruise she knew she would carry from his joyride, Wren stayed hunkered down on her aching knees. Though, when she thought about it, the sleigh was better than the alternate mode of transportation available to Dain. Hiding out in the backseat of Dain’s tiny classic sportscar would have been a dubious prospect, and she didn’t relish the thought of tucking herself into his trunk.

And how would she have gotten herself back out? It wasn’t like classic cars had trunk releases like modern vehicles. She’d learned that the hard way the last time she snuck off with him for an adventure, and…it hadn’t gone particularly well. Not only was her brother furious when he’d found her trying to kick a hole in the lid of the trunk, but she hadn’t even gotten to do anything dangerous. He never let her get involved in the exciting stuff. She never got to truly live!

Well, to hell with that. I’m eighteen now, so he’s just going to have to live with his baby sister living her best life.

Another hearty jump nearly sent her squealing out from under the blanket she’d huddled under. She really was going to have to kill him once they arrived at Othercross. Really. Deader than dead even if their kind were darn close to immortal. Dain was one dead fae walking.

Oh, Dain, Galwyn’s voice held that sparkling laughter. If you don’t cut that out, you’re going to wreck the sleigh. Steer away from the divots!

Why? He sounded bright and fun—the best version of himself and a state he’d been in since returning to Hellgrim and announcing he’d found his mate I’ve got to have some fun. Right?

I promise this little getaway is going to be fun. There was more than a hint of innuendo, and Wren frowned hard as her brother and his mate fell into a fit of naughty giggles. She’d spent enough time watching them make out. The last thing she wanted was to think about was whatever they got up to when the door closed. Sometimes she had to cast a silence spell around herself just to escape the duo’s antics.

The whole sleigh thing had been his idea. Galwyn’s limited powers meant she couldn’t apparate, so the quickest version of the trip was out. Dain’s car would have been warmer, but he’d insisted this was more romantic. Maybe for them. For Wren, it was fucking cold. Ah, well. At least she had the blanket to warm her a little.

Thanks for doing this. Galwyn sounded more sincere, and Wren paid more attention to the conversation. If anything, it was a distraction from the chill that crept into her knees from the thin bottom of the sleigh.

Of course, Dain said. I was ready for the time away from the clan, so why not take this excuse?

But the Othercross Christmas Ball? You hate going to Othercross.

It’s a chance to dress up. Wren heard the shrug in her brother’s tone. "And, to be clear, I don’t hate Othercross. It was Galwyn’s turn to cackle, and Dain feigned insult. What?"

You said when we left Othercross last time that wild horses couldn’t drag you back.

And they’re not, he said. These horses are remarkably tame.

Wren rolled her eyes. Why was Dain always so lame?

Besides, he went on, your whole family is at Othercross. I’m going to have to get used to the place.

Oh, love… The sound of their kissing filtered back to Wren, but the sleigh kept right on moving.

Great! Just what I need. I’m gonna get found out when he wrecks this damn thing making out with his mate!

Not just the immediate family were attending the Othercross Christmas Ball, after all. Now that the whole feud thing between their family and Galwyn’s had been sorted out, all four Oberon lords were investing double in rebuilding relationships with the Murphys and other faes. That’s why all four of the cousins were attending. Wren wondered if she should have just convinced one of them to bring her along—it would have been a smoother ride.

At last, the sounds of kissing stopped, and she peeked up to see the backs of their heads. Dain’s arm was around his mate, and Galwyn leaned her head on his shoulder. Perfect. She blocked his view enough that Wren could actually look around a little bit. Invisibility spell and blanket or not, she wasn’t taking any chances at getting caught just yet.

Wren hadn’t been to Othercross since she was a young girl, and the sight of it as they crested the ridge overlooking the cityscape made her breath catch in her throat. The tall, dark spires on the ancient buildings were capped with snow, and the warm glow from the windows made the whole place look like they had traveled back in time.

From her hiding spot, the whole city unfolded in front of her. The towers of the magic university were dark and gothic, lit only by a handful of lamps, which made them look imposing and majestic at the same time. In the center square, the face of the clock perched on top of Guildcrest Hall glowed through a scattering of lightly falling flakes.

Would you look at that, Galwyn murmured, a little breathless.

Really, Dain chuckled. You grew up here. How can you still be so awed?

"I don’t understand how you can’t be," Galwyn countered.

Wren knew exactly what she meant. Her brother’s eyes looked through the lens of the grudge he’d carried his whole life. Even though the warring families had made peace, he wouldn’t be able to shake it all in an instant.

Wren never had that