Unexpected Mates ~ Book One
Chapter 7

Sitting on the wooden tree swing, Sylvie patted the spot beside her, beaconing Kian to join her. They walked there early that morning when her starvation woke her, and she couldn’t fall back asleep.

He smiled and sat, leaving a small space between them. Frowning, Sylvie scooted sideways until their thighs touched, and even through two layers of fabric, his warmth caressed her.

He cleared his throat and hummed softly. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”

“Why not?”

He didn’t seem to have a problem with it the day before.

“The more we touch, the faster the bond will grow, and Elias will be displeased if I make it harder for him to..." he trailed off, wringing his hands.

Kian had never used such vulnerable mannerisms with her before. The lip drawn between his teeth made her want to reach up and pull it free, perhaps with her fingers or with her mouth. Her mind conjured images of their mouths meeting again, a flurry of tongue and teeth, stroking and suckling, and she slid her thigh away from his.

“To what?” she asked, swallowing her lust.

“Nothing. I shouldn’t be filling your head with these things.”

She huffed and let her gaze linger on the rose path. He wasn’t going to be straightforward with her. For now. “What do you think he’s doing right now?”

Her mind conjured an image of her brooding, always frowning boss, yet her underwear dampened slightly. She squeezed her thighs together and folded her hands in her lap.

“It’s only been a few hours for him since we found out about your disappearance. Time works differently here.”

“I see,” Sylvie whispered, pushing her feet into the grass beneath the swing. They swayed to and fro, Kian’s legs mimicking hers.

She could see more of the castle from their seat, along with a small garden shed. Inside, people tended to tiny saplings and plucked ripe fruits. Along its walls spouted dozens of what looked like strawberry plants, their vibrant red fruit drawing her gaze.

Her stomach rumbled, and she licked her lips when a loud crunching assaulted her ears. She panned her eyes to the door they came from, and they widened, spotting the Queen’s glower, a subtle warning flashing across her face. Sylvie swallowed, but before she could avert her gaze, the Queen spun and disappeared back into the castle.

Sylvie looked to see if Kian noticed, but his eyes were closed, and his chest rose and fell in slow breaths; how he was sleeping sitting upright baffled her. He must have been exhausted. Only in this state could she see the sallow colour to his cheeks and the soft hollowing around his eyes he hid beneath dazzling smiles.

Her face softened, her mouth turning into a small frown as she turned her body towards him. She resisted the urge to touch his face, trail her fingers along his muscled chest, rub his shoulders, or kiss his-

“Stop staring,” Kian’s tired voice grumbled, causing her to jump.

She turned and stared at her lap before muttering, “Your mother.” She stated it as if the words were a complete sentence. Kian exhaled, fighting a slight smirk on his lips while Sylvie continued unperturbed. “She’s pretty intimidating.”

“That’s an understatement,” he said with a smile. He leaned back further as if getting comfortable keeping his eyes shut.

Sylvie nodded and chuckled softly, unsure how to continue her line of thinking. “Yeah. Well, theoretically, if she demanded something of someone, and they didn’t do it, what would the price be.”

His eyes snapped open in an instant, and he turned towards her. “What did she ask of you?”

Sylvie tried to backtrack, but Kian’s firm gaze pinned her to the spot, her cheeks flushing a soft pink.

“I didn’t really understand what she asked of me. But I’m pretty sure she doesn’t want me to be with you, not that we would, right? Be together, I mean.”

All his talk of bonding made it seem as though they were destined to be together, but that was ridiculous. There was no such thing as destiny.

He clenched his teeth and forced air through his lips. “Would that be so bad?”

Sylvie jerked back and flushed. “No, I mean, I didn’t mean it like that. I just thought, I -” she stuttered and touched her throat, willing saliva to coat her drying mouth as she swallowed painfully. “I just don’t understand any of this.”

“And you don’t need to,” he said softly, tracing his finger across her cheek, causing a drop in her stomach and flutter to tackle her ribcage.

“Soon, we’ll be back with Elias, and he can explain anything you don’t know.”

She frowned. “Why can he tell me, but you can’t?”

He stared at the brown waves framing her face, letting them loop around his index finger before smiling again. “That’s the way it is. He’s- he’s older,” Kian said as if answering everything.

“Older?”

“Yes, princess. Why do you insist on asking so many questions? Perhaps I should have let you be a panicked catatonic mess for this whole stay.” He huffed, pulling away and crossing his arms.

She huffed back and walked towards the castle, her brows knitting together. “You are... You are... Argh!” Groaning, she spun and nearly fell back, seeing him directly behind her.

“I’m what?” he taunted, taking a dangerous step closer. She tried to hold steady, but her feet betrayed her, as did the rising heat between her legs as he stalked her.

“You speak in riddles.”

“Yes, I’m Fae. It’s common knowledge.”

“Why? Why can’t you just answer me?” Her voice rose higher, and she was sure the Queen would hear her wherever she was—probably spying on them.

“Why can’t you just take me home now? I feel fine!”

Despite the rising tone between them, anger wasn’t fueling the conversation. And anyone watching close enough would see the trembling anticipation from her. She ached. One touch and she would undo her resolve completely.

Her stomach rumbled again, and she crossed her arms. “And I’m also fucking starving, Kian.”

Perhaps it was the hunger clouding her mind or the rush to dissipate the undeniable sexual energy fizzing between them. Still, she stomped over the strawberry patch, plucked the fattest berry and shoved it into her mouth, biting the supple flesh.

Immediately the sweet, juicy tang coated her tongue, and she swallowed, ignoring the shocked shout from the man behind her. He instantly swatted the fruit from her hand and squeezed her cheeks, making her mouth open painfully.

“Ow,” she mumbled, berry flesh tumbling to the dirt.

“Spit it out!” he demanded, shaking her shoulder with the other hand. She stared at the fallen fruit, and her frown tripled until her forehead hurt. Grabbing Kian’s wrists, she pulled herself free and swallowed the small piece still in her mouth and poked her tongue out like a defiant child.

Kian’s face quivered in shock and rage. “What have you done?”

“What?” she slurred. “I feel fine!”

She did feel fine, more than fine. She actually felt a little drunk.

“You aren’t in pain?” Kian asked, gripping her chin in his hands as he peered into her eyes.

She shook her head and gasped as another Kain appeared in distorted waves. When her head stilled, he disappeared again.

“It’s just a stupid strawberry!” she protested, reaching for another and falling to her knees. The ground swayed under her hands, mocking her dizziness.

“No, it isn’t.” Kian groaned, scooping her up. “It’s a hallucinogen.”

She looked at his morphing face, his eyes turning black and horns sprouting from his short waves. Terror filled her mind, and she kicked and screamed in his arms, pushing his face away with her shaking hands.

“Stop!” he growled, pausing as he followed her eye line. Then, with a tongue click, Kian lifted her higher, hoisting her over his shoulder.

Unable to see his face, she relaxed, burying her head into the soft fabric in front of her. The colour and the scent hypnotised her.

“How much for this?” she asked, giggling. The rippling fabric didn’t respond, and she pouted. “Can I have it for free?” she asked, wrapping her arms around it.

It hardened slightly.

“Yes? Okay good. I like this colour.” Sighing contentedly, Sylvie let her body swing side to side. “Where am I, again?”

A strange voice chirped in her ear. “What happened to it, Prince?”

A rumble vibrated under Sylvie’s chest. “She swallowed some Verferum. Get me the antidote, Cedar, please.”

“Yes, of course.”

The scent of the body beneath her made her mouth water; the earth after a cleansing rain storm. Burying her face deeper, she moaned, twisting her body closer, needing to climb inside them.

Her hands tugged at the bottom of the fabric, and she pulled it upward, seeing a line of brown skin.

She touched it and gasped as raised parallel scars appeared along the visible section. Blinking, Sylvie went to pull the material higher when she abruptly flew away from the pretty fabric and abused flesh and onto a soft cloud.

Sylvie writhed, trying to orient herself and spotted the seething demon from earlier. This time she wasn’t afraid. He was hurt. Someone hurt her little beastie.

“Who hurt you?” she mumbled, eyes shutting as she fought against them. “I’ll kill them,” she hissed, which sounded more like a child having a tantrum.

“Can I see? Maybe I can heal them.” She rolled on her belly and slid backwards until her knees hit the floor. Pressure under her arms hoisted her up and sat her back on the cloud.

“Stop moving,” the demon said.

“I bet I could heal them if I tried hard enough,” she retorted. “I never get sick! Or dirty.” She giggled and smelled herself. “Nope, still smell like flowers.” She stared hard at her fingers, waiting for them to do something. A sparkle? A fizz? They wiggled lightly, and she ‘ooh’d’.

Maybe she was magical.

A strange little rock troll disturbed her musings and came in with a cup in his hand filled with blue liquid.

“Thank you,” the demon addressed him before turning his black eyes on Sylvie. “Drink this, now.”

“I thought you said no food here. Food is bad. No, no, no!” She smacked her hands along the cloud before sliding to the floor with the white mist all around her.

“I just made that bed,” the demon grumbled.

Bed. A bed? No, it was her cloud, Her fluffy misty cloud. “Shhh...” she put her finger to her lips, giggling again until a firm grip on her chin made her squeak.

“Ow, stop it, demon! I don’t like you.” Then, as she opened her mouth to chastise him, a hot liquid swirled down her throat, and she gagged, swallowing some and choking on the rest.

Her coughing sprayed the blue dye across the demon’s pretty fabric, and he sighed, scooping her into his arms again.

“You are going to feel silly once you’re better,” he remarked. “Go to sleep, and I’ll find you some food. You’re high, which means you aren’t all human.”

He sighed again, rubbing his hands across his horned head. “Wait here.”

She would wait there, but only because she couldn’t move. He left her on the floor in his cloud- bed, still covered in hot blue ink. She sighed, letting her body fall to the side. The second her head hit the floor, she was out.

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