Unexpected Mates ~ Book One
Chapter 9

“You won’t be safe here anymore.” Kerensa stalked across her room as Sylvie stood in the doorway shaking. “I need to take you back.”

She growled and balled her hands into fists before punching the wall. Concrete and vines crumbled and dropped to the floor.

“Why do you even care?” Sylvie asked. “You didn’t even want me here to start with.”

Kerensa spun, her eyes flashing red before she ground her teeth and breathed harshly. “I saw you two, alright. Bonded pairs are almost unheard of, and I’d never seen them myself. But after seeing the connection between you, I know it is real. And it is sacred. My mother refuses to see what is in front of her.”

Sylvie stared at her hands and shrugged. “But Lazuli seems nice enough.” Her mind wandered to the golden blood trailing from Kian’s wrist, and she shuddered. “Surely she would make a better partner for Kian if he’s supposed to be King or whatever.”

Kerensa hissed and shook her head violently. “As I said, my mother refuses to see what is in front of her. Now it is too late.” She stomped towards Sylvie and wrenched the door handle at her back. She quickly slid out of the way, and Kerensa pulled the door open. “Stay here. I need to get some things for our travel.”

With that, she disappeared, leaving Sylvie alone with her thoughts. Despite fantasising about it a few times, she had never been ‘the other woman’ before and realised she hated it.

After a few moments of silence, a soft, husky giggle echoed under the door. Whispers followed, and jealousy spiked in Sylvie’s chest.

Then, nosiness taking over, she pulled the door open and immediately spotted Lazuli backing into the opposite wall with Kian’s head buried in her neck.

Her cheeks were flushed, and her eyes were hooded.

Bedroom eyes.

Sylvie knew those well. Her eyes flooded with tears before she could stop them, and she slammed the door, hoping they would leave. But, instead, her heart hammered in her chest as the soft giggles continued, and she ran towards the nearest ‘window’.

The opening in the wall sent a pleasant evening breeze around her, and she tried to shut her mind off from the sounds of betrayal. But Kian’s low voice, followed by a lusty moan, was like knives in her ears, and she swung her legs over the window ledge. She couldn’t believe he moved on from her so quickly. How dare he!

She looked down, relief filling her as she spotted the familiar rose path and jumped to the grass below. She landed softly despite the story drop and pattered towards the tree swing. The moment she reached it, though, memories of her and Kian filled her mind, only to be replaced by that fucking perfect bitch, Lazuli.

“What a stupid name!” she groaned into her hands before racing into the spiky brush. Nothing cleared her mind, even as plant spines sliced and cut at her exposed skin, teasing her with the pain that inevitably felt good as the healing properties swirled in her bloodstream. Weird life lesson there.

Reaching the grass, she ran across the clearing, letting the dew-coated strands drench her dress, and she found the closest tree. The sun long snuggled into the horizon, and now only the light of the moon— moons and stars lit her path.

So that’s what they looked like. Sylvie had only seen the night sky with a purple-orange hue from the street light pollution her entire life. She couldn’t remember the last time she saw a star.

Hugging the tree tightly, she let herself sob. Nobody was near to hear her awful wails, so she refused to feel ashamed. She never cried about men or people or anything really until now.

“Why does she have to be so fucking nice?” she moaned, pushing her face into the soft tree bark. Sniffling, Sylvie slid down until she sat in a half embrace with the ancient tree trunk in the darkness.

Kerensa was probably looking for her, but the thought of hearing a single mewling, pleasure-filled moan from Lazuli made her stomach lurch.

“Fuck that bitch.” She sniffled again.

The trees rustled in response, and she smiled through her snotty tears before wiping her velvet sleeve across her nose. The forest’s silence lulled her into a calmer state until her eyes grew heavy, and her lids took a much-needed rest.

“Princess-”

“Let me wake her, move back.”

Voices roused Sylvie from sleep, and she blinked at Kerensa’s glowing purple eyes. She looked terrifying, Sylvie’s heart rate speeding up as they locked eyes, but she was too tired to move.

“Sorry I ran away,” she mumbled, turning her face back into the tree.

A shuffle and growl sounded in her ears as Kerensa knelt before her. “We must go now. Hold on to me.”

“Kerensa,” Kian’s growl startled Sylvie, and she gasped, crawling backwards away from them both.

“She doesn’t want to see you, Ki. Go back to the castle.”

“I need to speak with her.”

The desperation in his voice tugged at Sylvie’s heart, and she paused. “What do you want?” she asked, her voice thick with emotion.

Kerensa moved back with a hiss as Kian’s form took her place at Sylvie’s feet. “I don’t have much time-”

“I don’t care,” Sylvie interrupted bluntly. She wasn’t interested in excuses. On the contrary, she hated how much she cared, and pushing him away was the best method to protect her aching heart.

He sighed, placing a tentative hand on her thigh. Sylvie hated herself for the tingles radiating from his touch.

“This is real,” he said, swirling his fingers in soft circles. “And I’m not giving it up; I just can’t fix things right now until I figure out a way to break the betrothal.”

Sylvie scoffed, scooting until his hands fell from her leg. “You didn’t seem to mind her throwing herself all over you in the hall. She looked eager to fuck you, but you’ve already done that, right?”

The bitterness in her voice surprised her, and she sighed. “Forget it, Kian. Don’t worry about me. I’ll get over it.”

He looked between Kernesa’s stern expression, and Sylvies resigned and gnawed his inner cheek.

“There are things I cannot say and not for lack of wanting-”

“More riddles?”

Kerensa groaned, “Just let him finish so we can go. I can feel the bitch closing in on us.”

Sylvie sniffled and pulled herself up against the tree.

“Please trust me,” Kian tried again. “I’m not giving up, even if it looks like I am, don’t give up on me. Don’t forget me.” His wide eyes appeared stricken, reflecting the moonlight back at her.

She hugged herself and looked at his hunched posture before walking the small distance between. She pressed herself into his torso as his arms wrapped around her, and she melted into him, letting her arms wrap around his waist. “I won’t forget,” she whispered, pulling away and brushing past him.

“Don’t come back here, princess. No matter what happens. I’ll come back to you when I can.”

Her heart thumped painfully as she took Kerensa’s outstretched hands, and they locked gazes. Her eyes swum as she replayed his words in her mind. She didn’t have to look at him to know he didn’t think he would be coming back to her any time soon.

Kerensa chewed her lower lip before exhaling. “Ready?”

“As I’ll ever be,” she looked over her shoulder to offer a final goodbye, but Kian’s gaze was already locked on the edge of the spiky brush. He walked across the grass towards the location when Sylvie spun to see what or who captured his attention.

Lazuli stood all in white like an ethereal angel or a bride, with a soft tilt to her head. Her hair framed her bare breasts as her white satin bathrobe hung open, barely covering her waist. She trailed a hand down her chest, swirling her fingers around her nipple before dipping to the slit below her hip. Her sharp nails tapped lightly on her bare thigh.

A burning agony clenched around Sylvie’s throat as she withheld her pain and focused her eyes on Kerensa’s glowing eyes.

Just as Sylvie’s vision grew hazy and the world around them tilted, she heard Lazuli’s faint, alluring voice.

“Come back to bed, my love. I’m not quite finished with you yet-”

Sylvie’s body expelled a few different liquids as her feet planted in her bedroom. Tears, snot, and vomit hit the floor in a splat, just missing Kerensa’s feet.

Blinking, she spun around and ran to the bathroom, emptying the last remnants of acid from her stomach before sobbing again.

From the doorway, Kerensa groaned. “You need to pull yourself together.”

Sylvie paused, pressing her hands to her eyes before letting her face crumple again. “I can’t. I don’t know why, but I feel so, so...”

“Heartbroken?”

Sylvie’s blotchy face lifted from her hands, and she stared at Kerensa leaning against the door frame. Her expression remained neutral with a smidge of pity.

The idea of heartbreak seemed ridiculous, she’d never felt it before, and any depictions in movies and books had the love interests together for a long time before those feelings happened. It had only been a few days. She scoffed and looked down at the toilet bowl. “No. No way. It’s not that.”

“Whatever you say.” Kerensa looked behind her as cautious footsteps approached.

Fern.

“Who are you-” A loud thud echoed in the bathroom, and Sylvie jumped up. Too fast. She swayed and bent over, hands on her knees as she took slow, steady breaths.

“What did you do to her?” she asked between inhales.

“Just a sleeping spell; she’s fine. But hurry up. This place reeks of Demons, and I need to get you to the Vamp.”

“What?”

Kerensa groaned again, slapping the door frame. “Why are you so useless? I’m talking about Fletcher.”

“Elias?” Sylvie stood up slowly, keeping a fist balled into her stomach. Then, she limped over when she could step without seeing two of everything.

“Yes. Him.”

Sylvie nodded and walked past, looking around for a change of clothes when Kerensa grabbed her bicep. “No time.”

She dragged her from the room and passed Fern’s unconscious body in the hallway, giving her only a second to slide on some slippers.

They bumbled down the flight of stairs to the small carpark, clambering into the respective seats of her Honda. Sylvie closed her eyes and hoped Kerensa knew the way to her work and how to drive. The car made smooth turns and stops, so her brief concerns ebbed as she fell asleep.

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