Page 99 of Bound to Three Fae Beasts

Azriel, the shape-thief. A threat to the fae. Except how could she be? She was fiery and determined, yes. Powerful, snarky and reckless, yes. But she also felt so deeply. She had compassion. She had hope. If she was really out to destroy everything, why would she align herself with outcasts? No, she would have used the mate-bond on me and Jasper right away to wheedle herself into our hearts.

“The final binding trial will not be for until the end of the year,” Quincy continued. “If you become pregnant before it happens, Flora will be permitted to sit out the trial itself. You will still attend classes, with the proper precautions with Lotmas and Thatcher, of course, but with your high marks we have agreed that the final trial will not be necessary for you this year.”

“But only if I’m pregnant,” Flora murmured.

“Exactly.”

She shot me another look from the corner of her eye. Her jaw tightened and I could see the question in her eyes. Did I care enough to follow through now that we had been given direct commands from our families? Did I care enough to keep her from going into the final binding trials?

“The servants will pack your things to move you into your new quarters,” Quincy said.

“No.”

Flora let out a small breath and closed her eyes.

Quincy lifted an eyebrow at me. “No?”

“I will not be changing rooms. I will not live with Flora.” I rubbed my forehead. I’d been fighting this ever since my father started hinting at it. I always thought when the time came, I’d reluctantly, but gracefully, accept my fate.

I couldn’t do it. Especially not now that I’d found my true mate. How could I touch Flora when I’d already known what it felt like to be with Azriel?

“I’m not doing this.” I shook my head. “I’m not marrying you. Our families don’t know what they’re doing. We’d only make each other miserable.”

“Lord Seb,” Quincy started, his voice pitched soothingly. I knew what he was going to do. He’d be sympathetic, telling me how he knew how I felt and all that. Then he’d lay down how much I needed to suck it up for the sake of the fae world.

“No.” I stepped back. “Flora, you are gorgeous. The most beautiful woman to ever live. You are powerful. You are admired, and you deserve someone who can worship the ground you walk on. You can’t say that you want this, can you?”

Flora clenched her fists together. “I want what is best for my family and yours.”

“I’m not going to live with her,” I told Quincy. “If you touch my things, I will have you brought up on charges of theft.”

Quincy remained silent. Something like that wouldn’t stick, but it would certainly cause a fuss among the courts. I spun on my heel and marched from the office, my hands clenched at my sides. Flora said something to Quincy, then hurried after me. I picked up my pace, not wanting to deal with her. Would she finally give up, or would this only make it worse?

“Seb,” she called after me.

I didn’t slow. “I don’t have anything more to say.”

“Seb, please. Listen to me. We can make it work. Even if this isn’t what we’d choose for ourselves, we’ll make it work. I can be what you want. I don’t even care how many mistresses you have.”

“Yeah, because if you decided they were taking too much of my attention, you’d just kill them.”

Flora caught my arm. I yanked it away and kept going. “Seb, please. This marriage has to happen. Our families have put so much effort into it already! Just give me a chance, I will be a good wife.” She grabbed my arm again and clung on, pulling back on me. “Seb, listen. I’ve done everything I should. I’m still a virgin, for you—”

I turned on her, shaking her off my arm. Maybe I should have shot her down more firmly in the past, but that was when I still thought I’d do it. I always assumed that once the order came through, I would have accepted it. It wasn’t like I disliked her, even. Yes, she had a cruel streak that came out stronger the more I knew her, but she could be fun.

“I never asked you for that,” I told her, my voice low. “I don’t want your virginity, Flora. I don’t want your body. I don’t want any of this. How long do you think you could pretend to be fine with the situation? I wouldn’t be happy, and neither would you. It’s not like you could just have whatever lovers you want, not when your only purpose as my wife would be to have my children.”

Flora pulled me to a full stop. “Seb. I know you don’t want this. Okay? I know you haven’t wanted it from the start.” She closed her eyes and groaned. “I know you have never wanted me that way. I’ve tried my best. Maybe I came on too strong, maybe you want someone more submissive. But can’t you at least try?”

“I have tried. Everything that has happened between us has been me trying.”

She opened her eyes again with a laugh. “That’s not what I mean.”

“We wouldn’t be happy,” I insisted.

She threw her hands into the air. “At least we’d be alive. Do you hate me so much that you’d make me go through more binding trials? What did I do? What could I have done?”

My heart clenched at her plea. I shook my head slowly, not sure how to answer. The truth was, maybe if our parents hadn’t pushed us together, I would have slept with her already. It very well might have just been a push against being told what to do. When I first met Flora, I had had a massive crush on her. But I’d been taught to idolize and trust my mate-bond. How could I do that and be married to a woman who wasn’t my mate?