Page 25 of Fae's Mate
“I think I have something,” Alana tells me, as I skim over a page detailing how the borders of each court were drawn. “This reads more like a mythology book, it’s about the fates, but listen to this: ‘The fates, knowers of all things both before and beyond, may bestow upon a fae the blessing of a mate. The two are bound, heart to heart, by a golden thread, which only the fates know how to spin. Upon meeting a mate, the fae will feel the thread tighten, drawing them ever closer. The bond will shudder and shake, the magic of the match pulsing, until one fae claims the other’…”
I stare at Alana, unable to speak, my mind reeling.
“Seki, you don’t think—”
“No,” I whisper, cutting her off before she can tell me what I already know.
She frowns at me, clearly remembering the conversation we had on that first day. When I first laid eyes on the High Lord and felt…shit.
I stand, my legs wobbling beneath me, and without a word, head for the door. My feet know the way and I march down the hallway towards his office, my heart thundering in my ears. I don’t even knock when I reach the door, I just storm right in.
The High Lord looks up from his desk, a surprised joy on his face, which I ignore and unleash my fury.
“You KNEW!” I scream, and the smile on his face vanishes. “You knew, this whole time, you knew, and you said nothing!”
“Seki I—”
“No! You don’t get to talk! You lied to me!”
“I didn’t lie, I—”
“You could have told me, at any point, what this was, what this thread, this bond meant, but you kept me in the dark!”
He stands and steps around the table heading towards me, and I step back, my heart pounding so loud I can barely hear myself. I ignore the flush of heat that sweeps over my skin as he steps closer, the way my breath catches in my lungs, and the way I throb between my legs.
“Seki, please—” he begs, reaching out a hand to me.
“No! Don’t touch me!” I yell, and he looks at me as if I have struck him. “You had no right to withhold that information from me,no right!”
Angry tears roll down my cheeks and I’m pleased when I see how it pains the fae male stood in front of me. His russet eyes churn with anguish, and I stamp down the growing sense of longing that I have for him. It’s not real, it’s just some bullshit fae magic. I take another step back, increasing the distance between us.
“I want you to stay away from me,” I tell him, my voice wavering, my lip trembling, “Stay away from me, until you and your asshole brother find a way to send mehome!”
Chapter 18
High Lord
I watch my mate storm from my study, and it feels as if my heart is shattering. Stunned, I cannot move. Her words have pinned me to the spot. With each step she takes, the ache in my chest increases unbearably and I shake as panic seeps in, replaying her words in my mind;Don’t touch me, I want you to stay away from me… send me home.The reality of the situation washes over me, and I realise what a mess I have made.
Could I have acted any differently? Should I have told her straight away? Surely it would have been worse to tell her that first moment in the woods, when I nearly fell from my horse from the shock of finding her. Until three days ago, she didn’t know fae, or magic, or mates, even existed.
I suppose I thought over time I could introduce her to the idea… once she had come to terms with fae and magic. Maybe once she had been here a while, waiting to be sent home, she would have fallen in love with the fae realm… with me.
But now she feels as if I have betrayed her, lied to her even and she holds nothing in her heart towards me but hatred. I cannot bear it. The fates have cursed me, not blessed me, to send me a mate I cannot have, a mate who loathes me. No. No, I can’t… I can’t give up on her. Maybe if I just explain… explain to her I only kept the truth from her because I was afraid the truth would frighten her away.
I take a step towards the door, cursing myself for not deciding to go after her sooner, when a guard appears at the end of the hall and strides towards me. He halts just past the threshold and hands me a blood smeared letter. My stomach lurches.
Tearing the envelope open, I withdraw the parchment note and read through the message quickly.
Winter Court has attacked one of the border villages to the east.
“Fates,” I breathe, “prepare ten men, and my horse. While I’m gone, ensure the remaining humans are kept safe, make sure they are given whatever they need, and don’t let any of them leave the grounds. Who knows what else the High Lord of Winter could be up to.”
The guard bows his head, then marches away. I feel torn, cleaved in two: Half of me knows I must travel east to the border village immediately, to assist those who have survived the attack. But the other half of me longs to chase after Seki and try to set things right.
I detest the thought of being away from her. Now I have found her, I never want to be apart from her, but… she doesn’t want to see me. Not now, maybe never again. Perhaps some time to think about what she has discovered will be for the best. I understand her anger, yet… a tiny part of me hopes that when the shock recedes, she will see why I have acted the way I have and give me the opportunity to explain myself. To apologise. I would apologise, for the first time in my life, for her.
Clenching my jaw, I force myself to get ready for departure. I don’t like it, but I think it is for the best to give her time. The border village is less than two days ride; I will make an appearance, offer my help where I can, and return within a week.
