18. Weston

Chapter 18

Weston

" W atch out!" Vemar shouted, but Aurelia had already twirled and stepped out of the way, sticking out her hand to harmlessly shove Calia past. Nyfain did the same, his expression blank, his movements graceful despite his size.

I put my hand in front of Aurelia to tuck her behind me safely, but she caught my forearm.

"She doesn't mean any harm," she said, watching Calia turn.

Calia pointed at Aurelia. "You must feel the emotions of others. Or motive, maybe? I have not heard of that."

"I just feel danger, Calia," Aurelia said patiently. "You weren't exuding any."

"She feels danger, all right," Vemar murmured, organizing the books. "Then she blasts that feeling until everyone loses their minds and someone tries to crawl out a window."

"Or sends half the castle running down the hall and out the back of the castle," Nyfain said thoughtfully. "I've never heard of a shifter doing that."

"Have you ever known a shifter that has been suppressed for as long as I have and that has struggled to survive?" Aurelia lifted an eyebrow.

"Yes," Vemar, Nyfain, and I all said together.

"Right." She winced. "Well... I don't know, maybe I just got more creative in my survival skills?"

"No, that's not it." Calia held out the knife, hilt first. "You are something. I don't know what it is yet, but it's something. Whatever magic it is has been bastardized because of the wolf."

Aurelia huffed and rolled her eyes. "My wolf seems to think killing everyone is the answer. Except Nyfain, obviously. Him, she clearly just wants to avoid."

"Smart wolf," Nyfain replied.

"Here." Calia shook the knife she held out. "Since you know I didn't intend to actually stab you—yet—you can hold the knife."

"No, thank you." Aurelia still held my arm, pulled in now at my side.

"Just hold it. It'll only work for a person with a decent amount of fairy magic."

Aurelia hesitated taking what looked like a very pretty knife. The coral hilt gleamed while the metallic blade etched with scrolling runes had a muted shimmer. "How does a knife not work for someone? Even if the point dulled, if you stick hard enough?—"

Calia huffed and handed the knife to Nyfain. "Show her."

The moment her touch was gone, the blade retracted into the hilt and the coral lost its color and luster, turning a drab sort of whitish-brown with darker brown spots.

"Whoa," Aurelia said in wonder. A delighted smile worked up her face. "How cool are fairies?"

"Whoever said dragons are the most arrogant of magical people," Vemar drawled, "had clearly never met a fairy. They only design stuff like that to distinguish themselves from others."

"You clearly wish you were half as ingenious as my kind," Calia replied with a smirk.

"See?" Vemar said.

I took the knife from Nyfain. The blade didn't re-emerge. I then held it out for Aurelia, curious to see what would happen.

"I assume Granny hasn't messed with this," Aurelia said, looking at it, "and that you aren't all in on some kind of joke at my expense."

"None of those things. That is my personal knife," Calia said.

Aurelia let out a slow breath. "I know this is ridiculous," she murmured, and I surmised she was answering her wolf.

From the bond, I felt trepidation mixed with hope. She was unable to deny her desire to call herself a fairy, even without the magic. She could no longer hide that from me.

Her fingers brushed mine, and a jolt of electricity surged through me. She swung her gaze my way even as the blade slid out and the hilt regained its beauty.

I held her gaze, our fingers entwined on the hilt, her hand starting to shake.

"It can't be true," she said on a release of breath. "It's impossible. My grandparents were definitely wolves. They could shift. Unless my birth father somehow has ties to the fairies?"

"Or unless your wolf grandmama had a dirty little secret involving the fix-it man and his lovely, popping pecs," Vemar said.

"Okay." Calia nodded with a smile, entwining her fingers in front of her. "That answers that. You definitely have the blood. Those blades do not lie. I will be able to prove it with a magical blood test when my things arrive. In the meantime, we just need to figure out what type of magic you have. For us, it is not as easy as shifting and determining an animal. For some, it is more like a gathering of clues."

"Arrogant and complicated," Vemar murmured.

I let go of the blade so Aurelia could hold it on her own, watching her marvel at its beauty. She hesitantly gave it back, clearly loath to let it go. I was suddenly determined to buy her one of those blades. I was sure Calia would help me get one and teach Aurelia how to use it. It suited her.

I had no clue what fairy magic would mean in the long term. Maybe nothing. But what if it was something? I didn't think it would become dangerous—Calia didn't seem concerned, just curious—but what if Aurelia became valuable for whatever it was that she could do? Would her situation get that much more complicated?

I pushed it out of my mind. At the present time, it was the least of our concerns. I'd mentioned the drawing of Aurelia we'd found to Nyfain, and how that had played out in the Red Lupine kingdom. He'd agreed that, for now, Hadriel was probably the best to gather information within the castle. The queen sent for him right away, and he'd been quick to know what to do.

Now we had to wait. Wait to see if anyone else had damning knowledge. Wait to see if anyone had sent word to Granny. Wait to see if Granny showed up to claim her prize.

Wait... and hope we had what it took to capture Granny before she captured Aurelia and escaped to a packaging village hardly anyone knew existed.

I ran my hand down Aurelia's back, unable to help hooking it on her hip and dragging her a little closer. She complied, watching Calia run her finger down the right side of the hilt and tapping the bottom twice. The blade slid back in, but the hilt maintained its luster. She slipped it into a pocket in her dress.

"If Granny knew I was a shifter, the lantern told her I was also a fairy, and my mom had no magic at all, you'd think she would be so horribly confused about my origins." Aurelia shook her head, looking up at me. "I mean, what the hell am I?"

"Did you tell Granny about your bio-dad?" I asked her.

"Yes. I told her as much of my history as I knew."

"Then I doubt she was confused."

"She probably knew she'd found a diamond in the rough," Nyfain said.

"Not a diamond in the rough." I shook my head, placing my hand below the back of her neck now, stroking the bare skin within her jacket collar with my thumb. "A treasure she made sure was locked away. She wasn't just isolating a village for her operation—she was hiding a woman from anyone who might have an interest."

"Why would anyone have an interest?" Longing filled her eyes. The world had convinced her that she wasn't wanted. It must've been surreal to learn that she was not only wanted, but hunted by several factions.

Fairies kept track of each other. The fairy king was going mad that he didn't know where Calia's sister had gone off to. They kept tabs on babies and powers, levels and status, making sure they were connected to any potentially potent or rare magic. Most of the kingdoms did. Bloodlines kept a kingdom strong.

Then there was her shifter side. Her bio-dad might not have wanted offspring with a woman with no magic, but he would have definitely wanted a connection with a child as powerful as Aurelia. Being a true mate to a wolf as powerful and high status as I was would also be an incredible perk. He'd want to stay close, able to keep an eye out for our brood, trying to entice them to Granddaddy's kingdom and court so the bloodline could be re-established there.

"I'll explain everything later," I told her. "Let's go see your new room."

"I think I should be in on that explanation, old friend," Calia said, her eyes narrowed at me but gleaming with mirth. She wouldn't get cutthroat until she knew what Aurelia's magic was.

"What about these, Captive Lady?" Vemar gestured at the books he'd stacked and organized.

"I'll grab those." I walked toward the table.

"I'll help." Nyfain met me, taking six of the ten Aurelia had chosen, looking them over as he did so. "I didn't even know we had books about this in the library."

"It's interesting reading," Aurelia said. "Creating and working with chemicals is way more fun than working with plants. For one, they explode or catch on fire way more often."

Nyfain quirked an eyebrow, clearly not quite sure what to make of that. "I'll take your word for it."

We headed down the hall, people respectfully keeping their eyes on their tasks or straight ahead, the castle's version of giving us our privacy. They often glanced at Aurelia, though, their cursory gazes sticking, traveling over her flashy, too-big, ruined clothes and the various burns and cuts and random pieces of glass on or in her person. She was an absolute spectacle, and though I could tell she noticed them looking, she showed no sign of it, a behavior befitting a member of the court. Her years of ignoring those she made uncomfortable had trained her for a life of high status, should she want it. What a change an invasion had made.

It also meant that she wasn't blending in. That made Hadriel's job that much more important. And probably easier. But it also made the danger more palpable.

When entering the back wing where many of the larger rooms and apartments were housed, we heard, "Da-da! Da-da!"

The tottering feet of the princess thumped the floor behind us as she ran for her daddy. Her chubby little arms outstretched and pure joy raced across her little cherub face. "Da-da!"

"Oh gods, how precious!" Aurelia squealed as she caught sight of the little girl, one little tuft of hair caught in a pink bow on the top of her head. She quickly fell to one knee, her expression showing the same kind of joy as the princess, Tabitha. "Hi, little lady," she said in a high, childlike voice. "Did you find your dada?"

The nanny waited back a little, knowing full well that when Daddy and daughter caught sight of each other in passing, they always stopped and cuddled for a moment before they each departed on their way.

Tabitha slowed as she noticed Aurelia, the child utterly fearless in most things but always wary of people she didn't know. She walked closer, and Nyfain took a step toward her, his power promising pain to anyone even looking cross at his daughter.

"It's okay, Daddy," Aurelia said without looking up.

Unlike any other time she'd been in Nyfain's presence, Aurelia had zero fear in her voice. In fact, it was almost like calm waves drifted from her, safe and comforting and happy. That was the mind-fuck Vemar was talking about, something she'd always done to some degree. When I first met her, it had so often been distress, and far less potent. With her newfound access to her wolf, it was much more powerful. Aurelia was creating a child-friendly environment and nothing mattered, save her interaction with the little girl.

"I won't touch her. I just want to see her cute little face, don't I?" Aurelia said. The last part was said to Tabitha as Aurelia smiled big, sitting down on her butt to be at the level of the little girl. "Ouch!" she said comically. "Silly Aurry just sat on a bunch of glass. Oh no!" She balled up her fists and pretend-cried.

A smile worked at Tabitha's lips. The little girl stomped one of her feet and bent a bit, starting to laugh.

"She sat on glass, oh no!" Aurelia pretended to cry a little more before pulling her hands away, her smile so bright I couldn't look away. "Did you come to see your daddy?" she said, slower than usual.

Tabitha stepped closer to point at a hole in Aurelia's jacket.

Aurelia looked down at it, touching it with her finger. "Uncle Hadriel is going to be so mad. Look what I did to his jacket!"

Tabitha babbled solemnly. Though unable to say many words just yet, the tone made it clear she had something to say. Aurelia listened attentively, leaning forward, matching Tabitha's seriousness perfectly. I noticed Nyfain looking at me, and spared my focus for a moment to glance over at him.

"She's clearly good with children," he murmured.

"That is because I just love children," Aurelia said as though talking to Tabitha. "They are sweet and cross and sticky and judge a person solely on how that person treats them, not on what that person is. If they are angry, they get mad. If they are happy, they laugh. It is all very simple, isn't that right, Tabitha?"

Tabitha babbled a reply, nodding very seriously.

"Yes, that is what I think, too." Aurelia nodded adamantly before relaxing her expression and pushing to her feet. Blood spotted the floor. "Oops." She stuck out her hand to prevent Tabitha from tottering over to her. "No, no, careful. This is dirty. Yuck! Don't walk right here, okay? It's icky."

Tabitha looked at the floor and tried to edge around, grabbing Nyfain's pant leg for balance, clearly not ready for Aurelia to go.

"I'll see you again, okay?" Aurelia said, bending a bit, hands on knees. "I have to go now, but I'll see you again soon." She waited for Tabitha's response with a wide, sparkling smile, before standing and sighing. She reached for the books Nyfain held. "She is absolutely glorious, Nyfain. You are so lucky. I'll take these. Your baby girl wants a moment with her daddy. Sorry about your floor. But at least it's wood, right? It'll clean up."

"It's seen worse." Nyfain handed over a couple of the books, giving the rest to me. She stepped away, waiting, and Nyfain turned and lowered his voice, murmuring, "Put a baby in that woman, Weston. She's ready."

Fire surged through me. I realized that I wanted to do exactly that. I knew, without any shred of doubt, that she was it for me. My mate. My life. My future. I had no reservations. I had no hesitations. To add children to that dream, to have a family to love and protect... There was no sweeter destiny, not for me.

Nyfain scooped up his daughter, who said, "No, Da-da," and pointed over his shoulder at Aurelia. "No, Da-da!"

"Bye, sweet girl!" Aurelia waved before putting her whole hand to her mouth and then blowing a kiss. She did it again, and the little girl soon stopped protesting, instead imitating the motion as Nyfain walked her away, Vemar following behind them.

"That is the cutest fucking thing I have seen in my entire life," Aurelia said, continuing to watch and wave. "A little princess in the arms of a huge, ferocious dragon. My life has been made."

She gave me the sort of wistful smile that proved Nyfain right. She did want children—that was clear. Dreamed of them, maybe. It was sweet and charming and hit me deep, bringing forth devoted tenderness and an eager desire to get started immediately. Now more than ever I wanted all this shit circling Aurelia to disappear so that we could get on with our lives.

Feeling it through the bond, she turned to me. Our wolves pushed near the surface, the true mate bond singing, all of us longing for what could be. What we wanted as a whole.

Her glittering gaze connected with mine, and her smile slipped. Heat flared in her eyes. I could almost see her wolf moving within her as the primal longing raced through the bond: raw lust, unchained passion. Need.

My wolf pushed harder, so close to the surface, influencing me. It felt too good to back down.

"Do you want a baby, Little Wolf?" I asked in a deep, rough voice, my cock straining. I could barely think through the desire. Through my wolf's primal surge. "Do you want to be bred by your alpha?"

She gasped, her pupils blowing wide. Her arousal flared, and that primal need blossomed through the bond.

I nearly groaned, my cock pulsing now, painfully hard.

"Do you?" I pushed, taking a moment to set down our books before I stepped toward her.

She took a step back, looking up at me, daring me to chase.

This was in large part a game. A sexy, primal, intoxicating game. But at the root of it was truth. She wasn't ready for the next stage of her life yet, I knew, but in this moment we were sharing our heart's desires. Expressing what we wanted was at the very core of our four-way connection, the wolves pushing, the humans unable or unwilling to let logic interfere.

I stepped closer again, feeling my grin as she once again stepped back. Once more had her bumping against the wall, nowhere to go. The people in the hall faded around us. I knew nothing else but her—the proximity of our bodies, the electricity surging between us.

"I want you badly, Little Wolf," I growled as I put my palms against the wall, caging her in with my body. With my power. "I want to dominate that little pussy, locking you to me and pumping you full of my seed."

"Oh gods." She quivered, clutching my shirt and yanking me a little closer.

"Tell me," I commanded, our lips inches apart, heating the air between us. "Tell me what you want," I whispered. "Tell me what you dream of."

"Children," she breathed. "I've always wanted children, but never thought I could. I would never have brought a child into my old life. But now..."

"But now?" I murmured, kissing along her jaw and down her neck as she moaned.

"I want them," she said, almost like a confession. "I want you to put them in me, Alpha."

My body was a literal flame. I deepened the kiss, and she whimpered again, her hands shaking as they met my shoulders. She pushed up onto her tiptoes, and I knew she wanted me to lift her, to wrap her legs around my waist, to fuck a baby into her right now.

Gods, how I wanted to. I wanted to fall into her and never come up for air. I wanted to drown in her perfect bliss.

Normally I'd quench both of our needs with a quick fuck, but this time was different. This was still a game. A game of primal need, of human longing. If I pushed now, when her overall comfort level in this new life was shaky at best, she'd rebel. She'd dig in her heels, and it would take longer for her to come around as she tried to make sense of everything.

I'd have to wait until we could make it a reality.

Because we would make it a fucking reality. I would secure our future. Nothing would stand in my way.

"Patience, baby," I murmured, my lips against hers. "Patience. When you're ready, nothing will stop me."

I pulled back slowly, and she mewled her displeasure. The cold air rushed to fill the gap between us. She shivered, her pupils constricting. In a moment, that big brain of hers started to churn, laboriously at first, in a daze of proximity and passion, but then sped up until a crease formed on her brow.

Here comes the distance, my wolf said.

Reality was about to steal the moment. She'd need to process. That game had been primal, yes, but within the game had been her truth. She knew it. She'd know I knew it. She just had to accept it.

"Let me just grab those books," I said, trying for cool and unaffected, but my voice was rough and my cock throbbing. Until this desperate feeling wore off, it was going to fucking ruin me. But it would ruin her, too. We were in this together.

She watched me heft the books, her eyes a little lost.

Yes, we were in this together.

I jerked my head for her to start walking.

Her movements were halting, her face flushed.

"Uhm," she said softly, clearly trying to get herself back on track. I could feel the confusion through the bond. I couldn't tell if that was related to her state of being, or because I hadn't pushed intimacy a moment ago. Maybe both.

"Uh..." She cleared her throat and smoothed her hair. Sweat glistened on her brow.

I waited silently as we walked, also too stiff. My throbbing cock was not making movement easy.

"Do you want help? Here." She grabbed a couple of the books, hugging them close. "Um... what I said just there. About the kids..."

Yup, here came the detached logic. She'd clearly gotten good at it with Granny, cutting off the hurt or the pain or the longing so that she could function in the terrible conditions she'd been forced to live. That mentality would need to be chipped away at slowly. Her wolf would help.

"You don't want kids, then?" I asked, nearly nailing the light tone I was going for.

"I do. I mean—" She made an annoyed sound. "I always have, yes, but before now there was the issue with my magic and my wolf. Now I have a death sentence hanging over my head. It's clearly not in the cards."

"You won't get a death sentence."

"Right, sorry. I wasn't supposed to mention that."

I stopped outside of the closed door to her new living space and turned her to face me, looking her in the eye. "You will not get a death sentence. Besides the fact that I'd never let that happen, the king does not tell me to put a baby in you if he thinks there is a chance his kingdom would kill you. Stop thinking like that."

Her pupils dilated again. Hunger flared through the bond and heat danced in her eyes. She didn't speak, fighting the urge, clearly trying desperately to hold on to reality.

"I probably shouldn't have mentioned that," I backpedaled quickly, feeling her conflicted emotions raging in the bond. I needed another angle this time. "His admission gives me hope, though."

"Hope of what?" she whispered.

Hope of winning you.

Hope of starting a family with you.

Hope of killing any fucker who ever dares touch you.