Chapter 25

“ R ise and shine, Princess Kaydian!”

Moaning, I turned onto my stomach, covering my head with my pillow and my comforter thrown over me, locking out the intruder. The scent of fresh lavender that Ms. Kincaid normally sprayed onto my pillows and sheets filled my nose—hoping whoever would get the point and leave before I turned them into horse manure. Silence greeted me as my eyes drifted closed, snuggling into the warmth of my very much missed bed.

Peace!

…And quiet until the pillow was forcibly removed from my head, taking my headscarf with it. My black curls framed my face like the polka dots on my sheet set. The comforter was next to go, leaving me shivering against the cool room temperature as the metal clanking sound of my curtain made the hair on my arms stand. Streams of the bright sunlight burst through my window, causing me to wince against the abrasive light.

“You’ve been gone for over two weeks. You had enough sleeping in for the next six hundred years.” Ms. Kincaid said, buzzing around the room and pulling out clothing for me to wear. “I have a lot to catch up with you. So, I hope you enjoyed that brief vacation.”

Vacation? I wish . If being in the middle of nowhere with a pack that hated you was a vacation, then I would rather have stayed home.

“Good morning, Ms. Kincaid.” I stood and wrapped my arms around her thick frame. “I’ve missed you, too. What things do I need to complete today?”

“Well, for one, it’s not mornin’. It’s actually afternoon since it’s a little after twelve!” She bustled me along into the bathroom, where her magic had already started my morning bath.

Oh Youna!

“What do you mean, noon?” I asked. My stomach churned faster than Ms. Kincaid as she flew around my room, gathering clothes for the day. All while I sat on the edge of my bed with a handful of my nightgown stuck in between my hands, I worried about Greyson. He must be starving.

“Come on, Princess. Let’s get to it.” Ms. Kincaid shooed me off into the bathroom across the hall.

Bathed and dressed for the day, we made our way down the staff stairs to the kitchen, causing Chef DuBois and Clarissa to go scurrying around the kitchen like mice. There must be something in their bloodline that makes them skittish. When they both finally got a hold of themselves, they warmed up my favorite blueberry oatmeal and a plain scone. The scent caused my stomach to yell bloody murder until Clarissa sat the food in front of me. Shamefully, I inhaled the food into my mouth, thanking Youna I was in the kitchen so my parents and the other staff couldn’t see me. They will surely say I’ve lost my mind.

When I was done, I waited until Clarissa and the Chef were gone to gather a bunch of food from the pantry, dumping them into a bag. With the bag in hand, I cracked open the door, noting Ms. Kincaid was nowhere to be found. Thank you, Youna! As I slipped out the back of the kitchen with about two days of food…well, hopefully, because Greyson eats like he’s never seen food a day in his life.

Sprinting through the small path, I reached the small shed in no time. Absentmindedly, I opened the door without knocking to see Greyson naked as the day he was born with his hand wrapped tightly around his hard dick. I dropped the bag on the floor. Try as I might, it was a beautiful specimen, as my rapacious eyes took it all in. The stuffy air mixed with Greyson’s heady scent made me wet my bottom lip. The throbbing in my slick folds made me clasp my thighs together as I fought the urge to jam my hand down my pants.

Greyson cleared his throat. “I-I’m sorry I dreamt about our night together and…woke up…needing some help.” His voice strained as he flushed red.

He’s so adorable when he blushes.

My mouth dampens as I amble over to him. I was only supposed to drop the food and books off for him, but I would be a bad mate if I didn’t lend him a hand... or mouth. I think so as I used two fingers to push him onto the queen-sized bed.

“That’s okay, my sweet Greyson. I’m going to help you with your problem.” My voice sounded thick as I hiked up the bottom of my red dress and straddled his sculpted frame. His steel rod nestled against my soft stomach. “If you want me to, that is?”

Greyson’s Adam's apple bobbed, and my mouth watered at the thought of running my tongue along the protruded bump. A finger trailed down his bare chest, stopping an inch before his thicket of curly black hair. A thin sheen already coated his length as more of the clear goodness bubbled at his bulbous tip. Greyson shuddered as I wrapped my hand around the thick base of his dick.

“Yes or no, Greyson?” I asked, my free hand twirling some of the hair near the base of his cock. Greyson’s hip bucked as a moan slipped from his lips.

Greyson’s breath came out as shaky as he did when we first had sex, “Y-Yes.”

Not wasting another second, I shifted my drenched panties, exposing my dripping folds. My finger swiped the small pool of cum from Greyson’s shaft, sticking it into my mouth. A soft moan seeped out of me when his sweet, tangy taste exploded on my tongue. He tasted better than the peach cobbler I had last night—actually ever, if I could think straight. But the horny haze fogged my brain. The warm air licked at my dampened pussy, causing a slight shiver to rake through my body.

“Do you want me to?—”

“No, let me,” I demanded. “Play with my breast until I’ve soaked your dick.”

Greyson’s black pupils consumed his amber iris, leaving it pure black. He placed his large hands over my tender, heavy breast, palming the sensitive tissue with his warm flesh. My eyes shuddered close as my hand traced the tightly corded muscles in his arms until my small hands covered his large ones. Molding mine to his as I showed him how to please me. How to tease the tender breast to make me creamier. Greyson and I pinched and kneaded the sore nubs, pulling small moans caught in my throat. His whimpering moans were my guide as I ground my swollen clit against his leaking dick. A picture of us danced across my black lids of how I envisioned our first time together would have been. Each stroke of my clit on his shaft caused a tiny lightning sensation to shoot down my spine and into my dripping pussy. As I imagine him holding me down to the bed, his hand firmly latched onto the tender muscles of my neck. A stuttered moan escaped my lips, causing my hips to buck against his hardened flesh. My punished neck screamed for mercy as Greyson’s heavyweight sunk us deeper into the bed. If only he could…

“Kaydian! Please!” Greyson begged, knocking me out of my dream Greyson.

A hazy gaze greeted me once I opened my eyes. My breath grew ragged, and my heart pounded in my chest. All I could do was nod as my hand found his now reddened hard cock covered in my juices. We were both a wet, sweaty mess. Gripping him wasn’t easy as my small hand couldn’t fit around him. Dammit! I thought.

“Grey, take even deep breaths and push yourself not to cum until I do. You think you can do that for me, baby?”

Greyson nodded. A lazy smile stretched across my relaxed face as I positioned him at my entrance. After everything I’ve gone through, I needed this like I needed air. A trail of fire laced my veins as my magic tore through me, stopping in my weeping pussy. Greyson lacked length but more than made up for it with the width. Inch by glorious inch, I dragged myself down his thick cock, stretching the tender flesh of my walls until our heated flesh touched. Greedily, my magic slipped out, encasing Greyson in my green hue. A light shudder rambled through my body as the ache between my legs pushed me to move.

In the back of my mind, I knew I had no time for this. I had a mission. I had duties, but I didn’t care as I raised myself all the way to the tip of his cock and plunged myself to the base. A jolt of pleasure pooled in my lower stomach, making me itch to get him deeper inside me. Greyson’s rugged moans sent a silver of painful pleasure to my engorged clit. His thick length glided and hit the soft, sensitive spots that made me grind myself against him, yelling out words I would be ashamed of saying out loud.

Manic would be the word I would describe how I must look as I rode him like one of my stable horses, fast and hard, like it was my last day on earth. The control of my magic slipped as it leaked out, coating the room and shaking the shed when I moaned. Quicken breaths filled the room as some of my magic fulfilled my needs, wrapping around my delicate neck. Squeezing to my longing. My heart hammered to the beat of our wet bodies connecting. Sweat dripped onto him, creating little pools on his stomach and cooling his burning body. My back arched as I sped up my pace, chasing the hot, piercing sensation. Leaning forward, I dug my nails into Greyson’s wide chest, dragging them down his chest, leaving my mark on him. My knees wobbled as black spots decorated his beautiful face, as my needy pussy clenched down onto him. “Shit,” I yelled as I felt a smile decorate my face. Falling on top of Greyson, his hips bucked up.

“Good boy,” I muttered. My voice was thick with content.

As I rolled off of Greyson, I pushed my long, heavy curls that were glued to my face with sweat away. My straggled breathing came out in quick puffs, but the smile on my face couldn’t contain the glorious sweet rush throughout my body. After what seemed like five hundred years, I couldn’t help the silly smile on my face.

When I turned to Greyson to continue thanking him for giving me my first orgasm—he, for better or worse, clung to the sheets for dear life. My stomach dropped at the thought I might have hurt him.

“Greyson, are you okay?” I asked, worrying my bottom lip.

He took a minute. His eyes were glued to the ceiling.

“I-I’m okay,” he said, getting up and going to the closed-off bathroom to get the buckets. “Do you mind filling these up? You forgot some of us can’t use our magic.”

Greyson chuckled, but it sounded strained and strange. Red lines from my nails stood out against his reddened skin as he looked everywhere but at me. Setting the empty buckets down, my magic filled them up to the brim. He placed them back into the small room while I sat on the now cold bed with my legs drawn to my chest. The warm euphoria of my post-orgasm quickly turned into hot coals of shame. I was supposed to be reveling in my first orgasm, but something didn’t quite feel right.

How could I celebrate when Grey seemed so disgusted by me?

Greyson held a handout for me, and I took it. He might have been fooling himself if he didn’t think I felt the slight tremble of his hand. After we washed up and doused ourselves with the deodorizer, changing out of our sweaty clothing, I magically repaired my messed-up outfit. Since I knew Ms. Kincaid would wear me out if I came home with different clothing.

“…Have I hurt you?” I asked. The question had been nagging me since our first night together.

Greyson shuffled his feet. “Was I that obvious?”

Should I bite my tongue and lie? Or be truthful?

“You won’t even look at me,” I said, thinking it was better to tell the truth.

“I…just,” The bed creaked under Greyson’s weight as he sat down on the edge. “Please don’t hate me, but I always wanted my mate to be a virgin so we can go down this path together…you like things that make me uncomfortable…I don’t want to put my hands around your neck, and if I’m being honest, I didn’t like how aggressive you were.”

That sinking familiar feeling reared its ugly head. What does that make it three times in a month that Greyson has judged me? My cheeks burned as my magic course through my veins like wildfire. Never once had I been ashamed of exploring my sexual needs until I was standing in the middle of this room with Greyson’s eyeballs glued to the floor. The new clothing became heavy, weighing down my soul. I wanted to crawl out of my skin and my magic…. I wanted to skin him alive for disrespecting me.

Royals were always taught that our magic could never hurt their kindred spirit, but as I stood by the bathroom door, my magic clawed in my veins, waiting to pick him apart. None of this made any sense to me as a fated mate. We couldn’t kill each other directly. My mouth opened to say something…anything when I heard my name being called from outside of the shed.

“Princess Kaydian!” Ms. Kincaid’s voice boomed throughout the wooded area.

Her voice was like cold water being thrown over a fire. I should be upset by the intrusion, but right now, I welcomed it. My body gladly pushed itself into overdrive as I sprayed another layer of the deodorizer and scurried out of the tension-filled shed, making sure to magically lock the door, plastering on a bright smile even though my insides were filled with jelly.

Ms. Kincaid’s heavy footsteps were coming from the cleared pathway.

“I’m coming!” I yelled out, not wanting her to make it to the shed, meeting her halfway down the pathway.

She placed her hands on her hips, a frown placed on her face. “There you are…you’re as slippery as a fox. I left you for two seconds, and you were gone.”

“Sorry, Ms. Kincaid. I was feeding Sera and Luc. I’ve missed them.”

Ms. Kincaid’s brown eyes narrowed as they roamed over my face, hoping to catch me in my lie. Which, to be fair, was only a partial lie. Honestly, she was being too strict with me. I came back willingly.

I continued, “…but now that I’m done, I will head to my enchantment room for the day.”

“I will check on you throughout the day then—” she said as I cut her off.

“No need!” I said before she could finish. “I have to catch up on some old royal readings.”

I didn’t give her a chance to respond as I jetted out of the pathway. When I turned back, she stood with her hands on her wide hips and her lips pursed. Slipping into the kitchen, which was empty for once, I hid in the pantry as Ms. Kincaid came waltzing into the kitchen as Clarissa entered from the staff hallway.

“Did you see the Princess?” Ms. Kincaid asked her. Clarissa flushed a deep red as she shook her head no. “That girl will be the death of me!”

Ms. Kincaid left Clarissa in the kitchen to tend to the dishes. With her back turned towards the pantry, I slipped out of the large storage and out the door. I craved to see my best friend and if I knew my mother, she’d probably have to work overtime just to meet my mother’s demands.

I voicelessly spoke the transformation spell.

Impatiently, I hadn’t waited until the green aura of my magic wrapped around me, warming me, breaking the structure that made me who I was. The glint from the light hinting at a window drew my attention as I peeped at my reflection. Pale blonde curls, big blue eyes, and an even paler skin to match. Shit! I was Del’s twin. I can already hear her high-pitched laugh from here.

I definitely will change back when I get to her house.

Walking through Tou-sin square, it took me longer than expected as I stopped to buy Del’s favorite, Creole Pralines. My mother kidnapped — borrowed the only human in the world to make them, casting an incantation to rid him of his human memories except on how to make these delicious candies. Poor fellow doesn’t even remember how to talk. He just nods with a smile plastered on his face.

Fifteen minutes and a half bag of my Pralines later, I stepped foot into the dirt path that broke off into two sections. Right side to the barn and the left to Del's home. The farmhouse was an old, weathered gray-colored barn with enough stalls for over two dozen animals. Someone had to be attending to the animals since they were all out in the pen that covered almost an acre of land. But no one was around, and I honestly didn’t want to run into Del’s parents right now. They would probably tell my mother, and that would be another thing she would harp on. Besides, I’m dying to see my best friend so I can spill everything to her and not Bernadette.

The Pourciau home was a small blue house that Del, her parents, and her kid brother lived in since we settled here in Houston. Del’s mother loved to collect items from the human world and showcase them on their porch for everyone to see. You could find everything from string lights to a wooden pergola. Their home was far enough not to hear the commotion at Tou-sin, but close enough to be caught coming out this way. But they liked it that way.

Heading to the side of the home, away from the barn, I changed back to myself. No need to scare Del any more than I would since I was ducking and peeping into her window, which was towards the back of the house. Thankfully, I was tall enough to see that Del was lying down on her blue bed. Her long blonde lashes fluttered as she slept. Knocking on the window only made my sleeping best friend turn her cheek the other way. Shit, I guess I’ll just have to go through the front door. Rolling my eyes, I turned to leave when I ran into a soft wall with a soft humph.

“Ah, so the rumors are tru’. The princess is back in town…but for how long? That’s the question.”

Mr. Pourciau stood before me in his farming overalls that were only buttoned up on the side. His pale skin in which Del inherited, was sunburnt with freckles all over his portly body. Hazel eyes, bald, and barefoot, which was normal for him because, “ he felt more connected to the earth, I reckoned .” He would say in his thick country accent.

“Mr. Pourciau, I’m happy to see you. Glad you still look only a hundred.” I said, knowing good an’ well that’ll get him on my good side. “I was just stopping in to see Del, but she’s asleep.”

“Huh…Why didn’t you just go through the front door?”

Pushing my curls over my cheeks to hide my embarrassment.

“Well, old habits d?—”

“Aht! Aht! I was over at the castle this mornin’ when your mother mentioned to keep an eye out for you.”

Of course, my mother would get to the Pourciau’s first.

“Right.” Clearing my throat. “Can I see Delphine since I’m already here?”

Mr. Pourciau folded his thin arms, resting them on top of his potbelly while cocking his head.

“I will promise…one of my father’s Fae wines. If you kept this between us?” I said with my hand held out to seal the deal.

Mr. Pourciau’s pensive golden eyes stared at me. It felt like he was waiting for me to say, “Gotcha!”

“Deal!” He pushed his calloused hand into mine, sealing the deal. “I can’t turn down an entire bottle of Fae wine. Bless’d be Youna! I can’t wait.”

His wide body all but gloated to the front door as I followed behind him with a smirk on my face. Mr. Pourciau was just like Del, sweet but a little too free. As soon as he opened the door, I flew past him, down the narrow hallway with their wall of black and white photographs. Bursting through the door, I leaped onto her bed. Del moved, but not fast enough. So, I placed my hand beside her small body and shook the bed until she rolled over rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

“What in tarnation…”

When she opened those blue eyes, she broke out into a smile as she threw her arms around me. Burying herself deep inside my curls.

“I hate you so much!” She said, sniffling into my hair. “You left me…”

“I know, and I’m sorry,” I said. Soothing her by stroking her back. “I’m a terrible friend for leaving the way I did. I can’t take it back, but I can promise you I won’t ever leave you again.”

Pulling away with a chaste kiss to my cheek, Del’s blue eyes were red-rimmed from her tears. My hands held hers in mine as a lazy smile graced my face. It seemed like an eternity since I last saw her.

“I’m glad you’re slacking off during the day now.”

Del snorted and smiled. “The Queen showed us mercy after she realized I wasn’t in on your plan. Kaydian…I’ve never seen your mother like that before. The whole town went into ‘high alert’. Every corner of Tou-sin village said you had fallen early into that dreaded curse and had gone mad. That’s why you never came back.”

Del paused, shifting her eyes before bringing them back to me, “Some of the Royals kids visited Tou-sin and told people about…the events of the party.”

“I guess they had their full of gossip for the rest of the year, huh?”

Del responded with a weak half-smile.

“So…” she said, raising her blonde eyebrows. “Are you going to keep me waiting? I want every detail and it better be a good enough reason for keeping yourself away from me for so long.”

A bitter acid filled my throat before I swallowed it down. It’s hard to say it out loud. That shame and disappointment were my new bedfellows.

“I found my mate…in the woods of California,” I said, letting the news sink in. Del blinked twice before her blue pools settled on pinning them on me. The weight of her stare made me shift on the small bed.

“You found your what?” Del repeated as she fidgeted with the ends of her sleeves.

“My mate. His name is Greyson, and he’s a…” I replied. “Different. I’m not sure If I’m ready for someone like him, but I guess I have no choice. The goddesses had finally answered my pleas. So, I shouldn’t complain, right?”

Del’s sad eyes found mine and said, “You don’t sound so happy about your mate.”

“It’s complicated, Del.”

“So un-complicate it, Kay,” she demanded.

The words tumbled out of my mouth as I spilled out everything from the past three weeks, except for the mixling secret. The shock of my mate. The disappointment. The humiliation and now shame. Halfway through my ordeal, my shoulders sagged with relief, and my cheeks burned, but I knew better than to hide it from Del. She would be offended if I tried to, and I didn’t want to disappoint her again.

“So, this Greyson isn’t what you asked Youna and the goddesses for,” Del said as she tried to smooth over my bleak disposition. “The more important thing is, how was your…time together?”

Del asked as she turned. A rosy blush crept up her cheeks.

“Parts of me disgust him, Del. At first, I thought I could overlook it or compromise. But it seems the goddesses won’t have it that way. I feel ashamed…It almost feels as if I did something dirty.”

We sat in a deafening silence, letting the words sink in between us. Drawing my watery eyes to Del, her face flushed pink with her mouth agape. Did she find me off-putting as Greyson does? A slight chill swept through my body, causing me to shiver. Del’s hand squeezed the one that was still in hers.

“I’m sorry…” she said, casting her eyes downward to our entangled hands. “I-I couldn’t even imagine how it must feel to find your mate and…”

Del paused, biting into her thin bottom lip. Never in our twenty years of friendship had I ever seen Del advert her gaze. Almost as if she couldn’t look at me. It was as if I swallowed my sword whole as the heavy weight sank into my stomach.

“…and for him to be a worthless bag of pig shit. How dare he rob you of your first orgasm! The fucking leech! He doesn’t have a clue on how to please someone like you. For over twelve years, I watched you wait and begged Youna for your mate to come. All of those nights, you’ve cried until you couldn’t do anything but fall asleep. Listening to some of those gossiping witches who had nothing better to do with their worthless, pathetic lives. They have it WAY to good if you ask me. I wish I could set them all on fire and burn them.” Del paused, looking at my bulging eyes. I could only guess she knew how shocked I was. “Kaydian, you deserve better. You deserve someone who’s going to make sure your needs are met and not shame you for being you. No one should have that power, not even you.”

I loved my best friend to the underworld and back.

Finally, Del returned her attention back to me, and my body relaxed, knowing she wouldn’t see me as repulsive and paraphiliac. Something lay in those robins blue eyes as I tried to decipher it, but I hadn’t needed to because one minute Del was staring at me, and the next, her lips were on mine. Her small, soft lips touched mine, and I allowed her to kiss me. Opening my mouth to her, she lapped, nipped, and tasted every part of my palate. My Del has never been shy about being bisexual, and I knew she was lonely, having not found her mate or aligned herself with a common witch. So, I would let her have some intimacy, and if I was being honest, she was a better kisser than Greyson. I’ve always had a feeling she wanted me to commit to her, but she never pushed it.

Del wrapped her arms around me, pulling me flush against her small chest. Her nipples rubbed against my large breast. Del moaned before pulling back, nipping at my bottom lip as she went.

We sat in a comfortable silence. I had a feeling Del had been waiting a long time to kiss me. If only it were that easy.

“Nothing, huh?” she asked, even though she knew the answer to that. Her face matched the color of her red shirt.

“You and I both know the answer to that…but thank you for giving me one of the best kisses I’ve ever had since…heck ever.” I fixed my frizzy curls that fell loose. “Life would be oh so easy if it was.”

Sucking in my lip, “I’m sorry for not stopping you. It was wrong of me to lead you on. I—I just wanted you to have this moment.”

Del’s small hand landed on mine. “Oh, thank you, my generous queen,” she said, bowing slightly.

We both dissolved into a fit of giggles, and for the first time in three weeks, I felt free. If I could bottle this moment up, Del falling onto the oversized bed clutching her stomach and me stifling my laughs, I would. When our laughter finally died down, I squeezed her hand.

“You’re going to make one amazing mate for someone one day.”

“I know…too bad it couldn’t be you. I’ve always foolishly hoped that maybe if I kissed you, that maybe it would spark something.”

“Aht! Aht! We are meant to be…just not in that capacity, which is sad because we would be amazing together. I wouldn’t have bothered with Raynaud and Cary.”

A deep sigh left me as I shoved my hand under my chin.

“Ah, I’m so sorry, really…but if I had a mate like what’s his name…Greyson. I would kill him…start anew or go mad.”

Her words made me pause. Del, seemingly not aware of the magnitude of her words, went to use the bathroom. Leaving me in my little tortured world of what ifs.

Quickly, I remembered to ask her about digging up information about Greyson’s since her mother knew lots of the Royal Coven secrets.

“Before I forget…would you ask around about Mary Ann Muller? She’s a part of the reason I stayed gone.”

“Of course, I’ll ask around.”

Mr. Pourciau had called Del to tend to the animals. Walking outside to the little porch, I watched as Del and her dad trekked across the large farmhouse, smiling and laughing on their way. A wide smile stretched across my face, watching them as they disappeared, but as I made my way home, my mind drifted into a world of what-ifs.