Chapter 12

The past week went by with the smoothness of silk. Mornings of waking up with Natalie in my arms. Days divided between me showing her around Fate's Falls, or putting in some work while she and Rosetta dive into wedding prep for the upcoming event, or Natalie tapping into what she describes as fresh creative mojo. Hours can go by in a blink when she gets in a drawing groove. And I could sit and just watch. There's something magical about her all the time, but practically glows when she's drawing.

All evenings have been spent together. Some, we grabbed dinner at one of the restaurants in town. Others, I cooked for my mate, pride roaring inside me when she moaned in delight at the food I fed her, especially when she allowed me to hand-feed her.

I love feeding her. Food. My cum. Especially that. I knew it was part of some species' mating practices, but I never had the urge to do it until I met Natalie. Watching the thick, milky substance puddle in her mouth before her lips close, hearing her hum and moan as she swallows… it stirs primal instincts I didn't know I possessed.

Every night together is passion and pleasure, each time easier and deeper than the one before. Preparation no longer required. Her body welcomes mine, eagerly stretching to take me inside. Molding to my cock, milking endless cum from my balls.

Everything is perfect—except waiting for Natalie's decision. With half her planned time here gone, the clock is running down. I swear I hear the hands ticking in my mind, moving faster with each day that passes.

I don't know what I'll do if she leaves. If she let me, I could follow her back to Toronto. Live in seclusion, venturing out under the cover of night, hiding what I am beneath hoods and other coverings. I'd be with her, but I wouldn't be the mate I am now. Would that version of me be enough for her? It shouldn't be. She deserves someone who can take care of her, not an oversized house pet.

"Hey, boss—whoa," Shay says, popping her head inside the back office at The Brew, mid-Monday morning. "I was going to tell you Natalie's out front, and that you should pack up whatever work you're doing to go check on her because she looks kind of down, but you look just as bad off. Everything okay on the home front? I have no basis for giving relationship advice, but I'm here if you need a sounding board."

"Appreciate the offer, but it's just something I have to wait out."

Shay nods. "Gotcha." There's a good chance she knows what's going on, without me saying more. Natalie and Rosetta share every detail of their lives, and much of that recent togetherness has taken place in the coffee shop, under Shay's watchful eye and misses-nothing ears.

"Thanks for letting me know Natalie's here."

"Sure thing. I've got your back, you know. Here at work and as a friend."

"Ditto, Shay." I give her a nod, close the programs I was too distracted to actually use, then tuck the chair under the desk and head out front to the customer area.

Every cell in my body wakes up when Natalie enters my view. Her gaze snaps to mine, and she brightens, but not before I see the expression Shay described. Even Natalie's beautiful smile doesn't entirely hide the clouds in her eyes. Doesn't matter that we've only known each other a short time, we've spent it learning about each other. Even without our mate bond, I'd be tuned-in to her emotions. Something's weighing on her. If I can alleviate that weight, I will. Whatever it takes.

"Hi," she says as I pull the nearest chair as close to her as possible and take a seat. Her hands rest on the table, and I cover both with one of mine, completely engulfing them.

I lean in for a brief kiss. Not the kind she prefers, but publicly appropriate. "I thought you were working on a commission piece this morning."

"I was. I started to, anyway. Then I got a call and now I'm here."

"Rosetta wants to do something?"

Soft hair moves like an auburn wave when she shakes her head. "No, it wasn't Ro on the phone. It was my mom."

It's as if a rock dropped into my stomach. I know she's close with both parents, even though they don't live near each other anymore. "Is everything okay?"

"With them, yes. They're healthy and happy, loving their RV life."

"Then why are your beautiful lips curved down instead of up?" I ask, tracing the line of her mouth.

"Apparently, when I told them I was coming out to British Columbia for Ro's wedding, they decided to change course and head in this direction so we could have a visit. A fun surprise because they miss me. Under normal circumstances, I'd be thrilled to get extra time with my parents. They've developed a serious aversion to city settings since they became full-time RVers—" A small, genuine smile tugs at her lips, disappearing just as quickly. "Now, I only see them a few times a year. But they don't know about non-human species and magically protected towns. They won't be able to find Fate's Falls. So, I won't get to see them and I'll have to lie to them. I hate both those things. I don't even know what lie I can tell that won't have them calling the police because they think I'm under duress."

"Did you call Rosetta to get her opinion?"

Again, Natalie shakes her head. "Her wedding is this weekend and she just started having morning sickness. I'm not going to add my parent troubles to her plate, especially when hers have dickishly disowned her. Talk about twisting the knife."

"Then we'll solve it together." I cup her face in my hands and look into her eyes. "We'll find a way to make it work."

"I don't know how that's possible. They're near Kalispell, Montana now. They never take the most direct route, but even so, they'll be in Kelowna tomorrow."

Not a lot of time, and honestly, we have limited options. But we do have options. "Come on," I say, standing and drawing her up with me. "Let's go for a walk and talk."

The mid-morning sunshine wraps around us when we exit The Brew. Taking her hand, I lead her toward Amazra's bakery up the street. Sugary baked goods won't fix the problem, but a treat might coax a temporary smile to Natalie's face.

"Have you considered telling your parents the truth about Fate's Falls?" It's the question I've wanted to ask every day of the past week. I know fear of estrangement from her parents is the primary reason she's hesitant to commit to our bond. Unfortunate as the current situation is, it has provided the perfect opportunity. "You told me they're both free-spirited, open-minded people. There's a chance they may accept everything that exists, like you did."

"And if they don't, then what?"

"You meet them in a nearby town to have your visit, then return to Fate's Falls for your cousin's wedding."

"And then what, Constantine?" Though she's never voiced it specifically, I know it's fear of losing the close relationship with her parents that's holding her back from staying here.

Stopping on the sidewalk, I wrap my arms around her, nuzzling her hair, kissing her head. Delaying the conversation because I'm afraid where it'll end—with the end.

"We should talk about this." Her soft voice is muffled against my chest, but I feel the hitch in her breath. She sighs as I rub her back, then tips her head back to meet my eyes. "We need to talk about what happens after the wedding."

"Have you made your decision?"

"No," she says quietly.

"Then anything I want to say will sound like I'm pressuring you. And I'm trying very hard not to do that, even though it's killing me not to do everything in my power to convince you to stay."

She buries her face against me, squeezing me as tight as her petite arms around my bulky frame can. Then her muscles relax and her breathing levels out, and I feel her warmth inside me as well as out.

I don't want to lose you.

"You won't," I say, answering the words she spoke through our bond. "We'll find a way. I promise you."

Her eyes hold unshed tears when she eases backward and looks up at me. "You shouldn't promise something that's beyond your control."

"I don't need to be in control of this. Fate is. And I'm sure fate didn't send you to me just to tear you out of my life after I've fallen in love with you."

She blinks slowly, her lips parting and closing, parting and closing. "You're in love with me?"

"Completely."

"Because of the mate bond?"

I shake my head. "Being mated brought us together, but I fell in love with you because you're you."

She jumps into my arms, wrapping herself around me, right there in the middle of town. A pair of vulpine folk make their species' equivalent of a wolf whistle as they walk by, one of them issuing a good-natured "Get a room" loud enough for any monster in the vicinity to hear.

"Sorry," Natalie whispers in my ear, then wiggles her way back to her feet.

"Never apologize for showing me how you feel." I press my lips to her crown, inhaling her scent until it fills every corner of my senses.

"I'll show you in detail at home." Bright pink floods her cheeks. "At your house, I meant. Obviously."

"‘At home' works for me." Capturing her hand, I weave our fingers together, using them to point at the store before us. "Let's stop in here first. You never got the pretty pink notebook you wanted."

"To keep track of all the monster information I need to remember," she says as I hold the door open for her. "Do you think me buying one will signal fate to work in our favor?"

I don't get the chance to answer. The moment she crosses the threshold of Fae-vorite Things, the fairy who owns the shop makes a beeline—or more accurately, a fairy line—straight for Natalie.

Flora's brilliant-green eyes widen as she hovers in front of Natalie, her iridescent wings moving fast enough to make a faint buzzing sound. She does a circle around Natalie, pausing at her back, then zips in close, lifting Natalie's hair to inspect her ears. "You look fully human."

"Um…because I am?"

"You're part human, for sure, since you have no wings and your ears appear naturally round." Flora settles in front of us, her wings stilling, but remaining open. "But there's no mistaking that scent. Where in your lineage is your fairy family member? Or members? Can't be too far back. It's strong enough that I smelled it as soon as you stepped inside."

"It must be my shampoo or body lotion you're smelling. I don't have any fairy family members."

"You absolutely do." Flora's wings whir, lifting her off the floor again. "Come with me," she says over her shoulder, "we'll look them up in the registry."

Instead of following, Natalie leans in to me and whispers, "Is this a joke she plays with new people?"

"Only if it's a new joke."

"She didn't do this with Dela or Ro?"

"Definitely not with Dela. You'll have to ask Rosetta next time you talk to her."

"Let's go do that now." Natalie turns toward the door, only struggling a little when I wrap my arm around her waist and prevent her from escaping. An adorable hmph pushes through her lips. "I'm getting a weird vibe in here, and the only non-human I want to vibe with is you."

I manage to contain the audible part of my amusement, but not the smile on my face. "We'll go straight home after this, and I'll give you all the vibrations you can handle."

"Fine," she says, grudgingly taking a step toward the rear of the shop, where Flora is waiting with a big smile. "Let's get this crazy over with."

Flora claps as we reach the counter. "This is so exciting. We haven't had new fairy blood in Fate's Falls in over four decades. I'm Flora, by the way." She shoves one delicate-looking hand out. "Ooh!" Her pointed ears twitch when Natalie accepts the handshake. "Did you feel that little spark?"

"The static electricity shock?"

Fairy laughter has a certain lightness to it, and Flora's practically floats. "No, sweetie, that was fairy magic!"

Natalie backs up tight to my body, tilting her head to give me a help me look. I wrap my arms around her, covering her hand with mine and squeezing gently.

"What's your full given name?" Flora asks, fingers poised over a computer terminal keyboard.

"Natalie Aine Somers. Natalie is the basic spelling, nothing funky. Last name is spelled s-o-m-e-r-s and the middle name is a-i-n-e."

"What a lovely Irish spelling. Is that from your human side of the family, I wonder, or the fairy side?"

There is no fairy side.

I bite back a chuckle at the words Natalie pushed to my mind. Even in my head, her frustration is clear.

"Of course there is," Flora says, looking up from the computer. "I've got the information right here."

Natalie goes stiff as a board in my arms. "Wait—you heard me? You—heard me?"

"Well, you did broadcast it, sweetie. Toward your mate, yes, but when in the company of fairies, anything you push his way might as well be through a loudspeaker. Something to keep in mind, so you can keep your private things private." She winks.

The tension goes out of Natalie's body. As in, all the tension, all at once.

"Uh-oh, I think I short-circuited her." Flora rises higher above the counter to get a closer look at Natalie's rag-doll slumped position in my arms. "Take her into my apartment at the back, Constantine. I'll get her a cold drink."

I scoop Natalie into my arms, holding her tight as I follow Flora through a door and down a short hall that opens into the living room of Flora's small apartment. By the time I settle on the couch with Natalie on my lap, she's blinking and looking around. "I'm here," I say, "you're safe."

"Is it true? Am I part fairy?"

"You fainted before we got details, but it sounds like it." I stroke her hair, everything in me warming when she leans in to the touch. "It would explain how naturally we're able to share thoughts with our bond."

"I do like that part." Her soft lips curve in a smile. "I like all the parts."

"As do I."

"Okay, here we go," Flora calls before fluttering into the room. Giving us a little heads-up, no doubt. She hands Natalie a highball glass of clear, bubbly liquid. "Plain old sparkling water. Not even a pinch of fairy magic."

A strangled sound leaves Natalie's lips, then she croaks out, "Thank you." With each sip, Natalie perks up a bit more, her normal rosy tones fully restored by the time she reaches the bottom of the drink.

"Feel better?" Sitting sideways on the opposite end of the couch, Flora's wings move in slow, gentle rhythm. "Ready to explore your fairy roots?"

"My fairy roots." Natalie shakes her head. "Of all the things I've learned since I got here, I think this is the most unbelievable."

"Well, believe it. Fairies are fastidious record-keepers. We write everything down."

My chuckle gets both women's attention. My smile is for my mate. "You said that to me the first time we talked. ‘I write everything down.' Maybe it's the fairy genes."

Across from us, Flora beams. "Could be! Natalie, your great-grandfather on your father's side, Alfred Somers, is a full fairy. He was born and raised in Wildefell, Montana, a magically protected mountain town like this one."

"Montana?" Natalie jerks upright, staring at me wide-eyed. "Is it coincidence my parents just spent a week there?"

"Your great-grandfather still lives in Wildefell," Flora says. "Maybe they were visiting him."

"I have a living great-grandfather? And he's a full fairy?" She's not technically screeching, but with each question, the pitch of her voice gets higher. "Wait—do male fairies have wings too?"

"Of course," Flora says, fluttering her wings fast enough to lift her off the couch. "Even being only half fairy, your grandfather had wings. But then he mated with a human woman, further diluting the fairy genes, and by the time your father was born, there wasn't enough fairy DNA to produce wings. It's noted in the records."

"Holy shit." Natalie flops back against my chest. "Just…holy shit."

"What about Rosetta?" I ask. "Is she part fairy too?"

Natalie shakes her head. "No, we're related on my mom's side. Oh my god, do you think my mom knows about my dad's fairy heritage?"

I can't send a telepathic message to anyone but my mate, but the look I give Flora above Natalie's head seems to do the trick, because Flora doesn't speak, though I'm sure she knows the answer to Natalie's question. "I think there's one way to find out," I say, rising from the couch and guiding Natalie to her feet. "Let's go home and call your parents."