Chapter Five

Nelson

I couldn't believe a hot, nearly naked man had me on his shoulder, and carried me through a forest with his hand on my ass. If this wasn't some kind of strange fantasy, it was pretty close to one. If only Holden would stop at the clearing ahead, have a blanket magically appear, and ravage me on top of it.

It was a disappointment every time he recited I wasn't meant for him. I wasn't sure if he kept reminding me or himself of that fact and it made no sense to me anyway. If I hadn't arrived in this place to meet him, why was he the first shifter I'd met? It wasn't like he seemed attached to anyone.

Though his shoulder dug into my stomach, I didn't ask to be let down. His touch was exactly what I wanted at that moment. Only, I wanted it everywhere on my body. We reached the village too soon. I could tell we were there when the pathway widened immensely. Instead of trees and bushes, I saw huts and fire pits.

I hadn't expected the village to be like that, though I should have, with all the fantasy novels I read as a teenager. While I once believed I wanted to live like that, I came to prefer hotels over the glamping experience. Yet, the village in front of me was full-on rugged living. No oven for cooking. No running water. And definitely no pillowtop mattresses. Though I hadn't seen inside any of the huts. Wasn't sure I wanted to. Maybe I should have tried harder to find that card I'd used to get there so I could wish my way home. Yet, that place held no appeal either. Sure, it had amenities the Enchanted Forest lacked, but I didn't have a job, a home, a boyfriend, or even a family to return to. Jack might realize I was missing after a few days, but I doubted he would put too much thought into my disappearance. At least the place I'd wished myself to had beings who wanted me there.

Right after Holden set me down, I adjusted my clothes so they weren't stuck in crevices that pinched off important parts of my body. I worried I was overdressed if everyone wore the same type of clothing as the turtle shifter. All those I saw in human form seemed to sport only one piece of clothing, sometimes a tank top or T-shirt, or a pair of shorts. Some donned shoes or covered their heads with a random hat, yet no one had been completely naked like Holden had been when I'd first arrived.

As I watched the beings crossing our path—always sure to say hello to Holden and greet me as a newcomer—I wondered what type of shifter they were and the location of the other magical creatures my guide had mentioned.

Suddenly, the village seemed to hush when a man in a royal purple robe exited one of the huts. He had gray, wavy hair and was tall and lanky. I wasn't sure how he had the power to walk with the heavy-looking garment, but as soon as he saw me, his face lit up and he started in our direction. A minotaur came out behind him, his nostrils flared, and his fists clenched. I grabbed Holden's arm and slid behind him, not wanting to get in the way of that creature.

"Ah, Holden!" The man held out his arms as I leaned to the side to catch a glance of him. "You found our first outer-worlder and brought him to me. Thank you, my friend."

Though I felt his muscles tighten, Holden still bowed to the man. "Of course, Banir. The outer-worlders are coming here to be mates of the council members."

So that's what he'd meant when he said I wasn't intended for him. Yet, I didn't like the option in front of me. I wanted to stay with Holden, wherever he lived.

Banir walked around us, his hand on his chin, as if inspecting us. "Ah, I think he will give birth to some fine children to myself or one of the other council members. What's he called?"

Birth children? Um, that wasn't possible for any person I'd ever met who was assigned male at birth based on their genitals. "My name is Nelson, and I can't have babies. My body doesn't work like that."

The man scoffed and waved off my concerns. "See that he understands how things work around here," Banir said to Holden, completely ignoring me. "And give him a tour of the village before bringing him back to my hut for the evening. We will see who he is most compatible with in the morning."

Suddenly he was right behind me, his groin pressed to my ass. "Or maybe I won't wait and simply claim him as my own. If he can behave."

I jumped away from the leader, my stomach roiling like I was about to hurl. I went from a young creep at the dance club who thought I was his, to an old creep in the Enchanted Forest with the same mentality. Banir wasn't the type of man I'd wished for. The dream I thought I was in took a sharp turn into nightmare territory.