13

ADRIAN

FOG coated the forest floor, obscuring mostof the ground and the surrounding foliage, caging me in a hazy mist. My lungs screamed at me from the cold air and the fast pace of the run, but I didn’t give in to the desire to stop, to give myself the break my body so desperately wanted. Even the mark from where the dagger had been plunged into my stomach ached with a dull burn, but I pushed those distractions aside.

The peace of the forest washed over me and cleared the agonising thoughts rushing through my mind. Aside from the gentle hum of nature, my thundering heartbeat was the only sound filling my ears. And yet, my head swam with disorganised thoughts, ones I couldn’t discard—no matter how hard I tried.

My jaw clenched as I quickened my pace. The world became a blur of trees and fog and shadows.

In the darkness, I swore I caught glimpses of her. Of shadows and blood and agony. The darkness contained a cruel smirk and red eyes that promised pain.

I shut all of that out and ran until I couldn’t feel my body anymore, until the memories were a haze. The erratic pounding of my heart overran the pounding in my skull, until my breaths became harsh, and I stumbled to a halt at the edge of the forest. I bent over to calm down and steady my breathing, but my skin itched with sweat and something else. Like I needed out of my body and the cage it had become.

“Fuck,” I breathed, scrubbing a hand through my hair. Since the attack, I’d done what I could to banish the demon from my mind, but she continued to roam in the darkest parts of my head without permission.

In that moment, she hadn’t seemed so terrifying. She’d just been another demon, another of Nyx’s children turning against our Goddess. I wouldn’t have counted her as much of a threat.

And yet, she’d bested me. By Nyx’s grace I’d fucking survived thanks to my mate, and here I was.

Running.

From my issues. From the past. From the future.

I lowered my head until my chin rested against my chest. My teeth vibrated from the pounding of my heart. My skin still itched, and the hairs on my arms lifted with the cold breeze dancing through the forest.

Several deep breaths later, I forced myself to straighten. Fog still coated the ground, reaching my thighs and curling around my hands. The calmness of the forest didn’t seem to do much to the pressure on my shoulders, but I shouldn’t have expected much. Not when the meeting with my mother was in a few hours.

I circled back to the house, keeping to the perimeter of our protective barriers. I added another protection charm to the trees, reenforcing the magic already covering the property, every couple of metres.

Even my magic seemed strained as I wove new spells into the already existing framework of charms. My magic wanted Ivy, and simply being at the edge of the property felt like I was too far from her.

I thought back to my conversation with Elias about needing to step up and take control of all this. The meeting with my mother would determine if he was right.

The trek to the main house eased my heart rate into a steady thrum. My magic still shifted beneath my skin, but it didn’t feel nearly as uncomfortable as before. Maybe it was because I was closer to my mate, or because I was finally coming out of the darkness of my own memories.

I followed the pull in my chest that would always guide me to Ivy and entered the house. The main floor was quiet, though I wasn’t alone as I stepped in through the back door.

Soft light flooded the modern kitchen but barely illuminated the darkened family room beyond. My eyes took a moment to adjust, and when they did, I barely glanced at the agent sitting at the island counter. The shifter didn’t even register to me.

“Not even going to say hello?”

I stopped short, and my head lifted. My stomach twisted as I took in the female; her thick, dark hair twisted into a braid down her back, and kohl outlined her eyes. Jay knew we’d had a fling nearly two years ago, so I wondered if leaving her here was some kind of punishment. Nothing had ever progressed between us, and we’d never had any issues after.

There were strict laws in place regarding interfering with mate bonds, too. And Navya cared more about her position—and eventual promotion to team leader—than a week of messing around. I had a feeling her intentions weren’t malicious, but I also wasn’t sure why she was approaching me now.

“Navya.” I nodded in her direction before turning on my heel. I wasn’t interested in rehashing anything about my past—especially not with her and not with the last conversation with Ivy still playing in my mind.

Her sex life, mystery mate, and his unknown status.

But the shifter didn’t care. She entered my line of vision, arms crossed. “I wanted to congratulate you,” she said, cocking her head. “You found your mate. It’s a blessing.”

“Thank you,” I replied, my voice stiff.

She uncrossed her arms and shoved her hands into the pockets of her pants. A look of hesitation crossed her features as she stepped to the side. “What’s it like? Finding your mate? Being so certain of it?”

I blinked at her for a long moment, unsure how to respond. Of all the things she could ask, I wasn’t prepared for that.

“I—” My voice grew thick, and I cleared my throat. “I wasn’t expecting that.”

Navya rolled her eyes. “Don’t read into it too much, Kingsley,” she replied, taking another step back. “Good luck with your meeting.”

I swallowed the lump in my throat as I watched her turn and stalk away. Her questions seemed so…out of place, especially for her, but what did I really know about her?

Shaking my head, I finally made my way back to my room. The eerie silence of the space lifted the hairs on my arms, but I shoved down the unease swimming in my gut. I started the shower, watching steam fill the bathroom, and wondered what it would be like to not live in this silence anymore.

It was a silence of my own creation. I’d made it difficult for Ivy to come to me. But it was time to get over my own issues surrounding this. Especially when there was a mystery mate out there, one that would make her life a living hell with his absence.

~

I entered the meeting room with my head held high. My heart raced with nerves over seeing my mother again, but I tried to keep the emotion from my face as I stopped in front of Maeve. The last thing she needed to see was the tension wringing my body.

Without meaning to, I searched the room for Ivy, expecting her to already be there. But the tug in my chest, my magic writhing under my skin, told me otherwise.

“I wanted to go over a few things before Ivy was brought in,” Maeve said, staring at me for a long moment before clasping her hands in front of her. “How are you feeling, wound wise? I haven’t had a chance to check in with you on that yet,” she asked quietly, cocking her head.

I swallowed thickly and considered the wound that should have definitely killed me. A scar marred my abdomen, raised and pink, like a cut after weeks of healing and not a killing blow from several days ago. When I touched it, it ached like a bruise, but otherwise, it didn’t feel to have any lasting effects.

I relayed those thoughts to Maeve as she observed me, brows knitted with uncertainty. When I finished, she said nothing at first, still as assessing me.

“And your mate bond?”

I stiffened. “It’s strong.”

She nodded silently before leaning back in her leather chair. The office of this place was more of a library, though it had three desks shaped like a U in the centre of the room, each with a computer charmed and protected with magic. The books were all charmed to appear normal and mundane; however, the contents revealed spells, tactical operations, plans, and more. The amount of magic in this room turned my stomach over.

“This meeting will start with you, mainly to relay the news of this progression to her. This is so Ivy isn’t overwhelmed when we bring her in.”

“Yes, of course,” I replied, bowing my head, despite the curdling uncertainty swelling in my gut. Having everyone else know I was Ivy’s mate was one thing; telling my mother was another.

“I can tell you don’t like that idea,” Maeve said, her voice sharp, the Irish accent thick, “but we have to tell her. You know why.”

“I do.” There would have to be a ceremony as soon as we arrived to make the mating official, and my mother would be excited planning that. She had been thrilled to plan the ceremonies for my older siblings. But one for the future Queen?

That would be a whole different affair. And it was something I would have to break to Ivy. Elias wouldn’t be too pleased with it, but I wasn’t so worried about him and his comfort right now.

“I just haven’t had a chance to talk about this with Ivy and warn her of what happens next. I don’t think that’s too much to ask.”

Maeve sighed, the sound startling. “I know. I want her to have all the information, but she’s already under a lot of stress and pressure. As her mate, you can alleviate some of that—so can Elias. But because the Queen isn’t here, we need to alert her to this change and request any information we may need to help Ivy before we reach the island. We also may need to prepare your mother for the fact that Ivy could be completely anchored by the time we get there, which will change everything.”

I nodded. “That makes sense.” With a sigh I collapsed into the armchair across from my team leader and scrubbed a hand through my hair. “When does this meeting start?”

“Now.” Maeve pulled out the charmed tablet Sir Ya’Dahir gave us for the mission. She motioned for me to move in beside her, so I leapt from my chair and pulled one of the other desk chairs around so that Maeve and I were seated beside one another.

The screen flickered, and an image appeared in the corner that showed us. Dark circles underlined my tired eyes, and my hair—still wet from my shower—hung in wavy strands around my cheeks. I shifted slightly and sat back as my mother appeared on screen.

If I thought I looked bad, my mother looked worse. Heavy bruised bags hung from her tired, red eyes. Her hair, which had once been the colour of spun gold and resembled mine, now fell around her gaunt face in silver strands. Over the last couple of weeks, she’d aged rapidly. She no longer resembled a thirty-year-old woman—now, she looked almost sixty, worn down and tired, weathered, and fragile.

There was something about seeing my mother so…sick, that made me want to empty my stomach. When her eyes flickered to me, my stomach dipped. Yet she smiled warmly despite the weariness lining her face. “My son.”

“Mother.” I bowed my head. “We have…news.”

Her eyes darkened with worry. “Has something changed?”

Beside me, Maeve shook her head, but she cut me a glance. “In a way, yes. We have made some… developments.”

The worry in her eyes deepened, and her lips formed a firm line. “You need to move to a different safe house.”

“I believe that might have to wait,” Maeve replied, steepling her fingers together. “This is to do with Ivy’s mate bonds.”

“That’s why I’m here, Mother,” I said. Her gaze swung to me. “During the attack, I was injured. I would have died if it weren’t for Ivy. Our mate bond snapped into place.”

For a moment, Queen Greer was silent, eyes wide. I could see the whirlwind of thoughts clearly on her face, which both surprised and worried me. My mother was talented at using masks when dealing with situations, but with her waning strength, it seemed she was no longer capable of hiding her feelings.

“Are you sure?” she asked, and I could see the hope filling her dull irises.

I nodded. “I think so. I can feel the bond. Ivy and I haven’t had a chance to go any further.”

Suddenly, my father appeared at her side; some said I looked more like him, but I couldn’t see it. Sir Theon was lanky and tall, almost towering over my mother’s other mates, and he wore glasses enchanted to read any language. His hair was a darker blond than mine, but our eyes were the same shade of bright green.

“Did you just say you found your mate in the new Queen?” he asked, caution in his tone. He glanced warily down at Mother, who reached up and took his hand.

She nodded gently. “This is good. You more than anyone can help her now.”

I shifted uncomfortably as their gazes burned into me. “You should also know she found her second mate while here.”

My mother sucked in a breath. “Two already?” Her gaze turned to Maeve. “You told me of one.”

My jaw clenched, but Maeve nodded. “The last time we talked, I knew of one—Adrian. The bond between Ivy and Elias Beckham developed quickly, and they completed it recently. It has brought up…many questions. One of which we cannot share.”

“Why?” my father asked, more curious than slighted.

“It would be best to relay this information when we return.” I threaded my fingers together in my lap and sighed. “But expect Ivy to be anchored when we do arrive.”

My mother’s thin brows rose, but by the dark glint in her eyes, I had a feeling she suspected something. “Noted,” she said, her posture stiffening. “Now, let me meet the next Daughter of Nyx.”