22

ADRIAN

I STALKED through the afternoon with newwardshanging from my fingers, Elias my shadow as I wound these new protective measures throughout the trees surrounding the safe-house. Rowan’s latest vision was burned into my mind like a painful reminder that something bad would happen to my mate.

I glanced sideways at Elias and blew out a harsh breath. A small part of me hated the wolf trotting beside me. I wanted to punch him in his smug face for being with Ivy first. The jealousy almost consumed me.

But as I tied another charm into a branch, part of me was glad at least one of us was tied to her completely. Elias could at least communicate with her telepathically now, which meant we always had someone linked to her mind, her emotions. It meant we could keep her safe from the organisation determined to find her.

So, I squashed the jealousy. It was better him connected to her than her mystery mate. It was him I really wanted to throttle. How could he leave her? How was he not tearing his hair out searching for her?

If I were him, I’d be fighting everyone to be at her side. It didn’t matter what was in my way: I would do anything in my power to be next to her—right where I belonged.

But he would be experiencing the explosion of power now, and I couldn’t help but wonder if that was why he stayed away. He was now the Queen’s mate. Her first one at that. And instead of being here, helping her regulate her powers, he was likely experiencing his own newfound strength.

How anyone around him wasn’t questioning why he was suddenly stronger with his magic was beyond me.

I heaved a sigh as I tied the next charm onto a branch. Beside me, Elias shifted from wolf to man.

He crossed his arms over his chest and glared down at me. “What’s your problem, Kingsley?” he asked, voice gruff. His command was much stronger than it had been before.

I wasn’t sure if he realised he’d done it, but I rolled my eyes. I—thankfully—had protections against his Alpha tone. “Just thinking.”

Elias snorted. “That much is obvious,” he replied, stalking off to continue our patrol. “I want to know why you’re throwing glares my way since we started our shift.”

My body tensed without my control, and I shook my head. “It’s not you—”

“Bullshit.” He didn’t look my way as he stopped and waited for me to ward the next tree. “You’ve been standoffish since Ivy and I completed our bond. I get it—you thought that because she expressed the mate bond with you first, you’d get to complete it first. But life doesn’t happen that way.”

I pressed my lips together. Logically, he was right. Although the bond is clearly there for both of us, it never meant we would complete it first. It was unrealistic of me to think that way—especially with the baggage between us, baggage we definitely haven’t worked through even though she’s assured me she has.

And although I wished it was me, I cared too deeply about her to begrudge her for completing the bond with Elias.

“I know,” I replied finally, stopping at the next tree. With each charm, the wards strengthened, the power almost visible to me as I glanced behind us at our progress. “I guess I don’t understand. You were a real dick to her.”

Elias glared at me before shrugging. “I knew she was my mate the night she was attacked by hellhounds. My wolf made it known when we were back in the apartment.”

I almost dropped the wards as I turned to him. “How could you keep that to yourself?”

As soon as he’d known, he should have made it known to Ivy. It might have prevented her power surges and given her some relief from the nightmares.

It was almost too tempting to punch him, but he started off on the path of our patrol again. “I didn’t say anything because I didn’t want to scare her, obviously,” he growled. I could almost hear his teeth grinding as he stomped through the forest. “And honestly, although the wolf was ready, I wasn’t.”

“Why?” I asked, without thinking.

He paused, shook his head, and sighed. “You really think the council will be happy about an Alpha with no pack, no name, being the Queen’s mate?”

My response was on the tip of my tongue. I knew the council, the representatives of each species who worked alongside my mother and her personal council—her mates. I wanted to disagree with Elias, and yet, I couldn’t. Because I knew they’d think Ivy should be with a shifter from a better family. One that could summon an army for her should she need it.

Finally, I shook my head. “They’d question the mating.”

Elias nodded. “Even though she took my mating bite easily, they’ll still call to question whether it will hold. Even though she wears my shifter mark on her back, they’ll want to test whether it is actually mine. And even though we have all the markers of mates, they’ll still want me to prove my worth, despite Nyx being the one to create me for Ivy. Because I won’t be worthy in their eyes.” He came to a stop at the final tree and leaned against it. “But she doesn’t see it that way. She wants me regardless of any of that. And maybe that’s why our bond appeared when it did. Maybe I just needed to know she didn’t see me as the worthless pup I’d been brought up to be. And she needs me to be her protector now more than ever. You just need to show her you’re more than your past.”

I swallowed thickly. “I don’t know how,” I replied quietly. “I think I really fucked up before. I don’t feel worthy of her.”

After everything we’d been through—what we had put her through—I doubted my ability to be there for her. To protect her in the way she needed.

“No, you didn’t.” He pushed off the tree. “Take the night with her. Just be there for her. Show her you can be relied on. Especially after letting go of her mother. She needs to rely on you.”

Bile rose in my throat, and I nodded silently, tying off the final ward as I did. It surprised me that he was willingly leaving Ivy to me tonight. His wolf would be more protective than before, being so close to the mating. But he was doing me a favour, giving me this time.

Our eyes met as we started our patrol circle again. “Don’t look so starstruck,” he replied with a roll of his eyes. “The wolf knows we have to share. There’s another bastard out there already tied to our girl, and once he’s near, I’m going to get him so close to death he knows never to leave her again.”

I snorted. “Not if I get to him first.”

Elias shook his head, and a dark grin formed on his lips. “He better be careful. Ivy’s hurt over his clear refusal to be with her now, even if she doesn’t realise it. I know it pains her to think about this mate who should be at her side, helping her. But he lied to her before, and he’s lied to her since. She even blocked their bond when she realised.”

“I want to kill him,” I said, shrugging as his brows rose. “This Fae male is currently experiencing the high of a magic boost thanks to her coming into her power, and he’s doing nothing to help her regulate the surges.”

Elias’s eyes darkened, and a familiar rage filled the glowing green of his irises. “We can handle it. Once you complete the bond, we’ll work out a system.”

“It won’t be that easy.” I lowered my voice as we passed the side of the house. “Each mate completes a facet of her magic. She needs time with each bonded mate. My mother couldn’t go longer than two weeks without one of her mates because her magic would surge without the necessary release and connection.”

The wolf swore under his breath. “Why didn’t you bring that up before? During the discussion of this prick?” he hissed, turning on me.

“Because I didn’t know.” I held up my hands in surrender. “I asked my sister about it after the meeting with my mother. She wanted to ask me about Ivy’s preferences for the Academy. I brought up the obvious question: what about you and me? We can’t be enrolled, and she explained it to me. Apparently, it should have been obvious, but I think she forgets she has over a hundred years on me.”

My stomach twisted at the thought, but I pushed it aside. “We’re going to be recruited as instructors and guards,” I said, picking up my pace. “We need to be close to her at all times, my sister says, especially early in her transition.”

“Does your mother know about the other mate?”

I shook my head. “No, and I don’t think Maeve wants to say anything about it yet. She knows there’s a chance Ivy will be anchored by the time we return. If anyone knew…”

“They could use him against her.” Elias cursed, scrubbing a hand through his hair. “He could be anywhere. Avalon, one of our cities, or the Fae realm, and I’ve heard nothing yet from my contacts.”

A feeling of despair opened a pit in my stomach. My pace slowed until we were walking at a crawling pace. “We need him to help regulate her magic.”

“She won’t like that,” Elias replied quietly, almost sadly. I couldn’t blame him. The idea of her having to rely on this asshole made my blood boil, and my heart sank for her. “But we’ll find a way. We have to.”

“For her.”

Our eyes met again, and I knew this mutual understanding would be the thing to bridge the gap between us. Elias had always been a soldier, but now, he needed to know he was more than that. He was the Queen’s mate, a member of her inner council, and would one day stand beside her while she ruled.

It also meant he’d inherited a family. A likely messed up one, if the stories my father used to tell me were any indication. But regardless of that, we were going to be family.

As if realising the same, he bowed his head and blew out a breath. “We’re a team,” he stated, “so we need to work together to help Ivy and protect her.”

That’s more like him, I thought, rolling my eyes.

We continued our perimeter sweep in silence, though my mind was a mess of thoughts about my mate—and tonight.

~

My heart thumped loudly in my ears as I stood outside Ivy’s bedroom. I could hear the soft murmur of her voice as she talked to the kids and read them a bedtime story. A smile touched my lips as I waited for her to say goodnight.

I listened as she said something to Elias, who promised to be in wolf form the entire night so he could watch over the kids. That seemed to please the youngest, Maisie, who pledged to be on her best behaviour for him.

I doubted he’d say anything if she wasn’t. It was clear he’d taken to the girls, and they to him. I waited for that familiar churn of jealousy in my gut, but it never came.

When the door opened, I stepped aside before she could bump into me. I was fully aware of her body, of my magic, rising within me in response to her proximity. Still, that forceful tug that had been overwhelming before wasn’t there as our eyes met.

“Adrian,” she breathed, a soft smile tugging her lips. The door shut gently behind her as she stepped closer to me. “What—”

“It’s you and me tonight,” I said, cutting her off. “No bonding, just us being…together.”

Her beautiful eyes, shining like brown garnet, widened. “Together?”

I nodded. “We can talk, sleep, whatever you need.”

She considered me for a moment, her eyes hiding nothing from me. The hope in her irises was evident, as was the uncertainty. I waited for her to say no, but instead, she reached out a tentative hand and entwined her fingers with mine. “Okay. We can talk, sleep, whatever.”

I sighed a breath of relief and tugged her into my arms. Her body’s warmth and the feel of her supple skin calmed my racing heart.

“Thank you,” I whispered into her hair.

I could almost feel her smile against my chest. “Let’s go. The shower is calling my name.”

Images of her naked body flashed through my mind, and to think of her in the shower while I’m just a door away…I cleared my throat and quickly adjusted my pants as I guided her towards my room.

She didn’t say anything as we slipped inside. The room seemed unreasonably warm as the door shut behind us, but I tried to ignore it as I walked to the closet and pulled out a pair of sweats, a t-shirt for her to wear, and a clean towel.

“You know I have clothes, right?” she asked, raising a brow as I handed the pile to her.

I shrugged. “Humour me, will you?”

Ivy shook her head, an exasperated laugh bubbling from her lips. “Are you also going to join me? Or are you just going to stay out here and wait for me?”

Her shining eyes met mine, and although she looked amused with her pink cheeks and hesitant smile, there was also a depth of seriousness in her expression. Like her words were an olive branch that tested the waters of our potential bonding.

I offered her a smile and took her hand, pulling her into me. Her eyes darkened as she shifted against my hardening length, and she swallowed audibly as she looked up at me. “Just a shower,” I said, pressing my forehead against hers.

Ivy’s eyes fluttered closed as she made a strangled sound in the back of her throat. “Yep, just a shower.”

I chuckled and pulled away. “Then let’s get you ready for bed, Sweetheart.”