Chapter 2

CHAPTER TWO

KILLIAN

I scrub a hand over my face. This was the last thing we needed to have happen. I pride myself on being prepared for almost anything, but it's difficult not to be startled when a stranger falls through a crevice and lands in your midst. No one from above has ever infiltrated our home before, although, by the looks of it, this one did it entirely by accident. She may have been searching for us, but if she hadn't fallen through a tube, she never would have succeeded.

That's not the biggest problem, though.

As unexpected as her arrival was, something else was even more unexpected. Something I've never given much thought to.

Something that it very, very inconvenient.

I think I hid it well enough that no one noticed, but fuck.

As soon as I set eyes on Natalie, one thing became crystal fucking clear: She is my mate.

All the physical signs appeared instantly: the spike in body temperature, the sudden surge of lust and need to claim her, and most of all, the white-hot burn of the mate mark as it seared itself into my skin.

And yet, it's impossible.

Because the woman in question? She's human . She can't possibly be my mate.

I could never mate with a human. For one thing, it's never been done, and for another, it's simply out of the question. We don't allow humans in our settlement. She's not supposed to be here, so there must be some mistake.

But the sudden sexual need pulsing through my veins begs to differ, and I know if I remove my garb and look at my chest, the mate mark will be there. Dammit, this is not a complication I need. Things with the hobgoblins have been fraught lately, and the lodes we mine have been running dry, even if no one wants to admit it. I don't have time to deal with a nosy human. I certainly don't have time to bed one, much as I might want to.

I run my hand over my hair, trying to collect myself. Get it together, Kill.

Flynn, my best friend, turns to look at me. He scratches the side of his head. "This is one for the fainne, yeah?"

I nod. Our ruling council is composed of twenty adult goblins who rotate their seats every two years. It just so happens that Flynn and I are both members of the fainne at the moment. "We need to gather the others and decide how to handle this. I'm not keen to kill a human, because that will draw others. But we can't simply let her go, now that she's seen us."

"What's the alternative? Keep her with us?" Flynn scoffs.

I shrug. I can't admit to him that that's exactly what I want to do. "I don't know. But we're not killing her," I say firmly.

I don't want her to be my mate, but if she is, I'm certainly not going to let my friends execute her. I know I'm only kidding myself. There's no if involved. She is, undoubtedly, my mate.

Flynn raises an eyebrow, but doesn't say anything. Without a word, I stalk off to convene the fainne.

KILLIAN

Convening our ruling council takes no time at all. After all, half the members were there when Natalie fell into our home. We meet in a circular room that contains only a table and a number of carved chairs. Once all twenty of us have taken our seats, Deirdre, the chairwoman, calls us to order.

I raise my hand. Maybe if I take control of things, I can keep them from going off the rails.

"You have something to say, Kill?" Deirdre asks with a raised brow.

I nod. "I know we need to discuss the human, but before we do, I think we should address the issue with the lode. We have to take action soon."

As underground goblins, we make our living mining the mountains. We dig out precious ores and gems and then sell and trade them with other clans and creatures. But the lode where we've been digging for the last twenty years is starting to run thin.

An old goblin named Ronan shakes his head. "This happens every twenty-five years or so. The young goblins get it in their heads that the lode is low. But it never is. Everything is fine, boy."

I grind my teeth to keep from snapping at him. Ronan hasn't lifted a pickaxe in more than a decade. He has no idea what he's talking about. Pretending that everything is fine doesn't make it true. But arguing with these old curmudgeons is pointless, so I change tactics.

"At the very least, we should make a backup plan," I suggest. "So that if and when the lode is dry, we won't be scrambling for our livelihood."

Deirdre nods. "Very well. Tomorrow, you shall take a scouting party west. See what you find. We'll table the situation until you bring back more information."

I nod. It's the best I can hope for at this point, though I'm not looking forward to searching to the west. We've always avoided that area because it's rife with hobgoblins, nasty little buggers that we're only very distantly related to. Looking for a lode in that direction is bound to bring up trouble.

"Now," Deirdre says. "As to the matter of the human. As I see it, we only have one course of action, but I am opening the table to discussion."

Flynn speaks up. "You think we should kill her?"

Deirdre shrugs. "That's rarely my first approach to a problem, but we can't have her returning topside and exposing us, can we?"

"If we keep her here indefinitely, more humans are bound to come looking for her. That would be even worse," I point out.

Flynn nods. I know he doesn't completely agree with my position, but he's also got my back. He knows I want this human alive for some reason, and instead of asking questions, he's lending me his support. It's what we've always done for each other.

Ronan speaks up again. "I say we kill her. Simplest answer. Dispose the body up somewhere higher and make it look like an accident, should anyone find her."

A pretty, petite goblin named Sloane interjects. She's been a good friend my whole life, so it's not surprising when she takes my side. "Kill has a point. We don't need an influx of humans swarming us, especially if things with the lode are questionable."

More goblins pipe up around the table, throwing out their opinions, until finally Deirdre raises a hand and retakes control.

"I believe it's settled. The majority has spoken in favor of killing the human."

My stomach drops, and everything inside me runs cold. I can't let that happen.

"No!" I shout, banging my fist on the table as I leap to my feet. "I won't let that happen. It's too risky," I add, trying to make my outburst make sense.

Deirdre also rises to her feet, which is a bad sign. She's generally calm and steady, which is why she's our chairperson. But it doesn't go well if you piss her off.

"Killian, the matter is settled. Why are you so upset by this?"

"It's a mistake." Every part of me feels clenched, from my teeth to my fists. Adrenaline pumps through me, and I know if the choice comes, I'll fight. I'll have to.

Deirdre purses her lips, thinking. We wait in silence until she finally speaks.

"You are not a rash goblin, Kill, and you have earned my respect more than once. Therefore, I will make one concession here. But bear in mind, if you behave this way again, you forfeit your seat on this fainne. Are we clear?"

I nod.

"Good. Since you seem to be so invested in the human, I'm giving custody of her to you. We will reconvene in five days to revisit the situation. Until then, Kill, she is your complete responsibility. Do not let her out of your sight !" She dismisses the council, and one by one, they all leave, until I'm left with Flynn. He puts a hand on my shoulder.

"I don't know what's going on with you, but good luck. Babysitting a human and leading a scouting party is more than I'd want to take on."

Dammit. In my fury, I'd forgotten all about the scouting thing. Now, instead of letting my friends kill my mate, I have to drag her into infested territory and somehow protect her while also doing my job.

I meet Flynn's gaze. "Fuck."

His hearty laughter follows me out of the room.