Chapter 7

CHAPTER SEVEN

NATALIE

Handling things with the faille was easier than I thought, mostly because Killian decided to keep secrets. Oh, he was honest about the mate bond—he showed everyone his mark. And I not only agreed to stay with the goblins, but offered a way to enhance their livelihood, which was a big point in my win column.

In the end, they were more than happy to welcome me to the clan, though the younger members, like Flynn and Sloane, were more enthusiastic than the older ones. I think they just want to see Kill happy and would have agreed to whatever he asked. Either way, it works in our favor.

Kill just chose not to mention the fact that I planned to tell my family about my situation.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" I ask, once we're deep in the corridors. He's leading me back to the surface, so I can get some things and talk to my family. "What if they find out?"

He rubs the small of my back as he guides me along. "First of all, we'll be very careful. It's unlikely they'll find out. And if they do , it will simply prove our point. That you've told your family about us and nothing happened. It will prove that they're trustworthy humans and the faille will have to accept it."

"Huh. That's pretty solid logic."

When we reach the mouth of the cave, Kill gives me a nudge. "I'll be here waiting when you come back."

"Okay." I give him what I intend to be a quick kiss, but of course, he deepens it and makes it more. Eventually, I have to slip out of his arms before I bang him on the floor of the cave.

Fortunately, the ATV is right where I left it, so I fire it up and head to the main house. I'll talk to my parents first. They can relay the details to my siblings and cousin. When I reach the door, I take a moment to breathe and roll my shoulders. This is going to be quite an announcement.

I knock, then poke my head in. "Anybody home?"

"Natalie?" My mother comes rushing around the corner and pulls me through the door, enveloping me in a bear hug. "Oh, my goodness. I've been so worried!"

"Mmph," I say, my mouth muffled against her shoulder.

"What?" She pulls back a little, but doesn't let go of me.

"What's wrong? Why were you worried?"

"Natalie Aurelia Bishop, you may be 26 years old, but you think you can just disappear for days on end without so much as a text? And I won't be worried?"

I cringe. Oops. "Mom, I'm sorry. I didn't even think. I needed a few days to myself, so I took off on a little trip. I didn't mean to scare you."

She snorts. "Just wait until you have children. You'll be fretting for the rest of your life."

I lean in and hug her again. "Is Dad home? I need to talk to you both."

"As a matter of fact, he is. And Haven is here, too. You know how that girl is. As soon as she realized you were gone, she came over to keep me company and help me stay calm. We baked three kinds of bread!" The house does smell good, like a bakery. I guess that explains it.

Thank goodness for Haven. I swear, she has a preternatural sense for knowing when and where she's needed. She has the energy of ten people, and the heart and gumption of, like, fifty. She's awesome.

Mom leads me into the family room, where Haven and Dad are watching some sporting event on the giant TV. He turns off the volume when we walk in the room.

"Bram, look who I found," Mom says.

"There she is." My dad grins at me, looking perfectly placid. Apparently Mom was the only one who thought I'd been kidnapped by pirates or something.

"Natalie! You're back." Haven jumps up and gives me a hug, then pulls me onto the green velvet couch with her.

"I'm glad you're all here," I say. "There's something I have to tell you, and well…it's weird."

Three pairs of blue eyes stare at me.

I take a deep breath, uncertain of how to even start. "First of all, I'm sorry that you were worried about me. I should have told someone what I was doing. I went into the caves on the far side of the property."

"Alone? Natalie, you know better," Mom chides.

"Well, I wasn't alone for long. I went searching…for monsters."

"What now?" My parents both look puzzled, but Haven just raises a brow. She gets it.

"Okay, this sounds dumb in retrospect, but I was tired of everyone thinking I didn't have my life together. That I wasn't good at being a Bishop. So I thought if I could find monsters in the caves and prove they were real, it would help the tourist trade. And then you could finally be proud of me."

"Natalie!" Tears dance in my mother's eyes. "You think I'm not proud of you? Sweetie, you don't have to be the mayor or run a business for that. You're a capable, accomplished woman with more artistic ability in your finger than the rest of us put together. Of course I'm proud of you."

"Ditto, honey," my dad says. "I hope this doesn't have anything to do with the Tourism Board job. I only brought that up because I thought you might like it. Might want to make enough money to buy a house farther away and get some space from us. But never once did I realize I was making you feel bad."

I shake my head. "It doesn't matter. I've realized I was wrong. And none of that is the weird part."

"The monsters," Haven says in a quiet voice.

I glance at her and nod. "Yeah. It turns out I found them, except they aren't monsters. They're just…different from us."

My parents are staring at me, but Haven seems calm. "What are they?"

"Goblins. But not creepy little green things. They're blue, and they're bigger than we are. And they have an underground civilization. And…I'm going to live with them."

My parents are both gaping and blinking, clearly struggling to process what I've said. Haven seems more with it, but she clearly has questions. Starting with the obvious.

"Why?"

"I met someone."

My mom finally pulls it together. "You went spelunking for four days, found what you claim are goblins, and are now moving underground because…you met someone?" I can't blame her incredulity. When you say it like that, it sounds insane.

"Mom, I get it. I know I sound like a lunatic. But it's all true. There's a species a humanoid non-humans living under the mountains, and my mate is one of them. His name is Killian."

"We're gonna need to see this for ourselves. Meet this Killian person," Dad says.

"Uh, yeah…about that. The goblins are sort of xenophobic. They don't want humans knowing they exist. They don't even know I'm here, telling you about them. If I bring you to the settlement, they'll want to kill you."

Mom screeches and Dad frowns. Haven just chuckles.

"Uncle Bram, Aunt Caroline. I know how it sounds, but Natalie isn't crazy. I've never told you, but I'm also in a relationship…with a man who isn't human."

Both sets of wide eyes turn to her. "What?"

She nods. "He's not a goblin, though. He's a kelpie. There are a lot of things living around Haven's Hollow that aren't human. I get that it's a lot to take in, but you'll get used to it. I'll even introduce you to Wick sometime, if you want."

Mom nods. "Yes. That would be lovely. But backing up for a moment to the part where Natalie has a goblin mate ?"

"Yep. Turns out, this particular subspecies of goblinkin is very monogamous. When a male meets his mate, he knows it immediately. There's even physical evidence of it. He knew the moment he saw me that I was his. And I knew it too, although it took me a bit to understand what I was feeling." I turn to Haven. "I'm going to need your help with something."

She nods. "Okay."

"So, you know how I've been dabbling in making jewelry?" She nods again. "Well, I'm pretty good at it. I even ordered some supplies that should be here soon. Sabine said she's interested in carrying my stuff at The Silver Serpent."

"Honey, that's great!" Mom beams at me.

"It is, but if I move in with the goblins, I can't be coming and going to and from the surface. They wouldn't tolerate the chance that I'd lead someone back to them, and I wouldn't know how to answer questions about where I'm living. I need a go-between. Someone to take the jewelry to Sabine and deposit my checks for me."

I can't imagine I'll need conventional money if I'm living underground, but it doesn't hurt to have a savings account. Just in case.

"The goblins are miners," I continue. "I spoke with their ruling council this morning, and they agreed that I can use some of the metal and gems they dig up to use in my jewelry. And then…I'll somehow share the profits with them. Maybe…you could use some of the money I make to buy groceries I could bring them. They can basically only grow roots and mushrooms down there in the dark."

"Sure," Haven says. "Whatever you need me to do. We can work something out."

"Natalie. Haven. You girls stop acting like this is normal. It's one thing for Haven to have a partner who isn't human. She didn't give up her life and home for it! What Natalie is talking about is impossible," my dad says.

"Dad, this is something I have to do. And I don't think it'll be forever. Once I convince the goblins that you're trustworthy, I'm sure I'll be able to talk them into some sort of visitation schedule. But that will only work if we keep this amongst ourselves. Well, and Griff and Aerin."

Mom gets up and strides to the wet bar in the corner. "I need some wine."

"Get me a beer while you're at it?" Dad asks.

"Is this going well or not?" I whisper to Haven.

She shrugs. "Hard to say. But you're an adult. If you've really met your mate and you want to be with him, then do it. Your parents will adapt."

"I hope so," I mutter. "So," I say, louder. "I came to tell you all this, and to get some of my things. Clothes, jewelry supplies, that sort of stuff. I'm going back to the caves today."

"At least stay for lunch," Mom says. "Give us time to adjust."

I smile at her. "I can do that."

KILLIAN

I watch from the shadows as Natalie makes her way back to me. Here, in the sunlight, her golden hair gleams. Her eyes are sparkling, her face lit with joy. I've never seen anything more beautiful, and my heart gives a little stutter.

I can't believe she's mine.

I can't believe she's willing to give up everything, the only life she's ever known, to come live with me in the dark. She's so suited to the light, but more than happy to walk away from it. All for me. To be with me.

And in return, I'll give her everything I have. Everything she wants.

I'll give her anything.

Her ATV rolls to a stop at the mouth of the cave. She has a large backpack slung across her shoulders, which I assume is extra clothing and personal items.

I step forward, and she sees me.

"Hey!" she calls, climbing off the vehicle. "My dad and cousin will be along shortly to pick this thing up." She points to the ATV.

"How did everything go?"

She thinks for a moment, then speaks once she enters the cave and we start walking. "Pretty well, I think. I mean, obviously they had a hard time taking it all in. Who wouldn't? But my cousin, who's also my best friend, happened to be there, and she helped a lot. We had lunch and talked through everything in detail, then my parents came and helped me gather some stuff. I'll need to go back at some point and get more, but this will work for now. They're sad I'm moving, of course, but I think they get it. As much as they can, anyway."

"And you're okay?"

She looks at me and beams. "I'm better than okay. Not only have I found a purpose, but I have you. The thing I didn't even know was missing from my life."

"I love you," I say. "So fucking much."

She blinks. "That's the first time you've said that."

I shake my head. "Can't be."

"It is."

"Well, I've thought it about a million times. Forgive me for not saying it sooner."

"You're forgiven. Because I don't think I've said it out loud either, even though I feel. I fucking love you too." She laughs, and I'm astonished all over again that this bright, beautiful woman wants to be with me.

"You're amazing. And we need to hurry home."

"Why is that?"

I shoot her a wicked grin. "I need to fuck you as soon as possible."

NATALIE

My belly swoops at his words. I was fine a second ago, and now I'm so turned on I can barely see straight.

"Yes," I say. "You really, really do."

"Fuck it," he mutters. He pulls the pack off my back and yanks my pants down, taking my panties with him.

"Wha—" I start to ask, but then he drops to his knees, and I understand.

He attacks me with his mouth and tongue, a swirl of hot, wet, licking that makes me weak in the knees. I throb against him, and when he sucks my clit, I nearly come. But then he pulls back, yanks down his own pants, and picks me up.

"Need you," he mutters. "Legs around my waist."

I do as he says and he backs us up against the wall. Then he's inside me, filling me and making me scream. He's just so long and thick and perfect, and the way the nub on his cock rubs my clit…it's impossible not to feel incredible when he fucks me.

"You feel amazing," I moan.

He grunts and picks up the pace, pinning me into the wall. It's scraping my back, but I don't even care. All I can focus on is the spot where we're joined, where the pleasure is steadily building.

This man is going to make me addicted to sex.

He grips my ass tighter and pulls me even closer, forcing himself deeper. With each thrust, the head of his cock bumps into that exquisite place inside me.

"Fuck, Kill, never stop," I pant.

He lets out a breathless chuckle. "Natalie, baby, I'm close. I need you to come for me, okay. Milk my cock and make us come together."

His voice is strained, and I'm so close. Almost there.

He shimmies his hips, dragging that cock nub harder against my clit, and boom.

"I'm gonna…oh, fuck, I'm coming," I moan, my head tipping against the wall. I can feel the deep spasms inside me squeezing him, forcing his release. The sensation of him swelling inside me sets off a second, sharper orgasm before the first one is even over.

Eventually, his knees go weak and he sinks to the ground, taking me with him.

"Damn," he hisses, making me laugh.

I flex my inner muscles around him, giving him one last squeeze, and he jolts.

"You're a menace, woman."

After several moments, we finally catch our breaths and get our pants back up. My panties will be a wet mess for the rest of the hike, but I don't care. It's worth it. He's worth it.

He helps me stand and makes sure I'm all good. "You ready."

"I've never been more ready for anything." I take his hand in mind and give him a tug. "Come on. Let's go home and start our happily ever after."

THE END

If you enjoyed this book and want more Haven's Hollow and the delightful monsters who live there, check out Darkheart , book one in the Monsters of Haven's Hollow series.

THE GOBLIN'S MINE is part of the Mated to the Monster: Season Two multi-author series. Each book is a standalone story and you can read them in any order.

Get all the books:

MATED TO THE MONSTER: Season 2

a monster romance series

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