Chapter 6

" I t can't be that bad," Naril comments with an amused smile as he watches me across the table, lifting his glass to his lips.

He eventually came to rescue me from his brother's tortuous training program, but I was panting and barely able to stand at that point. Eldrin continued to have me punch and kick various pads for what felt like an eternity, but he was right, it hadn't caused a panic attack. To both our disappointments, I didn't show any fae strength, but he assured me that it's there and we just need to keep working at it. He explained it to me as needing to unlock my genes, saying I'd lived around humans for so long, my survival instincts would have kicked in and my more human traits would have surfaced. It will take time, but working with him and being surrounded by the elves will accelerate it. It will be worth it in the end. However, my body currently feels like it's dying.

"Everything hurts," I complain as I take a sip of my water. My whole body aches, and I've barely touched the plate of food in front of me, which I feel bad about. I don't want the food to go to waste, but lifting the fork to my mouth is painful. "Even my tongue hurts," I whine as Naril chuckles. We both know I've experienced much worse, but he doesn't call me out on it.

"You poor soul," he teases, leaning back in his chair as he watches me. I like Naril, but I sometimes feel his gaze on me when I'm not looking, and I've caught him watching me a couple of times with a fascinated look on his face. I know he finds my human mannerisms amusing. I also have no doubt about whose side he's on. Vaeril is his brother, and he would defend him to the death. However, for the moment, we have a tenuous friendship.

There's a brief knock on the door, but whoever it is doesn't bother to wait for an answer. The door swings open with a bang and Eldrin, followed by a tired-looking Vaeril, enters the room, shutting the abused door behind them. The bond in my chest glows as I see him, and I instantly feel better the closer he gets. I've not seen him since last night, and I wonder if he's going to say anything about the fact that he just left the ball without saying anything. I'm still a little sore over what happened, yet part of me yearns for his proximity. Sadly, he stops at the other side of the table, his eyes running over me with an amused expression before he turns to Eldrin with a raised eyebrow.

"What have you done to my mate?" he asks casually, and I almost believe the fa?ade he's trying to maintain, but I can feel his anger and frustration through the link between us. If I hadn't been so close and looking right at him, I don't think I would have sensed it, assuming they were my own feelings. It's strange, like a second-hand feeling. Eldrin shifts and pulls my attention away from my bond as I watch him frown at Vaeril. He obviously doesn't believe Vaeril either, but I don't miss when his whole body stiffens at the word ‘mate.'

"I'm trying to unlock her fae strength," Eldrin answers simply, but there's a defensive note in his tone that makes the atmosphere in the room change. Shifting forward in my chair, I watch the two of them with a frown. What's going on here?

Vaeril smiles at him, but it's not a nice smile. His teeth are bared as he tilts his head to the side, tracking Eldrin's every move. "By working her until she drops?"

"She's fine," he bites out, gesturing towards me without turning away from my growling…mate. Even in my head, I stumble over the word, not quite comfortable with the implications. Something changes as Eldrin leans back against one of the chairs, crossing his arms. "Besides, she's not your mate yet."

That was apparently the wrong thing for him to say, if Vaeril's snarl is anything to go by. Taking a menacing step towards Eldrin, Vaeril gets close enough that they are almost pressed together, his body practically vibrating with anger. "Yet," he growls.

Eldrin shifts, and the atmosphere gets even more tense as he bares his teeth in response. If someone doesn't step in, there's going to be a fight. Glancing over at Naril, I see that he's still relaxing back in his chair with a lazy, amused smile.

"Aren't you going to stop them?" I hiss as I lean over the table towards him. He briefly pulls his eyes from the two puffed up males to glance at me, laughing as he eagerly returns to watching them snarl at each other.

"Why would I do that?" he drawls, raising his glass to his lips. "I've not seen Eldrin act like this before, and it's fun to see the bond rubbing at Vae." He chuckles. "Besides, if I step between them, one of them would rip my arm off."

Dumbstruck at his flippant response, I simply stare at him. He makes no move to step in, so I know he's telling the truth and not just winding me up. Shaking my head, I push away from the table. "Do I have to do everything around here?" Muttering under my breath, I walk over to the two elves.

When I reach their sides, I glance up at them, and the anger rolling off them makes me pause, my heart pounding as a flash of fear surges through me. Taking a deep breath, I focus on their faces. You're not back in Arhaven, this is Eldrin and Vaeril , I remind myself. These are different circumstances, you're safe.

Eldrin is only a little taller than Vaeril, but he's much bigger, the muscles on his arms bulging as his hands clench into fists. I can tell he's working hard to hold back the anger that resides in him, not wanting to hurt his friend. Vaeril, on the other hand, looks completely feral, and I barely recognise him. He's taken on a defensive stance, his knees bent slightly, as if he's going to pounce at any moment. They've stopped talking, and now they're just snarling at each other.

"Clarissa—" Naril starts, sitting forward in his chair as he realises what I'm about to do. But it's too late for him to do anything now, he should have stepped in while he had the chance.

"Vaeril," I call, reaching my hand out to touch him, although I'm not exactly sure what I'm planning to do or how to placate this bizarre altercation. Vaeril begins to turn as he senses me at his side, his eyes narrowing on me and my outreached hand. However, a loud, deep snarl makes me pause.

"No," Eldrin growls, and in a movement too fast for me to see, he grabs my arm and pulls me towards him, cradling my body for a second before putting me down again. Blinking in confusion, I realise with a frown that I'm now standing behind Eldrin and he's blocking me in.

"Give her back," someone demands. The rage in his voice has almost completely taken over, as his words blend into his constant snarling. Peeking past Eldrin's body, I realise with shock that it's Vaeril. He's in a crouch now, and Naril is by his side, talking urgently to him in a voice too low for me to hear.

Eldrin shifts in front of me. "No." His voice is barely controlled as he looks down at his friend. "Not until you calm yourself." His declaration confuses me and seems as a bit ironic, given his current state. I still have no idea what's happening here, and all I want to do is curl up in the sun and let my tired muscles rest rather than deal with angry elves.

"She is my mate," Vaeril counters, taking a step to the side, as if he's going to try circling the larger elf to reach me. Eldrin, however, was expecting this, the deep rumbling in his chest loud as he mirrors the movement, keeping me caged in behind him. The wall at my back stops me from retreating or moving away, and Eldrin is now so close that I can almost feel his deep growl reverberating through my body.

Naril's expression is what tells me this is more serious than I thought. "Eldrin, brother, you need to calm down." He doesn't look away from Vaeril, who's stalking along the space in front of Eldrin as if searching for a way past him.

Eldrin shifts again, blocking Vaeril from seeing me as he gestures towards the feral elf. "Look at him, Naril. He's barely in control, he's not coming anywhere near her." There's a note of finality in his voice that seems to pierce through Vaeril's anger.

He stands up straighter, his pacing forgotten as he sneers at his friend. "When did you become her protector, Eldrin? I thought you hated her." He's dangerously still now, and this makes me more nervous than a couple of minutes ago. Vaeril looks like every inch the predator I was taught to hate and fear.

Vaeril's comment rings a note of truth within me, though, that makes me pause. It's something I'm confused about as well. Why is Eldrin suddenly so protective? Is it because of what happened earlier in the training courtyard? Or is he being overprotective because he knows Vaeril would be devastated if he accidentally hurt me? Whatever the reason, I get the feeling there's more going on here than I know.

Placing a light hand on his shoulder to try and reason with him, I bite my lip as Eldrin flinches at the contact, but he doesn't pull away from me. From where I'm standing behind him, I can just see the side of his face. He's fighting hard to keep it blank, and his anger is practically pouring off him. "Eldrin, step aside. Please," I request, trying the polite route first. Perhaps I can break through whatever protectiveness I've set off between the two of them.

"No." His response is quick and final.

I guess polite and gentle is out then , I think to myself with a shake of my head. "Eldrin," I bark, surprising myself at the strength and command behind the single word. "Move," I order, not expecting it to work, but his body shifts as he turns slightly to look at me. He's still angled to protect me from the others, but I take a step to move into the gap.

"Vaeril," I call as my eyes land on him at the same moment he sees me. Eldrin throws out his arm to block me from moving any farther forward, and at the same time, Vaeril surges forward.

The two of them collide like a clash of boulders, the sudden movement causing Eldrin's arm to knock me backwards. Had I been more prepared, I could have stepped out of the way or absorbed the hit. However, it completely takes me by surprise and knocks me off my feet, and my head slams against the wall behind me. My vision blanks for a second, the pain radiating through my skull as it takes my breath away.

"She's. Mine!" I can hear Vaeril hissing and the sounds of grunting. My vision clears, and I see the two of them grappling. Vaeril is trying to get around the larger elf to reach me. There's now a gap between them, so Naril slips past and kneels at my side. I notice he's very careful not to touch me and positions himself so his back isn't to the elves.

"Are you okay?" he asks in a low voice, genuine concern flashing in his gaze. Nodding, I close my eyes as the world tilts and pain flares again. Gently, I place my hand on the tender part of my scalp, only to grimace at the damp patch I find there. I know when I pull my hand away, I'm going to see blood. Naril curses when he sees the red coating my fingers.

"Eldrin!" he yells, glaring at his brother's back. "He can probably smell her blood. Let him past, you're making him worse by keeping her from him." His scolding seems to do the trick, and both of them pause as they turn to me, their eyes narrowing on my blood-covered hand.

"She's bleeding?" Eldrin shouts, his eyes wild for a second. Vaeril uses his distraction to race to my side, glaring at his friend kneeling beside me.

"Move," Vaeril orders, and to my surprise, he does. Staring down at me for a second, I can see his shoulders moving as he tries to calm his breathing, his hands clenching and unclenching as he works to control himself.

"What in the Mother is going on?" I query quietly, not taking my eyes from the elf before me. Naril is hovering just behind him, and I get the impression he's ready to step in if necessary. Eldrin is silent now, but I can feel his presence and heavy gaze from the other side of the room.

"It seems like Eldrin set off Vaeril's protective instincts," Naril explains with a carefully neutral tone.

Frowning, I mull over what he just told me. His explanation doesn't make sense to me. "Then why was Eldrin trying to protect me if that's all Vaeril was trying to do?"

"That's what I want to know," he comments, and I quickly pull my eyes away from Vaeril to glance at Naril, who's got his arms crossed over his chest, his eyes narrowed on his brother. "Fae, elves in particular, are very territorial and protective of their mates, both fated and otherwise." Although he's still explaining everything to me, he doesn't turn from his twin.

"I thought Vaeril might hurt her. I was protecting her." Eldrin's response comes quickly, defensively, and even I don't accept his excuse. When I turn to watch him, our eyes lock, and I have to pull my gaze away from his face because the intensity in his eyes is too much. His body is practically trembling with tension, and I know he's forcing himself to stay put.

Vaeril growls slightly above me, and I immediately turn to look up at him, seeing his face lined with tension. "Keep looking at me," he instructs, but his voice is losing the sharp edge and starting to sound more like the Vaeril I know.

"That wasn't normal, and you know it," Naril continues, practically glaring at his brother now. "That was mating level protection." His voice is accusatory, and I realise he sounds hurt, like Eldrin had been keeping something from him.

"I would never hurt her," Vaeril snarls again, his control wavering for a second. Taking a few steady breaths, he rolls his shoulders and straightens his back. "Besides, you were the one who caused her to bleed," he growls, his eyes never leaving me, but I know he aimed that remark towards his larger friend.

An awkward silence fills the space between us, until Naril whistles at the harshness of the comment. Given that Eldrin was just trying to protect me, that jab was out of order, and I'm prepared to tell Vaeril exactly that. I don't know why he was trying to protect me, but he certainly didn't hurt me on purpose. I open my mouth to respond, but the atmosphere shifts, and I can see Eldrin moving towards the door out of the corner of my eye.

He's leaving.

"Eldrin!" I call, shuffling my weight so I can try to stop him. I'm not sure why it feels so important that he stays, but I'm cut off by a growl as Vaeril kneels in front of me, his face so close to mine we're almost nose to nose.

"Don't move," Naril orders, and I can hear him moving around the room. "Vaeril is showing remarkable restraint here. If you go running after my brother, I don't know if he'd be able to hold his true nature back."

I'm not quite sure what he means about Vaeril's ‘true nature,' but his comment about me running after his brother stings. The way he says it makes it sound like I'm a hussy, chasing any elf who would show me a bit of attention, and I resent him for it.

The door suddenly slams shut, and I know I've lost my chance and Eldrin has left the room. My heart goes out to him. He was only trying to help, and yet again, he's been left out.

"Are you okay?" Vaeril asks quietly, his voice much softer now, his eyes almost back to their usual dazzling green. His face has smoothed out, other than a tiny frown between his silver brows. He's gorgeous, and this close, I start to forget why I'm mad at him. His proximity comforts that aching part of me that calls to him.

"It's just a small cut, nothing to worry about," I answer with a small smile, nodding my head in answer, only to wince as a burst of pain flashes through my skull again. Of course Vaeril notices, his frown deepening and his pupils widening again. He reaches out for me, pausing as he sees my expression.

"Can I hold you?" he queries, and I know he's fighting against his instincts to pull me into his arms.

Raising one brow, I lean back slightly, still not quite sure what's happening here. "You're kidding, right?"

"Please?" he implores with gritted teeth. Frowning, I nod again, not learning my lesson as the pain makes me wince. Giving into his instincts, he quickly reaches out to me, but with a gentleness I hadn't expected. He slides one arm under my knees and one across my back, pulling me against his body.

The tugging, yearning feeling in my chest eases, and I realise it's not my emotions that I'm feeling, but his. Although my own bond is practically humming with pleasure at being this close to him. A low vibration starts up, and I realise he's purring . I glance over at Naril for an explanation, but he looks like he's trying hard not to laugh. I'm pulled even closer to Vaeril as his hand comes up and presses my head against his chest.

"I'm going to get blood on your clothes," I mutter half-heartedly as I go to move away, but his arms just tighten around me, his purr intensifying as I sigh and settle back against him.

"Don't care," he replies, nuzzling my neck and rubbing his cheeks against me like a cat might do when they're scent marking. It's odd, and I'm not sure what to make of it, but strangely, I find it calming.

"What's happening?" I ask Naril, trying to turn my head to look at him, but Vaeril's purring turns into a small growl, so I give up and stay where I am.

"It's part of our mating instinct. It's reassuring the more feral side of our nature that you're okay, that you're his," Naril answers, his voice amused, and I can just imagine the smug smile on his face.

A knocking at the door has both elves tensing, and Naril spins to see what caused the offending sound while Vaeril holds me even closer, snarling slightly.

"Clarissa?" Tor's voice calls through the door, and I let out a breath that I hadn't realised I was holding as something eases inside me.

"Oh, brilliant," Naril mutters to himself, and I manage to turn my head to watch as he marches over and opens the door.

Tor strides in, ignoring Naril and walking straight past him. "Is everything okay?" he immediately queries, looking around the room for me and frowning when he sees me curled up in a snarling elf's arms. "I felt your pain through the bond."

Vaeril doesn't loosen his hold on me, but he flinches when Tor mentions the bond. He does, however, surprise me when he stops snarling and dips his head towards Tor. "Tribesman," he says in greeting, his voice still guttural. Tor places his hands on his hips, arching an eyebrow as a shadow of a smile plays at the corner of his lips.

"I fell, I'm fine, really," I reassure him, but my excuse is countered by the fact I'm being cradled by an elf, and I really don't have the energy to explain how this all happened.

Tilting his head to the side, he watches the two of us before chuckling low in his chest. "Well, well…I would've gotten here sooner if I knew we were having a cuddle party." A surprised laugh bubbles up in my chest, and he grins at me in response. Vaeril snarls, but it's half-hearted now that I'm settled in his arms and not trying to pull away.

Tor's smile drops as he takes a few steps towards us, stopping a couple of paces away so as not to upset Vaeril. "You're really okay?" I can tell he wants to reach out, but his eyes flick to Vaeril and he thinks better of it.

"Yes, I am, I promise," I reply with a smile, hoping to reassure him. My head still hurts, but I'm pretty sure the bleeding has stopped. "Will I see you later?" I inquire hopefully, hating that he's being kept so busy. The short amount of time we spent together at the ball wasn't enough, but I get the feeling stolen moments are all we're going to get for the foreseeable future.

His wince confirms my suspicions as he takes a deep breath. "I hope so. The queen is running me ragged at the moment," he explains wearily, and I take a proper look at him. He does look exhausted, and being an ambassador can't be easy. "She wasn't pleased that I dashed out of her meeting just now." He rubs the back of his neck with a sheepish expression.

Mother above. The queen's going to love that when she finds out why he left her meeting , I think to myself, shaking my head as I imagine her reaction.

Apparently, I'm not the only one, because Naril snorts. "Oh wonderful, will we have the queen joining us in here too?" Sarcasm coats his words, but Tor gives me a rueful smile and half shrug.

"If I don't get back, then probably," the tribesman replies, his voice apologetic. Slowly closing the gap between us, he leans towards me and brushes his nose against mine. "Bye, Clarissa."

"Bye, Tor." My response is quiet, but I know he heard it since he smiles before hurrying out the door, shutting it behind him.

I'm surprised that Vaeril didn't react to Tor being so close or make any comment about his slip with mentioning our connection, but I realise now that he's completely still, like he's holding his breath. Now that the tribesman has gone, he relaxes, his hold on me loosens, and he resumes his nuzzling into my hair, the steady purring starting up again in his chest.

Naril walks back over to the table and pulls out a chair, flopping into it and resting his head in his hands as if he's exhausted. "Well, that was an entertaining lunch."