Slay My Soul

It wasn’t my proudest moment running off as I did. It’s been a long time since I have felt so overwhelmed. I hate how I am expected to just jump on any dick deemed necessary to the prophecy and be happy about it. But I understand how they see it from their side. It is simple - just mate the last two and win. Am I really frigid? Are my claimed mates satisfied? Am I meant to ignore my feelings and emotions? Am I just supposed to become a sexbot and become all-powerful? Why didn’t the Fates pick some nympho to be their puppet? Christ, I hadn’t slept with anyone but Reece up until Darius and Garret jumped on my runaway train. I was all about loving the one you were intimate with, fighting against the supernatural mate bonds, and loving them naturally. Hating this forced and rushed intimacy. I stop my stomping through the forest and glare at the sky peeking through.

“You dumbasses should have picked someone else!” I yell. “Someone less stubborn, that lives for sex. Or, you could have at least made it one guy that has everything like me so it was more manageable. You are shitty planners!” I flip the sky my middle finger and then continue my stomping. Eventually, I come out by the swimming hole. The tent where Reece and I spent our last night together is still standing. I should take it down, but I can’t bring myself to do it. This is the last place I saw Reece alive and I feel closer to him here than anywhere else. It has become a safe place for me to think and breathe. It is obvious my mind has decided I need to reground myself, having run here on autopilot. So I will do just that. Rest, regroup, and get my head back in the game.

I flick a few leaves off the bedding in the tent and flop onto the soft bed. A small puff of Reece’s scent greets me. His scent is faint now, but still present. I snuggle into his pillow, closing my eyes and listening to the sounds of birds singing and leaves rustling in the breeze. My muscles slowly release their tension and I allow myself to doze a little. Power naps are good for the soul.

I jerk awake suddenly and see it is dark. Reece’s scent surrounds me and the heavy weight of an arm lies over my waist. The heat of his chest against my back is so comforting. I wriggle and turn myself to see Reece sleeping peacefully beside me, a lock of his blond hair flopped over his face. I stroke it away. His eyes flicker open and a hand snatches my wrist, pulling it to his lips so he can kiss my palm.

“What are you doing awake in the middle of the night baby girl?” He murmurs in a husky, sleepy voice. “Bad dream?”

“No idea, I just woke up suddenly,” I murmur back.

“Do you reckon you can go back to sleep, or should we get up?” He says, pulling me closer.

“I’m not getting up, I’m happy to stay right here forever.” I tuck my nose into his neck, drowning myself in his addictive scent.

“Me too babe.” He kisses my temple and rolls so I can sprawl on him as I normally do. I doze off again easily.

The morning light blares through a gap in the curtains. I groan and move Reece’s hand up from my shoulder to cover my eyes. His chest jerks as he laughs.

“Come on lazy, it’s time to get your cute ass moving.” His fingers tickle my face as I groan and try to bury myself in his neck. Fingers tickle my hips and I shriek and thrash. “Chop, chop babe. The sooner you get up, the sooner you can have coffee.”

“Already made,” a voice calls from the door. “Sorry I’m late. I had hoped to be home with you before you woke, but the flight was delayed.” The door nudges open and Belestine walks in juggling three cups of coffee. I smile and grin, sitting up and accepting a cup before he settles on the bed and starts sipping on his own coffee. He strokes the hair running down my back, untangling it gently and Reece draws circles on my thigh. I love mornings like this. Coffee, bed, and my mates.

“How was the witch gathering?” Reece asked Belestine.” Were they more accepting this time?” I feel my warlock tense beside me.

“It was fine but I don’t think I’ll go next year. I’d rather be here. You know I hate being away from you.” He gives a playful tug to my hair. I hand Reece my cup and turn to face my other mate.

“I take it they were shit’s again,” I say, crawling into his lap and hugging him. “They don’t deserve you, fuck them,” I growl, angry at the race that has unfairly judged him for having a fated mate, not of their race.

“I’d rather fuck you,” he whispers in my ear and nibbles on my neck. “We could start the day with an Eve sandwich for breakfast. What do you reckon Reece?” I look lovingly over at my blond mate and raise an eyebrow. He is looking at Belestine confused and deep in thought.

“Reece?” I ask, drawing his attention. He flicks his eyes to me and smiles, his face going back into his easy-going expression.

“No can do baby girl, we have training to do this morning and we will be late if you don’t shift your butt.” He hands me my coffee and starts to get up, swiftly getting dressed and grabbing my training gear for me while I pout at Belestine. Belestine chuckles and nudges me.

“Go on beautiful, you can ravish me tonight. I’m not going anywhere,” he smirks. I sigh but clamber off the bed. I dress slowly making it a show for Bel. I blow him a kiss as I follow Reece out, leaving him to probably rub one off if his raging boner is anything to go by. We trek downstairs and I look expectantly at the kitchen finding myself disappointed when it’s empty. What was I expecting to see? We place our cups in the sink and head off for training.

I spend the day sparring and running drills with my team, while we give each other shit. Belestine pops past every now and again with water for Reece and me. The final bottle he hands me at the end of the day, I pour over my head, to wash away the sweat while he laughs.

“You look like a drowned kitten,” he chuckles. Kitten. An image of a muscular, tattooed giant man with short black hair and intense dark eyes worms into my mind. Safety and love. My Alpha, my - A kiss brings me back to reality, gentle and sweet. I pull back and look at Belestine frowning at me. “You ok beautiful?” I nod and force a grin.

“Just tired,” I lie. Reece is also frowning but at Bellestine, not me.

“Well, I cooked dinner. It’s in the warmer. Just shower and come eat, then you can chill out for the night,” Belestine smiles kindly at me. Reece offers me his hand and we head home. My skin tingling where we touch. Belestine slips his hand into mine on the other side, squeezing it reassuringly. I squeeze back in reflex. But don’t look at him. Alarms are going off in my head. There is no active bond humming against my skin on Bel's side. Is it broken? Has something happened?

I think back to when we met and find a brick wall. Pain stabs my head as I try harder to think. I change gears and think back to when I first slept with Reece. It leaps into my mind easily. The swimming hole and losing my virginity to my love. I think back to my first time with Bel and hit that wall again, incurring more stabs of pain. When we reach home I again find myself drawn to the kitchen, as Bel rushes in to grab plates and cutlery. It seems wrong, like there should be something more. Busier and with more people. I frown as Reece tugs me up the stairs, scowling. He rushes me to the shower and flicks it on, motioning for me to stay quiet. We swiftly undress and dive in, grabbing each other.

“Reece,“ I whisper in his ear. “It’s all wrong! I can’t feel my bond with him. I don't know what's wrong with it. Things just feel weird, like things are missing. The kitchen should have more people. In my mind, I saw a man, a huge alpha with big tattooed muscles and dark hair. I think of my past with Bellestine and I come up blank. It makes my brain hurt. I think somethings wrong with me!”

“I know baby, I know.” He strokes my back and then pulls back to cup my face. He kisses me like I am the most precious thing in the world. “Baby girl you need to wake up. This place is all a lie. You’re dreaming.” I look at him confused. “He’s using my soul to manipulate you in your sleep. He is not a mate. The man you saw in your head is Darius our mate. You need to go back to him.”

“What do you mean using your soul?” I ask trembling. He strokes my jaw gently.

“You know, you know what it means.” Tears fill my eyes and I shove away the answer. The truth. I don’t want to face it. “I’m so sorry baby girl. I was so caught up being with you again that I let his magic blind me. I want to be with you always but not like this, as a lie, with him hooked into you. You need to accept the truth and get back to safety. What am I?”

“You're my mate,” I sob.

“I'm always yours my Eve, but what am I? Say it.” I shake my head biting my tongue. I can’t say it. He’s here. His soul is here. I don’t want to lose it. If I say it, if I give it power with words, he will leave me again. “Say it Eve! You have a mission to complete. Speak the truth.” My body shakes violently against the truth. “I’m dead baby girl. Say it.” His voice is a broken whisper and my legs buckle. Belestine throws the door open, his face red with anger. I look at Reece and let the memories come. I remember crawling to him as my soul broke, dragging his lifeless body to me and screaming to the Fates.

“I love you always and forever,” I sob as Belestine snarls and stomps to the shower.

“Say it,” Reece pleads and I kiss his lips one last time.

“You are dead,” I whisper feeling my heart break all over again. Belestine roars as the world tips and darkens. The last thing I see is Reece’s sad smile before I rip my eyes open and bolt upright.

I am still in the tent where I started but I am surrounded by my very relieved-looking mates. I launch myself at Darius.

“Please take me home,” I sob.

“Of course Kitten,” he says, hugging me to him and rising to his feet. Kitten. Thank god for his pet name pulling me to him. Lord knows how long Belestine could have kept me without it.