Warring Mates

I sat down on the leather couch, fumbling with my shirt as I refused to look at my mom. We had gone to the private sitting room. My mom’s favourite place to be when dad was busy. Mainly because she loved to read her books while sitting by the fire.

“I know you don’t really want to talk about it, and what you do is your own business,” she started, sitting next to me, “but did you talk with him... About the mating and such?”

I breathed out, bouncing my leg. “We did.”

“That’s good to hear.” She grabbed my hand, squeezing it. ”I’m happy for you it all worked out. Even though you are still so young…”

“Well, it’s not really my choice, is it?” I joked. If I hadn’t met my mate, I wouldn’t be in this situation. I would be able to shift and not have to mate within weeks.

“Don’t say it like that.” She tucked a strand of my hair behind my ear. “You choose to be with Lachlan and not with that king of assholes.”

A brief laugh left my lips at her nickname for Collin. “Can I go now? I wanted to tell Lachlan something.” This whole him being my second mate… It felt right.

She bumped my shoulder. “Care to let me know what?”

Shaking my head, I stood up. “I want him to be the first one to know.”

“All right.” She squeezed my hand one last time. “See you at diner.”

Dinner… Right. That wouldn’t be awkward at all.

“And don’t think of skipping it,” she added.

“I won’t,” I said, leaving the room. And as I walked to his room, I already thought of a plan to skip it. Sitting in the dining room with my entire family… That was not going to happen. I could only imagine the looks they would give me. The wiggling brows of Zak, dad who would try to kill Lachlan with a stare.

I shuddered at the thought and opened the door when I saw Lachlan walking to me with a pale face. “Is everything okay?”

“Let’s say I had a talk with your dad.”

He didn’t…

I gnarled my teeth. “I’m so gonna kill him.” But I didn’t get far.

His arms wrapped around me, his breath tickling my ear as he said, “your his daughter. It’s normal for him to be protective of you.”

“I don’t care.” I turned in his arms. “What I do is none of his business.”

“Again. He is your father.”

I sighed. Wasting my energy on this pointless argument wasn’t on my agenda. “Let’s have some breakfast. I’m starving.”

The corner of his mouth tugged up. “We could have eaten an hour ago… just so you know.”

“Shut up,” I mumbled, pecking his lips, and I pulled out of his embrace to go into his room.

“Oh, before I forget, Silas invited us to go to the city with Arwen,” he said, closing the door. “I thought it would be fun.”

“Sounds good.” I sat down at the small dining table, our food already displayed and for me a mug with hot water. “There is also something I wanted to tell you.”

“What is it?” He sat next to me, his eyes raking over my face.

“Well…” I played with the strawberries that laid on top of my pancakes. “I had a talk with Arwen and she said something about our aura’s after I posed a question.”

“Go on.”

I tilted my head. “She thinks you may be my second mate. And I believe it since my beast loves the affection she is getting from you. Not to mention, after this morning, I feel tingles whenever we touch.”

He swallowed his food, placing his utensils down. “So you’re not the only one who feels them?”

“I say you are my second chance mate and you ask a question?” I raised a brow, leaning back in my chair.

“I’m sorry.” He gave me a lopsided grin. “It’s amazing to hear that your beast chose me.”

His lips touched mine briefly as he pecked me before stuffing his mouth full.

I rolled my eyes and swung my fork in the air as I said, “you should.” And popped the strawberry in my mouth. “I mean, she could have chosen anyone. And I mean, anyone. Even that guy you once punched in the face.”

His jaw clenched, his eyes hardening. “You wouldn’t have accepted him.”

I shrugged. “Who says that?”

“Because he is a douche who wouldn’t leave you alone. Even after you had told him you weren’t interested.”

A smirk crept upon my face—lazy, unhurried. I had never seen him this jealous. Maybe I wasn’t the only one affected now that the mating bond was solidifying between us. And I couldn’t wait to mark him.

I stood up and straddled his lap, kissing him. “I love you, and only you.”

His fingers digged into my hips, deepening the kiss.

“You have nothing to be jealous off. Not even Collin.”

He kissed my jaw and whispered, “no one?”

“No one,” I mumbled, the haze of lust clouding my mind. “You know, another round sounds very tempting.”

“It does.” He trailed his fingers up my back. “But we have to meet with Silas and Arwen in a couple minutes.”

A low growl rumbled in my chest. “Did you have to agree with meeting them this early?”

“You love the preparations to the Spirit Fest.”

“I do, but there is something else I love more.” I kissed his jaw, my lips trailing down his neck as my hands undid his belt.

He grabbed my hands. “Meeting in a couple of minutes, Lexi.”

A huff left my mouth. "Fine. I’ll see you in a minute downstairs since you might need to cool down a bit." I grinded my hips against his, nipping at his neck and left.

Behind me, I could hear him cursing, and I bit my lower lip as I sauntered to the grand hall. And as I stood at the top of the stairs, I was mesmerized with the way the sun shone through the vast windows. Rays of sunlight danced in the air, picturing the ground with pools of golden light. Not even my artistic brain could paint this picture.

“Where is Lachlan?” Arwen asked as I descended the stairs.

"Still upstairs. He needed a couple minutes." I leant against the door, my arms crossed as I ignored the pointed look Arwen was giving me.

"Do we want to know?"

"No, you don't," a voice said, and I looked up to see Lachlan at the bottom of the stairs.

"That was fast." Maybe I should have teased him more.

"You're going to regret this," he whispered in my ear before walking out of the door, my gramps and Arwen walking in front us as they tried to keep in their laughs.

"Am I?" I asked, catching up with him, and I intertwined our fingers as we sauntered to the lively city.

Banners with the words Spirit Fest hung around the streets, ornaments adorning the trees. And the people wandered through the streets, heavy in conversation, as the children ran around laughing and screaming. It was even so busy on the streets, we barely made it to the inner part of the city—the market.

This was the place you wanted to be when you waited for the next course. Savoring the food from the many stalls, or sightseeing the souvenirs. People from all over the five kingdoms came to set up their stalls here since all the rulers would come to enjoy it. Now more than ever with the recent events.

“Oh my, look at those herbs.” Arwen left Silas’ side to check the stall. And I understood why. Those herbs weren’t from here, and I was excited to know what they could be used for.

“I’m going to buy some food,” Lachlan said in my ear, kissing my temple before wandering off.

“How’s your training going?” Silas turned to me, his hands in his pockets. “Are you able to keep up that shield?”

I breathed out, watching Arwen buy some of the herbs. “I think great. Only lost control once, but yesterday went amazing.” I could still remember the way his touch set me on fire. The blankets entangled around our legs. Endless kissess…

“We’ll see.” He turned back to his wife.

“What is that supposed to mean?” I moved in front of him, trying to see in his face what he meant. But it was blank. Not one emotion. Well… not completely blank. Love shone in his eyes as he watched Arwen.

“What it means,” he started, turning his gaze back on me, “is that if you can keep that shield up during a test of mine, you are ready.”

“Couldn’t you have done that from the start!” I screeched and people looked our way as I kept repeating the same words to myself, ‘keep the shield intact.’

“No, and neither will I tell you when the test is starting.”

I threw my arms in the air and turned around as I said, “so for all I know you already started it?”

“Maybe.” And I could hear the laughter in his voice.

A grumble left my lips, and I watched Arwen more closely. She bought some herbs I recognized. They were for pregnancies, to help with the nausea. Which was strange since she had enough of those and no one was pregnant in the palace. At least, for as far as I knew.

I pivoted on my heels, shifting my attention to my gramps. “Why is she…” My voice trailed off as he clenched his jaw, scrutinizing every movement of his wife.

“Something wrong?” I asked.

“No.” A short and curt answer. But the small twitch in his jaw told me otherwise.

“Has it to do with Arwen?” I pressed on.

“There is nothing, Lexi.” He sighed out, his shoulders relaxing. “Everything is fine.”

But I didn’t believe him. If anything at all… I shifted my gaze back to Arwen and looked more closely. A demure indigo dress hugged her curves, flowing out from her hips. Her hair was braided into a knot, a couple strands hanging loosely around her face, accentuating her rosy cheeks.

She seemed to glow, and as my eyes glided over her figure, I noticed something… a bump. It was barely visible, but it was there.

“Is she pregnant?” I asked, and the hesitance in my voice couldn’t be more clear. They both had children before.

He didn’t answer me.

“Gramps.”

He whipped his head to me, his eyes wide. “Did you say something?”

“Is she pregnant?”

He opened his mouth to speak, but closed it again as his attention shifted to Arwen again. “She is.”

Now it seemed more than obvious why he was constantly looking at her. He must be terrified for her. With those creatures, and the new problems they bring with them.

“You know,” I started, bumping his shoulder with my own, “mom will be ecstatic.”

He stayed silent, his fingers tightening around his arms as he had them crossed over his chest.

“She wants you to be happy, and to have you experience the things you missed out on with her.”

He rolled his neck, rubbing the back of his neck. “You think so?”

I wrapped my arms around him. Mom always wanted a happy ending for him. “I couldn’t be more sure of it.”

He hugged me back, and a second pair of arms wrapped around us.

“Why are we hugging?” Arwen asked.

A chuckle left Silas’ mouth and he kissed her temple. “She knows.”

“What.” She breathed out, her mouth half open as she looked at me wide eyed. “How?”

“Seems you are forgetting she is an amazing observer.”

His hand glided over to the slight bump, and I skidded over to Lachlan as he walked to us with two skewers in his hand.

“Here.” He handed me the skewer with the roasted vegetables, and my mouth watered.

“It smells amazing.” I kissed his cheek and took a bite, careful not to burn my mouth.

“What were you and Silas talking about?” he asked when he finished with eating.

“Can’t tell.” I grabbed the skewer out of his hand and threw them away.

He narrowed his eyes, wrapping his arms around my waist. “You’re a vixen, you know that?” he murmured in my ear, his teeth scraping the shell of my ear.

“I have no idea what you are talking about.”

Our lips touched briefly—a tease. A promise for later.

“Sure you do, darling.” He squeezed my hips before letting go, and we all walked further through the busy street, the many smells of food dizzying me.

Around us, the wind picked up, bringing a cool breeze with it, and as I enjoyed the feeling of it against my skin, my eyes glided over Lachlan’s back. The muscles in his back twitched with every step he took, and as my eyes went lower and lower…

My beast purred, her presence filling my head. We agreed on one thing, and that was him. Our thirst wasn’t satiated yet, and probably won’t for a while.

I entangled my fingers with his, dragging him with away from the others. “We are going into another direction. See you back at the Palace.”

“Lexi.” Silas cursed under his breath. But I was gone before he could grab me.

“Where are you taking me?” Lachlan asked as I tugged him into an alley.

“Somewhere private,” I said, pushing him against the wall. My hands glided up his chest, and I kissed him, his lips a summer rain, pouring over me as if they had the power to take away and give back life.

And as our lips danced to their own rhythm, matching our racing hearts, his hands slid down from my waist, all the way to my ass. He squeezed them and lifted me up as he traded places with me, pressing me to the wall.

I moaned into his mouth. His scent overwhelmed me, his skin setting my own ablaze as my stomach fluttered. Time stood still, my desire growing with each second.

Though this moment of bliss didn’t last long. A scream not far away from us had him pulling back, a whimper leaving my mouth as my eyes stayed close, savouring the feeling. But it was fleeting. That one screamed into more, and I wiggled out of his arms.

“What the—”

I didn’t let him finish as I grabbed his hand, dragging him with me to the commotion. People rushed around. Children crying and hiding behind the trees and plants. The smell of fear reached my nose, my stomach twisting. There were barely any guards.

A tug at my hand had me looking back. Lachlan clutched his hand, a groan leaving his mouth.

“Are you all right?” I touched his cheek, freezing momentarily when our eyes met. For a split second they looked hollow. But I wasn’t sure as he clenched his eyes shut as another wave of pain hit him.

“Just a terrible headache.”

A person bumped into me, pushing me against him. “We should go somewhere safe.” If he couldn’t fight for himself, we would only be in the way. Not to mention, this wasn’t the best spot to be right now.

“Did I just hear that correctly,” he joked. “You’re backing off.”

“Oh, don’t look so smug.” I offered him my shoulder as we stumbled through the chaos. “I can act like an adult… When I’m feeling like it,” I added with a chuckle.

He snorted. “So, you’re saying you just love to cause trouble.”

”What,” I gasped, placing a hand over my heart. “Me?”

He rolled his eyes and leant against a house. “The headache is disappearing.”

I nodded, my eyes darting over the area. Most of the people were gone, only guards scouting the area. They had finally arrived and helped the remaining people go somewhere safe.

“I kinda wonder what could cause this kind of commotion,” I said, strolling through the street. A distant fruity smell, mixed with citrus, reached my nose. The same kind as those purple flowers in our garden.

And to my left, the scraping of something hard against stone caught my attention. My breath hitched, sweat forming on my palms as I slowly turned my head. That sound… The sudden coldness…

Black scales. Razor sharp talons. And those reptile like eyes.

One of those creatures stood metres away from me, its mouth pulled in a snarl as its tongue tasted the air.

I cursed under my breath when it charged at me, and dashed away, zigzagging through the streets. But it was futile. The creature was faster and before I knew it I laid on the ground, crying out in pain. Its tail had swiped across my arm, the poison already making its way through my veins.

I clawed at my skin, a scream leaving my mouth as all my nerves were on fire. A different kind than the bliss Lachlan made me feel. This was a deep, nagging pain that took away my breath.

And no matter how badly I wanted to lie here. I couldn’t. The creature stalked over to me, its eyes calculating me. He had won the fight. At least he must have thought that. He didn’t stand in a defence pose. Meaning that this was my chance.

I called upon my magic, ignoring the excruciating pain, and sent a blast of electricity all around me. The surrounding houses collapsed, and in the distant I could hear the windows breaking of the other ones. But when I opened my eyes, a shiver went down my spine, my knuckles turning white as I balded my fists.

It still stood its ground. Though the attack of mine still did something to him. It shook its head, a hiss escaping his mouth. What it did, I had no idea. But what I knew was that this was my chance.

Biting through the pain, I scrambled off the ground. Beside the collapsed house, Lachlan stood, his face pale as he cried out in pain, clutching his head. Not far from him, I saw a creature, its head tilted. It almost seemed as if he was communicating.

I took a step to him, trying to warn him, when a body slammed into me. My back collapsed with the brick wall, and a rib cracked on the impact. And to make matters worse, there was no guard in sight. We were completely helpless.

“What the heck are you?” I wheezed, clenching my eyes shut as the world around me swayed. The pain was becoming too much.

“Lexi!”

A breath of relief escaped my mouth. Silas ran over to me, Arwen close on his heels as Zak materialized out of thin air together with Ryan and the twins.

“Are you okay?” Arwen touched my ribs, and a groan escaped my mouth. “It doesn’t look broken”

“I don’t care about my ribs,” I lashed out. Breathing became harder and harder for me as the venom spread through my body. By now, it felt as if I was being burned alive.

She touched the wound on my arm, the surrounding veins turning black. “You’re poisoned.”

“Zak!”

“She needs to get to the palace as soon as possible,” Arwen said.

“Lachlan,” I mumbled, and I wanted to say more, but the world around me was slipping away.

“He is going to be fine.”

A pair of arms lifted me up, and the air around me shifted.

“Place her on the bed. I have the antidote somewhere here.”

A needle pierced my skin, and as Arwen injected me with the remedy, a weight lifted off my chest.

“That’s so much better,” I breathed out, leaning up to rest against the headboard.

“Just because I gave you the cure doesn’t mean you are better,” she scolded.

“The wound on my arm is already healing, and I am sitting up, not running around.”

She threw her arms in the air and walked over to Lachlan, who was sound asleep.

“Is he going to be fine?” I asked, my sight blurring. He was feeling better, and now he had that terrible headache.

“The headache lessened when he got here,“ Arwen said as she mixed some herbs. “Right now, he is just sleeping it off.”

“Do you have an idea what causes these headaches?”

Arwen stopped what she was doing and gave me her full attention. “His escape is a plausible reason, but the tone in your voice tells me you think it has to do with something else.”

“I… I don’t know.” I leant my head against the wall, closing my eyes.

“If you know something, Lexi, you have to tell us,” Silas pitched in.

“It’s nothing.” At least, I hoped it was.