Warring Mates

"It seems like we did good bringing that mate of yours with us,” the girl said. She stood with her hands clasped behind her back, a wicked grin dancing on her lips. “We couldn’t have you die. Not when the fun is about to start.”

The blood drained from my face as I snuggled deeper into Collin’s embrace to preserve some heat. The air was freezing; the darkness suffocating. There was no light—save it for the almost burned-out torch that hung outside this dank cell.

“What kind of fun?” I tried to sound strong, but failed miserably.

Collin’s hand sneaked beneath my shirt, rubbing soothing circles on my back. Sparks travelled along my spine, bursting through the rest of my body. Though the blanket of peace never came. They didn’t ease me.

“We’re going to get out of here,” he whispered in my ear.

The words barely registered in my brain as my eyes darted around the small space. My breathing quickened, my hands shaking.

“I’m not going to spoil it.” She cocked her head, her eyes going over my body. “Though the fun part might not apply to you.”

Collin let out a low, threatening growl, his arms tightening around me.

“Oh, hush, big bad wolf.” She placed her hands on her hips, leaning forward into the light of the torch. Shadows danced across her face, the bright flames reflecting into her eyes.

I stilled. Her eyes...

“Are you being controlled by them?” The same orange hue gleamed inside of them, only visible when the light reflected in them.

The corner of her mouth curled up, showing a pair of sharp teeth. “Quite the opposite.”

My heart thundered inside my chest. Those teeth. The hue in her eyes.

“You’re fae..." Tears burned my eyes, one spilling over. "How could you turn your back on us?” My voice broke. She was a friend of Lachlan... He had trusted her.

Collin pressed my head into the crook of his neck as I contained my sobs with my hand. His chest rumbled with growls, his body tense—close to shifting.

“I’m only half fae,” she said as if it meant nothing to her. “Though that part of my genetics did give me this peculiar gift of mind control.”

“You’re related to them,” Collin hissed with a venom that had goosebumps rise on my arms.

I pulled back from him, glancing at the girl. It couldn’t be... Women had only been disappearing for the last couple of years. She was at least twenty years.

“Don’t look so shocked.” She giggled. “They’ve been planning this for over a century. Doing experiments to make sure their kind would survive.” Smugness coated her face when she spoke her next words, “My mom was one of the first to survive.”

“Experiments...” I mumbled. The world around me buzzed. Survive...

“You can’t blame them.” Her voice turned harder. “The rest of you drove them away as if they were abominations.” She scoffed. “If you only knew.”

My brows drew together. My thoughts raced through all the things I've been taught about our history. Never had those creatures been mentioned or anything alike. At least in the books of our language. The one that the ancients had written contained some information about them. How they looked, their habitat. But nothing useful. There was no name, no weaknesses.

“We couldn’t find anything in the book of the ancients,” I said, my voice sounding different—distant.

She hit the bars of our cell, a roar leaving her mouth. “Don’t you dare call them the ancients. The Reptillions are the ancient ones—the one who lived first.”

Her answer had taken me back as I flinched. From what gramps had told me, the ancients created us. For each kind there was one ancient—a so-called god or goddess. The God of Dragons for the dragon bloodline, the Moon Goddess for the werewolves, the Goddess of Life for the elves...

“I don’t get it.”

“Of course you don’t,” she sneered, pacing in front of our cell. “Everything about the reptillions—every little thing that had remotely to do with their existence—was thrown away. Burned to crisp as if it was nothing.”

“We didn’t know,” I reasoned with her. “This all happened millennia ago.”

“Don’t worry.” She turned on her heels. “The world will know from now on. At least show some gratitude that they decided to save your kind in the process too.”

My head spun as a million questions swam through my mind. I forced myself to think of something else. We could deal with this later. After we get out of here.

“What do we do now?” I turned to Collin to see him glaring into the direction the girl disappeared into. “Collin...”

“We wait,” he said gruffly.

“What?” I closed my eyes, shaking my head. “We have to get out of here. You’re crazy if you think I’m staying here for one more second. I’m not going to be one of their experiments.” My voice raised higher at the end as panic settled in my bones.

His hands cupped my face, his thumbs grazing my cheeks. “Breathe.”

I choked on a sob.

“Nothing will happen to you,” he reassured, hooking a finger around my necklace. “Your parents were scared something like this would happen, so they placed a location spell on this.”

“Goddess.” I dropped my head onto his shoulder. I wanted to yell at them to the point their ears would bleed for doing something like this, but at the same time I couldn't be more grateful. "I can't believe it."

"Can you blame them?"

I played with the necklace as I murmured, "I guess not."

He kissed my temple. "They really love you."

"I know." I bit on my lower lip. Their love for me was unrivaled. “So, what do we do in the meantime?”

“We talk.” He massaged my sides, his eyes scanning the dimly lit hallway. “It’s not like we can do anything else.”

“There is a lot we can do.” I glanced at the bars that kept us here. “Such as making a plan on how to stop them.”

“Lexi...” His fingers dug into my chin, forcing me to look at him. “The best we can do is to stay quiet or we risk getting separated.”

“I’m not good at doing nothing,” I argued. Sitting still... Studying... It was not me. I had to be busy or I would go insane.

“I know.” He leant his forehead against mine, his cool breath caressing my face. “But we have no other choice.”

...

A smile stretched across my face as I reached for my beast. I couldn’t channel her, neither could I shift, but it was enough for now. Knowing she was there was all I needed and who knows, maybe if we fully mated, I could finally do all those things. Running through the woods with Collin, sparring without almost passing out from exhaustion.

“What are you smiling about,” he murmured against my hair.

I wrapped my arms around his neck, pecking the corner of his lips. “Nothing.”

“Really?” A soft smile tugged at his lips. “You’re going to tease me now.”

I nestled my head in the crook of his neck, a chuckle leaving my mouth. “It’s my beast. Her presence is filling my head.”

He squeezed my hips. “That’s good to hear.”

I pulled back, tilting my head. “You don’t really sound like it.”

The smile on his face diminished as he swallowed. “It’s not that.” He rubbed his forehead. “I’m just hoping I am wrong.”

“With what?” If he knew something I didn’t…

He gazed into my eyes. “The only thing that matters is that you can feel her.”

I glared at him and was about to say something when the lisping of those creatures bounced off the walls. The hairs on my neck stood, and I snuggled deeper into Collin’s embrace. We both stayed silent, hoping that if we didn’t make a noise, they would forget us.

Minutes ticked by as nothing happened, the footsteps of the Reptillions diminishing until the only sound was the water dripping down the walls.

“How long until my parents find us?” I whispered. With each passing second, we risked those creatures using me for those experiments.

“I don’t know.”

Goddess, what if they couldn’t find us? What if we were stuck here for the rest of our life? They wouldn’t let him live for that long.

I shook the thoughts away. I had to stay positive. “What do you think those experiments entail?” I asked instead.

He sighed, exasperated. “Let’s not talk about that.”

“I mean, it’s more than obvious they are trying to get those women pregnant,” I rambled on. “To save their kind. I just don’t understand the part where they experiment on them.”

With a grumble, he covered my mouth with his hand. “Stop talking.”

A growl rumbled in my chest, muffled by his hand. I pushed it away. “I can’t help it.” Not when my brain had all the time to create the worst kinds of scenarios.

He pressed his lips against mine in a fleeting kiss and leant his forehead against mine. "How about we make an escape-plan?"

My lips stretched into a grin. "So,” I began. “I was thinking when someone brings us food we should knock him out, grab the key and make a run for it."

Collin stared at me before rupturing in laughter. He clutched his stomach, a tear rolling down his cheek.

I pouted, crossing my arms. "I don't get what's so funny."

"It's..." He shook his head, unable to stop laughing. "Goddess, that plan is awful."

"It's not." I swatted his shoulder.

"It is." He wiped away the tears and almost bursted out in laughing again when he looked back at me. "I had expected more of you since you mastered escaping through the years."

I opened my mouth to argue. He had a point. Throughout the years, I became a master of escaping my guards. "It may be not be the fanciest or the coolest plan, but it could work."

"You cannot use any magic,” he reminded me. “How are we supposed to knock one of those creatures out?"

I threw my hands in the air. "I don't know. Pure luck."

"What if we wait until they let us out?" His hand stroked my back, his face turning to his usual serious look. "If they transport us, they will be at a disadvantage."

My throat closed. "No." I knew where he was going with this. “We are getting away. Both of us."

"I can hold them back—"

"Shut. The. Hell. Up." I growled from deep within my chest. I would not lose someone else.

"If your parents don't come in time..." His fingers digged into my hips. "I can't let them do those experiments on you."

"And I can't lose someone else.” I wrapped my arms around his neck, breathing in his scent. “It will kill me," I added, softer.

We stayed like this for a moment. Hugging. Listening to each other's heart beat as he drew circles on my arm. I had my eyes closed, enjoying the sparks dancing on my skin, the warm feeling in my chest.

"I hope you 're in the mood for some food."

The girl's voice reached my ears. I growled at her and was about to swipe that smug look off her face when Collin held me back. He tightened his hold on me, his teeth scraping over his mark. I shuddered in pleasure, my mind no longer on the girl but rather on what he was making me feel.

"It's nothing compared to the food you are used too," she jeered, dropping the plate in front of the bars. "Though that shouldn't surprise you."

“It’s bread,” I said nonchalantly. “How bad can it be?”

She hissed and turned to leave, but something made her stop. "Oh, and by the way." A wicked smirk crept upon her face. "The Reptillions first have to make sure you are strong enough to handle the cure."

I paled as Collin said, "They're done with the experiments."

Her smirk turned into a frown. "Not yet, but they don't want to risk more shifters dying."

"Wait... more shifters?" For as far as we knew, there was only me and my mom left.

She hasted away without saying anything.

“Collin…”

“I know.” He let go of me and picked up the bread. “We’ll find them,” he said as he handed me the bread—all of it.

“You need to eat too.” I ripped the bread in half, offering him a piece.

He shook his head and sat down again, pulling me onto his lap. “You need it more than I.”