Finding My Mate

by Rylee Winters

  “I didn’t think it was possible either Derek, but Linne has clearly taken on some of your animal traits. I can’t sense anything different about her magic, so this is probably temporary – ”

  “Probably – ?” Cutting myself off before I said something I would regret, I sucked in air sharply through my nose and held it. “Did you at least scry for the witch yet? I don’t need Linne to go get her.”

  “Yes, but you can’t leave her here. She’ll destroy my house. I don’t have the equipment to handle her.” Relief slammed into my chest at hearing Melinda’s answer, and I gazed down at my mate’s red face and fiery eyes. “You need to take her back to the clan with you. The witch’s location is actually on your way back. She lives about twenty minutes south of here, right off the highway.”

  “You couldn’t tell that when you examined Linne in the first place?” Annoyance laced my tone, but Melinda only shook her head calmly. Keeping her distance, she reached to scratch under her ear and rub her neck, brow concentrated in thought.

  “I couldn’t pinpoint the witch’s signature unless Linne was asleep, and I figured this would be the more secure way to get to her. I never expected Linne to react this way, but you should know better than me that there was no way she’d go in there without you.” Melinda was infuriatingly serene despite her massive fucking fumble, and I snorted roughly at the simple fact that she was right. If Linne was going to have to sleep, this was the better way.

  But that didn’t mean I liked it.

  I carefully eased the pressure on Linne’s head.

  “Stop struggling.” Authority weighed down my command, and I could’ve sworn I saw Linne’s ears twitch. Relaxing between my thighs, her roiling, violent emotions died down completely in her expression, and my fingers tingled as they slipped from her hair. The human glint in her eye sparkled brightly, but there was no mistaking what part of her was in control. What part of her that wasn’t even part of her… fucking fuck – fuck – fucking shit.

  “We’re leaving, Linne.” She jolted slightly at my declaration, and I grabbed her by the back of the neck to haul her onto her feet. Her arms shot out in front of her, wings spread wide for balance, but surprise rippled across her expression when she realized she didn’t need help to stand straight. “This is a fucking problem…”

  “I’m fairly certain it’s temporary, Derek. I just don’t know how long it’ll take to get her back to how she was originally. Call me in a few days to give me an update, okay?” Jerking my head in a curt nod, I only rolled my eyes as I walked my mate towards the front door. The stress of what I did during Linne’s nightmare stiffened my strides, but I forced the memories away roughly.

  I had no choice but to rip out her wings; she couldn’t use her magic with them the way they were, even though they were just a figment of her imagination.

  “Wait! You forgot the address!” Rushing up behind us, Melinda didn’t even wait for me to turn around; she just shoved a piece of paper into my back pocket. The action caused my muscles to go stiff, and I released my mate to grasp at the shirt wrapped around my chest.

  “What the fuck – why do I still have my clothes on?” Did I just imagine shifting? The question echoed in my voice, and my eyes narrowed as they whipped to Melinda. Her pupils widened, as if she too, was only just realizing that I wasn’t naked, and I grimaced at the surprise that flashed in those dark points.

  “You must’ve gotten some of her magic traits… I guess this is one of them? I mean, considering you were about to storm out of the house, it’s not a bad thing…” For a long moment, I only stared at the witch, and she eventually shrugged one shoulder. “I really don’t know the extent of all of the effects of her power, Derek. I’ve never met an Unseelie before.”

  “…Call me if you find out anything.” Turning back to the front door, I scowled at my mate as her glowing, hazel eyes watched me intently. Jerking my chin out, I rolled my head in a futile effort to release the tension thrumming through my body. She padded behind me like an obedient puppy, and surprise only mounted onto my shoulders when her wings started to shrink.

  She’s in there… she’s just confused.

  The realization was a relief of sorts, and my abdomen unclenched slightly as I opened the passenger side door of my car for her. My mate slid into the seat and buckled habitually, and I shut her inside before rounding the vehicle.

  “Go to sleep, babe. You deserve it.” Automatically, Linne responded to my command, and I jammed my keys into the ignition as she rolled to face me. Pulling her knees up to her chest, she stared at me, unblinking, with almost no expression on her face.

  Fucking creepy.

  ‘I am glad you caught the witch responsible for Linne’s failing state, Derek the Lion…’ Muss’ deep voice slithered into my ears, and I glanced around just as he metabolized on the center console. Cocking his head as Linne stared through him, he opened his beak wide as one of his farthest eyes rolled to catch mine. ‘I apologize for being so sparse, but things have been quiet on the other side of the Veil. I would say almost too quiet, but I cannot find anything to suggest malevolence.’

  “Good. I don’t fucking need more shit right now.” Grumbling as I backed out of the driveway, I kept one eye on Linne as her eyelids sunk. “I said ‘go to sleep’, Linne.”

  ‘What is wrong with her? She cannot see or hear me? I am not attempting to hide myself from her, but she does not appear to notice me?’ Muss sounded horrified, and he flapped his wings wildly about. All five of his eyes trained themselves on me, glittering with worry, but I only snorted roughly as I rolled out onto the street.

  “She’s fine. I went with her into her nightmares, but shit happened, and Melinda thinks the spell fucked with the mate bond. Linne is acting like a shifter that’s transformed for the first time.” The hairs on my body stood straight up as Muss glared at me with open hatred, but I could sense he was just worried.

  “Don’t worry, Melinda said it’s probably temporary. We’re going to pick up the witch right now, so direct that negative shit at someone who deserves it, you damn bird.”

  ‘What did you do to her?’ Accusation rang in my head like death bells, and I put pressure on the gas to avoid strangling Muss. Gripping the wheel tightly, I ran my tongue heavily over the roof of my mouth as my brows drew together sharply.

  Then reaching over slowly, I frowned as the new fully transparent crow shuffled and ruffled his wings in agitation. My fingertips swiped through Muss without any resistance at all, and I released a harsh breath I didn’t know I was holding.

  If Linne can’t see Muss, and she’s now more animal and less human… what in the actual fuck happened to me?

  CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

  Linne

  “Errr… feathers still haven’t returned to normal, though. How do you know it’s safe to wake her up?” The human custom of speaking to other people instead of the person being talked about caused a weak strain of annoyance to wiggle into my chest. Cracking open my eyes, a strong sense of the déjà vu sent my mind whirling.

  “Her brainwaves have returned to normal, Derek.” Staring at the wall as the two, male voices filled the room, I flexed my wings wide even though the rest of my body refused to do as my mind commanded. “She’s already awake – Linne, can you hear me?”

  “Yes-s-s…” Slurring heavily, the affirmation rolled off my thick tongue, and big, familiar hands caressed the space between my wings. “What hap-pened?”

  “What do you remember, babe – about Melinda’s?” Closing my eyes tightly as Derek’s voice washed over me, I took a deep, shuddering breath. The memories came slowly, and I licked my dry, cracked lips heavily before parting them.

  “We – I saw… a light… I don’t – there’s… there’s no more after that.” Stuttering my declaration, I shivered as goosebumps washed down my back, and my wings fluttered under Derek’s firm ministrations. “What happened?”

  “I don’t know how, but… your wings… they changed color.” Surprise stiffened
my muscles, and I reached back frantically until Derek grabbed my hands. “Stop, babe. Stop. There’s a lot of shit to tell, and it’s not gunna happen all at once.”

  “What did Melinda say?” Panic laced my voice, and I craned my neck to turn my gaze to Derek’s pensive face. “She is a witch – she will know what happened.”

  “No, babe… She said your wings might have changed color because the spell agitated the mate bond, but she doesn’t know for sure. When we saw the light, you were in really bad shape. Bareiijnr broke your wing, and you couldn’t use your magic to capture the witch.”

  My eyes widened at the faint memories that rushed into my mind’s eye, and I sucked in a sharp whistle of a breath. Stroking my back, my mate frowned deeply as shadows swirled in his eyes. “You didn’t remember that we were just in your head, babe… so, I tore them out in your nightmare. I didn’t tell Melinda, but I think that has something to do with what happened to your feathers.”

  “You ripped my wings out… in my nightmare? And my magic – my magic would not work?” Speaking up haltingly, I watched through blown pupils as Derek nodded curtly, and his cheeks paled slightly in shame. “I do not understand… it was a dream. Just as killing Bareiijnr in my dream does not kill him in reality, my magic should have worked…”

  “It should – though, Linne, you know best of anyone how easy the mind is to manipulate. If you were having a hyper-realistic nightmare and your wings were broken, the psychological effect would’ve been an inability to use magic.”

  The doctor whose name I couldn’t remember spoke up from opposite Derek, and my chin scraped against the sheet as I turned to him. “You’ve never made someone think their leg was hurting, so they didn’t try to walk?”

  “I did not know I could do that to myself? My magic does not work on me.” Confusion laced my tone, and I carefully palmed the thin mattress to slowly push myself up. Nothing ached. I flexed my fingers against the rough sheet and fisted the fabric. Pursing my lips tightly, my wings stretched out on either side of me experimentally, and my shins slid up to support my body as I sat up. All the while, the doctor watched me intently, and Derek’s hand caressed up and down my spine soothingly.

  “You didn’t use magic on yourself, Linne. Your mind did that all by itself.” Alarm shot through me, trilling between my ears at Derek’s mumbled words, and he cracked a smirk when my gaze flew to him. “So much for the fragility of humans, huh.”

  “The witch. What did you do with her?” Changing the subject none-too-subtly to something more comfortable, I cleared my throat roughly to clear the vicious, sour taste that was creeping up my chest. “Did you find out anything?”

  “Not yet. It’s been like, six hours, babe. She’s still under the effects of the spell you cast on her. I wanted to wait until you woke up… after all, you’re the one she hurt.” Moving from my back to my face, Derek caressed my cheek with callused thumbs, and I closed my eyes to tilt my head into his touch. Bloodlust rose in his voice, and he growled deeply before continuing. “Are you up for an interrogation?”

  “Yes… where is Muss? Does he know I have captured the witch?” Derek’s expression tightened at my question, and I held my breath as he raked his free hand through his hair.

  “Yeah, about that… you – you can’t see or hear him because of the spell Melinda cast… He’s been hanging around since the car ride home. Melinda thinks it’s probably only temporary.” For a long moment, the synapses in my brain failed to fire, and I was unable process what Derek had said. The only thing I could do was stare blankly at him. My jaw hit my chest in shock, and dread slithered through my veins as the blood drained from my face.

  “What! He is here, but I cannot see him!” Twisting around, my eyes darted around the room frantically as my shriek bounced off the walls. Muss was, indeed, nowhere to be seen, and I folded my wings sharply to scramble off the uncomfortable bed. “Where is he! Where is he! Wh – ”

  Twirling around viciously, the air was knocked from my lungs when Derek wrapped his arms around me. He held me tightly, the steely bands refusing to budge as I tried to struggle free. Dark spots assaulted my vision as my lungs heaved too fast to work properly.

  “Relax, relax. Relax babe…” Practically purring in my ears beyond the blood that pounded relentlessly against my drums, Derek nestled his cheek on my forehead and nuzzled me gently. “Trust me, he’s not having a good time with it either. Right now, we just need to see if this shit wears off or something. For now, there’s no way to know what we can do otherwise.”

  “He is my best friend, Derek.” My voice crackled harshly, and Derek squeezed me slightly before his arms fell to my waist. Shivering as the thick hairs sprouting from his skin tickled my back, I hiccupped slightly even as my eyes searched for someone I could no longer see.

  This was worse than being banished to the human realm in the first place.

  “I know, babe. But we can’t do anything about it. When we came out of your nightmare, you were like an animal – you acted like an animal. That wore off pretty quickly, so hopefully you can see Muss again soon. If not, Melinda is trying to find out what exactly happened to our mate bond, so she can see if she can fix it.”

  “Do you think it is probable that the effects of the spell will wear off very soon, or not so soon?” High-pitched and squeaky, my voice dribbled with uncertainty, but Derek only thinned his lips. “What about the witch? Do you think she might have an answer?”

  “We can always go ask, babe. It’s not like she’s going anywhere.” Pursing my own lips tightly, I nodded firmly as my heart slowly sunk back down from its position in my throat. Clenching and releasing my hands by my sides, my chest heaved as I inhaled and exhaled deeply; Derek’s calming scent filled my nostrils and slithered into the thin space between my brain and my skull.

  “Yes.” Throwing back my shoulders, I flexed my wings and ruffled my feathers before Derek’s palms slipped from my hips. Vengeance seared through me, stinging my eyes and sending hot tendrils through my veins. “We will go ask.”

  Muss could wait; Derek was right. There was nothing to do in this moment but wait and see what would happen.

  Those thoughts circled in my head around and around, and I glanced around the room one final time before taking the first step towards the door.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

  Linne

  “Tell me how you obtained my magical sign.” Standing in front of the witch that had mercilessly tormented me for over two months, I found myself hiding the surprise that filled my chest. She was young – maybe no older than I was – and she was angry.

  She glared fiercely up at me, jerking at her binds, the metal chair she sat on rattled loudly in the otherwise silent room. I arched a brow, cocking my head.

  “Let me go! You have no right holding me hostage! I’ll report you to the Council!” A ghost of a smirk lifted my lips at her threat, and she turned a bright, purplish-red color. “My mother is a Council member! I’ll press charges and make sure you never see the light of day again!”

  “Why do you think you are here? Were you not the one holding me hostage in my sleep? Do you think you are the only one entitled to retribution?” The woman gnashed her teeth at me, refusing to answer. I jerked my head back as she spat a thick wad of mucus in my direction. My cheek twitched at the glob that landed on my belly, and at the spray that misted my face, but I refused to allow the simmering anger inside me to boil over. Clearly, this witch didn’t know I wasn’t from this realm, and I would wait to see her expression when I revealed myself to her.

  “You can’t do anything to me, you piece of shit bestial cum dumpster! I’m protected.” The one-way mirror on the wall practically melted, and my wings flittered and trembled as Derek’s unfiltered rage seeped through the concrete from the other side. Smirking broadly, triumphantly, the witch clenched and released her fists tightly, as if she could already feel her knuckles colliding with me. “I’m protected by magic and by the law. You have no proof I did anything to you,
and I’ll have all the proof I need to fuck with you for the rest of your pathetic life.”

  “I only want to know how you obtained my magic sign. Then you will go.” Suspicion and mistrust warped the witch’s expression, and I stepped up to her to crouch down to her level. My wings scraped against the concrete floor, but at least this cell wasn’t dirty. “You will tell me, or I will have no choice but to make you tell me.”

  “You can try.” Furious and short, the venomous challenge broadened my smirk, and the witch began to breathe erratically. Goosebumps washed my skin at the panic that tainted her smell, and my magic crackled inside my hollow bones, travelling outwards to cling to my feathers. Straightening, I glanced over her bound ankles and wrists before slowly reaching out.

  The anticipation was almost euphoric as the witch grunted and whimpered, leaning back in a chair that wouldn’t bend. Joy slithered into my already hot veins as she shook her head wildly, and I couldn’t help but wonder if she’d ever been tortured before.

  “Tell me how you obtained my magic sign.” I didn’t need to touch the witch for my magic to work on her, but the glee that swallowed my lungs was worth the degrading sense of theatrics. My pointer finger pressed firmly just between her eyebrows, and she tensed instantly, muscles freezing as her baser instincts kicked in.

  “I will hurt you if you do not tell me. I will hurt you even when you do tell me. What is more, I will not feel sorry for you. How can I, when I do not even know your name, nor will I ask for it. You are going to die in this cement box, and no one will ever know.”

  Her eyes widened with fear and uncertainty flashed in her irises, and I leaned down to caress her lips. Whimpering but staying very still, she stared directly at me even as I broke my gaze from hers. “You will suffer greatly, but to me, you will be nothing more than a number at the end of a long, long list. Tell me how you obtained my magic sign.”