by Flynn Eire
“Well, now we get to do things the dirty way,” Alastair purred, nodding to my parents and Mina’s. His friends easily rounded them up. “The conference room. I’ll set them straight after I have a moment with my mate.”
I blinked up at him, the floor dropping out from under me. I was mated. He’d mated me.
We were mated. I’d mated someone Wyrok and so old that… I didn’t even know how old he was. I didn’t know much about him, but we’d mated. I was mated. He had mated me. On and on and on the thoughts swirled around me.
Cold water coming down on me snapped me out of it, and I sputtered under the shower’s stream.
“There you are,” Alastair whispered, relief in his eyes. “You were manically rambling. I will tell you all about me, darling. I will be a good mate.”
“I don’t understand,” I whispered, shaking as he held me and not just from the cold water. “Why did you go so nuclear on the option? Couldn’t you just have persuaded them? Isn’t that what you’re going to do now?”
Hurt filled his eyes. “Are you that upset to be my mate?”
“Yesterday morning when I woke up, I thought you were done with me. Now we’re mated. I don’t know what to think, Alastair, and I’m spinning out all the time and—”
His mouth mashed down to mine, and I melted into him after a moment, his hands getting me undressed. The temperature changed to something warmer, and I gasped as he used the soap from the dispenser to slick me up. I got so lost in him I jumped when he pushed inside me, missing way too much.
“I love you, Zibon,” he whispered in my ear as he made love to me gently. “I am so, so in love with you. I have been for months. I know this is confusing and too soon, but I was never, not ever going to be done with you. You were always mine, and I will spend the rest of my days proving it. I will explain why I had to go so big and everything I know. I couldn’t risk you. I couldn’t risk losing you is the short answer. I love you too much.”
“Okay,” I whispered, feeling grounded again. He bit me again, and I felt our hearts race together as he took my blood. I finished so hard I got lightheaded, passing out.
I woke in his bed, my hair still wet, so it wasn’t for long, and Alastair was at the door talking to someone.
“How is he?” Morggyan worried.
“Confused, hurt, scared,” he sighed. “Those were his parents, and no matter how horrible they are, they’re his family. You saw the look in his father’s eyes. He didn’t see a son, but a pawn, something to use and abuse. I’m terrified of the reach of this. If people find out what he can do—he’s not us, Morggyan. He doesn’t have leverage or—”
“He has you, Alastair. He’s your mate now. He’s safe.”
“It also puts a target on him, and we both know that.”
“We will keep him safe. I will stay with him in case he wakes. You handle his parents.”
“Okay, yeah, that’s smart. The longer they know, the more dangerous they are.”
“Helios agreed to help with this, as he likes your mate, says he’s a good kid and a great warrior. High praise coming from that tight ass.”
“He’s not so much anymore,” Alastair chuckled. “Apparently mating loosened him up. I like his mate.”
“Yes, he is an amusing young one, and they fit well. So will you with your mate. He loves you, Alastair.”
“I hope so.”
He left, and Morggyan came into the room, holding her finger to her lips. So she knew I’d woken up. Interesting. She waited awhile, probably for Alastair to get out of hearing range, then she brought in a cart of food and coffee.
And leftover cake. I raised an eyebrow at that one.
“I declared it your mating cake for subterfuge, so I thought you might want a piece or eighty now that you’re mated.”
“Thank you,” I mumbled, trying not to freak out again. “Why stay when you knew I was up? What do you want to tell me that Alastair won’t or would be hard for him?”
“You are a perfect mate for him,” she chuckled, shaking her head as she took one of the coffees and sat at the chair by the desk. “We have a friend investigating the East Coast Council the way we have other councils, working through them and their warrior camps. We got word before we arrived that there was an excited buzz among the members, some type of exceptional gift was being acquired.
“And for the record, the listening devices have been found in your room. You were right. There were several items that had pulse transmitters, sending recordings every night. So your conversation with London was overheard, and your parents set lots in motion to get you back under control. They thought it a failsafe in case you did exactly what you did, using the warriors here to detach yourself from your family.
“But we didn’t know much. Then we got pieces. A transfer was being forced through for a list of reasons, all bullshit, but desperate even with all the scrutiny going on that they know they’re under, and it concerned us. What could be so damn important that they would risk us cleaning the council? More pieces came in, mating contracts, blah, blah, not enough for a picture, and honestly, this isn’t the only situation we’ve had.
“Then last night, you confessed your full gift, and pieces fit into place. While Alastair was with you, we put this together with that and got more. Unfortunately, your parents aren’t stupid. They, well, they’re not stupid. Horrible people, but not stupid.”
“No, not stupid,” I whispered as I grabbed a huge slice of cake and started eating, the coffee feeling heavy in my empty stomach. “They’re not Bond villains, but seriously, they’re just as evil.”
“Yes, there are many of us who have that cross to bear,” she said gently. “We informed Alastair this morning when we got word the plane was on its way and all the players. He immediately threw everything into saving you, Zibon. You should know that, and he didn’t use this situation to get you no matter how much he wanted you to be his.”
“I know. I didn’t realize how far it went or whatever, but I knew it had to be big if he would go so nuclear. I didn’t mean to sound like I was accusing him of being devious.”
“Good, good, tell him that because I saw how scared he was of that, which is why I wanted to talk to you, not let him hide how big he pushed. And did he ever.” She gave a slight chuckle. “He went so far as to threaten cutting off funding all the camps and warriors we and the Wyrok do if other council leaders didn’t make the East Coast Council back down. They did on the agreement it was brought to an immediate and swift resolution.”
“Which mating me would do, as nothing is more sacred than the mating bond,” I murmured, bobbing my head as I finished my cake.
“You should know that Helios went on the record as having used his gift on your parents and they faked part of the recording to say you knew what pre-trans could do,” she informed me, and my eyes went wide. He wasn’t one to lie. “They gave the East Coast Council the recording of your and London’s conversation. We contacted Councilwoman Aberdeen, as it involved her son, as he said much on that recording too.
“She was instrumental in protecting you both, throwing the full weight of the Aberdeen name behind our shutting this down. Apparently they were going to make a play for his sponge gift too, so there was a lot going on.” She let that sink in before standing and switching my empty plate with a big one of breakfast. “You need the fuel.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” She let out a sigh as I started to eat. “I won’t lie to you that being mated to Alastair won’t come with a target. He’s powerful and has more money than most countries.” I dropped my fork, and she shot me a confused look. “You knew he had money.”
“Right, so do my parents. He said he bought some houses and his gifts were over-the-top, but yeah, so he had money. That’s different than having ‘more money than most countries.’”
“Oh, he might not like me discussing this with you then,” she worried, nibbling on her lower lip.
“Can of worms opened, so too bad,”
I argued, my tone not happy.
“Fair enough. Yes, yes, he has gobs and gobs of money, different castles around the world, and I believe one has a vault of gold coins like that cartoon children used to watch. Duck Tales, I believe?” She shrugged. “He’s over eight thousand years old, Zibon. He’s got money.”
“Wow, and I’m not even thirty,” I breathed, my ears ringing.
“Yes, yes, you are so young, but really, does that matter?” she challenged, taking in the way I was freaking out. “What do you see when you look at him? His age? No, he looks young like all of us. So what do you see, Zibon?”
“Someone struggling with the darkness like I am,” I confessed because she was truly worried. “Someone who can’t see how much light he’s full of.” I chuckled. “Anyone who buys out a wedding expo can’t be dark. There has to be some warm and fuzzy in him. I see someone who likes to push and be pushed. Someone who knows immortality is nothing without fun and thrills. God, the way he—the fun we had the night we met.
“I can’t believe he got me to do any of that and just—I trust him. From the moment I looked into his eyes, I knew I would be on his side and he would be on mine. I saw him step out of the darkness, Morggyan, just to make sure I was safe, and I saw all of him in that moment. I know it sounds cliché, but I did. And he saved me. I needed him, and it had to be him to save me.”
“And he has again from your family and all of these plots,” she said firmly, studying me. “The question is what would you give to repay that kindness? What would you do to honor your mate who saved you twice now and in such a huge way?”
“Just about anything, so what are you hinting at or wanting?”
“Do you know the old, and I mean old traditions of how we used to mate?”
“No, why?”
“Oh, you are about to get an education, young warrior,” she chuckled… And did I ever.
After she explained it all to me, not hiding how much Alastair would want to go through the tradition but would never ask it of me, especially after how he’d claimed me, I didn’t even hesitate. “I name Mark my second. Can you make this happen?”
“Yes, right away,” she agreed, nodding as her eyes went wide. “I will speak with Alexander and have everything in the training gym.”
“No post- or pre-trans from other camps. Anyone from here or warrior here only.” I blushed. “Not Marissa. I-I can’t do that in front of my friend’s mom when she’s going to work with us on our gifts.”
“I would suggest not the woman brought to mate you, either,” she offered gently.
But I shook my head. “No, she was brought to mate me. Let her be part of it. I’m not just going through the motions if it means that much to him.”
“You are a good mate already,” she whispered as she rushed over to me and hugged me tightly. “Thank you, Zibon. Alastair deserves all the love you can give him after all he’s done for so many, many years. Thank you for seeing that of my dear friend.”
I felt a bit warm and fuzzy about that. She rushed off to handle everything, and I relaxed, ate, and sat with all I’d learned. Not just the tradition but my parents and… There was a lot.
It was hysterical to be there when the tradition was explained to my friends at a private lunch Gaius arranged. The looks they gave me were a mix of awe I would do it to pure fear for me to go through something so public. A lot of intrigue too because it sounded like some crazy legend. Yeah, a trip for sure.
I got ready as Gaius walked me through, bringing me to the gym when the time was ready, going through again exactly what Mark had to do before slipping inside.
“You ready for this?” Mark asked me quietly.
“No.”
“We doing it anyways?”
“Yup,” I told him firmly, and he didn’t doubt me, leading me in. I immediately met Alastair’s gaze, and he was frowning.
“We’re not doing this,” he informed everyone there. “He doesn’t understand or—”
“He does,” Morggyan assured him. “I and Gaius both went over it with him and his friends. He’s willing, Alastair. He is willing to prove he is worthy of you. Are you willing to do the same?”
“You know I am,” he snapped, giving me a worried look. “Are you really willing?”
“Yes,” I swore, giving him the best smile I could. I might be willing, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t nervous. “I want to do this, Alastair. Let me.”
“So be it,” he whispered, his eyes full of heat and love for me, which made me shiver.
“I, Mark Knightly, do hereby present Zibon Wells, and will act as his family, his second, and voice in this mating,” Mark said loudly for the group.
Then came the first part of the crazy as he undressed me in front of everyone. It was hard not to run and hide, but I would do it for Alastair. Morggyan did the same to Alastair, the four of us meeting in the middle of the gym, facing the bleachers where too many people sat for me not to flush.
“As shown, Zibon is innocent, pure and humble,” Mark bragged, gesturing to my face. “Is there any who would be intrigued?”
Yeah, that was the tradition. It stemmed from the days of new blood coming into covens and people getting the chance to steal mates by offering more or something better. It was the chance to get out of an arranged mating if a person wasn’t happy with the candidate but still keep the alliance in the coven.
It was a lot like putting a stud or mare to auction. And we were to act as if it was before Alastair and I had been intimate, which wouldn’t have been allowed in the old days, so I got a blank slate basically.
Several hands went up, a couple were post-trans who I could tell weren’t taking this seriously or getting it, but yeah, it was hard to see I was so nervous.
“Alastair is made of fine stock,” Morggyan bragged. “He is fertile and has produced heirs of the finest—”
“You have children?” I rasped, all the air leaving my lungs like I was punched in the gut. Morggyan shot me a pitying look but still reprimanded me. I wasn’t allowed to speak once we started until it was time to fight… And not in the combat way.
“Zibon is passionate,” Mark said loudly before Morggyan could say something mean about me breaking the rules. They were basically like our brokers. “Zibon is loyal, as any of his friends would testify to. How many would speak on his behalf as to that?” I smiled as dozens of hands went up.
“Alastair is as well. There would be thousands of hands if the ceremony were not conducted at Zibon’s home,” Morggyan added. “Alastair has vast wealth and power, a true catch for any. Who would like to mate such a man? Wyrok who could give them everything they ever wanted?” I flinched as hands went up all over the place. “What would you offer to steal him from his intended?”
“Oh shit, I didn’t know that was the point of this,” someone hissed under their breath.
Everyone went quiet, not having done anything like this before or knowing where to go.
“I have vast wealth and power as well. I would offer it for such a mate,” Proximo called out, and I had a feeling he was doing it to move things forward. “I could offer what Alastair could and more. I have no children for Zibon to compete with for my affection.”
We were getting into dangerous territory for me, as there was more to the tradition, which was why Alastair probably was so shocked I would do it. I glanced at my friends to help me, and unfortunately it was Gary who took the bait.
“Back rubs. I would give Alastair a massage every night. I could give him that,” he shouted, much to Lynx’s horror. He leaned in and whispered something to the man that appeased the warrior, but he still didn’t look happy.
“An interesting offer,” Morggyan entertained. “A massage therapist so you could not even offer the same, as your massages would not be as good. Will you counter?”
Now we got to the hardest part.
“I would,” I answered, swallowing down my nerves. “I would get on my knees every night for him. That is more than a massage.”
>
“Prove it,” she purred.
And I did. In front of everyone I went to him and got on my knees, blowing him right there as he stared down at me with awe.
“The massage therapist’s offer is voided,” Morggyan declared after I finished. “The intended has shown he would do more.”
“Proximo’s offer is still on the table,” Mark reminded everyone as I took my spot again. He glanced at Alastair. “Will you counter?”
“I would,” Alastair declared, shooting Proximo a dangerous look. “I would build us a home, everything to Zibon’s dreams on the land I bought adjacent to this camp. I would build us a home, everything for him and to show my devotion to him.”
“Wow,” someone breathed in the audience, and I had to agree.
“Proximo’s offer is voided,” Mark stated, not even having to check with me as we both pretty much swooned.
“I’d give him blow jobs every night too,” one of the post-trans offered, and I had to swallow a growl. Asshole, he was abusing this.
Or just being a dirty bastard.
Morggyan narrowed her eyes at the guy. “Be careful, kid. I could make you come up here and prove it after that offer.” The guy shrugged, and she opened her mouth to do it, which I didn’t want.
“I would allow one fantasy night a month, including letting others join us in bed as he said he wanted,” I blurted, making my counteroffer first.
“You would have to grant a fantasy now to prove it,” Morggyan warned, chuckling when I nodded I was still in. “Prove it. Alastair, name a fantasy you wish.”
“To tie him to a tree and let me do whatever I wanted to him once he is mine,” Alastair stated.
“Would you?” Morggyan checked.
“I would be willing.”
“So be it. If he wins you, you will grant him that tonight by your own word.”
There were a few more whispers in the crowd, and Mark took back the floor, bragging about me and listing all my virtues, asking who would be interested.
Some raised their hands, and I think a few were just so it didn’t look like no one would want me. I didn’t care. We could finish this the moment someone made any offer for either of us.
