by A. B Lee
“Incoming!” Dougal announced as he swooped down at us from above and almost collided with Bree, who had to pull up short.
“Don’t do that!” Bree put her hand to her chest and tried to steady her heart.
We all stopped, hovering in place over the trees. Dougal grinned- his little mean streak was showing. Dougal was the kind of man that had never quite grown up- he still like to pull pigtails only in different ways.
“Or what?” he had a smug expression on his face- right up until my fist hit his nose…
Well, he did ask.
~
~
~
I’d been summoned to Mirahbel’s home. All the way there I had planned what I would say if she asked my intentions on mating with Seth- I needn’t have bothered- for the first half hour of sipping nettle tea we debated tactics for the summer solstice…
“I have to say,” I started and gained her full attention. “That I’m not quite sure why you are talking to me about this.”
There were other Fae that had seniority over me when it came to matters like this. I might have fought against the vampires before, but I was far from being a seasoned warrior or anything approaching it.
“They are your wolves, Jazz,” she offered me a small smile and I had to frown.
“Not- really.”
I didn’t know them well. I didn’t know what they would or could do in the heat of battle, and I only knew the three of them not the whole pack.
“You brought them to us, meaning to or not,” she got in as I took a breath to speak. I shrugged.
“But still, not my wolves,” I shook my head to the gentle sound of her laughter.
“Deny it all you will, but they are fighting with us because of you, and I’m more than grateful for their help,” she had me there.
“Shouldn’t you be speaking with their alpha about this?”
“I did, but you are their representative here now. The alpha made that quite clear,” she informed me, and I didn’t just frown- I scowled at that thought.
“I- hmm, err…” I had no words.
“I’ve watched you grow into a fine woman, Jazz. I had hoped that one day you might be queen…”
“Whoa now,” I pushed up to my feet and shook my head hard and fast, “that was never going to happen,” I informed her.
“You have the heart to lead, if not the temperament- just yet,” she grinned harder.
“You can say that again- I don’t think the people would like getting punched on the nose, or worse, if they came to me with their problems,” I said.
It was true, I hit first and regretted it later- sometimes regretted it later.
“That temper can be controlled.”
“Not bloody likely,” I muttered.
“But, I can see why fate gave you a wolf shifter for a mate…”
“Quick to heal,” I snorted a chuckle and Mirahbel joined me.
“Have you decided yet what you’ll do?”
I had to admit, she’d done rather well in sneaking that one up on me. I’d forgotten the earlier arguments that I’d planned out within my mind.
“Not- so much.”
When she sat forward in her chair and her eyes went to my wings, she frowned hard, and I felt a rush of paranoia.
“Your wings are starting to pale, Jazz,” she offered with a quiet tone, not one of complete doom, even if it felt like it within me.
“How much time do I have?”
“I don’t know, but if you don’t mate with Seth soon, you’ll lose your wings,” she cautioned.
There was a dull pain that stabbed at the heart of me. Doom.
“Not before the Solstice?” I had to ask.
“I truly can’t say.”
Her words shocked me to my very core. I had planned to fight, defend my people- what if my wings failed me before tomorrow night?
My mother. Bree. Piper…
“Think hard, but think fast,” she cautioned me and I nodded.
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~
~
I cursed fate. I cursed my heritage at the same time as embracing it. I even cursed myself- but the one person I couldn’t curse was Seth, for he was in the same position that I was, and he should have been cursing me not the other way around.
It was my indecision that was doing this to us- us… it sounded so… strange, and yet in some ways perfectly natural.
But I had other things on my mind- like the fight with the vampires. The Solstice. Our realm being exposed to anyone willing to look for it.
I found myself at the tree overlooking Seth and his pack brothers. Robert was off kicking stones and deep in thought- while Finlay was debating something in whispered tones with Seth.
I went to take up, what was now my favourite perch on the tree branch, where I could overlook them, but something felt off.
A rush of heat swept through my body- pain seared through me- as if someone had stabbed me in the back… I lost control for the briefest of moments and found myself spinning downwards towards the ground, fast- too fast…
I hit the earth hard. My body shifted into my human form as the pain gorged into my back. I bit down on a cry as wave after wave of pain took hold of me…
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
~
“Jazz.”
Seth’s voice cut through the pain and confusion. His hands were on me, his arms wrapped around my body protectively as he drew me into his embrace. I pressed my cheek against the hard muscles of his chest just for the solidity of it as I tried to catch my breath.
The pain started to recede. His fingertips against my cheek took my attention towards that touch and away from the throbbing heat that still resided within my back. He soothed me with whispered words spoken gently against my ear.
This man. The beast in human form- so gentle, so tender.
I tried to push up and away from him- when all I really wanted to do was stay like that with him forever.
“Easy, Jazz,” he whispered as he helped me to reposition myself now that the pain was dulling into an ache.
“I’m fine,” I lied and he knew it. The grunt that came from his lips proof of how un-fine I was.
“What happened?”
“I think my wings are starting to give up on me,” I said.
At least that was the truth. I wasn’t fine- that spill had been my first wakeup call to my soon- to- be demise.
“Damn it, Jazz,” he growled, but didn’t overstep the line that we had drawn between us.
“I’m…” afraid. “Fine,” I lied again.
“Can you move?” he asked and I tested my limbs, just giving them a small nudge to see if the muscles worked, but before I could say a word he was pushing up on his legs and taking me with him.
This time there was no caveman style tossing me over his shoulder. This time he kept me in his arms, against his chest- as he stalked away from the scene of my crime.
“Seth,” I didn’t want to be back at that cave again.
“We need to talk, and properly this time, Jazz,” he stated, determined to have his say.
I guessed I owed it to him to listen. I didn’t say a word until we reached our intended destination- the river- the scene of our first kiss. I flushed at the thought- a different kind of heat from the pain I had just experienced.
“You haven’t told me to put you down,” he noted as he turned and sat on the large rock that overlocked the land. I was in his lap.
“I hadn’t thought of it,” I admitted.
“That’s a good sign,” he said.
“Don’t try to read between the lines with me, Seth. I fear you’ll be disappointed.”
I couldn’t look at him- it wasn’t that I didn’t want to, I did. I feared what I would see in his eyes. Hell, I feared those soulful eyes themselves- they would drag me right back to him again.
“You couldn’t disappoint me, Jazz. I have no expectations of you, and I accept that you know your own mind.”
“That’s actually an
expectation too far,” I admitted.
“Talk to me, now, Jazz,” he urged.
“I don’t know my own mind, Seth. I thought I did, but you confuse me.” I’d said it, for better or worse, it was out there between us.
“It’s the mating pull,” he didn’t tease, he didn’t give me some victory speech, he allowed me my dignity. I liked that.
“Perhaps,” I left it there.
“Don’t shut down on me now, speak- tell me what’s happening with you. I’m your mate, whether you decide to deny me or not, I’m still here for you.”
“You shame me with your grace under the pressure of what you face,” I said. He did.
I was the stumbling block in this thing between us and had been from the beginning. He’d shown me more kindness than I had offered him, and there was my shame.
“Right now, Jazz, I’m more concerned with what you are going through,” he said, delving deeper into my reservoir of guilt.
“I’m losing my wings, Seth.” I bit down on the whole self-pitying thing. This was of my own making. “I just want them to last long enough for the fight with the vampires…”
“But, you’ll be human anyway,” he reminded me.
“But, still stronger than a regular human, and what if I somehow lose the will to fight, or the knowhow to fight?”
“I have a solution that might work, but I don’t know if you’ll entertain the idea.”
He cupped my chin and brought my eyes up to his. I felt that flash go through me- excitement.
“I’m listening,” I said- expecting the obvious.
“We hand-fast like your tradition tells us we have too. That act will last for a year and a day. I mark you as mine, as my beast desires- that gives me more time, but we don’t mate- just yet- if ever.”
He bowled me over with his plan. It sounded strangely perfect and yet perfectly strange. I’d be his for a year and a day- could that work for the both of us if we didn’t consummate our relationship?
I didn’t say a word. My mind was trying to go down every avenue of pros and cons- perhaps my queen could tell me if that would be enough to keep my wings- perhaps his alpha could tell us how long it would keep his beast at bay?
“I’m willing to explore the possibility of that,” I said quietly.
“We need to speak with your queen.”
My thoughts exactly.
~
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~
“I’m soooo happy for you!” Bree announced as I stood in the light of the window and looked down upon the festivities below.
“I feel like a fraud,” I mumbled. Looking at my people, excitedly preparing for my hand fasting feast, even if my mate would not be able to attend because he couldn’t gain entry into the realm until tomorrow night, and tomorrow- all hell would break loose around here.
“You love him…” Bree looked worried when my head snapped around so I could glare at her. She cleared her throat. “You will, one day,” she gave me an impish grin.
“Maybe,” I muttered.
“See, that’s better than this time yesterday when you adamantly denied it,” she informed me with triumph in her eyes, a smile on her lips, and the excited clapping of her hands as she bounced on the spot- like she just couldn’t contain her excitement.
How I wished she would learn.
“Maybe,” I gave her the same no tone answer as before.
“Are you listening to me?” she nudged me in the back and I sighed.
“Maybe,” I said. It was three for three, but her giggles jumped all over my last nerve.
How strange it was that when I was with Seth- all this seemed like an unimportant thing. When I was in his company, he seemed to sooth me, make me forget about all of the commotion and responsibility that went along with our mating-not-mating.
Together, we just… were. No pressure. No expectation. No special torture of kin and clan celebrating something that might end very badly for both Seth and I.
“Remember that Seth loves you, and that one day I believe you will be very, very happy with him,” Bree almost whispered. I think she was worried that I might punch her on the nose.
“That’s a very big maybe,” I said.
I was sure that Seth had deep feelings for me, love? Maybe not. I didn’t know what I felt for him- I had thought on it, but was still undecided in so many things.
Maybe because I was still waiting for the other damn shoe to drop at the Solstice. Maybe once the fight was done and the realm was once again covered with magic I could breathe again. I could think again.
Once I knew that my family and friends would be safe for another few months until the Autumn Equinox started the whole thing over again.
“Hand fasting is a very good step in the right direction,” Bree offered.
“If it doesn’t work…” I turned towards her and she held up her hand.
“If you believe in the magic then that’s half the struggle,” Bree looked to Piper as she graced us with her presence at the window, hovering as she liked to do on the outside.
“If you’d just mate with him already…” Piper shrugged her shoulders.
“Yes, Piper. I’ll assume the position immediately, send him a missive that I’m ready and awaiting his attentions,” I scoffed.
Piper raised just one eyebrow at me, “Done,” she replied and took off on fast wings. I squealed like the hounds of hell were on my tail.
“Noooo!” I practically exited the window as I threw the top half of my body out in the hopes of grabbing her before she got away. “Piper!”
Bree yanked me back inside, and I was about to launch myself in flight right out of that window after her- when she appeared, hanging upside down from the roof above, and grinning with mischief.
“Gotcha!” she giggled as Bree chuckled beside me.
“Ha- so not funny- ha!” I snapped back.
“Soon to be hand-fasted women have noooo sense of humour,” she giggled again as she ducked out of the way of my hand as I tried to swat her.
“Then take heed and behave yourself,” I snapped back.
“Jazzy, Jazz, Jazz, getting hand-fasted, there’s a turn up for the books.”
“Piper, I don’t think you want to be sporting a black eye for the next few days,” I cautioned her.
Piper slapped her hands against her chest and drew back in mock shock.
“You- give me a black eye? Oh, no, no, no, that would never do,” she allowed herself to fall from the roof and downwards.
I stuck my head back out of the window in the hopes that she’s landed head first in a bush, but she swooped up right in front of me again, making me dive back inside.
“You’re testing my patience,” I hissed at her, to more chuckles from the both of them.
“Just trying to keep the moment light and sparkly,” she flapped her wings and sprinkled Magic dust down in front of the window.
“Don’t you dare get any of that on me,” I hissed.
“Just a little magic to make your night go with a bang,” she chuckled mercilessly at the sight of my face, it must have been a picture.
“I am not having sex with him,” I hissed back.
Then she was right there, blocking out the sun at the window. Her face right in front of mine.
“More’s the pity,” she teased on another giggle. “Take the chance, dive right in, so to speak.”
“I’m going to…” I tried to make a grab for her but she was already gone and I had armfuls of fresh air.
“Temper- temper,” Piper teased as she waved a hand and then flew away.
I heard Bree open her mouth and spun around fast. I pointed my index finger at her just as she took a breath, “not one damn word,” I warned her and she deflated.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
~
SETH
I knew that this wasn’t real. Our being together- a hand-fasting followed by my marking my mate, and yet there was always the hope that it would lead to more.
I had to kee
p control of my beast at all costs. That wasn’t such an easy thing to do when I wanted Jazz just as much as the wolf within me.
I couldn’t have a moment’s lapse in judgement, of control. My beast would be front and centre when I marked her and if he got the better of me…
No, I couldn’t think like that. I was in control of my emotions. I knew my mate was still unsure of me and this wouldn’t end well for any of us if I took advantage of the situation.
Jazz needed this to go right. Her wings were at stake. Her whole being was at stake, and I wouldn’t allow my best his selfish ways.
Mine.
And there he was, raising his ugly head just as I denied him his needs.
Jazz was ours, not his and not mine, our mate, and we would both respect her choices. I only hoped that what we were doing to stave off my madness and her lost identity would be enough.
It had to be.
Tonight we would be joined by hand and blood. Tomorrow we would fight to save her people.
“So, a Faerie mate.” Robert came to stand beside me and rocked back and forth on his feet.
“Just get it over with,” I growled. Sure there was a punchline.
“I have nothing but good wishes to offer the both of you,” he frowned at me. I narrowed my eyes, waiting, expecting… “And if you do ever manage to woo her…”
I roared in annoyance and he took off like a bat out of hell with me on his heels. I needed this. I needed to run, and I bet he knew it too.
“Catch me, old hand-fasted man,” he chuckled as he pumped his arms against the air, and I swear he might just have gotten a little faster.
I nearly had him, almost, but the sight of Jacob running towards us made me pull up short, my need to plant my fist into Robert’s face forgotten as I eyed the vampire.
“Any news?” I asked.
“No, I’m here for my health,” he snarked back, and now I wanted to plant my fist in his face.
I growled long and hard, but Finlay was between us in a heartbeat.
“Go ahead, spoil my fun.” Jacob sighed as if he meant it, but the amusement in his eyes said otherwise.
