Wanted by the Fae: A Fated Mates Romantic Fantasy: Magic Bound Book 2 (Magic Bound Series)

by Allie Santos

  Even though the material was different, I was comfortable in the familiar clothing. After talking to Annie, I expected to relax, but the muscles at my neck remained tense. I wanted to feel my age. I was tired of the responsibilities, the training… Roark.

  Through everything that had happened, Roark had never outright lied to me. Omitted, yes, but he never said anything he didn’t mean for some reason or another.

  That’s what had me so spooked. His words and the way he had looked at me sent shivers to my core. How was I supposed to resist him if he was trying to be around all the time? I’d already decided I needed to stay away from him for my own good beforehand, but I’d thought he’d be far, far away, not close enough to tempt me.

  There had to be a way to forget him. I automatically thought of Ty and how he had helped me forget, but I pushed it away as we reached the line leading to the bar. I tuned the girls’ chatter out, and I also tried to ignore Rosalind’s concerned glances. My neck itched, and I soon found the cause. A guy around my age had his eyes plastered to me.

  My face warmed at the heated look. He caught my eyes and smiled slightly, looking away before turning back and staring directly at me. I let myself check him out. Not bad. Yearning for touch, I swallowed hard.

  Maybe fooling around with someone would help taper this need.

  If I had to think of Roark to get myself going initially, then by God, I’d use that to my advantage. Only rule of tonight—have fun.

  Mind made up, I returned his smile, and I could see his blush from here…and was that his heartbeat? I blinked, freaked out that I’d heard it accelerate. Turning my back to him, I noticed we were close to the front of the line. I looked up at the large hanging sign illuminated by neon yellow lights and felt my shoulders loosen.

  I would enjoy myself if it killed me. Tomorrow, I could worry.

  The bar pulsated with life, muffled by the brick building. I knew if I concentrated, the bar chaos would seep into my advanced hearing.

  “Oh, Great Aunt Lucia, my purse!” Camilla exclaimed as her purse went flying. And that was my cue. Without my ID, we’d planned a sneak in. With the guy distracted by Camilla’s over-the-top shenanigans, I used my super-speed and ran into the bar, so fast that the human eye couldn’t see. I hoped no one had been staring to witness my disappearing act.

  I slowed in the darkened hallway, glad no one was around, and noticed the drastic difference from what I was used to. The noise, the feel, the smell.

  As soon as I stepped around the entrance corner, it was like something was off in the air. The force was disturbed. It felt electric and… animalistic?

  My eyebrows met, and I looked around the bustling, noisy, people-infested area. This was the best place to stand and people watch. As my eyes scanned the room, nothing stood out, so I shook off the odd feeling tinging the air. It must be the hormones running rampant in this place.

  The girls sidled up next to me with smug smiles.

  “You’re quick.” Eliza leaned closer to me and drew the words out, trying to be heard over the noise. I wanted to tell her it wasn’t necessary because I would have heard her, regardless, but I didn’t want them to have another reminder of my differences. “Imagine the sex you can have.”

  “Oh, Dios, si,” Camilla said fanning herself.

  “Estan locas,” I responded, rolling my eyes.

  “I didn’t know you spoke Spanish,” Camilla exclaimed, and I just nodded. I didn’t like speaking it, but I knew it well. My Latina mom had spoken Spanish predominantly, mostly to irritate my dad, who didn’t speak it. Annie and I got our tan complexion from her and other than that, knowing the language was the only connection I had to that side of my heritage.

  “I feel left out,” Eliza grumbled. Camilla elbowed her, and I rolled my eyes.

  “Well, one of the nifty skills when you turn Fae is speaking all languages—allegedly.” Honestly, I didn’t know if that would pertain to us considering we were half-breeds.

  “Someone’s leaving that table!” Rosalind rushed to claim it before anyone else did, but the rest of us walked over at a slower pace and plopped into the cushioned circled chairs around the table.

  “I’ll go get drinks.” Camilla stood and strutted away. Her dark hair swayed behind her. She looked cute as a button in those cowgirl boots. As soon as she stepped up to the bar, a guy walked up, and she grinned at him, chatting. I smiled from my vantage point and turned, knowing she could handle herself.

  “Hey, ladies!” a peppy female voice said, jarring my eyes to her face. The blonde petite girl with a big grin on her face slid in next to Rosalind, who gave her a side-hug.

  “Jennie from the block!” Eliza exclaimed.

  “I’m Rae,” I introduced myself, forcing a smile. Jennie. The name reminded me of Jens, the supposed friend who’d feigned being sick and slept with my boyfriend.

  “It’s so nice to meet you.” She grinned, exuding rambunctious energy. “Do you go to UG?” she asked, using the acronym for the university here.

  “Not anymore, I’m taking a break,” I said lamely. Three pink drinks were suddenly thumped in the middle of the table by a grinning Camilla.

  “I totally get that! I had to take a break the second year because I needed to work to make money.” Jennie’s smiled waned, and she physically seemed to shake it off.

  “Let the celebration begin,” Camilla wiggled a thick, perfectly threaded eyebrow up and down.

  As if conjuring the bad memory, a familiar voice screeched from behind me. “Oh. My. God. Brown eyes?”

  My lips tightened. As if in slow motion, I turned in my chair. Lissa gaped at me from two tables away. My eyes flicked to the side to Tanya and Jen, who had gone pale. In Lissa fashion, she hopped off her chair. Next thing I knew, I was enveloped and crushed to breasts and tangled up in long blonde hair. The familiar scent of Poppy perfume wafted into my nose. It overwhelmed my Fae senses, and I blinked to get rid of the sting.

  “Hey, Lissa,” I said lamely and nodded to Tanya and Jen, who gaped at me.

  “We were so concerned something happened to you. It wasn’t until your sister showed up that we stopped worrying,” Lissa said in a quick stream, squeezing my arms. “Especially Jen. She was horrified. The guilt ate at her.”

  “I deduct that this is the backstabbing skank?” Camilla said, her twang thick. Rosalind elbowed Camilla. Eliza crossed her arms, and an eyebrow flicked up. I’d forgotten telling them about catching Jeff in bed with a supposed friend.

  “I believe so, Watson,” Eliza said slowly.

  “I’m Sherlock,” Camilla snapped, and Jen shot Camilla a look.

  Wait a second…

  “You knew?” I pinned Lissa with my eyes. Jen looked down at the table.

  “Ah.” Lissa cleared her throat.

  “We had a feeling,” Tanya admitted.

  My teeth ground. I wanted to jump up and choke them out. They’d called themselves my friends? All the while they’d kept this from me. Schemed behind my back even.

  Rosalind’s hand settled on mine. I looked at the wooden table surface. I’d gouged scratches into it. I gasped, flattening my hands as Rosalind pulled away. Where had that hostility come from?

  “It was nice to see you,” I forced from my lips and turned my back to them.

  Lissa hesitated. “But…”

  “That means bye.” Eliza waved.

  “Golly, what kind of friends keep things like that from one another?” Camilla tsked.

  I focused and didn’t relax until Lissa went back to her table. My Fae hearing didn’t let me escape so easily. “She was always a little weird…”

  I squeezed my eyes shut at Lissa’s words, my chest twisting in betrayal. They were never my friends. They muttered more disparaging comments as they moved to a table further from my group. Inhale. Exhale. I concentrated on what was in front of me. I was done listening to their shit.

  “Have you done your socio paper?” Jennie said and turned to Rosalind. They sprung into a conversa
tion about homework that made me sad. I never thought I’d wish I had to worry about a sociology paper.

  The glass scrapped against the surface as Camilla slid a drink in front of me with an understanding glint in her eyes. “Sorry, Jennie, I didn’t know you were coming. I would have ordered you one.”

  “No worries. I’ll get my own in a sec.”

  Eliza took a healthy chug and thumped it back down while Camilla and I nursed ours. “So, I have a dare for you,” Eliza sang and looked at a paling Camilla.

  “No,” she groaned, and her head tilted back, exposing her neck.

  I laughed. “You guys are still at the dares?”

  “Oh, yes, and Camilla here lost our last bet.” The smile on Eliza’s face made me pity her. There would be no mercy.

  Camilla moaned. “Not here, let me be in peace.”

  “No, my dear country bumpkin, I’m going to dare you to…” Eliza paused for dramatic effect, and I wanted to giggle at the edged look on Camilla’s face. “Ask a man out.”

  “No, you already did that to me,” Camilla whined. I burst out laughing and took another swig of my drink.

  “I did indeed, but it was my mistake letting you choose who to ask,” Eliza said matter-of-factly. “This time, it’s going to be a red-blooded man. Not that shy bird you chose. He could hardly speak in the presence of your gorgeousness.”

  At Eliza’s announcement, Camilla’s head thumped forward, and she set her forehead on the rim of her glass. I took another drink and realized I had finished it. I scowled at my drink. I was hardly woozy, but I should have been headlong in tipsy-ville. Was I human enough to be drunk? Could Fae even get drunk?

  “That one,” Eliza said and nodded in the direction of a table on the other side of the bar.

  When I looked that way, I was floored. Wowza. The two men nursing beers were deep in conversation. One must have felt our eyes because he smiled and looked directly at our group. The hazel eyes sparkled with mirth.

  I closed my eyes and channeled my hearing, but no matter what I tried, I couldn’t pick out their voices. There were too many people here. The other male at the table scowled fiercely as he glared at his grinning friend. His scowl didn’t lessen as he looked up and took our group in, green eyes seeming to flicker with gold.

  “Wow, their eyes are super cool,” I muttered without thinking.

  “You can see their eyes?” Eliza exclaimed. I shushed her, turning my gaze to Jennie, but she was still deep in conversation with Rosalind. “Details, please.”

  “The scowling one has green eyes, and the other one has hazel.”

  “Oh, that sounds interesting,” Eliza breathed. “I want you to ask for scowl guy’s number.”

  “What?” Camilla shot up and slammed her hand on the table. An oval imprint of the cup ringed her forehead, and I squeezed my lips together to stop my laughter.

  Eliza snorted. “You heard me, the one with the green eyes. He seems like what your type should be. All burley and muscly and a bit scary-looking. You need a good tossing about by a caveman type. Loosen you up from all that studying you did.”

  “You sound intrigued, you go ask him,” Camilla floundered.

  “Nope, that’s the bet. Plus, I don’t mesh with the whole caveman bit, I need a bit more control. Don’t think you’re distracting me. You have two minutes to get your butt over there to ask.”

  Camilla glared at her. “You are evil.”

  “Hi, these drinks were sent over by the two gentlemen over there.” A tray clapped on the table, and the irritated waitress strutted off.

  I looked at the drinks. There were five, and they looked exactly like the ones we had purchased. I felt a tingle on the back of my neck like someone was watching me, and I turned searching. Unable to find anything, my eyes returned to those two guys at their table. The playful one raised his glass. I turned away and looked at the drinks.

  “There you go, Camilla. They see something they like over here. I think you’ll be okay.” I grabbed one and sipped it. My God, it tasted delicious. There was an underlying hint of something that made my mouth water. I chugged half the drink and moaned.

  “That good?” Jennie intoned and grabbed one and took sips. She grimaced and put it down. “Uh, no, they taste horrid.”

  “You’re talking crazy! You guys, I swear it’s amazing.”

  Eliza grabbed one and sipped it. I finished chugging mine and barely stopped myself from grabbing another.

  “It’s pretty delicious.” Eliza licked her lips. “Something’s off with your taste buds, Jennie.”

  It was more than delicious. It was heaven.

  Eliza scooted hers to Camilla, who had just finished downing hers, and slapped her on the back. “There you go, liquid courage.”

  I snorted out a laugh. Oh, yes, Fae could get drunk. They were so funny. I was happy I’d met them because they were the best.

  “Go, go, go,” I chanted, egging the entire situation on.

  Camilla sent me an exaggerated look of betrayal and grabbed the second drink and tipped it back.

  “Woot!” Eliza exclaimed, throwing her hands up in the air.

  I grinned and reached for another of the pink drinks and tipped it into my mouth. The delicious chilled feeling spread through my mouth, and I took another gulp.

  Camilla ran her hands down her clothing, straightening non-existent wrinkles, and marched away. Her tensed shoulders gave away her anxiety, though. My eyes followed her body as she weaved in and out of the crowd of people until she reached the table. The smiling one grinned up and sent the other a meaningful glance. Green eyes snarled something as his eyes flashed up and met Camilla’s.

  “Who wants to bet that she manages to convince him to give him her number?” I exclaimed.

  “Pft, I say she gets him for the night.” Eliza winked.

  “You have a problem.” Rosalind shook her head, and I started giggling like crazy.

  “Raelena Marino, where the hell have you been?” Jeff’s familiar voice rasped from my side.

  17

  I hated my full name. It sounded like a digestive medication, hence the shortening to Rae.

  The name itself tensed me up and offered me a second of sobriety, but my reaction to the person addressing me shocked me. I felt nothing. The betrayal of him cheating was gone. Poof. All that was left was regret and a fondness for how we used to have fun—and a teeny tiny bit of gratitude that he’d helped my sister get settled.

  I turned in my seat and stared up at the ex-high school quarterback who had the stature to accompany the title. The alcohol in my system loosened me enough to smile at him. I gave a polite nod and turned back to meet Eliza’s intrigued eyes.

  “Rae, please could I talk to you?”

  I snorted. “I have nothing to say to you, cheater.”

  Well, I guess I wasn’t too over the whole thing. I rued the drinks in that second. It was going to loosen my tongue. I just knew it.

  “Aren’t you here with Jen?” I sneered, waving a hand over my shoulder. “She’s over there.”

  All I’d wanted was to have fun and relax, but here was the freaking wrench in the road. I turned to see the questioning looks in my friends’ eyes.

  “Oh,” Rosalind exclaimed. “It’s the jerk that you were running from when…” She trailed off, and at my terse nod, she glared at Jeff, who evaded her eyes.

  “Please, it’s too loud out here. I need to talk to you about your sister.” Shit.

  “Thank you,” I spat. His eyebrow rose. “I talked to her. You didn’t have to help her out.” I cleared my throat. “I just wanted to tell you I appreciate it.”

  “Anything for you, Rae,” he said. “I’m glad she told you. I was worried about how you’d react, or what you’d think of me.” I tensed and whirled back around with a glare. He looked shocked at how fast I’d turned. “She didn’t tell you?”

  His words tilted up at the end like a question, and I rolled my eyes. It was annoying when we were dating, and it was annoying no
w.

  “What?” I narrowed my eyes suspiciously.

  “She’s living with me. I gave her the spare room.”

  A million things rushed through my brain. No wonder she hadn’t said anything when I asked for her address. She knew I’d be pissed. The wood under my hands creaked.

  “Girls, I’m going to see my sister. You’re going to give me a ride,” I demanded from Jeff and didn’t let him answer before I continued. “If Rian comes by before I do, tell him I’ll be back, please.” I doubted he would, not even a day had passed, but I liked covering my bases.

  “Please, be careful,” Rosalind cautioned.

  I turned to Eliza. “Tell me how that goes,” I said, looking behind her toward the male who, even sitting, dwarfed Camilla.

  “You guys be careful, too,” I said and grabbed my delicious drink for one more swallow before following Jeff. The liquid hit me instantly. I swayed and grasped Jeff’s arm to keep my balance. He grabbed me and squeezed. I wanted to tell him not to get any ideas, but nothing came out. Jeff guided me through the parking lot to his familiar truck and helped me into the passenger side. I watched my hand in the moonlight, the tan skin seeming so smooth. It was fascinating.

  “Are you here with Jen?” I asked when the driver’s door opened and he slid in.

  “No.” His expression flashed with regret. I snorted. “Are you okay?”

  I lifted my hand and grinned. “My hand is so smooth,” I said and grabbed his hand to show him.

  He tensed but allowed it, a fond smile playing at his lips. “Are you okay, Rae? You never drink this much.” The concern in his voice brought me back to Roark. It was always about Roark.

  “Yeah, I’m great,” I said, shaking off any sad thoughts that were trying to shove their way in and bring me down. I didn’t like being sad. I was tired of being sad. “I’m wonderful!”

  Jeff gave me a strange look, but I smiled. “When you left, I was so worried. I’ve never felt so awful in my life, but then you had to go on and disappear on me. At the beginning, I’d thought you were staying with friends, hanging low, but after a week of hunting down all the people you could have stayed with, I went to the police department. They told me about your totaled car and how you were missing, suspected of being dragged into the woods by a wild animal.” His eyes were tortured. “I searched for you, Rae. I printed flyers, the whole thing, and then you call me out of nowhere.” He ran a hand through his hair. “Where were you?”