by Lola Gabriel
“Thanks, Dad,” Draven smiled.
His father smiled back at him and then clapped him on the shoulder again.
“Now, let’s go and get this mating ceremony under way, shall we?” he said.
Draven nodded and he and his father left the room and walked out into Draven’s parents’ garden where the mating ceremony would take place. He stood before the small crowd of friends and family that had gathered with them, aware that cameras were on him and that the ceremony was being streamed out to every member of his parents’ pack. He swallowed away the nerves. He knew he could face anything as long as Morgan was by his side, and he finally understood what his parents had tried to tell him. Finding his one true mate could never make him a worse leader. Being with Morgan made him want to be a better man each and every day and he would do anything in his power to ensure he never let her down.
He turned as music began to play and his breath caught in his throat as Morgan began walking down the path toward him. She had never looked more beautiful than she did now in her lacy white dress, and Draven had never felt luckier or happier to be alive.
Fae Dreams
1
Ellery Flannery sighed loudly as her eyes moved slowly down over the guest list for her party. She knew she should be happier about the thought of her birthday party, more grateful to her parents for throwing her this lavish party, but the guest list brought any chance she had of that crashing down around her.
“What is it?” Fiona asked. “Did I forget someone?”
Ellery couldn’t help but laugh at the horror on her best friend’s face and she shook her head quickly.
“No. Don’t worry, Fi, you’re still the number-one party planner in Bowles.”
“That’s hardly a glowing recommendation, Ell. The village is tiny. I’m the only party planner in Bowles,” Fiona replied.
“Yes, but once word gets out that you were responsible for organizing the thirtieth birthday party of the fae princess, daughter of the fae ruling couple, I reckon you’re going to be in high demand in all of the big cities.”
“Do you really think so?” Fiona asked, looking a bit brighter now.
“Of course,” Ellery said. “The glitterati want the best. And who better than the royal party planner?”
“The glitterati. You’re such a cynic, Ellery,” Fiona giggled.
“Ah, you know what I mean,” Ellery said, dismissing her friend’s comment with a wave of her hand. “The fae who want to prove to the rest of the tribe that they’re the ones to watch. Like half of these on this list.”
“Oh, so that’s what you’re pissed off about,” Fiona said knowingly, glancing back down at the guest list. “You’re worried some of these so-called glitterati will steal your thunder.”
The young women both laughed and Ellery shook her head.
“I don’t want any thunder. Don’t get me wrong, I like the idea of the party, but I really wanted it to be for my actual friends, you know? I know my parents gave in and let me choose some friends to invite, but the rest of the guest list is like a who’s who of the tribe. And I know what they’re doing. They’re bringing in an army of well-to-do fae with unattached sons.”
“Are they still trying to get you to find your one true mate?” Fiona asked.
“Yup,” Ellery sighed. “They’ve been like this since I had the enchantment.”
On Ellery’s twenty-ninth birthday, a warlock had come to her parents’ house and given her a potion to drink, known as the enchantment. It worked by making Ellery’s instincts sharper and opened her up to finding her one true mate. It was a ritual reserved only for the heir to the ruling couple of each tribe or pack.
“For the first week or so, they watched me, smiling knowingly every time I so much as spoke to a man. And after that, they became really unbearable. They’re convinced I’m somehow resisting the enchantment on purpose. I’ve told them it’s impossible and they know that, but they still seem to think I’ve not found my one true mate on purpose. I’m sure they think I’m choosing to be alone just to spite them,” Ellery added with a bitter-sounding laugh.
“Surely they realize that it can take a while. I mean, your one true mate is out there, but where? It’s not like you’re going to get old and die before you find him, is it?” Fiona said.
“Exactly,” Ellery said. “I mean, I have literally forever to find my one true mate. But my parents don’t see it that way. I think they want to retire, if you ask me. Go off and travel or something. So they want me mated off quickly so they can start training me and my mate on our duties. And of course Draven didn’t help.”
“Who the hell is Draven?” Fiona asked with a frown.
“The son of Joy and Miller, the ruling dragon couple. He had the enchantment and basically left his parents’ house after having it and literally went straight to the home of his one true mate,” Ellery explained.
Fiona winced.
“Yeah, I can see how that didn’t help. But surely your parents realize that was a fluke. It can’t be that common that everyone who takes the enchantment finds their one true mate practically on their own doorstep.”
“It’s not. And that’s why my parents are dragging in all of these eligible bachelors,” Ellery said. “They’ve introduced me to so many young men over the last year. I swear I can barely keep track of them all. But one thing they all have in common: not one of them has ever excited me.”
“But one day, one of them will and it will all have been worth it,” Fiona said.
“That’s easy for you to say, Fi. You don’t have any of this shit hanging over your head. You get to date who you want and no one seems to have a clock running for when you should settle down.”
“That’s true, but in some ways, I envy you, Ellery. When you find the one, you’ll know for sure he’s the one. It’s so easy to make a mistake and choose Mr. Not-Quite-Right without the enchantment,” Fiona said.
“I guess we’re both lumped with something we never wanted, then,” Ellery said.
“You should have had me take the enchantment for you. The warlock would never have known I wasn’t you,” Fiona laughed.
“Yeah, except the rumor is that the potion you have to take kills you if you don’t have genuine royal blood.”
“Ooh, and I’m just a lowly commoner, Your Majesty,” Fiona giggled.
Ellery laughed and elbowed her gently in the ribs.
“That’s not what I meant and you know it,” she grinned. “Now, this guest list. Is there any way we can bump a few of these people?”
The laughter faded from Fiona’s face and she looked uncomfortable all of a sudden. Ellery knew her friend well enough to know why and she sighed again.
“I take it that’s a no, then?” she said.
Fiona nodded.
“The only people I’m allowed to cut are people who you chose to invite. None of the visiting dignitaries are to be cut. I’m sorry, Ell, but I’m under strict instructions and I have to make this party a success. I need your parents’ recommendation if I want to really get my business off the ground. You said so yourself.”
“I did,” Ellery agreed. “Oh, what the hell, just leave them on the list. I’m sure I can find a quiet corner to hide in with the people I actually want to spend my birthday with. And anyway, it might not matter so much after tonight.”
“Why? What’s happening tonight?” Fiona asked.
“Oh, I have another boring date in another boring restaurant with another boring—but apparently very eligible—bachelor to look forward to. Maybe he’ll be my one true mate.”
“You really think so?” Fiona asked, looking excited.
“No, Fi, I’m being sarcastic, you idiot,” Ellery laughed. “Honestly, I’m starting to think my parents might be right and there’s no one out there for me.”
“Rubbish,” Fiona said, taking in Ellery’s soft blonde hair and bright blue eyes, her elfin features and gorgeous body. “Look at you. What man wouldn’t want you?”
“Literally any of t
he ones I’ve met,” Ellery laughed.
“Fair point,” Fiona conceded. “Okay, I’ll agree that it’s unlikely your parents are going to find your one true mate for you. But that doesn’t mean he’s not out there. You know how the enchantment works. It draws you and your one true mate together. Maybe it’s taking its sweet time because your one true mate is out of the country right now or something.”
“Oh God,” Ellery said as a thought hit her.
“What?” Fiona asked.
“What if he hasn’t been born yet? What if I have to wait decades?”
It wasn’t completely ludicrous. Fae like Ellery stopped aging at twenty-nine and there was every chance that some of them would meet their mates decades after they stopped aging.
“I reckon the chances of that are pretty slim, Ell,” Fiona said. “Seriously, stop worrying about it. It’ll happen when it happens and worrying about it isn’t going to make it happen any faster.”
“True,” Ellery sighed.
“So, go on your date tonight, have a nice meal and enjoy yourself, and just know that you’ll find your one true mate when the time is right. And when you do, all of this will just be a string of funny stories to roll out at parties,” Fiona said.
Ellery nodded her head, but she wasn’t sure it was going to be that easy to stop worrying about this. It wasn’t just her parents that were bothering her. It was bothering her that she didn’t seem to be able to find anyone she felt even the slightest attraction to. Maybe she was destined to be a lone ruler, and for someone like Ellery, someone who believed in true love and romance, that would be a fate worse than death.
“Now, stop wallowing,” Fiona said. “We’ve only looked at the guest list. We’ve still got a ton to get through. Decorations, food, music, to name a few.”
Ellery nodded and forced herself to smile. She sat there while Fiona began listing options for everything and she made her choices, pretending all of the time like she cared. She told herself to snap out of it and at least plan a party she could try to enjoy.
2
Ellery sat at the table in the restaurant. It was one of only three restaurants in the village and Ellery was starting to feel uncomfortable whenever she visited one of them on one of these dates her parents forced her into. She dreaded to think what the wait staff thought of her, always here with another man, never bringing the same one back twice. She wished she could tell them that none of this was her choice, and the reason she never brought any of the men back a second time was because she found them all insufferably boring.
She shook her head, telling herself to stop thinking like that. She was determined to think positively. Maybe tonight would be different. Maybe this guy—Errol, her mom had told her his name, would be her one true mate. And even if he wasn’t, maybe he would at least be someone fun with whom she could have a good night.
“Miss Flannery?” a voice said from beside her, pulling her out of her thoughts.
She glanced up and smiled at the server who had spoken.
“Yes?” she said.
“Your companion is here,” the server said. “Would you like me to show him to your table?”
I’d like you to tell him to go home, that this is a waste of both of our time, Ellery thought to herself. She smiled at the server.
“Yes, please,” she said.
She watched as the server walked away, hurrying but not looking in the least bit harried. It was a skill Ellery wished she could learn. She either moved slowly or she looked like she was on the point of panic. She was just glad her job wasn’t customer-facing for the most part.
She spotted the server coming back toward the table. Behind her was a man in a long black coat. Ellery tried to get a good look at his face, but the server blocked her view and she didn’t get to see him properly until he reached the table and she stood up to greet him.
He was blond, like her, his hair a mane of messy curls that could have been cute if they were natural but looked fake to Ellery, like the man spent hours trying to make them look naturally messy. He had nice eyes, so pale blue they were almost grey, but when he smiled, they stayed cold and Ellery didn’t like that one little bit.
She resisted the urge to sigh out loud. The next couple of hours were pointless. She knew already that this man wasn’t her one true mate. When she looked at him, she felt nothing. When she shook his hand, she felt nothing. And when he lifted her hand to his mouth and brushed his lips across the back of it, still, she felt nothing.
“Pleased to meet you,” Ellery lied as they sat down.
“The pleasure is all mine. I’m Errol, by the way. Errol Rogers,” the man smiled.
“Ellery,” Ellery said.
“I know,” he said and Ellery felt herself blushing slightly.
She never knew how to handle these situations. Of course the fae population knew who she was, but it always felt so arrogant to assume it and not introduce herself. Oh God, Ellery thought to herself, I hope he doesn’t think my blush is because I’m attracted to him.
“Did you have a good flight?” Ellery asked, just for something to say.
“Yes, lovely, thanks,” Errol replied.
Great. That’s the end of that conversation then, Ellery thought.
“Should we order?” she said.
Errol nodded and picked up his menu. Ellery did the same, despite already knowing what she wanted. It was nice to have somewhere to hide for a moment.
The server came back and took their orders. Ellery ordered a large glass of white wine, knowing she was going to need something to get her through this night. Errol ordered the same, and at least after a couple of drinks, his stilted conversation became more open and Ellery told herself he had just been nervous.
Throughout the meal, the conversation flowed easily enough with Errol telling Ellery a little bit about life in Boston where he was from and a bit about his job as a data analyst. The job sounded boring, but Ellery made all of the right noises, just praying for the night to hurry up and end.
Ellery put her spoon down, happy that dessert was finally over and she would soon be able to make her excuses and leave. There was something about Errol that creeped her out a little bit. It was his eyes, she decided. His smiles, his laughs, they never reached his eyes. And the way he looked at her when she talked about her life here in the village was so intense, she felt almost like he could read her mind. She told herself she was being ridiculous, but she’d still be happy when this so-called date was over. Her parents had introduced her to some men she would never have dated, but she thought Errol was a stretch even for them. Her father she could excuse, not knowing what women wanted, she supposed, but how could her mother ever think she could be attracted to Errol?
Ellery drank from her wine glass, her third large glass. She set the glass down and reached for her napkin, but before she could pick it up, Errol put his hand over hers. Ellery had to resist the urge to snatch her hand away. She had to be seen to act a certain way in public, and making a scene in a restaurant wouldn’t cut it.
She glanced up at Errol, hoping he would see the discomfort in her face and release her hand, but if he saw it, he ignored it. He smiled at her, another of those cold smiles that didn’t reach his eyes.
“I’ve really enjoyed tonight, Ellery,” he said. “You’re an amazing woman.” He paused for a moment, looking slightly embarrassed. “Oh, what the hell, I might as well just be honest. I have always imagined this moment, Ellery. Always pictured us being together. And now it’s happening.”
Ellery knew she had to shut this down. How could Errol think tonight had gone well? How could he think that anything was happening here? She gently moved her hand away from beneath his.
“Errol, I don’t think anything is happening between us. I mean, do you? Really?” she said.
“It sometimes takes a while for the sacred bond to start to form, you know,” he said.
Oh great, Ellery thought. Now he’s lecturing me on an enchantment I’ve been told about for years.
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“I know that,” she said, a little harsher than she had meant to. She made an effort to keep her voice level as she went on. “But there is always some attraction in the beginning.”
“And there is. Don’t tell me you don’t feel it, too,” Errol said. “I knew from the moment I first saw you three years ago that we were meant for each other.”
Ellery raised her eyebrow. She had no recollection of ever meeting Errol before and she had a good memory for faces.
“I don’t recall us meeting three years ago,” she said, ignoring the more disturbing part of his statement for now.
“That doesn’t mean it didn’t happen,” Errol said, not elaborating further.
Ellery shrugged her shoulders, accepting this. She did meet a lot of people in her official line of work, and it was possible she had briefly met Errol and just couldn’t place him.
“You know, Ellery, if we made love, I’m certain the sacred bond would start to form,” Errol said.
“Whoa!” Ellery exclaimed, raising her hands from the table and shaking her head. “You can get that idea out of your head right now.”
“Shit,” Errol muttered, looking uncomfortable. “I shouldn’t have said that. I knew I shouldn’t. God, I’m so sorry. You must think I’m such a creep.”
He paused, clearly waiting for Ellery to jump in and tell him she didn’t think that at all. The thing was, though, she did. She had thought it even before he announced he wanted to bed her and that statement had confirmed it for her.
“I just really like you, Ellery, and I thought if there was even a chance you felt the same way…well, only a fool would let you go in that scenario,” Errol added.
“Look, Errol, I’ve had a nice time tonight, but this is as far as it goes. I’m sorry. I just don’t feel the same way,” she said carefully.
Errol nodded and gave a soft laugh.
“Of course you don’t,” he said. “As if someone like you could ever like someone like me. It was a dream. A stupid, unattainable dream. And now I have ruined the whole evening by blurting out something stupid. I really am sorry.”