Fae Dominance

by J. B. Miller

  My mouth opened before the thoughts even solidified in my mind. "Do you want me to plait it for you," I said gruffly while I motioned toward his hair. He looked almost surprised for a fraction of time. Why did I think he had an emotionless face? Robin felt so deeply and it showed clearly when you knew to look for it.

  "You know how to plait hair, Kale? That hardly seems the thing an Alpha would have on his list of accomplishments. Or did you learn by playing with lovers past?" Robin questioned.

  His look was curious more than digging. I shook my head and smiled ruefully. "My mother," I said simply. "When my father was gone and we were safe, she would spend hours with me. I loved brushing and plaiting her hair. It was the only time I could be touched with affection and it gave her pleasure. The times were few and far between but it was worth the risk of a beating or two for those stolen moments…" I broke off when the memories began to get to me.

  "Would you like me to plait yours?" I asked again. His pupils had expanded and almost glowed when he answered.

  "Never feel you have to have permission to touch me, Kale. If that bastard wasn’t dead already, I would take great joy in slowly torturing the life out of him." Robin flicked his hand angrily and a gilded stool appeared between us. He sat down and a matching vanity came into existence in front of us. "Please," his gaze caught mine. "Care for my hair in any way you wish. I would like it very much."

  In silence I reached over him and picked up one of the brushes laying in a line across the dark wood of the table. We once again let our gazes meet in the mirror and quietly I began to brush his hair.

  It was like silk, heavy and thick it slid between my fingers. The feel of the strands against my skin was both comforting and erotic. So much had changed in such a short time for all of us. I fisted the mass of hair at his nape, gently pulling it tight while the brush worked through the length.

  Robin arched his neck and moaned when I tugged his hair back. Pleasure streaked across his face and his eyes closed tightly. My hand tightened slightly and his lips parted. I watched as his tongue slipped out to moisten his bottom lip.

  So he liked a little pain with his pleasure. That was interesting to know. I could feel my own interest peaking, the damn leather trousers were getting tighter by the moment. They must not do underwear in this realm, or Robin had something against it himself.

  I shook away those thoughts hard and forced myself back to what I was doing. The brush had nearly fallen from my loosened grip before I noticed, so caught up in my own fantasies. Going back to the task at hand, I brushed any remaining tangles out before asking Robin quietly, "Will you grab a few ties? I'm going to start the plaiting now." He nodded and reached into a drawer of the vanity pulling out several modern hair ties along with leather covers to wrap them.

  "I like modern convenience, but they lack certain elegance," he shrugged. I laughed; it was so much our Puck. "Vanity thy name is Puck," I nipped his ear with my fingers. He gasped and his eyes smoldered.

  "That was the first time you called me Puck in a kind way. I liked it." The heat from his gaze nearly burned me. I used the only defense I had at the moment. "You will like it even more when I get these plaits in you, you vain creature. I'm going to fishtail the back plait and give you two side ones. You will look like that blonde elf from the movie.”

  Robin sighed dramatically and leaned his head back. "I am in your capable hands, Kale, treat me gently or not," he winked.

  I ignored him and began to separate his hair. To begin with, I sectioned off the two front pieces that I would leave for now. Then I gathered the back and began to plait the hair from just below his crown.

  The way the different shades wove together was mesmerizing. Women all over the world would kill for hair like his. Even with his length, it only took a few minutes to reach the end. He held out a black band and I tied it off, grabbing the leather adornment to cover the offending band.

  Next, I quickly braided the side hair into warrior braids. They hung down each side to just above his waist. I studied them for a moment before declaring him finished. "There you are you handsome, Fae bastard," I said laughing. "Every female and probably male in this place will be after you."

  "That is doubtful, my wolf," he smirked at me and ran a finger down the edge of my vest. "Why would they glance at me when they have you to ogle? However, the style is very pleasing to the eye. Even if you did rip off several movies for the idea," he winked.

  "So between us then, we should have all the Fae here at our feet by nightfall," I joked. There was darkness in his eyes and I found I did not like it. "Yes, Kale, between us we should. It’s a shame I no longer want more bodies between us than our mates. It would have been fun in another time." He stepped closer, his body centimeters from mine.

  I was not ready for more intimacy, so I took a step back and changed the subject. "Well here we are all dressed up, don’t you have somewhere for us to go, that is not here?"

  "Yes, Kale, I do indeed. Follow me, my wolf, and let me show you my world." That's not scary at all, as Dia would say. But I manned up and followed Robin from the room and into the Fae realm.

  "Are we underground?" Robin glanced back at me from over his shoulder. His strides unhurried while we walked down the corridor.

  "Why would you think that?" he asked.

  "Well," I rubbed the back of my head. “You mentioned the Faery mound, and I just assumed we were underground since we were in the mound. Hell, I don’t know, Robin. This is all new to me. It's not easy not having a clue as to what's going on," I grumbled.

  Robin stopped to look at me with a perplexed expression on his face. "Do you know, Kale, I think that is the most you have ever said to me without being a smartass. I understand it is all new to you, but I forgot you do not know this realm," he almost blushed. "You are," an elegant hand waved in my direction, "very authoritative and tend to know all that is happening around you. I apologize.

  "To answer your question though, no we are not underground. The mounds are entrances to the Fae lands. In fact, most mounds on earth are cairns. They are ancient burial mounds that have nothing to do with us. The Fae as a whole respect the dead."

  Robin leaned back against the wall and crossed his arms over his chest. "I will run through this quickly before we come upon the public halls. We really should have done it sooner but I was distracted." The glint in his eyes left no doubt about what had distracted him. I just shook my head at the way his mind always twisted around to sex. And coming from a wolf, that was saying something.

  "As I was saying," he continued. "The mounds, and there are not many on Earth, are portals to here. Imagine Fae as another dimension to Earth. It's basically the same world just on another plane of existence. In this world humans are not the dominant species, we are. Machinery and technology does not exist and nature is preserved above all else.

  "We have natural talents that are akin to magic on Earth, but isn’t really. They just do not understand it. Our life spans are so long as to seem immortal but we are not. This is not something we tell so keep it to yourself. You only know as we are mates. Oh, by the way, you won't be living a normal life span either. It’s now extended. But to carry on, we are in the kingdom of Oberon and—" I cut him off before he could say more.

  "What the hell do you mean my life span isn’t normal now?" My hackles had begun to rise.

  Robin grabbed my face and turned me toward him. "Oh, you silly pup, think about it," Robin exclaimed. “Fate is cruel but not so cruel as to rip mates from one another after being together for only a blink of an eye. Dianthe is the daughter of a god; I am an extremely long-lived Fae. You and Daniel would live mortal lives. A handful of decades growing old and withered while we stay in our prime. That is cruel beyond cruel. Once the bonds are completed our lives are all tied together. We age together and hopefully if the fates are smiling, one day millennia from now when this world has become to weary, we will all lie down and rest together in the hereafter."

  It was mind-boggling and n
ot something I had ever truly thought about. In my wildest dreams, the most I had ever prayed for was a mate to call my own and pups to love. To give the affection and care that I never had. They would grow up strong and with honor—Alphas in their own rights. While Dia and I grew old together watching our children and grandchildren grow and move on as the pack expanded and changed.

  This was beyond my comprehension. The fact that we had, in essence, become immortal was both exhilarating and terrifying. My mind was racing to take it all in.

  "What if one of us is killed, do we all die? If a hunter took me down would it end Dia as well?" The absolute horror of that thought sent fear shooting straight into my heart.

  "No," Robin said. "If one of us passes then we all feel it. The same if any of us are in extreme distress or pain. There is a link connecting us all together. If that is severed, it will feel like a limb has been cut off.

  “We would want to die, and very easily we can choose to do so. It is a choice that we will each have to make at the time. To go on and live without the other is not an easy choice but I have seen others do it.

  “The bond we have is rare but not to the point it has not been done. It's just been so many years since anyone has wanted that kind of commitment. With Dianthe, it was instantaneous. I knew from the moment I saw her that she was mine, just as you did. There will never be another like her, and I will spend my eternity loving that female above all others."

  I couldn’t help it, I smirked. "Even me?" I fluttered my eyelashes at him and made a moue of my lips. The twelve-year-old that still lived deep inside of me came out to play. The seriousness left Robin's eyes and he threw back his head and laughed until the sound filled the hallways around us.

  Robin reached out and slid an arm around my waist drawing me closer. "Oh, puppy," he gasped. "What am I to do with you?”

  I had never felt so carefree before. The world did not seem the dark and dreary place it had in the past. Robin and I stood in the hallway laughing over juvenile behavior and the worries of life did not seem quite so bad.

  “Where to now, oh mighty Puck,” I asked him. “You are the only one of us who knows where he’s going. So you are in the lead of this adventure.”

  Robin watched me for a moment; I could almost see the cogs turning in his head. After a few moments of silent perusal, he told me. “Follow me, my furry friend, and I will show you my world.”

  The next few hours were filled with astonishing revelations. The world as I had seen it was nothing in comparison to this one. I had always thought of myself as open-minded but the mind-set of the court Fae was staggering. It was almost as if there were no taboos and very little order. That was until the moment we came into the presence of Oberon.

  Robin had been showing me the grounds. After hours of watching the day-to-day running of the palace we were in, I was mentally exhausted. I had seen more deceit, politicking, and pandering in one afternoon than I had in a lifetime of pack life. The Puck assured me that not all Fae were like this but the court Fae, especially in the Sidhe of the light persuasion, were notorious for their machinations.

  Now we took our time walking the gardens that seemed to be in a perpetual spring bloom. All around us was a cornucopia of beauty. Every color and kind of plant imaginable, it made me wish I knew more about gardening, just so I would be able to appreciate it that much more. The path we took now trailed snake like making hidden corners and blinds. Trellises held up climbing jasmine plants and their sweet scent filled the air.

  “Dia would like it here,” I said absently while trailing my finger over the silky petal of a white rose. “It’s like something from a fairy tale. No pun intended,” I said absently to Robin.

  “Noted,” an amused voice rumbled deep and pure. That was not the Puck’s sarcastic lilt. Both Robin and I stopped in our tracks to take in the male standing in a recess of honeysuckle watching us with both benevolent amusement and deadly intent.

  My hackles rose as I watched the stranger. This was no random happenstance. It only took a fraction of a moment for me to take in the scene. Robin stock still, not moving a single muscle, and the tall elegant man before us.

  He was closer to my height but again a slightly slimmer build. He had more of an athlete’s body than a heavily muscled one. His hair, a surfer blonde but cut short and spiked on his head. Piercing blue eyes set in a classic chiseled face. A strong square jaw but lips there were almost female in the way they were bow shaped. His skin glowed with a golden light and his presence radiated out toward us. How we had not sensed him beforehand, I had no idea.

  “Because, I did not wish you to,” his voice intoned.

  I began to curse. “Damn it, now I know you fucks can read minds. You fucking faeries have no sense of privacy. I swear I’m going to rip the lot of you a new one,” I was cut off when Robin elbowed me so hard in the stomach it took me to my knees.

  Gasping for breath and trying not to throw up from the force of the surprise blow, I watched as Robin bowed deeply before the male. He looked little more than a boy. Perhaps in his early twenties but with gods be damned faeries you could never tell.

  “My Liege,” Robin had nothing but respect in his voice when he spoke to the male. “Forgive my mate’s ignorance, he is new here and has no idea of the insult he gives. I beg for forgiveness, Sire.”

  Oh shit, tell me I did not lose my temper on the king of the Fae. A quick glance at Robin and the strain was clear on his face as well as the slightest trembling of his lips. Oh fuck me sideways, had I just made Dia a widow twice over?

  Masculine laughter filled the air and I could scent Robin’s unease. “Arise, my Puck, and be at ease. You have been gone overly long and I fear there is much to tell me.” The king turned to me and grabbed my hand pulling me to my feet.

  “Welcome, Kale of the wolf clan. You are a king in your own right if a mortal one in his beginnings. As for your accusations, yes, I do have the ability to read minds and yes, it is rude and invasive.” He tilted his blonde head as if he were listening to something. “However, in my position it is a necessary evil as it makes it harder for those wanting to kill me with their betrayals.

  "There are more threats in my own court to me than without. Only my Puck has been ever loyal,” he sighed. “However, it seems that loyalty has shifted."

  There was no blame in his tone just a statement of truth.

  “My Lord, I am forever faithful to you. This has never and will never change,” Robin began. The king held up his hand and Robin fell silent.

  Damn, wish I could do that, I mused.

  A slight tilt to the lips was the only indication the king showed that he had heard those thoughts. “My Puck, show me your arm.”

  Slowly, Puck raised his left arm and let the sleeve fall back. The intricate patterns of his mate bond with Dia were dark against his pale golden skin.

  “As loyal as you are, my dear Puck, this is a deeper bond. I have not seen it in countless years. I am not disappointed. If anyone deserves to be loved, it is you, my boy. I understand that your first loyalty is no longer to me and that while you would never betray me of your own will, your mates will come first, truth?”

  “Yes, truth, Sire,” Robin sighed. “Would you also wish to bond with this mate as deeply?” the king asked quietly. Robin finally raised his eyes and met mine. “My King, eventually I would like to bond as deeply with all of my mates. When they are ready. Dianthe was a special circumstance. I was afraid…” his voice caught.

  It was hardly fathomable the legendary Puck was afraid.

  “I was afraid that I would lose her to our wolf if I did not bind her. She was willing though.”

  The king laughed. “Even if she did not completely understand that which she was agreeing to?” with a wince Robin nodded.

  “Yes, it was,” he smiled then, “naughty of me.”

  The king threw back his head and roared with laughter. ”There is my Puck! I was worried you had disappeared under the guise of worried mate. Come both of you
to the throne room and tell me of this adventure and what brings you here.” He turned to me once again. “I have been remiss, Kale of the wolves, I am Oberon, Lord of these lands, and I welcome you to my home.”

  We found ourselves walking the hallways once more. This time we were on our way to the throne room. The halls here had more tapestries hung but that was the only difference I could tell from the many others we had passed.

  I was in a situation in which I did not know how to respond. Being the Alpha meant that I was in command. Here I was not. At the pack house, there were set rules and behaviors in place and everyone knew their roles and how to play them.

  Here I was set adrift and not sure how to respond. The wolf in me felt as if it was backed into a corner and my natural response was to raise my hackles in defense. The man, however, understood that diplomacy was the best policy here.

  The problem again was I am the Alpha. It is almost impossible for me to defer to anyone. The fact Robin wanted me to submit to him was another story entirely. Thankfully, years of tiptoeing around my father would hopefully come in handy here. Hell, I didn’t even know what to call the Fae King.

  "Oberon," the male in question answered my silent diatribe. My head shot up and I looked sharply at the Fae King. "Call me Oberon," he continued, "there are so few who call me by name. It is," he paused looking for the correct wording, "nice to hear it spoken as my name and not whispered in fear. You are a king in your own right, Kale, it at least puts us on a somewhat equal footing. My Puck here has been known to call me by name upon occasion." He waved his hand at Robin and softness entered his eyes.

  "Even the lovers I take to my bed are not brave enough to call out my name in passion," Oberon sighed wearily. "Anyway," he straightened his shoulders and walked toward a set of giant double doors. Guards stood outside of them silently and as Oberon approached, they opened the doors quietly to expose the room beyond.