by A. B Lee
I knew that one word from me and he would be back. One word that would seal our fate as a mated pair… I thought of my friends and my people, and just couldn’t get that word to pass my lips.
I set my resolve and scooted to the edge of the bed as far away from him as I could muster while his back was turned towards me. Those damn puppy dog eyes and dimples were my downfall, and I was glad that he’d turned the other way.
“Will I see you before the sun goes down?” he growled out the words and my eyes snapped towards his back and the tension there. I felt a rush of guilt that I hadn’t said those damn words to bring him back to me.
“Yes.” I pushed up and moved towards the door of the cabin before I changed my wind, before that resolve crumbled to dust.
“Be safe, Jasmine.”
He still hadn’t turned around, not even when I yanked open the front door and started through it. Last chance before I leave…
“You too, Seth.” I hesitated and he didn’t move one single muscle, and trust me- I looked.
Then I pushed out into the daylight and before either of us could do another thing- I jumped from the earth and took my Fae form.
My wings were unleashed and I swooped up into the air and shot a look back over my shoulder at the colour of them.
Still a rainbow, still beautiful, and so damn shiny that my heart leapt within my chest. It had worked, for now. I was back to my full glory, my full strength, and I headed back towards my people with only one regret- that Seth and I hadn’t mated.
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~
Bree was excitement personified. Bubbling over with sparkling enthusiasm that lit her eyes and made her grin like she was going slightly insane. She couldn’t keep still- such was her need to devour every little bit of information that she was trying to drill out of me.
“You didn’t come home, but your wings are still a rainbow…” her words were spilling out faster than when she was on the worst of sugar highs.
“So they are,” I offered back on a slight whisper that made her lean her upper body towards me. She gave a strangled giggle of anticipation, but I said no more.
“Ok, so…?” she danced from one foot to the other and clasped her hands, strangling them together as she waited for more information, expectant wasn’t the word.
“So.” I left it there, left her hanging for the juicy details. She started to get flustered.
“Remember when I said that I was living vicariously through your love life?” She looked a little miffed, a little expectant, and a lot needy for information.
“I seem to recall something along those lines.” I nodded thoughtfully and she hissed.
“So, give it up, sister, or I’m getting my bitch on,” Bree bit out and I turned my head to look at her, my eyebrows travelled up towards my hairline, and I questioned her with my eyes. “Please.”
There was a whine to her tone and desperation in her eyes. I caved.
“I slept with him…” I started and she yelped with happy excitement, “not like that.” I burst her bubble and she deflated.
“Oh.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah, oh.” She shrugged her shoulders; looking more than a little put out by my admission. I snorted a chuckle.
“But we did kiss,” she grinned wildly, her eyes sparkled again, “boy did we kiss…” I left it there.
“And…” she urged, practically drooling at the mouth.
“That was it.” I deflated her again.
“Damn it, Jazz.”
She looked more than disappointed. I felt more than disappointed. I should have mated with him…
Wow, there it was, right there in that moment my future was decided for me by one random thought- I should have mated with him- how weird was that?
“You love him,” Bree offered me that same old line and my eyes shot to hers. This time I didn’t rush to deny it or glare at her. She brightened, she gasped, she pointed an accusing finger at me… “You love him.”
“I- don’t be so- that’s not- hmm…” I couldn’t think what to say. There was no rush to denial of my feelings, but then there was no lightning bolt of certainty either.
“Oh…. Yes!” Bree fisted her hands and punched the air above her. I wasn’t so happy.
“No.”
“No?” she frowned hard, even with her arms still above her head and her fists clenched in triumph.
“Well…”
“Well?” she scowled back at me.
“I might have feelings…”
I started to explain my confusion, but Bree was now up on her feet and doing her happy dance. It wasn’t… pretty.
“What’s got into her?” Piper was at my window and I resisted the urge to slam the shutters in her face. Her eyes widened and her mouth dropped open in surprise. “Oh my spirits you mated him!” she yelled at the top of her lungs.
“What?” I reached out, grabbed a handful of her top and yanked her through the open window. The tops of her thighs caught the windowsill and she blinked a few times in surprise. “I did not mate him!” I growled in her face and she raised her hands in surrender.
“O-k, you can put me down now.” She pointed to the ground and I let go without thinking. She dropped like a boulder, just putting her hands out in time to save her from face planting the rug.
“Jazz!” Bree broke off her happy dance to berate me.
“Whoops!” I snapped out as Piper pushed up on the palms of her hands and glared at me.
“Ouch!” her tone was unimpressed.
“Sorry.” I hissed back with a flick off my wings and my shoulders.
Piper was back on her feet in a heartbeat, dusting herself off, and Bree was back to doing her happy dance, which, still wasn’t pretty.
“She loves him…” Bree offered to Piper and I felt my heart hit my ribs again.
“I do… not…” I rolled my eyes to the ceiling and considered it.
“Gee, sister, don’t sound soooo convincing.” Piper shot back and I groaned as I dropped my backside to the bed and hugged my legs to my chest.
“I’m confused.” I admitted.
“How unlike you.” Piper shot back.
“Give the girl a break, apparently he’s a really good kisser!” Bree announced and Piper grinned at me. I groaned again.
“Is nothing sacred?” I asked.
“Nope.” Bree shot back, rolling her curvy hips and pushing her backside out in my direction. I took the bait and zapped it. She shot upright, her hands going to her backside and her eyes wide with surprise. “Hey!”
“Don’t wag it in my face then.” I growled back.
“You’re growling again.” Piper offered and I scowled back at her.
“It’s all Bree’s fault.” I snapped back.
“Why is this all my fault?”
“You threw me at the damn wolf in the first place.” I shot back. She grinned hard.
“Ha! I did, right?” She did another happy dance and I groaned again.
“What’s the problem now?” Piper asked.
“I should have mated him.” I whispered as if it was a secret.
Bree stopped dancing- then she thrust her fists in the air and announced it to the world.
“She should have mated him!”
I zapped her again.
“That’s getting annoying,” she hissed at me.
“I can’t help myself.” I gave her a dry smile and she narrowed her eyes on me.
“Try.”
“Give me a minute,” I zapped her again, “Nope, still not there yet.”
“I hate you.”
“I hate you too.” I hissed back, for a long moment we just scowled at each other, but then I could see the corners of her mouth twitching to let go of a smile, and then, there it was, bursting out with a giggle to boot. I returned the favour.
“I hate you both.” Piper tossed over her shoulder as she walked back towards the window and dropped her backside onto the ledge, folding her arms acr
oss her chest, and frowning back at us.
“Good, then neither of you will miss me when I go.” I announced my intentions and Bree gasped in a happy breath.
“Ahh, I’m so happy for you, Jazz.” Bree teared up and I shook my head.
“No happy tears!” I warned her.
“You’ll be coming back to us though, so…” Bree shrugged.
“Yep, I’ll still have my wings, and you two can come and make mischief on pack land.” I grinned wildly at the thought of how the pack would react to interacting with my friends.
“So go and mate him already!” Piper declared and I frowned.
“Maybe I should wait until the solstice has been and gone.”
“Why? Do it now…” Bree rushed to offer her opinion. “Then you can come back and tell me every little detail…”
I frowned, Piper snorted, and Bree looked from one of us to the other.
“What?” She demanded.
“We really need to find you a mate, a boyfriend at the very least.” I offered and she frowned back at me.
“Maybe a wolf-friend.” Piper grinned and Bree shook her head so fast that her cheeks wobbled.
“Nooooo!”
“But it’s ok to throw me to the wolves.” I asked her and she scowled at me.
“He’s your mate!” She declared.
“So he is.” I shot back and couldn’t hold onto my laughter at the look of horror on her face. It was priceless.
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~
By the time that I got around to flying back to our normal meeting spot, I was kind of surprised to find Bree sitting in my tree watching the two shifters, my Seth and Robert- doing what shifters do, fighting.
I hovered nearby and watched her, although I had to admit my eye did keep wandering towards Seth, bare chested- with those hard muscles on display for my viewing pleasure as he threw punches that didn’t have any real force behind them.
“Enjoying the view?” I whispered just behind Bree, and she half turned with a big old smile on her face and nodded enthusiastically…
“Oh yes…” she offered and then caught herself in the act, she shook her head in denial, “no, no. I was just…”
“Gawping. Drooling,” I teased as her cheeks lit up with colour, “wishing?”
“Wishing?” She frowned hard at the thought, “for what?”
“Robert’s big strong arms…” I started and her eyes widened at the thought.
“Oh shut up and go mate with your man.”
“I know you, Bree,” I offered with a song in my voice, “you have a little crush going on.”
“Then you don’t know me as well as you think, because that man is…” she turned to look at him and swallowed at the sight, “well, ok, he’s as sexy as all hell, but that’s not the point.”
“How about an introduction?”
“I’ve met him already.” She scowled.
“Not properly,” I announced and flew at her. My hands hit her back and she sailed from the branch, downwards in seconds without time to unleash her wings… splat! “Whoops!”
The human Bree lay flat on her front on the ground. I had to feel guilty about that. I hadn’t meant for her to drop, I’d meant for her to be a little more graceful than that, but this was Bree.
“O-u-c-h!” Bree groaned.
“What have we here? Fallen Faerie or fallen angel?”
I perked right up when Robert paid attention. He stalked towards her and grinned on a chuckle as he reached down to help her up…
“Did I fall or was I pushed?” Bree turned her head to offer me the evil eye. I was saying nothing, but I did snigger.
Robert’s large hands encircled her upper arms and she was on her feet in no time at all, still offering me the death glare.
“Thank…” Bree turned her attention back to Robert, and suddenly realised that there was a whole hunk of a man in front of her. I had to laugh at the way she went from death stare to giddy in a heartbeat. “Thank you.”
I was quite expecting her to fan herself down with her hand. She giggled, and he growled- then she frowned at him, drawing her head back on her neck and shooting me a worried look.
“Something I said?” She rattled out quickly.
“How can I put this?” It was a rhetorical question, but that never stopped Bree yet.
“As succinctly as possible, you’re worrying me here.” She scowled.
Robert took a long, deep breath in and his big muscled chest expanded. Bree’s eyes shot to all of those muscles, and I was sure I heard a small squeak come from her lips…
“Mine.” Robert growled out and Bree’s eyes snapped up to his face; I could have sworn that I heard her eyes click in protest, but it was the sound of her breath, wheezing as it escaped- oh so slowly- from her lips, almost as if she was deflating that had me spellbound.
You could have knocked me down with a feather- literally.
Bree- bless her- she just stood there, rooted to the spot, not moving, not breathing, eyes wide, still wheezing out air…
CHAPTER TWENTY
~
“I think this is the part where you say something,” Robert grinned.
Bree took a deep breath in and filled herself with air. “Errr… muscles…” she offered, with a smile that looked as if she had a bad smell under her nose.
My eyes took flight towards Seth as he roared with laughter. Robert’s head snapped around on his neck and he offered his form of the death glare, it was more effective than Bree’s attempt.
“What?” Seth expanded his hands and shrugged those broad shoulders. “You know that it’s payback time, right?”
Robert growled in annoyance. I couldn’t contain myself any longer. Flying down and landing a few feet away from Bree, I immediately transformed into my human self…
“Let me see your wings!” I rushed out and she snapped to attention.
“What? Noooo.”
“Bree, wings, now. It’s the only way to make sure that he’s your mate.” I offered sweetly.
Bree’s brow furrowed like never before. She shook her head, fast, so fast I was surprised that she didn’t make herself dizzy.
“Not… happening.” She looked worried, cagey, as she stared up at Robert from under her brow.
“But a mate is fun!” I could use a little payback too. She froze in place.
“But, he’s a…” she didn’t say it. I did.
“Wolf?” I offered with a hearty grin.
“How could I not know?” Robert was talking to himself.
“You didn’t touch her the last time that she was here.” Seth offered, enjoying himself as much as I was.
“Yes, he’s a…” Bree stopped herself again.
“W-o-l-f…” I breathed out, drawing it out so it was more than painfully obvious. “You can say it.” I whispered, just not too quietly. She shook her head again.
“No, no I can’t.” She admitted.
“But, he’s your mate.” I rubbed it in.
“That’s not really the point.” Bree rushed back.
“Oh, but it was the point when it was my mate.”
“Ye- yes- yep, that’s… yeah.” She didn’t know what to do with herself.
“And look at all those muscles.” I teased. Her eyes flicked to his chest and she grinned.
“Yeah… I mean, no.” She caught herself again.
“Wings. Now.” I demanded and she chewed a wasp for all of a few seconds before she flicked them out behind her.
Rainbow…
“Ah, Crap!” Bree hissed and I chuckled.
“Wow!” Robert went to take a step backwards, but he realised that he was still holding onto her upper arms. Bree grunted and looked particularly confused.
“I guess I won’t be the only one mating…” I said and Seth choked off his laughter.
“We’re mating?” He went to take a step and I held out my hand.
“Hold your… self in check.” It didn’t sound right, even to my ear
s.
“Could you let me go?” Bree asked nicely.
“No,” Robert growled, “You Fae have a habit of taking off on a mate.”
“I… wouldn’t…” Bree shook her head and gave him those innocent eyes of hers.
Robert grunted, released one hand first, she smiled, then he released the other… and she was gone- jumping into the air, she took off on a flash.
“O….kies.” I said as Robert’s eyes snapped towards me.
“Make her come back,” he growled.
“I’ll do my best.” I assured him before I jumped into the air and took off after her. So much for mating my man…
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~
I’d never seen Bree fly so fast in my life. She was racing away like an arrow shot from a crossbow.
I, like an idiot, was racing up behind her, almost catching her… when Piper shot in front of Bree’s path and they collided. I tried to hit the brakes, but I was a Faerie not a car, and I hit Bree’s back- then we all went whirling down to the ground in a tangled heap of wings and appendages.
Piper said some not very nice things to Bree, about Bree, and in the general direction of Bree as we tried to untangle ourselves. At least if we’d hit the ground outside of our realm we wouldn’t have had our wings to contend with.
“I’m off!” Bree ground out, and I reached out a hand and yanked her backside back down to the ground- just as she was pushing up.
“Don’t even think about it!” I ground out, my cushioned pride had taken another hit.
“What the hell, Bree?” Piper demanded.
“She’s met her mate!” I exclaimed, filling Piper in on the most important thing before Bree tried to take too flight again.
“She what!?” Piper’s screeching voice could probably be heard all the way to the Faerie falls, which was one realm over from ours.
“Thank you!” Bree motioned towards Piper- then she turned to glare at me, “see!”
“Not really…” I admitted and Bree grunted in annoyance.
“He’s a wolf!” she snapped back.
“Not another bloody one.” Piper shook her head.
“And we’re going to have soooo much fun in their world.” I exclaimed with as much enthusiasm as she’d shown me when it had felt as if my life had come to a screeching end.