The Contrary Mate

Aura

The gala that Jack had brought me to was somewhat entertaining. I liked the decorations—although they felt as empty as everything else, especially when Jack was not beside me. But I brushed the feeling off, since it did feel better than it would have before the bond. I was increasingly convinced that the connection between Jack and I was like a living thing, and it comforted me even when he was not nearby.

We watched the entertainment for a while, and then we filed into the room where they provided sustenance. Everything was delicious, and since it was all vegetarian or vegan, nothing made my stomach turn. This was probably half the reason Jack had bought tickets for this particular one. His wolf side clearly wanted me to eat, but I just ignored his fussing and ate the amount that felt right.

I had my own reasons for wanting to attend this one. I was increasingly interested in the world beyond the wards of the fae, Jack’s world. I liked the excuse to look nice, mostly because I liked seeing the hungry look on Jack’s face when I did. I also liked dancing with him, and I thought I might get an opportunity here. But mostly although I wasn’t going to admit it, I just wanted all the females who might have been watching him from afar to see that he was taken. I didn’t know if the inclination came from me or some of his wolfishness that was rubbing off on me.

After supper and a number of presentations about rescued animals that were frankly heart warming, we got up again, but something felt off. I glanced at Jack, but he didn’t seem concerned, so I brushed aside the light prickling sensation in the back of my mind as my imagination. And it worked, for a while. Jack filled my senses and my attention.

But that feeling didn’t entirely go away, and Jack noticed my unease. “What’s wrong?” he asked me.

“I don’t know. It feels like magic...static...awareness.” There were no words that could properly describe it the uncomfortable silent buzz.

But I didn’t need better words to catch Jack’s attention. He looked into my eyes seriously. “Do you want to leave?”

I shook my head, just as his cell rang. He grabbed it and answered while barely taking his eyes off of me.

“What?” he asked, and he stiffened, his attention turning to the caller, and he swore lightly, which was not really like him.

I searched his eyes, trying to figure out what was happening.

“Another one? Yes, keep that up for now.”

“What is it?” I asked, feeling stress that was not my own brush against me and mix with my own prickling unease.

“Work issues.” He met my eyes. “More security attacks, like someone’s aiming for the heart of Meteor.”

“Do you need to go there?”

“I—” He glanced at the room behind me. Was he worrying about my enjoyment?

“I’ll come with you,” I told him decisively.

He nodded, and we headed toward the door as fast as I could manage in heels, feeling his urgency through our connection. I wished for a moment that I could free my wings, but instead I pulled off the shoes and freed my feet. We didn’t wait for his car to be brought to us, Jack ran and got it himself while I waited on the front step of the building. I didn’t have time to consider my dislike of the vehicle when he pulled up. I jumped inside and Jack accelerated down the street.

“There was a digital breach, and traces someone got into the building,” he explained tersely. “It shouldn’t be possible, but it happened. And they can’t find the intruder.”

I held on uneasily, while he flawlessly manoeuvred between the other vehicles. I’d never been to his offices before, but surely we were getting close, I hoped. Even though it was late, traffic was still fairly heavy on a Saturday night.

Then, that almost forgotten prickle of magic surged and exploded in my mind. I gasped.

“What’s—”

All the lights went out. Every light in Jack’s car, the dashboard, the controls, the headlights—which was bad enough—but also the lights outside the vehicle. All the other lights in all the other cars speeding alongside us, the lights in the buildings, the lights lining the streets, and the traffic lights in front of us. We were hurtling through the darkness, and panic flooded me. I couldn’t see. All the other people in cars couldn’t see.

It was nearly silent for a split second, and then the sounds of squealing tires, frightened screams and wails, and then the horrible sound of metal bending and crushing as it bent into metal exploded in the wake of the magic in the air. My fear wasn’t calmed by Jack, as he swore under his breath.

Then I felt his hand reach to my right side, and through the darkness I heard the click of my seatbelt, releasing me.

“Jack?” I asked in the split second before my door was thrown open.

“Fly, Aura!”

I was pushed from the vehicle into the terrible black nothing beyond.