Unexpected Mates ~ Book One

“Put it on.”

“It looks like a fucking piece of lingerie! People are gonna see me.”

“Fae, not people. And they are the horniest fucks of all time. It’s not a Fae party without at least three orgies.”

“Not helping!”

Sylvie stared at the sheer, plunging gown behind the privacy screen, though you could barely call it a gown.

The bodice had a corset-leotard style that showed off her thick thighs and ass through sheer skirts. A plunging slit ran from her hip, and some extra straps wrapped around the tops of her thighs like a dainty garter.

She tucked her arms in the lace, off-the-shoulder sleeves and carefully tucked her breasts inside the bra.

Kerensa tapped her foot impatiently and peeked over the screen, making Sylvie gasp.

“Oh, grow up. They’re just tits,” Kerensa said with an eye roll.

“Breasts. Who’s the one who needs to grow up again,” Sylvie snapped back, smiling when Elias’s low chuckle sounded from across the room.

“Well, does it feel good or not?”

“It feels fine. The way it looks is where my problems start.”

“What’s wrong with it?” Elias asked from across the room. His tailored suit looked impossibly sexy. She would get on her knees in a second just for him to spank her and tell her she was a good little sl-

“Sylvie?”

“Uh, yeah.” She swallowed her thoughts and raked her fingers through her waves. The brown tresses almost reached her waist, and she pulled some hair in front of her breasts to cover up. It didn’t help that the entire castle was about to see her ass.

She stepped into a dainty pair of heels and walked out from behind the privacy screen. Kerensa nodded with approval, but Sylvie didn’t care for her appreciation. Instead, her gaze shot straight to Elias, letting his darkening eyes and parted lips warm her scantily clad body.

He nodded and dipped his hand into his back pocket. “It’s just missing one thing,” he said, letting a silver string dangle in his hand. Not a string, Sylvie corrected, a choker?

“It’s a collar,” Elias said with a smirk.

Swallowing, Sylvie stepped forward and spun, crossing her arms as Elias bunched her hair into a ponytail. He tugged slightly before asking her to hold it. She obliged, blushing profusely as Kerensa watched the exchange.

“Kian will hate that if he thinks it’s real,” she commented as the latch clicked. Sylvie probed the fabric on her throat and spun, still holding her hair.

Elias hummed. “Tie it up.”

“No, I need it to cover me up a bit.”

“That’s exactly why I want it up.”

Sylvie frowned but relented, not wanting him to say anything more risqué in Kerensa’s presence. She had no doubt he would, either.

Kerensa waved her hands in a hurry-up motion, and Elias slipped Sylvie’s hand through his arm.

“Remember, our goal tonight is to rile Kian up. Even our presence here is going to ruffle many Fae feathers. Vampires are not welcome here. That’s why portal sickness is especially bad for you. That and the volume of travelling you’ve been doing.”

“Wasn’t my fault,” she murmured back.

“No,” he conceded, following Kerensa out the door. “I might say or do things you won’t expect, but know it’s for show, okay? You can use your safe word if it gets too much at any point.”

Sylvie swallowed but looked up at Elias’ neutral face with a soft smile. “Strawberries?”

“Strawberries,” he echoed.

She sensed from the severity of his tone that things were about to get insanely freaky, but for some reason, she was thrilled by the prospect. Perhaps the heat he talked about or her desire to get back at Kian fueled her, but she vowed her safeword would be redundant that night.

The walk down the twisted corridors was quiet until the roaring rush of hundreds of voices carried from the throne room. Sylvie squeezed Elias’s arm and slowed her pace as the path became familiar. So many eyes were about to see her half-naked.

“Sylvie,” Elias said, “take a breath. When we go in the room, you will stay at my side, but you will keep your eyes at your feet and hands clasped behind your back.”

She looked up at him with a quizzical brow but slowly unravelled her arm from his and clasped her hands behind her back.

“Like this?”

He smiled down at her and nodded. “Perfect.”

Kerensa groaned from the double doors. “Would you two hurry up? The greetings are almost finished.”

Taking a deep breath, Sylvie locked her gaze on the floor and followed beside Elias, keeping his polished dress shoes in her peripheral as a guide.

Kerensa pushed the door open for them, and the raucous voices ebbed to a soft stream of whispers. Their clipped steps echoed around the room as they approached the throne. She resisted the urge to look up even when she felt Kian’s eyes on her.

Elias hummed low in his chest. “Good to see you again, Kian, and you’re beautiful fiancee. Though, I was surprised to hear you weren’t coming back with our Kindred.”

Kian cleared his throat to respond, but Lazulis ethereal voice responded. “Prince Kian has decided to follow his duties and the arrangements made by his mother, the queen.”

“Ah, yes,” Elias replied. “And where might she be for this fine occasion?”

“She had to make a trip to Lazuli’s home to iron out the expectations of our union.” Kian’s gruff voice sent shivers down Sylvie’s spine.

The pain in his tone beaconed her gaze, but she fought it off and stepped closer to Elias. His hand gripped her bicep roughly and pushed her back to where she was. He rubbed his thumb on the back of her arm but growled harshly. “Stay put, pet. The grown-ups are talking.”

She blinked and bit down a smile. “Yes, sir,” she whispered. From her downward gaze, she swore she spotted his pants twitch.

“Well, we have no gifts for you besides your position in our company whenever you decide to visit the earth realm. Lady Lazuli, it was most informative making your acquaintance.”

“I don’t see how,” she replied breathily. “I hardly spoke a word.”

Elias didn’t respond, but Sylvie could picture the sexually charged smirk on his face as he gripped her shoulder.

“We’ll take our leave now and enjoy the festivities. Congratulations again, my friend.” He spun, dragging Sylvie across the floor, where she only just managed to keep her footing. Her eyes flitted over her shoulder to the pair on dual thrones and softened her gaze to one of innocence.

Lazuli, all dressed in white, pressed her lips together, taking in Sylvie’s figure, her see-through outfit seemingly catching her eye. The twinkle in her gaze when she looked over at Elias though sent a flurry of anger through Sylvie.

He was hers. She wouldn’t let Lazuli take another one of her mates. At her back stood Zephrinah, dressed in dark purple as if attempting to blend into the room’s dark corners. There was no hiding for Sylvie tonight, not when she inadvertently looked like a sexy bride.

Kian, on the other hand, appeared dull compared to Lazulis’s shine. His brown skin held a grey hue, and his dark eyes were sunken. They met gazes for a brief second before Elias pulled her harder after him.

“Move your feet, pet.”

In the last second, before turning, Sylvie spotted Kian’s fingers curl into the arm of his throne, clenching painfully. His fury was evident as she followed after Elias, locking her eyes once more on the polished floors.

Elias dipped his head to her ear as the chatter of other creatures returned and whispered, “You did well.”

She met his eyes and smiled before he tutted and gripped the back of her neck, making her look down again.

“I’m going to take you to one of the lounging beds, and you are to stay there.”

“Yes, sir,” she replied again, biting her lip.

They headed to a busy corner, and Elias shooed two translucent, pointy-eared creatures off the day bed.

“I’ll be back soon. Kerensa is watching you, so if you need her, she’ll be there.”

She nodded, strangely calm about being left alone, and crawled across the cushioned surface. The burning heat of lusting gazes caressed her ass, and she arched her back slightly before turning and reclining on a few huge throw pillows. She battered her lashes up at Elias, noticing that right behind him, she was in plain view of Kian and Lazuli.

Kian’s eyes raked up her body, and she shivered before folding her legs delicately. She remembered being posed that way for modelling photos as a preteen when her fourth foster mother thought she was too beautiful to play sports. That was before she grew tits and ass and became a distraction for the men in the family. She was sent back to the girl’s home soon after that.

Sighing, Sylvie waved over a tall server and stuck her hand out for a bundle of grapes. They carefully placed the vine in her hands, and she picked the fruit one by one, placing it between her teeth and taking small bites as she stared at the faeries chattering and dancing near her. In her periphery, Kian’s eyes remained glued to the lounge bed, and she hid a smile beneath her hand.

Elias appeared in front of the throne once more, and Sylvie stilled as he offered his hand to Lazuli. She beamed down at him and accepted while Kian hardly took notice; his eyes remained devotedly glued to Sylvie.

A swell of music drowned out the chatter of fae, and they paired off, dancing elegantly across the room, their feet stepping lightly and in perfect synchronicity.

Sylvie lost sight of Kian and Elias as the Fae pairs spun and twirled, and she scooted to the edge of the lounger. Standing and wringing her hands, she stood looking for a familiar face when a presence warmed her back. She shivered as a warm breath fanned across her neck and a pair of lips pressed against her ear.

“Care to dance, Princess?”