Warring Mates

"Lachlan?"

No answer.

"Lachlan," I said a bit louder, throwing a twig at his back. "What's up with you?" Since this morning he had barely talked, let alone even looked at me.

He glared at me, grumbling. "Nothing."

"Yeah, right?" I jumped off the branch I was sitting on and plopped down on his lap. He was sitting on the ground, his back leaning against the tree. "I can see something is wrong.“ I could feel his shoulders relax when I placed my hands on them, the wrinkles in his forehead softening.

He placed a kiss on my shoulder. "There's something different about me," he started, his eyes staring in the distance. "I can't really put a finger on it, but yesterday I lied where I was."

My back stiffened, my fingers digging into his shoulder. "Why?" If he wasn’t in the castle, then he could have told us. There’s no harm in taking a stroll in the woods or the city.

"Because I don't remember." His eyes connected with mine. Fear swirled inside of them, and he added softer, "I have no recollection of what I did yesterday."

"Okay," I breathed out, but in my mind I was panicking. My dad and everyone else didn't need another reason to not trust him. "We don't have to tell them. I'm sure—"

"Lexi," he interrupted me, his arms tightening around me. "It has happened before."

I bit my lower lips and closed my eyes. "We can't tell them. They will put you into the dungeon since you are a liability."

"And what if I am? Wouldn't it be better to be locked up?" He cupped my cheek, his lips grazing mine. "I don't want to hurt anyone. Especially not you."

I leant my forehead against his. "Fine. We can tell my dad, but I don't want you locked up." He didn’t deserve that. Not after everything he had been through.

His lips pressed against my temple, his deep voice tickling my ear. "It's his order."

"Don't even try to argue with me." I narrowed my eyes at him, a low growl rumbling in my chest.

“I won’t.” He held up his hands and the look on his face made the corner of my mouth quirk up. He looked so cute with those wide eyes and that slightly crooked smile.

"My dad shouldn't be all too busy right now." I stood from his lap and held my hand out for him to take. He intertwined our fingers and pulled me back to the palace. His gesture warmed my heart, my beast shifting to the forefront of my mind as she purred.

Once we made it to the massive front door, we went straight to my dad’s office. He sat at his desk, reading a paper. His hair laid tousled on his head, and by the dark circles under his eyes, I knew he got little sleep last night.

"Dad." I knocked on the door as we strode in. "Can we talk?"

He looked up from his papers. "Is there something wrong?"

"Depends." I sat down on the chair opposite from his desk, Lachlan standing right beside me.

He quirked a brow. "Depends?"

"It has to do with me," Lachlan started.

My dad turned his attention to him, leaning back in his chair. "Cole and Damen already filled me in on yesterday."

Lachlan scratched the back of his neck. "Yeah, I kinda lied."

"I figured," my dad said as he crossed his arms.

"It's just..." Lachlan sighed. "I can't remember anything."

This caught my dad's attention. He strode to Lachlan and stood right in front of him. I could hear Lachlan gulp as my dad stared him down.

"Has this happened before?" he asked with narrowed eyes.

"Dad," I hissed. There was no need to get hostile. He was still himself.

He held up his hand, silencing me. "Has this happened before?" he repeated, each word sharp and laced with authority.

"Once." Lachlan let out a shaky breath. He may be the same height as my dad, but he wasn't as muscular as him. "It was at night."

"I expected more of you," my dad said, and Lachlan and I both cringed at the disappointment in his voice. "You should have come to me the moment you found this out."

Lachlan stayed silent, his head down.

"I want you to go to your room and stay there until Cole or Damen come to get you. They will stay with you until we figure this out."

I squeezed Lachlan's hand and watched him leave the office. "You don't have to be so harsh on him," I said when the door locked behind him.

"Did you know this?" He turned his gaze to me, and I shrunk. Right now, he wasn't my loving dad. He was the king protecting his kingdom, and moreover, his daughter.

I shook my head. "He just told me."

A hand touched my shoulder, and I looked up to see my dad staring at me. "I don't want you to be alone with him. Not until we are sure what's wrong with him and if those creatures did something to him."

"There is nothing wrong with him." I jumped off the chair, pushing his hand from my shoulder.

"You will not be alone with him, Lexi." He squared his shoulders, and the air tensed with magic.

The door opened.

"Let's stay all calm," my mom said as she walked over to me. Her arms wrapped around me, hugging me close to her. Dad must have called her. "I know you don't like rules, but try to see it from our point of view."

I hugged her back, breathing in her soothing scent. It was familiar to that of dad's. Pinewood mixed with a flowery fragrance I couldn't put a finger on.

"I'll try," I said as I let go of her. Tucking a strand of hair behind my ear, I turned to my dad. "Can I at least be in his room?"

His brows drew together as if he didn't like that idea at al. No matter if Lachlan was himself or not.

"Dad?"

"Yes, you can stay in his room," mom said for him.

I smiled brightly and skipped out of the office, but not before I hear my dad saying, "She is still a child."

A chuckle left my mouth. Guess he will stay a protective dad forever. Though he could loosen up a bit about the fact of me having a boyfriend. Mom was two years younger than me when she mated.

As I sauntered through the palace, I bumped into Remy who was speaking to that Ace-guy. Well... more like arguing. With my hand over my mouth, stifling a laugh, I hid behind a plant. I knew it was bad to listen in, but the situation called for it.

"I don't get it. Why can't you just answer the question," Remy said. "It's not like I am asking for your entire life story."

Ace didn't answer her as he clenched his fists.

"Do you have a girlfriend?" she asked again.

My eyes widened. Way to go, Remy. Do you have a death wish?

"Or are you more of the boyfriend type?"

I choked on my spit. I couldn't imagine Ace with a boy. Or anyone, for that matter.

"If I were you, I would keep my mouth shut," Ace growled, and the veins on his arms turned black. But what surprised me most were the plants dying around us.

Remy, of course, wasn't aware of the danger as she stepped closer to him. They were face to face. Well, more like face to chest. "Or what," she dared, a predatory smirk creeping up her face.

Ace closed his eyes, and the veins disappeared. "Don't you have someone else to bother?"

"Nope." She poked his chest, and I wanted to slap my forehead. She really did have a death wish.

He grabbed her wrist rather harshly, and I saw her winch. "Keep going on, and you won't get any sleep tonight."

My brows shot up. Did he just suggest what I think he was? They were... No way. Ace was way too stiff to just have fun.

"What are you doing?" someone whispered in my ear.

I jumped and almost knocked over the plant. “Cole," I hissed. "Don't scare me like that."

"I thought you would like to know that Silas is looking for you."

I grabbed his arm and tugged him with me far away from those two. "What does he want?" The next training wasn't until after the Spirit Fest.

"How would I know?” He shrugged his shoulders. “I'm just the messenger.”

“You’re awful, you know that?”

“Says the girl who listened in on her friend,” he jested.

“Aren’t you supposed to be with Lachlan?” I asked, redirecting the conversation as I started my walk to the library. If my gramps wanted to see me, he would always be there.

“Damen is with him right now.”

With my hand on the doorknob, I turned to my uncle. “Will I see you at dinner?”

He shook his head, his dimple showing as he smiled. “I have some other things to attend to.”

“Such as…”

He leaned in, his face inches from mine as he looked me deadly serious in the eyes. “Such as that’s none of your business.”

I didn’t say anything and strode inside. He always told me everything, unless it had to do with a woman. My uncles had many lovers, more than I could count, but they all had one thing in common. They were just a fling. Although, this time might be different. His smile told me that much.

“What took you so long?” My gramps sat on a chair, the same book as before in his hands.

“Someone’s in a hurry.” I grabbed the chair opposite off him and sat. “What did you want to talk about?”

“Lachlan.” He redirected his eyes to mine. No emotion swam inside them. This was purely business. “I want to know how much of a liability he is.”

I clenched my fists and glared at him. “Why? So you can throw him into the dungeon or brand him as a traitor.” My beast growled inside my head, her presence filling my head.

“The dungeon, yes. But we will never brand him a traitor, Lexi.” His eyes softened. “I just need to know if we are all on the same page.”

I leant back in the chair, my arms crossed. “Just ask him yourself.”

“He already lied once. I think that speaks for itself.”

“I know nothing more than what he already told my dad.” I held back the tears that brimmed my eyes. Why did this have to happen? Just when I was finally content, he had to have blackouts.

My gramps stood from his chair and touched my arm, squatting next to me. “We will figure this out, Lexi.”

I shook his hand from my arm and left the room in a rush. If I were to lose him and shift, I was doomed. I had to mate with Collin, who obviously didn’t want me. And not just that. I would lose my best friend, the one who helped me through this hard time. I was nothing without him.

With my head in the clouds, worrying about every possible scenario, I strolled to the garden. A place my feet always brought me to when I had to clear my mind. I never minded it. The different fragrances of the flowers did an amazing job on calming you, and then the birds, the lovely sun that caressing your skin. It was heaven.

A pair of arms wrapped around me, my heart skipping a beat. The fright didn’t last for long, though, as tingles spread through my body. “Hey, bunny.”

I leant back in his arms, my head on his shoulder. “Where are my uncles?”

“Not far away, but I asked for some privacy.” He pecked my lips.

“Are you even allowed to have privacy?” I shifted in his arms and wrapped my own around his neck.

He chuckled. “They are still in hearing distance.”

I hummed. “Are they still far enough?”

“If you keep quiet then they are,” he whispered against my lips, squeezing my ass.

I bit back a moan, hiding my reddening face in his chest. I so hoped my uncles didn’t see that.

“How about we go somewhere a bit more private,” he hinted in my ear, his hand darting underneath my shirt to massage my side.

With a mischievous smile on my face, I pulled him with me. There was one spot that had some kind of privacy. It was at the edge of the garden. Trees hid us from the view of the castle, and the guards always kept an eye closed. Everyone who wanted some alone time went there. Hopefully, my uncles would get the gist.

Once we arrived at the spot, I let my eyes wander as my ears tuned in on the slightest noise. The wind ruffled the leaves, a rodent playing hide and seek. “I think we are alone—”

He didn’t let me finish as he crashed his lips upon mine. There was nothing sweet about this kiss. His tongue dominated my mouth, his hands pushing me to the ground. I groaned when my back hit the damp ground, his hips rolling against mine. My eyes rolled back in pure pleasure. “Lachlan.”

He left open-mouthed kiss along my jaw, my neck, my chest. “Maybe we should have brought this to the bedroom.”

I chuckled at his suggestion. “I’m actually not allowed to be alone with you.” Though, his room was the only exception.

“Then maybe we should go back.” He went back to my lips. “I don’t want to ignore an order of your dad.”

I sighed against his lips. He was right. “Maybe I can ask my dad if I can spend the night with you. We probably won't have the time when the Spirit Fest starts tomorrow.”

He pushed himself off me and looked at the trees. The distant look in his eyes didn’t go unnoticed by me as his amber eyes turned duller. I touched his shoulder and gone was that look.

“Only if he says yes,” he said before turning to me.

“Okay,” I mumbled, my brows slightly furrowed. It was almost as if he had heard something.