Warring Mates

Twenty-four hours without him... my best friend.

Hours I spent crying in my room, worrying about him as I thought back to our fight. A stupid fight at that. I wanted him, to love him. Even my beast mourned him. Something I never expected to happen.

A deep sigh left my mouth, the heavy feeling on my chest disappearing ever so sightly, only to return with the next thought of Lachlan as I strolled through the corridors. And as my feet dragged me further, I unconsciously walked to his room where a soft click had me looking up. The girl I had seen before walked out of a room—Lachlan’s room, to be precise.

“What the...” He didn’t even allow me in his room, let alone someone like her.

With narrowed eyes, I glanced at the girl. Something was going on with her. So, I decided to follow her. An action I never thought I would do as I sauntered after her down the stairs, to the kitchen, and lastly to the garden. There was nothing suspicious about her—nothing at all. A complete and utterly normal girl. Though I had to admit a damn beautiful girl. Her honey-blonde hair glistened in the sun, the yellow dress she wore accentuating her sun-kissed skin.

“Care to tell me what you are doing?” A voice said from behind me. A voice I recognized from everywhere as my head whipped up to the source.

“G-gramps…” My eyes widened in fear.

“Well?” He quirked a brow, his arms crossed as he leant against the wall of the palace.

His intimidating gaze had me shifting on my feet. Though I could swear that mirth swirled inside them. A slimmer—only lasting for a second before they turned cold again. After all, he was here to scold me. We didn’t spy on one of our own. Not without a good reason.

But still… I decided to play innocent.

“Nothing.” I shrugged my shoulders and turned my gaze back to the girl in case I lost her. She was smelling some roses, the ones the Fae kingdom were famous off. Beautiful, deep-coloured purple flowers whose fragrance, if in heavy doses, could create some power hallucinations.

“And with nothing, you mean just following an innocent girl?”

“Fine, you got me,” I grumbled. a pout on my face as I turned to him. “Will you tell dad?”

He shook his head, followed by a tug of the corner of his mouth. “Only if you don’t tell me why you are following her.”

“Hey!” I clipped. “That’s blackmail.” I couldn’t believe my ears. Gramps was blackmailing me.

“Will you tell me why you are following her if I didn’t blackmail you?” he asked, but we both knew the answer to that. I was never the one to talk—unless their name was Lachlan.

“No,” I whispered, my eyes darting to the ants on the ground. “But as for your question, I saw her with Lachlan.”

A laugh vibrated in his chest. “Jealousy doesn’t suit you, Lexi,” he said, ruffling my hair before he walked away.

I glared at him for a little while longer, still not able to believe he blackmailed me. But there was a first time for everything. I just hoped this wouldn’t become a habit of him.

I chuckled at the thought and looked back to the girl. “Damn it.” I lost her. Though she couldn’t have gotten far away. This was the only way back to the palace.

“What am I doing?” I muttered, my eyes darting all over the place as I sauntered through the garden, hoping to catch a glimpse of the girl’s blonde hair, and there she was… standing in front of woods.

“What the—” I mumbled to no one in particular.

The girl walked into the woods—alone.

And I thought I was the stupid one. By now everyone knew about the new rule, and for a moment—contemplating what I should do—I stood still in front of the tree line. Dad told me explicitly to get help and yet...

I bit my lower lip, my eyes skimming back to the palace. Get help or go after the girl...

A growl rumbled in my chest as I stepped into the woods, hiding in the shadows of the trees. I didn’t know if the girl could fight. At least like this, she wouldn’t be completely left to fend for herself in case those creatures show up.

But as I went from tree to tree—deeper and deeper into the woods, I couldn’t help but wonder. Nobody would go this deep into the woods, not without weapons or somebody who knew how to fight.

I sighed out, squinting my eyes to see through the thick fog. “Wait...” I muttered.

This wasn’t fog. A fog wouldn’t have hints of purple in it.

My mind went into overdrive, my heart quickening as I turned on my heels to leave, but it was futile. The trees bent into weird shapes, the ground swaying beneath me. I fell to the ground. No longer did I know where the sky began or ended. My entire mind was a mess, distorted voices haunting me.

But when a scream pierced through the air, for a moment—a brief second—my mind cleared and I glanced back at the girl. Lizard-like creatures injected her with something... something that looked like a black substance.

I shook my head and hid behind some bushes, muffling my mouth with my hands as I wanted to scream my lungs out. The girl didn’t even have a chance to fight back. The fog made us dizzy as our reality shifted to imagination. We were helpless. Goddess, I should have never gone after her without help.

Tears wet my cheeks as I breathed in deeply, trying to block the voices out of my head.

But they didn’t stop...

If anything at all, they worsened, telling me—whispering—how I was a failure, how no one wanted me.

“Make it stop,” I mumbled. “Please make it stop—I’m sorry.”

My breathing quickened. No air... There was no air...

“Lexi?” A worried voice spoke in my mind. A voice that soothed me, awakening my beast, and for a second the voices in my head stopped.

“There is someone else,” a voice lisped.

I scrambled off the ground. But just like before, it was futile. The ground deformed in front of me; the trees blurring together. I couldn’t run away.

And as reality dawned upon me, a pair of arms grabbed me, pulling me to a chest. They had me. I would never see my family again.

I screamed and squirmed in its hold. “Let me go!”

“Lexi, it’s me… Ryan,” he said in my ear. “Stop screaming.”

“No... let me go!” I trashed in his arms, black dots invading my vision.

“They’re gone, Lexi,” Ryan cooed. “You’re safe.”

“Ryan!” my dad yelled, instantly calming me as I could hear his footsteps nearing us. “Is she all right?” He lifted me from Ryan’s arms to his own, stroking my back.

“Make it stop,” I murmured, my consciousness slipping away before the voices could pull me back.

“Make what stop, Lexi?” he asked, touching my cold cheeks with his knuckles.

“The voices,” I answered, my voice barely heard. They had to stop…

“Maybe she is drugged,” Ryan said. “Could be that’s how they kidnap the women... drugging them to make them defenseless.”

“This is disastrous. The women will nowhere be safe,” my dad said, holding me closer to him as he stood up.

“I can search the area, trying to find some evidence,” Ryan offered, and I tried my best to muster up the strength to tell them about the fog, but no word came out of my mouth. My limbs were heavy, my mind dragging me to the dark as I barely heard my dad’s next words.

“It’s of no use.”

“I’m sorry,” I mumbled when I felt the energy returning to my body. “I know I should have gotten help. I just... I—”

“Save your energy, little fox,” he said in my ear, his grip tightening around me, and with a smile, I snuggled further into his arms. He wasn’t angry at me...

“Nikai!” My eyes fluttered open. Cole ran to us, his eyes skimming over to me. “Are you okay?”

“She will be,” my dad answered as he strode into the grand hall of the palace. “But we think those creatures are using a drug. It’s the only way to kidnap them this easily”

“It sounds plausible,” Cole thought out loud. Though it also meant more trouble for us. “Wh—”

My dad didn’t let him finish as he handed me over to him. “Take care of her. I need to hold a meeting.” But before he could walk away, I grabbed his hand.

“Dad...” I didn’t want him to go. Not after everything.

He breathed out, stroking my hair as he offered me a small smile. “I will be back, Lexi. I just need to have a short meeting with the others.”

“I...”

“I know,” he answered for me, kissing my head. “I love you.”

As I watched my dad disappear through the doors, thinking about all the events, Cole brought me to my room. And for once, I didn’t argue. A good sleep was exactly what I needed.

“You are freezing,” he mumbled, interrupting me from my thoughts as he placed me into bed.

“Shut up.” I hugged my blankets close to me, making myself ready to sleep. Though my mind had other plans. “Am I in trouble for following her?”

“No,” he said—a short and simple answer. “But can I ask why you followed her instead of getting help?”

“I don’t know...” I breathed out, my hand clutching the blanket tighter. “She was walking pretty fast, and if something happened to her, I knew I had a good shot at saving her. That was until the fog…”

“Fog?”

“Yeah.” My eyes darted to his face; confusion etched on it. “When I was following her, a purplish mist spread through the trees. It made me drowsy, and then I heard the voices. It’s all blurry... I think I even hallucinated.”

“So that’s how they drug them,” he mumbled.

I yawned loudly, my eyes drooping. “Did you say something?”

“No.” he turned on his heels, ready to leave. “Get some rest.”

“Wait.” I grabbed his arm, my eyes pleading with his. “I don’t want to be alone.”

“Okay,” he said, and he grabbed a chair, sitting next to my bed as he stroked my hair.

“Will you find her?” I mumbled, my mind drifting away.

“I don’t know,” he breathed out, his voice distorting at the end as darkness held me hostage. “We still have no idea who or what they are. Let alone where they reside.."

...

“No...” I clenched my eyes shut, moving my head. “No, leave... leave me alone.”

“Lexi, wake up,” a soft voice said, drowning out some of the fear before reality came crashing back.

“No!” I startled awake, my eyes wide as they met with my mother’s ones. “Mom...”

“Hey, honey.” She caressed my cheek, worry coating her eyes as they darted over my face. “How are you feeling?”

“As if I had training with Zak the entire day,” I groaned out, dropping myself back onto the bed. I had a splitting headache and all my muscles hurt.

A small chuckle rang through the air as my mom shook her head. “It seems to me you are as healthy as ever.”

I hummed in response, my mind looking for someone else. “Where is dad?”

“Worrying in his office.” She stood from the chair, walking to the bathroom. “Your uncle told them about the fog. So Nikai called another meeting with the other rulers.”

Rulers...

I scurried out of bed, hurrying to my wardrobe. If the other rulers were here, that meant Remy was here too. She followed Eros everywhere.

“What the hell do you think you are doing?!” my mom yelled, placing the cup of water down on my night table. “You are still not better.”

“I thought you said I looked as healthy as ever.”

My mom sighed, rubbing her forehead. “That is not what I meant.”

A chuckle left my mouth, and I kissed her cheek in an attempt to earn some forgiveness. “I love you.”

I dashed out of my room, running through the hallways without looking. It had been two years since I last saw her—two years living without my other best friend.

“Ouch.” I lost my footing, falling straight onto my ass. I had run straight into a wall... Or maybe not.

My eyes connected with a pair of blue ones and my heart skipped a beat, my beast moving inside my head.

“I’m sorry, king Collin.” I scrambled off the ground and bowed my head, before walking past him, but not fast enough as he grabbed my arm.

Tingles spread through my body, a fuzzy feeling fluttering in my stomach as I saw worry gleaming in his eyes. Though it was never there for long—an indifference mask replacing it. “Something wrong?”

“No.”

His deep, rough voice had my breath hitch, pulling me under a spell. My beast wanted nothing more than to drown herself in his presence—his scent, his Egyptian blue eyes. And though it sounded tempting, I had to remind herself he didn’t want me.

“Then I will take m—” A sharp dab pierced through my head, the world around me swaying, and I closed her eyes in the hope the dizziness would go away. “My leave…” I gabbled before my knees gave out.

Collin caught me in time, holding me close to him as he yelled something to a guard.

“I’m fine,” I mumbled as I pushed him away. I didn’t need his worry... Or those pleasurable sparks racing through my body.

“You are not,” he argued and for a moment, my body froze. This tone in his voice... it was almost as if he was genuinely worried for me.

I shook my head, scoffing out. He didn’t worry about me. He only cared for himself. So, I pushed myself off him, standing up only to fall right back into his arms.

“Okay...” My eyes darted to the windows, studying the clouds as I spoke the next part softer, “maybe the drug hasn’t worn off yet.”

“What drug?” he asked, his brows furrowed.

“Since when do you care?” I mumbled not all too friendly, unconsciously nestling into his embrace.

His chest heaved with a low growl. “I don’t.”

Anger... Hurt—they all flashed through my body as his touch repulsed me.

“Then why ask?” I retorted, pushing him away.

He closed his eyes, his fingers digging into my skin, and I knew I was in dangerous territory. His canines were poking from beneath his lips. One wrong move and I would be nothing more than lunch for his wolf.

“God, I knew this would happen,” my mom grumbled from afar as she hurried to me, her eyes narrowing at the places where Collin’s fingers dug into my skin. “You should have stayed in bed.”

“I am fine,” I uttered, rolling my eyes. My mom worried way too much, acting as if I were still a child.

“You are not fine! And keep that mouth of you closed,” she hissed when I opened my mouth to protest. “You were drugged, and those bloody creatures almost kidnapped you too. You will listen to me from now on, did I make myself clear?”

I shifted on my spot, glancing through my lashes to Collin whose eyes bored into mine.

Anger... Not quite.

Something else swirled in his eyes, the right word dancing on the tip of my tongue.

Fear—

That’s what it was. He was scared... scared for me.

“I understand,” I whispered, my eyes darting back to my mom and with her help, I stood from the ground, walking together back to my room as we left Collin behind.

“How stupid can you be, Lexi,” she mumbled, opening the door to my room. “You have to take better care of yourself.”

“I know, I know, and I’m sorry.” I pulled back the covers of my bed and turned to my mom, adding, “I promise I will stay in my room all day and take my rest.”

“You better be.” She sent me a threatening glare, but the smile creeping on her face told me otherwise as she hugged me, kissing my head before leaving.