Warring Mates

"Lexi..." Lachlan murmured in my hair, his voice husky from the sleep. "It's almost noon."

"Just five more minutes," I mumbled half asleep, snuggling into him. His body heat seeped into mine, his fingers grazing my arm. It made my beast purr in delight.

A chuckle had me groaning out, his lips grazing my hair forehead. He was more awake than I was. And I didn't know how to feel about it. I most likely looked horrible. I always did in the mornings.

"Can you stop staring at me?" His eyes burned a hole inside my head. At least, I had the feeling like it did. And when I opened an eye, I met with a grin.

"Why?"

I pushed against his shoulder, a crooked smile playing on my lips as I rolled out of his bed. But I didn't get far. He pulled me back, his breath tickling my neck as he placed kisses all over it.

"I said it's almost noon, not that you had to leave the bed," he said, his lips diving for my mouth.

Wrapping my arms around his neck, I deepened the kiss, my brows furrowing upon hearing my beast purring yet again. It's as if it was her new favourite hobby. Purring whenever Lachlan was being affectionate. The only time when she did that was around Collin.

"Something wrong?"

I shook my head, hiding my blush in his neck. "It’s my beast... she is purring constantly."

He fell back onto the bed, dragging me with him. That's a good thing, right?"

"Yeah," I said, my mind drifting away. I would shift soon...

"You know, breakfast doesn't sound all too bad right now," he said, his stomach growling in response. "I'll be right back." He pecked my cheek before leaving the room.

I laid like a starfish on his bed, staring at the ceiling. We were both trying to ignore the mating part that came with my shifting. But not just that... I also had the feeling he didn't want to talk about what happened to him.

I jumped from his bed, determined to get some answer, and strode out of his room when I bumped into someone. My eyes met with a pair of blue ones. Rage flickered inside them, his nose scrunching up. And I couldn't help but feel a bit of satisfaction. He was jealous.

I placed my hands on my hips, leaning a bit forward. "Are you stalking me now?"

He scoffed out, his eyes refusing to meet mine. "You wish... My room is on the same floor."

I bit my tongue, remembering the last time I said something stupid. "Then I guess I'll see you around."

The corner of his mouth tugged up, his eyes glowing golden for a moment. "Are we being polite now?"

I clasped my hands behind my back, clutching them, and forced a smile on my face. "It can't hurt since we will most likely see each other more often than before. With the meetings and such..."

He clenched his jaw and was about to speak when Lachlan came back.

"Everything all right?" he asked, placing a hand on my lower back.

I nodded my head, entangling our fingers. "Let's get some breakfast."

"I just aske—"

But I didn't let him finish as I dragged him along with me. The heated look Colling was giving us didn't go unnoticed by me, and a fight wasn't such a good idea. Especially not since Lachlan was still healing.

"I know you wanted breakfast in your room, but..." I didn't finish, casting my eyes down. Deep down I still had feelings for that ass, even though I knew it was just the bond and totally irrational.

"You didn't want him to see," he finished for me, tugging me to his chest. "I get it."

"You don't mind?" I asked, my voice muffled by his chest.

He cupped my cheek, his thumb stroking my skin. "Yeah... Even though he rejected you, it doesn't mean his beast thinks the same way about it. We both know how a werewolf or shifter can lose control when they refuse to be with their mate."

"It's just to be safe," I emphasized, gazing into his eyes.

"Just to be safe," he murmured against my lips, stealing a couple kisses, and I giggled. Everything about him was amazing, and I was so lucky that he forgave me for that stupid fight. Our friendship meant the world for me, and for me to have said that... I wished I could take it all back.

"I know you really want breakfast right now, but could we talk about yesterday?"

His brows furrowed. "Is this about the mating thing, because I don't have a problem with it, and I mean it. Sure, the thought scared me at first, but being away from you also made me realize I love you more than I ever think I could."

"Y-you love me?" My voice cracked, my vision blurring. We hadn't even dated for that long.

A smile crept upon his face. "I do."

He loved me. Wanted me. Even to the point he would mate with me. Something that equalized marriage. It sent not only me, but my beast too, into a state of lust. A feeling that I had never felt.

"Wha—"

"Shut up." I dragged him by the wrist, nudging him into his room where I smashed my lips on his. Breakfast didn't sound so appealing anymore.

My hand glided under his shirt, my fingers trailing along the line of his abs. And within a second it laid on the floor, giving me a perfect view of his sculpted chest as I pulled back, my lower lip stuck between my teeth.

He playfully smirked at me, his eyes conveying his amusement. "So I have to pull off my shirt, but you don't?"

"Why?" I teased, my fingers playing with the hem of my shirt. "You want me to strip?"

"I would love to see it," he said, and the strain in his voice didn't go unnoticed by me as I stalked towards him, "but I thought we were getting breakfast."

"Do you want to have breakfast now or"—my fingers glided lower and lower down his chest, hooking them through his belt loops—"later after we have some fun."

He gulped, his eyes darting to the window.

How cute. Now he was acting all shy. "Well..."

"I want to, but only if you feel one hundred percent ready."

I pulled off my shirt—leisurely, unhurried. And I dragged my finger down my chest to my jeans. All the while, his eyes followed my movement closely, the bulge in his jeans growing.

Undoing the button of my jeans, I swayed with my hips a little as I pulled them off and heat crept upon my cheeks. I stood in a sport bra—still a provocative one—and some simple black underwear. But the look he was giving me... it made me feel sexy. Desire and yearning.

He cleared his throat, his eyes still raking over my body. "Does this mean it is a yes?"

I nodded my head, walking over to him. "Do you want to?"

He pulled off his jeans. "You have no idea."

I grabbed his hand, intertwining our fingers as I led him to his bed.

“Are you sure,” he whispered, his breath tickling my lips. “I don’t want you to regr—”

I pressed my lips against his, silencing him. This… I wanted it. I was one hundred percent sure of it. “Just shut up and kiss me back.”

His chest rumbled with laughter as he pushed me on the bed. His lips left my mouth, kissing their way down to my neck as his fingers hooked behind my bra, undoing it. A blush spread over my cheeks as he kissed his way down and sucked on a nipple.

I couldn’t hold back the moan that left my mouth. “Lachlan…”

He kissed his way down farther and farther. All the way down to my thighs and tugged off my underwear. He pulled back to look at my naked state, and I bit my lower lip, trying to hide myself with my arms. But he wouldn’t let me. He grabbed my arms and held them above my head.

“It’s too late to hide yourself, darling,” he whispered, his teeth scraping over the shell of my ear.

His free hand went down my stomach, his fingers scraping lightly over my skin. It had me bucking my hips as a fire spread through my veins. I needed more.

“Can you go faster?” I moaned. “Please…”

He smiled against my neck. “I don’t know. Can I?”

And to prove his point, he trailed his fingers back up again only to pull away fully.

“Goddess, you’re killing me.” I sat up up to see him pull off his underwear.

Heat crept upon my face, my mouth ajar, and I darted my eyes to anywhere but him. He wasn’t small…

“Are you nervous?” He pushed me back down again, one of his arms sliding underneath me to pull me closer to him.

I gulped down. “A little.” My beast was pacing in my head, yipping with glee. For what reason, I did not know. But it didn’t matter. I loved him, and I wanted to be with him for as long as possible.

He pressed his lips against mine—a soft, loving kiss. One that got heated within seconds as he darted his tongue inside my mouth.

“I’m ready,” I mumbled against his lips.

A sting went through my body as he pushed himself inside me. But the moment of pain was nothing compared to the pleasure that racked through me, my eyes rolling back as he went on with a steady rhythm. Moans filled the air, my nails scraping down his back. A pressure built up inside of me, begging me for more.

“Faster,” I groaned against his lips, my fingers tugging at his hair.

And yet again he didn't listen to me. He pulled out almost completely, only to push himself back in—agonizingly slow. It had me writhing beneath him, my nails digging into his arms. He was torturing me.

"Please," I begged, my breathing labored. I couldn't handle this. My insides were on fire as the knot in my stomach tightened.

"I kinda like this pace, Bunnies." His lips traced my jaw, my neck, my chest. His fingers playing with breast.

"And I'm telling you it is driving me insane." I whined when he thrusted himself inside me—hard and relentless. And he hit all the right spots as he placed my leg over his shoulder.

"This better," he purred in my ear, nipping it.

I moaned, biting my lip. Every nerve, every fibre was screaming inside my body. This moment... it was undescribable as sparks traveled through me everywhere our skin touched. The same kind I felt whenever Collin touched me.

“I love you…” I whispered when I felt as if I was about to explode. The pleasure became too much for me, swallowing me whole. And my nails dug into his arm as serenity coursed through me, my mouth open in a silent moan.

Not soon after, he came too, a grunt leaving his mouth, as his pace became sloppy. He pulled out of me, laying on his side as he pulled me close to him. “That was…”

“Amazing,” I finished for him, kissing his jaw before nestling into him.

His hand cupped my ass, squeezing it. “Do you think the entire floor heard us?”

I hid my face into his shoulder. “If so, I’m never leaving this room.”

“It wouldn’t be the first time,” he reassured me. We supernaturals were sexual beings, one species more than the other.

“Oh, my Goddess.” I sat up, clutching the blanket to my chest. “What if my parents know? News travels so fast here.”

He leant on his arm, turned to me. “Is it that bad if they know?”

I swatted his chest. “Do you want my dad’s wrath over you?”

He opened his mouth, but no word came out.

“I’m his daughter,” I emphasized. And my dad didn't care I was twenty. In his eyes, I was still a child.

“You can’t tell me they didn’t see it coming,” he argued. “I mean, with the way things were going.”

“He’s so going to kill you.” I laughed, my eyes squinting together as the horror set on his face.

“You got to save me,” he begged, wrapping his arms around my waist as he pulled me on his lap.

I cupped his cheek. “I’m sorry… you’re on your own,” I mumbled between two kisses. “I have to go see Arwen.”

“Now?” He sat up, his eyes scrutinizing me.

I pulled away from him, picking up my bra. “Yeah, otherwise I am going to forget and I don’t want to get pregnant anytime soon.”

"Fine." He climbed out of bed, pulling on his pants. "You get the tea, then I’ll get the breakfast again."

I put on my clothes, and brushed my hair with my hands, trying to tame it. “You’re not mad, are you?”

“I’m not.”

I grabbed his hand when he was about to pick up his shirt. “Then why do I get the feeling you are?”

He sighed, rubbing his face.

“You know how I forget things, and this isn’t something I want to forget. Mom got pregnant with me the first time they had sex.”

"I know…" He hugged me closely, his chin on my head. "Children is out of the question for now."

"Now and at least the next one or two centuries."

He chuckled, patting my bum before letting me go. "I'll see you later." He kissed my cheek and left the room. Me following soon.

I sauntered to Arwen's herb room, which was on the lower part of the palace, close to the garden. Sadly enough, it also meant I had to walk from one side to the other side since his room was on the second floor away off the garden.

And as I walked, it felt as if I had a dozen eyes on me. Like they could read my mind. Something that wasn’t possible since I was the mind reader in here. Of course I was crazy. I mean, news didn't travel this fast… Right?

Once I arrived at her room, I knocked. Once. Twice. “Hello? Arwen?” I peeked inside, finding the room empty. “Great.”

I walked over to one of her plants, touching the leaves. If I was right, this one could calm one’s stomach. And the one beside it was for headaches. Infection. Food poisoning. I named them all as I searched for the plant I actually needed. But it was nowhere to be found.

“Lexi.”

A yelp left my mouth as I dropped the pot I had in my hands on the ground. “I am so sorry.” I looked at her with wide eyes.

“It’s okay.” She walked over to me, a knowing smile dancing on her lips. “You are here for the tea, aren’t you?”

The blood drained from my face. “Does everyone know?”

She picked up the pieces. “It’s normal to have some fun.”

“I know. It’s just…” I knelt, helping her. “There are some people I didn’t want to know.”

“Like Collin…”

My heart thudded. “Did my dad tell you?”

"No." She took the pieces out of my hands, throwing them in the garbage can. "I think the only person he told it to is your mom."

I dusted my hands off on my jeans. “Then how did you find out?”

“My gift. I can sense people’s auras and the way Collin’s aura reacts to yours… It’s a dead give-away.”

“And that of Lachlan?”

She furrowed her brows. “What do you mean?”

“Well… Uhm…” I cleared my throat. “When Lachlan and I… I felt sparks. And with that, I mean the same ones I felt with Collin whenever he touched me.”

“Your aura’s always complimented each other," she started, plucking some leaves of a plant. "Like the twins—two halves that fit perfectly.”

“So you’re saying, Lachlan and I are like brother and sister.” The thought grossed me out.

“No, you silly.” She poked my forehead. “It just means that you compliment each other's flaws in a good way. And it is more than likely that your beast is forming a bond with him. One that is close to a mating bond.”

“A second mate,” I muttered to myself.

“That’s a way to call it.”

I squealed, giving her a hug. Maybe the Goddess was on my side after all. Even though she wasn't responsible of the mating bonds of shifters. “I have to tell him this.”

“Wait,” she said, grabbing my arm before I could run out of the room. “Your tea leaves.” She placed them in my hand.

“I completely forgot.”

“Now go.” She shooed me away, a chuckle leaving her mouth.

And I was more than glad to run through the corridors. That was until I almost bumped into my mom, our eyes connecting. I turned on my heels. But she wouldn’t have it.

“Not so fast, Lexi.” My mom crossed her arms, her brow raised.

“So,” I drawled out. “You and dad know?” I gave her an innocent smile.

“Let’s talk somewhere more private.”