Page 12 of You're Not My King!

I scrubbed a hand over my face. “What will my job be?”

After basically being told I was worse than useless by Fiddich, I was curious to know what kind of position they’d palm off on me. Bed warmer or feet massager, probably.

I cringed.

A look I couldn’t decipher flashed across Fiona’s face, and suspicion bubbled in my stomach. “You have no job,” she stated, shifting in her seat as I waited for the other shoe to drop. “You are the Great Leader’s mate.”

And there it was.

The other shoe.

The whole fucking wardrobe.

My brows were at my hairline. “A what now?”

“You’ve heard the term ‘soulmates,’ yes?” she asked.

I narrowed my eyes at her. “Uh-huh.”

“Well, it’s like that, only a much stronger and more supernatural bond. You will be ‘married’ for life, since the connection is solidified through consummation and it is impossible—or near enough—to break.” I may have blanked out right around that point. “For lee-zurd, it’s an instinct they have, much like a lot of animals on Earth. Finding a mate is built into their DNA, and they cannot ignore the urge.”

I hadn’t been far off with the ‘bed warmer’ expectation.

I dropped my head into my hands and blew out a long breath, the end tapering off into a humorless laugh. “Not a slave, huh?” I peeked at Fiona, who looked rightfully sheepish.

“Your situation is a delicate one, I’ll grant you that.”

“That’s one way to put it,” I grumbled. If this is a nightmare, I’d appreciate being woken up right about now. “Wait, so… was this decided before I got here? Or is it a lucky dip? ‘By royal decree, the next human to arrive will be the king’s mate,’ kinda thing?”

“The former,” she said, distractedly straightening a few items on the table. “As soon as he sensed your ship breaking through U’suhk’s barrier, he sent his fastest warriors to collect you. Luckily, they were already on a hunt close to the landing bay, otherwise Zaay-el may have been too late. There was a risk of another chief getting hold of you, and while many wouldn’t dare take the Great Leader’s intended, some”—she emphasized the word as if imagining someone in particular—“may’ve used you as leverage.”

I remembered the rush Zaay-el had been in when I’d arrived and it made a little more sense. “That explains why he barged through the crowd like a man on a mission.”

She laughed, her eyes crinkling. “Silly boy.”

“How did he know I was…” I cringed. Not saying mate. “The person your king dude wanted?”

“Intended pairs, while both maintaining their own unique scents, also have a subtle combined scent, which grows more potent after bonding. It’s an identifier, almost. It helps other lee-zurd know who is off limits, and who is available”

Right, so the guy’s aversion to personal space made sense now, too. I had just thought he was being weird, getting all up in my business as if we were long-lost lovers, but he’d only sniffed me to make sure he was choosing the right human.

Not like that made it any less weird.

I fiddled with my fingers, picking at my nail beds, hoping she took pity on me. “I’m guessing this arrangement is nonnegotiable?”

“I’m sorry.” She reached over the table, placing a hand on mine to stop me from hurting myself. “He is a stern leader, but he is fair. He will never harm you.”

I rolled my eyes. “Oh, no, he just bought me and is forcing me to be his wife.”

She tapped my hand and sat back, a fondly amused smile brightening her face. “You’re definitely his mate. You also remind me of me when I first arrived here. I, too, was skeptical, and stubborn as a mule.” I felt my cheeks heat and she snorted. “You’ll come around when you realize this is paradise compared to Earth.”

It already was, to be honest, but that wasn’t the point. “What if I just… leave?”

“There is a bond between you and our leader,” she said. “He will follow you.”

“Great.” I sighed.

I was totally screwed. I had no defenses, no bright ideas. The only card I had left to play was hoping the guy took one glance at me and decided I was too ugly to be his mate. He hadn’t met me yet, so it was still highly possible. I wasn’t hot enough to be a sex slave, so I might still have that in my favor.

---