Page 38 of Kidnapped Forced Mate

“Consider me charmed already,” I giggle. “I think the others have some tough competition.”

“Oh, my gods!” she exclaims excitedly. “I like you already!” Kairo takes my hand and leads me toward the couch. “You have to tell me all about how you met my brother!”

We get comfortable on the couch, and Kairo turns to me with excitement flashing in her eyes. There’s something about her that feels so comfortable to be around. Stryder was right when he described her as the resident mediator for all of their personal problems. I can see it now – just being in her company feels easy.

“Go on,” she encourages. “I wanna hear all about how you fell in love with him.”

My heart skips a beat, and a frown grows on my face. Fell in love with him? What did he tell his family? I haven’t told him that I have. After all, I’m not even sure if that’s what I’ve decided.

“I– I–” I hesitate, gulping words that can barely form on my tongue. Is that how he feels about me? All I can do is giggle nervously. “I haven’t really given that much thought,” I admit. “I mean… I guess I do have feelings for him.”

“Of course,” Kairo smiles. “That’s why you’re here, on Aurora Island. I’m so glad the Council changed their methods. I hated the way they did things with Lily and Yaz.”

My frown deepens as an alarming panic makes my heart skip a beat. “Wait… What are you talking about?”

“What do you mean, Olivia?” Kairo stares at me in surprise. “Did Stryder not tell you?”

“Tell me what?” I ask sternly, my earlier cheerfulness was gone, replaced with dread.

“Oh, no…” Kairo shakes her head and turns away, dropping her face in her hands. “Not you, too,” her voice is muffled against her hands.

I grab her wrist, forcefully removing her hands from her face. “What the hell is going on?”

She turns to me with remorse, widening her eyes. “Did you agree to come to the island?”

I shake my head.

Kairo sighs again. “He kidnapped you?”

I shake my head again, explaining how Stryder brought me to the island and why, all while she shakes her head in disbelief.

“That’s not how he was meant to meet you, Olivia,” she groans. “These fucking Vulkan men…” she grates through gritted teeth, her eyes turning angry.

“Wait…” My heart pounds in my chest. “... Are you saying he was supposed to meet me? It wasn’t just a chance encounter?”

“No, Olivia. I am so sorry,” she apologizes as she takes my hands. “Perhaps it was a chance encounter when he saved you from the fake kidnapping. The day you were brought here, my brothers were out celebrating Felix’s bachelor party in Vegas. Stryder only learned about his human mate a day after Felix’s wedding.”

“H-human mate?” I mumble, picking up on that one term that rings in my eardrums. “The immortal humans… They’re just the dragon shifters’ mates?”.

“Initially, yes. That’s what the Council thought when they introduced the human mating process to the males. It was supposed to be strictly about saving us, the dragon shifter race, from extinction by producing dragonspirit children, but–”

“Dragonspirit children?” I exclaim in shock. “You’re telling me that the purpose of the humans on the island is to bear children for the dragons?!” I fume, getting to my feet, my spine turning steeled as I’m overcome by anger. I glare at Kairo, who gulps in fear as she timidly follows me to her feet.

“Olivia, it’s not–”

“No, Kairo!” I yell. “He didn’t tell me the truth! He lied to me, manipulated me into falling–”

I can’t get the rest of the words out; the realization is too terrifying to wrap my head around. That’s why he kept me here, locked and bolted to his bed, just to become a baby-making machine for him.

It was all a lie. His fluid charms were a weapon, a means to an end. He forced me to grow feelings for him, based on a lie.

My head pounds along with my racing heart.

“Take me to him,” I demand. “Right now.”

“I don’t know where–”

“Don’t lie to me too!” I bellow furiously. “I know you can do that trick with your mind and ask him where the fuck he is.”

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