Page 38 of The Bonds of Nyx

Several deep breaths later, I forced myself to straighten. Fog still coated the ground, reaching my thighs and curling around my hands. The calmness of the forest didn’t seem to do much to the pressure on my shoulders, but I shouldn’t have expected much. Not when the meeting with my mother was in a few hours.

I circled back to the house, keeping to the perimeter of our protective barriers. I added another protection charm to the trees, reenforcing the magic already covering the property, every couple of metres.

Even my magic seemed strained as I wove new spells into the already existing framework of charms. My magic wanted Ivy, and simply being at the edge of the property felt like I was too far from her.

I thought back to my conversation with Elias about needing to step up and take control of all this. The meeting with my mother would determine if he was right.

The trek to the main house eased my heart rate into a steady thrum. My magic still shifted beneath my skin, but it didn’t feel nearly as uncomfortable as before. Maybe it was because I was closer to my mate, or because I was finally coming out of the darkness of my own memories.

I followed the pull in my chest that would always guide me to Ivy and entered the house. The main floor was quiet, though I wasn’t alone as I stepped in through the back door.

Soft light flooded the modern kitchen but barely illuminated the darkened family room beyond. My eyes took a moment to adjust, and when they did, I barely glanced at the agent sitting at the island counter. The shifter didn’t even register to me.

“Not even going to say hello?”

I stopped short, and my head lifted. My stomach twisted as I took in the female; her thick, dark hair twisted into a braid down her back, and kohl outlined her eyes. Jay knew we’d had a fling nearly two years ago, so I wondered if leaving her here was some kind of punishment. Nothing had ever progressed between us, and we’d never had any issues after.

There were strict laws in place regarding interfering with mate bonds, too. And Navya cared more about her position—and eventual promotion to team leader—than a week of messing around. I had a feeling her intentions weren’t malicious, but I also wasn’t sure why she was approaching me now.

“Navya.” I nodded in her direction before turning on my heel. I wasn’t interested in rehashing anything about my past—especially not with her and not with the last conversation with Ivy still playing in my mind.

Her sex life, mystery mate, and his unknown status.

But the shifter didn’t care. She entered my line of vision, arms crossed. “I wanted to congratulate you,” she said, cocking her head. “You found your mate. It’s a blessing.”

“Thank you,” I replied, my voice stiff.

She uncrossed her arms and shoved her hands into the pockets of her pants. A look of hesitation crossed her features as she stepped to the side. “What’s it like? Finding your mate? Being so certain of it?”

I blinked at her for a long moment, unsure how to respond. Of all the things she could ask, I wasn’t prepared for that.

“I—” My voice grew thick, and I cleared my throat. “I wasn’t expecting that.”

Navya rolled her eyes. “Don’t read into it too much, Kingsley,” she replied, taking another step back. “Good luck with your meeting.”

I swallowed the lump in my throat as I watched her turn and stalk away. Her questions seemed so…out of place, especially for her, but what did I really know about her?

Shaking my head, I finally made my way back to my room. The eerie silence of the space lifted the hairs on my arms, but I shoved down the unease swimming in my gut. I started the shower, watching steam fill the bathroom, and wondered what it would be like to not live in this silence anymore.

It was a silence of my own creation. I’d made it difficult for Ivy to come to me. But it was time to get over my own issues surrounding this. Especially when there was a mystery mate out there, one that would make her life a living hell with his absence.

~

I entered the meeting room with my head held high. My heart raced with nerves over seeing my mother again, but I tried to keep the emotion from my face as I stopped in front of Maeve. The last thing she needed to see was the tension wringing my body.

Without meaning to, I searched the room for Ivy, expecting her to already be there. But the tug in my chest, my magic writhing under my skin, told me otherwise.

“I wanted to go over a few things before Ivy was brought in,” Maeve said, staring at me for a long moment before clasping her hands in front of her. “How are you feeling, wound wise? I haven’t had a chance to check in with you on that yet,” she asked quietly, cocking her head.

I swallowed thickly and considered the wound that should have definitely killed me. A scar marred my abdomen, raised and pink, like a cut after weeks of healing and not a killing blow from several days ago. When I touched it, it ached like a bruise, but otherwise, it didn’t feel to have any lasting effects.

I relayed those thoughts to Maeve as she observed me, brows knitted with uncertainty. When I finished, she said nothing at first, still as assessing me.

“And your mate bond?”

I stiffened. “It’s strong.”

She nodded silently before leaning back in her leather chair. The office of this place was more of a library, though it had three desks shaped like aUin the centre of the room, each with a computer charmed and protected with magic. The books were all charmed to appear normal and mundane; however, the contents revealed spells, tactical operations, plans, and more. The amount of magic in this room turned my stomach over.

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