Page 48 of The Prince's Mate

"What?" I asked, and he held his hands out, palms up. I placed mine in his, and he gave my hands a light squeeze.

"We can't find Caelan because someone is blocking our searches, someone with powerful magic. If it's the same person as the one who impersonated you, I think it could be a fae," Dad said, and my brows furrowed.

"I thought they lived in the fae realm," I said, and he nodded.

"Most of them do. But like Tharion and Fate, there are those who choose to stay in the human realm. Anyway, my point is, this fae is blocking us, but they might not be able to block you."

"Me? I don't have any special powers," I said with a frown. While the Otherworlders liked to call mePrince, the title didn't actually mean anything since Dad's position wasn't hereditary, which also meant that I had no special powers of mine like my dads did.

"You're right. But you do have one thing we don't," Dad said, and I groaned.

"Just tell me, Dad. I need to find Caelan."

"You have a mate bond with him, bud. You can sense him, in here," he said, pressing our joined hands over my heart. "You need to close your eyes and focus. Focus on his voice, his smile, his essence, his soul. You can find him," Dad said, his golden eyes warm and sincere.

Releasing a breath, I pulled my hands out of his and walked over to the couch. Sinking into the cushions, I closed my eyes and tried to focus.

Pushing all my worries to the background was difficult, but I did it, instead thinking about the way Caelan had looked when I'd left, a lazy smile on his face as he lounged in bed, all that beautifully flawless skin on display. I thought about his voice, the way he said my name, the way he smiled every time I called him Kitty, the way he'd looked when he'd come all over my stomach, the way he felt in my arms.

Where are you, Kitty?I thought, and as if in answer, I felt...something. A tug, not unlike the one Dad had described Afterworlders felt.

"I know where he is," I declared, and Dad grinned wide, a gleam in his eyes.

"Then, let's go get our boy!" Ro'Shassz declared, and I met his eyes, nodding.

Hold on, Kitty. We're coming.

Caelan

I jerked upright when the door opened, but instead of Andras, someone else walked in.Fae, my mind supplied, as my eyes roamed over their androgynous form, taking in the long, flowing platinum hair, the crystal blue eyes, and the pointed ears. Their skin was fair, with the lightest shades of pink coloring their cheeks. Their hands were clasped together in front of them, their eyes on the ground as they walked closer to the bed.

"Master Andras said you need more restraints," they said, sneaking a glance at me before pulling open a drawer in the cabinet. When they turned around, they had more shackles in their hands.

I growled as they walked toward me, my claws out and ready to rip into them the moment they came close enough.

"I'm really sorry about this," they murmured as they waved a hand and my arm was pressed into the mattress as if someone was holding it down.

No matter how much I struggled, I couldn't even move a finger, and they easily slid the cuff around my wrist.

"What's your name?" I asked, deciding I needed a different tact.

"Dympna," they said, and I nodded as they headed toward my feet.

"I'm Caelan," I said. "You don't have to do this, you know."

They glanced up at me before focusing back on my legs, but I'd seen the doubt in their eyes in that split second.

"My mate and my friends...they're really powerful, and when they get here, Andras isn't going to survive," I said.

"Master Andras is strong," they argued, and I rolled my eyes.

"The last time I saw him, he was just a rich human. My friends are older and stronger than him. You know he isn't a good man, Dympna. If you help me, I can make sure my friends spare you," I promised them, and they frowned, though their flawless skin barely wrinkled.

"Help you how?" they asked, and I grinned. I told them what to do, and they followed through.

"Thank you. If you see one of my friends before they find me, just tell them to talk to me, all right? Tell them what you did," I said, and they nodded before leaving the room.

For the sake of the cameras in the room, I struggled against the restraints, growling and hissing in annoyance.

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