Page 11 of Unexpected Mate

Jealousy. She is so full of jealousy that it’s eating her from the inside out.Damien’s amused voice echoed in my mind, and moments later he was sitting sprawled on one of the oversized bean bags clutching something in his hands. Was that… popcorn?

He tossed a butter-covered piece into the air, catching it in his mouth and giving me a wink. Wasn’t he supposed to be sleeping?

I smell drama, and there is no way I am missing my new favorite show!

I rolled my eyes. What a cad.

Luke shifted on the couch until he was pressed against Tia’s back. He carefully brushed every silky strand of her hair away, revealing the delicate curve of her neck and the adorable, pointed tips of her ears. A collective gasp went through the room at the sight. Unbelievably intricate lines wove and swirled up Tia’s neck, the design continuing on to her ear. As with her light tattoos, these also glowed from within, but with varying shades of gold instead of blue.

I moved closer, tracing the lines on her ear as I studied them. Leo leaned forward to inspect it as well.

“It’s from last night, from my kiss.” He was whispering, but in the quiet of the room, his words may as well have been a shout.

“You marked her?” Elani was outraged. “You have refusedmyadvances, but you markedthisfemale? She isn’t a wizard, and you are a nadir! The council indulged your reluctance, but that will end when they hear of this!”

To be honest, I had expected Tia to fling her across the room, set her on fire, or suddenly develop a new talent that involved making people disappear. Instead, she ignored Elani and scooted onto Leo’s lap.

“You marked me?” Tia said, smiling at Leo. “I didn’t know that was possible! What does it look like?”

Leo melted at her eager expression and quickly picked up his tablet, turning on the selfie camera mode and handing it to her so she could use it as a mirror. She made little sounds ofexcitement. shifting the angle of the tablet to see the whole design.

“It’s incredible! It’s the most beautiful piece of artwork I have ever seen! You traced this with your tongue last night, didn’t you?”

Tia blushed, and to my astonishment, the colors in Leo’s mark began to change as well.

“Yes, although I didn’t believe it would work, since I am a nadir,” Leo explained. “This mark is made from ancient magic, a magic thought to be long extinct from earth. Legend claims that when pure blood wizards found their soulmate, they had the ability to channel their love into a design through a kiss as they bonded. It is said that male wizards would often work on that piece of art for decades, as they waited to find their soulmate. I had thought it was just a story told to children, but I loved the idea. I secretly worked on my own design, hoping to kiss it onto my soulmate’s skin one day. It was a far-fetched dream, but it made life more bearable to believe that it could happen. I traced it with my lips and tongue last night, knowing it would never show on your skin. At least in my heart I would know that my dream had come true.”

Crystal tears made glimmering paths down Tia’s face, and I watched, mesmerized, as the tattoo shifted in color yet again.

“That’s just not possible,” said Gregor. “There hasn’t been a wizard mark since those stories of old. Our females wear jewelry to signify their relationship status, much like human females. It is believed that the legends are mere stories, or that the bloodlines are no longer pure enough to create such magicbetween soulmates. You are a nadir, a talented man with skills beyond compare on a computer, but you hold no magic.”

Tia faced Gregor. She was still sitting on Leo’s lap, her back pressed firmly against his chest. Leo’s arms circled her waist and his chin rested on her shoulder. The colors shifted again; this time it seemed to pulsate.

“It’s a mood ring!” Damien cackled and spilled some of his popcorn.

Everyone stared at him, waiting for him to explain his random comment.

“Oh, for the love of a hellhound!” he cried. “The mark that Leo apparently (ew) licked all over her neck”—he shuddered dramatically—“keeps changing colors. It swirled one color when she was confused. It changed when Elani started ranting. The color morphed again when she got all lovey-dovey with Leo, and when Gregor insulted Leo, it shifted again. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that her mood is changing the colors.” Turning toward the wizards, he added, “I would probably watch what you two say right now, because I have $100 that says she is getting really ticked off. You do not want to poke a sleeping dragon. Actually, I take that back. Go ahead and say whatever pops into your head! It’s been really boring around here lately.”

He finished and leaned forward eagerly, obviously wishing things would get more exciting.

His wish was granted.

Iwas shocked at how quickly Damien had picked up on the link between Tia’s emotions and the mark. That was another part of the old legends that were believed to be fiction. I didn’t understand his warning, or the mischievous glint in his eyes as he told Elani and Gregor to disregard it. As it was, I didn’t have to wait long to find out his reasoning.

“Nadir, report to your quarters immediately!” Elani demanded. “I will be speaking to the council about your behavior.” Her tone was patronizing, as though she was speaking to a toddler.

The nadir training urged me to drop my eyes and follow the orders of my handler, but things had changed. I was part of a circle; this was my home for as long as Tia resided here, and no other woman would order me out of it. IgnoringElani, I nuzzled Tia’s neck, kissing the mark that I had practiced in my long hours alone. I squeezed my arms around her playfully, earning a squeal as she wiggled. Her hair tickled my face, and I laughed. I finally straightened my spine and turned to look Elani in the eye.

“I respect your position in our community, and time permitting, I will continue to work on cases for the council, if they wish it,” I said. “However, I am no longer a nadir. I am a human, and now a bonded mate with a circle. I will no longer be ordered around simply because I was born without magic.”

Those were words I had dreamed of being able to speak someday. I deserved to be treated with the same respect that was given to others, regardless of magic. A weight rolled off my shoulders, and I felt several inches taller. Elani had never been able to handle being told “no” and this time wasn’t any different.

“You do not have the right to say no!” she cried. “As your handler, I am responsible for ensuring that you remain in line, and refrain from doing anything stupid that would bring shame upon the wizard community. Return to your quarters immediately and await my return.”

I had nothing more to say to her, so I remained quiet. Tia was frozen in my lap, her eyes unblinking as she stared at Elani. A tingling spread through my fingers, and for a moment I wondered if they had fallen asleep as they rested on her waist. The tingling spread up my arms, before moving to the tops of my thighs, until my body tingled everywhere it was touching Tia. I had listened to others describe how magic “felt” and their excitement as it movedabout them, but it was something I hadn’t experienced as a nadir. The air began to vibrate around Tia. I felt that this was what it must be like in the moments before you are struck by lightning.

“Little dragon,” said Luke, “focus on your breathing.” His words were reassuring, and it seemed that they were working, until he said the two words that every man, of every species, in every galaxy, knew he shouldn’t say to an angry woman. “Calm yourself.”

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