Page 49 of Bound to Four Alphas

“Shifters don’t normally live as long as the Fae, although aging for all magical beings is much less rigid than for humans. Not nearly so many rules. If a God’s magic decrees it, our lives can be extended with ease. I would say, using the human comparison, Ronan’s probably what you would consider thirty, and Kaelen’s a bit older, maybe late thirties? Forty? But aging works differently for us, anyway. At his age, Kaelen’s in his prime for his species.’

“And Malek?”

“You’ve seen him,” Elian shrugged. “I don’t think it works the same way at all for him. There is no comparison.”

Selena chewed her lip, feeling immediately overwhelmed with just how young and inexperienced she was, and with dread over her next question.

“And me?”

Elian paused, nostrils flaring slightly as he took in her scent. “What do you mean?”

She scratched a nail over the oak of one of his workbenches, suddenly shy. “I mean, I’m only eighteen, but I’m a human. I’ll live another sixty, maybe seventy years if I’m lucky. And there are lots of rules for us. No God ever intervenes in our lifespans.”

Her eyes pricked with heat as she considered it, the reality hitting her with revelation after revelation. What abouther child? If it was magical, what if it aged differently? She could be eighty by the time it was learning to walk. Would she really miss all that? And her mates, what would her mates do when she was gone?

Elian pulled her into an embrace, his voice thick with worry. “Selena, I didn’t realize you hadn’t worked it out, I’m sorry.”

“Worked what out?” She pulled away to glance up at him.

He looked at her incredulously, “You’re not human. You never have been, not entirely. The magic inside you, it’s because of what you are. That’s why we’re here, I need to work out what that is.”

Her eyes widened with shock. “I thought the magic in me was because of the bond? Because the villagers sacrificed me to the forest?”

“I don’t think that’s the case at all,” he said with a shake of his head. “The sacrifice didn’t give you magic. It woke up the magic that was inside you all along.’

“So, what are you saying, that I’m like you?” she whispered, hope fluttering in her chest.

He smiled indulgently. “That’s what we’re going to work out.”

She squeaked as without warning he picked her up and deposited her on the workbench.

“Now sit still and let me run through some experiments.”

As it turned out, she didn’t have to do much as he worked, just sit and answer basic questions as they came. Despite all the paraphernalia surrounding them, he mostly used his own magic,against the healers’ adviceshe noted with a growl, and the shadows curled and licked pleasantly against her skin. Healso provided her with a few books on the histories of the Realm which she tore through with delight.

It must have been close to midday when they were disturbed, two Fae guards walking into the laboratory with purpose. They stopped short when they saw Elian.

“Gentlemen?” He raised a questioning eyebrow.

They didn’t respond, their faces carefully blank. Too blank.

In fact, their eyes were almost entirely vacant, pupils tiny pinpricks despite the low light, their irises gray and muted.

“Can I help you?” Elian asked, his voice slightly harder. It seemed he had noticed the odd behavior as well.

“Apologies, Lord Elian,” one of them said, his voice thin and quiet, “we didn’t know we’d be disturbing you.”

Elian moved in front of her, his tall frame blocking her from view, his scent spiking with something dark and angry. “Did my father send you?”

The guards glanced at each other. “No,” one of them said at last, “we’ll leave you in peace.”

They turned and left, their silver-plated armor echoing from the stone walls.

“That was weird,” said Selena, pulling on Elian’s shirt so that he turned around. “Are all your guards so … lifeless?”

She had meant it to lighten the mood, but Elian’s face when he turned around sent shivers of ice creeping up her spine.

“No,” he said, “they’re not.”

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