Page 95 of Fated or Knot

“Your nest?” I asked, shocked she would invite me to it so casually.

“Oh, no, it’s more of a comfortable group space. We made it with Siora, Kauz, and Dad to have a room for quiet time but together,” she giggled. “It was nice to meet you! Hope I see you soon.”

I hoped so too. We waved farewell, and she took the majority of my new acquisitions with her, promising to come back, get the rest, and send them along to my new rooms. I picked out a single book to delve into and let Marius carry me again, as the library nest was at the very top of the tower. “I fucking hate stairs,” I muttered.

The kelpie glanced down at me. “I think that’s the first time I’ve heard your curse. Why at stairs, of all things?”

“They’re the worst,” I informed him.

He shrugged. “Go up and down the tower enough, and you won’t even notice them,” he said.

We spiraled up and up, passing a fifth and sixth floor that mostly resembled study spaces, and came to a door locked with a magic sigil rather than a knob. He pressed his hand to it, and it unlocked. “Thalas or Kauz can add your palm to the spell if you like it up here,” he murmured.

There wasn’t a chance I wouldn’t after I got a glimpse of the nest beyond. Wind whistled outside audibly at this height, though the walls must’ve been padded, as it wasn’t much colder here than the rest of the tower. The space was curved like the inside of an oversized bulb, with three triangular windows above covered in icy patterns from the weather. A swarm of faelights circled just out of reach, all designed as different bugs, birds, or bats that flew around aimlessly.

An essence lamp hovered in the dead center of the room, emitting more heat than light. It was clear this space was half owned by omegas, with the other half by big males that wanted to sprawl. One side had blankets, pillows, cushions, and an unfolded sofa bed—perfect for getting cozy. The other side had a couple of tables and huge armchairs made either for the alpha behind me or the winged dream wardens.

I saw Eletha and Thalas’s presence in the way board games, puzzle pieces, and decks of cards were scattered at random rather than being stacked neatly. Marius released an annoyed snort and started picking up after them. I knelt to feel out the blankets, muffling a squeal of happiness against one when I discovered it was fleece.

I turned to maneuver myself to an armchair, just to pause when I saw how Marius’s eyes had dilated. He was staring. “Do you…want to keep that?” he asked with effort. “I doubt anyone would mind.”

“Maybe,” I murmured, easing past him while dragging it behind me. I tripped within two paces, and he rushed to catch me.

“I would have helped you, p’nixie,” he said in his roughened, possibly feral voice. He placed me in a chair and tucked the blanket around my legs. Then he gazed up at me from where he sat with his legs tucked under him, smiling.

Yes, the beast was back. This was the side of Marius that looked at me with open affection. I didn’t have the sense that I was in danger. If anything, his feral side seemed to like me a lot more than his prince side ever did.

“I know you,” I told that beast. “I remember you now.”

He gave me a lopsided grin, flashing fangs. It faded as he blinked a few times, returning to himself and muttering a curse. “I usually have better control than this,” he growled.

“It’s all right. Your beast is kind,” I said.Unlike you sometimes.

He took in where he was and sighed through his nose. “Distract me. Please.”

“You didn’t give me many kelpie facts,” I ventured.

“Ask me anything.”

“Will you tell me how a kelpie bond works?”

He pinched the scarred ridge of his nose. “Of all the questions you could’ve asked,” he griped.

“Sorry, never m?—”

“I did say anything. And it is a cornerstone of Serian culture at this point.” He inspected the rug below, tugging on loose threads. “My kind seek their riders, who are also their fated mates. The pull for companionship isstrong. We mate for life with an additional bond outside of regular pack bonds, mind to mind, for communicating underwater.”

“And that makes kelpie loyalty,” I ventured.

He nodded in agreement. “Once mated, my kind shave half their heads and grow the rest long. We braid mementos in our hair from our mates, which transition with us into our secondforms. It’s proud, ancient tradition. The unmated and those who’ve survived the loss of their other half don’t do this.”

“I see. Thank you for explaining all that to me,” I said.

I had seen a few kelpies today sporting that look. Combined with the piercings, they were notable even in a crowd. This male would look striking if he styled himself the same way.

Marius took a ragged breath and fixed his predator eyes on me. “I…used to resent all of this. As the years have passed, I hated the visual sign that so many of my people have had something I was denied.”

It sounded like he was dragging every word out with effort. There was pain there, but anger too. Enough that I leaned away instinctively.

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