Page 16 of The Shattered Kingdom
We’ve long since accepted that we’d never meet our mate and trigger the bond. Our future marriage is to be a political move and nothing more. The kingdom needs a queen more than we need a mate.
That only works if the mate bond is never triggered, though. To deny an active bond and marry another would infuriate Zaha, and it’s not a risk any faerie or shifter would ever take. Heavens, I can only imagine the punishment she’d dole out.
Kie and I never discussed the possibility of finding our mate, but I know he’s always secretly hoped for it. I’d be lying if I said I never had, too. Giving up my mate isn’t a sacrifice I’ve ever been happy to make, but a necessary evil.
He believes Lilly, and I don’t enjoy lying to him. But if I tell him the bond is fake, his reaction will undoubtedly alert Lilly. I need her to think her magic is working, and to do that, I need Kie to believe the bond is real.
“Lillian.” Kie’s gaze falls to her dress. “You look beautiful.”
Shit.I probably should’ve complimented her earlier. It didn’t occur to me, and as I take in the way Lilly preens, I regret my oversight.
Kie closes the gap between him and Lilly, and I look away as he grabs her forearm and kisses her. It's chaste and awkward, and he clears his throat once it’s over.
“Where have you been, Mason?” Kie repeats, pulling away from Lilly.
I wave my arm toward the women. “With them.”
Kie hums. Abby’s in the kitchen, and she refuses to look at us as she aggressively eats the few bites of her breakfast she didn’t finish earlier. Kie mentioned having the kitchen stocked for them, but it’s yet to be done. I’ll look into it later.
“The council is waiting for us. Now,” Kie says, drawing my attention. He gestures toward the front door, but I’m not leaving. “Mason.” He sounds frustrated. “I’m not asking.”
I raise a brow. As far as I’m concerned, he’s no longer in a position to order me around.
“Yeah,” Abby chimes in. “You should leave.”
Someday soon, I’m going to tape her mouth shut. It’s a miracle Kie hasn’t used his magic to seal her lips together already. I shoot Abby a dirty look, hoping she gets the silent message to shut the fuck up, which only causes her to smile.
I miss the days when she was afraid of me. She was significantly less irritating.
“We’ll behave,” Lilly says. “You shouldn’t leave the council waiting.”
Her fingers curl loosely around my wrist, almost as if she’s afraid of my reaction to her touch. I try not to appear too uncomfortable, but I can tell I’m not succeeding as Kie furrows his brows and cocks his head to the side.
Fuck.
I bring my hand to the back of Lilly’s head. I’ve always preferred it when women wear their hair down, and I run my fingers through her soft strands before bringing my lips to her temple.
Her skin is warm as I quickly kiss the side of her head. It’s all she’s getting from me.
I resist the urge to wipe my mouth as I release her and step away. If she were truly my mate, I’d be all over her. I’ve heard that the mate bond is all-consuming, and soon my indifference toward the faerie will attract questions. I’ll no longer have an excuse to hold back once we’ve confirmed Lilly’s story.
I assume it’s going to check out. Lilly’s mother was cunning, and I doubt her daughter is much different. They had twenty years to cover their tracks, and it will take more than one surface-level investigation to uncover the truth.
I just need Kie not to impregnate Lilly in the time it takes me to do so. They aren’t having sex, at least not yet, but I doubt Kie will be using protection when they do. It’s our duty to create heirs, and it’s not unheard of for mated pairs to begin trying almostimmediately after triggering the bond. As far as the kingdom is concerned, we have no reason to wait.
The three of us are of a reasonable age, and we have the means to care for a child. The faeries won’t care to hear any excuses.
“Go away, Mason,” Abby repeats. “You’re not welcome here.”
Lilly makes a quiet noise of disagreement, but she doesn’t argue on my behalf. She wants me gone, too, which is only more of a reason to stay. Is she planning something? Maybe she intends to run away with Abby. She won’t get far, especially not while she’s still so weak, but I wouldn’t put an attempt past her.
“Tell the council I’m busy and will attend the next meeting,” I say.
I shouldn’t push them off. The council members hold power and influence, and they won’t take kindly to my rejection. I don’t have any other options. Somebody has to protect the infuriating human, and it sure isn’t going to be the guards.
They don’t know Lilly’s true identity, and they’ll choose her safety over a human’s. Telling them to do otherwise would only draw attention, especially when they learn Lilly is our mate.
“Please don’t make this any harder than it needs to be, Mace.” Kie runs his hands through his hair, and I flinch as his composed façade momentarily drops. He’s stressed, not to mention exhausted. He drained himself traveling through the forest and opening the portal, and now he’s run thin with Lilly’s discovery and my impending ascension.
