Jed started talking about Cassie and caught my attention, “I wish Duchess Cassie had come with them today. She’s a sight to behold.” I couldn’t stop myself from complaining. Jed didn’t take my hints to let it drop so I punched him. I was so sick of him talking about Cassie.
My blood was pumping in my veins. I wanted to beat him even bloodier than Alexander had. GOD! I needed another fight, and we’d just sparred for hours! He started ranting about how I couldn’t fuck her. I absolutely could, but that’s not what I wanted to do. If I had sex with Cassie, it would be more than just a fuck. I punched him in the face when he said I’d break her heart. I’d NEVER hurt her.
I warned him off the topic. Cassie wasn’t just some girl I could have some stress relief fucking with. I wanted to know her and how to make her smile. I wanted to have sex with her, but not in the way he made it sound. I didn’t want dirty and cheap.
Jed cried some more and I was close to breaking more than just his nose. People should know if I saw someone I wanted to date, their last name didn’t stop me. I just hadn’t come across someone I wanted to date in a while. Plenty of girls threw themselves at me. I’d had sex with Cora. Since then, I hadn’t really had time to have sex because I didn’t want something meaningless. I wanted sex with someone I cared about, and as much as I was gone, I really didn’t have time.
Plus, I knew there were girls who wanted to have sex with me in the hopes of getting pregnant. I meant what I’d told my parents. I did not want to knock up some girl who wasn’t my mate. I had a position of leadership here, and a responsibility to my people.
Plus, I wanted to be an involved dad. The whole ‘not seeing my kid for what could be sixteen years while they were checked on regularly’ wasn’t something I wanted to do. It was a fine choice for others. I just wanted my kids here with me. With my mate.
We kept walking and the scent of pears hit me out of nowhere. Damn. Hanging out with Alexander and EJ must be sharpening my senses. I began to look for a pear tree. I didn’t know there was one up here. Maybe that’s why Beagan sent me. She had earth blood, and she knew pears were my favorite fruit.
We cleared the hill, and I located the tree the smell was coming from. It wasn’t a pear tree. The tree shifted, just subtly. I smirked, knowing someone was in the tree. Someone who smelled heavenly. I turned to Jed who didn’t seem to be paying attention to the smell.
I got rid of him because I wanted to talk to the person in the tree. I wanted to know what they were doing. I also wanted to know how they got up into that tree fast enough to avoid us seeing them. At the very least we should’ve heard them climbing it. How did they know we were coming?
My damn mouth was watering over this scent. I walked closer to the tree and my order to get down was ignored. I raised an eyebrow because I was not a man accustomed to having my orders ignored. I warned them again without saying that they probably wouldn’t like the result if I had to climb up there.
A pop sounded in the next second that changed my whole world. I had no doubts that Duchess Cassie Conners was standing before me. She had stunning auburn hair, lips that were begging me to kiss them, and light blue eyes. I couldn’t take my eyes off her. I was drawn to her in a way I’d never been. The need to possess and claim her hit me. HOLY SHIT! Cassie Conners was mine!
I couldn't stop my smile until I couldn’t deny her lips any longer. They tasted like heaven. I’d kissed my fair share of girls, but Cassie blew them all out of the water. When she wrapped her arms around me, I didn’t want to do anything else but have her attached to me. Good GOD, how did mated people get anything done?
Thank god my parents were having sex and not monitoring the bond with me or they’d show up here. Then my mom would probably launch into the best sexual positions to give her a grandchild or something speech.
After several moments I forced myself to pull back. She was out of breath and flushed. I couldn’t help but smirk. All this time, it had been her. She was mine and ANY warrior who breathed a word about her ever again would pay. I would beat the shit out of them myself.
I knew I was in trouble the moment I heard her voice. I was already addicted to the sound and the way she said my name. She was MY Duchess, all mine. I hoped she was here to see me, and Beagan knew it. She had sent me this way. Which reeked of a Fairy plan.
When I found out she was drinking with her cousin Aiylee, the future Fairy Queen, I knew it was plot with Beagan. Aiylee probably called her and told her to send me this way. It was also good she hadn’t been drinking with a Fairy man I would have to put on my kill list.
I wanted her to move into our house immediately. Then it hit me. I was leaving. FUCK! Why was I leaving? Damn mission. How was I going to go months without kissing those lips or hearing her voice? All thoughts left me when she buried her head into my chest. I wrapped my arms around her waist.
This was where we were both meant to be with her beautiful auburn hair against my chest. Our kids would be really cute. I silently said, “Aesir, bless her brothers for letting her know I was here. Along with her meddling Fairy cousins Beagan and Aiylee. Whom I now adore.”
I knew Cassie was almost as busy as I was. The girl liked to be in constant motion. I was going to have to kill a few Demons for making her pout about me missing Uncle Bjourn’s coronation. It was their fault Micah and I got hung up. They would pay for upsetting My Duchess and delaying our meeting. They’d found out Micah was not who he said. I still didn’t know how they had. We’d had to kill them, and I’d had to move fast. We had to lay low and fight our way out.
We didn’t have much time to spend together since I was leaving. Plus, I’d already agreed to babysit my siblings tomorrow too. I could portal to her once my parents got back from their double date though. I could hold her before she fell asleep. I would have to do that to get me through some LONG months.
I would be coming back around her eighteenth birthday. Her dad, not to mention her brothers, would be far more likely to accept me as her mate then. Especially with Eric being a Werewolf. A very impressive Werewolf. Damn them not finding their mates until they were eighteen.
I hated that she was upset we’d be separated. I’d never been sorrier about anything in my life. If I’d known we were going to meet and that she was mine, I certainly wouldn’t have taken a mission that long. Not when I’d just found her.
Hopefully, my way would have everyone being chill. I knew how protective her family was of her. She was one of two girls on her Hackura family’s side. None of her uncles had daughters, though Duchess Miley did.
Honestly, if I wasn’t leaving I wouldn’t wait. I wanted her with me in our house sitting on the chairs I bought for her at the pond. I’d go talk to her dad now, and deal with the fallout. I wouldn’t leave without her. Hell, I’d sleep outside their house if that’s what it took. I wouldn’t come home until she was by my side where she belonged.
I’d have to wrap this mission up at warp speed. Heaven help anyone or anything that got in my way. I watched Cassie’s eyes until she turned away when I mentioned dating. I couldn’t wait to have our Hackura bond. I’d have a better idea how she felt. For now, I’d have to trust she’d tell me.
She was quiet until I pulled her down into my lap. She was just so damn beautiful. I loved that blush of hers against her perfectly pale skin. She kissed me and then our hands were all over each other. It was escalating quickly because we were getting lost in each other and the connection we had.
I wouldn’t have her first time be in a field. I wasn’t that type of asshole. We talked about our histories. Mine had her eyes flashing gold. We’d have to keep Cora and Cassie away from each other. Cassie clearly already wanted to kick her ass. She was more upset than I’d been about it at the time.
Now, I literally couldn’t care less. Cassie teased me that I might not be able to handle her. What she didn’t know was that I could handle whatever she threw at me. I’d been training my entire life to do just that.
We started talking and I fully relaxed when she acknowledged we were not at all related. At least I did not have to work through that hurdle since it didn’t exist. Her eyes flashed with lust, and I was moderately convinced she was trying to kill me.
I had to keep talking about what I did, or I was going to jump her. As someone who prided themselves on control, she was shattering mine. Years of patience and control were putty in her gorgeous hands. I was excited that her cardio program was similar to mine. I enjoyed running and I was already looking forward to going on runs with her.
