Page 2 of Enchanting Her Mate

Nee-roh clears his throat. “Sister, what a surprise. I do not recall inviting you to join us for mealtime.”

“You did not,” she says without turning around. “But I know I am always welcome here in your caves.”

Nee-roh stares at his sister’s back, his mouth twisted into a deep scowl. “Is that so?”

Kayt lightly smacks Nee-roh’s forearm. “Of course you are, Alu.” She turns to Nee-roh and holds his gaze while adding, “Welove having you here.”

Nee-roh rubs a hand down his face, looking positively exhausted. “Yes, it is a joy to see you.”

Alu takes her steaming bowl of rofan mash and settles into the seat to my right. It is then that she takes in my attire, and her eyes widen as they travel along my body. “Jobaki,” she says, slightly breathless, “you look…exquisite.”

My stomach flutters at her words as heat fills my chest. It is a reaction I was not expecting, though I am also not entirely surprised by.

“Doesn’t she look like a total smoke show?” Kayt asks, shooting me a wink. “I made that dress.”

“Brilliant work, dear sister,” Alu says, never taking her gaze off me.

Instinctually, I place a hand over the exposed skin beneath my breasts as blood rushes to my cheeks. “I-I thank you, Alu. That is kind of you to say.”

We settle into a companionable quiet as we eat our meals, though I find it difficult to focus on the food. It is a delicious dish, but I find the room has grown hot since Alu arrived, and I am continuously distracted by the way her lips move as she chews. How can the act of chewing be so very sensual?

I remember sharing a heated moment with Alu at Kayt’s day of birth celebration not too long ago. It was a dark, chilly eve, and she found me standing alone at the edge of where all the dancing was taking place. She strolled right up to me and demanded I follow her to a nearby bench. My body listened even before my mind could protest, and we sat together under the soft light of the douku orbs in the trees above, talking about everything and nothing at all.

When she leaned in, presumably to kiss me, it felt as if my heart was about to burst through my chest. Then Nee-roh got into an argument with Bruvix, and the moment was lost.

There was another time, more recently, at a previous dinner in these very caves, that she held my hand beneath the table and stroked her thumb across my palm. Even that sent a chill down my spine.

“Are you enjoying your stay with my brother and his mate, Jo?” Alu asks, jolting me out of my memories.

“Uh, it has been a nice time, yes,” I mutter, nervously moving my utensil in a circle through the mash. “I am taking this opportunity to focus on my craft.”

“How delightful,” Alu exclaims.

She is unlike anyone I have met in my five centuries. Alu has a unique openness and curiosity about the world around her. I find it quite refreshing. It is a stark contrast to Tibik’s suffocating pessimism which often created a sour atmosphere among the coven.

“I could certainly use your powers at my home in the jungle,” she says with a huff. “Mek, my feathered friend, is not well.”

“Oh no. Mek’s sick?” Kayt asks, creases forming on her brow.

Alu tilts her head to the side. “Not sick, exactly.”

“Who is Mek?” I ask, my voice taking on a harsher tone than expected. Jealousy unfurls in the depths of my gut as I wonder how Alu knows this Mek. I have not felt this emotion in many moons. It is unsettling to be feeling it now.

Nee-roh takes a sip oftibbiand then sets his glass on the table with a heavy sigh. “Mek is a filthy bird my sister foolishly allows into her home.” He turns to Alu. “You would not have to worry about that creature being sick if you forced it to live outside in the jungle where it belongs.”

“I am not foolish!” she shouts, slamming the end of her utensil against the table. She quickly composes herself, though her chest still heaves. “Mek is my friend. I will not turn him away.”

Alu places her hand on top of mine, and I freeze. Her skin is so soft, and the warmth of her palm spreads throughout my entire body. “Please, Jobaki. I believe Mek is possessed by an ancient spirit. Only you can save him.”

“An ancient spirit? Truly?” Nee-roh scoffs.

Alu nods solemnly.

“It is possible,” I tell him. “We are surrounded by the energies of those who have come before us. Perhaps Mek’s mind is a portal for those who wish to communicate from beyond their resting place, much like Kayt’s mind is.”

“But what kind of dumbass ghost would send their message through a bird?” Kayt asks, chuckling.

“I do not know, sister,” Alu replies, mystified. She seems to be completely unaware of the hint of mockery in Kayt’s voice.

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