Page 6 of Enchanting Her Mate

Alu tilts her head as if lost in thought. Then her voice lowers as she asks, “Does this mean it is not common among your people to see romantic partners of the same sex?”

“No, no,” I reply. “There are many pairings on Trovilia who did not fit this classic template of eternal mates. It is not as if our people were forbidden from taking a mate of the same sex or remaining with them until the final rest. But the title of ‘inara’ simply was not used outside male-female mated pairs.”

“Ah,” Alu replies, nodding. “Well, enjoy your slumber.” Then she turns, striding down the hall toward her room, the soft globes of her behind jiggling as she goes, leaving me breathless.

When I climb beneath the thick, warm blankets and blissfully sink into the deep cushions of Alu’s spare bed, I cannot shake the tingling that lingers on my skin where Alu grabbed my arm and offered the kindest words I have ever heard. It keeps me awake much longer than I would prefer despite the feeling of electric desire that continues to shoot through me. Could she be…my inara?

No, no, that is not possible.

Hexrins are forbidden from taking a mate while serving their coven, Tibik reminds us more often than is necessary. It is as if stating the policy fills him with glee. He tells us that we are mated to our magic, and if taking a mate becomes a higher priority than our coven, we will be expelled immediately.

This has always seemed like an antiquated and ridiculous policy to enforce as Hexrins have the capacity to remain engaged and loyal to their covens while taking a mate. Cruvo, a Hexrin who remained on Trovilia when we left and is mated to Queen Ekoya, was the first to disobey this policy. He was shunned for a long time after completing the mating ceremony with Ekoya, but as he is now the queen’s mate, every coven on Trovilia wants him to join and have even offered him the role of Prime, which is leader of a coven.

My coven does not know I am the Prime Hexrin. Tibik and I agreed when we settled on Oluura that he would assume the role of Prime, despite my power being much stronger than his. Tibik comes alive when all eyes are on him, whereas I shrink. It is what made me think he would be the best leader for our coven. It seemed like a smart arrangement at the time, but over the years, he seems to have forgotten that it is merely a ruse.

If, and when, I am able to control my power, I will return to the coven. Facing Tibik will be inevitable, and we will need to decide how to proceed after the mishap during the battle. If I claim my role as Prime, perhaps my first decree should be that Hexrins are free to take a mate.

The sound of screams and water splashing fill the room, and I am yanked out of a peaceful slumber. With blurred vision and stiff limbs, I tumble out of bed and race to the window. My room overlooks the rocky cliffs beneath Alu’s home and the waterfall that feeds into a pool of crystal-clear water below. Alu’s blue face pops out of the water, her horns and hair splashing behind her as she swims around the pool.

I let out a breath I did not realize was stuck in my throat.

She spots me in the window and waves, her white fangs a stark contrast to the color of the water. Then I see her head dip below the surface briefly before her draxilio bursts into the air. Water streams from every corner of her wide blue wings as she flaps them and flies to the top of the cliffs.

Mek squawks in a much happier tone as he flies above my head, leading me down the hall toward the main room of Alu’s home. Alu meets us there in her flightless form. She stands in the middle of the wood floor between the main room and the eating room, completely naked, as a puddle of water forms around her feet.

“How was your slumber?” she asks brightly as she wraps her mane around her wrist and squeezes out the excess water, not caring about the amount of liquid that forms on the floor.

Not only am I mesmerized by her bare skin, but the way in which Alu occupies each space she enters. Her mind works in unique ways. Where something like water spilling onto the floor would be a concern for many, it is not for her. I am envious of that mental freedom.

My eyes travel down her long, elegant neck, landing on her chest. The sight of her breasts on display has me licking my lips. They are smaller than the human females, but larger than my own, making me picture how they would look filling my palms. Her nipples are pebbled and in a darker shade of blue than her skin. I wonder what it would feel like to close my lips around them and slowly trace each one with the tip of my tongue.

“Jo?” Alu says, tilting her head to the side as she stares at me.

Oh goddess, I have been caught.

She clears her throat and nods knowingly, then steps into the eating room to grab something before returning. Alu throws a garment over her head, and it loosely falls around her lean, muscular frame. It is a lightweight, shapeless dress in an olive-green shade with a small knot tied at the hem, hitting just above her right knee. “Apologies. I am usually nude at home, as it is just me here.”

“Ah, it is…fine,” I mumble, unsure of what to say. Perhaps it would have been better to say nothing at all. It is not as if I can act on even the smallest flicker of desire. If I cannot take a mate, what is the point?

“Mek!” Alu shouts with a wide smile as the bird flies toward her, landing on her shoulder.

“I should, uh, I-I can connect with his energy now,” I offer, trying to push away the image of her nipples in my mind. “If this is a good time, that is.”

The confidence that always seems present in her gray eyes wavers, but only for a moment. “Yes,” she replies, her tone slightly nervous. “Yes, now is a splendid time.”

We sit next to each other on the overstuffed orange couch in the sunken part of the main room, and I hold out a finger for Mek. He stares at my hand as if it is a snack, but then he leaps from Alu’s shoulder to my finger, his thick claws wrapping all the way around it.

“All right,” I say as I close my eyes and open myself to his energy. I take three deep breaths as I focus on the weight of his body on my hand, and I start to feel the rapid but strong, beat of his heart through his claws. Soon I am able to see the state of his organs, the blood pumping to his heart, and the shape of his small bones.

Under my breath, I recite the spell that allows me to enter the mind of another, and the moment I finish, I am able to see what Mek sees through each of his three eyes. When I enter his mind, I do not find the signature cloudiness of a spirit who is desperate to communicate a message. I find nothing but thoughts about berries and nests.

Silently, I release his mind and close the link to his energy. He lifts off my hand, and I hear his wings flapping as he flies away. When I open my eyes, Alu looks quite strange. Her gaze is unfocused as she stares at something off in the distance. I wonder what caused her to think her bird was possessed. Mek seems to behave like a wild creature of the jungle, but that should not surprise her.

“Alu,” I begin, trying to figure out the best way to proceed. “I do not thi–”

My words are cut off as Alu presses her lips to mine.

CHAPTER 4

---