The Prince’s Mate (Fate’s Gambit)

Six

Walker

“It's...dusty,” I said, glancing around the apartment my dads had lived in for a brief period when they'd stayed in the human realm. It had been Pops and Da's home first, and then Dad had joined them later on. They'd stayed here while Pops' memories were shot, and then come to Otherworld later.

“Well, that's what happens when a place is left closed for a while,” Caelan said sarcastically, and I laughed louder than it warranted, mostly because I was a little relieved. He had been subdued all morning, and I knew my dumb apology hadn't removed the sting of my words, but I didn't know what else to do. I wanted Caelan to forgive me. Hell, I wanted to go back in time and stop myself from ever saying those words, but I couldn't do that. We were stuck in limbo right now, and I didn't know where to go from here.

Caelan walked over to the other side of the room where the kitchen was. It was an open plan apartment, light and airy. Da had modeled their suite after it, though their rooms in Brume Villa were much fancier.

Caelan came back with two rectangular pieces of cloth and gave one to me. I stared at it, confused, and he rolled his eyes, though he looked more amused than annoyed.

“We gotta dust this place. No Reece's magic keeping things spotless here,” he reminded, and I nodded.

Should I be embarrassed that I was in my twenties and had no idea how to dust? I mean, I could infer the general concept from the context, but I'd never done it before, or seen someone else do it, for that matter. Like Caelan said, Da's magic has always kept the villa spotless, and there had been no need for dusting before.

Caelan started working on the cabinet where the flatscreen sat, his wrist flicking gracefully as he dusted the surface, and I copied him.

It was hard work and it took us nearly three hours to get the whole house done, but the place looked great once it was over. Caelan had thrown all the windows open, and the room was nice and breezy now.

“Phew, that's done,” Ro'Shassz said, and I turned to him with a glare.

“Don't act like you did anything, I told him, and he raised his head up, his yellow eyes glinting at me with challenge.

“I'll say whatever I want. You're not the boss of me,” he sassed back, and I rolled my eyes before turning away from him. Following Caelan's lead, I washed the dusting cloth in the sink before hanging it up, and then washed my hands because they felt icky.

As I was wiping my hands, my stomach growled loudly.

“Oh shit, I forgot you need to eat,” Caelan said, and I shook my head, waving him off.

“It's not your job to remember that,” I said, and he glanced away, though I didn't miss the fact that his claws had slid out and sunk into the side of the counter he was leaning against. What had I said wrong now? God, saying anything to this man was like walking on a minefield. I never knew which step would cause an explosion.

Caelan cleared his throat after a moment, his claws gone, and turned to me. “We'll need to go shop for some groceries, then.”

My eyes widened. “We're going to a grocery store?” I asked.

"It's just a grocery store.”

I rolled my eyes. “I know that. But I've never been to one before,” I said.

“Reece never took you with him on one of his trips?” he asked, and I shook my head.

“He said he'd just be a minute, and he usually was. He never asked me if I wanted to go, and I figured that meant it wasn't an option,” I said with a shrug. “Plus, I wasn't the biggest fan of the human realm in the beginning, and by the time I got curious about it, I felt like I was too old to ask Da to let me tag along.”

Caelan watched me for a moment before shrugging. “Okay, then. I guess we're going to the grocery store.”

I probably shouldn't be as excited as I was at the prospect of going to a fucking grocery store, but I couldn't help it. I'd missed out on so many of the normal human things that now they all felt special.

“I'm going to stay here,” Ro'Shassz said, and I raised a brow at him.

“You are?”

“You'll already look like a weirdo when you get excited over stupid things at the store,” he said, and I let out an outraged sound, which he ignored. “And having a snake hanging around your neck won't do you any favors. Hell, you might not even be allowed inside with me.”

I glanced over at Caelan, and he bobbed his head. "Okay. Stay. Watch some cartoons."

“Ha ha ha,” Ro'Shassz said the actual words without a speck of laughter. Then, he turned serious and added, “I'll be there if you need me. Don't worry.”

Smiling, I nodded at him before turning to Caelan, hesitantly reaching my hand out so we could teleport to the store. “So, shall we?”

Caelan

I stared at Walker's extended hand with a furrowed brow, and his smile flickered before dying away as he dropped his hand, using it to scratch the back of his neck instead. "Sorry."

"No, it's just—" I started, then shook my head. With a bit of my magic, I switched to my human form, and Walker blinked rapidly, as if his brain couldn't quite compute what he was saying. "I thought we could walk," I finished my thought, and his lips parted.

"Oh!" he finally said, nodding rapidly. "Yeah, we can do that. Does that mean you know where the store is?"

"I know where it was twenty years ago. Hopefully, it's still there.”

He slid his hands into his pockets before glancing over at Ro'Shassz, who swished his tail at us in goodbye.

"Come on, you must be hungry," I said, and Walker followed me to the front door. This place had wards around it that kept people with bad intentions out, something Damien had put up when he'd first found his mates, and then Reece had strengthened when Walker and I did a brief stint here when there was trouble with the queen of Underworld. We'd barely stayed for a day though, and I hadn't even left the apartment then. It was the last good memory I had of Walker and me, because everything had gone to shit after that.

I still remembered how he'd cried as he'd told me that he never wanted to see me again. At first, I'd just thought they were the words of an angry kid, but he'd kept his promise even after I'd come home for good. It had taken Walker a while to show his face to me, and the first time I'd seen him, grown from a six-year-old to an adult, I'd been rendered speechless. He'd grown into a stunning man, and I'd honestly freaked out a little when I'd realized I was attracted to him because I'd spent so long thinking I wasn't allowed to, even if that had only applied when Walker was a kid.

I'd never, ever been attracted to him in any way when he was a kid. I knew everyone knew that, that no one thought I was, but I still felt this inexplicable urge to declare that I hadn't ever wanted Walker before I saw him that day. Maybe because for a long while before, when I'd still felt like a broken toy, I'd thought that there was something rotten about me.

Damien had changed that. He'd made me see things differently. He'd made me realize that none of what had happened to me had been my fault. But when I'd left Otherworld, I left him behind too, and slowly, his words, his kind voice in my head, had been buried under the louder voices, my own self-hating voice the loudest, and his not too far behind.

"Caelan, are we going?"

I blinked, shaking my head to clear it, and realized I was standing there with a hand on the doorknob like a dumbass. How long had I been doing that?

"Sorry," I mumbled as I opened the door and led him outside. The grocery store was only a few blocks away, and we walked in companionable silence. It still felt a little heavy, and it was probably my fault. I knew Walker could sense I hadn't completely forgiven him for the other day, and while I wanted to, I didn't know how to.

When we walked into the store, his eyes lit up like it was Christmas. I grabbed a cart and then followed him around, chuckling at his enthusiasm and answering his million questions.

"Do you like chocolate?" Walker asked, and I raised a brow at him.

"I don't eat. Remember?" I asked, and he frowned.

"What about before, when you were human?" he asked, and I glanced away. I didn't like thinking about my time in the human world any more than he did, but unlike me, he had no idea he'd hit a sore spot, so I answered as honestly as I could.

"We didn't have chocolate back then. At least not like this," I said, tapping the chocolate bar he held.

He glanced from me to the chocolate. "So you've never tasted chocolate?" he asked in a horrified whisper, and I chuckled.

"That's right," I answered, and he looked so dejected, practically heartbroken at the thought. I smiled fondly at him before dropping the bar into our trolley.

"Why don't you eat it for me, yeah?" I said, and he nodded, still looking a tad disappointed. That was, until he caught sight of something and raced off, leaving me to follow.

I found him in the toys section of all places, his hands on his hips as he stared at a wall of board games.

"See something you like?" I asked, and he turned to me.

"Do you play chess?" he asked, and I smiled, remembering all the times Damien and I had played.

"Yeah. Damien and I used to play all the time.”

Walker pulled out a box of a wooden chess set. "Yeah, he taught me too. Maybe...maybe we could play?" he asked hesitantly, and I smiled. I'd take any reason to spend some time with him.

"I'd love that."

Ro'Shassz

Getting them to go out alone without me had been a stroke of genius. I just hoped they'd get their heads out of their asses and actually talk for once instead of just mooning at each other without seeing the other wanted them just as much. If Damien found out I was trying to manipulate them together, he'd have my hide. Then again, he wasn't the one stuck in this constant low-grade sexual tension every day. I was going to get these two together if it was the last thing I ever did.

Step : Leave them together as much as I can.