5. Chapter 5
Chapter five
C lean, dry, and dressed in a pair of black jeans with a gray hoodie, Owen followed his mate across the south lawn to the Manor.
His mate. Holy fucking hell. He had a mate.
While he had known it was possible—even humans had mates—he hadn’t really thought it would be in the cards for him. Not only had fate shined on him, though, but it had blessed him with a big, gorgeous Guardian who actually seemed to like him.
Furthermore, he’d been able to feel the connection. Being basically human himself, he hadn’t thought it possible. Some humans were more perceptive than others, but as a whole, they kind of sucked at recognizing destiny, even when it stared them in the face.
After experiencing it for himself, that made him kind of sad.
It had been the single most exhilarating thing he had ever felt. At first, unaware of the meaning, it had scared the hell out of him. In fact, he’d been worried that he had accidentally syphoned magic without meaning to, and he’d kind of panicked. Once he had recognized it for what it was, though, it had been like bathing in pure sunlight.
In that moment, he had known he would follow Fenix anywhere. Even if that meant returning to the crowded hotel lobby and facing his most deep-seated fears.
Fenix had asked for his trust, and while he didn’t have much else to give, he could offer that much. If his mate said he would protect him and keep him from hurting anyone, he believed him.
Still, he entered the castle with a healthy dose of trepidation. Not only did he have to contend with hundreds of Otherlings, but he would also be meeting royalty for the first time. He didn’t know the protocol, but if the princess wanted to shake his hand, he didn’t know how to refuse. Of course, obliging her would be even worse.
“Are you okay?” Fenix asked as they rounded the corner from the hallway to the lobby.
“Just nervous.” An understatement, but no reason to be dramatic about it.
“Don’t be.”
Owen snorted. “It doesn’t really work like that.”
“I suppose it doesn’t,” Fenix allowed with a chuckle. “Still, try to relax. Nothing is going to happen.”
He wished he had the same confidence, but he knew quite the opposite to be true. Anything could happen. Fenix was right about one thing, though. Worrying about the possibilities wouldn’t change the outcome. In fact, anxiety only increased the likelihood of him making a mistake.
So, he took a deep breath, pulled his shoulders back, and slapped on a smile. He also stuck as close to his mate as he could without crawling on top of him. Just in case.
They found the princess with her entourage at the café, surrounded by half a dozen or so hotel staff. At first, Owen feared something bad had happened during their absence, but as they approached, he finally caught snippets of the conversation.
“Wow, I can’t believe he never told me he had a sister. That’s so rude.”
“Hell, I wasn’t even aware that he had parents. He never talks about his family.”
Owen relaxed a little when he recognized Arlo. The guy had flipped a chair around to straddle it, and he had his arms crossed over the back.
“Obviously he has parents,” he argued.
The other employee—a man who appeared to be in his late twenties with mousy brown hair huffed. “Yes. Obviously. You know what I meant.”
The café’s barista leaned against one of the booths with his arms crossed over his lean chest. “I’ve only met his mate.” He shuddered. “That dude is scary.”
Owen didn’t know the pixie’s name, but he did remember that the guy was mated to the head of security at Blackhaven Manor. Although grateful the male hadn’t arrested him during his last visit, that didn’t negate the fact that the guy had a brutal countenance and dark eyes that seemed to pierce the soul.
He didn’t know who the barista was talking about, but he figured whoever it was had to be pretty terrifying to intimidate someone with a hellhound for a mate.
“Erus?” the princess asked with a musical laugh. “Oh, he’s a big softie!” Pinching the teardrop-shaped stone that hung from the end of a gold chain around her neck, she held it up for everyone to see. “He gave me this for my birthday.”
“Who are they talking about?” Owen finally asked.
“Her brother, Orrin,” Fenix answered in a low voice. “And his mate, Erus.”
Orrin Nightstar, he’d heard of. “Erus? Is that another Guardian?”
“In a matter of speaking. He’s the Guardian of the Underworld.”
The blood drained from his face, and he swayed a little. Catching the back of Fenix’s shirt to steady himself, he coughed twice to clear his throat.
“I’m sorry. What? The Underworld?”
Fenix nodded as if it should be common knowledge that the Underworld actually freaking existed instead of being just some scary story made up to trick kids into behaving.
Thinking back to what he knew about mythology, he tried to work out who would be the Guardian of the Underworld. Hades came to mind, but he was more of a king than a knight. He also clearly wasn’t named Erus.
He remembered the three-headed monstrous hellhound that guarded the gates. That sounded like a good contender. Well, except for him being a dog. A shifter maybe? What was his name?
Owen’s breath caught in his throat, and blood roared in his ears. “Cerberus?”
“That’s the one. And no, he doesn’t have three heads. Also, don’t call him a god. He hates it.”
His train of thought instantly derailed. The gods existed, too? He’d always thought that was just something people said. Even he had been known to use “by the gods” or similar. It had never meant anything, though.
Until now.
“Fenix!” Princess Iliana bounced up from her seat with a warm smile. “Oh, and who is this?”
Her gaze slid past him to Owen, and her eyes sparkled with a curious gleam. If she found his presence intrusive or even odd, she did a good job of hiding it. Her smile never wavered, and he couldn’t help but respond to the infectiousness of it.
“My name is Owen Zhas, Your Highness. It’s an honor to meet you.”
He didn’t know if he should bow or not. Damn, he really should have asked before making it this far. In the end, he settled for a deep, respectful nod.
“I like him,” she declared, loud enough for everyone in the vicinity to hear. Then she addressed him again directly. “Are you here for the festival?”
“I am.”
“Princess, this is my mate.”
Owen sagged in relief when Fenix finally spoke up. Thank the…gods. Damn, that felt so strange now.
“Congratulations!” She clasped her hands together under her chin and rocked up on her toes. “That’s wonderful! Welcome to the family.”
She said the right things with the right inflection, but she honestly didn’t appear that surprised by the news.
“Princess, now that I’ve found my mate,” Fenix began, only to be cut off.
“No.” Her demeanor changed in an instant, and she folded her arms across her chest.
His mate pushed forward, undeterred. “It’s only appropriate that I resign my position.”
“I don’t accept your resignation.”
“Princess—”
“No.”
Owen couldn’t be entirely certain, but sounded like Fenix might be trying to quit his job. Because of him.
“Holy cow!” Arlo exclaimed, either unaware or unbothered by the sudden tension. “You’re mated to a Guardian?” Popping to his feet, he hurried over but stopped a few feet away. “Looks like your luck is changing. Congratulations.”
“Uh, thanks.” While he appreciated the support, it didn’t seem proper to celebrate until he figure out what had just happened. He returned his attention to Fenix. “Why do you have to resign?”
“He doesn’t,” Iliana interjected.
Ignoring her, Fenix answered in a calm, level voice. “A Guardian can’t have divided loyalties. If I had to choose between saving the princess and saving my mate, you would win. Every time.”
Well, that was intense. Sweet, but intense. Also, he didn’t understand why it had to be a choice.
“What if I just don’t go with you when you travel?”
It seemed like the logical solution to him, but he could tell from the look on the shifter’s face that he’d said something wrong.
“What if something happened to you while I was away?” Fenix countered. “I would leave Princess Iliana and return without hesitation.”
“As it should be. You seem to forget that you are not my only Guardian.” Iliana scoffed. “You leave to go to your mate, or you leave permanently. What’s the difference?”
“Someone will replace me.”
“A stranger,” she countered. “How could they be more loyal than someone who has protected me since birth?”
Owen ducked his head to hide his smile. Oh, the princess had fire, and he had no doubt she would make a strong leader for her people one day. Judging by the tick of his clenched jaw, even Fenix didn’t have a response to her argument.
“We’ll discuss it later,” she said with a dismissive wave of her hand. “I want to visit the Haunted Escape Room.”
At some point during the discussion, the hotel employees had quietly returned to their duties. Even Arlo. In their place, Seneca had appeared from seemingly nowhere, along with four intimidating males similar in size and build to his mate. The Nightstar Guard.
Seeing them all together like that, he could definitely understand the point Iliana had been trying to make. No one in their right mind would take on one of the Guardians, let alone all of them. In the unlikely event of an emergency, his mate’s temporary absence wouldn’t diminish her safety.
On the other hand, he could also appreciate Fenix’s position. He had made a vow to put her life before anyone else’s, including his own. While that might not have been an issue in the past, Owen’s arrival had flipped the script. Rather than being forced into a choice between the two, he would rather walk away altogether.
It still sounded extreme to him, and he definitely didn’t want his mate to lose something important to him just because Owen existed. Vacillating between having his mate’s back and voicing his concerns, he erred on the side of caution and kept his mouth shut.
Frankly, it wasn’t his decision to make, and even if Fenix wanted his input, he needed more information. With that in mind, he decided to wait until they had a chance to speak in private before offering his opinion.
“Your Highness,” Seneca said as she stepped away from the rest of the group. “You still haven’t seen your cabin. Perhaps you’d like to settle in and eat something before we attempt the…uh…”
“Haunted Escape Room,” Iliana provided helpfully. “Yes, you’re right, of course.” She gripped the ends of her long, royal blue robes and lifted them from the floor. “I think I would like to change as well.”
From the corner of his eye, he saw Fenix dip his head at Seneca in thanks.
Another Guardian with sunny blond hair stepped forward, his right hand outstretched toward the corridor behind the staircase. “This way, Princess.”
Iliana simply stared at him. “Carry me.”
The shifter hesitated only briefly before reaching out to pick her up. Before he could get a grip on her, however, she batted his hands away with a cluck of her tongue.
“I’m teasing, Draven. Maybe we can find you a sense of humor when we go shopping tomorrow.”
“You are a pain in my ass.” He grumbled under his breath, but he allowed her to link her arm through his as they headed across the lobby.
“Aww. I love you, too,” she sang, practically skipping beside him.
The rest of the Guard followed, all smiling and shaking their heads at her antics.
As he watched them, it dawned on Owen that he hadn’t merely witnessed a princess with her bodyguards. It was a tightknit, dedicated family. She obviously adored each of them, and judging by their expressions, they felt the same.
Which only made him worry that much more about Fenix leaving.
“Here.” Seneca paused in front of them and held out a brass key. “Cabin 4. Hurry and change. I’ll try to distract her for as long as I can.”
Fenix took the key with a pensive expression and watched her hurried off to catch up with the rest of the group. Whatever worries occupied his thoughts, he didn’t voice them. Instead, he simply took Owen’s hand and led him back the way they had come from.
Owen remained silent as well while they navigated their way to the south exit. Naturally, he wanted to discuss why his mate felt he had to leave the Nightstar palace, but he instinctually knew Fenix wouldn’t want to discuss it yet. It also wasn’t about him, and any questions he had could wait.
Stepping out onto the small portico with its iron benches and potted plants, Fenix came to an abrupt stop and sighed. The rain had slowed to a heavy mist that quickly coated Owen’s hair and face. Still, he didn’t move, didn’t speak. He just gripped his mate’s hand and waited patiently.
While he stood quietly, he cast furtive glances down at their linked fingers. It had been so long since he’d allowed himself contact with anyone that he’d almost forgotten what it felt like. The weight, the warmth, the comfort—he craved it all, and he didn’t know how he’d gone so long without it.
Moreover, the fear of losing it filled him with a hollow ache right in the pit of his stomach.
“What wrong?”
Owen squeezed his mate’s hand and shuffled closer. “I should be asking you that.”
“You’re worried,” Fenix countered, turning to face him. He tapped his index finger gently against the center of Owen’s forehead. “What are you thinking about?”
He briefly considered redirecting the conversation, but it didn’t feel right. “It’s not important.”
“Anything that upsets you is important to me.”
He was supposed to be comforting his mate, not the other way around. “We can talk about it later.”
“Tell me.”
A shiver rippled down his spine at the command, and a sense of peace settled over him at having the decision taken from his hands. “I like holding your hand. It’s been a long time since someone has touched me like this.”
“And you’re afraid of losing it,” Fenix surmised.
“Something like that.”
With a gentle tug, Fenix pulled him close and wrapped him in his strong arms. “That’s not something you ever have to worry about, talei . Although, we might have a problem if you let someone else touch you like this.”
Owen chuckled as he snuggled against his broad chest. “So, I can’t hug anyone? Not even my parents?”
Fenix stroked his hair as he pretended to think about it. “I’ll consider it.”
Owen laughed again, feeling lighter than he had in ages. “You cheated. I’m supposed to be making you feel better.”
With a soft smile, Fenix reached out to brush away a lock of damp hair from his forehead. “You are.”
Skeptical, since he hadn’t actually done anything, he arched an eyebrow.
“Trust me. I don’t need a lot to make me happy.”
“What do you need?”
With two fingers under his chin, Fenix urged his head up and bent to deliver a soft kiss. It was light, barely a brush of lips, but it sent a jolt of electricity straight to Owen’s groin.
“You, talei. ” Fenix rubbed their lips together again, even more tender than the first time. “Just you.”