Chapter 31 Kai
Kai
Leaving Raven so soon after we sealed the mate bond had been a catastrophic mistake.
My shifter side craved her touch. Seeing her, touching her, and inhaling the sweet scent of her skin had me spiraling into a mating rut.
Ruts were common for newly mated couples, a way for nature to maximize the chances of conception. Most mer couples spent at least a week locked away together in a heavily warded cave after mating.
But because I was so desperate to seek my mother’s approval, I’d done the exact opposite, and now I was paying the price for my foolishness.
I should have known my mother would never accept Raven as my mate.
That she’d tried her best to sever the mate bond was evidence enough.
It saddened me that I could never go back to the mer kingdom, but over the last week, I’d accepted that the place of my birth was no longer my home and the queen and her consorts were not my family.
“I shouldn’t have left you,” I told my witch. “I thought I was doing the right thing. My mother is a stickler for the rules, and I believed she would accept you as my mate if I followed protocol.” Raven pressed her warm cheek against my chest and sighed.
“Please forgive me for saying this, Kai, but your mother is a raging bitch.”
I choked on a laugh as she giggled. Her warm amusement helped heal the cracks in my heart, and I exhaled slowly, letting the tension seep away.
“You’re not wrong there,” I agreed. “She’s always been…difficult.” I thought back to the many times when she’d tried to mold me into something I could never be: a fierce warrior like her.
Sure, I could defend myself, but I was not and never would be a brave warrior prince. But Mother had never cared about what I wanted.
“Has she always been a narcissistic bitch?” Raven peeked up at me through her hair, which was more white than dark now.
Was that a consequence of our mating? My gaze snagged on her amulet, noting for the first time the imperfections in its surface.
Tiny hairline cracks marred the dark patina.
I wasn’t sure what could have caused such damage.
“My mother is a queen first and a parent second.” In truth, she’d never been much of a parent. Daresh cared for me when I was small while Mother and Krillian were busy running their court and currying favor with the Fae.
Raven shivered despite the heat from the fire, so I nudged her toward the bed, where she’d be warmer under the covers. Outside, snow lashed the windows and a vicious wind whipped the building, rocking it on its foundations.
“Get into bed while I put more logs on the fire,” I ordered. The last thing my mate needed was to catch a chill. She chuckled at my firm tone.
“It’s not like you to be bossy,” she teased.
My cheeks flushed yet again. “I’m not good at being assertive,” I admitted; it was another bone of contention between my mother and me.
Raven crawled under her mountain of covers and grinned. “I like it when you’re assertive.” The sweet scent of her arousal bloomed in the smoky air, and I groaned. Damn it, if I didn’t leave now, I’d fall into a mating rut and then she’d hate me.
“Are you okay?” I gritted my teeth and threw a hefty log into the grate. The bear must have chopped these; some of them were ridiculously thick. Sparks burst up the chimney while I considered how best to explain what a mating rut was and then concluded it was better not to say anything at all.
“No, but I can control myself.” My muscles bunched and my cock thickened, but there wasn’t much light in the room, so I reassured myself that she might not notice. If I left now, I could control it.
The bedcovers rustled behind me. Before I could escape, my mate’s arms slid around my waist, and her soft breasts pressed against my back. A desperate groan crawled up my throat as the desire to rut grew more difficult to ignore.
If I lost myself to the mating rut, I might hurt my sweet mate, and thanks to my mother’s schemes, she’d already suffered enough.
The bear had told me how the sea witch’s curse affected her via the bond.
I’d never forgive my mother for trying to kill me, but knowing she’d hurt my mate in the process was way worse.
“Maybe I don’t want you to control yourself. Maybe I want my sweet merman unleashed and feral for me.”
Her words sank into my flesh, latching onto every self-doubt I had, obliterating them all.
My mate needed me, and I no longer had the strength to deny her or myself.