CHAPTER 17
Aelys
Morning classes are going well, and I find myself bored far too often for my liking.
So far, I already know everything we've seen in class.
Mattheo sits next to me in every class and puts his hand on my thigh in each one.
In the hallways, he either holds my hand, puts an arm around my shoulder, or even my waist.
This guy likes to be affectionate in public, and I don't know whether to be scared or happy with his behavior so far.
I still don't know if he's doing it to keep up appearances or if he's sincere.
He said he cared about me when we were still in our room, but I can't help waiting for him to go back to his old ways and insults.
He may very well pretend to be the perfect boyfriend to make our union seem more natural in the eyes of the magical world…
It's lunchtime, and I'm starving. We just came back from botany, and it's just the two of us.
None of our friends have this class with us.
We head toward the main hall, Mattheo's arm around my waist, my body pressed against his.
Obviously, all eyes are on us. All morning, we've been stared at, and I'm starting to lose patience.
Can't they just mind their own fucking business?
Mattheo doesn't seem to give a damn, I'm amazed at his ability to do so.
“Why is everyone looking at us like that since this morning?” I spit as I watch a group of faeries whisper as we walk by.
Mattheo chuckles and squeezes my waist in a surprisingly tender gesture.
“They wonder why I'm being so affectionate with you, my angel.”
“But why? It's as if they've never seen a couple before!” I insist, rolling my eyes, and he shrugs.
“They've never seen me act like this with anyone before. In fact, I've never been in a relationship,” he finally admits.
I frown, confused at his words. Has he never been in a relationship?
Really? And is that what this is? I glance to my left and see an empty room.
I grab his arm and pull him inside, closing the door behind us.
He looks at me, both confused and amused, as he leans against the wall, crossing his muscular arms over his chest.
“Can't hold yourself back any longer, my love?” He asks in a voice tinged with affectionate mockery.
I roll my eyes, mock-annoyed by his arrogance, and cross my arms.
“No, I just think we need to talk.”
“About what ?” He raises an eyebrow, curious.
“About us,” I point at both of us. “I'm completely lost, Mattheo.” I sigh, pinching the bridge of my nose, my frustration overcoming my emotions.
“You said I am yours and you are mine, that's kind of obvious since we're engaged, but what are we? Are we together in the public eye but just acquaintances in private?”
He steps towards me and cups my cheeks, tenderly caressing them with his thumbs. His brows are furrowed and he looks frustrated.
“I thought I made myself clear last night and this morning, but apparently not,” he sighs. “I am yours as you are mine, my love. In private and in public. I want you, Aelys. In every way possible.”
Butterflies flutter in my stomach and I smile. He leans down and connects his lips with mine in a sweet, passionate kiss. He pulls away and rests his forehead against mine, his eyes firmly fixed on me.
“I don't understand what I feel, but I know I want you, my angel. I've said this before, I hated the way all eyes were on you at that party. That and your kiss with my brother made me so angry…” He sighs, a hint of regret tinting the brown of his irises.
“I'm sorry I slept with that female dog. I was so angry and I couldn't understand why. I wanted to hurt you for hurting me. It's twisted, I know, but I'm twisted myself, so I guess you'll just have to deal with it.” He shrugs innocently and I laugh.
I wrap my arms around his neck and slide my hands into his hair. He hums contentedly, letting his hands trail down to my hips as he pulls me closer.
“I'm sorry I tried to get you to react by kissing your brother. That was a shitty decision too.”
“So I was right, you're still a virgin. You didn't sleep with him.” He raises an eyebrow, waiting for me to confirm or contradict his beliefs.
“No. And yes, I'm still a virgin,” I shake my head and roll my eyes, amused.
He chuckles and gives me a quick kiss on the lips. He pulls away but grabs my hand, intertwining our fingers again.
“Okay, come on, I'm starving and I know you are too.” He grows.
“I swear I'll ask Tom to teach me how to block telepaths.”
He stops in his tracks and glances at me, clearly annoyed that I mentioned Tom. That's when I remember he doesn't know he's going to teach me how to fight. I smile innocently as he turns towards me and crosses his arms, arching an eyebrow.
“Why would you ask him to teach you anything?”
“He's already going to teach me how to fight, I could ask him to add mental blocking to the list,” I shrug.
“You asked him to be your teacher? Seriously, Aelys?” He sighs, his annoyance turning to anger.
“We weren't on good terms when I asked him, Mattheo. Besides, he knows we're friends and nothing more,” I roll my eyes.
“Right,” he chuckles mockingly.
I walk over to him and cup his cheeks, standing on my tiptoes so I'm at his eye level. He instinctively places his hands back on my waist and pulls me against him as he holds my gaze with his dark eyes.
“I told him we'd never be more than that, and you know what? He already knows. He knows I'm yours, Mattheo.”
His eyes soften and he sighs, lifting the bottom of my shirt slightly to brush his thumbs against the skin of my hips. Goosebumps appear at his touch, and he seems to notice as he smirks.
“I could teach you instead of him, you know?”
I brush a strand of his hair away from his eyes while I think about it.
“Could you both be my teachers?” I propose a compromise, knowing that having several combat techniques under my belt can only be beneficial to me.
“Hm, that's actually not a bad idea,” he tilts his head a little thoughtfully. “Tom fights differently than I do, dual teaching might benefit you and I could keep an eye on you both,” he smirks.
I roll my eyes and gently tug at his hair playfully.
“No need to be jealous, Rigast. Not after your slip-up with that other girl.”
“I told you,” he places a kiss on my left cheek, “I'm sorry,” another kiss on the right cheek. “How many times,” a kiss on the nose, “do I need,” a kiss on the forehead, “to apologize?” He places one last long kiss on my lips.
I smile against his lips and deepen the kiss by sliding my tongue into his mouth.
He moans against my lips and squeezes my hips between his fingers.
He pulls me closer, pressing his pelvis against my lower abdomen.
I moan at the feeling of his hard cock against my body.
It's alarming how turned on he always is.
But then again, it seems I'm no better because I feel turned on just by his touch or his lips.
I feel him smile against my lips before he pulls away, smirking.
“Come on, let’s eat, love. Oh, and I'll help my brother teach you,” he winks at me and intertwines our fingers before dragging me out of the room and towards the main hall.
All our friends are already there and they are signaling us to join them.
“Hello everyone!” I greet them by sitting down next to Paula.
Mattheo sits down next to me and immediately places his hand on my thigh. I swear he can't keep his hands to himself !
‘No, I can't, my angel. Deal with it.’
I giggle mockingly as his voice echoes in my mind.
‘Get out of my mind, Rigast.’
‘What if I don't?’
‘You don't want to know.’
He raises an eyebrow, amused and intrigued. You could say he's practically begging me to play with him. I glance over at our friends, and thankfully, the other telepath I know isn't there.
‘Apart from you and Tom, who in our group can read minds?’
His brows furrow in confusion and he narrows his eyes as he studies me suspiciously.
‘Nobody, why?’
Perfect! I let the memories of the times I touched myself play through my mind and immediately feel his hand grip my thigh tighter, almost making me wince at the slight pain I'm starting to feel.
‘Aelys,’he rumbles in my mind as a warning.
I laugh as I put carrots and beef on my plate. I can feel his piercing gaze on me and I smirk knowing I've won.
He is both excited and angry.
“Aelys 1 - Mattheo 0,” I whisper so that only he can hear.
He leans down to my ear, his hot breath tickling my skin, giving me goosebumps and making my pulse race.
“You'd better eat this plate quickly. We have somewhere to go next,” he booms hoarsely.
I swallow and bite my lower lip.
Yeah, I'm in deep shit.