How to Fail at Annoying an Alpha Fae (Love and Bonds #5)

1. Chapter OneMelina

Chapter One

Melina

I tossed several potions into my luggage with no regard of them possibly breaking and spilling over the clothes already packed inside. I ignored the incessant knocking at my front door, cursing myself for not having left earlier. Did they know I was planning to leave tonight? I had been too indecisive for too long. Now this ridiculous house, that still didn’t feel like my own, was probably surrounded by my so-called family and friends wanting to prevent me from escaping.

I could escape through the back door toward the backyard garden in hopes no one was there, but it would be a big hope. Still, I had to try something. I closed my bag and walked on careful footing, as if someone could hear me from outside, down my steps to my ground floor. I then proceeded to head to the back of the house when I heard my front door open behind me.

I didn’t bother turning around and instead took off in a run to my back door.

“Hold it right there, Melina!” shouted an authoritative, yet familiar, male voice.

I waved my middle finger in the air and kept moving.

“Oooh, no she didn’t,” came another familiar female voice.

“What was that hand sign? What did it mean?” asked the male voice. He sounded closer now, hot on my trail.

“It means fuck you,” the woman replied .

I made it all the way to the double glass doors when a hand wrapped around my right arm.

“Seriously, Mel?” the man huffed. “You’re going to curse me? I’m on your side. Where did you even learn that?”

I dropped my shoulders and let go of my bags before turning around and facing my very confused looking cousin, Yosef. “I’ve stayed in the human realm many times, you know that.”

He frowned, his golden eyes narrowing. “And that’s what you choose to learn? Human curses?”

I shrugged and gave him the sweetest smile I could muster. “I was actually on my way back to learn more suitable things.”

I heard a snort, and a pretty woman with a head full of large golden-brown curls stepped out from behind him. His mate, and now a close friend, Lila Ramirez, gave me a wave. “Did you really think you were going to run off, girl?”

I crossed my arms and looked around the large living area. There were two more floors with another living space upstairs. This space I was gifted was so unnecessarily big. I missed my old apartment near my shop. I missed the life where I had control. “I was going to try.”

Yosef shook his head, giving me a disapproving stare. He was such the upstanding citizen. He was a well-regarded captain in our military. Even now, he was still dressed in his military garb. A dark blue knee-length coat, wrapped to the side, with matching trousers and calf-length black boots. He had clean shaven, deep brown skin with his black hair being closely cropped. Perfectly groomed.

The only time he’d gone against the rules was when he hid Lila, a human ice mage, in our Fae realm when she was banished here by an enemy. They fell in love; she eventually went home but recently came back to stay. They’d been together almost two Fae years now. Fae time worked faster than human time, so for Lila, it had felt like less. Either way, Yosef was fine bending the rules when it aided him. However, for his poor cousin, he could care less. I should give him another middle finger.

“Mel, would you really run away and leave Uncle and Aunt to have to explain to the king and queen why they have no daughter to show up to fulfil our part of the treaty?”

I kicked my bag for no mature reason at all and sat down on the teal sofa near the glass doors. The space was filled with bright furniture and artwork, the most colorful part of the house. It was actually close to my style sensibility, but I wouldn’t tell anyone that. They didn’t need to know I liked the house I was forced to move into.

Although I was so angry with my parents, the thought of them having to cower to our leaders if I did not show up made me sick. Breaking any part of the treaty would be very unwise. It had only been a year since our part of the Unseelie Fae Realm, the Prinaths, had settled our war with our long-time foe, the Nodoors. In an effort to secure peace, there were a few terms implemented. One of those terms, the most controversial, was that a certain number of Prinathians and Nodoorians had to marry. The idea was that if our people started to become intermingled, there would no longer be the division one day.

The plan was that some of our people went to the Nodoorian territory and set up a life or lived with their new arranged spouse and vice versa. I was called as one of the unlucky Prinaths forced to marry our long-time enemy.

I pulled my long braids back away from my face, my body heating with annoyance. He knew how to get to me. “No, I don’t want my parents to have to face the wrath of the court. Our family has already pushed the limits of their trust, don’t you think?” I eyed him, then Lila, who at least had the decency to give me an apologetic look. Not that I blamed either of them. If my cousin hadn’t hid her early on, she’d probably have been locked up since us unseelie weren’t the greatest fans of humans.

Still, I was more than hurt that my parents didn’t want to fight on my behalf. They seemed too pleased with the idea that I was getting married off to some enemy stranger. “How’d you guys know to come here?”

Lila sat down next to me. “You weren’t answering your communicator, and I was worried about you being alone the night before your wedding.” She looked over to my dropped bag. “Glad we did.”

I rolled my eyes. “How thoughtful of you,” I said dryly.

“Look on the bright side. At least you get to stay here and keep your business. He has to move here. And you got this nice house you moved into to accommodate your status.”

That was little satisfaction. My family was upper class and apparently so was my mysterious fiancé. I was already comfortable and happy with my prior living arrangements. Yet it seemed that my one-bedroom apartment wasn’t deemed suitable enough, and I was relocated into a three-bedroom house, still in the city but farther from my shop. From the outside, it seemed like a decent deal. However, I was still marrying someone I knew very little about. I hadn’t even gotten an image of him, which worried me almost as much as us not being compatible. What if I wasn’t attracted to him? What if he was a jerk?

I shivered thinking about the possibility of marrying someone I couldn’t even like. How was this fair? “Haven’t I suffered enough? I was kidnapped by the Nodoors and almost assaulted if it wasn’t for you, Lila.”

Lila and I had both been captured by the Nodoors the first time she came here. The soldiers weren’t the most respectful, and when Lila had stopped one who didn’t keep his hands to himself, she’d paid for it. Luckily, one of our Fae working undercover as a Nodoor saved her. He also got another Nodoorian guard he came to trust to look out for me and ensure I was not harmed. Fortunately, I wasn’t imprisoned for long, and we were saved within a week. Still, that didn’t mean my time there was pleasant.

I grimaced at the memory. I was an unclaimed omega in enemy territory. Fear ruled every minute. Omegas and our natural counterparts, alphas, were rare and prized in the Fae world. We were stronger, some with special powers, and we enhanced the strength of whoever we bonded with. They typically were married off young. The same went for alphas. Often, they were paired together if possible. There were more alphas than omegas, but they were still less in number than others.

Yosef was an alpha, but Lila was not. No one seemed to mind that he’d chosen a beta human. She had magic and even possible dragon lineage. She was extremely valuable from a power stance. Yosef lucked out in falling for her. He was going to end up in an arranged marriage if he hadn’t claimed Lila. He was too powerful to remain free. I had hopes I’d float under the radar somehow, but I always knew the clock was ticking. My parents reminded me if I forgot. They’d had three kids. My younger brother and I were omegas, and my older brother was an alpha. Both of them were married. I was resistant. I had always been a rebellious child and continued to be that way as an adult.

Yosef blew out a breath and sat down in an oversized, cushioned purple chair in front of a glass coffee table that separated us. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there to save or even stop you from being captured. I’m sorry to you both.” He looked over to Lila, who shook her head. Her light brown eyes were looking at him with love that matched his own.

They were sickening sweet. I wasn’t against wanting that sickness. I just hadn’t been lucky. I wouldn’t be with someone just because they were an alpha. I had to meet the right person. My search for real, genuine love had been a painful affair. I’d been taken advantage of, lied to, cheated on, mistreated. If there was a way to have bad luck in love, I discovered it. And now, I was being forced into an arranged marriage with a stranger. It was almost laughable. I wasn’t sure why I even tried to fight it. This seemed to be my ugly fate. If I said no, at the very least, my family would probably be blacklisted from upper society privileges, including my brothers’ families. At the worst, they would imprison me for disobeying the court. That didn’t mean they would spare my family if I ran away.

“Mel,” Lila began, “I’m sure the man they paired you with is a good catch.”

I side-eyed her. She knew better than to lie to me. We’d all heard the rumors. “Seriously? I heard the guy is cold and arrogant, and he killed off an ex-girlfriend, but they couldn’t pin it on him.”

Yosef ran a hand over his face, looking tired in the late hour. “Melina, do you think the court would pair you with a murderer? Both sides are picking Fae they think of in high regard. They want to make things better, not worse. He’s a good match for you.”

“We’re all smart enough to know that they aren’t doing this to make love matches. This Fae is probably going to use me to gain status.”

“You don’t know that.”

“If he’s so good, why can’t I see him?”

Yosef pressed his lips together, his wise eyes going neutral. It was how he always looked when he wanted to assert his authority. He was going to tell me something I didn’t want to hear. “Because you don’t have a choice. Knowing anything about him in advance won’t make a difference.”

I leaned back in my seat, feeling sick to my stomach. I knew that was the reason, but it didn’t mean I liked hearing it. “How do you know my fiancé is not a murderer?”

“Oh, I’m sure he is. He’s a soldier, after all, a former lieutenant. It’s part of our job. However, he did not kill a former lover.”

“You sound so sure. Do you know about this guy? Do my parents? Is that why they seem so agreeable? It can’t be just that they are happy I’m finally being married off.”

Yosef didn’t answer. Instead, he sat up straight and cleared his throat. Oh, he knew something. I glanced at Lila, who seemed equally suspicious. She leaned forward. “Speak, dear.”

Yosef coughed and leaned away from her. “I can’t, princess. I’m not approved of discussing it.”

“Is he at least cute?” she asked.

I frowned. “Who cares?”

“Girl, you will.”

Yosef raised a shoulder, eyes betraying nothing. “The image I got looked fine.”

Lila pursed her lips, glowering at him. “Don’t act ignorant. You know if the guy looked handsome or not.”

We both knew Yosef better than that. He appreciated both male and female alike. In fact, Lila had herself a nice little pack of hotties. Yosef was the alpha, but he also claimed a dragon Fae named Luca, the undercover guard when Lila and I were kidnapped. Lila bonded with him then, and I wasn’t the least bit annoyed she was being romanced while I was barely holding on to my sanity. Ok, maybe I was a little jealous. Then there was the third guy in her pack, Yosef’s right hand, Xander. He was a bit dangerous and unpredictable, but Lila found a way to keep him from going off the deep end. Yosef was not in a relationship with him, but they were still bonded to strengthen the pack connection. Ultimately, Yosef knew whether someone was attractive, so his deception was unappreciated.

“You know if the guy is cute. Stop playing in my face.” I looked to Lila for confirmation that I had used the human slang correctly. “Did I say it right?”

She gave me a thumbs up with proud eyes. “You’re such a quick learner.”

Yosef frowned, looking between us both. “Playing in your face? What does that even mean? I’m not playing anything right now.”

I pointed at him, giving a childish pout. “It means you are lying to me and expecting me to believe it.”

He rolled his eyes and gave Lila a pointed stare. “Can you teach her better things from the human realm?”

She gave him the sweetest of smiles. “Nope.”

“Fine. The man is alright looking. Taste is subjective.”

Well, that soothed absolutely none of my concerns. “Wonderful, so I’m being paired with an alright-looking man with a horrible demeanor who could kill me.”

“He’s not going to kill you.”

I leaned forward and tapped the table with my left index finger. “How good is your intel on him?”

Yosef twisted his lips and looked away. “Incomplete. But why would they pair you with someone that hostile?”

I gave a dry chuckle, not finding the answer even the slightest bit funny. “Because he’s a high- ranking alpha, and I’m a rebellious omega. Either he pissed someone off, or he murdered someone if they were sending him here to live. I’m being paired with him because people don’t trust me since I was kidnapped and unharmed.” I protected the Nodoorian soldier to ensure he survived my people's storming of the prison. No one sympathized with the fact that he was not a horrible being. He didn’t have to protect me simply because Luca asked. He did so because he had a sense of right and wrong. He just wasn’t in a high enough position to make change. Still, outsiders just saw him as a guard who kept the kidnapped locked in dirty cells. In retrospect, it didn't surprise me that the realms chose me to marry a Nodoorian.

Still, other concerns plagued my mind. “Oh, and let’s not forget the low success rate of the marriages. I know you’ve all heard about the deaths and disappearances of many of these couples.”

Yosef rubbed his jaw as he looked away, thinking. He was going to try to say something to soothe my mind about these marriages, but there was no getting around the problems that were arising with them. The couples had become targets to some killers and kidnappers, and it wasn’t slowing down. It seemed reckless to continue the marriages until the culprits were in custody.

“I admit it’s concerning, and we are looking into it, but we aren’t going to let anything happen to you. I’ll hire guards if I must. We aren’t going to abandon you here. And I’ll make sure your shop and this house are double-warded.”

I crossed my arms, thoroughly unsatisfied with that response, although I knew that was all he could do. “I thought, as an omega, I’d be safe from this arrangement. We’re supposed to be valuable. Why would they waste us on this treaty? But now I know. I’m not desirable, just like this guy. I should have run off to the human world as soon as I heard this was happening. My family should count their blessings that I love them. Even if they don’t care about me.”

Yosef shook his head, his eyes growing uncharacteristically soft. “Your family loves you, Melina.”

I didn’t think my parents didn’t love me, but I also knew they were desperate to match me and stay in the court’s good graces. They complained when I chose to open my magic shop. Mostly, it was for glamouring, which I was incredibly excellent at. They preferred I work for the family construction and interior design business. Still, they told everyone about my business and even sent clients my way. They didn’t like it when I moved out of the family home unwed but still brought things to decorate my space. They desperately wanted me to be claimed by my now ripe old age of thirty-six but reminded me that I was Fae with a long life ahead of me, and we had many years to find the right one, marry, and have children. We were practically immortal.

This knowledge softened my heart. And their love for me was why I hadn’t tried to escape earlier. Knowing they were trying the best they knew how made me feel a little better about them, but I still wanted to feel more sympathy. Perhaps there was more we could all do to stop this. With my wedding tomorrow, I only had this night to escape before the long day of preparations for the ceremony began. It made my chest tight with panic and anxiety.

I looked over to Yosef, who was now eyeing me carefully again, assessing my mood. He was just like another brother to me, only a year older, and he knew me too well. “Ask,” he stated evenly.

“Do I have nothing to worry about? Should I be scared? What if something happens to me? What if he kills me like the rumors suggest?”

He leaned forward, topaz eyes darkening with an almost creepy strength. “If something happens, I will kill him.”

Lila nodded swiftly in agreement. “Me too, me too. I’ll kill him too. I’ll turn his balls into ice and shatter them first.”

I slumped in my chair, not comforted by their violence. “Thank you. Although that won’t prevent my death, I suppose my corpse will be grateful as I glare down from the heavens.”

Yosef opened his mouth to say something, most likely unhelpful, but I raised a hand to stop him. I couldn’t rely on anyone else to save me. I had to take care of myself. They’d done all they could. “What I need is a plan. Maybe I can’t get out of this marriage by tomorrow, but maybe I could make sure it’s not a long marriage that does not end with my death.”

Lila’s eyes widened with disturbing delight. “You want us to come up with a way to kill him?”

I reared back. I forgot she was a former soldier herself, but she really needed to modify her focus. “Woman, what? No? I’m not a murderer like the man I’m being set up with. ”

Yosef muttered. “We don’t know that.”

“We don’t know he’s not.”

Lila balanced an elbow on the armrest of the couch and perched her chin on her hand. “So, what’s the plan? Fight him?”

I cut my eyes to her then looked at Yosef. “The more I am around her, the more I understand why Xander likes her so much. She’s a violent one.”

He nodded, a slight smile on his lips. He was not a smiler, but when it came to his Lila, I’d seen him go all teeth. Lovesick. “It can be fun.”

I grimaced, noting that he was probably talking more about their bedroom activities than actual hand-to-hand combat. Disgusting. “Anyway, I’m not going to fight or kill this alright-looking murderer who no one likes. I’m going to do everything I can think of to get the relationship to fail. Make him want to end the marriage. I’m good at annoying others. It’s a special talent.”

Yosef gave a quick shake of his head, clearly not impressed by my plan. “I don’t know if the court would allow that to happen.”

“If he’s horrible enough, I’m sure we can reason with them. The point is, at least, I would have tried. Or maybe his leadership would let him off if he complained about me enough. Maybe replace me with someone else. Oh, I like that idea. If it’s on him to ask for the marriage ending, I can remain innocent. People might even feel sorry for me. I just have to make sure he doesn’t try to claim me.” I looked at Lila. “It’s a good plan, right?”

She gave me a pained smile that already let me know the answer. “No, girl. It’s wild you think it is, but I’ll stick beside you. ”

I gave her the middle finger.

She released an exaggerated gasp. “I did not teach you that so you could use it on me. Rude.”

I shrugged, not the least bit remorseful. My world was about to change in the most frightful of ways, and I was desperate to stop it. If I ran away, I’d risk the safety of my family. If I stayed, I could possibly be subjected to a life full of turmoil at the hands of a cruel alpha who would claim me and make me his toy. I could hope for the best, but he was the enemy. It would be foolish to believe that just because I’d met a kind Nodoorian soldier once, I would meet another one.

I had to think smart. My life might depend on it.