4. Chapter FourAaron
Chapter Four
Aaron
M y wife had been gone longer than expected.
My wife.
Calling her that aloud seemed to affect her, but I wasn’t certain if it was negative or positive. I just knew from the slight tensing of her body that she noticed the word. And I didn’t hate saying it. I also didn’t hate when she called me husband.
She wasn’t what I expected. She seemed kind and had a good sense of humor. She knew how to handle Ivan, which my ex did not. She was cautious, but I liked that. It meant she was smart, which I found attractive. It would also mean that seducing her would be harder than I thought. However, it seemed I’d made a good enough first impression on her family. They were slow to warm up to me, but I understood their concern. They would think I would use Melina as a way to gain power. She was, after all, part of the upper class, and her cousin was in a high-ranking position in the military. They wouldn’t be wrong about my intent, although it was only out of duty to my leadership. However, I was also curious about this woman. If I was going to marry her, I wanted to like her, and she deserved to be treated well.
Ivan brushed his shoulder against mine, breaking my thoughts. “Did you scare your wife away already?”
I opened my mouth for a clever retort when we heard what could only be a large beast crying out. It sounded as if it were coming from outside the banquet hall. I shot up, knocking my chair to the ground.
Melina and her mother were still not back.
“What the hell was that?” Ivan yelled.
I had no idea, but I needed to ensure my wife and her mother were nowhere near it. I ran out of the hall; several others, including her father and cousin, were right behind me. Melina said she was going to the bathroom. I turned down the hall to the left. I didn’t have to get far before I saw the source of the animal call.
Saying it was an animal was a mistake. It wasn’t like anything I’d ever seen, and Prinath was not so far away that they would have indigenous animals that were unknown to us. No, this was a monster. The stuff of childhood nightmares.
It was tall but not impossibly so. Perhaps a shade under seven feet. It was shaped like a bear; only it was not brown, and it did not have fur. It was covered in slimy skin, similar to a toad, and was the color of pale gray. What appeared to be bones from its ribcage shown from where its skin, if you could call it that, had maybe fallen from. The same bone protrusions also shown on its back, legs, and arms. It had six coal-black eyes and giant slobbering teeth in its snarling mouth. It threw its body clumsily against one of the bathroom doors over and over, whining as it did so as if it hurt.
I didn’t know who was in that bathroom, but I didn’t care. I was a soldier first, and I was meant to protect. I conjured my favorite sword into my right hand and ran toward the creature, teleporting mid-stride until I was right behind it. Wasting no time, I shoved my sword into the creature’s back. It howled a vicious cry and stumbled to the side, swiping out with long white talons. I teleported back, narrowly missing the claws, and reappeared behind the creature. I had already withdrawn my sword and swiped across its neck, removing the creature’s head in one swift cut with my thorough blade.
Using a sword might have been outdated to some, but my blade could easily cut through metal. I was proficient at most weapons, and it didn’t hurt that I had a teleportation ability, albeit limited in distance. This was a magic that many Fae did not possess. Another reason the portals were so popular. Certain ones could also take you to other parts of the Fae realm that were much farther away. My teleportation magic could only go as far as I could see. It’s good for combat, but not great for retreat or travel.
“Good work,” Melina’s cousin, Yosef, stated, walking up to me. He turned to a few other soldiers who had attended the wedding as guests and to protect. “Check the surroundings. Make sure there are no more.”
It was huge and imposing, but the creature was easy to defeat. Too easy. Beasts built like that, with sharp teeth and claws, should have an instinct to fight. Be a predator. This creature was too clumsy and seemed to have no real awareness of its natural offenses. It hadn’t even tried to swipe out at me until too late. It didn’t sense me fast enough, and I was the easier prey since I wasn’t behind a door. It wasn’t focused.
However, I would have to put aside the perplexing creature for now. I needed to ensure my wife and her mother were alright, assuming they were inside the bathroom.
I moved around the now-dead creature and knocked on the door. It was cracked down the middle, proving I had arrived just in time to prevent that beast from getting through. “It’s me, Aaron. Are you in there, Melina?”
“Yes! My mother and me. Is it safe to come out now?”
I looked down at the dead, headless creature. This was not what I wanted my wife or her mother to see. Especially at our wedding. “Wait inside one moment, please.” I looked to a banquet host. “Can this be removed quickly?”
The host, a short male with gray hair, grimaced at the creature. “I can levitate it to the back behind the building.”
The host hunched forward, and the body and head began to lift into the air as if they were being pulled up by invisible ropes. He then walked forward with the gruesome creature floating in front of him. Another female host joined him, magically clearing the floor of the fluids spilling from the creature with a swipe of her hand.
“It’s safe to come out now,” I announced.
Seconds later, the door slowly cracked open, and I sighed in relief as a wide-eyed Melina and her mother appeared. Her father ran to them for an embrace. Melina pulled away from her father and looked at my right hand, still holding the sword. I wasn’t sure we were secure just yet. There could be other creatures around, so I was reluctant to conjure it away. It was one of the few things I could conjure and make disappear .
She remained where she stood, hands balled into fists at her side. I could still see the fear in her eyes, which saddened me. She, we, were going through enough today and did not need such an attack to mar it. “You killed what was at the door?”
I nodded wordlessly, fighting the urge to grab her and wrap her in my arms. Let her know that she was safe and that I would protect her. However, we didn’t have that comfort with each other yet. We hadn’t even hugged. Would my touch even bring her comfort?
“Where did it go?”
“I had them remove it before you came out. You didn’t need to see it.”
Her lips turned up into a slight smile, and even that small change comforted me. I was useful to her, and I had made her happy somehow. “How thoughtful of you. What was it?”
I frowned, wishing I had the answer for her. At the very least to soothe her mind of any worry. Except, I had no idea what it was, and I didn’t know if there were other such creatures. “It was nothing I’d ever seen before. I’m not sure how it got into the building. But I’m sure your authorities will investigate.”
“Well, this was an unpleasant way to end a party,” she said, folding her arms over her chest.
I snorted. I couldn’t agree with her more.
* ~ * ~ *
The soldier in me wanted to remain at the wedding and help investigate whatever the hell it was I had just killed. However, I was asked to take my new bride home to safety. The local authorities were, after all, more than capable of assessing the matter. I tried not to upset them by pointing out that somehow the soldiers on duty to prevent any objections to the wedding by Prinathian dissenters hadn’t done a good job of preventing some wild creature from bursting into the building. That would do nothing for good relations.
“Thank you again,” Melina said in a quiet voice as we were driven back to my new home.
She still looked shaken, leaning against the window of the transporter as we sat in the back. I lifted my hand, intending to touch her thigh. Not in a sexual way. I only wanted to comfort her. Something twisted in me seeing her look so fragile and scared. I was sure her imagination of what was on the other side of that door was just as horrifying as its actual appearance.
“You don’t need to keep saying thank you. You are my wife. I would protect you with my life.”
She turned to me; skepticism strong in her ruby eyes. “If that thing had killed me, you’d be out of this arrangement without even trying. Maybe I should say sorry to you instead. I’ve prevented you from being free.”
I narrowed my eyes, offended by her statement. She would take some time to thaw, to trust. Despite what my leadership wanted, I would never want to cause an innocent harm. I’d have to take my time with her. And she was innocent as far as I could tell. I wouldn’t be surprised if she thought I sent the creature. “I think the only one who wants to get out of this arrangement is you, my wife.”
“No, husband,” she said the word like it was a curse. “I think I’m the only one who wants to admit the truth. ”
I leaned toward her, lowering my head. That was a mistake because her sweet scent floated up to me, tensing my body. My mouth watered, imagining her taste. This wasn’t the time to think of such things, but I was an alpha, and she was an omega. It was our nature. I wondered if my scent affected her as well. Made her lose her concentration. “If you give me a try, you might find you like me.”
She scrunched her face in disdain. Well, that was not the reaction I was hoping for. Perhaps my scent did nothing for her. It was possible we weren’t compatible in that way, but if I was affected, she should be as well. “You say that like you’re some food I said I didn’t like.”
I wiggled my brows. “I can be an acquired taste, but I think you like my scent, no?”She huffed and looked back out of the window. Relief flooded me. I’d take that as a yes. She was attracted to me, liked my scent, and I saved her life. That had to count for something, right?
“You sure you didn’t send that creature here?” she asked, changing the subject to my slight disappointment.
There it was, the accusation I was waiting for. I slouched down in my seat, staring out at the night sky. There seemed to be more stars in this part of the realm. They were brighter, too, ranging from white to silver to golden. It was beautiful. “Of course not. Where would we get such a thing?”
“Maybe someone summoned it from the underworld. It could be a demon. Or conjured it into existence.”
These were all possibilities, but for what purpose? “Why would they send such a creature to us?”
“To spoil the union. There are a lot of Fae on both sides who aren’t a fan of the treaty, not to mention these forced marriages.”
I glanced over at her, and she was already giving me a pointed stare. It was kind of cute. I was sure she wouldn’t appreciate me saying that now. I had to take this more seriously. “So, you think this creature was sent to kill you and cause havoc?”
“Yes. Of all the bathroom doors it could have gone to, it went right to mine. It was probably hiding in the shadows, waiting for me to be alone. I guess it didn’t care that my mother was in there too.”
I wanted to say she was overthinking it. That there was no creature sent to kill her. However, I was no fool. I didn’t believe in coincidences. If I were to believe that no one had ever seen or heard of such a creature in their lands, then it being there was highly suspicious. Where did it come from? The event building was not near some ancient or undisturbed area where the likelihood of disturbing a rare, unknown creature would occur. We were in a populated location. If it found its way there, it got help.
I had to know more. If something or someone was after her, then they would come again. Her, our, place was, presumably, warded. I would reinforce it. Perhaps I would hire guards. It would be an expense, but I was determined to keep her safe. Just because I couldn’t, wouldn’t, fall in love with her did not mean I wouldn’t protect her. I think I owed her that much .
When we got to the house, I had to admit that I was impressed. It was not far from the city center but in a more residential area with detached homes. Her home, our home now, was a three-level house with all floors above ground. There was a parkway for our transporters. Mine was already there, along with hers. The first floor consisted of a large lounge area with a bathroom and wet bar with double doors that opened up to a small backyard complete with seating and a fire pit. The second level held a walk-in kitchen and an open dining and living room area. Many of my things, still in crates, were on this floor. It was more clutter than I cared for, and I’d spend tomorrow unpacking.
“I’ll help you unpack tomorrow,” Melina stated, veering off to the left to take the next set of stairs to what I assumed was the bedroom level.
I moved close behind her. Perhaps too close because she startled before climbing the stairs. That made me mischievous instead of apologetic. Getting her comfortable around me would take work, but it could be fun work. “I thought we were going to go on our honeymoon tomorrow?”
She turned slightly, squinting her eyes. “We weren’t being serious.”
I scratched my chin, still feeling playful despite the excitement from the evening. “Really? Because I thought you wanted to go to the human realm so you could find a way to escape from my evil clutches.”
She pressed her lips tightly together, but I noticed a slight widening of her eyes. That alone confirmed my suspicion. She had been thinking of a way to escape. She turned and continued to climb the stairs with me close behind her. “We can pause the honeymoon.”
“Aw, that’s no fun. I don’t start my new employment until another week.” I would be working at Melina’s family’s prestigious architectural firm. I, ultimately, wanted to start my own firm and this would be a good start. Since I was free from the military service with this move and wedding, I could now pursue my own goals. “At least play with me for this week while you plot ways to get out of this arrangement. Seize the moment.”
Melina snorted as we landed on the top floor. “You know for someone with a reputation as being cold, you sure thaw quickly. I guess this is the real you?”
I finally reached out and ran a finger over the back of her hand, bringing a slight shiver from her, which excited me. She would see the real me, and I hoped she liked it. “This is me, Melina. I’ve probably done myself a disservice from being so selective about showing others who I am. I’ve always taken a while to open up. I won’t do that with you.”
She considered me for a moment, her face soft but unreadable. “I’m not plotting to run away, Aaron. I value the safety of my family, and I wouldn’t do that to them. When this marriage ends, it’s going to be legitimate.”
I gave a dry laugh. I guess she wasn’t impressed with the real me. “When this marriage ends. I enjoy your positivity.”
She smiled tightly and moved ahead down a narrow hallway with exposed doors on either side. She opened the nearest door to our left. “This is your room, and it has a bathroom. I had the movers put some of your moving crates inside.” I looked inside. It was simple enough. Deep green walls, a queen-sized bed in the center, and square white nightstands on either side. Two closed doors were on the right, which I assumed were the bathroom and closet. It was nice enough, but it would not be where I’d be sleeping.
She pointed across the hall. “That’s my bedroom and bathroom.” She then pointed to another door at the end of the short hall facing us. “That can be a study or guest room. I haven’t furnished it yet.”
I tilted my head to the side, thoroughly displeased with her designations. “I think you might be confused in this late hour.” I pointed to the first room she had stated as mine. “I believe you meant to say that this is the guest room.” I pointed to the room at the end of the hall. “And that is the study.” I then pointed to her room. “And this is our bedroom, my wife.”
She reared back, mouth dropping open in apparent disbelief. “I think, husband, you might be the one confused at this late hour. You are still a stranger, and I don’t share beds with strangers.”
I smirked, stepping a foot closer to her, the delicious scent of her strawberries and cream filling my nostrils, making me buzzy once more. “I’m trying to be less of a stranger. Besides, there could be more of those creatures out there, and they could come for you. Wouldn’t it be better if I were in the same room as you to protect you again?”
She folded her arms, not looking worried about any future attack. Perhaps I was being a little cruel to play upon such a serious situation for my own gain. I should have felt bad about it. I did not. “Your logic is really suspicious,” she surmised.
I shrugged. “Fine.” I walked to her room and looked inside. It was much larger than my designated room with a massive bed left of the room. The walls were painted a dark blue with white crown molding. There were glass circular nightstands on either side of the bed. To the right were two open doors. One filled with hanging clothes and shoe shelves and another the bathroom. A chaise lounge perched under a tall window and held several clothes in heaps. Shoes were tossed about on the rug in front of it. Across from that, near the door, was a dresser with various trinkets, makeup, and jewelry in no organized fashion on top. My wife was messy. Her first flaw.
“I’m quite tall. I think this bed would better fit me. There’s room for both of us after we clean the apparent storm that has blown through here.”
I heard Melina sigh behind me. “Are you serious? Fine. Then me, and my self-made storm will take the other room.”
I spun around. This was going to be fun. “That will be a tighter fit for us both, but I go where my wife goes.”
“You really plan to be this difficult?”
“I think I’m being rather simple. I want to be in your presence as much as is reasonable, minus your clutter.” I said the words, and they didn’t feel like a lie. I was intrigued by her. Her walls were up, understandably, but that didn’t prevent me from seeing that she was someone whose time I could enjoy. She’d made a mistake by showing how witty and considerate she could be. My mind went back to when she took my hand at the altar and how it instantly shook away any nerves. That was her first mistake. If she was trying to push me away, it would not work. Not that it would make things easier for me. She was more likable than I wanted.
I sat down on the foot of the bed. “If it makes you feel any better, I’ll keep my hands to myself.”
She scoffed, stomping into the room toward the bathroom. “That was a given. Fine, be stubborn.” She then shut the bathroom door.
I jumped up, taking that moment to reinforce the wards on the house, satisfied that we were protected. I then went to the guest room to pick out a pair of pajama bottoms and quickly stripped out of my suit, neatly placing my clothes on the bed until I found the hangers in the crates to hang them up.
When I got back to our bedroom, Melina still had not come out. I lay down in the center of the bed, feeling instantly relaxed. This was definitely a well-designed bed with quality sheets. It was four posts, with a covering above us and on the sides like it was our own little tent. It was also full of pillows and various throws consisting of different fabrics. She was an omega, so it made sense that she had her bedding like a nest. They tended to feel the most comfort in smaller, cozier spaces piled with material that brought them joy of some sort. I’d dated an omega before; it was not a match, but she had a room just for nesting that she never let me in. I felt almost as if I was let in on some place sacred, being in Melina’s nest. And everything smelled of her sweetness. I pulled a pillow to my face and inhaled deeply, holding back a shudder of excitement. Perhaps I should feel more appreciative that she gave in to allow me here.
I’d been told she was moved to this house as part of leadership’s gift for our sacrifice. Being gifted a partially furnished house in a nice part of the city was impressive. I couldn’t recall if my people were doing such gifting to the arranged couples who lived there.
“Excuse me!” I heard Melina call from the other side of the bathroom door. “Are you still there?”
I put the pillow down and balanced on my elbows, looking at the closed door. “Where else would I be, dear wife?”
“Fine. I seemed to have forgotten to bring a change of clothes in here with me. I’ve already gotten out of my dress, and I’d rather not go through the trouble of putting it back on; it was challenging enough to take it off. Could you be kind enough to pass me a nightgown from my dresser? Second row on the left.”
I jumped out of bed. “Anything for you, my wife.”
I heard her grumble something unintelligible as I walked to the dresser. I smirked, amused. She was starting to fall for me. I could feel it. I opened the drawer she described. There was an array of garments stuffed inside. Nothing folded. I raised a brow in disapproval, and my fingers itched to take everything out, fold them properly, and organize them by color because that was the only proper way. If she ever wanted to annoy me, her clutter would be it. How did she live? If there were dishes piled up in the kitchen sink, I was going to pop a blood vessel.
She cracked open the door, peeking out. “Find anything yet?”
I glanced over at her. “If you’d like to come out and get it yourself, be my guest. I’ll turn my back.”
She narrowed her eyes in rightful suspicion. “Hurry up, please; I’m tired. Thank you.”
Since she said hurry, I would have to be quick and just grab whatever I already had my hand on. It wasn’t my fault it happened to be pale pink, silky lingerie. I handed it to her and quickly moved back to the bed before I could get her reaction.
“So tired. Going to sleep now. Hope that works,” I called before flopping onto the bed and turning to my side, giving her my back.
I was certain I heard a curse before she slammed the door shut.
When she reappeared, I was disappointed to see that she was covered in a thick robe. She stuck her tongue out at me as she walked to the bed. She sat down and took the robe off, tossing it to the floor. I fought back a need to rush to pick it up and at least lay it on the fabric bench at the end of the bed. Not that the robe was my focus. Once it was removed, I was welcomed to glowing brown skin that seemed to shimmer even in the dim light of the room. She was beautiful, and my body wanted closer. Wanted contact.
I moved not a muscle, thinking I would scare her away like some skittery rabbit, as she lifted the covers and slid under the sheets, joining me. “Have I told you how beautiful you are?”
She stared back at me, wide-eyed as if my words startled her. “Thank you. I suppose it’s alright for you to look at me. But you can’t touch.”
“Shall I put up a wall of pillows to give you protection against the big bad that is me?”
She fluffed her pillow. “You are an adult and have so far been respectful. I trust you will continue behaving yourself through the night. However, if you try anything untoward, I will hurt you.”
I tapped my chest. “I love it when you say such dirty words to me.”
A giddiness seemed to brighten her face. “You’re absolutely unhinged.”
“Only for my lovely wife.”
She rolled her eyes and shifted so that her back was to me. “Goodnight, silly husband.”
She didn’t hate me; I could tell it.
Naturally, that was dispelled when, in the middle of the night, I turned on the bed and felt the coldness of her absence. My wife was not there. The bathroom door was open, so she was not in there. I got out of bed and left the room, finding her scent emanating from the guest bedroom across from ours.
Melina lay on the bed, one of her throws covering her. My suit was moved to a chair beside the bed. I folded my arms as I watched her sleep. One of her smooth legs poked out from under the throw, and I longed to graze my fingertips over her skin. Would she feel me if I did? She looked so peaceful when she slept. And beautiful. My stomach clenched with longing as my eyes rested on her collarbone imagining the feel of her. The sleekness of the curve from her neck to her shoulder. The bared skin. My incisors grew as I watched her. Mouth-watering at the primitive desire to bite her, claim her as mine forever. Despite what my mind or emotions wanted, my alpha senses were a force that was hard to ignore.
The leaders had done well picking her for me. I didn’t want her here, in this room, alone without me. It was an irrational thought. I’d known her less than a day, yet already I saw her as mine. I was an alpha, and I wanted my omega near me. I did not care that it was unfair to her. She had agreed to stay in bed with me.
I sighed and walked to the bed, lifting her in my arms, along with her throw. Her head fell on my shoulder, her eyes still closed. I’d made it almost back to our bed when she stirred, opening her eyes.
She frowned; her face still sleepy. “What’s going on?”
“I think you sleepwalked to the other room. I was retrieving you.”
Her eyes rounded as she looked around. She huffed, kicking her legs. “That was no sleepwalking. Put me down.”
I held onto her tightly, stopping at the bed. It felt good holding her in my arms, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to let go of her. “No. Not until you promise not to sleep outside of our bed.”
She pressed her lips together, silent.
“If you get up again, I will simply bring you back. Each. And. Every. Time.”
She actually growled at me. My cock jerking at the sound. I kind of liked it. “Why do you care if I lay next to you?”
I rubbed my cheek on her head, taking some of her scent for my own, and she wiggled in my grasp again in protest. “Because if our leaders are going to believe we are getting along, we need to smell like each other.”
She weakly shoved at my chest. “Who cares what they think about this farce of a marriage?”
“You’re smarter than that. If we don’t even seem like we are trying, they won’t approve any type of dissolution.”
Not that they ever would, but now wasn’t the time to get into that conversation. She seemed strongly to believe that any incompatibility would be meaningful to her court. If they cared about that, we would have had more freedom in who we married. Our opinions, feelings, and thoughts were irrelevant to them. And, in fact, they would probably be angrier that we didn’t try to be successful. There were worse, more invasive things they could do to ensure we were a success or what they deemed a success. Such things like a forced claiming. Melina would hate that, and I would hate myself if I were forced to claim her.
She sighed; her face still set in a frown. I knew she understood these things as much as I did. She just didn’t want to admit it. “We can hug each other once a day until this is all over. That should be enough to share the scent. That work?”
I nodded my head. It would work, but that wasn’t what I wanted. I wanted this marriage to work, but separate rooms would not do. She would never warm up to me that way. I wanted her to drop her guard and look to me as a partner she could trust with her life.
She narrowed her eyes. “Good. Now, if a hug is suitable, then why do you want me next to you? I’m not having sex with you.”
I smiled at her. “Because I like your scent. Even though we are strangers to each other, it comforts me.”
It was the truth, although I assumed she wouldn’t believe it. Her omega scent drove me to distraction. I enjoyed inhaling her sweet perfume, and my body responded to it positively. It was most likely the reason I woke up in the middle of the night. The absence of her scent stirred me awake. She had to feel the same way. If our scents were compatible, at the very least, we knew we were physically compatible. Wouldn’t she desire that?
She stilled in my arms and looked away from me, seemingly resigned. “You are difficult.”
“I can be, but will you give in? Just for tonight? Just rest beside me and ease my mind.”
“Fine. Only because you saved my life, I won’t leave again tonight.”
I put her down, satisfied. She specified the word tonight, so I assumed I’d have a battle tomorrow. However, I’d take the small victory where I could. There was something about her that caught my mind and wouldn’t let go. There was an independence and strength in her that impressed me. I would wear her down and make her mine. Gaining a leadership role was of mild interest to me. As against the idea of these forced marriages I originally was, I now wondered if this would be the freedom that I’d longed for. A chance to pursue my career dreams and maybe be with a woman who could possibly stir my soul. An urgent need suddenly overtook me. This had to work. We had to succeed.