Chapter 14
Myles
“You couldn’t have given me a heads up that a girl moved in next door?!”
Not just any girl, my fated mate. Holy shit, how is this real life?
I run a hand through my tangled hair, pacing anxiously. She’s so far out of my league, it’s insane. The Fates have to be playing a cruel joke. She’s going to reject me for sure, and I can’t say I blame her. Ever deserves so much better than to be stuck with an embarrassment like me.
Ledger leans against the front of the house with a smirk, getting a kick out of watching me lose my shit. “I would have if you’d ever come up for air this week, but you’ve been holed up in your workshop.”
“You could have texted and you know it,” I grumble.
I’d have set my work aside for Ever. Or at least, brought it home so I was nearby if she needed help getting settled in. Or just someone to talk to. Hell, she could bring her game console over and we could work on our projects together.
Don’t be stupid, someone as amazing as her would never want to hang out with the awkward nerd next door, mate or not. She’s got to be used to much nicer dates than hanging out in a basement and working. Not that it’d be a date or anything.
“What kind of myst is she?”
Ledger’s amusement instantly drops from his face as he rubs the back of his neck, avoiding my gaze. “Actually… she didn’t even know that we existed until yesterday. I fumbled the bag with that one.”
I miss a step, damn near face planting in the grass. “Wait, like, at all? What about her own abilities?”
“Whatever they are, she doesn’t realize they aren’t the norm. Maybe sensing demons in the shadow realm is the extent of her powers, but she just thinks her house is haunted, not that she’s special.”
All the blood drains from my face. A shadow demon’s hunting her?
I’ll need to double check the barrier to make sure there aren’t any weak points around the city.
My magic’s stronger now, I could probably reinforce it better than when I first created it.
Or set another around her house specifically warded against demons.
All mysts might be better, there are plenty of desperate men living here.
“Stalking is probably more appropriate.” Ledger scrubs a hand over his scruffy jaw, looking irritated.
“The rogue’s her mate too, but backed himself into a corner, and Ever doesn’t realize she's got herself a demon roommate. But that’s not important right now, Arson’s more likely to slaughter anyone that so much as breathes in her direction than hurt a hair on her head. ”
Wait… too? I shoot Ledger a wary look. I haven’t told him about my fated mate mark yet, and my watch covers most of it at a glance.
I’d needed time to wrap my head around the situation before bringing my best friend in the loop and seeing the pity in his eyes when he realized what I did; no way was a center going to welcome me with open arms. And now that I’m sporting Ever’s mark on my skin, no other myst will ever consider me for their bond group either.
Once she rejects me, I’m condemned to either finding a human wife, or dying a virgin.
But now that I’ve had a glimpse of my fated mate, how could anyone else hold a candle to her?
Sure, Ever’s beautiful, but she’s also smart and kind.
She spoke to me like she was actually interested in my tech, and didn’t laugh at me when I made a bumbling idiot of myself in front of her.
She was just… cool. Everything I could want in a mate ten times over.
How could I even dream of anyone else now that I’ve met her?
Ledger breaks into a shit-eating grin, flashing his wrist. “I’ve been dying to tell you, but something like this deserved more than a text message. Can you believe it?”
My heart sinks. If she has a shadow demon rogue and Ledger? I don’t stand a snowball’s chance in hell.
Still, I offer my best friend a strained smile. “Congratulations, man. I’m happy for you.” And I am. I’m just also sad for me.
He dips his head in thanks, blowing out a heavy breath and pinning me with a stern look.
“Ever will be here any minute so I can prove I’m not screwing with her about this whole thing, and to ask some questions.
She’s going to be overwhelmed enough realizing everything she knows about the world is a lie.
Giving her an identity crisis on top of that by interrogating her about what she could be isn’t a good idea right now. ”
I may be inexperienced, but even I know keeping secrets from women is a terrible idea if you want them to date you.
“Imma tell her.”
Arms dropping, his lips part in surprise. “Don’t you fucking dare.”
“Lies by omission are still lies, Ledger. You don’t think she’s going to feel betrayed when she eventually finds out and realizes you knew this entire time, but didn’t tell her?”
“Tell me what?” a familiar voice asks at the worst possible moment, and I whirl around as she approaches our house.
Fuck, she’s even prettier than I remember.
I was too blindsided earlier to fully appreciate the vision in front of me.
Her long teal hair is pulled back into a ponytail, revealing a peek at the neon green sections hidden beneath.
The silver barbell through the top of her ear glints in the fading sunlight, and the purple hue in her blue eyes is more prominent than before.
She’s achingly beautiful, and I can’t fathom how she could see herself as anything other than magical.
When she raises an eyebrow, awaiting an answer, I shove all those thoughts aside to torture myself with later in the shower, awkwardly clearing my throat. “How about we answer that in the Q and A portion of our evening?”
She rolls her eyes, but nods. “Fair enough. If Ledger has been messing with me, none of my questions will matter anyway. I’ll be too busy packing.”
My heart skips a beat. “You’d leave?”
She can’t leave. She’s a female mystic that doesn’t understand the danger she’s in and has no way to protect herself.
Mercy Ridge may be a safe haven for people like us, but there are plenty of places where the most powerful assholes take whatever they want until someone stronger comes along to knock them down a peg, or take their place.
I don’t even want to think about the horrors Ever might endure if the wrong person got their hands on her.
“Of course I’d leave, I have too much self respect to stay,” she says, dead serious. “If someone doesn’t respect me, they don’t deserve my time or energy.”
Suddenly, she scowls, yanking her phone from her back pocket and swiping her finger across the screen and snapping, “For the love of god, stop. Fucking. Calling me! If I didn’t want to talk to you fifty missed calls ago, why the hell would you think blowing up my phone would make me change my mind about firing you? ”
I share a curious glance with Ledger and mouth, fire who?
Red creeps up Ever’s neck, her jaw clenching and eyes flashing with violence.
“Adam, I’m going to say this one last time, so get it through your thick skull.
We. Are. Done. The minute you started sleeping with someone else, our relationship was over.
You are no longer my lawyer, because how the fuck could I ever trust you to represent my best interests when you’ve already screwed me over once?
No amount of pathetic excuses will convince me to sign that contract, and if you try to forge my signature, I will sue your ass until you’re living in a cardboard box.
You fucked up. Accept it and move the hell on already; I certainly have. ”
Ledger’s senses are ten times better than mine, and he clearly not only hears the guy’s response, but it seriously pisses him off.
Storming forward, he steals Ever’s phone and growls, “Listen here, asshole. If you ever speak to her that way again, I’ll be making a visit to teach you some fucking manners.
Crawl back to your sidepiece and lose this number.
I don’t give a shit if you’re a lawyer. Ever’s mine now, understand?
Back off, or you’ll be lucky to breathe through a tube by the time I’m done with you. ”
Mashing his thumb on the end call button, he reluctantly hands the phone back to Ever. “We’ll get you a new number so he can’t contact you anymore.”
I hold out my hand. “May I?”
Ever hands it over, and as I tap through to block the number, I infuse her phone with a hint of my magic, blocking all numbers not saved in her contacts. “Here, he shouldn’t be able to bother you anymore. I’d avoid any social media for a while, though.”
She takes it back with a furrowed brow. “Thanks, but I’m not holding my breath.
” As she pockets it, she exhales heavily.
“You’d think if he was counting on the payday that bad, he’d wait to fuck around until after I signed on the dotted line.
But that’s a narcissist for you, I suppose; always thinking they’re too smart to get caught. ”
“Someone seriously cheated on you? What the heck is wrong with this idiot?”
A small smile washes away her irritation. “Don’t worry, I’m not cut up about it or anything. Best thing that could have happened to me, honestly.”
Still fuming, Ledger growls, “Good. You shouldn’t waste another thought on that pathetic excuse of a man. Who the fuck does he think he is, calling you names? He’s the selfish bitch.”
She snorts. “Agreed. Adam’s just pissy he missed out on a payday, not about losing me.
It’d be different if I made a scene about leaving and damaged his image in front of his work buddies, but me ghosting him was more of a favor than he deserved.
He’s not a complete idiot, though, he knows there’s no way I’d sign with his company now.
He’ll nurse his bruised ego for a while, but move on soon enough. ”
“He better,” Ledger growls. Closing the distance between them, he tilts her chin up with his knuckle to meet his gaze. “Anyone speaks to you that way again, they’ll be wearing their intestines as a scarf.”