Chapter 29
twenty-nine
KAT
We didn't spend all day having sex.
We were both pretty wiped out after a few more rounds. Him even more than me, since he'd been so focused on helping me recover.
We watched the baking show after thoroughly exhausting ourselves, and ate too much food (and desserts, because we couldn't let them go to waste).
Sable convinced me to let her take over after a bit, and Callum talked her into staying on the couch so I could watch the last few episodes by offering belly scratches.
He had definitely learned the way to her heart.
The fae king was far more relaxed on that couch than I had ever seen him before. Not having to remain in control of his magic around me anymore made a huge impact for him.
Sable fell asleep on the couch with him eventually, and he crashed too.
She shifted back when she woke up, leaving me naked in Callum's arms once again.
He met my gaze, his lips curving upward.
I couldn't help but smile back.
When he kissed me, I arched against him, and he slid his hand down the curve of my back.
The front door opened as he gripped my ass, and Callum pulled away. He grabbed a blanket nearby, tugging it over my bare body.
"Ten bucks says it's Liv," I murmured against him.
"I'm not taking that bet. My friend is needier than yours."
"I heard that," Liv called from the kitchen. "And our friend Jonah is probably about to become his ex-fiancee's Beta, so we're both going to lose him, Kat. This is a true crisis."
Callum sat up, tucking the blanket around me and pulling me with him. I rolled my eyes at his worry about my lack of clothing, and he kissed me lightly before glancing at Liv. "Jonah can't replace me as your best friend in a matter of weeks."
Some, but not all, of his tension returned as he recaptured his hold on the pain magic that had radiated off of him lightly, the way his ice magic usually did.
"I don't know, he's pretty great," Liv tossed back.
"Are you guys still running together every day?" I asked, slipping off Callum's lap and heading into the kitchen. It was the only route to our bedroom, and I needed to get dressed.
"Yeah. We’ve spent a few nights dancing at the club together, too."
"And in bed together afterward," Callum drawled, catching up to me. His hand caught my elbow, even though it was covered by the blanket. The touch wouldn't ease the pain he would've started feeling as soon as we weren't in contact. He just wanted to be close to me.
"We've only hooked up three times."
"You'd fucked Niall at least three dozen times at this point of your relationship," Callum pointed out.
"The sex with Jonah isn't great. So what? If I could only pick friendship or sex in a relationship, I'd choose friendship. It's nice not to be alone. Things were so good when I was with Niall, and..." She cleared her throat. "I'm moving on. Friendship is enough."
"You promised me a girls' night," I said over my shoulder, as I headed down the hallway. "Don't forget. I want to hear more about you and Niall."
"Now that I know what you're going to ask me about, I'm not interested," Liv called after me.
"Now that you have someone warming your bed, you're not interested," Callum called back.
"No one talks like that anymore!" Liv yelled behind us as we reached our room. "And I'm going to lose him to Gwen anyway!"
Callum closed the door behind us.
"Now that we know your magic can't hurt me, could that be a way for Liv to know if she and Jonah were mates even without a bargain?" I asked him. "If her power felt different to someone than it did to other people, that would give it away."
"It's something to consider. My magic's effect on you couldn't be caused by anything other than fate."
"We'll have to tell your family."
"I'll send a text."
"That does sound better than an uncomfortable conversation about our sex life."
I pulled on a pair of shorts and a cropped tee, like always, while Callum stepped into the closet to get dressed.
"If Merrily could be with Grayson without her magic affecting him, maybe she'll change her mind about the situation," I added, as I tied my curls up in their usual bun. They were particularly wild at the moment, but I didn't really care.
Callum stepped out of the closet, and I gaped while he tucked his button-up into a pair of light-wash jeans.
"Keep staring at me like that and we won't be making it to the challenges, Kitten."
"You don't own jeans," I said, refocusing on the tube of mascara I was still trying to decide whether or not to swipe on my lashes.
I hated makeup, but it was technically a special occasion.
"I do now." He paused, eyeing the fabric in the mirror. "Unless you think they're too casual."
A snort escaped me. "You barely look more casual than before. Your shirt is still tucked in."
"My mother trained me to think poorly of jeans. I'm trying to get over it."
"Why did she care so much about how you dressed?"
"She's particular about most things. She thinks that a professional appearance both enhances the impact of your magic and tells people that you are in complete control of it."
"She's alive?"
"I assume. I get a phone call from her every few years. The last one was probably two years ago."
"So you're not close."
He chuckled. "No. My parents weren't mates.
The royalty in the city I was born in wanted a weapon, and convinced them to procreate so they could use me.
They both possess pain magic, which is rare, even among winter fae.
Reproducing with someone whose magic matches yours is a near guarantee that your child will have a more powerful version of what you possess. "
"And they were right."
"Too right. My father couldn't cope with a child who cried all the time from constant pain, and left the city when I was young. My mother hired help, and wasn't around often. No one anticipated I would be this powerful."
"Or hurt so much."
He nodded. "The other fae were afraid of my magic, so my mother taught me to keep it contained the way she did.
The royals' dreams of having a weapon ended the first time they attempted to use me to torture someone.
I tortured the royal instead, for hurting the young girl, and he wasn't strong enough to stop me. "
"So they kicked you out."
"They politely asked me to leave immediately."
I smiled.
Callum's lips quirked upward slightly. "My mother had heard about Merrily, so she suggested I find Mer’s hiding place.
It would be easy to go insane, alone with my pain.
I did. Dare joined us a few years later.
Liv, a few years after that. When the humans started hunting immortals, we found some spellcasters to work with, and built our own version of the city I grew up in. "
Liv knocked loudly on our bedroom door. "This is not the day we should be late!"
"Don't wear the makeup. It irritates you." Callum plucked it away from me, setting it back in the drawer.
"I think you look hot in jeans, if that helps."
"I don't think anyone's ever called me that before."
"We can agree that hot isn't your usual vibe." I grabbed his belt loops, and he let me pull him close. "Sexy usually covers it, and the ice doesn't inspire warm feelings for most people. Hot looks good on you, though."
He dipped his head, kissing me slowly.
"I will electrocute both of you if you make me late!" Liv yelled.
I reluctantly pulled away.
"Maybe they are mates," Callum murmured against my lips.
"She's always this impatient."
"Yeah." He lifted his head. "Let's get this over with. We have to be there to stop Liv from exploding if he kisses your sister or something."
"I don't think he will, but you never know."
Callum laced his fingers through mine as we met Liv in the hallway, following her hurried steps toward the car.
"Do you think it's illegal to interfere with the challenges to make sure he loses?" Liv checked.
"Yes," we said at the same time.
"What if—"
"You can't step in, Liv." Callum's voice was unwavering. "I know you like him, but that would be even more likely to cost you him than his new role would."
"His entire job will be to protect her," she pointed out. "And we all know he has feelings for her.
"Simon had multiple Alphas and never mated with any of them," Callum countered.
"Oh please, we all knew he was fucking them." Liv tilted her head back against the headrest as Callum took the wheel.
"Jonah isn't Simon," I reminded her. "And he did walk out of the room as soon as she brought up the possibility of mating with him."
"He was on a post-run high. She's going to talk to him eventually, and he's going to have to face his unresolved feelings for her."
"You think he has unresolved feelings for her?"
"Probably. They've never even had a conversation since they broke up. Niall nearly killed me, and I know I still—" She cut herself off. "I'm just nervous about it. Jonah and I really are just friends, so I couldn't blame him if he fell back in love with her."
"You keep mentioning Niall and changing the subject," I pointed out.
"Wow, look at that. Lovely weather."
It was drizzling outside, like always. Even if the sky above our wards was clear, it was cloudy and wet in Rumor.
"Can you turn the music up? I'm going to have a fucking panic attack back here." Liv was practically vibrating with energy again.
I opened our glove box and pulled out two of the fidget toys Callum kept in there for her, handing them back. She muttered a thank you, taking them both. One went in her pocket, the other in her hands.
Callum turned the music up louder than either of us preferred it, setting his hand back on my thigh.
The rest of the drive passed quickly, and we parked in one of the spots everyone now knew was reserved for the fae royals. Liv took off at a speed-walk toward the pit while me and Callum were still getting out of the car.
"This is worse than I thought," he said into my mind.
"Jonah will do his best not to hurt Liv even if he does have feelings for Gwen."
"We can hope." Callum pulled his phone from his pocket and typed up a quick message to the rest of the royals as we headed after Liv, walking at a normal pace. I peeked at it after he hit send.
Callum
My magic can’t hurt Kat
Merrily
WHAT?
Not at all?
Callum
It feels good to her
I assume it's a side effect of the connection
Merrily
Holy fuck
We could see Liv in front of us, and that she didn't have her phone out.
Dare
Bad news for me
Yeah, if his orgasmic magic didn’t work on his mate, that would probably be a letdown for both of them.
Merrily
Since yours doesn't cause pain, it might still work normally
Darius
Or it might prevent me from seducing him or her
Callum
It's something to consider
I knew what he wasn't saying.
It was something for Merrily to consider.
If her magic would drain the life out of anyone other than her soulmate, Grayson Darke was literally the only person she could really be with. She and Callum could relate in that way.
Liv waited for us at the chairs reserved for us. The crowd around it was just as big as it had been the first day, but now it was a mix of both men and women, most of which were werewolves.
Everyone stared out at the pit, where I was sure Jonah and whoever he was fighting were getting ready.
I couldn't remember the man's name, but Callum had told me they'd fought in the ring a dozen times.
I wasn’t sure whether or not that was a good thing.