Chapter 6 #2
He smiled as he finished the food and led me up the street to the tavern.
We walked in and saw the place was full.
People were laughing loudly, and men fell into me as we snaked our way through the crowd.
I waited as Nate ordered us a couple of drinks before heading to the only small table in front of the window.
My gaze moved around the tavern. I’d never been to a place like this before.
Men and women danced across the room from us, and men were gambling at a few tables in the back, smoking cigars. The smell of liquor permeated the space. Nate sat down across from me, and I took a big gulp of the fae wine he brought.
“So, why do you look so sad?” he asked. “You look like something’s weighing on you. Especially since this morning. You seemed excited to cook for your friend.”
I looked at Nate and sighed. My instincts were to lie to him. I didn’t want to burden him or anyone with the fact that I was always sad.
“I’ve just been wondering lately why I must pay for the mistakes of my mother.”
He cocked his head to the side, surprised. I never spoke about my family with him. The mere thought of my family had me lifting the alcohol to my lips and gulping it down.
“What did she do?” He took a sip of his drink.
I almost didn’t want to tell him in case he judged me for it too like my coven did.
“She stole another queen witch's fated mate with a spell and had me. Then she died, and the spell broke, and my father abandoned me when he realized what my mother did. Then his real mate, Jade, cursed me for the mistakes of my mother. And my coven hates me for it.”
I had never said that out loud. Maybe I thought that if I kept that truth inside, then it wouldn’t be true. But it was.
He stared at me for a moment, his mouth slightly open in shock as he tried to take in everything I said. He gave himself a little shake and said,“Wow, that is a lot to take in. But your coven? I’m sure they don’t hate you.”
I stopped him, my hand resting on his.
“They do.” I frowned. “They hate me. They leave when I sit down. They won’t eat anything I make.
They will gossip behind my back. They will not celebrate anything with me.
They blame me for the state of the coven even though I didn’t do anything to them.
Everyone is shutting me out. I can’t argue people into liking me.
The only thing I can do is break this stupid fucking curse, but I am worried that I can’t. ”
Nate frowned as I traced the rim of my goblet.
“They sound like assholes. Seriously, it’s not your fault that your mother did that.”
I took another big gulp of my drink and felt my body buzzing at the alcohol.
“What’s the curse?”
“No one in my coven can produce a child until I find the one I was meant to love—my fated mate, but Jade took away my mating bond so I can’t see it. She wants my coven to slowly die with me. No children means the coven will die.”
“A mate.” Nate looked at me oddly. “How will you know if you find them?”
“I won’t.” I sighed and finished my drink. “Jade made it nearly impossible to break the curse. Gods, I need another drink.”
I was getting more depressed talking about all of this. I didn’t tell Nate the more painful details, that I could only fall in love once, and if that man didn’t love me back then I would never fall in love again. I’d be doomed to lose them. I'd die alone.
“Here, let me get it.” Nate stood up and went to get a refill.
I watched as women turned to watch him. Nate was handsome, but I felt nothing romantically toward him. Part of me wished I did though, because then I could get over Abram.
Nate came back a minute later and set my drink down. I immediately began sipping on it. He watched me for a moment.
“I’m sorry that your coven treats you horribly. Hopefully, you can find your mate and make everything better.”
I looked up at him.
“Sometimes I think of leaving the coven. Even if I break the curse, they have always treated me like an enemy and hated me. Maybe I should just pack up and move somewhere else.”
I had daydreamed about it a lot actually. Maybe if I started over somewhere new, I could be happy.
“Like where?” he chuckled.
“I don’t know, maybe Falgon. I’ve never been there before, but it sounds nice.” I shrugged. “Or maybe it’s the alcohol talking.”
Nate laughed.
“But you’re my best customer; what would I do if you left?”
“I’m sure there are plenty of other customers that will fill my shoes.”
“But you’re my favorite.” He stared at me with a grin.
I glanced up at him as he sipped his drink.
“I should go; it’s getting late.”
I finished my second drink.
“I’ll walk you to the coven to make sure you get there safely.”
“Oh, I’m staying with a friend.” I stood up. “You don’t need to walk me.”
He finished his drink.
“Don’t be ridiculous. I would be worried all night that something happened.”
He stood up and waited for me to get up. I led him out of the tavern and toward the woods. Nate hesitated for a moment.
“You aren’t luring me out here to kill me, right?” he joked as he glanced around. “I can’t believe you were going to walk alone through the damn woods.”
I rolled my eyes as I started on the little trail. Fuck, that second drink was hitting me harder than I intended it to. I stumbled slightly, and Nate caught me.
“Alright, now I know you wouldn’t have made it, El.” He sighed as he put his arm around me.
I chuckled softly. We slowly made our way toward the house. I could see the flames flickering in the windows, and my stomach knotted knowing Abram was home. I could feel him near me. That was probably not good.
“Here is good enough.” I stopped Nate immediately.
“Alright…” He looked at me suspiciously as his gaze moved to the house. “Thanks for dinner.”
“Thanks for the drinks and listening.” I smiled and gave him a hug.
Nate squeezed me tightly before I headed for the house.
I could feel his eyes on me, making sure I made it inside.
I turned and waved to him before I opened the door.
Abram immediately stood up from the couch, shirtless.
My gaze flickered over his smooth bronze skin before looking away and shutting the door.
My stomach twisted at the sight of him. I had never seen him without a shirt on.
“Where the hell have you been?” he asked.
“Out.” I didn’t turn to him, too scared he’d see lust in my eyes. Could gods sense that sort of stuff?
I stumbled as I tried to get my boots off and glanced up to him. Abram came over but stopped dead in his tracks. His eyes flashed red, and I thought it might be because of the alcohol.
“Why do you smell like another man?” he hissed out.
I stood up and lifted my defiant chin. Then I walked past him and sat on the couch so I could get my damn boots off without him knowing I was slightly intoxicated. Abram’s eyes watched me, flickering with every move I made. He looked pissed.
“You’ve been gone for hours.” He tried again.
“Yeah, I have a life,” I said, and hated how defensive it sounded.
He came up to me as I struggled with my boots, then fell to his knees in front of me, and I swallowed hard as he lifted my foot and undid the laces before sliding them off.
I watched him as he grabbed my wrist and yanked me forward so his face was inches from mine.
He leaned forward, his nose running over my neck.
My eyes fluttered closed.
“Tell me why a man’s scent is all over you,” he demanded.
“Because I went to see a friend,” I answered even as the room spun slightly. Abram pulled back slightly. “I took him your dinner I made you so it wouldn’t go to waste. He said it was perfect.”
Abram’s eyes swirled a deeper red as he stared at me. His jaw tightened, and he looked at the kitchen before looking back at me.
“He doesn’t need to touch you if you bring him food.”
His grip on my wrist tightened.
“We went for drinks and—”
Abram yanked me closer to him so he was kneeling between my parted legs. Oh, I liked this. I closed my eyes as his familiar scent hit me.
“And what?” he hissed out.
“We talked, then he walked me home, and I gave him a hug for listening to me.”
Abram stared into my eyes with a look I couldn’t decipher. He still had a hold of my wrist, and he seemed to be thinking about something very hard. His chest rose and fell quickly. My greedy eyes looked over his bronze skin decorated in black tattoos. Gods, I wanted to reach out and touch him.
“We are married,” he finally said.
“Yes, I know.” I rolled my eyes. “A fake marriage.”
He grabbed me by the back of the neck so I was looking at him.
“It might be a fake marriage, but that doesn’t give you the right to go on a date with another man.”
“It wasn’t a date.” I barely got the words out without stuttering over myself. Abram was too close, too good-looking for me to behave myself when I was drunk.
He lifted his hand, raising his fingers one at a time as he listed things off.
“Dinner, drinks, and he walked you home. In fact, he got a hug from you, which is more than I’ve ever gotten as your husband.”
His words made my stomach clench. I stared at him, and he watched me like he was waiting for some kind of reaction.
“Did you want a hug?” I asked.
“I should be the one you want to talk to if there is a problem.”
I didn’t say anything. Abram let go of my wrist before pulling me forward and hugging me. I hesitated for a moment before my arms wrapped around him. He yanked me closer to the edge of the couch so we were flush against each other. What the fuck was happening?
Gods, this felt nice.
Abram held onto me tightly without saying anything. My hands rested on his warm, bare skin. I closed my eyes and wished this was a real marriage. But as soon as I thought it, Abram moved away from me, like he was disgusted that he hugged me.
He stared at me, and I frowned as he looked more and more upset.
Protect yourself. My magic sneered.
I glared at him, feeling extra brave because of the alcohol.
“Yeah, I think I’ll stick to hugging Nate. At least he doesn’t pull away from me," I snapped as I stood up.
I started taking off my clothes so I could go to bed.
“Nate,” he sneered. “Over my dead body will you go hug him again.”
I whipped around, and Abram’s eyes widened as they flickered down to my white camisole and bare legs. I glanced down and noticed my camisole was sheer, and I’m sure he saw more than I intended.
“You look disgusted that you hugged me.”
His face fell.
“I’m not disgusted. Can you please cover yourself up; I can’t think.”
He didn’t try to hide his eyes.
“No.”
His eyes moved up to mine.
“No more hanging out with men by yourself. I’m not out having meals with women and touching them.”
Fuck, that image really pissed me off.
“And I don’t like that you took him food you made for me.”
“And I didn’t like eating alone,” I said before I could stop myself. “But don’t worry, I won’t make dinner again. After all, this is a fake marriage. It means nothing, and I don’t have to put effort into it. So let's just stay out of each other’s way.”
He stepped toward me.
“I came back,” he said. “I went to Della’s and told her I had something else come up. But when I got here, you and the food were gone.”
My eyes widened as I looked up at him. He came back.
“What?”
“I came back because I thought it was nice of you to make me dinner, and we haven’t really had time for just the two of us because I’ve been busy with work.”
Well, shit, now I was kicking myself for not waiting five minutes before leaving.
“Oh.”
He sighed heavily.
“You spent your evening with another man, and I don’t like it.”
“He’s just a friend.”
Abram looked as if he were holding himself back from saying something. His hand did that flexing thing he always did before shoving them into his pockets.
“And what am I?” He looked at me.
What did he want me to say? I was panicking.
“A fri—”
Abram stepped forward and slammed his hand over my mouth.
“Do not say a friend,” he warned.
He moved his hand, and I swore he could hear my heartbeat too.
“My husband,” I whispered.
“Yes, and you’re my wife, so don’t do this again.”
“Okay…” I looked at him, wondering if he felt all this tension in the room.
He nodded before he took a small step toward me and hugged me again. What was happening? I hugged him back, and as he pulled away, he kissed my forehead.
“No more Nate.”
I nodded as he let go and disappeared into his room. I stayed where I was, aching for a kiss he hadn’t given me, one I shouldn’t have wanted. My chest tightened as I finally lay down, forcing myself to breathe.
This meant nothing.
Or at least, that’s what I told myself as sleep refused to come.