Chapter 5
HEKLA
I let Belenus’s words sink in for a moment as he held me. The revelation shocked me, to say the least, and I was a little embarrassed for assuming his lack of interest. He’d volunteered to join a battle just so he could stay around a little longer? Just so he could see me? He’d risked his life for just a little more time with me?
My cheeks flushed from a bevy of hot emotions. Flattering couldn’t begin to describe it! I also needed clarification of that last statement. “What do you mean by losing control, Belenus?” I inquired nervously, biting my lip.
“What I mean, my dear Hekla,” he began, grabbing my chin and forcing me to meet his hungry amber gaze, “is that I’m forced to live by rules, and you make me want to abandon all of them. That could land me in a lot of trouble, you know.”
“Wh-which rules?” I asked, flustered. My skin heated as the flush traveled down my body, kindling an ache between my legs. Oh Moon Goddess, he was so close!
“You make me wish I could just run away from all this.” He nodded toward the balcony. “Drop all responsibilities so I could give you all the time and attention you desire.”
I shook my head, my instincts finding that unacceptable—even being packless. “No… your people require you,” I reminded, intimidated by his intensity. “Alphas don’t abandon their packs.”
He continued as though I hadn’t spoken. “And you make me wish I could ignore this accursed thirty-day courtship so I could bed you here and now.” He jerked his chin heatedly toward the giant four-poster while his hands slid up my back to play with the nightgown straps. He twisted and wound the material, as if he was toying with the idea of slipping them off my shoulders. “You have no idea how hard it is to resist you. Especially when you’re being such a shameless little minx.” He wrapped the straps tighter around his index fingers as he spoke.
Oh gods! An embarrassing whine squeezed its way out of my throat, fed by my spike of arousal. Still, I couldn’t tear my eyes from his broiling stare.
Is your face on fire? Eventide asked. I feel like your face is on fire. Go find a mirror.
I wouldn’t be surprised if it was.
“S-so the rules really are that strict? You didn’t put me here because you were disinterested?” I asked uncomfortably. “You wished we could share a room?”
He released a beautiful, clear laugh. “Oh, dear Hekla. I’m so interested that I’d put us in a room and throw away the key.” A rakish grin swept up his lips, and his eyes glittered with eagerness. “I’m sure it’ll be plenty clear to you on our wedding night just how interested I’ve been.”
I heard Eventide swallow heavily. I followed suit.
OK, I’M GLAD WE GOT THAT SORTED, she yapped, like his stare had broken her brain. The unexpected loudness had me jumping in Belenus’s grip.
He started and I blurted an explanation, blushing horribly. “Eventide startled me. Sorry! You’ve, uh… made your point clear to both of us.” I sandwiched my lips between my teeth and tried to retrieve my wits. He smirked knowingly, briefly dropped his gaze to my mouth, and released me from his clutches.
“So, how do you feel about a tour today? Get familiar with the surroundings? We won’t really be meeting anyone new… Just ease you into things,” he asked, tilting his head and crossing his arms.
“I can do that. When do we leave?”
“Whenever you’re dressed! I’ll be waiting outside.” He grinned and left, in a much better mood than when he’d arrived. I blinked and looked around, feeling very… something. Already this morning had been so eventful, dragging my emotions all over the place. I had been so furious earlier, but then Belenus completely disarmed me with his confession. I guess I was… feeling ok?
It’s going to be a long month, Eventide sighed. I don’t know if we have the stamina for this ordeal.
I groaned in agreement and went to peruse my wardrobe. I agonized over the choices; there were too many options. How was I to know what was appropriate? I grabbed an olive dress that seemed nice but wasn’t too fancy.
I freshened up quickly and gave the dress a challenging glare. When I donned it and reached around to tighten the fit, I somehow tangled the strings. I stretched, twisted, and even tried pinching them with a couple claws, but the mess just worsened. At least it wasn’t wool; a wolf losing to a sheep would have been mortifying. I marched to the door, opened it, and pouted at Belenus in defeat. When I coaxed him back in to help, he burst into laughter at the state of the dress.
“What, is this not how you do things?” he teased, retying the back. I growled quietly, which made him laugh harder. “There, all done. Shoes and let’s go!” He smirked and leaned against the wall. Feeling his eyes on me, I quickly pulled on a pair of soft boots and grabbed his offered arm.
On our way out of the castle—and free from the initial shock—I was able to better appreciate the surroundings. The interior of the castle felt very much like a celebration of summertime. Windows, balconies, or skylights brightened the rooms, and pale colors allowed the sunlight to bounce around, illuminating the spaces naturally during the Sun God’s waking hours.
Gold was… everywhere, as it had been outside the castle. It followed doorways, trailed along windows, or simply existed in little decorative patches on the walls and ceilings. The yellow invaded motifs of the sun and crept into the stone flooring, which was a light blue-grey and speckled with gold flakes. Polished to perfection, the floor felt like walking on a mirror. It also looked very slippery. I grimaced at the mental picture of Eventide trying to turn at a run only to slide into a wall. I hoped my imagination was exaggerating.
I paused whenever we passed the long stone planters that occasionally ran down the middle of the halls. They hosted a variety of flowering trees that attracted remarkable butterflies. Or perhaps they were moths? They were a little on the chubby side. Also, their colors shimmered so vibrantly that I felt like my eyes would burn if I stared at them for too long. I had to wonder how much of fae nature was as perfect as these tiny creatures.
I refocused my attention to where we were going, needing to remember every turn Belenus showed me. He gave me a brief tour of how to get to several important places like the dining areas and the library and where to find his personal chambers should I need him. I noticed there were more guards by his suite. Was the queen nearby as well?
After showing me where his chambers were, Belenus playfully whispered, “Don’t get any ideas, my dear Hekla.”
I raised my chin. “One has no control over their ideas. At least I have them.”
“Oh, that was clever.” He scratched his jaw with his free hand. “But at least now I know you think about me.”
I raised a brow and showed off a canine to further challenge him. “If you’ve suddenly realized that, it was a waste to have paraded naked around you all those times. Perhaps I’ll not bother again.”
“Ok, you win that time.” Belenus flashed a bright smile. “Please keep bothering.”
I glowed, enjoying how this particular conversation felt playful, natural, and easy. Things seemed to flow better when matters of the court weren’t involved, and now that some confessions had been made, Belenus had become relaxed and flirty. I wanted this to last. Aside from wild matings, this was how I pictured interacting with a fated mate. I’d imagined the simple, sheer joy of just being with them.
Belenus led me out of the castle where a carriage waited and my heart leapt. Would we get to see more nature today? Or maybe we were going somewhere else?
He helped me into the compartment, and I quirked a brow once he seated himself. A slight urge to rebel against yet another custom had me remarking, “It was not so hard to climb the steps. Do fae women have trouble with balance?”
He laughed and peeked out through the mostly closed curtains that seemed to block the heat. “That’s a great question. Now I’m wondering if they’ve been needing help all that time. Devilish creatures, fae women.”
The carriage lurched, and we left the castle steps with the clopping of large tan horses. Belenus waved a hand. “It’s just polite. Men extend greater courtesy to women here. It’s antiquated, from when men thought women much weaker. Or perhaps just in hopes of earning favor for a good time. How do you do things?”
I wasn’t sure about the lycans, but I could answer for the wolves. “She-wolves accept that we generally do not have the same muscle mass as males, but it does not stop us from being the best we can be. Males encourage us to be strong. Some she-wolves can take many males down. Our Rakel was our finest,” I said nostalgically, proudly. “But males treat us well, and we are respected.” I frowned down at my dress. “Perhaps fae women would fare better with pants and boots? ”
“No doubt,” Belenus agreed. “A female’s bottom looks fine in a pair of pants.”
I glanced up at him with narrowed eyes, suffering a tinge of jealousy. He held up a finger. “Ah, ah, ah. Notice I said ‘female.’ You are the only female here.”
He is playing a dangerous game, Eventide growled.
Feeling an intense rush of possessiveness, I left my seat and promptly sat in his lap, resisting the urge to bare my canines. I just sandwiched my lips between my teeth to keep the impulse at bay.
“Don’t play word games with my wolf, Belenus,” I warned, holding up a finger to mirror his. I subtly wiggled in his lap to tempt his cock as punishment. “She doesn’t like competition. She doesn’t like you thinking of other females. Or women.”
Belenus leaned forward into my face. “Hekla… you don’t want to start this game with me,” he said in a rough voice. Barely hidden beneath his smirk was a severe countenance. His eyes glinted with warning.
“What game? The game where you try to make me jealous?”
I’m wondering if maybe we’re overreacting a li— Eventide began.
Belenus moved his lips to my ear and said, “No… the game where we try to see who breaks first… she-wolf.”
I laughed bitterly. “I’ve already played that game. You’re unbreakable.” I crossed my arms.
“So… you don’t mind the fact that when we go out that door, all the fae women will see the size of my excited… royal scepter?” he murmured seductively, tracing my ear with a finger.
That’s a very good point. This was a bad idea, Eventide declared.
I fell off his lap and scrambled to my seat, not wanting any woman to stare at what belonged to me. His scepter had better calm down right this minute! Belenus chuckled and brushed some imaginary dust off his pants, then adjusted it to ease the bulge that’d grown there.
I decided that the topic very much needed to be changed. “Where are we going anyway? Aside from insane?” I asked, placing my chin on the heel of my palm.
He took my hand, squeezed it, and pulled back the curtain. “To show you our people, my future queen,” he said with a gentle smile as we entered a city full of the strangest creatures, sights, and scents I’d ever encountered in my life.
We’re going to be queen of total chaos! Eventide bemoaned. What is all this?
I was speechless. Yes, it was a city, and yes, there were houses and shops. However, the sizes of said buildings ranged from birdhouses to barns, from rustic to sophisticated! The sizes and shapes of the citizens took on that range as well! My ears strained to sort through the distant noises, and my nose felt like it’d snagged on the aromata of a hundred species.
“Who… what… ?” I gasped, unable to formulate a single productive question.
“These are fae, my dear,” Belenus informed, rubbing a thumb soothingly over my hand. The tingles and sparks of the mate touch soothed me but barely enough for me to pay attention to him.
“But they don’t…”
“Look like me? No, they certainly don’t,” he replied, a hint of a smile in his voice.
It was as though they were all shifters but had gotten stuck mid-shift, though in a way that made more sense. I saw people with goat legs or antlers or wings, but then there were creatures I’d expect to see in the wild that were wearing clothes! A gopher in a satin vest carried a basket overladen with purple vegetables. Finally, I spied beings that weren’t quite describable, creatures that were a mix of so many other species that they were their own unique… living thing!
They were all so different, and yet they interacted in a completely normal way. They chatted, laughed, or ignored each other, just like wolves and lycans did. No one gave anyone odd stares; if anything, I was the one being rude .
“Why do they look so different from the ones at the castle?” I asked, turning back to Belenus with wide eyes.
He regarded his people with an inscrutable expression and spoke in a low voice. “The fae of the court, like me, are mostly fair fae, though I’m not necessarily a fan of that term. It’s self-declared beauty, isn’t it? Royalty and those who tend to serve the court look more… like your humans; I suppose we could put it that way.” He gestured to the bustling scenery outside the carriage and continued his explanation. “These people we call folk fae are often seen as inferior, being mixed with nature’s… other traits.”
“But they are so beautiful,” I protested and pointed to a girl with blue-and-white butterfly wings and little fuzzy antennae. “Isn’t she gorgeous? How could she be inferior?”
“Because she has wings, which makes her an ideal worker. Fair fae have no need for wings since they—er—we, have servants who do everything for us,” Belenus answered. Thoughtfully, he murmured, “Cleaning the rafters…”
I muttered without thinking, “If anything, it just makes fair fae sound weak. Pick up a broom.” Instantly, I winced and slapped a hand over my mouth.
Instead of getting offended, Belenus broke into laughter. He pinched his nose with a thumb and forefinger, possibly pushing back tears of mirth.
“Sorry,” I said with a cringe and looked back out the window, distracted by a folk fae made of more branches than expected. Under the eaves of a furniture shop fluttered two… reddish faeries, I supposed. I recalled that’s what Ragna had called the tiny winged ones. I leaned against the glass, trying to follow their frenetic movements until they fell from sight.
When the carriage rolled to a stop in front of a larger shop, Belenus squeezed my hand one more time. “Before we leave—whatever you do—do not say ‘thank you’ to anyone, ok?” he warned.
“That seems rude. Why?” I asked with a frown as he brushed his hair aside and straightened his coat.
“Because old traditions state that you will owe them something in return. We’ve abolished some of our more… mischievous laws, but that one is still legal, unfortunately,” he said seriously. “Fae will take advantage of you. Just tell them to have a good day and be off. Is that understood?”
“Y-yes!” I replied, frightened all over again. How could they enforce such an odd rule? That seemed far too sneaky and manipulative for modern society. What happened to the people who visited and didn’t know about it?
Belenus left the carriage first and held out a hand for me. I took it, grateful to touch his skin more than anything. I desperately needed the comfort. The strange rule had me looking over my shoulder, turning me into a nervous wreck. Again, where was I on the food chain here?
“So,” Belenus said, capturing my attention with his charming grin, “I was thinking about how you’re all alone in your room…” He pointed to the wooden sign of the shop we approached, but the painted words were in a different language. “What do you think about”—he opened the door to the shop and gestured me in—“getting a pet?”
I wasn’t certain if my eyes could get any wider. There was a menagerie of some very strange critters in here, and my nose was assaulted by their equally odd scents. I gasped and stepped back from a cage that chirped.
“Oh Moon Goddess, startled by a bird!” I scolded myself in shame. It was the same bird Emer had turned into, and I narrowed my eyes at it. “I’m watching you…” I whispered, pointing a finger at its cute little face. It chirped again, happy as can be.
A growly voice cried out in welcome, but it was in fae, and I sighed in disappointment. It would have been nice to talk to someone else—someone new—and make an acquaintance. Then, I fell well past disappointment when I noticed this fae was a man with a wolf’s head. He was almost like me! Oh, how I wished I could talk to him! The wolf-headed folk fae noticed the crown prince and fell to his knees in deference, bowing his head like an obedient pack member.
“Rise, Oscar. I’d like you to meet someone today,” Belenus greeted, and the fae stood, taking a humble stance. “This is a wulver named Oscar. He owns this pet shop. Oscar, please meet my fated mate, Hekla Himinn. She is my betrothed, soon to be my queen!” He grinned down at me, beaming with pride.
For some reason, him saying that to a citizen made it seem all the more real. I blushed furiously and tried to put a hand to my face to cool it, but my palm was just as hot. The wulver’s head snapped to mine, and he said something in fae, sounding surprised. I wasn’t sure how he managed to speak with a wolf’s mouth; there had to be magic at work. That was impossible!
“Oscar here says you smell like a wolf,” Belenus translated, chuckling.
I mean… we better, Eventide mused.
“Hello, Oscar. It’s nice to meet you,” I said politely, then turned to Belenus. “Am I supposed to be a secret?”
He shook his head with a dry expression. “No, and I doubt you could keep your nature a secret if you tried,” he replied before addressing Oscar. “She’s a wolf-shifter from the Realm of the Humans. We’re here to see if she’d like a pet. She’s not used to being without a pack.”
Oscar’s shoulders fell, and he nodded in understanding. He whined quietly, then gestured to the cages, saying something that I had to assume meant, “Take a look around.” I absorbed his reaction for a moment, feeling comforted by what I suspected was wolfish solidarity. Did the wulver have packs?
“What do you think, Hekla?” Belenus asked, turning with a hopeful expression. His eyes held an apology, like it was his fault we were even here. “Would you like a little companion to keep you company?”
“I… don’t know. I mean, I have Eventide,” I said, strolling past furry and scaly critters.
“But can you cuddle Eventide?” he inquired with a wry smile.
I snorted and shook my head. “No… not quite,” I replied. “I’ve seen dogs being used at castles, and sometimes a pup will keep an injured rabbit they don’t want to kill, but pets are not something we think about. We’re already surrounded by nature in the wild. Maybe it is more common in our cities, but I’m from a more remote pack, as you recall.”
“That makes sense,” he mused and walked patiently by my side. “This was just a thought. Don’t feel pressured if you don’t wish to have one.”
Pets, I imagined, were a lot of work. Aside from keeping me slightly less lonely, what would be its purpose? It was hard to consider yet another adjustment to my daily life.
Eventually, the wulver came back and asked Belenus a question, who then turned to me. “Apparently, he has more interesting specimens in the back that he saves for… important customers. Would you like to take a look?” he asked, tilting his head. “I admit, I’m curious.”
“No harm in looking.” I smiled at Oscar and gestured. “Lead the way.”
Oscar took us around the back counter and through a curtained doorway. Larger cages sat back here, and the enclosed creatures carried a sharpness in their gazes that belied their innocent status as pets. I looked up at Belenus, who was studying the animals with interest.
“No doubt you have some very useful companions back here, Oscar. You do not disappoint. Cuilean-sìth, piseag-sìth, pygmy beithir…” he said thoughtfully, rubbing his chin. Oscar seemed pleased, and his ears perked up at the praise. At least I could read his body language. His expressions spoke the same as a wordless wolf.
Belenus traced the edge of a cage before he spoke. “My dear Hekla, what say you to something a little more useful than a simple bird or beast?”
“What do you mean?” I asked. One cage held black kittens with white spots on their chests, while the one next to it kept shaggy green puppies. They tumbled over each other to reach the front, eager for attention.
No cats, Eventide said firmly. For so many reasons.
Fair enough, I replied. No puppies either.They look too similar to wolves; they’d hardly feel like pets.
“Well, some of these could act as very good guard animals,” Belenus answered, snapping me out of my conversation with Eventide. I hummed and continued to look around at the other options. I was intrigued, I had to admit. Fae animals were remarkable.
Oscar said something, and Belenus pointed to some small snakes with little legs. “These will detect poison for you. Good for court li—” Belenus started to translate, then froze. He closed his eyes tight and cursed under his breath.
“Poison?” I asked, my strained nerves finally manifesting into shaking. “Belenus, will someone try to poison me?” I covered my mouth, horrified by the disclosure. He placed both hands aggressively on my shoulders, but most of his fury seemed directed at himself.
“Not on my watch, Hekla!” he said, almost in a snarl. His yellow eyes darkened to gold, then narrowed, like he was trying to transfer his confidence to me. “Not on my watch.”
I leaned into him while I fought for calm, and he hugged me tightly in turn. Without a pack, without a mate, I felt far too vulnerable to cope with a new threat. After a minute of clinging to him, I managed to get my shaking under control but left my arms wrapped around myself for comfort. None of this was what I’d imagined. Blindsided. I was blindsided.
We can probably sniff out anything weird, anything like poison, Eventide reminded weakly. We’ll be ok…
I hoped so… I sincerely hoped so.
In an attempt to further distract myself, I wandered over to the next cage that had another strange bunch of creatures. These little beasts clung to long sticks in the fake habitat and somewhat resembled opossums. Each had the same pale face and black fur, but from the back sprouted velvety moth wings with eye patterns. Their whiskers had gleaming tips, as if dewdrops clung to each strand. Curious, I asked Oscar, “What are these?”
Belenus answered for him in a soft tone. “These are a breed of mac-talla.” He slid his hand into mine. “When they bond with their owners, they can act as additional eyes and ears because they’ll be able to speak to you. Now that I think about it, they might be a good choice because they could translate fae for you, Hekla. You’ll learn it eventually, but it’ll take a while.”
“I think it’s wise… I can imagine running into difficulties when I’m on my own,” I replied, staring at the young things. “What’s the story behind that one?” I asked, pointing to a larger, disheveled mac-talla with underdeveloped wings.
Oscar hesitated and began explaining to Belenus, who nodded along in understanding. “This one is… apparently unpopular. It’s been returned a number of times. That’s why it’s older than the others. He doesn’t recommend it.”
Studying the raggedy thing, I asked, “Is it because its wings are stunted? That’s hardly its fault.” The others were curious about me, but the bulkier mac-talla just stared blankly at the back wall. Its moth wings were only several inches long, not nearly enough to allow it flight. It looked more like a bow tie than a pair of wings.
Oscar spoke, and Belenus relayed his warning. “Apparently, its personality is a little rough around the edges…”
“Wouldn’t yours be if you were returned to your orphanage a dozen times?” I asked a little more curtly than intended. I wiped my brow, feeling a touch feverish again. I needed to get control of myself. Deciding with confidence, I pointed at the mac-talla that looked as lonely as I felt and declared, “I’m taking that one, and it’s never coming back!”
“Are you sure?” Belenus inquired, not looking particularly perturbed by my decision, which surprised me. “Sounds like you’ll have your work cut out for you. ”
Oscar said something, and Belenus translated again. “He’s asking if you’re sure too. It’d break his heart to see this mac-talla returned again. He’s also willing to part with him for free—which will not be happening.” The prince turned to Oscar and pulled out a coin purse.
It sounded like the wulver reluctantly stated a price and took the coin. The folk fae handed me a little booklet, which I assumed was a care guide. Unfortunately, it wasn’t written in my language. Belenus would have to read it to me.
“Thank y—” I began out of habit, but my fated mate slapped his palm over my lips, while Oscar snarled to interrupt me, then submitted in apology.
Slowly, Belenus removed his hand from my mouth and said, “Remember what I said… just wish them a good day.”
“That serious, huh?” I laughed nervously and wiped a trickle of sweat from my overheated brow. “Right… I remember.” That had been rather embarrassing.
Oscar finally opened the cage and removed the strange winged opossum. The wulver gestured for me to hold my elbow up to allow it access to my shoulder. I smiled and hummed encouragingly to the beast who looked anything but interested. The mac-talla eventually released a defeated sigh and crossed onto my arm. Then, he settled on my shoulder and wrapped an arm around my head for balance.
“I have a good feeling about this.” I nodded to Belenus, who appeared both relieved and happy that I’d picked a companion. Indeed, this had cheered me up immensely.
“Shall we get some breakfast then?” Belenus inquired, offering his arm to me once more.
“Let’s!” I agreed, and we both said farewell to Oscar, who still looked worried. Oh, it would be fine!