Chapter 4: Lennon's P.O.V.

There is no way this is happening. I met my mate!? Why?! Why now?! Why like this?! Why him?! Just why!? And he's the fu.cking long-lost Fae prince? The next in line Fae King? You've got to be kidding me. So, what? I'm supposed to be some kind of Fae Queen? Is that it? Are the Gods nuts?! Has Selene and whoever else lost their minds? I mean, me?! A fu.cking queen of anything?! Of an entire realm of creatures that I am not?! This must be some kind of joke. No joke. Our mate. Reika practically purred. I think I'm gonna be sick. I told her. Sick with love. She melted. I desperately tried to ignore her and ignore the pull of the bond. I never had high hopes for my mate. I never wanted to meet him. Never needed to either. Not after all the sh.it I saw growing up. I watched my father's death absolutely destroy my mother. I watched people get rejected left and right the moment they turned 18. Lavinna had the easiest mateship out of everyone. I know that Liam gave Nick a hard time at first. Don't even get me started on Kasyn and Lydia. I was always better alone. I worked better that way. I did better that way. Away from everyone else. Without a mate. Now we have ours. Reika said, happily. Reika... we are not queen material. I gritted out. Of course, we are! She replied. Our mate is king. That makes us queen. Because he is ours and we are his. Oh Gods, don't do this. I groaned. Do what? Be in love with our mate? She asked, still feeling giddy. Don't get your hopes up. I said softly. Too late, Reika giggled. I watched as Emrys's eyes finally left mine. Only to travel down my body. Like he was drinking me in. The satisfied look on his face pi.ssed me off though. And I knew it showed. You are only pi.ssed because you like it. Reika teased me. No I don't, I argued. That satisfied look on our mate looks so hot... she continued. No it doesn't, I lied. Reika giggled. Maybe his lips are soft. She said. His hair looks thick. I bet his stubble would feel so good against our skin... I know what Reika was doing. She was trying to use the bond to coax me. It was making me feel foggy, but it wasn't working. I might be hot for our mate, I replied. But that doesn't mean that I'm going to act on it. Reika pouted. "Uh, yeah I'm Emrys, and you are...?" He replied as he held his hand out to me. I looked at his hand and back at him. He wants to shake my hand? Why? For what? To feel the sparks and tingles? Great, I'm just a walking euphoria stick to him. "You're really Emrys? Emrys Evermore?" I asked, slightly shocked. Emrys furrowed his brow and I suddenly realized how attractive my mate is. His dark brown hair that's shaved at the sides, leaving a fluff of se.xy locks on the top of his head. Emrys's eyes are deep blue with streaks of purple and flecks of gold. I've never seen anything like them. He has a perfectly straight nose, a sharp jawline, and, damn, his lips look juicy. Not to mention how... buff he is. I was expecting as much. The Fae king is supposed to be a protector. I wonder if he's actually protective. It must come natural to him. I wonder if he fights. I wonder if he works out. He must work out. Fu.ck. This is not good. It's great! We met mate! Reika shouted happily. Now attack him. What? No! I replied. But he's our mate! She whined. It's not like he's jumping to claim me either. I gritted back. He doesn't even... look like he's into me. Into us? Reika practically shrieked. Mate checked us out. He liked what he saw. Yeah right. I replied. This is the future Fae king we're talking about. He probably senses exactly what I am and is plotting an escape right now. Don't say that, Reika growled. "Uh... Evermore?" Emrys asked, interrupting my inner conversation. "I am Emrys, but my last name is Jones." "Jones?" I asked, confused. What? I know this is Emrys. He smells like the blanket. Hell, he smells like Queen Annag. I can tell that he's a supernatural too, but... something is off. "Yeah," he replied. "Have we met before? I swear you seem... familiar. Do we have a common mate?" Common mate? Is that supposed to be a hint at something? Does he want me to say it first? Do it! Reika cheered. Fat fu.cking chance, I replied. Why not claim mate now? She whined. Don't give him time to run away. I ignored her to reply to Emrys. "Uhm... no?" I said, confused. "A fan then," Emrys stated. "You sound like you're from the states too. Did you want a picture with me, love?" A... picture? Fan? Is this part of his distraction to escape? Tell him yes! Reika shouted excitedly. Let's get a picture with mate. Reika shush, I grumbled. Can't you see that something is... weird? No. Mate is perfect, she purred. For crying out loud. "Do you... not know who I am?" I asked Emrys. Emrys gave me a strange look. Like I was some sort of crazy person he was assessing. Which felt more comfortable than when he was checking me out, and giving me that charming smile. Mate is so hot. Reika cooed, practically drooling. Well... Reika isn't lying. If I had to be stuck with anyone... At least he's attractive. Like... wow, he looks like the ruler of an entire world. "Not a clue, love, but I'd love to get to know each other more if you're offering," Emrys replied suggestively. "We can even start off as mates if you want." Start off... as mates? What's he mean? We are mates? Where else would we go? It starts and ends as mates. Reika said confused. Reika... I think that he means... mates as in friends. I told her. Friends?! Reika said it like it left a nasty taste in her mouth. I stared at Emrys dumbfounded as things slowly started to make sense, and not make sense. Emrys clearly doesn't know we're mates. Soulmates. Which strikes me as odd. Unless he's... pretending not to? Maybe Emrys really does know who I am and wants to reject me. I would blame him for thinking I'm scary. Especially if he knows that I work for the BOC and the Devil. Not like it's a huge secret in our world. Mate cannot reject us. Reika said. Reika... I groaned. Reika growled at me. Mate is Fae. Fae do not reject. He is ours. No rejecting. She stated like she was throwing a tantrum. I internally sighed. I forgot that the Fae kind were like that. It's different for some of the Fae creatures, but most of them do not reject their mates. Not because they don't want to, or hold the bond to high standards. They do, like most supernaturals. However, they literally cannot. Saying a rejection does nothing to sever the bond. Whoever they are given is... it. So... where does that leave me? Does that mean I'll be forced to play queen? Will my bond be loveless and cruel? Will my mate spend our days punishing me for being mated to him? Am I destined to live that life? I've run into mates like that. Men who bullied and tortured their mates because they weren't what they were expecting. I killed a lot of those disgusting people. I'm not sure that I could kill my mate, but... I could do worse things. I am an Anderson. I'm powerful and smart. I have the Anderson power. So, if that's what the prince thinks he's getting, he's got another thing coming. I am not a doormat or a pushover. I will not be cheated on and silenced. I definitely will not be disrespectful. If Emrys doesn't accept me like a proper mate, then he can live in the Fae realm alone. Reika whined. "How about you have a drink with me?" Emrys suggested. "We can get to know each other." I stared at Emrys for a moment, trying to see if I could catch a glimpse of something. Doubt, worry, fear, calculation. I saw nothing though. Nothing except for charm, mischief, and... heat. A small amount of heat. Yeah, there's no way this guy knows what we are to each other. At least, I don't think so. But this is Emrys Evermore. I know that it is. I can see Queen Annag in his face. I can smell it. This has to be him. So, if this really is Emrys... what is he doing here? Why is he acting like this? He doesn't seem like someone who is being held against his will. What the hell is going on?