The Contrary Mate

25 Aura

I continued fuming as I sat on my bed. My brother was treating me like a child again, and in storming off to my room, I had looked like exactly that. At least I hadn't slammed the door. How had my lovely night with Jack turned into this disaster?

Maybe it was time to get my own place, somewhere that Ash didn't have a key to get into like my parents' house. I'd of course considered moving out before, but when I thought about taking up a space somewhere else, and the trees that needed to be sacrificed for every new dwelling, I hadn't had the heart to move out when I had a perfectly good bed here.

There was a light knock on my door. "If you're not Ash, come in," I said. Forget maturity, I'd already dealt with enough nonsense tonight. The door opened, and my dad walked inside.

"Come to lecture me too? I think you'll have to take a number." I said before I realized I was still being snappy. I dialed it down a bit. "Sorry about that. Rex caught me first and then I came home to find all-high-and-mighty Ash waiting to harass me."

"Well, your brother's gone now, and I did not come to lecture you."

"Thanks for that." My brother and my overstepping friend were really setting the bar low tonight.

My dad sat in the chair beside my bed. "Your brother's just worried about you. You know he cares, and he knows how hard you've worked to be a respectable member of the fae."

"I think he's just worried about his reputation." His precious senate boss probably wouldn't be impressed to learn that his sister was dating outside the fae.

My father shook his head. "I'm sorry about how hard it's been for both of you to fit in. I know I didn't make it easy for you two or your mother, what with the choices I made."

The last bits of my anger at my brother melted in my worry over my dad's remorse. He didn't have anything to feel bad about and he needed to know that. "Don't say that, Dad. You didn't do anything wrong! Your job provided us with a great life growing up. Who cares if that's not what fae were supposed to do? Why do the rest of them get to decide? You have a rare magic affinity, and it's insane that they think you shouldn't be able to follow where it leads. It's not like you've ever exposed the fae in all your time amongst the humans."

He smiled. "You've always been such a sweet girl, Aura. And you're an adult. A reasonable adult. I trust you to make smart choices. Is this guy—whoever he is—that you're sneaking out to meet a good one?"

"He is." I hadn't known him long, but I was certain of it. "Although...no one else around here is going to think so."

My father nodded. "I would like to meet him eventually."

"One day," I promised. I suddenly really wanted Jack to meet my family—well, not Ash at the moment—but my parents, especially my father. Maybe my grandma and grandpa on his side, too. They hadn't disowned their children for being different so maybe they would be okay with Jack? I wasn't sure how mom's mom would take it, she was kind of like my mom in her desire to keep her respected position. And even though she never said anything I was certain she hadn't approved of my father.

A sudden thought crossed my mind. If there was any fae who would be sympathetic to my position, it would be my dad. "If I tell you who he is, will you keep it a secret? Even from Mom, until I'm ready? I will tell her, too, but I need some time."

"Of course, Aura. Although if she asks if I know, I won't lie to her, but I also won't tell her who. And you know she'll come after you for the information right after."

I nodded, that was good enough for me and I'd deal with my mom when the time came. "So, it was actually maybe a week ago when I was helping with a delivery of fairy juice since one of the guys couldn't make it in and I was helping unload the truck, when this werewolf comes up to me and starts talking and trying to help."

My father's eyes widened when I said werewolf, but he didn't interrupt.

"So he just tosses it out there that I'm his mate and he invites me to their solstice moon celebration and gives me his number. I took it, and we went and finished the deliveries. I went back to the celebration that night to tell him that it wasn't going to work, but instead I somehow ended up talking to him, and even dancing, and then promising to consider it." I sighed at the thought of how I kept doing exactly the opposite of what I had meant to be doing.

"I see."

"It gets worse, though. So I try to figure things out, and he eventually called Aunt Fern's business number, and I somehow ended up on a date with him. And then another date. I knew it's not a good idea, but it's like that bond is affecting me, too. He's just so great in every way. I already care about him too much for how fast it's been."

My father seemed to consider my words for a long moment. "Well, I know it's unconventional, but if there's something to this werewolf bond, maybe it would be worth exploring it. Werewolves have their own brand of—for lack of a better word—magic, after all. And if there's one thing we fae all theoretically agree on is that we should lean into our natural magic."

"Yeah. Except I haven't told you the worst part."

"What's the worst part?"

It was hard to get the words out. "His name is Jack Wright."

My father blinked. "Jack Wright?"

"Yes."

"Tech entrepreneur Jack Wright?"

"That's the one." I sighed again.

Of all the things he could have done, he chuckled. "Well, that's going to be something."

"Not helpful, Dad."

"Sorry. You're not going to get a lot of support from other fae on this one."

"I know." I flopped onto the bed and sunk my face into my pillow.

Dad's hand rested on my shoulder. "Well, if you choose to pursue this werewolf mate bond idea, you have my support. As much as that's worth. And there's no one or nothing on the planet that your mother hates more than she loves you, so she will come around even if she doesn't like it, especially if he's charming and handsome."

I rolled over so I could look at him, hugging my pillow as I moved. "He is very handsome. And he can be charming." I took a deep breath and let the truth come out. "And I think I've already decided to pursue it. He's completely wrong for me. He eats so much meat—and I almost got stuck eating some myself, although that was kind of my own fault—and he loves tech. His life is basically tech. His home is too big and feels creepy and dead. His garden is a disaster, let me tell you. The poor plants aren't getting their full nutritional needs met, and the poor grass somehow endures in spite of being regularly assaulted by a lawnmower. And the hedges... Oh, they're terrible. They're square, Dad. Unnaturally square."

He smiled at me gently as he shook his head. "That truly sounds awful. And that's why you decided to try this relationship?"

"No. I couldn't bring myself not to try it. In spite of all that I can tell he's decent and fair and I feel safe with him. I don't know how it's going to work out, but I want it to. More than anything. Maybe even enough to live in a dead mausoleum."

My dad smiled at me. "Well, no one else will say this, but I mean it. If you found someone who will love you and you can love in return, I'm happy for you. Things won't be easy, but when you find that right person, it's worth a fight."

"Thanks, Dad."

He stood up. "Well, it's late and I have work tomorrow, so I should head to bed, unless you have anything else to say."

"No. Thanks, though. Maybe I needed this." He got up to leave. "Oh, maybe can I use your cell?"

My father's eyes widened slightly at my unconventional request. "Yes, let me get it." He brought it back and showed me how to make it work. I still didn't like how cold and empty it felt, but when he left the room I sat there and tapped a text into the screen that shone up at me.