Abandoned By My Mate

Growth

I stood with my arms crossed beside Azrael. Watching as the carriage that held my parents was pulled out of our courtyard. They had set up their males in a local inn so thankfully we didn't have to supply them with anything other than food. My brother on the other hand would be leaving later today with Henry and Marie.

My parents hadn't even looked at me when they left, their lips pursed together like they had just eaten an entire lemon. Azrael had kept a hand wrapped possessive around my hip, claiming me even though the scent of him was dripping out of me just like he had promised.

"They're going to tell everyone about your relation to the king," I muttered, my shoulders finally unknotting when the carriage disappeared from view.

"Most already know," Azrael replied, "I'm more worried about them telling everyone that I intend to dethrone the duke and take back my father's land."

"Is that what you want?" I asked, fear prickling at my skin. I was barely able to be a lady, being a duchess without her duke was out of the question.

Azrael clenched his jaw tightly, "Not yet. When I get back from our mission I will see if I am able to take back my family's land and title."

"Lin," Henry called, drawing my attention away from my mate, "We are going to have to head out a bit earlier than planned. Bryn wants us to come visit his school before we go home."

~~~

I stretched out my limbs, Theorn watching me with an amused smirk. The rest of my family had left a few hours ago and the clock had just struck eleven. As soon as my brothers and Marie had left my mate muttered something about needing to check the borders. Something was bothering him but whatever it was he wasn't ready to share it with me.

"Theorn," I frowned, "Do you have a list of the population of our citizens?"

"Somewhere I'm sure," He glanced over at his cupboards, pulling out one of the drawers and beginning to rifle through it. "Here, this one goes back twenty five years. Why do you need this?"

"I'm worried about how we are going to keep the estate afloat if we keep losing people." My brows dipped together as I looked over the papers in front of me, "We don't have enough females here. I only know one unmated female here and that's Eva."

Theorn tensed, his fists clenching before he forced himself to relax, "We have a few other unmated females, but you know how protective fathers get of their daughters. Most of them are hidden away in their homes. I know one of the farmers outside the walls has three daughters, all of age and all unmated."

"That's good," I frowned, three females was not going to be enough to keep our population, "We need something that will draw more females and their families here. Some kind of attraction. Our soldiers are going to be leaving to find a mate, and it's unlikely that they will come back. Why would they? Most of their families were pushed out by the counts outrageous taxes."

"You're right," Theorn replied, his normally playful demeanor had disappeared after I mentioned Eva's name. "What do you want to do about it?"

"We could offer to put no taxes on newly mated couples?" I suggested.

"That might encourage them to move here, but it won't keep the males that are already here," Theorn leaned back against his chair, arms crossed as he thought, "What about a party?"

"A party?" I snorted, rolling my eyes at the idea, "A party will magically make everyone want to live here?"

"No," Theorn smirked, "But I'm sure we have a few males here that are attractive enough to make them want to come back."