Mage Chronicles: The Journey.

FINE PRINT.

Despite the very loud protests from my parents, they eventually agree to let me resume my classes. The issue of Blue however, almost starts a revolution. But with help from my mates and the guys; Axel's besties, we eventually start to wear them down.

Mates. It felt weird to refer to them like that. I had mates now, four of them, though I was totally on the fence about the last one. I'm sitting cross-legged on my bed while Keon sits behind me drying my hair; a futile attempt but I won't steal his fun, trying to tune everything else out.

I had walked out of the room thirty-minutes earlier jonesing for a long hot shower. Someone might have cleaned me up after my fight but I still felt filthy. Keon had escorted me to his room; which happened to be the other empty room on our floor. Why was I going to his room for a shower you ask? Well, my family had decided to have it out in my room, everyone suddenly had a grievance to air out about the other.

We had walked back into the room to find Rhys pacing hands on his hips, while Andrei was doing his best to ignore papa's intense glare when he took a break from barking demands. Nona and mama on the other hand were trying to keep dad and Rhys apart from each other while they argued about Blue, whilst being on dad's side, which was totally unfair which was why my beautiful mate was pacing.

We had been sitting on the bed for almost five minutes and none of them had acknowledged our presence except the guys crowded around my love seat watching the entire scene enthralled.

"Should I braid it?" Keon asks after a while.

"Can you?" I ask genuinely because if he could, I was definitely keeping him.

"With such incentive it would be a shame not to try," he answers leaning down to speak in my ear, his breathe feels warm and a shiver works its way through my body. I hear him huff a laugh going back to his task.

Wow.

"I thought I said to stay out of my head,"

"And I did," he murmurs his voice lazy. "You said that out loud."

"I did!" I ask horrified, half turning to him before he stops me, turning my head back around.

His answering smug chuckle sends more shivers down my spine.

Why was I so sensitive?

"I for one, happen to like it," he murmurs again blowing on my neck and I literally dissolve, before I realise he was once again answering a thought. I move away from him intent on confronting him only to get yanked back to him, hard!

"Let me go, I know for sure I didn't say that out loud." I grumble still struggling to break free.

"You're right, you didn't," he answers amused.

I huff annoyed.

"I am sorry, it won't happen again," he says again moving his head to my shoulder sounding the farthest thing from apologetic.

"Do you enjoy teasing me?" I ask ceasing my attempts at freedom and settling back into him.

"Extremely," he answers turning my head so he could hold my gaze.

"Wow!" I whisper enthralled.

A smug smile breaks out on his face and I feel my face flush as I turn away from him trying to breath evenly.

"Do you guys need us to leave?" Nona's voice sounds jolting me from our little cocoon.

"Yes," Keon answers immediately while I gape at everyone else only realising that they had been watching us for a while.

"Oh fates," I mutter embarrassed, I've got to stop doing this.

"I don't like how close you three are to my daughter," Papa declares glaring at Keon's hands which were gently massaging my head.

"Please honey, they are mates, they are supposed to be close," mama says rolling her eyes.

"You even join her in bed multiple times, whether we are here or not, that can't be appropriate," Khalil says coming to papa's aide.

"Indeed, Mahina grew up in the human world, they are very conservative, maybe you should all give her time to adjust," Papa adds and it's Nona's turn to roll her eyes.

No. This conversation wasn't happening in my presence. Nope.

Keon is vibrating behind me, no doubt trying to contain his laugh while Rhys is staring at me knowingly. I avoid Andrei's stare because fates know I had been the furthest thing from conservative with him.

I reach around behind me to the tiny drawer next to my bed to get my hair oil, i figured since Keon was up there messing with that impenetrable thicket, I might as well put him to work. I freeze my hands instead catching something I thought I had discarded. I hurriedly shove it back in clutching the oil bottle before slamming the drawer shut, or trying to.

"Now what do we have here," Keon asks loudly, "This is...mph."

I glare down at Keon one hand on his lips the other yanking his off the drawer which I then slam shut, finally.

"Wow!" exclaims Axel.

"Did you see that?" goes Nona.

"She was so fast," agrees mama.

I ignore them eyes intently fixed on the pair twinkling with mirth below me. I had reacted so fast at Keon's words wrenching myself from his hold and tackling him in an effort to keep him from adding onto my embarrassment. I should have thought he'd see inside my drawer from his position. That damn rabbit was once again putting me in a difficult position.

"Mahina, get off him!" Papa demands but I ignore him.

"Not a word," I snarl down at Keon.

I see the challenge in his eyes and I clamp his mouth harder.

"Fine," he says in my head.

"Promise?" I ask staring at him intently.

"What do I get out of it?"

This asshole.

"Your dads look pretty anxious," He goads.

"Anything, I swear,"

I realise my mistake just as a satisfied gleam enters his eyes.

"You never learn little one, do you?"

"Rhys? What do you..." I'm cut off as familiar pairs of hands lift me off Keon and place me on the floor next to the bed, but remain holding me in place.

"As entertaining as this is, spare your parents, will you? Raphael is about to burst a vessel," mama says resigned.

I glance at both Nona and mama willing them to let me go which they do and I turn to regard papa who really looked like he was trying hard not to shift.

"Before you both decided to act like we weren't here," Khalil starts looking like he was fighting a shift too, "We decided that we'd indeed move Blue here, Rhys promised he'd be here throughout while everyone volunteered shifts so our little boy isn't left alone while you're in class, I'll get on that immediately."

I nod but wait because it seemed like he had more to say, "Keon, a word, as everyone else," he adds a pointed glare at both Andrei and Rhys "Let's Mahina get some rest before she resumes her classes."

They all nod moving to leave. I'm left staring down at Keon who's in the same position he was in before i was pulled off him.

A growl sounds at the door and he springs up with a wide smile, "Laters little phoenix," and with a wink he walks out.

I collapse on the bed, "Fuck me!"

"Not now I hope." Rhys says from somewhere in the room and I jolt upright staring at him incredulously.

"Weren't you supposed to leave?" I ask.

"I just promised to be here throughout, I take my word seriously," he answers with a smug smile.

"I'm certain that was not how he meant it,"

"Too bad," Rhys answers, "He should have put it clearly in fine print then," he finishes off with a wink.

Winks should be illegal.