A Kingdom of Bloodshed (A Crimson Court Series)

*¬*Chapter Sixteen*¬*

Fated. We're fated for each other and now I'm kissing her. Thea's lips are soft, sweet. They are warm and inviting and all I want to do is drag my fingers through her hair until her neck is exposed. A whimper slips free from deep in her throat.

The universe just aligned. The galaxies have shifted and I can feel it, deep in my being something snapping into place.

Mates. We're each other's mates. How is this possible?

I've spent my entire life wondering what it would feel like when I met my mate, if I'd know right away or if it would take some time? I wondered if it would be this all encompassing love and light or if it would be a slow burn. I've heard the stories of the mating bond, and the power of it. How overwhelming it can be and how some males are driven mad by it. I'm not sure if I fully understand yet, but just kissing Thea feels like madness.

A golden thread glitters into place between our souls, reaching out for the other. I want them to connect. I need it to. Her kisses become deeper, her fingers are now dragging through my hair and I groan as she takes my lower lip into her teeth. "Althea." I murmured, "No talking." She snarks.

I love that about her. How strong willed she is.

"So you're really not rejecting me?" She whispers. Her voice is gentle but guarded. I hate that. I hate that she's speaking to me like this.

"No, I'm not." I reply in the same tone. She pulls away from the kiss and I want to cry out for her to come back, but this is all new to her. I will not push if she isn't ready for more. A sigh slips from her lips and Thea pulls away completely, her voice filling the quiet room,  "I can smell everything now. Every little scent down to the dust beneath the tiles. Every sound, taste, feel, it's all exaggerated. It's all too much."

"You get used to it. Being Created is not common among the Fae, but you're different. Word may spread about it. But you will get used to it all, the differences of being fully Fae."

She sighs and slowly cracks her neck, the slender column of her throat bobs as she swallows. All I want to do is trace it with my tongue, to feel her heart beat beneath that smooth skin. As she kneels in silence, our breaths mingling from the kiss, she asks me, "How are you certain that we're Mates? We never knew before until Myra told me. So how can we be certain that this is real?" Softly grinning at her, I tuck some loose hair behind her ear and stare deeply into her eyes before saying, "I've waited many centuries to find my Mate. I've spent countless nights dreaming, hoping, wondering what that faceless woman would look like when I met her. Hoping that when I did, I would just know."

"So what makes you think I'm different? How is this any different?" She turns her face away, her eyes downcast. I can see the walls going back up, I can see the way she prepares for it. The rejection.

"Because I can feel it. I didn't know right away, but I've had my suspicions. When you awoke after being hit by the rebound of my brother's magic and I found out you were to marry him, I felt it. Not only did my guilt alert me to it, but the fact that I was ready to kill him or any male that wanted you told me enough." She's still silent, waiting. I need to give her more. To tell her more.

"Thea, sweetheart, I know you're my mate. I know it with every fiber in my body. All this time, I've been searching for you." The shivers that ripple along her skin makes my mouth water. When her eyes flicker back to mine, the burning embers in them nearly topple me over.

By the gods...

"Let me show you, Thea. Let me be your hero or whatever it is you're looking for." Long minutes pass in silence, our gazes never once leaving each other's.

Finally she shakes her head softly, "No." My heart sputters for a moment, "Why?" Althea sighs before pressing to her feet and standing. I follow suit. I don't want her to feel uncomfortable, but the idea that she may reject me... it's undeniable. However, if that is what she wants then I will respect it.