Once Upon a Child of the Stars

Thirty- A Shift

The following morning, I woke with a strange pressure on my body and I was almost sweating. I forced my eye lids open despite the lethargic haze in my head. It was then I realized I was not alone in the bed, and that the warmth and weight was not just some mysterious feeling, but a body. 

"What the hell!" I yelped as I pushed the body off of the bed. The body thumped on the floor and a low growl came from the chest of the body. 

"Was that necessary?" Xavian asked as he pulled himself up with the bed. 

"Yes!" I yelled back. "I told you! Me bed, you floor!" I continued to scold him. 

"You didn't have to throw me off the bed though. We are still mates after all," Xavian said with an eye roll.

"I made myself clear and you went against my wishes. I think it was perfectly fair that I pushed you off of my bed. The key word there was 'my'," I say, glaring at the tall Hellian in front of me. 

"Well now you are awake. Now I can reason with you about being on the bed," he says with a smirk right before he throws his large body back onto the bed. 

"Xavian! Get off!" I yell as I try to push him off once more. This time though, in his awake state, he wraps his strong arms around my body, pulling me down into a laying position with him. 

"Xavian!" I shout once more but this time a hand comes over my mouth, muting my shouts. 

"Be quiet will you? I'm trying to rest and relax with my mate," he says as he relaxes and lays back. His words almost shock into my heart along with the heat that flows from his body into mine. My eyes trail up to meet his, his a beautiful dark reddish color. I could not help my own eyes from changing from my normal green to a bright, glowing red. 

"See. Even your own body knows you belong to me," Xavian spoke, his deep voice a soothing tone, so smooth it sent a shiver down my spine. 

He slowly removed his hand from my mouth, which I kept shut as I observed my mate. He looked down at me, and for the first time he looked at me without anger. Instead, he looked at me with curiosity and adoration. His fingers traced my jaw line and then found his way to my silky black hair. 

I felt like I was in a trance, but then my mind flickered to the anger and hate he projected at me, the abuse while we were on Hellian. I quickly snapped my head away from him, pulling my self out of his embrace. I quickly jumped out of the bed and stood a few paces away. 

"No. You don't get to come here and pretend you're some loving mate or something," I said while I shook my head. "You don't get to play mind games with me," I stated before I turned and walked away. 

"Luminara," Xavian called as I heard his thundering footsteps follow me. 

"Leave her alone, Xavian," I hear Raegar from behind me. "You've done enough for one morning. Give her time," Raegar states as I continue to storm down the hallway. 

I make my way into the small kitchen where Kaedian is already gorging himself on whatever he had found in the cupboards. 

"Hey, Princess. You look..." he pauses as he takes in my facial expressions. 

"I look what?" I say, crossing my arms and rolling my eyes. 

"Beautiful. Happy. Cheerful," he says, stumbling over compliments in order to not irritate me any longer. I answer him with a simple hum and go about searching for my own breakfast. It is not much longer before the two Hellian royals come into the room. 

"Good morning my king and prince," Kaedian says with a polite small bow. 

"Please. We aren't even on our own planet so stop with the formalities," Raegar says with a wave of his hand. Kaedian nods and goes back to eating his meal. 

"Good morning, Lumi," Raegar says. 

"Morning," I say, or rather mumble as I look in the cupboards. 

"Good morning my beautiful mate," I hear Xavian's voice say, but I am no longer falling for his shit. 

"Shove it up your ass, Xavian," I state as I turn around with a sarcastic smile. He rolls his dark purple eyes at me and looks to his brother. 

"So, brother. What is on the plan for today?" he asks his brother as he places his hand on his shoulder. 

"Well the original plan was to keep hiding from you but guess that is off the itinerary now," Raegar says with an eye roll. 

"So let's do something. It has been some time since we have had a vacation, hasn't it brother?" Xavian says. 

"We could go back to the springs? I know the lycans are having some sort of pack meeting so it will be empty today," Kaedian says with an excited smile. 

"Well if all the lycans are out and about then there is not much else for us to do. Let's do it," I say with a shrug. 

"Sounds fun to me," Xavian says as he looks at me. 

"Nobody cares what you think," I say as I walk passed him on my way to the bedroom where the swim clothes Tyla gave me were hanging to dry. 

I closed the bedroom door and ran my hands down my face. Xavian's change in personality had me confused and the mate bond wanting him more. I did not understand it, and I did not understand his past aggression towards me either. I was not ready to ask him either. 

I sighed and I stripped my clothes off before I pulled the bikini on. I bit my lip, thinking about everything that had transpired in the passed two months. Taking a deep breath, I push the door to the bedroom open and exit it. 

I make my way to the living room where the three men are already waiting for me. Xavian's eyes immediately trace my body, every single curve. They begin to glow a brighter red than I have ever seen them. I am assuming he knew not to make a comment as he soon tore his eyes off of me and looked away. 

"Well what are we waiting for? Let's go," Kaedian says with a smile. 

"Ready whenever you are," I say with a smile to the Hellian who gives me a friendly smile back before turning and exiting the house.