Page 82 of Cryptic Dreams
One of the many things I love about my mate is how genuine he is, how he is unashamedly himself no matter what he’s doing or where he is, and since we’re together for the long haul, I guess I’m going to have to get used to it.
Which is exactly why I look Atticus right in the eye, nod slightly and give him a small smile.
One of his perfectly shaped brows lifts. “I can see why everyone is in such a tizzy though.” He glances at his son before turning his full attention back to me. “Lovely little thing, isn’t she, boy?”
Wraith angles himself a little more, blocking my view a bit. “Zephyr, this is my father, the High Elder, Atticus of Carmarthen.”
“Zephyr.” His father smirks, his eyes still visible and trained on me. “A beautiful name for a beautiful female. My daughter through blood, as it seems.”
“That is how these things work, yeah? Youronly sonfinds his mate, they mate, she becomes your daughter through blood?” Wraith grunts in annoyance.
Atticus nods slowly, his black eyes cold as they take in every inch of my appearance. “So it seems.” His perusal stops on my throat, his nostrils flare just a bit and despite how obvious it is that we mated, the High Elder is doing exactly what my beautiful male said he would. Atticus is looking for proof, proof of the mating or proof we haven’t, and when his gaze travels down the rest of my body—something that makes me a little sick to my stomach—it abruptly stops at my hands. “Where are my manners?”
Before either of us can move, Atticus is directly in front of me, my left hand in his and raised toward his face. His rather handsome face, if I’m being totally honest, because wow, he and Wraith could be brothers. Their features are similar, though my mate is far more attractive, and much sexier than the male in front of me now. Sure, some of that is probably the hate I can feel simmering in our bond, my own dislike for this bastard for my own reasons as well as the information I’m not privy to, but Atticus doesn’t really hold a candle to my deviant prince.
“These are lovely,” the High Elder says while examining my glove. “But it is tradition in our line for the father of the male to kiss the family seal, to bestow his blessing upon the mating by doing so over the signet ring passed down through blood… “
And now my heart is racing again.
I’m wearing my mate’s ring, so it’s not that but it’s under my glove because it wouldn’t fit over my finger with it on and even though I don’t see Wraith’s past or future the way I do with everyone else, it does not mean I won’t get a head full of Atticus’s shitshow the second he has my bare hand in his.
“Father… “ Wraith emits a warning growl as he attempts to stand between us again. “Couldn’t this wait until—”
“You’ve kept her from us long enough,son,” he says with a grin that sends a chill down my spine, his free hand moving to the fingers of my glove. “It is only right that I give you my blessing; share my joy and hope that the Gods of Old bring an immortal lifetime of love and happiness, of manyyoungto your household.”
Oh this is so not good.
Not good at all.
Atticus is going to remove my glove and touch me, and I’m going to get slammed with hundreds and hundred of years worth of shit, and it’s all going to happen after an indirect threat to the young Wraith and I don’t have yet. The young my mate is already very protective of based on the louder growl vibrating up from his chest and the way his four fangs are barely hidden behind his fabulous lips.
This is about to be epically terrible.
“It is my right, after all.” Another evil, evil smile as Atticus starts tugging the fabric down my arm. “It must be—”
“My lord.” Hans—I’d know that asshole anywhere—rushes up to us, inadvertently stopping all kinds of terrible things from happening. “Drusilla, she—”
“Christ.” The High Elder sighs as he drops my hand and spins around. “What in the hell has she done now?”
I watch as Hans whisks Atticus away and blow out a breath the second they disappear behind the platform. Jesus, that was close.
“I will kill him.”Wraith’s voice in my head again. So angry, so so angry. “I will kill that bastard and put his head on a pike right outside our front door. Threaten my mate, my young so openly…”His gorgeous onyx eyes find mine. “You alright, love?Your heart is racing.”
I nod as I pull my glove back into place. “He seems… nice.Nice and asshole-ish.”
My mate relaxes into his seat and immediately reaches for my hand, and wraps it protectively in his. “Indeed.He’s king of nothing but the assholes now, my love, and I will make him pay for that little exchange as soon as my plan allows for it.”
“I’m ok. That was just super intense. I wasn’t expecting it.”
“Nor was I.”
“Your mother… “
“Is most likely drunk and stupid somewhere off in the shadows,” he says as he leans toward me to nuzzle my neck. “I am in desperate need to claim what is mine, Zephyr. I already felt the urge to do so thanks to the bastards that are ogling you endlessly, and now that I feel threatened…”
I lift my hand to his cheek, etiquette be damned, and tilt Wraith’s head enough to press a kiss to his lips. “I love you.And I understand. Right this second isn’t the time, but soon.”
“In the car then, on the way home.”
