Diplomacy: A Princess's Guide Pt. 04

"Much better, thanks for asking."

"Can I talk to you? In private?" he asked and I looked up at Aedan, whose jaw set in annoyance.

"Of course." He nodded and pulled away from me.

A feeling of loss washed over me. I tried to conceal it by taking a step back, out of his embrace, and gave a gentle nod to Asher.

Aedan walked out of the room and closed the door behind him.

"What is it?" I asked and looked back at Asher.

"They said you have... powers now? And that nearly killed you? I was so worried about you," he said and I took his hands.

"Asher, it's alright. Don't worry."

"Did you find out anything?" he asked, changing the subject.

"I did, but it's not really clear how I could help. We don't even know why the storm happened. The dam is cursed, Asher. The trees, plants, the wildlife, it's all gone. It's like poison has spread through the area and has destroyed everything around it," I told him and he sighed, closing his eyes for a brief second.

"What should we do?"

"You don't do anything, your leg and ribs are still healing," I scolded him and he rolled his eyes.

"But...," he started and I squeezed his hand harder.

"Asher, stop." Just heal and wait for me to come up with an idea. I promise you, I will find a solution." I smiled at him, and he frowned.

"Alright. Don't push yourself too much, okay?"

"I won't." I nodded and he let go of my hands.

"I should go, I hope you'll be alright. Tell Aedan to stop being a mopey ass."

I chuckled, as he turned and left the room. Quickly I sat down on the bed.

Aedan came back a second later and wrinkled his nose.

"Let me guess, I smell of him?" I asked quietly and Aedan just gave one stiff nod.

"Yeah, sorry, I didn't think about it," I said and stood up to freshen up a bit.

"Don't worry about it, Enya."

"Wait, I haven't told you, have I? That I talked to Asher?"

"Before you avoided me? No, you haven't," he said and walked towards the window. His voice sounded strange... hurt, almost. He clenched his jaw as he stared at me.

"I did not avoid you specifically, I was avoiding, well everyone," I argued and watched him as he looked out of the window.

"So talking to me was something to avoid?" He asked slowly, looking at me from the corners of his eyes.

He sighed and turned around to face me.

"No... Well yes," I admitted, there was no point in lying now. "I had to sort my shit out before I could talk... to you."

He narrowed his eyes on me, leaning against the wall.

"So, Asher talked to you?"

"Yes, and before you start your 'He doesn't deserve you' rant, stop. We came to the conclusion, that fate seems to have decided, that we don't work out. And we don't want to force anything, that will only lead to failure. So we decided to stay friends. He visited me today as a friend, Aedan, nothing more."

He ran a hand through his hair, loosening the bun a bit, the black strands falling in his face, framing it, as he let his head fall back against the wall and sighed deeply. "I can't lose you, Enya."

"Aedan," I whispered, not knowing what else to say. Asher was important to me, but as a friend. Not as a lover. And I knew that I felt something for Aedan.

I wanted to hug him, but the dizziness took over, so I closed my eyes and sat down, gripping the blankets tightly.

"Are you okay?" he asked, hurried over and kneeled in front of me. He took my face in his hands and tilted my head slightly while he examined my face.

I sighed and slowly opened my eyes. A few seconds passed before the spinning stopped again. "Yes, just a little dizzy," I assured him, hoping to relieve some of his concern.

"I'll get Cecilia, she should get you something comfortable you can wear in bed."

"Thank you," I whispered and he placed a soft kiss on my forehead, before he left and closed the door behind him.

The soft kiss had left my body tingling and I felt my nipples rub against the fabric of my gown, since I wore no bra. Gosh, that felt good. And oh so very bad. The warmth spread through my whole body, from my breasts down to my lower regions. I swallowed hard at the sudden realization, I was going crazy because of Aedan, or rather the need he woke up within me.

***

Aedan's POV

I found Cecilia and asked her to give Enya something to wear in bed.

As I was on the way back, I nearly ran into Kass.

"Aedan, I didn't see you," she smiled. "Everything okay?"

"Yes, why?"

"Well, you look troubled. Or... irritated, I'd say," she answered and folded her arms in front of her. "Aedan, talk to me, what is wrong?"

I pinched the bridge of my nose and leaned against the wall.

"She is my mate."

Her mouth dropped open as a disbelieving look crossed her features.

"Don't fucking lie, Aedan," she hissed, walking up to me.

"I'm not." I was tired of lying, tired of keeping this from myself, Kass and everyone else. It explained so much. Me being overprotective, being a mopey asshole as Asher would describe. Me having to be around her all the time. Fuck!

She gave me an 'I-cannot-believe-it' look. "Shit."

"I'm fucking going crazy, Kass. She doesn't even know..." I sighed and ran my hand through my hair.

"Will you tell her? Or let her figure it out on her own?" she asked, which was a valid question.

Should I tell her? How should I do that? I couldn't force this on her.

"I don't even know if she can feel it. She is a human after all and most likely can't," I mumbled and frowned in confusion.

"I have no idea. I've never heard of this, it's not common, as you know. Most of the wolfborn have not found their mates. Let alone in a human. But you can feel it? The bond?" Kass asked. I nodded slowly.

"I do. It's hard to describe, it's like a tingling feeling, a pull, as if my body craves her presence and it's only getting stronger. But she felt something, she asked me what it was, but at that time I didn't know."

"Give her time to figure it out. If you force it on her, you might scare her off."

"Easier said than done, Kass..."

***

Enya's POV

Cecilia had tried to dress me in one of those flimsy nightgowns that usually were really pretty, but I wasn't feeling like it. Instead I asked her for shorts and a top.

She had clicked her tongue in disapproval, but gave me what I wanted. Sort of. The shorts could barely be called shorts as they reached just below my ass. She had given me the tightest shirt I had ever worn and I had taken it off as soon as she was out of the door.

I quickly went to my closet and put on one of my tank tops, which I usually used for training, but at least it was comfortable.

A knock announced Aedan half an hour later.

He carried a tray of food with him and put it down on the nightstand, before he sat down beside me. He had changed too and was wearing sweatpants and a V-neck shirt. I had to admit that it looked good on him. He looked downright sexy.

I bit my lower lip as a blush crept up my face. I was not supposed to look at him that way... Gosh, I was screwed...

"I can't believe Cecilia let you wear this," he teased, when he looked down at me.

"That's because she hasn't. She gave me the shorts, but I changed the top right after she walked out of the door." I grinned and watched him as he shook his head and chuckled, his head resting against the headboard.

"You should eat something," he said.

I gave a slight nod and sat back on the bed next to him and began eating, trying to focus on anything but the heat radiating from him, as he sat directly beside me. I had offered him something to eat, too, but he had refused.

I ate as much as my stomach could handle, before I placed the tray on my nightstand again.

"We have to talk to Asher," I said, my voice low.

He sighed and looked over to me. "What is there to talk about, Enya?"

"We have to talk to him about the dam. Maybe he has ideas. And it would mean a lot to me, if you were there, too. But I can do this alone, if you don't want to be present." I added a little fast at the end, to make clear that he didn't have to participate in that conversation with me and Asher.

"No, it's fine. As long as he doesn't try anything funny, it's fine."

"Don't be rude, Aedan," I hissed. He was such an insufferable jerk sometimes!

"I can't wait until he arrives," he muttered and I rolled my eyes.

"He is my friend, Aedan." I said sternly and he glared at me.

"Tell me how you exactly are just friends with someone whom you had feelings for? I am quite curious how this works." I clenched my jaw and shot Aedan a deadly glare of my own, before I got up and walked over to the window, looking out over the city.

"I won't stop being friends with him, just because you..." Yeah, just because he what? There was nothing between us, so it shouldn't bother me, should it? But I knew deep inside me, it did.

"Enya...," I could feel him behind me, as he brushed my hair from my shoulder, his breath running down my neck. My skin broke out in goosebumps at his close proximity. Damn him.

"I don't even know why...," I started and inhaled sharply, when he pressed his lips to my neck, placing a soft kiss and dragging his teeth lightly across it. Oh goddess help me! This shouldn't feel so good... But it did! I felt my nipples harden and knew he could probably smell the effect he had on me.

"Why, what?" he whispered, his breath tickling my skin, before he turned me around in a swift motion and pressed my back into the wall, our faces now a breath apart.

My heart was hammering, my blood boiling with desire, the heat making me so dizzy, my gaze kept darting between his eyes and the shape of his lips. Fuck. He looked delicious... and so tempting.

Before I could answer, I held my breath when his lips came down on mine. He tasted of peppermint, of heaven and sin, all rolled together.

He pulled me against him, deepening the kiss, while his lips moved against mine, his tongue swiping along my bottom lip, before I opened my mouth to let him in. His tongue glided along mine, as his hand moved lower, over my lower back and over my ass.

This was crazy! My head spun and a sensation of fire surged through me. Heat radiated throughout my entire body, my fingers brushing across his cheeks, traveling through his silky hair, his hair falling from the bun and his strands slipping through my fingers.

He pulled me up and I wrapped my legs around his waist, his erection pressing into me and I gasped into the kiss.

"You make me insane, Enya," he breathed, before he kissed me again and moved us back to the bed, laying down, as he held me in his arms.

"I have to stop, otherwise I won't be able to," he panted.

"I don't want you to," I whispered and he kissed me again, before he pulled away and looked at me, his eyes a mixture of lust and something else.

"I will, because I don't want to rush anything. It's too important and I want you to be sure." Ohhhh, I was sure. Absolutely sure. Not an ounce of doubt in my mind, I wanted him and I wanted him now!

"I am sure, Aedan," I said and as he placed another kiss on my lips, before he rolled to the side and pulled me with him.

"Goodnight, Enya. Sleep well."

"Aedan, please," I pleaded.

He looked at me, his eyes filled with an emotion I couldn't quite decipher.

"You need to rest. If we do this, we do this, when you are fit again."

I couldn't really argue with this. So I snuggled into his chest, my fingers playing with the small slither of visible skin, where his shirt had ridden up. His muscles tensed beneath my fingertips.

"Sleep, Enya," he growled under his breath. But there was no denying, his body reacting to me as much as mine to him. But he had the willpower not to give into temptation and do what every cell of his body wanted to do: Lose himself in me.

It didn't take long for me to give in to sleep.

***

"Good morning, Enya!"

I smiled up at Aedan, who was standing beside my bed, a tray of food in his hands. He smelled freshly showered and his hair was still a little damp.

"Good morning!"

He sat down on the edge of the bed and handed me the tray, while I sat up, quickly straightening the shirt.

"You slept well." I nodded.

"I did," I admitted and ducked my head down in embarrassment. "What time is it?"

"It's almost noon," Aedan chuckled, and a blush crept up my cheeks.

I slept until noon? Damn, I really had been tired. I took the tray and put it on my lap, before I started eating. Aedan walked towards the window.

"I have asked Carr to set up an appointment with Asher, Kass, him, you and me," he said softly and looked over his shoulder. He really didn't like that thought, and his facial expression said so clearly. But I was happy that he actually did it.

"Thank you, Aedan!" I couldn't help but grin brightly.

"When is it?" I asked, as I took a sip of water.

"After dinner."

I nodded. That was plenty of time to prepare myself mentally to be around Aedan and Asher at the same time. And I had to figure out what exactly I wanted to tell Asher, especially since he hadn't been around anyone with magical abilities.

I looked over at Aedan, his face was... unreadable and I wondered, if he still doubted, that I didn't love Asher.

While I was eating, I didn't say much and Aedan looked out of the window.

"Is something the matter, Aedan?" I finally asked and he sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"This whole situation..." He closed his eyes and shook his head lightly.

He turned around, his hands resting on the windowsill, his head hanging low, before he slowly turned back towards me, a look in his eyes I couldn't quite grasp.

I got up and started pacing. I had to get this off my chest, stupid as it may sound.

"There is this crazy need for you to be close to me, it's as if a part of my soul yearns for you, for your presence and touch and I can't explain it." I couldn't meet Aedan's eyes as I stared at the floor. This was so weird, admitting it and I was afraid he would laugh in my face.

Instead he walked behind me, wrapped his arms around my waist and rested his chin on my shoulder.

"I think I can explain that," he said softly and brushed my hair from the shoulder he was resting on.

"You are my mate, Enya. It's our souls calling out to each other, recognizing each other and wanting to be close."

I turned around and looked at him in shock.

"I am what?" I breathed, while he cupped my cheek in his hand, his thumb brushing over my cheekbone, while the corners of his mouth lifted up in a soft smile.

A shudder ran through my body at his words and the tenderness of his touch. Mate?!

"My... my mate?"

"Yes," he whispered, his gaze flitting from my eyes to my lips, which parted slightly at his sudden close proximity. He smelled of mint and citrus, of nature and cleanness and it sent my pulse racing.

"How is that even possible? I am a human and you are a wolfborn," I whispered, searching his gaze for the lies or any signs of falsehood.

"I don't know, Enya, but I can feel it and I think you can too."

"I do," I answered truthfully. There was no way around it.

"Being my mate doesn't limit you however. You don't have to be with me, our connection is just... stronger."

"It's not that, Aedan, it's just... I didn't know." Did this mean, I wasn't crazy? That what he made me feel wasn't pure insanity? I hadn't known that mates existed.

"Neither did I. Do you remember on the bed, after you had woken for the first time, after you used your powers?"

I nodded slowly. "It felt like a warm blanket covering me," I whispered and he nodded.

"That was the bond forming."

"Aedan, I'm so confused," I whispered and he pulled me in his arms, holding me against his chest, his hand brushing through my hair.

My mate, the words resonated through me and his heartbeat was drumming in my ears.

The pieces fell back into place. This feeling between us had a scientific reason behind it. The need to be around him... but this meant something, for both of us. The intensity of it... Of everything. It hadn't been wishful thinking nor insanity. A mate bond!

"Now get your ass with those... shorts that may not be considered shorts, back to bed," he scolded, making sure to catch a quick glance at them.

I grinned up at him, before I did as he said, ignoring his teasing smirk that never failed to bring me out of whatever I thought.

***

We sat in the garden, having a little picnic, while the sun was high in the sky, the heat was mild and the birds were singing their songs, as we talked about everything and nothing at once.

Aedan's hand was resting on my thigh, his thumb brushing over the sensitive skin every now and then, as if he wanted to reassure me.

I was telling him about my childhood, my father, the few friends I had had, as he listened attentively.

"So you could do whatever you wanted," he noted and chuckled.

"Yeah, pretty much. My father was very lenient and let me do as I pleased," I said and placed a grape in my mouth and he chuckled.

"I should be surprised, but I'm not."

"Oh shut up," I laughed and poked his arm, while he leaned towards me and captured my lips with his.

My heartbeat picked up, while he kissed me, his lips soft and gentle against mine. Goddess, how was it possible to get addicted to his kisses so easily? The bond must be partly responsible for it, but still...

"And you didn't have any friends?"

"No, not really, only one. Mary."

"You will see her again, Enya," he reassured me, as he took my hand and intertwined our fingers, his thumb brushing over the back of my hand.

I looked over to a flowerbed and the butterflies that were fluttering around.

"Do you have them in Moira, too?" he asked and I nodded.

"Yes, the colors are a little different, though." I looked at them for a few more moments. "We should get ready for the meeting."

Aedan gave a brief nod and helped me get to my feet, without any problems or lightheadedness.

***

The meeting was surprisingly pleasant. Aedan behaved and didn't growl at Asher, and Asher wasn't the dick, he could be sometimes. He listened and asked questions, while Kass and I told him about our theories.

Aedan kept watching him, as if he was scared he would try something, but eventually his attention turned back towards me, while Asher continued to study the notes he had made.

And, possessive as he was, he placed his hand on the small of my back and drew circles with his thumb. A gesture to calm me, but a sweet move nonetheless.

"You do realize that it sounds rather... impossible," Asher said and looked at the papers, before he looked at Kass, Carr and Aedan.

"I know, Asher, but I have seen it with my own eyes," I responded softly and he sighed.

"You haven't told me yet, why the storm happened, how you survived," he said and looked down at his notes, scribbling something in, as Aedan and I shared a look.

"I destroyed the storm with Selena's power... With my power," I corrected myself and he looked at me as if I had just grown a second head.

His eyes widened slightly at my statement and I bit my lower lip at his questioning glance, waiting for him to speak up.

"I don't get it, how can you be able to control the power of a goddess?"

I shrugged my shoulders. How should I know? As I said it felt strange, surreal... and overwhelming.

"She is blessed by the goddess and with that her power awakened. So she is connected to Selena and through her power. I know it's hard to believe, but she did save our lives," Kassandra explained to him calmly. I nodded at her, thanking her for the words she said.

"I have to see this for myself," Asher said and leaned back in his chair, while the wind blew through the open window, bringing the smell of wild flowers in.

"Give it a little more time, you are still healing Asher," Carr interrupted before I could argue.