Nicholas Claw pushes off a wall at the side of the barn where he'd apparently been lounging until called upon. All the council members, except Laz and Killian, shrink slightly in their chairs. Nick is a shadow as he strides up between the two rows of seats. He wears a dark black suit and tie. His short black hair is slicked back, and red horns poke from the crown of his head. A red tail trails behind him, and his bloodred skin shines in the overhead light. He trails a line of black smoke permeating the air with a bonfire smell. I move slightly in front of Ivy on instinct. Nick notices and shows all his bright, white, sharp teeth when he smiles.
"Miss Smith, it's nice to finally meet you in person. We've been doing a lot of business by mail. I'm Nick Claw." He holds out a hand, and Ivy, the damn mortal that she is, reaches for it. I slap his hand away, and Ivy flinches a little. I file the motion away for later.
"He's a contract demon, Freckles. Don't shake his hand, don't say your full name in front of him, and don't sign anything he puts in front of you unless you've read it thoroughly."
Her eyes widen and scan Nick. Likely that advice was a little too late, considering she’d likely signed items to inherit the cottage and store, but hopefully Nick had stuck to the arranged inheritance and nothing more.
Nick spins, putting his back to Ivy and me and facing the council. "I've enjoyed your little chatterings long enough. I was employed by Ursula Shipton to represent her self-claimed niece, and I was locked into a deal I cannot break. Therefore, it doesn't actually matter what this little council decides. The mortal isn't leaving before the wards are fixed. And after? Well, we'll see. And if for some reason you found a way around me…" He pauses, glancing over his shoulder at me, amusement and malice dancing in his eyes. "You'll have to go through her mate."
Ivy
You could hear a mouse fart in here. The wordmateseems to have paralyzed every single person in the room, none more than Conall, who is staring at Nick Claw ashen-faced. Even the green patches on his skin have gone several shades lighter.
"Wait, wait, wait, hold up!" Amy calls from the front, platinum braids swaying as she gestures. "Who has a mate? Ivy has a monster mate? And you're saying it's Conall?"
My heart feels like it's somewhere around my kneecaps. I can't feel my fingers, and there's a rushing in my ears. I've read about mates in romance books, of course. People destined for each other because some star or prophecy, and then they fall in love. But that isn't real life. Real relationships are messy and hard, and in my experience, usually pretty awful.
"Of course. Why else would Shipton choose her as the successor? She could have chosen anyone." Nick Claw makes direct, unblinking, deeply unsettling eye contact with Conall. "It was a thank you. For all of your family's service." He taps the floor once with his shoe, then walks around us and out of the town hall, as if he'd caused exactly as much trouble as he'd intended to and was now off to ruin someone else's day.
"The exceptions for mortals are written clearly. Being mated to a monster of Moonfall Island means you may remain on MoonfallIsland." Laz addresses both tables of council members, all of whom look thoroughly thwarted, none more than Randy.
"But there's never been a human mate on Moonfall," Randy protests weakly.
"But they're not excluded," Laz points out.
"Wait, I'm not—" I begin, but Conall wraps an arm around my waist and pulls me close. Everywhere our bodies touch, sparks. My breath catches before I can stop it.
"Of course," he calls across the room while Randy squints at us. "My mate. We need to get home now and do private things."
“What the hell are you—” I start, but he silences me with his mouth on mine.
At first, I freeze. Then I try to push him away, but his lips move against mine like he already knows how this ends. His tongue brushes my lower lip, and I gasp when he bites, sharp enough to make my knees weaken. His hand slides to the back of my neck, fingers threading into my hair, pulling just enough to tilt my head where he wants it. The small sound that leaves me feels like it belongs to someone else.
He groans, low and rough, and I feel it deep in my chest. In my stomach. Lower.
When he finally pulls back, my eyes open slowly. Everything about that kiss felt dangerous and addicting.
It takes me a second to realize we are no longer standing in the barn.
We're in my cottage.
“What the—” I shove at his chest, and this time he lets me go easily. “What was that?” I demand.
"I was buying time for Laz to magically transport us," he says, stepping back.
"But what was that?" I nearly screech, gesturing to my lips.
"A distraction, obviously. I promised you wouldn't have to move, and now you don't have to." He says it simply, moving around to the couch and dropping into it.
"Because they think I'm your mate?" I ask.
He leans forward, elbows on knees, and runs his hands through his hair. "Yes.”
"But I'm not," I point out. He doesn't smile. His eyes scan my face. He opens his mouth, but before he can say anything, a knock comes at the door.
"It's me!" Amy's voice drifts through.
"And me." Dolly's softer, raspier voice. “Laz transported us up here too.”
