Page 69 of Facade

“I’m not sure that’s a good idea. I’m glad we’re all getting along, but this isn’t exactly a vacation. I know we can’t stay in guard mode all of the time, and I truly have nothing against you, Evanee.” He held his hands up to me, his face earnestly apologetic. “But I also don’t know why you’re marked the way you are, nor why Cressida would have to put a proximity spell on you.” Dimitri walked to his mare, taking his sword and sheath from the bag strapped there as he continued, though my face fell. “Not to mention the King summoned you. And no offense, but for a human, that’s never good.”

Dimitri turned, looking to Aiden, whose face twisted into something lethal. I forced myself to swallow the remaining leaves as the air thickened with tension.

“I’m not trying to sound like an ass, but we do have a job to do,” Dimitri finished, strapping his sword on.

“He’s right,” I blurted, although part of me was a little perplexed. I thought we’d developed a small friendship. If anything, I'd have expected this from Malachai.

“No, he isn’t.” Aiden locked in on Dimitri, his expression unwavering. “You’re not in charge. I am. And I say that we made it through those cliffs in record time, therefore she has time to enjoy something as inconsequential as the springs.”

Dimitri held his hands up in a defensive posture.

“Easy, Aiden, just trying to be the responsible one. It’s easy to get sidetracked when our mission is something so pretty for once.” I glared at him. He rolled his eyes. “It’s a compliment! Fine, whatever. I’m not the one in charge, like you said. Just… trying to watch out for you, boss.”

“I don’t need you watching out for me, Dimitri.” Aiden glared at the wolf until the latter conceded with a small bow of his head.

“Malachai and I will escort her. You can keep watch over the horses and get everything ready.” Aiden’s authoritative tone was not one you argued with. It would seem Dimitri recognized that as well, turning to the tasks at hand. Meanwhile, Aiden beckoned me to follow.

Malachai followed a short distance behind us, always watching.

“Is this going to cause problems with Dimitri?” I asked. Though I’m not sure why I cared. Discourse between the three of them would actually work in my favor.

“He’ll be fine. He’s mostly eager to get back to his mate.”

“His mate?”

“Yeah, they were newly mated right before we were sent on this mission. They didn’t get much time to….” He glanced sideways at me. “They just didn’t get much time.”

“But he—and Marigold—”

Aiden smirked. “Wolves are very sexual creatures—especially alphas like Dimitri. With his mating being so new and not much time to be with her, it was bound to happen.”

My eyebrows flew into my hairline. I’m glad I’m not a wolf.

He laughed as he took in my face. “I still manage to forget you don’t know about the nature of different beings.”

“Are there any other beings like that?” Are you? I wanted to ask. Is there a female waiting for you, and I’m just here to pass the time?

He ducked under a branch, holding it for me as we passed.

“Fae don’t really mate.” He kicked a hollow log from our path. “Contracts suit them better since they’re solitary creatures. The Dragon Shifters in the south mate. Unless a stronger male or female challenges to steal a mate and kills them. I’ve seen one of those fights happen and…” he chuckled darkly, shaking his head. “It was brutal.” I wrinkled my nose. “Not sure about the Elementals. They kept their secrets pretty close. ”

“And the Gargoyles?” The question slipped past my lips before I could stop it.

He hesitated before answering. “They were the only beings that mated for life, if they were blessed enough to find their mate. True bonds disappeared when their powers did. So, they created matching ceremonies.”

“Matching ceremonies?”

He scratched the back of his neck. “They’d perform a ritual that would make a female’s color change to that of the male she was matched with.” I scrunched my nose at that. Arranged marriages, matches, or whatever they were called, sounded awful.

“Would have made things more interesting if the Gargoyles had been able to find their bonded mate. The few texts I’ve seen say they’d often send mated pairs away until their bond calmed.”

“Why?”

“Because they became dangerously territorial and couldn’t keep their hands off one another.” He offered his hand as we stepped over a fallen tree.

I smiled. “What’s wrong with that?”

“I imagine it would've been difficult for everyone else when a mated pair tried to kill anyone who got too close to their mate. That and they’d walk around smelling like sex constantly.” Oh. I cleared my throat, yanking my hand from his and fiddled with the end of my braid.