Page 10 of Elemental Evolved


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He was scared.

The thought hit me like a ton of bricks. I knew it intellectually, but I hadn'treallyknown it until that point. No one knew what would happen after I stabilized the realms if I even could. No one really knew what would happen if I didn't, other than destruction.

This man was scared for his wife and child, his small family that looked brand new. How was he supposed to keep them safe from something like this?

I watched him as I said, "I left everyone I know and love. My entire life. I walked away from it because I knew that billions of lives depended on me if these warriors were right, and I was the key. Which honestly seems a little stupid. I don't know whose idea it was to make the existence of most life dependent on me, but it's not like I've got a choice in the matter. I suppose I did since I could have just ignored what they told me, written it off as being too fantastical and gone on to live my life as though nothing was happening. I didn't do that, though. Instead, I chose to help people. I chose not to ignore the responsibility placed on me."

"You know what? It's fine," Timmon called out from behind me. "I'll help you find the stone. In fact, I know where it is, as do probably most people here."

I turned toward him, relief making my shoulders sag.

"I will help you find it. I'll even take you to it. That said, since you seem so firmly tied to the other realms, I have one condition..." He paused dramatically as though waiting for a drum roll. I wasn't going to give it to him, that was for sure. After an awkward moment, he finally continued. "My only condition is this: Tie yourself to Agartha as well."

"What does that mean?" I asked hesitantly. He was far too happy about whatever idea he'd come up with for me to be comfortable expressing gratitude or agreement just yet.

"Simple. Marry somebody from our realm." He smiled down at me from his table, spreading his arms wide as though he was the most benevolent saint that could exist.

"What?" I asked, my breath stilling in my chest as I tried to comprehend what he was asking.

The sneer returned. "Are you dense? It's not complicated. I want you to marry somebody from Agartha."

I just stared at Timmon. How was I supposed to answer that? Especially when I already had two mates. It wasn’t like Finn and Griff were going to give me up and just let me walk away, and I wouldn't want to either, no matter how mad I'd been at them earlier in the evening. They were part of who I was.

"No one will marry her!" Someone called behind me and I had to fight not to feel embarrassed by the public rejection, which was silly because it wasn't like I wanted to be forced into this weird marriage. I didn't know anyone from Agartha except Kai, and I was sure he'd rather swim in the lake in El Dorado than marry me.

7

Finn

At first, I couldn't believe what I had heard. Had this asshole really just told Tessa that she needed to marry someone for him to help her find the stone?

That couldn't be what he'd said.

I had to be mistaken. Right?

Admittedly, Leader Timmon didn't know anything about Tessa's relationship status, nor would I expect him to. Still, as one of her mates, there was absolutely no way I would let her marry a stranger. Not a snowball's chance in El Dorado that anything like that was going to happen.

I wasn't even aware that I had pushed myself to my feet until my fist hit the table, but I wasn't the only one. As I looked to my side, I saw Griff standing next to me, with Niall beside him, both clearly angry, and when I looked to my other side, Dresden and Kai were standing there as well. The two looked more like statues from the lack of expression on their faces. Only those familiar with them would know the lack of expression only showed up when they were both furious.

"If you think we're going to stand by and let Tessa be forced into something like this, then you're extremely mistaken," Dresden growled. It was the most possessive I'd ever heard him be of Tessa, and honestly, it kind of warmed my heart, as girly as that might have been to say. We all had a connection to her, and it was about time Dresden and Kai owned up to that.

"None of us are going to let you force her into anything just so you will help us find the stone. We're more than capable of finding it ourselves," Griff said, his tone colder than I'd ever heard him.

"That may or may not be true," Leader Timmon replied with a shrug. "But the outcast over there knows, as well as I do, that the plants in Agartha's forests are not always friendly."

"Is that a threat?" Kai ground out.

Timmon smiled, but it was fake, or maybe fake was the wrong word. Whatever it was, the smile was there for all the wrong reasons. I glanced out to the crowd and the other dinner guests to see if they might stand up to Timmon and what he was saying.

If I was honest, they all looked too scared to move, let alone say anything. It made me wonder what exactly was going on with this leader. If he was as nice as he tried to appear or if it was all just an act. If his people were scared of him, scared to speak up, then that was a bad sign.

They had spoken up earlier, though, so what had changed? The only thing I could think of was his mood. He'd been somewhat happy, or at least welcoming before, then after Tessa's outburst, he soured. Now there was barely a peep from the other people at the dinner, like they were trying to fade into the background.

The last thing I expected to hear as the internal debate about Timmon's ethics raged was Tessa's voice agreeing to the marriage.

"What did you just say?" Griff asked, clearly stunned by her words.

Tessa didn't look over at us as she answered Griff and repeated herself. "I said I will agree to the marriage if I get to pick who I am marrying." Blood started pounding in my ears, and I didn't know what to make of her agreement. I knew that the mate bond between us hadn't changed, and I doubted it had changed between her and Griff either. Something like that can't just be broken or turned off, so she agreed to this marriage, knowing full well that she already had two mates. Vaguely I was aware of Tessa speaking. "You set your condition. I'm setting mine. I will marry as long as I get to choose who."

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