Fae Mated

KERREN

“Did you even read the primer I gave you? You’ll be in a portion of Earth designated as America. They’re a relatively young civilization⁠—”

“Vevina, relax. And of course, I didn’t read your ‘primer’ because I can barely lift it. I’ve been to plenty of planets. I’ll be fine,” Kerren insisted, patting Vevina’s shoulder and walking past her.

The loud clacking of determined heeled feet followed him down the corridor. Vevina stepped in his way with a huff. Her pale blue eyes narrowed, and she poked a single finger into his chest.

“Earth is not like other planets and this isn’t like other trips. You want to live there, so you need to know the customs. I won’t be there to help you adapt. This isn’t a short trip,” she said glaring. “I need to know that after I leave you with the representative, you won’t somehow stumble into a war or get yourself jailed or similar.”

He sighed loudly and rolled his shoulders. “Look. I understand your concern, but the wonderful thing is that I’ll have my entire life to learn how things work. Besides, humans are humans, aren’t they?”

He side-stepped her and strolled through his living room, into the kitchen where he grabbed an apple. “They have these, and the brochure is colorful. You should be excited for me. A new adventure.”

Vevina snatched the apple from his hand, giving him a hard look. “Tell me you didn’t choose your future home based on fruit.”

He took the apple back from her and bit into it. Chewing the sweet fruit, he turned and leaned against the counter-top. He still needed to decide how to handle his home. Sidera Luminis didn’t have too many fae that could afford it, but he didn’t have any family to hand it over to.

“Kerren!”

He eyed his determined assistant, her mood so jolted that her hair had started to flicker colors to match—a feature of her genetics. It made it entertaining to toy with her. Truthfully, he’d done plenty of research regarding possible suitable homes on and off over the last few decades. He wasn’t completely ignorant of the choice he’d made.

“I chose Earth because humans are unpredictable yet varied. The atmosphere is gentle on our systems, so I’ll age slower but won’t eventually die of some wild health disorder. It’ll be easy for me to slide into a lifestyle and I get my pick of jobs, really. Being a duke has that perk, at least. All the string-pulling needed, in a world where a decent man could certainly be of use.”

She settled down, hair returning to its usual soft peach tone. Crossing her arms, she looked around. “I can’t believe you want to leave us.”

“I’m not leaving you, personally. I’m leaving monotony. Sidera Luminis isn’t enough for me. I’m bored. Earth is supposed to be full of life and surprises. It’s not like I’m truly needed here. Which is exactly why I have this opportunity. Nobility with no ties to the crown of fae are free to leave.”

“You’re leaving family and friends to pursue a life of debauchery with humans,” she accused.

“Is that so wrong?” He munched on the apple and waved his hand dismissively. “I’m kidding. Don’t be like that. We both know that you’ve wanted a new job forever. Why not celebrate? You will no longer be bound to me until death. Your debt will dissolve, and you can do whatever you’d like.”

She stared at him with her most unimpressed expression.

“I suggest dancer,” he teased. “I love to watch you bounce around when you’ve had one too many glasses of wine.”

She rolled her eyes and pulled out her electronic planner. “Your guide is situated in your desired city as we speak, native to the area and well-versed in the local customs. If we want to make a good impression, I suppose we should get going.”

He nodded and tossed the apple core into the trash. After wiping the juice from his hand, he led the way towards the front door.

“I didn’t think Earth had official representatives,” he commented.

“They don’t. However, I was able to track down a professional in the area, a Euphrasie Hudson.”

“Never heard of her.” He glanced over to Vevina, who stared down at her planner as she walked. “What’s the nature of her profession?”

“Ah, she’s a headhunter of sorts. Puts people in touch,” Vevina replied. “She comes highly recommended.”

“That’s excellent work there. I’d give you a raise if it would go through before you were done working for me.”

“There’s such a thing as a bonus,” she muttered under her breath.

Kerren grinned to himself. She would definitely get a bonus, and he was eager to get his dream-come-true: A life outside the formal confines of Sidera Luminis.

***

The portal that connected Sidera Luminis to the rest of existence was an engraved wooden arch in the center of an open field, a device which upon cursory glance was nothing impressive given its capabilities. As Kerren and Vevina approached, vines climbed from the ground to encase the arch.

Reaching out, he fingered the strange flowers and leaves. “What are they?”

Vevina leaned forward, practically putting her nose into the bloom. She inhaled, then consulted her planner. “The red things are roses. The rest is an herb they call thyme.”

“Fascinating,” he said, stepping back to see the arch more clearly. “I always wonder how it decides the representation.”

“You say that nearly every time,” Vevina pointed out. “Except that one trip where the arch dripped with slime. That time, you were disgusted.”

“It ruined my suit,” he recalled.

She tucked her planner into her pocket and went to the fountain nearby. It ran with the water of reflections. While the arch itself managed travel, the water had to be ingested in order to ensure safe passage. It would also adjust their forms to be less flamboyant, since there were planets where the sight of an amber-skinned fae like Vevina could cause chaos.

She handed him a silver cup and he drank from it in one gulp. Handing it back, he shivered from the cold liquid coursing through his body. After she’d had her drink as well, they held hands and stepped through the arch.

Traveling through dimensions or across to different planets took seconds, but always left Kerren feeling as if he’d lost hours of the day. To him, it was like taking a fifteen-minute nap and waking afraid that the entire day was gone.

Above, a bright sun shone down on them. He didn’t look up, though it was nearly instinct to do so. Most planets didn’t have dangerous lighting, but according to the brochure, looking directly at the burning sphere above him could rob him of sight.

He needed his sight.

Vevina handed him an envelope then. “Just put this in your pocket for now. It’s your room key and instructions for appearing like an average guest.”

“Room key? Are we on a building?” He tucked the envelope into his coat pocket.

She nodded. “The entryway from Sidera Luminis to Earth. We’re on the roof of the Landsgate Faerriot. It’s a luxury resort hotel and spa, according to the information here.”

“That’s perfect,” he said with a grin. “See? Look at that sky. It’s amazing here.”

She made an unimpressed noise and gestured to a door in the distance. “You’ve been checked in automatically, so we really should get going if we’re going to meet your guide for the next week.”

“Only a week?”

“I’m sure that after that you can make arrangements. Maybe she could be talked into giving you more assistance after you’ve met,” she said in a strange tone.

Kerren studied Vevina. Her stance seemed tense, her words sounded off. Normally her hair would shift colors to indicate her discomfort, whether she was lying or worried. But Vevina now looked human. Her peach hair was now a dull blonde, and her skin pale. Plain brown eyes blinked at him.

“Are you well?” he asked.

“I don’t want to keep the human waiting. They have a tendency of being quite upset when left expecting. Duels have been fought,” she replied.

“Fine, fine.” He started towards the door. “What’s her name, then?”

“Ms. Brooke Donovan.”

***

Kerren did his best to analyze everything about their journey to the designated meeting place. He studied street signs, observed the clothing of those around him, and tried to picture what an average day would be like once he was settled in.

Will I sit outside drinking tea? Will I pretend that coffee is palatable in order to fit in better? What sort of friends will I make?

The possibilities were all in the air, waiting for him to leap into action.

They exited their borrowed transportation after Vevina explained their currency system. The car ride had been pleasant, but the vehicle itself was nowhere near as aesthetically pleasing as the ones in the brochure.

“I need to find something suitable for my tastes.” He watched the car leave. “Something sleek. And dark green. I’m not fond of these boring colors.”

Vevina had her planner open in a heartbeat, skimming the electronic database. “It appears that luxury vehicles are rarely produced in shades of green. A few sporty ones come in this sickly neon, but I imagine what…something more like a deep emerald?”

“Emerald would be perfect. Why no green? They have blue and red. I believe I saw a purple one on the way.”

She shrugged. “I can continue looking later—you need to learn to drive first.”

He unbuttoned his suit jacket and took a deep breath. The warm weather fit the scene before him. Pink flowers bloomed on the trees and leaves of bright green swayed. He watched a family wander by and his heart tugged a bit. Will I get that too?

A splash of color in the crowd of people stood out. Bright scarlet hair poured down the back of a curvy figure, and as she turned, Kerren’s pulse raced. Bold roses and leaves decorated her front and back in an hourglass pattern, further emphasizing her ample chest as it had her round ass.

She walked toward them, hips swaying, long legs accentuated by the fitted floral dress and flesh-toned high heels. Her hair danced in the breeze and matched her red painted lips.

As she drew closer, he saw the bright aquamarine hue of her eyes. For a human, she looked positively radiant. Though there were beautiful women scattered around, this one had a tangible presence.

The curve of her lips made him swallow. Her smile was wicked and sweet at the same time, and terribly distracting. He’d never before seen a mouth and instantly wondered how divine it would be to kiss. How naughty it would look around his cock.

“Vevina? Mr. Aodhán?” she asked upon reaching them, looking at each of them expectantly, voice slapping Kerren from his fantasy.

Vevina shook the woman’s hand enthusiastically. “Ms. Donovan, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Trying not to stare, Kerren offered his hand as neutrally as possible. Her voice was gently husky, a sultry music to his ears. “Ms. Donovan, my pleasure…but please, it’s just Kerren. No mister required.”

“In that case, call me Brooke.”

He looked down at her fragile hand in his. Bending forward slightly, he lifted her hand by the fingertips and kissed the back gently. It wasn’t a formality that felt necessary, except that he wanted to kiss her.

Vevina nudged his side and he released Brooke’s hand. Brooke had a stunned expression but didn’t look offended.

“Oh,” she said softly. “I was told you would be…different.”

“Different?” he asked.

Her cheeks blazed bright pink and she licked her lips. “I mean, not in an offensive way. Just…well, I’ve been doing this for a while and I’ve never met fae royalty. Actually, I’m not sure I’ve met many fae at all, if any.”

“We like our privacy. We tend to get more attention than, say, your average run-of-the-mill bear shifter,” Vevina explained.

“Besides, I’m nobility, not royalty,” Kerren interrupted.

“I don’t remember the difference,” Brooke admitted.

“Royalty is in the blood. Nobility is in the title,” he summarized. “It may be the same way on Earth, but I don’t recall. One of the things I like about America though, fewer complicated titles.”

Brooke smiled at his words and turning her head she motioned to the trees around them. “Blood and titles aside, I was told that fae often miss the more natural aspect of home, so I aimed to begin our tour here.

“It’s magnificent,” Kerren remarked, though his eyes never left Brooke.

She swiveled on her heel and tilted her head. “This way then. The park leads into the botanical gardens, and you happen to be with an unofficial tour guide of the grounds. The current exhibit is butterflies, so it should be fun.”

“I thought the tour would be of the city,” Vevina pointed out.

“Of course,” Brooke said. “But this is the heart of the city. I don’t mean to overstep my bounds, I simply felt it would be a place of comfort. Unless you drive out of the city, you won’t see nature like this.”

Kerren smiled. “I believe I know what you mean. I’ll miss my gardens from home, so I imagine I’ll visit this area often.” He took a step forward. “Please lead the way. I’d love to see more of Earth’s beauties.”