The Mating Games

Chapter Eleven:

ELOISE:

“Eloise!”

I carry on walking, my feet not stopping as I get closer and closer to the castle.

“Eloise! Wait up, will you?”

The voice gets closer and closer and I try to ignore it. I really don’t feel like speaking to him right now. A rough feeling hand grabs the softness of my arm and tingling zaps penetrate through me.

“What the…”

The Prince quickly let's go, his nostrils flaring as his wide eyes take in mine. For a moment they flash, sending a shiver down my spine.

“Why didn’t you fight Sabrina?”

His question makes me snort out.

“Me? A simple fae, fighting a powerful witch? Really, Prince Ares?”

“You could have won!”

“I hardly think so. I saw how Prince Zion was with you. I saw how his spells whipped your skin and chased your heels across the arena. How would I ever beat that?”

“You are more powerful than you know, Eloise.”

He looks dead serious right now, which only adds to my irritation. Why does he care anyway? He should be happy that I didn’t fight today. I have been such a thorn in his foot that this should be good news. Why does it feel dreadful then?

“I fought Prince Zion for you, Eloise. For a date with YOU.”

Prince Ares watches me carefully. His words creep into the very capsules of my blood and breathe life into my organs. My brow scrunches together as my eyes meet his intense ones. There is only warmth there. A warmth and longing I have never seen before in the Prince.

“Why did you fight for me, Prince Ares?’

Silence.

“Kiko told me that werewolves only enter the arena for their fated mates. We are clearly not that, as you have reminded me before. So why?”

A flash of hurt swipes past his gaze. His jaw ticks. I see the blackness of his gaze taking over, causing him to close his eye, shake his head and run a hand through his hair.

“Uh, I- Just give me a second.”

He turns around, his ripped back now facing me as it was in the arena and his shoulders moving in such a way that indicates he is taking deep breaths. My confusion multiplies at his odd behavior.

“Prince Ares?”

Some loud chatter and laughs start echoing closer from behind the castle walls corner and Caleb, Nate, Johnno, and Linda come into view. All of them are laughing and joking around. Johnno sees us and starts jogging closer.

“Hey, guys!”

His smile becomes awkward as he realizes the tense energy between the Prince and me. I smile back as best I can and just as the others edge closer, the Prince turns around with a small smile and hardly looks at me. What the Goddess is going on?

“Ares, that was one hell of a fight you and Prince Zion had! Jeez, I forgot you had it in you, old friend!”

“And those little zaps of magic that were heading for you were epic!”

“Phew! Phew!”

The guys joke around and my eyes hover on Prince Ares, only to see he has a tight smile on his face. What is bothering him so much? Caleb bunks my shoulder with a smile, which I try to return.

“You all good?”

I nod at him. I notice Linda elbowing Nate to stop. She looks between Prince Ares and me suspiciously and fakes a smile. Nate stops his banter.

“So, you and Lady Sabrina tonight, eh?”

Johnno wiggles his eyebrows at the Prince, who looks like he is about to murder somebody.

“JOHNNO!”

Linda tries to stop him, but it’s too late. His words have already caused a hollow, gaping hole to form in my chest.

“What? She is hot!”

Johnno rubs his chest after Linda poked him hard. Now the vibe is just super awkward.

“Yeah, well, I heard from some of the guys that she has really smelly feet.”

Caleb retorts and then smiles down at me. His comment was meant to make me feel better and I will admit it has lifted the energy a bit. Johnno starts to laugh and a small smile lifts at the corner of my mouth. Nate tries to hold in his laugh, as his mate watches him pointedly.

“ENOUGH!”

Prince Ares growls and everyone becomes still. He takes a deep breath in and everyone looks down except for me. His eyes never leave mine. They draw me in. They pull me further. They beg me…

“Uh, I believe your date starts in twenty, old friend. Best you get ready. Don’t need the King getting angry with you again.”

Nate butts in. Prince Ares shifts his gaze to his friend and gives him one slow, intense nod.

“Fine.”

His feet start to drag him away from us and once again I am left feeling like the one who got left at the altar. I know I am being a little dramatic, but it is the truth. No goodbye to me? No acknowledgment? He didn’t even answer my question. Part of me burns for him, but there is another large part that keeps feeling rejected and hurt. I collect all the courage and sass that I can and put it into my tone of voice.

“Have fun with Sabrina then, my Prince.”

His feet stop and so does my heart. Every set of eyes turns to me in shock. Did I take it too far? Will I be locked up in the cells for speaking out of line to a royal? He turns his head back to look at me, his eyes a deep and never-ending shade of black that pierces through my heart.

“It could have been you, Eloise.”

With that he turns around and walks away, leaving me feeling even more defeated than before. Linda and Nate take a look at one another, their expressions hard to read and Johnno looks on at the grumpy prince.

“Well, he’s in a bad mood.”

“Tell me about it.”

Caleb and Johnno chat. Linda glances over my way, her eyes serious but her lips offering a small smile.

“Don’t worry about him, Eloise. Tonight, there is going to be a bonfire at the water's edge for all of us who didn’t go on dates. You should come.”

Linda offers and I smile back.

“Sure.”

*~*

“Do you want to heat up? Because I’ve already got the wood!”

Sir Edward purrs one of his ridiculous pick-up lines at the poor girl who is seated next to him before taking a swing of his beer. A few people chuckle, including me, but the girl next to him rolls her eyes and turns to face someone else. Sir Edward moves to face the girl on his other side. His eyes glance up and down her frame before he opens his mouth for yet another one of his famous lines.

“Damn girl, you wanna blow out my fire tonight?”

Johnno barks out in laughter at that one.

“Does that guy really think he will get anywhere with those lines?”

I shrug at Linda’s question and Caleb walks toward us with a tray of drinks.

“There seems to be a lady over at the table who thinks his jokes are quite hilarious.”

Caleb points to the table, where there is an equally freckly she-wolf standing and watching him with heat in her eyes. She isn’t part of the games, so she must just be here as general folk.

“How about we tell some ghost stories?”

Now it’s Nate who speaks.

“YES! Goddess, ghost stories around the bonfire are the best!”

Johnno exclaims and then whistles for everyone to stop their chatting.

“GHOST STORY TIME!”

“But there isn’t such thing as ghosts, you t**t!”

Prince Zion responds, but everyone moves closer regardless. He huffs and drags his outdoor stool closer, sitting a little too close to me for my liking.

“Oh, I have a good one!”

I elbow Caleb jokingly to continue and everyone dies down to listen.

“When I was about ten years old, my brother and I went fishing in the Great Lake out where the water people live. We were always told to NEVER allow our boat to drift too close to the caves on the one end, but alas the wind picked up that day and our arms were not strong enough to paddle against the force of water. We tried, but the boat just kept creeping closer and closer towards the darkest cave I have ever seen in my existence.”

I look around and see that Caleb has everyone captivated.

“It was daytime outside, but as the little boat inched into the cave, it was as if someone had taken the sun from the sky and drowned it within the lake. For a few moments, I could not see anything around, not even my own brother, who just moments ago was standing right in front of me on the boat. His breathing was so rapid, that I told him to lie down knowing that this was all a dangerous zone that should not have been explored. I wasn’t sure what to do or where to go. Do I call out for help? Do I carry on paddling against the current?”

“Oh no! What happened?”

One of the ladies ask him, her eyes wide and her elven ears perked up.

“In the dead of the silence, a rumble started to roar from the water below. It was like a tidal wave of horror had lifted our boat and the air started to sweep and move around us. I remember screaming and my brother cried for help. There was nothing we could do but hold onto each other! A boom echoed around us, the sound still sits in my mind and haunts my thoughts. No words were needed, but I knew that whatever made that noise, it was something that warned us about our trespassing.”

“And then?”

I asked now. Caleb shrugged.

“We screamed blue murder and when we opened our eyes, our bodies were deposited on the bank o the lake, and our boat was nowhere in sight. My parents searched for it for hours and we eventually found it shattered into pieces on the other end of the water.”

Everyone sits and looks at Caleb. The energy surrounding everyone has now become tenser. Caleb has set the mood.

“Ha! You think the water people are scary? Let me tell you about my journey into the Never Forest.”

I look at the dark-skinned girl next to me, who has eyes as red as my own blood. I think her name is Lady Pamela.

“The Never Forest close to Shraya?”

Pamela nods.

“It was an ordinary visit for my family, who are known to do an annual trip across Zenox in order to help the creatures who have no home. It was really late at night and our horses had become tired. We were nowhere near our place of rest, but my parents agreed we had no choice but to take rest between the trees of the wood that surrounded us. My mother wasn’t happy. We had no shelter, no food, and no form of safety except for the very fangs that bless our mouths. My father got out of his carriage and scouted the area, knowing that the Never Forest was notorious for holding darkness between its wood. We all fell asleep in our own carriages that night, but something in the air kept my eyes from shutting. I looked out the window of my carriage as a cold shiver ran up my arm and I saw two glowing eyes staring at me from a distance. I am a powerful creature, so why did I feel scared? Shaking my head, I got out of the carriage to face the magic looking at me, but never did I ever think I would be faced with such shock…”

“What? What? What? Tell us!”

“A young girl with two different colored eyes!”

Everyone gasps, including me, and everyone, starts to whisper in fear.

“A hybrid?”

“No way!”

“I thought I was hallucinating, but the girl stared me down with one purple and one red eye. I looked around in panic and as if in a nightmare, more dual-toned eyes started popping up between the mist of the forest. Well, I was in such a state that I screamed and ran as fast as I could back to my parent's carriage. Hybrids are supposed to be slaughtered off the realm for being dangerous and untamable. My father was in a state and he urged our horses to continue their travel despite the difficult road. My eyes remained peeled to the window for the rest of the night.”

“How is that possible? Was it ever confirmed?”

Pamela sighs and looks down.

“The next morning my father sent word to every noble. The whole of the never Forest was checked. Every inch of land, every cave, river, tree, and rock was searched for hybrids, but nothing was found. I was in trouble for causing such a stir, but I also couldn’t understand. I can still see that small girl’s eyes. I can hear her breath and I can sense her rapid heartbeat. I wasn't hallucinating that night.”

Everyone at the bonfire remains still and quiet. This story definitely managed to get everyone spooked, especially because of the history and reputation of hybrids. Horrid creatures they were supposed to be. Creatures who showed no mercy. Creatures who belonged to darkness. A burst of laughter erupts from the side and I turn to see Nate deep in his own humor. He starts to clap too.

“I have to give it to you, Lady Pamela, you really made everyone just about s**t their pants!”

Pamela looks around at the worried faces. Nate sips his beer.

“We all know there is no such thing as hybrids though. I have spent countless nights in the Never Forest and I have been on foot through every inch of these lands with prince Ares. Hybrids no longer exist. They have all been killed. It is ILLEGAL to be a hybrid in Zenox. We are telling ghost stories, so are you sure it wasn't just that which you saw? A ghost?”

Lady Pamela stares at Nate sternly. Some people laugh too.

“Enough seriousness. Let’s do something fun?”

Johnno booms from the other side of the fire. Everyone starts to stand and the mood is completely changed.

“Like what?”

Johnno starts to take off his shirt and everyone stares at him as if he has lost his mind.

“SKINNY DIPPING!!!”

He shouts it before throwing off his trousers and moonshining everybody as he runs and dives straight into the small dam nearby. Everyone laughs, some people look away shocked and others start to strip and join in. Music comes back on and once again, the party returns to its former light-hearted and fun vibe.

“You gonna join?”

Caleb asks as he unbuttons his shirt. I watch as people run into the water. Innocent and childish fun for a bunch of serious noblemen and ladies who have far too much intensity to deal with in one day. I look to my side to see Linda and Nate cuddling up in a double seat by the fire and my heart starts to feel something between full and empty. Maybe joining in on the skinny dip will be fun and make me feel rejuvenated, but maybe it will also make me feel guilty. I frown at my own thoughts. Something about taking off my clothes in front of other people feels dirty and wrong. Something about it feels against the inner workings of my soul. I look up at Caleb, who is now almost undressed.

“Nah, I think I will stay here.”

He smiles and runs off and I look back at the fire. I don’t miss the smiles coming from Nate and Linda either.