The Mating Games

Chapter Twelve:

Eloise:

My eyes dart over the orange and yellow flickers sparkling from the wood. How simple life may have been if my world had even the slightest ounce of fire that this wood has. Even with all the warmth around me, my body shivers in ice, and cold bitterness as my thoughts drift to Prince Ares. I close my eyes in torment.

Prince Ares's perfect teeth smiling at Sabrina.

Prince Ares’s dark eyes piercing into her icy ones.

His rough fingertips against her ivory skin…

“Lady Eloise?”

Prince Ares unbuttoning his shirt as he lowers her petite form down onto the silken bed.

Their bodies meeting in passion…

“ELOISE!”

My eyes shoot open and I see Linda looking at me with concern written all over her face. For a moment her gaze goes blank as if mind linking someone and then she looks at me again with a sad smile.

“My – uh, Eloise, are you okay? You have tears rolling down your cheeks!”

I look away at the lake where everyone is splashing around and laughing. Why couldn’t that be me? Just a bunch of young people having fun. Reckless, innocent, and spontaneous fun.

“Lady Eloise?”

My eyes drift back to Linda, as she places a comforting hand on my shoulder and bends down.

"Do you think Prince Ares is enjoying his date with Lady Sabrina?"

I am not sure why I feel like I can speak to Linda, but the words come out so naturally, shocking both her and me. She looks at me with sympathy and inhales deeply.

“I can’t even begin to imagine how difficult this must be for you. I know after meeting Nate…”

“LINDA!”

Nat shoots up and gives Linda a warning glance.

“What, Nate? Do you expect me to just sit here and watch her suffer?”

Nate looks guilty, but why? His eyes avoid mine as he gives his mate a pleading look. Now that I have come to mention it, Nate has been very dismissive of me for the past while and he seems to rather stay clear of me. I guess he thinks I am no good. A nothing fairy who has a crush on his royalty.

“Linda, I just…”

He runs a hand through his hair and Linda scoffs. Their exchange is so different from the love, care, and gentleness I saw when they walked arm in arm by the stream. Are they fighting? I take a closer look and see they both have bags under their eyes. Perhaps they aren't sleeping well either.

“No! This is cruel and I…”

Linda starts to say, but a low growl stops her words. All three of us look to the bush, where Prince Ares is standing in all his dark and brooding elegance with Sabrina dressed in shimmering silver next to him. They certainly do look like a pair made by the Gods. So why does it feel so wrong? I look away quickly.

“THAT IS ENOUGH, LINDA!”

Prince Ares booms and Linda looks down as Nate springs to her side in comfort.

“I am sorry, my prince.”

The air around us becomes awkward and tense. I can still hear people splashing in the water and I wish I could be as oblivious as them right now.

“Ares, Linda didn’t mean any harm.”

“I know, but it is still enough.”

His voice sounds even closer now and when I look up from the flames, I notice him eyeing down his friends with intensity. Sabina is still smirking next to him. His prized possession. His eyes quickly look down into mine and I look away just as fast. Some explosive laughter breaks the deafening silence by the fire.

“SABBBRRRRINNNA!”

Everyone looks to the water, where a very drunk-looking girl starts running out in all her naked glory towards the silver, shimmering swan of the games. She laughs and almost stumbles as she reaches her. My eyes look briefly to the prince, who looks completely disinterested and starts to walk toward the log for a seat. Nate and Linda have also visibly relaxed and take a seat.

“Come swim with meeeeeee!”

The drunk girl hiccups and giggles at Lady Sabrina, who lifts an eyebrow and laughs back.

“I cant! I am still on my date with MY Prince.”

Sabrina emphasizes “MY” and my heart shatters. Did something more happen on their date? Did they? I shake the thought away as a large stab enters my heart. My eyes find the Prince, who is gazing at me with a dark intensity and concern. He seems to be in quiet conversation with Nate and Linda, but his eyes never leave mine. I do notice his shoulders tensing at Sabrina's word of possession.

“Fine, I will swim!”

"I could use a little dip after the heat of tonight's date, anyway!"

Sabrina squeals and the space around me becomes quiet as she drops her shimmering dress down to her ankles, leaving all of her perfect body on display for the moonlight and the stars to see. My jaw almost drops at the perfection of her physique. Sure, I am into guys, but wow. You don’t get a more sexy, female body! My eyes naturally drift to the Prince and I see his jaw tighten as his gaze goes from her to me. His look is different now as he stares at me. Sabrina smirks at my reaction and she tilts her nose up at me. She knows exactly what she is doing. She is claiming the Prince. Or perhaps that was done by him earlier tonight already?

“Are you joining us, fairy girl?”

Sabrina’s friend hiccups and Sabrina deposits the last of her lacy underwear on the floor before laughing.

“Oh, please! Do you mean Lady Eloise?”

Her eyes look me up and down.

“She would NEVER give up her own, comfortable, little bubble and join us. Besides, have you seen her frumpy figure?”

The two laugh and my blood begins to boil. I look to my side to see Prince Ares looking down as he takes deep breaths and Linda and Nate also look down, almost as if in shame?

“Stupid fairy!”

That is it. The final straw!

“You know what? I think I might actually take a swim to cool off!”

Sabrina and her friend stop laughing and eye me up and down before scowling at me. My eyes wander back to Linda, Nate, and Prince Ares, who are all watching me with an expression I can’t read. Prince Ares looks particularly pissed off.

“You can’t be serious?”

My eyes shoot back to the perfect, naked blonde in front of me and I plaster on the best, fake smile I can muster up.

“Watch me!”

My words come out far more confidently than the nervous pit I feel turning inside my stomach. All of a sudden the thin, white piece of material that makes up my simple, linen dress seems like too little as it slides down my waist, my hips, my thighs, my knees, and then pools down at my ankles on the floor. I suck in a breath of night air as my n*****s pebble in the breeze and I quickly step out of my dress in only the cotton white undies covering my most precious jewel. My brain can hardly make sense of the shift in the air around me until I pry my eyes open and see Nate and Linda looking away awkwardly. Huh? They almost look guilty. They didn’t care much when everyone else was undressing in front of them.

“Whatever. You are frumpy for a magical, you know that?”

Sabrina’s words come out as a laugh as she links arms with her friend and rushes to the water in a frenzy. I know my body isn't as perfect as hers, but who cares? I shake my head and link the sides of my undies around my fingers, preparing to lower them for the swim.

“Stop.”

That same, familiar, dark and intruding voice vibrates and my chest squeezes in as my eyes follow the words towards two, piercing black eyes that belong to the Prince. It is like the world stops as our eyes meet and for the first time in my life, I feel more in control than ever. Who is he to tell me to stop? It is okay for every other female to undress in front of him, but I cannot? Perhaps I am just so far from beautiful that seeing me naked is the last thing he wants? A part of my heart breaks, but I don’t remove my fingers. His black eyes seem to be begging me, but what for? Slowly, I pull my white garment off and fling the material onto the log nearby and smile triumphantly. This moment is for nobody but me and for some reason, disobeying the prince feels like the most thrilling thing. A growl escapes his lips in disapproval? When my eyes snap back to the prince, I notice Linda and Nate are gone and all that is left is a brooding prince with a ticking jaw and a look of strained annoyance.

“Do you have to always annoy me so much, Eloise?”

His voice comes out even more strained than he looks. I smile sweetly.

“Do you have to always be so annoyed? Nothing I do seems to please you, my prince.”

His body tenses as he runs a hand through his hair. Goddess, the very look in his onyx eyes has my thighs squeezing together, which doesn’t seem to go unnoticed by his stares. I bite my lip.

“Is that what this is about? You disobeying me?”

“Well, it isn’t my fault that my naked form repulses you so much that you wished I wouldn’t be so. Everyone else is just having fun, so why can’t you just let me have fun too?”

The prince’s expression darkens as he stands up and watches my chest heaving in deep breaths. What is going on? Why is he looking at me like this? I feel a current of electricity run through me as his eyes trail down my body and then back up. I blink a few times and my vision becomes crystal, crystal clear as I imagine how delicious his skin might look under his shirt. Goddess, even the smirk on Prince Ares's face has my knees weak.

“You think you repulse me, Eloise? You think you don’t please me?”

His breath fans against my skin as he circles me. I have no words. All I can focus on is the burning trail of pleasure his scent and gaze are offering to my body. I nod weakly.

“Words, Eloise. I need your words.”

I look at him again.

“Y-yes.”

A moment of silence as he smirks again. His eyes are so, so dark and menacing.

“So, tell me then…”

He circles me one more time.

“If you repulse me…”

He rubs his nose against the back of my shoulder.

“And if you don’t please me…”

A small flicker of his tongue against my collar bone has my core feeling tight and wet. I moan softly and almost hate myself immediately for how much control his small actions have over me.

“Then why is it that only you can do THIS to me?”

Before I can ask what he means, his large hand grabs mine and presses it against him. I gasp out as I feel the hard and thick length of his member through his pants. His breathing increases as I involuntarily grip him and both of us look up at one another in shock. A silver flash crosses his eyes and I grip onto him tighter.

Breathe in.

Breathe out.

Breathe in.

Our lips collide like two flames on the same path. There is no stopping this. Our tongues dance together and explore every edge as both of us moan our way through the moment. Goddess, I have never had such a sexy kiss ever. Hot, desperate, hungry, and passionate for more…

“Ares.”

He moans into my mouth and I feel his teeth sharpening. Goddess, all I want is for him to take me, heart, body, and soul. All I crave is for him to belong to me, to possess me, to have me, and to love me the way I wish to do all of the above to him. All I need is him. His heart, his body, his mind, and his soul. I moan again as he grazes my neck with his teeth and my mind goes into a frenzy of how incredible it would feel to have him biting right into my neck, marking me as his forever and igniting our worlds together for good.

“PRINCE ARES!”

Nate’s voice booms again and we both open our eyes in shock at the intrusion of the moment. Nate avoids looking at me but gives the prince a stern look. His hand grabs the collar of the Prince and pulls him away from me, leaving me vulnerable and on my own once again.

“WHAT, NATE?!”

His second in command looks annoyed and guilty all at once. My eyes look over to the Prince and I notice his canines are showing a little. I frown in confusion and lick the dot of blood on my lip. Do werewolves always lose that much control when they become s****l with someone? I remember my thoughts at the moment too. I wanted him to mark me? My brow knits together.

“You said…”

“I KNOW WHAT I SAID!”

Nate shows his neck in submission to the Prince’s growl of frustration. What the hell is going on?

“Prince Ares, I…”

I try to reach out to touch him. He looks like he is so tense and could use support, but when his eyes look down at my hand I notice him avoiding my touch like it’s the plague. He quickly steps back, his eyes flashing between black and brown as a look of pain clouds his expression.

“I d-don’t…”

My voice cracks.

“I d-don’t understand. Will, you p-please speak to me? Why are things so c-complicated with us?”

I try to beg him for answers as he grabs his jacket in a rush. I look to the side and see Linda scowling at Nate with a look of sadness on her face. I manage to grab the Prince’s arm and I yank him to look at me.

“Is t-this all a joke to you? You have done n-nothing but mess with my feelings! D-do I mean nothing to you? Am I l-losing my mind? Why am I f-feeling these things for y-you? Do you feel n-nothing for me?”

There is a moment of silence as the air around me becomes very cold. I don’t need any words from the prince to understand this look. I know it too well after watching hundreds of romcoms on the tv and reading thousands of trashy, romance novels. It’s the same look that the guy gives the girl before ripping her heart out. That same look before they admit that they have no feelings and that the girl has been nothing but a needy, overthinking, and emotional wench. My heart shatters as he opens his mouth and my eyes start to well up. For a small moment, he looks like he wants to close his mouth and pull me into his arms, but it’s the small head shake from Nate that seems to pull him back into character.

“Lady Eloise, I don’t have the time or the energy for this. I am a Prince and I have a lot of responsibility on my shoulders. You may not realize it, because you're only a fae, but there are forces at work here that you cannot even begin to understand!”

There he goes again. Another poke at my race and my kind.

“Then help me understand, instead of pointing fingers!”

“Why should I make my own concerns yours, Eloise?”

My heart pounds quickly and I look at him in disbelief.

“Because you know there is more here than we both wish to admit. Because whenever we are in one another's company, we seem to only have eyes for one another. Because your presence is the only one I seem to think about both during the day and the night. Because…”

The Prince’s eyes start to darken again as I put all my heart into answering his question.

“Lady Eloise, are you suggesting that the wolf Prince has fallen in love with you?”

Nate asks coldly as he looks between me and his friend. His eyes linger a little longer on the prince, who has his eyes closed and looks in pain again. The question knocks me a little.

“Is that so hard to imagine, Nate?”

Piercing silence before a peal of slow laughter hits the air.

“Silly girl. The only woman that our prince has eyes for or can even possibly be in love with, is HIS MATE. Can you not see how much you are paining him by holding onto this little infatuation of yours?”

My eyes notice the Prince’s jaw ticking at Nate’s words. My body cannot even respond right now it feels so numb and defeated. He does look in pain. My eyes take in the darkness of his eyes, the tiredness that paints the skin under them, and the shallow breathing from his chest. Am I causing this? I take a step back.

“I…”

Nate shakes his head. Is it only me that has the infatuation? The Prince moves away with Nate.

“Oh and please put some clothes on, Lady Eloise. It is indecent.”

"NATE!"

Nate says finally before rushing off into the lush tree line. I look at him with a feeling of disbelief. Indecent, how? My face becomes red in embarrassment mixed with tears. Linda tries to scold her mate, but it's too late. They have vanished into the night. She looks at me again with wide eyes.

“I am sorry, Lady Eloise. Nate hasn’t had much sleep recently and well, he has his hands full with the prince and all.”

Linda looks at me sadly as she passes me my dress.

“Here, let me help you quick.”

She quickly helps me slip the dress on and I notice that she has tears in her eyes too.

“Linda, are you okay?”

She smiles and brushes away the tears.

“Yes, yes. I am just a little emotional these days. I have been on an emotional rollercoaster and Nate and I are bumping heads a little as well. Nothing to worry about!”

I nod and offer Linda a hug.

“I am sure you and Nate will overcome whatever it is you are facing. After all, mates can overcome everything, right?”

Linda smiles sadly and nods knowingly.

“Anyway, see you for the final event tomorrow night?”

Linda says and I smile at the reminder that the Mating Games are almost done. Best news ever!

“Oh, goddess, I will be so thankful to get out of this place after tomorrow!”

Linda almost looks hurt but she smiles in understanding.

“Night, Lady Eloise.”

“Good night, Linda!”

We hug one more time and then I watch her disappear into the night, leaving me alone at the fire with laughing people in the distance and moaning coming from all sorts of corners of the rocks nearby. I roll my eyes at the smell of s****l energy around me. I look to the side and see the prince’s third in command, Johnno, and the same witch girl from the first event, Emily, making out against a tree trunk. Looks like some people really did find love in the games. My heart sinks as I move to the log to retrieve my missing undies. I don’t know what I did to deserve such a crazy whirlwind of emotion this year. I always said I won't get involved at these games and here I was making out in my birthday suit with THE WOLF PRINCE! I smile wickedly at the memory, but the same sadness creeps in at his rejection of me. My hand reaches down to the log, but no white material can be found. I spend the next five minutes looking around for my lost undies, but they are nowhere to be found. I frown in confusion.

Where are they?