The Wolf Prince And His Treasured Pixie

Questions

Alex POV

The last thing I expected was to shower with Ember, even though I understood her genuine nervousness.

Ember's naivety about many things made me slightly concerned. How long was she kept in captivity?

Ember's response to the warm water indicated she was deprived of essentials. I felt frustrated that my mate had to suffer.

It was hard to stop myself from taking things too far; I did not want to cross any boundaries with her.

After finishing, I gave her a towel, and she changed back into her dress quickly.

“Are you hungry?” I asked.

“I’m okay right now,” she responded as my brother knocked on the door. She jumped at the sudden noise.

“It’s ok, it’s just my brother. I will step out briefly and then come back in.” I explained.

“Okay,” Ember responded as I opened the door and stepped out.

“Is she ok?” Aaron asked as he sat at a small table.

“For the time being, yes, although she is scared. I did not want to push her. by asking too much,” I explained to him.

“I’m sure once we get to the Kingdom, she will be more comfortable,” Aaron explained

“I’m sure she will.” I sighed as I sat down with my brother, and he passed a small bag over to me.

“I went out for a few minutes and could smell a significant presence of trolls in the area, so we will have to wait until they leave. Your mate must have meant a great deal to the Troll King, so the more information you can get from her, the better we can help her. I gathered some berries for her, based on the little information I know that should be something she eats.” Aaron explained.

“Thanks; I’ll try talking to her some more once she gets some rest,” I responded.

“Did you find out if that was her true form? Is she always that small?” Aaron asked.

“That’s her correct size; she explained she is a lot smaller than any of the other pixies; she can shift into a larger form about a foot smaller than me,” I explained.

“Interesting. Is she okay having a goofball like you for a mate?” Aaron chuckled.

Laughing, I stood back up. “For now, she seems to be,” I responded as I walked back to the door.

“Get some rest; just let me know if you need help with anything,” Aaron called as I returned to the room.

At first glance, I couldn't find Ember anywhere in the room. Finally, I saw her on the dresser, huddled in a small corner with her head down.

I shouldn’t have left her alone; it was very apparent she was uncomfortable.

Walking over to her, I gently placed my hand near her. “Ember, are you ok?” I asked as she looked up at me and then got up.

“I’m just not used to such a large room or any of this,” she admitted.

“What was your room like back with the troll king?” I asked.

Ember flew towards me and touched my face, showing me an image of a small birdcage in my mind.

Gunner growled in my head, “The damn troll kept you in the cage you showed me?” I asked.

“Yes, it was my home,” she responded.

“For how long?” I asked, trying to stabilize my mood to the best of my ability.

“Ten years,” she whispered.

“You never have to worry about living like that again; you’re free now, Ember, and as long as you allow it, I will help keep you safe,” I responded.

Ember nodded in understanding as I sat down on the edge of the bed. “Ask me whatever you want,” I said as she flew over to me.

My mate’s tiny hand ruffled through my hair as she flew around me. “Why is your hair blue?” she asked.

Chuckling, I responded, “I lost a bet to my sister before leaving the light Fae Kingdom, and her reward for me losing was I had to dye my hair blue.” I responded.

“You have a sister and a brother?” Ember questioned.

“I’m a quadruplet. I have two twin sisters and a twin brother. I also have a younger sister. My family is incredibly supportive and loving, but also confusing sometimes.” I explained.

“Tell me about them,” Ember requested.

“My mom is the Hybrid Queen, and she has three mates: Justin, Erik, and Daniel. I grew up in a completely different realm with them and my siblings until my sister, Luna, found a way into this realm where she met her mate, King Damien. Luna brought us here to help her fight against the Dark Fae King. My sister Piper and her mate Kieren were the first two to come over, and then she brought me and my brother, Aaron over shortly after. Aaron and I remained in this realm with my sister after the Dark Fae king’s death, but my sister Piper recently returned to our home realm. I hope that was not too confusing...”

“Wait, Queen Luna is your sister? That makes you the elemental wolf everyone talks about,” Ember blurted out.

“I didn’t know I was that popular, but I am the fire elemental wolf. Aaron, my brother is Air, Piper is Earth, and Luna is Water,” I answered.

“Does Aaron have a mate?” she asked.

“He did, but his mate bullied our sister, Piper, and caused her physical harm in school. Aaron rejected her because of that since family means everything to us. The Moon Goddess, I’m sure, has a second chance mate waiting for him.” I explained.

Ember flew slightly away at my answer. “Is everything okay?” I asked.

“Do you think your family will accept someone like me? Pixies remained hidden for a long time, but when around Fae, they never got along. The Fae called us tricksters. I’m also so small,” Ember nervously replied.

“King Damien has changed the Light Fae Kingdom, and we are now allied with the Fire Fae Kingdom. There’s no doubt in my mind that you will be accepted, and my family will love you. I’m sure Luna will steal you from me when we arrive.” I explained while yawning.

The fatigue from my lack of sleep was finally hitting me. Taking off my shirt, I moved back onto the bed to rest against the pillows.

Ember flew to the side of me, sitting on the edge of the bed. “Are you comfortable around me? I can go sleep on the couch if you’d rather have space.” I suggested.

“Please don’t leave. I feel oddly safe for the first time in a long time with you close by,” she responded.

Adjusting myself so I was facing her. I responded, “I’m glad you feel safe with me.” I reached my hand out and placed it at her side.

Even though she was so tiny, the feeling when her small hand touched mine filled my entire body with sparks.

Her face was partially covered by her brown curls, which I delicately brushed away. Her fragility made me genuinely concerned about hurting her.

Ember noticed and smiled. “I’m tougher than I look; you won’t break me if you touch me.” She laughed for the first time since we met.

“Are you ok with me touching you? The mate bond will always increase the need for a physical connection, but I don’t want to do anything you don’t want,” I asked.

“I don’t mind, but I appreciate you asking,” she said as I brushed my finger against her soft face, relishing the feeling our connection gave me.

“Why did the Troll King keep you?” I asked.

“To spy on people for him and as a pet. The Troll King got me as a gift from the Dark Fae King for help against the Light Fae Kingdom. The Dark Fae King was the one that captured me when I was a child. some of my kind escaped to a different realm but the rest of them were killed. He preserved me as his precious possession because I was different. The king had me use my powers for experiments and help, but my power grew stronger as I matured. It was at that point that he crafted the collar I had on. It was made to block me from using my power and escaping.” Ember explained.

“Do you know why you are different?” I asked.

“No, Just that I was tiny compared to all the other Pixies. The group that I lived with always said they had to remain hidden and keep me hidden, but I don’t know why. My power seems stronger than the older pixies I remember.” She responded.

“What is your power?” I asked.

“I can create illusions and also cause someone to become confused. When strong enough, I can make others invisible, although it takes a lot out of me,” she informed me.

“We need to mark, mate,” my wolf pushed in my head.

“We will when it is safe. It’s impossible to mark her when she is this size, and it needs to be something she wants as well,” I explained to my wolf, who huffed at my response.

“Your eyes look glazed over,” she whispered as she flew closer to my face.

“My eyes do that when my wolf is talking with me,” I explained.

“What was your wolf talking about?” she asked.

“Marking you, but that’s something I won’t rush,” I explained.

“What’s a mark?” she asked as her small hand traced over one tattoo on my arm.

“It’s a step in completing the mate bond. I would have to bite you in your marking spot, and once I did, it would strengthen our connection, and you would also bear a permanent mark symbolizing we are mates.” I explained.

“If it’s just a step, what else needs to be done to complete the bond?” she asked.

Until now, I never felt nervous answering any question, but I swallowed loudly before responding.

“To finish the bond, we would have to mate,” I explained.

“What does that mean?” Ember asked.

“We would have to sleep together,” I responded.

“You mean s*x?” she questioned.

“Yes,” I responded.

“When I transform into my larger size again, we can try completing the bond if that’s what your wolf wants,” she responded, catching me off guard.

I desired nothing more than to complete and solidify the bond with my mate, but I had to ensure it was her genuine desire as well.