Alpha Island: My Unbearable Mate

Chapter 14 Dinner

Kiara had a pleasant lunch with Draven. It was comfortable being with him, like she was with an old friend. She couldn’t explain it, but it seemed Draven felt it too. He was also more relaxed in her company. It was easy with him and right now she could use that.

“So where are you headed now?” Draven asked as they walked out of the cafeteria.

“I was thinking about—”

“Kiara!” The Fairy Princess Shawna waved from down the hall.

“I guess I am going to see what she wants.” Kiara smiled up at Draven and he nodded his head at her. “I’ll see you later.” She briskly walked towards Shawna thinking something was wrong. “Is it Ava? Is it Dylan? What happened?!”

Shawna giggled and waved her hand dismissively. “Nothing like that. Walk with me.” She said turning without leaving room for objection. Kiara followed her down the hall and outside. “I wanted to let you know that everything back in my kingdom checked out. Nothing was laced with any potions or curses or anything.”

“Oh.” Kiara answered quietly, remembering she had asked Eli to have the princess look into it.

“You know…” Shawna said quietly as she looked up at the sky. “I didn’t plan to fall for Brock. One day he just suddenly became everything to me. It was the same for him. The bears come on hard and strong. There is a fierceness and passionate nature about them. It can be overwhelming but also comforting.”

“Did you ever worry about you both finding your fated mates?” Kiara asked and she watched a small smile reach Shawna’s lips.

“Brock did recently.” She looked over at Kiara. “There was no hesitation from him. He walked up and talked to the woman. He politely explained that he already had a mate and wished her all the best. He wasn’t torn over it at all. You see Kiara, when you choose someone with your heart, nothing else matters. I belong to Brock just like he belongs to me. We might have postponed our marriage ceremony, but we have already marked each other. There is no one else in the world for me. Not even my fated mate could ever have this hold over my heart. And do you know why?” She watched as Kiara shook her head, pursing her lips together.

“It is because love is the greatest bond. The fated mate attraction is meant to give you a mate not to replace the one you love. It is meant to give you someone you can easily fall in love with. Brock didn’t hesitate because his heart had already chosen. I won’t hesitate if I ever meet my fated mate because I already have my mate. Love is a force that we can’t explain but it is powerful.” Shawna smiled and looked out in the distance.

“Love is the reason I know Ava and Sky will remember their mates in time. Not only are they fated mates but there is so much love between them and the princes. It is a power greater than anything we have at our disposal.”

“You sound exactly how a fairy princess should sound.” Kiara looked over as a Shawna smiled.

“Do you want to talk about you and Eli? Eli is like my brother now. I can tell you I have never seen him look at anyone the way he looks at you. I don’t think it is a secret that Eli… well… he liked to have a good time. While he has had a lot of dates, they were never serious. Rarely have I seen him with the same person twice. I noticed instantly the difference with how he looks at you.” Shawna studied Kiara’s face for a moment before she continued. “He follows you with the eyes of a predator. Possessively watching you. Yet, many don’t understand this look. They just think it is a male being selfish and wanting to covet what they want. That thinking is wrong.”

“Those are the eyes of someone wanting to protect you. Someone who has found the most precious person in the world to them. They would do anything to make you happy. I don’t know why it is like this with him and you. I don’t know why Brock and I have this connection, but I would have been a fool to deny it. Embrace the love, Kiara. These are not the words of Elijah’s sister but the words of a woman. A woman who has experienced a love so deep and vast it scared me at first. I know you have been through a lot in such a short time but trust your instincts. What do they tell you?”

Kiara was quiet for a moment. “I’m not going to lie… there is a part of me that is terrified. I’m afraid of the wound he could inflict upon me. If I let him in and…” She bit her bottom lip and shook her head.

“He would never—” Shawna began to say as Kiara turned to face her.

“You can’t know that. You can hope for it but not truly know it. Hell… even fated mates have betrayed their mates. There are no guarantees. Which brings me back to what I was saying. If I let him in and he hurts me… I will at least know I tried. It might hurt like hell, and I may never be the same but at least I loved and gave it my best. When if I reject him because I am afraid… I would live my life wondering what if. The connection between us—” Kiara sighed, closing her eyes. “It frightens me. It is all consuming. Instantly, he can break down my walls. With one glance from him all my rational thoughts are shattered. He is all I can think about and all I want. I told myself after Jhett that I wanted time for myself. I wanted time to discover me and who I am.” She opened her eyes and smiled at Shawna.

“I’m who I want to be when I am with Eli. I feel like I’m whole with him and I never experienced heartache. I tried to fight it because it doesn’t make sense… it will never make sense. However, I realize it doesn’t have to make sense. Something inside of me has claimed him and wants to claim him. And… it’s ridiculous but I don’t want to deny that anymore. How have things moved this fast? How did I get to the point of no return so quickly? I realized earlier today that whether I accept it or not he already has a place in my heart. If he decided to be with someone else right now, I would already be wounded. It’s too late. I already belong to him…” She tapped her chest as Shawna nodded her head. “In here.”

“Those bears have a way of capturing us before we even realize it. Brock is my world, and I will never regret loving him this deeply. He is my person, and I am his.” Shawna reached out and placed her hand over Kiara’s. “If you ever need someone to talk to, I am here. About anything. I have faith that everything is going to turn out just fine.”

“Speaking of everything turning out fine. Have you heard about the Magma Crystal? I was thinking maybe this could help. It has the ability to purify curses but only has one use.” Kiara asked and watched as Shawna pursed her lips.

“I think we have to explore every avenue that we can. We need to see what information we can find out about it. Somethings have a negative consequence for using them.” Shawna stared into Kiara’s eyes. “We don’t need anyone getting hurt or worse.”

“Shawna.”

Strong large hands snaked around Shawna’s waist from behind as he pulled her into his front.

“I’ve been looking for you.” Brock said pressing his nose into her hair. He glanced up at Kiara and smiled. “Kiara.”

“We’ve just been having some girl chat.” Shawna said as Brock continued to look at Kiara.

“You know… my brother—” Brock started to say as Shawna pressed her fingers to his lips.

“Shh… she doesn’t need Eli’s big brother speaking on his behalf.” Shawna looked over at Kiara and shook her head. “As you can see Eli has made it well known how he feels about you. Even making us use our connections to get him enrolled at the same school at you. Like I said… crazy love.”

“What’s that about crazy love?” Brock asked as Shawna spun around in his arms. She swung her hands on his shoulders and reached up on her toes to kiss his lips. He hooked his arms around her torso keeping her captive against his chest. He smiled against her lips as he lifted her off of her feet. “Well, you are about to see crazy, my fairy.” Shawna giggled as he lowered her back to the ground.

“Thank you for the chat, Shawna. I have a couple of things to do before this evening. So if you will excuse me…” Kiara smiled and backed away. She walked in the direction of the small store on campus. It didn’t have much but there should be enough things there she can make a meal with.

Kiara wanted to make dinner for her and Eli tonight. She also wanted to ask him about officially dating… though she wondered if they were beyond that. Honestly, she wanted more than to date Eli, but it felt rational to make that the next step. I mean… it would be absurd to go straight to being mates, right?

Kiara was able to grab the items she needed and quickly headed back to the apartment. She had a dinner date with Eli, and this was something she could do to make it more special. It wasn’t anything extravagant, it was a small store. She managed to get the things she needed to make spaghetti and meatballs as well as a salad.

She held the phone in her hand for a moment before setting it back down. She didn’t want to bother Eli if he was busy. At the same time, she was curious when she should expect him. She picked up the phone again and it chimed while in her hands. She clicked on the notification from Eli.

Sorry I am going to be late. Go ahead and have dinner without me.

She sighed and turned to look back at the stove with a frown.

No problem, I understand. See you tonight.

She frowned as she looked at the phone before scrolling to another name on the list. For a moment she thought about messaging Kayden but then decided against it. He didn’t know about her current living arrangements and tended to be overprotective. Instead, she moved to a different name.

I made dinner… have you eaten? It was only a second later and her phone chimed.

You made dinner? I am there!

Only a few moments later Kiara heard a knock at the door. It couldn’t be already… As she opened the door she was greeted with a broad smile.

“My lady…” Draven said extending a bag to her. “Thought we could enjoy this with dinner.”

Kiara grabbed the white bag and looked inside. It was a bottle of an expensive wine, one that was enhanced to be more potent for the supernatural’s.

“How did you get something like this?!” Kiara asked excitedly. A wine of that quality wouldn’t be readily available.

“I have my special stash.” Draven said with a wink, stepping inside. He looked around and instantly frowned. “Where is Eli…?” He studied Kiara’s face and pursed his lips together.

“He said he would be late.”

“Kiara… do you think it is okay that I am here?” Draven asked, raising his eyebrows at her.

“Well, why wouldn’t it be? We aren’t that way.” Kiara laughed, waving him off.

“No, we aren’t but will Eli be okay with it? How would you feel coming back to your apartment and finding another woman here with him?” He watched her stop walking. Her fingers balled up for a moment and she turned to look at him.

“He is out having dinner with Belinda, so I didn’t think it was a problem. I guess we can pack it up to go…”

“Did he say that?” Draven tilted his head to the side and watched her shake her head no. Given the circumstances Kiara just went through with Jhett it was no wonder Kiara was feeling insecure. Honestly, Eli should have known better. What was he thinking? He was going to have to have a talk with that dimwitted bear.

“Dinner smells amazing. Eli is missing out having to eat bland cafeteria food instead. You know he would be here… but lucky for me. Let’s eat here. I think Eli will just have to understand the situation.” Draven said brushing past Kiara to the table. He could sense she was in desperate need of a mental distraction. He remembered all too well how it was when he started dating again. Every time his girlfriend was late, he became insecure. She needed to get out of her own head. She would end up being her worst enemy with relationships. That is how it was for him.

At first, dinner was pleasant. Kiara enjoyed Draven’s company and their conversations. As the evening rolled on, she began to feel the minutes creeping by. Every minute felt like something inside of her was being cut open. She found herself drinking glass after glass of the potent wine.

“I think you’ve had enough.” Draven said as he reached for the bottle. She swatted his hand away and glared at him.

“I’m a big girl and can handle myself.” Kiara growled pouring herself another glass. Where was Eli? It was getting late, and he still wasn’t back. Another glass… and another.

Her cheeks felt hot, and her head was beginning to spin. Where was Eli? This was beyond late now. She leaned her forehead on her arm resting it on the table. “Thanks for coming over, you’re a good friend.” She murmured as she closed her eyes.

“Kiara… hey… you don’t want to sleep here.” Draven sighed as he walked over next to her. “Come on, I’ll help you to bed. I told you it was too much.” There was no way she could walk without stumbling. He made the decision to just carry her. He reached down and lifted her to his chest, cradling her princess style.

“It might have been a bit stronger than I thought.” She murmured as her head swam.

Draven pulled the blankets to the side and eased her on the bed. He frowned as he pulled the sheet up over her body. Where the hell was that damn bear? He is the reason she drank too much. He tucked the sheet around her and she reached out and placed her hand on his.

“Thank you for coming. I’m glad I didn’t have to be alone.” She whispered as she fell unconscious.

“I’m here whenever you need me.” Draven whispered, kissing her forehead. He straightened up and headed back to the kitchen. He looked over the mess and rolled up his sleeves. He wasn’t an expert at doing the dishes, but it was the least he could do.

__

Eli sighed as he reached the apartment. He figured Kiara was probably long asleep by now, so he quietly entered but something was wrong. The strong scent and the aura of another person slammed him in the face. His eyes darkened as he stepped into the room. His eyes flashed to the bedroom as he took a couple more steps. A sound in the kitchen made him whip his head. He watched as Draven stepped into view, rolling down his sleeves. The vampire glared at him as Eli felt his arms tremble in anger.

“What. Happened. Here.” Eli’s icy voice cut through the air in a harsh whisper.

Draven reached towards the table, holding up an empty bottle of wine. He waved it back and forth as he clenched his jaw. “This is your fault bear! We need to talk.”

Note:

The Alphs Island Books are on hold. Please join Alpha Island Arc.