008. Bethany is f*cking mine

~Asad Mort~

…Three Days Later…

We gave Bethany a three-day break.

It's not like she needed it, but we needed to fix the apartment we collectively and carefully set up for all five of us.

The idea of her staying in the tiny dorm room we identified as hers a few days ago didn't sit well with either of us. It’s not safe enough. She's supposed to be living like a queen, fiercely protected by us.

If the news that she's our mate breaks out, which almost did yesterday, due to Jayan's loud mouth. It will make her a target for other Nobles hoping to climb the ranks.

Although Crestbane’s ‘sweep’ hasn’t officially started for the year, Bethany is still in danger, especially considering how highly ranked and powerful the four of her mates are. Killing her will take a Noble very far in rank.

Bethany doesn’t understand it yet. She also doesn't get the fact that we are not accepting her rejection.

Her room is all set up, its interiors beautifully designed for our Queen.

It’s a five-bedroom apartment with each of us having our own room and Bethany having the biggest room and bed ever seen. That will allow all five of us to sleep on the same bed on days she decides she wants all of us close by.

I might just be daydreaming, though.

I groan painfully as my vision blurs temporarily at the sight of my late mother's ghost hovering around the corridor. These days, seeing my family’s ghosts has gotten so bad that I now hear them speak to me.

Setting my hand against our apartment door, which I spelled to open only for my mate and all four princes mated to her, the door swings open, and I raise a brow at Jayan, waltzing around with three large boxes in the living room.

He's moving in already.

godsdamn!

Bethany is in for so much more than she understands.

“Good to see you let yourself in, Jay,” I say, my sarcastic tone thick enough not to be captured by him.

“Please,” he huffs. “I checked your room; you moved in already.” He points in the direction of my room. “Look, I need to dedicate my time to Bethany today.”

Slowly, he looks at me and shakes his head. “You look exhausted. Everything okay? Are you hungry? I can make you a yummy meal.” He offers.

“No, thank you,” I reply to him.

The first and last time Jayan cooked for me, we were fifteen, and he added Mangrove root powder that made me purge for two days straight.

All because he saw me kissing his then-girlfriend, whom at the time, I had no idea they were dating. So, nah, I'll pass on his kind gesture.

He shrugs, “At least I offered to help.

I hurriedly take a quick survey of our apartment, and when I get back to the living room, Jayan is taking a selfie I have no doubt will end up on one of Crestbane’s gossip blogs once he posts it on his social media.

I just pray that whatever he writes as a caption, it doesn’t spill our mate's identity just yet. At least until she moves into our apartment.

 Loud-mouthed dragon shifter!

“I’ll be taking Bethany out this evening to Torah for designers' shopping and dinner. Afterwards, I will spoil the fuck out of her in bed for a few days and win the bet.” Jayan says as he poses for another picture.

Cocky bastard!

I shouldn't have agreed to a bet with any of these guys. Something tells me that if Bethany finds out, we might end up losing her, permanently. It is indeed crucial for us to make progress with her, but shouldn’t we do that without turning it into our childish, never-ending bets?

I watch Jayan put his phone away as the ghost of my late sister walks past, humming a lullaby I used to sing for her while she was alive. Damn, these ghosts are going to drive me insane one of these days.

My father's ghost joins her, and I get so distracted by their voices that I don’t realize Jayan is now calling my name to get my attention.

The ghosts before me fade as my eyes snap to his, and I’m not sure what he sees on my face, but he immediately steps back.

He scratches his chin, studying me. “Are we good, Sad?”

Only Jayan knows I see ghosts, and that leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. Most people can’t understand what I went through after my family's mysterious death.

I haven’t been able to find out how, why, and what caused their death, and that kills me every day.

But I've always managed to ward off their ghosts with effective spells that I have to recast every 48 hours.

However, these spells are no longer as effective as they used to be.

I shake my head to dispel the effects these voices have on me and nod, “I'm good.”

“Do you want me to let you win, Bethany, first? Maybe being around her will make you less…you know.”

Psychotic, paranoid, Neurotic. Haunted.

His theory is worth pursuing. I watch him leave for his room while I go ahead to look for my mate, whom I intend to know every tiny detail about.

Her likes. Her hates. How strong she is…

I’ve just crossed Crestbane’s library when Lucas, the Dean’s assistant, spots me and approaches, calling out my name.

Lucas is a nosey sonofabitch, constantly checking in on me, expecting to impress me with preferential treatment.

Everyone knows that aside from my family's influence, I'm like the next big caster in our world, and even my grandfather, the man who mentored me, and the only surviving family member I have, respects me a whole lot.

I despise that the Dean and his assistant think I’d appreciate preferential treatment.

“Mr. Mort,” he says with a smile, stopping before me. “It’s definitely going to be a beautiful day for me. You’re the first person I’m speaking to today.”

“Might be your worst day ever,” I shrug.

He laughs so hard like I cracked the funniest joke ever.

“What a beautiful sense of humor you have, Mr. Mort.” He says, “Let me be the first to inform you, sir, that Crestbane’s sweep will be coming up on the 24th of next month.” He whispers the last part. “Just to get the weak amongst us weeded out.” He tilts closer. “I believe you will pass the information to the other princes and let them know I brought the news to you before it breaks out later today.”

I try to pretend like the news didn’t prick my interest. “Is there a point to this discussion, Lucas?”

He doesn’t fail to wear that sweet smile of his. Anything to be in the prince’s good books. “Indeed, Mr. Mort. A few changes were made this year. Mates are expected to work together during general courses and practices, and the unmated ones may stick together in a group of at least two or five at most if they so wish. Do you by chance know if any of the princes have found their mates from the new Nobles?”

Nosey-lazy preek.

An idea comes to my mind. I ask instead of answering him. “What do you know about a new Noble with the name Bethny Metrov?”

He frowns and pretends to think. “The bold, disrespectful newly admitted Noble?”

Yeah, that sounds like my mate. “Yes.”

He blinks. “She came to Crestbane a few days ago after spending two weeks at the Fondrum. She manifested as a Proselyte a month ago. But her magic is so poor. She can only grow tiny plants.”

“So, is she completely human?”

“Yes.”

“Do Proselytes get their mate marks too?”

Lucas nods slowly. “I believe it appears once they manifest.”

“Have there been situations where it takes a little more time to appear?”

“A few Proselytes have manifested a few days to their bonding, yes.”

“So, her type can be mates with a Noble?”

“Of course, she's a Noble as it is, although a less powerful and non-deserving one.”

I consider this new information carefully. Everything is perfect then. Everything but our mate’s acceptance. Does she find the idea of being bound to the four of us terrifying? I mean, she's human after all.

I regard Lucas and smile internally. Perhaps his nosey ass isn’t so bad after all.

“Do you have more information about this Bethany of a girl?”

I'm assuming since she was sent by the Fondrum, he should know a few more things about her.

He bites his fingernails nervously. “I only know that her parents passed away while she was a child.”

She's an Orphan like me…

Intriguing

Not bothering with more small talk, I leave Lucas to go in search of my mate while he stares questionably at me, probably wondering why I’m interested in the disrespectful Noble.

…

Bethany is just leaving her room when I get to her floor. She spares me an impassive glance before walking past as if I’m not studying her.

I can hardly help myself as I take in my beauty of inestimable value.

Today, her not-so-long hair is packed slightly above her nape, and I finally get it now; she doesn’t seem to have good-fitting clothes.

 It's understandable since she lost her parents as a kid and has probably been fending for herself all alone. But that’s fine because she now has a whole wardrobe of clothes at our apartment.

I quickly catch up to her. “Did you have an amazing night?”

No reply.

“I’ll treat you to breakfast.”

“Not hungry.”

“Lunch then, later on, between your classes.”

“No.”

She’s stubbornly not looking at me. I’m not used to struggling to gain anyone's attention since most of the time I'm always the object of spectacle.

Seeing that Bethany is so intent on ignoring me, I decide to test her resolve by hitting straight to the big topic. “How did you lose your family?”

She slows to face me, her expression unreadable. We’re close to Crestbane’s largest training ground now.

“I was told their death was agonizing, slow, and painful. How did yours die?”

She doesn’t bat an eye, but her voice has an edge. She wants no sympathy, and something in my chest melts slightly. I understand that part of her.

“They…” I swallow hard. “I was little and I was out playing with the other kids when it happened,” I quietly confess.

There’s a faint flicker of something in her eyes, perhaps empathy, before she turns to enter the next empty walkway. I follow, determined to make more progress.

“What sort of gift can one give you that you won't abandon at your doorstep like it's nothing?”

I had a diamond bracelet delivered to her yesterday. Olyon told us that all our gifts to Bethany were packed up by the cleaners.

She does not answer.

“Do you like fresh flowers?”

Still nothing.

I study her and add. “If you love nice-smelling fresh flowers, I want to get you at least two hundred stems of Gardenia. I know they smell so good.”

When she speaks, her voice is flat and monotonous. “I’ll prefer a Belladonna.”

I frown. “Belladonna is a poisonous flower, Bethany.” She flashes me a mean glare that has me quickly apologizing. “Sorry, but it’s a poisonous plant that can cause madness.”

“Perfect, I'd love to gift one to all four of you so you can leave me the fuck alone.”

What the hell!

I think I've fallen in love with this woman. She is everything I need and more!

“Tell me what I can do to bore you so you can lose interest in me.” She stops and suddenly asks.

“Nothing,” I admit, struggling to pull myself out of my train of thought. “I'm honestly fascinated by you.”

Bethany holds my gaze steadily.

So daring, so mine!

Oh gods, what I’ll do to strip naked for her and have her eyes roam all over my body like this.

Shit! I think I’m going to come in my pants if I don’t think of something else.

Most people find my full attention and gaze too intense, but my mate doesn’t flinch. She’s steady, Immovable, Stubborn, Beautiful, Sexy, Hot, Fuckable…

Fucking Deskar!

I give up, I become the first to break eye contact.

“So, there’s no chance of me boring you to tears,” she summarizes.

She must be joking. If she knows what my filthy mind has in store for her…

“Is that what makes you want to reject us? You’re worried you’ll bore us and we’ll eventually lose interest in you?” I ask her.

Immediately, her voice steels. “I don’t want to reject you, I already did. I’m waiting for the ritual.”

What stupid ritual…

“There must be a reason. Is it because you come from a human background, and Nobles seem strange? Or because you're mated to all four of us? Or is something else scaring you away? Perhaps we intimidate you.”

Bethany snorts and brushes past me.

“I don’t owe anyone an explanation. Go find another mate, Asad Mort.” She says firmly.

I make no move as she takes long, powerful strides away from me, but the longer I stand here, the more it sinks in.

The ghosts of my family were all silent the entire time we were alone.

“godsdammit,” I murmur to myself.

Bethany is fucking mine. The gods make no mistake. Now, I intend to find out exactly what she’s keeping from us.