1933

~Tove

My feet touch the ground, my eyes blinking open.

I expected the Territory Two manor, but I quickly realise Keo has taken me elsewhere. We are in some kind of large cabin that looks like it has just been built recently.

The scent of treated wood fills my nose as I turn in circles. "We are somewhere new."

"Correct."

I should have known. Keo moves around often, and we were overdue for a change.

Approaching the window, I note that we are on the edge of a forest. The leaves are all shades of brown and gold, many seated in piles on the forest floor. Toward the front of the house, there is a small stream nearly overgrown with long, thick grass.

"I'm assuming Territory Eight?" From what I know, it's perpetual autumn here.

"It will work for now," Keo muses, staring out at what the moonlight illuminates. There is something seated deep in his eyes - maybe a memory from long ago that occurred here.

"Thank you...for coming to get me," I murmur softly.

He casts his gaze over to me, my heart fluttering as a result. "I promised I would, didn't I?"

I nod mutely. He did, but I had my doubts. Considering he has been kind to me so far, I don't want to accuse him of having changing intentions.

"He said he was planning on keeping me there for a couple weeks. I think I probably would have died in there." I don't meant that literally, but I probably should.

He shakes his head slowly, dark shadows tracing the lines of his beautiful face. "Chances are, you would have. Especially..."

He breaks off, eyebrows drawing together.

"What?" I ask warily.

"If they learnt you are my mate, they would use you in terrible ways, Tove," he breathes. Anger, pain and fear mingle together in a dangerous cocktail within him. I can see it in the way he looks at me.

My mind goes to all the possibilities. It's a dark thought, but it's a real one.

I'm lucky I got out.

I hold my arm out to him. "They put this on me."

He frowns, stalking closer. "Let me see."

I brace myself for his proximity, watching him grab my arm, holding it up so he can view the bracelet. Not impressed, he snaps it off in one swift movement, bending it in his hand.

Immediately my magic rears up within me, surging back through my veins. Whatever the technology is that the Noble's have access to, I never want to see it again.

"No one will be nullifying your magic," he growls, tossing the remnants of the bracelet onto the table.

"You're angry," I note.

"I've see many Demon's wear something like this. Angel-bloods are so scared of their magic that if they don't kill the Demon's, they try to reduce it to nothingness," he mutters distastefully.

My stomach turns over. I can only imagine the horror of what those Demon's went through. So many were slaughtered and used by Angel-blood's, and that bracelet was a way for them to do it.

And Dax so brazenly used it on me...

"Did it happen to you?" I ask tentatively. Maybe now is not the time to dig for information, but if it means avoiding talking about the mate bond, I'll take it.

He nods sharply, rubbing his gloved hands together. "More than once."

"So you're saying they were never planning on taking it off me?" The thought makes me physically sick. They didn't know how to handle my power, so instead of reasoning with me, they wanted to trap me.

He nods grimly. "They would have kept it on you forever, I think."

"I hate them. I hate him." I start pacing, digging my hands into my hair.

Keo just watches me, a solemn look on his face. He's not used to trying to comfort someone - he's never had to before.

"Dax is young and foolish. He believes what he is doing is protecting Angel-bloods, and maybe he's right." He shrugs.

I let that sink in. "You don't plan to kill them, do you?"

"Would I wipe Angel-bloods of the face of this world? No. I only wish for those who have hurt me and other Demon's to suffer," he tells me firmly.

He's not walking around his intentions. If there is anything I appreciate about Keo, it's that he will not soften reality.

"I won't...I'll leave again, if you hurt anymore people," I exclaim pointedly. I won't sit idle while people die, even if they deserve it.

Keo turns his head. "You want to stay?"

I draw in a sharp breath. I haven't thought about it...the thought of returning back to my apartment for everything to repeat itself doesn't sound very tempting.

"I don't have to. I just don't know where else to stay where Dax can't get to me," I mumble, rubbing my arm uncomfortably.

Keo straightens. "You will stay here, with me. You will be safe."

There's no point disagreeing. And honestly, I don't want to leave. Here, I know I will be safe, to some extent.

I just have to figure out how I feel about this whole mate issue...

I look around at the bland furniture, wondering if there is any space for me here, in a life of constantly moving around. I'm not sure how I'm going to cope with never belonging somewhere.

It reminds me too much of my childhood.

Keo's gaze is dark and unreadable as it shifts over me. "I wasn't sure I would ever see you again."

Something in me quivers in response. He's insinuating so much more that neither of us want to say...he cannot hide it though. I know he is glad I have returned.

"Dax was always going to come for me." I stumble over my words, sounding stupid.

I'm scared of getting too close, too intimiate.

He shrugs. "Maybe."

"When do we start working on my magic?" I ask instead. I assume that even though I'm here voluntarily, not tied down by the threat of Mary's illness, my magic will still be needed.

And surprisingly, I'm willing to do it for him. I'm not sure I'll survive here without a purpose.

"Tomorrow. For now, you can get some rest." He motions behind me at an ajar door that I assume leads into a bedroom.

I'm tired, so tired, but I suspect there will be one thing plaguing my mind tonight that will cause sleep to evade me.

"We should talk about..."

He nods, swallowing tightly. "I know."

"I still don't know how to feel," I admit quickly, desperate to fill any void of silence. It's not easy to stand there and look at him in his imposing state and not think about what is meant to occur between mates?

"I understand. We couldn't exactly predict this." He rubs the back of his neck.

"What are you thinking?" I whisper.

He draws in a deep breath, considering what to say.

"I'm thinking that I haven't had someone close to me in a long time. I'm not even sure how to share my life with someone," he admits softly.

No lies, no manipulation. Just truth.

"I know what you mean," I say, trying not to appear startled as he slowly opens up in front of me. After this conversation, I'm not certain Keo will be so willing to bare his soul to me.

Something flickers in his eyes. "You've been paired with a monster. That's how you see me."

"I know only what other people say about you. I want to learn about who you really are," I assure him.

I am fearful of him. He does intimidate me, and his morality is still ambiguous. But he is my mate. Whether I like it or not, I'm obliged to give him a chance to show his true self to me.

"I'm scared you won't like who I am," he breathes.

I take a step toward him, the force of his magic consuming me, wrapping around me in a way that sings to my own. He doesn't step back, although a wariness comes about him, as if he doesn't trust himself around me.

"You're my mate. It has to mean something," I remind him gently.

"I hope so."

"You need to tell me what you have planned for me. I'm not going to help you unless you tell the truth," I say, slicing through the tension between us.

There is little point dancing around it. I want the truth about why I am here, beyond being his mate.

"You must promise that if Dax ever gets his hands on you again, you won't tell him my plans. You cannot even tell Mary," he says sternly, all sense of vulnerability vanishing in a moment.

"I won't..." I promise.

He exhales slowly, rubbing his dark brow. "This realm isn't safe for Demon's anymore. I want to get as many as possible out of here to another place, where they can be safe."

"Are you included in that?"

"I imagine I'll stay here, to look for more Demon's that haven't been brought to my attention."

I shift from foot to foot. There is a clinical coldness in his voice, breed from a plan that has been in motion long before I came into the picture. He hasn't made room for me in this plan yet...

"So you need me to travel through realms to move these people?" I clarify.

Stretching out my palms in front of me, I stare at them as if I can see the physical manifestation of them. How can I do such a thing when transporting Keo a couple feet nearly killed me?

"It's a lot, but I'm certain you can do it," Keo adds, sensing my apprehension.

I frown. "Why can't you?"

Keo sighs, sweeping both hands through his hair. "There is a very irritating man who guards realm's and happens to thoroughly dislike me. I believe you can go under the radar to be unnoticed by him."

"I'm not sure if I'll ever be capable of that," I exclaim hopelessly. He may just be hanging his hopes on the wrong person...

I didn't even know there were other realms, let alone ones I may be capable of travelling to.

"I know you can be. We will work on it."

"I didn't know there was such a threat to Demon's." I figured it was bad, but bad enough for Keo to concede entirely by getting them out of here? I don't think any Angel-blood is expecting that.

"They are still being hunted and killed. There is only so much I can do for them here," he mutters grimly.

By the look on his face it isn't easy for him to come to this conclusion, but for the betterment of every Demon, it must be done.

"I'm sorry. As an Angel-blood, I'm sorry."

His eyes darken as they drift over my body. "Don't be. You're not like them."

I look toward the bedroom door. "I should probably get some sleep."

Turning, I make my way toward the room before Keo's soft voice calls my attention back to him.

"Hey..."

"Hmm?"

"Dax is never going to see you again. You're safe here," he murmurs softly, although I don't miss the firm assurance I'm his tone.

I smile weakly. "I know."

🤍••🤍

~Midika 💜🐼