1961

~Tove

I stare at the mess of words in front of me, withholding a groan.

"This is so boring."

I look across the table. Keo has his legs crossed at his ankles, bracing them on the table's surface. He himself is reading, although his choice of book is much less daunting than the one he has assigned me to examine.

"It's important," he muses, flicking a page over.

We have spent almost all day avoiding talking about what happened two nights ago while I read a book on Demon's and their magic.

I haven't been able to get that night out of my head.

Keo laid me down on the bed and gave me the most mind-blowing orgasm of my life. It has shattered my entire perception of the world, and now, we are back to acting as we normally do around each other.

On the bright side, I transported us back here with moderate ease and only a mild blood nose.

I'm getting stronger. I can feel it.

"Why is it important?"

"Didn't you once wish you knew more about Demon's?" He questions, tilting his head to the side. He doesn't hide when he is taunting me, using my own curiosities against me.

I drop my head down onto the book, my forehead resting in the crease.

"Not about their magic," I mutter.

"You should know about the people you will be transporting."

Him and I both know these books don't matter. He's keeping my mind occupied while my body rests from the over-exertion.

I lift my head, blowing a strand of hair away from my face. "I only care about you."

He smirks. "Really?"

"Your history, I mean. I want to know about your past," I amend, rolling my eyes.

Keo's past is what made him who he is. The more I can learn about him, the more I will come to understand him. Maybe that's why he has been wary about telling me much about himself.

"All the tragic stuff doesn't need repeating," he mutters, waving his hand dismissively as his attention falls back to his book.

"Then tell me about the non-tragic stuff," I push. He can't avoid telling me about his life beyond what I've witnessed. We are mates, it has to come up at some point.

He doesn't look. "There is none."

"Seriously?"

"Seriously."

I sigh through my nose. He's holding back, and it's not for the sake of my focus on this book. We both know that ship has sailed.

"Were you ever in love?" I ask softly.

"No," he responds quickly.

He's so beautiful I can't imagine how he wouldn't receive a lot of attention from people. His power is enough to scare away the sanest of lovers, although I can't believe he's weaved through life completely unlucky in love.

"I feel like you're lying." I narrow his eyes.

"I'm your mate. You want to hear about my past lovers?" He questions, a small smile playing at his lips that suggest there is more than he is willing to divulge.

Something dark curls up in my stomach at the thought of him with someone else.

"Maybe not," I mumble pitifully.

I can only imagine what he was like in his youth and the kind of people he convened with. It must be the mate bond that is causing a twinge of jealously to course through me.

"What about you? Who has the honour of being your lover?" He asks, daring me to reveal all.

"I was in a mildly serious relationship with a guy who cheated on me. After that it was just stupid flings with useless guys," I admit. He may not be willing to tell me anything, but he can hear about my depressing romantic past.

Keo breathes in deeply, settling further back in his chair.

"They never deserved to see your body."

I ignore the darkness in his eyes and take it for kindness. Although with Keo, nothing is ever as it seen. A thought briefly touches my mind that he may find this ex-boyfriend of mine and kill him.

At this point, I'm not sure if I would be opposed to that.

"You wish it was only reserved for you?" I tap my fingers along the surface of my table, looking at him through my lashes.

"As long as only my eyes see what's under those clothes, I don't care about your past," he murmurs, eyes darkening.

My mouth dries at his brazen words. Unconsciously I wrap my arms around myself, feeling completely naked even though I'm not.

"If you keep me reading, you'll never see what's under here again," I tell him, slamming the book shut.

He only smiles knowingly. "Uh huh."

I open my mouth to protest, but a booming voice sounds from behind us, making me flinch.

"Keo."

"Wren? What are you doing here?" He questions, looking over my shoulder.

Sure enough, I turn around see and Wren stalking toward us, a grim look on her face. My stomach twists. Something doesn't feel right.

"I bring bad news," she declares, falling into a seat at the table.

Keo straightens. "What is it?"

"Vail is dead. He was killed," she mutters.

A gasp catches in my throat. Vail? It was only a couple weeks ago that I was talking to him. He was kind, attentive and far too young to be taken from the world...especially by murder.

"What? When? By who," Keo questions, his expression morphing to seriousness. I haven't seen him like this in a while, where he is entirely focused, reminding me why no one has been able to kill him in his lifetime.

"A Demon Hunter, I believe. He was killed last night," Wren says tightly.

She looks as though she has been crying, although I don't dare bring that up. Wren is the picture of firmness, of strength, but is still capable of grieving.

"We will find out who did this. And I'll kill them." Keo gets to his feet, beginning to pace back and forth in front of the table.

My eyes widen. "What? No...you can't just kill someone."

"You've got to be kidding me," Wren mutters, rolling her eyes.

Keo's eyes don't soften. "This person killed a Demon. They need to die."

Whoever killed Vail deserves a lot. But death? By Keo's hand, too? I understand that they are both upset, but there needs to be more thought put into this.

"They should be punished, yes, but you don't need to kill them," I exclaim. I already feel like I'm making a fool's argument right before two vengeful Demon's who value lives differently to how I do.

"They are an Angel-blood, they deserve to die," Keo growls, an almost feral kind of anger having been sparked in his eyes.

"I'm an Angel-blood," I remind him coldly.

He pauses.

For a few fleeting seconds, we just stare each other down. I dare Keo to elaborate, to pretend like the annihilation of all Angel-bloods wouldn't serve him. It has been his ultimately goal for centuries, it seems.

And now he is mated to one. How unfortunate.

"You're not. I refuse to believe that," he grits out.

"It's the truth and you know it," I snap, crossing my arms over my chest defensively.

Keo can say whatever he wants, but I am an Angel-blood. It cannot be dented. He can chose to hate me because of it, but no matter what he says or does, I will always be one, and I will always be his mate.

"You're nothing like them. You're different," he seethes, poison dripping off his every word.

"I'm exactly like them."

It's my Angel-blood magic that he is using to get what he wants. He refuses to acknowledge that, though. He also refuses to acknowledge who I really am, and it will likely be that way forever.

"No. You're my mate." He paces over to where I sit, ignoring a watchful Wren.

"Not if you keep killing people. Not like this," I tell him furiously.

I can't be mated to the person everyone has warned me about. I want the Keo I've only recently been coming to know. It's a kind, attentive man who I could see myself being mated to.

"That Angel-blood killed a Demon, Tove. They deserve to suffer."

I stand up, looking up at him. I'm not going to let him intimidate me like he does to everyone else. Him and I are equals in a soul-bonded way that even he cannot deny.

"That's not up to you to decide," I hiss, both hating and secretly enjoying the proximity. It makes this argument even more heated.

Keo frowns, examining my face. "What do you want me to do? Be okay with this?"

"No...I don't know." I throw my hands up.

Issues like this aren't easy to determine. They need careful examination outside of emotions, because there is someone's life on the line. Demon Hunter's may be evil, but they are running off the same warped reality as a lot of other Angel-blood's.

Like me, at one point.

Keo sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose. I watch him take a deep breath, steadying himself. I can't imagine he's ever had to justify his decisions to someone before.

"Why don't you go up to your room and take a breath. Wren and I need to talk," he says calmly, motioning toward the door.

"Whatever," I mutter, turning toward the door.

There is no point arguing with Keo, so I oblige him, rushing up the stairs.

About an hour later, he appears at the threshold to the room. He no longer looks so tense or angry. There is a darkness that still simmers deep inside him though, fighting to be released.

"I don't want to talk to you," I tell him firmly, sinking deeper into my pillow.

"Wren is going to look into his death. After that, I'll do whatever you want me to," he tells me softly, rubbing a hand down his face.

He looks tired. Overworked. A cold, almost dead part of me feels a little sad suddenly.

"You won't kill them?"

He stalks into the room, sweeping a hand through his hair. "Not if you don't want me to."

I curl mt legs up against my chest. "Okay...thank you."

I didn't expect him to concede. He is passionate about his fight against Angel-bloods, and although I am his mate, I didn't expect that I could have so much of a sway over him.

"You alright?" He sits on the edge of the bed, looking like he wants to touch me.

All my resolve crumbles into nothingness.

"I'm sorry too. I should remember that you've suffered a great amount of trauma from Angel-blood's. You're doing what you think is right," I breathe.

He smiles softly. "Being mated to you is changing that, Tove. I see now that I need to alter my stance."

That's big, coming from him. It doesn't change the reality though.

"I'm scared about the future," I admit. I'm scared of Demon Hunter's hurting my mate. I'm scared of my magic and how far I may be able to push it.

And I'm scared of the thought that I may be falling for him...

"You don't need to be. I'll always protect you," he tells me, leaning forward to kiss my forehead.

I close my eyes. It doesn't help.

All it's doing to setting alight the feelings I am useless at controlling. I'm slowly falling victim to the mate bond.

🤍••🤍

~Midika 💜🐼