The Human Girl's Mate

Chapter Nine: Chaperoning a date for a friend II

We walk down the hill into the clearing and set our blankets down by the river. Its the perfect spot, we are close enough to see the waterfall, but not so close to get splashed and the  thundering noise is enough that I won't be able to hear Sara and Idril talking. Unfortunately it's not loud enough to drown out Calen, who hasn't shut up for one second since we started descending from the hill. My stomach starts  rumbling so I reach for my basket and  pull out some food Calen is standing by the edge of the blanket, like he's waiting to be invited, urgh, why does he have to act like such a gent?! I was getting ready for a good old fight after he slapped my arse, but  he's been nothing but polite since. Infuriating elf.  

' Sit Calen, let's eat and leave the love birds alone' I glanced over and Sara and Idril were already sipping mead and eating cake, all smiles and gentle hand brushing... Calen  sat down so close to me I had to scooch over to be able to eat. I can't deny that my body feels drawn to him, when he kissed my neck, I felt like my whole body was on fire, the heat from his lips on my skin was enough to make me tingle, I can still feel the soft brush of his touch on my neck, the heat still spreading down  my spine straight to my core, I'm so lost in my thoughts I don't notice his hand grabbing mine until I feel the electricity shooting up my arm, I look at him, and he smiles gently before taking a bit from a sandwich. I do the same and moan at how good it tastes, Calen squeezes my hand and I shoot him an angry look, but when I look at him his eyes have god black, and his breathing is slightly erratic. 'Calen, are you ok?' My voice seems to bring him out of his trance. 'Please Nina, have mercy, don't make those sounds so close to me... Being so close to you is driving me crazy. You have no idea the effect you have one me do you, petal?' He gently lifts my hand to his mouth and places a soft kiss on the back of it, never breaking eye contact. I blush, I can't help it. His touch, his words they're all Ii ever wanted to hear from a man, but the intensity of his tone it scares me, how can I trust he won't do the same to me as he did to Sara? I have to know, if we are going to start something I need to know. 'Calen, what do I mean to you? I mean, Am I just another human you want to bed, like Sara or is this something more? His eyes bulge out of his at the mention of him and Sara, and I'm not sure why. Surely he would know that Sara would tell me. I'm about to ask him when he abruptly stands and pulls out his sword. 'You touched her?' I turn to see Idril, a mere inches away from us, his eyes are red and his breathing is ragged, his voice his so angry, Sara is behind him trying to calm him down. I keep looking between him and Calen, I'm confused at first but then it hits me! Elves have super hearing, Idril heard my question, he thinks Calen has been with Sara. Oh no, have  I just destroyed their friendship? 'Idril, you misunderstand, I never did anything with Sara, a simple kiss ages ago my friend, before you and her met. It meant nothing to her or to me. Please, calm down.' Sara is loudly sobbing, she's moved in front of Idril and her eyes are pleading with him. 'Idril, please, I was going to tell you. I just didn't know how. Please. Put it down. I'm sorry for betraying you. She sounds defeated, like she knows he will not forgive her. My insecurities have just destroyed an old friendship and a new love. 

After managing to defuse  the situation earlier Sara and Calen explained what happened to Idril. He was angry, but he knew that it wasn't their fault, still he wasn't satisfied until he punched Calen in the face! After I stopped Calen's nose from bleeding the two elves hugged and laughed about it. Sara and Idril left  a while ago, decided to go for an evening stroll around the river, Calen and I are laying on the blanket, look at the starts and talking. I have learnt a lot about him. He has a younger sister, they come from a noble family, he has always wanted to be a warrior,  he joined the army right after his hundred and fiftieth birthday and worked his way up the ladder to commander. 'Now, tell me more about you petal.' I roll my eyes at his nickname for me. 'I'm no petal Cal, I'm not soft or fragile. I may be human but my parents raised me to be strong. I don't have any siblings, but growing up next door to Adan and his brothers was enough for me. They kept me on my toes.' At the mention of Adam, Calen's eyes harden and I remember how jealous he was of him before. 'Cal, how come when Idril was angry before his eyes were red, but the other day in my room yours weren't? I know I've surprised him with my question, he's actually a little flustered, how cute! 'Erm well, I think because I'm older  I have better control over my emotions.' I nod in understanding and I can see him relax. We talk for hours about our likes and dislikes and I learn that he loves grapes and the smell of wet dirt, as well as the smell of battle whatever that may smell like, but he isn't fond of the smell of blood. He doesn't like peaches which he claims is his sister favourite scent, he swears she only started using it after he found out he disliked it. I laugh at this, just like me and Adam with his dislike of chocolate and my love for it since finding out! Calen let's out a soft laugh at how similar me and his sister are, we drink some more water and eat more chocolate cake. 

Soon it gets chilly and we steal Sara's blanket to cover ourselves with. We snuggle under it, his body close to mine, he kindly removed his armour, so we could both be more comfortable. 'Cal, Sara and Idril have been gone a for a while, do you think they are ok?' I ask worried for my friend, now that it's darker and colder I wonder where they are. 'Nina, they are fine. Idril is a warrior, he can take care of her. Besides, I can hear them, they aren't far. They sound happy.' He smiles and grabs my hand. 'Nina, I know what the queen told you about us. Why haven't you mentioned it to me? Aren't you curious?' Am I not curious? A nervous laughter escapes my lips. 'Cal, I'm terrified. I don't know much about bonds, we don't learn about that at school, actually apart from the war, we learn nothing of value about Elves at school. I wonder why that is? Do you know?' I try my best to change the subject, but I fail miserably. 'No, I don't know. Do you want to know what this bond is doing to us?' He whispers his question to me, with a wicked smile on his lips and I can't help but move away from him a little bit. 'Ok' Is all I can squeak out. 'Well, you remember when you first saw me at your house and you asked why my eyes had gone weird?' I nod and he continues 'When we looked each other in the eyes that night, our souls recognized each other, you see, we are one soul in two bodies. At least that's what my mother always told me.' He smiles fondly at the mention of his mother. 'Physically the bond affects us by making our bodies crave each others touch, but it is not until we complete the bonding that the real affects show themselves. It is said some fated couples are able to communicate with each other via their thoughts, others can feel each others feelings, while other can heal each other with just their touch... There's no saying what a bond can do to a couple. A human/elf bond is not rare but not that common either. And since the king frowns upon such bonds we have to be careful. I want to investigate more about human/elf bonds.' 

I'm shocked, I mean, I already find it hard to believe we are meant to be together but to hear him explain we could potentially be able to talk with our minds is just to much. I sit up and pull my knees to my chest. I have a million and one questions for him, but there's only one I can muster the courage to ask. 'Cal, how do we, erm, make the bond official?' He lays on his side and props his head up on his elbow, he's about to answer me when Idril and Sara come running from the trees. 'Commander, Whitewood elves have entered the kingdom, we must go.'  Calen jumps up and extends his hand to help me. We pack our things up in silence and start the trek back to the castle.

Once back at the castle, both elves apologize  and say goodbye, Calen places a soft kiss on my lips and leaves, while Idril and Sara  go all out with a mini make out sesh, and part of me is jealous. The elves leave and Sara pushes me into the shared bathroom, she starts one of the showers and motions for me to follow her, we enter the next cubicle and she gives me a smirk and whispers 'I know how to trigger the start of the bond!' she turns and pulls her hair up off the nape of her neck, where I can see two little holes. I gasp shocked. They're bite marks!