The Claddagh Academy

Princess Aella

Kodiak

            Blaise had the strange quality of making me want to destroy things and then put them back together. Depending on her mood I could either be a monster or a benevolent king. These past weeks I’ve been an insufferable monster. I simply couldn’t understand why she was so mad at me. I’d given her Mandrake dust to unlock her powers and any other soul mate in my position would have done the same thing. My mate’s survival and happiness were the only things that mattered. If I needed to kill, torture and impale my enemies to keep her safe I will do it blindly. Hell, I would even enjoy it. Blaise was simply lying to herself if she thought I will change my ways. She had a soft heart and even if I could entertain the idea of playing to be a decent man in front of her I would always end behaving like the monster I was. At least I would never lie to her about that. And I will never harm her.

            I still kicked myself every day for pushing her out of my mind like I did. I had been fighting a pack of feral werewolves when Blaise tried to invade my mind and I hadn’t even think on inspecting who was the silent visitor who had knocked at my mind shields. I had pushed her out violently and just at the end, when she screamed in pain I realized what I had done. The beast had gone insane when it realized we had harmed Blaise. It had roared for days and destroyed my mind until I was a walking, aching and irritating migraine. I was so proud of her though. Not many Fae could read minds and even fewer had been brave enough to reach the fortress inside of my mind and knocked on it. If I’d known it was her I would’ve invited her in. I wanted my mate to feel comfortable enough to be in my mind whenever she wanted. There was only one place in my mind where she wasn’t allowed and that was for her own safety. The beast considered Blaise his mate too and I knew for a fact it will never harm her, but the beast was also infinite, limitless and very, very powerful. If I lose control over it for just a second while Blaise was inside of my mind the consequences could be terrible and I wasn’t taking any chances.

            “Incoming,” alerted me Talon by my side and I looked to the right, staring at Blaise. The beast, who hadn’t stopped howling and roaring all night quieted down. Peace. True peace was what I felt every single time I looked at Blaise. My heart started beating faster in a silent call to her heart to follow the erratic state in which she put me in. For weeks I’ve controlled the animalistic impulse of extending my wings whenever she was close. It was only instinctual, what any other male Fae will do when in close proximity to his mate to call for her attention. I fisted my hands inside of my pants pockets and looked away from Blaise. Something told me she wouldn’t appreciate if I spread my wings and make her come to me. Blaise was still angry, even after all these weeks, even after I let her punch me and fight me. If she kept this charade going on I would be forced to kidnap her and take her to my castle where we will either fix whatever was wrong or kill each other.

            As usual Karoo and Blaise sat at the other side of the classroom and where deep in conversation. I had no f*****g clue what they were always talking about but those two never stopped whispering to each other. I wasn’t pitiful here. I was just stating a fact. I rolled my head over my shoulders when Cicerone started talking about once again another Fae war between the royal houses. There had to be at least hundreds of wars through our history and I already knew all about them. The Unseelie won, the others lost, the end. Slowly I tilted my head back and looked over at Blaise. Normally she would always fell asleep at this class and I would use the opportunity to watch her, marveling at all the little things she did and studying her like an avid reader.

            Today she wasn’t sleeping though. I narrowed my eyes, inspecting her little by little and coming to the conclusion there was something different about her. Was it her hair? Nah, she always tended to braid it when she overslept and didn’t have time to brush it. Was it the new scarf she was wearing? No, it couldn’t be. That was Karoo’s scarf and I’ve seen those two wearing each other’s clothes before. What was it? And why I was growing mad at every second that passed without me knowing what was going on with my mate? I could go inside her mind and see for myself, but I didn’t need her adding more reasons to her ongoing list of things she hated about me.

            Blaise tensed suddenly as if she could feel me staring at her. She looked up and in my direction until our gazes collided. Damn. My mate was beautiful. The beast barked in agreement and wagged its tail in submission to her perfection. It was in those moments when I had to admit to myself I had more in common with the beast than what I felt comfortable acknowledging. We were both animals. Depraved and masochist animals. I smiled at Blaise to get a reaction from her and sure enough she gave it to me. At this point I was desperate for any contact with her. Any form in which I could get her attention was good if I could get her attention. She scowled at me, her amethyst eyes shining in a mix of disgust and hate that drove me crazy. I had half a mind of going to her desk and kissing her hard until she understood that she was already falling in love with me but… her trembling hands made me frown. I looked at her under a different light.

            There were shadows under her eyes that hadn’t been there the day before. Her cheekbones looked more prominent and her hands were trembling. My entire body went still and the beast growled at me in anger. I’ve seen all these signs before and I had failed her once but never again. She was my mate. Mine. And she was starving again. Blaise only looked like that when her siren was hungry and she was neglecting her. I stood and went for Blaise, moving her chair with a flick of my hand and then opening the exit door with another blast of magic. Blaise’s eyes opened like big saucers and she looked around the class, probably thinking that Cicerone could help her escape me this time. No f*****g chance of that happening.

            “Blaise is excused for the rest of the day,” I informed this to Cicerone over my shoulder and then grabbed Blaise’s hand and took her out of the class. The moment we were in the hall I closed the door behind us with an afterthought. I counted taking three steps before I turned around and hugging her. One I had Blaise inside my arms everything felt right. She was everything I needed. The only thing I needed.  Mine. By the Gods, this was true bliss. My mate’s body against mine and with my arms around her, protecting her, giving her my strength. I wished for a day when I could do this whenever I wanted and not because she was starving and needed me like she would need an energy bar. I tensed when she first tried to push me away and not ready to let her go I opened the hall windows and jumped out with Blaise still in my arms. She gasped when we started falling and hugged me closer to her, hiding her face in the crook of my neck to not see our fall. For another second I enjoyed her like that, with her lovely arms around me and her head underneath my chin, invading my senses with her scent of the ocean and wild violets.

            Then I opened my wings and paused our fall, before flying higher and speeding away from Claddagh. The wind was still cold since spring had just started and worried she could get sick I pushed her more to my side so I could take the impact of the coldest windblasts with my chest. Blaise opened her big, amethyst eyes and took one look at our height, my wings and the clouds surrounding us before groaning at me.

            “What are you doing Kodiak Doomhold?” I clicked my tongue against my teeth and looked away from my mate. Maybe I shouldn’t like how my full name sounded in her voice when she was mad at me. Maybe I shouldn’t take so much pleasure in the way she grew scared of the heights and hugged me harder. Maybe. What could I say? I was a famous devil and there was something positively hot about my beautiful mate getting all angry and murderous.

            “I’m feeding the siren,” I said with a roll of my eyes that pointed how dense she was just to get her angrier. Blaise huffed and looked away from me. When she moved her chest bumped against my side and I felt myself lose all sense of direction. I should be burn in Hell. I really should. I was able to redirect myself a couple of heartbeats later and softly to not scare I started to descend.

            “For your information the siren and I made an agreement last night about her feeding choices. We both agreed on not feeding from you ever again,” she informed me with a queenly air that looked good on her. Very good. Nice that she was training to get her place by the side of my throne. I knew she was bluffing of course. The siren had promised me to come to me and only me to feed from my lust. Not that I needed any more reasons to bust my own ego, but one could get used to sirens telling me my lust tasted like ambrosia. I knew the siren was hooked on it. She wouldn’t agree on feeding from anyone else. I smirked and gave Blaise a side smile that was pure arrogance.

            “I’m really curious about something siren. Do you actually believe in what you are saying or you are just lying to yourself like you usually do?” I asked her and Blaise lifted a delicate eyebrow at me.

            “I’m not joking Kodiak. This is serious. I’m mad at you and you know why but you are just too stubborn to admit you made a mistake when you lied and made decisions for me. I explained this to the siren and she agreed we needed to teach you a lesson,” she said with a shrug while I landed on the royals gardens of the Unseelie palace. The soft sun that shone above us brightened the fields of yarrows and the remaining winter asters that hadn’t died with the last season. We both ignored the fields and the looming presence of the castle that I’ve just started to see like a home. Right then, there was nothing and no one that could deter us from fighting each other. Again.

            “I’m stubborn? What the hell about you then? You are the one that prefers to starve herself before coming to me for help,” I said and my voice deepened like an abysm, echoed by the growl of the beast. It didn’t like I was fighting Blaise when I should be feeding her and I didn’t like it either. I brushed my hair back and looked down at her until she had no other choice but to look back, “I don’t want to fight you anymore. Let me feed you.”

            “Nope,” she said, popping the “p” sound and smiling saccharinely at me, “Say you are sorry for what you did and recognize you were wrong and I might let you feed the siren.”

            “Blaise stop playing around,” I said brushing my hair again and moving back and forward. I was feeling a little bit cagy in here and the beast was driving me crazy. It was now howling and punching the walls where I’ve imprisoned it. Mate hungry. We feed. Now. I cursed under my breath when Blaise started laughing under her breath. Mad. I was getting mad with every second that passed. And then I froze and looked back at her with a frown, “Let the siren out. I want to check by myself that she doesn’t want me to feed her.”

            “Fine by me,” said Blaise and those three words managed to freeze my nonexistent soul. If Blaise acted so nonplussed then she wasn’t bluffing. I stayed still while Blaise closed her eyes and called for the siren. Her skin started to shine and her hair floated in the air when the siren appeared, opening her iridescent eyes and moving her delicate face in my direction.

            “You have been a really, really naughty boy King of the Unseelie,” she said with that ethereal voice of hers that made me want to take her in my arms, lock her in my room and never let her go. Mate. Do not cage. For once the beast was right. Blaise was my mate. I couldn’t cage her. Not matter how effective and convenient caging her could be. The siren blinked and stared at me with a lovely frown that denoted she was worried. She sighed then and took a step closer to me. Her hips moved sensually with every step she took while she talked, “Blaise made me promise I will not feed from you until you said you were sorry. I promised I wouldn’t.”

            “Why? You understand that what I did was to protect her and you know it was right. I’m not sorry for taking care of my mate,” I said unmovable and the siren stopped in front of me, raising her arms and resting her hands on my shoulders. Her smell of ocean and salt invaded my senses and like the beast I was I scented her, lowering my head and sniffing her delicate neck. She giggled a little bit and then pushed me back, staring at me with those beautiful iridescent eyes.

            “Blaise is in pain. I can feel it. If she is in pain then I’m in pain. She doesn’t like not being around you even if she doesn’t realize it yet. She needs her mate and you have been neglecting her. Say you are sorry and make her happy. Mates should only worry about their mate’s happiness. Don’t you think?” she said with a knowing air and smiled at me.

I messed up my hair again in anger and irritation. By the Gods, had Blaise been in pain and I hadn’t known? Was I such a monster than I didn’t even understand my mate’s needs? I screwed my face with a hand and tried to ignore the physical pain I felt at the idea of not being able to keep Blaise happy. Making her happy was the only thing I ever wanted. I needed her to be happy. My chest tightened at the idea of not being capable to please my mate. It was the only instinct I would never try to control. I simply couldn’t. For years I’ve hear other Fae talk about this… need to keep their mates happy and safe. They had all agreed on the same point. For a mated male the only thing that mattered, the only thing that couldn’t be stopped or controlled, was the need to protect and please the female mate. And now I finally understood. Seeing her happy again, having her around me, talking with me, smiling at me…that was the only that mattered. I looked down at the siren and softly caressed her cheek.

“I’m sorry to make you wait siren but I promise I will make it fast. Tell Blaise to return and I will make it all right again,” I said and the siren smiled again, moving her delicate face against my touch and sighing as in pleasure.

“Make it quick. I’m starving,” she ordered me and then she receded, letting Blaise return to the surface. One day I promised myself that all parts of my mate will want me. The Gods knew I was unworthy of her. The things I’ve done couldn’t be undone, but if I could have Blaise and claim her as my mate I would do my best to make her the happiest girl in all the realms of this universe. And if I was lucky and patient enough I could make her fall in love with me. I knew I could. There were moments already when I’ve seen her look at me with a blatant curiosity in her eyes, as if she could already guess how great we will be together.

I saw her return slowly this time. She appeared like a dream, opening her amethyst eyes and recognizing me. Blaise smiled at me for just a second and then seemed to remember she was mad and glared, taking a step away. I moved fast and grabbed her by her arm, stopping my mate from moving further away from me. It was starting to anger me those moments when we were away, even if it were separated by a distance of steps. The beast didn’t like not having Blaise around us, close to us, where we could protect her and take care of her needs. Slowly I sighed and released her, frowning when the beast started to growl at me for breaking contact with our mate. The beast didn’t understand her like I did. Blaise was like the sea, wild and uncontrollable. She needed to feel free, even if she didn’t know I’ve already tied her to my side and would never, ever let her go.

She crossed her arms and leveled me with a challenging look. I smirked and looked away from her. If I kept staring at Blaise when she looked so beautiful then I would be forced to steal her a kiss and maybe bite her a time or two to claim her as my mate once and for all. The craving of biting her was starting to get stronger inside of me and I knew it was a matter of time before the need to claim her would blind me completely crazy. A mated male often went crazy if he didn’t claim her mate. The madness only died after biting a true mate. In my case I had no doubts Blaise was my true mate, but she still had her doubts and was afraid of me…as she should. One way or the other I will need to bite her, not immediately, but soon enough and she will need to let me since the consequences of my madness will not only affect us. My madness was the beast’s madness and that could affect all the realms in existence.

“Are you ready to say you are sorry?” she asked me and that made me look back at her. Blaise smiled cockily at me, putting a strong front but I knew differently. Her hands were still shaking and she was breathing with shallow intakes, as if it pained her every single second that she passed by without feeding from me. I stared at those gorgeous amethyst eyes and let go of my stupid pride. Nothing really mattered if she was in pain. Nothing.

“I’m sorry for what I did,” I said slowly, never looking away from her, “I’m sorry for lying and I’m sorry for making decisions without consulting you first. In the future I will probably hurt you again and I will certainly get you mad. Know I will do these things without a shadow of a doubt if I think it is for your own safety. I’m not the good guy. I will never be the good guy. I will be the guy you hate for being cruel, and cold, and heartless. I kill and I lie indiscriminately if that means the ones I love are safe and happy. This will not be my last apology, but for better or for worse I am yours to do with me whatever you want. So make me apologize every time I make mistakes, make me go on my knees if you please and make me recognize I was wrong, but never again run from me. That’s the one thing I can’t live with.”

There was a long silence after I’ve spoken. Even the beast retreated to give us a moment of peace. Blaise seemed lost for a second, not knowing what to do or what to say after I was so honest to her. I gave her the time she needed, only staring at her, controlling the intrinsic need to get her in my arms and bite on her neck. Gods, the need was getting stronger with every passing second. I screwed up my face and passed a hand over it, trying to put my hands to use and stop the impulse of holding Blaise. Then she took a step closer to me and the beast raised its ears in attention. Hell, I turned still, forcing myself not to move in fear of scaring her away. Blaise stopped right in front of me and in typically Blaise’s form she punched me playfully on a shoulder.

“Was that so hard? Dude, it took you forever! Next time let’s just skip the long as hell apology, okay? Just say you are sorry and really mean it and I’m cool with it. Capisce?” she smiled and then shook her head at me, “Who would have thought you were such a smooth talker?”

“Is that your own way of dealing with my silver tongue?” I asked her with a smile and Blaise rolled her eyes at me. She couldn’t deny she had been affected by my words. I could see the blush in her cheeks and the way she kept looking away from me, as if she couldn’t make herself look me in the eyes after I’d been so honest.

“It was a…nice apology,” she admitted finally, shrugging and playing it down. I smirked, looking away so she could have some privacy to gather her wits. After a couple of seconds had passed Blaise finally sighed and I looked back at her, staring in rapt obsession to all the little details of her pretty face. She looked at me and blushed, before she started talking again, “You are forgiven, okay? The war between us is officially over.”

“I’m glad to hear that,” I said and that was the understatement of the day. Glad was putting it mildly. Now, if I could only bite her neck a little bit and…No. I shouldn’t. Yes. Bite mate. Obviously, if the beast wanted something then it was most likely a bad idea. I clenched my jaw and controlled the beast before waving a hand at Blaise. It was getting late and I needed to take care of the siren. The anticipation of feeding her burned me and like a stupid pubescent boy I felt my wings flapping instinctually at all the thoughts that passed my mind. Blaise’s eyes zeroed on my wings and smiling she touched them, making me curse under my breath at how good that felt. I collected my thoughts and make myself be reasonable, “I still need to feed the siren.”

“I don’t know why but I always like touching your wings. They are so big,” she said, blushing again and looking all biteable. Yes, biteable. That was Blaise. Making me all mad without even realizing the things that she was saying or doing. I felt a tick on my jaw while my heart pounded in my chest. No, she didn’t say that. No. No. Yes. She did. Mate like us. Be quiet. Make me. Ah, the little s**t made me crazy alright. I ignored the beast and focused on Blaise.

“Let me feed the siren Blaise, please,” I asked her and Blaise stopped, sighing and nodding. She smiled at me and then gave my wings one last caress that I felt all the way down to my bones, before she closed her eyes and invoked the siren. When the siren was finally out she smiled and crossed her light arms around my neck, making me turn my head down and breathe in her ocean scent. She closed her eyes and breathed me in too.

“Feed me King of the Unseelie,” she said pushing her head up and offering me her lips. It could be so easy to bite her then. Just one movement and I could mark her forever. But then again the beast wanted to mark Blaise first. It liked Blaise and I’ve never heard him stating a claim over the siren. Not that I wanted her any less because of that. The siren was a part of Blaise. As much as the beast was a part of me. I caressed her silky skin and stopped my fingers from running down her neck. That path could only lead me to more madness. I kissed her temple and the siren stirred like a cat in my arms, “I could feed only of you touching me. Is this how much you want us my king?”

“You have no idea what you are saying siren,” I said to her and then kissed her lips, long and hard. I had to be in control of the exchange the entire length of the kiss. One wrong movement and my control would slip. Softly the siren fed from me, burning my back and chest with every stroke of my lust that she consumed. I didn’t just wanted her. I craved her. With every fiber of my body. When she was finally full she ended our kiss and sighed, hugging me satisfied and happy. I palmed her head and she giggled like a little girl, making me smirk. If Blaise only knew how the siren giggled when she was with me she would probably die of embarrassment.

“Until we see each other again my King,” she said with a smile and then she took a step back. One blink of my eyes after and Blaise was back, glaring at me suspiciously, “What you and the siren were doing?”

“Nothing and everything,” I said nonchalant but the true was I was still burning from the siren’s kiss. I made myself look unaffected but inside I was a mess. A ticking time bomb waiting to explode. With one step I had her in my arms again and pushed us up, gaining the sky and taking Blaise with me. She let me, moving closer to my side and touching my wings unconsciously. Our entire journey back to school I heard the beast purr in satisfaction at her touch. Over and over it purred and for the first time in weeks my headache started to fade. I was finally in peace with Blaise and that was all that mattered.