Chapter 8: Fae? Dragon? Human?

The food was amazing. The company kinda sucked. Ajax and Jarek had explained the mate thing to Wilder which had me congratulating them. Like it was something to be happy about but so far all they showed me was I wasn’t as important as the bond was. I just stayed quiet and let them bond over something that I would never give in too with these two knuckle heads.

“So, Emmersyn, has the mate tattoos showed up yet?” Wilder smiled as he took his seat beside me again. He had been explaining how he had gotten so many books and where he found some of the more ancient volumes that had caught my eye.

“Mate tattoos? What the heck is that?” I hadn’t ever heard of that. In the human realm it was mostly mating bonds between shifters and such. It involved a bite or something that leaves a mark where they get snacked on.

“Yea. Once you find your mate and accept that they are your mate the bonding starts. The tattoo is the first step.” He rolled his sleeve up showing off a beautiful vine tattoo that started at his wrist and wrapped around his arm all the way up to his shoulder. “Your grandmother and I accepted our bond instantly. Even after her passing a few years ago this stayed. It has helped with the pain of her loss.”

“I am sorry about you losing her. It is hard to lose family.” I shook my head hoping he wouldn’t notice I didn’t answer about the tattoos. “At least you have something to remember her by. I used to have a few things of my parents but being homeless meant losing safety and I was robbed a few times.”

He grabbed my hand and patted the top of it with his other hand. “They never left you. Even after his body was taken back by the Earth his spirit stayed to watch over you.”

"Earth did what now? Is that what you all call a funeral here where they are put in a casket and buried?”

He shook his head. “You all did bury your parents on earth, but we got their bodies back per our treaty with the humans. We have our own way of doing things for each supernatural species.”

“What did you do with my mother’s body?" Feeling a bit out of control I slid down the front of the chair and latched onto Freya. She knew what to do instantly. She climbed over my lap and laid down putting her weight on me. She was used to these anxiety attacks.

The guys sat up straighter glueing their eyes to me. I could feel their own anxiety and worries. Was that part of the bond?

"Yea, it’s a fae custom. Just like your mother was a dragon so she was cremated and the wind took her ashes." He nodded like it was common knowledge.

"I’m fae? Or am I a dragon shifter?" I shook my head already knowing the answer. “I am neither. I am human.”

"Not Human. You are half fae and half dragon shifter. Don't you know that? When Ajax mentioned you knew about the supernatural and magic I thought you had it figured out." Wilder looked a big confused. “Haven’t you felt your dragon or this pulsing power within you?”

"Nope. Just know I can heal faster than normal and am faster than anyone I had ever met." My eyes crinkled as I thought back on my life. "I've always been light on my feet when sneaking up on someone."

“Any change since coming here?” Ajax asked quietly. “I noticed our pausing when you got angry earlier like something felt off.”

Tattle tale. My grandpa looked excited ready to pull information from me. I wanted to put up a wall and lie but that would get anything done. Just had to do my best and focus on getting information to help myself.

“Emmersyn?” 

I nodded keeping my eyes on Freya’s head as I scratched her ears. “Since coming here I have started to feel something moving through me heading into my chest. It is hard to explain but when I got angry earlier, about them hurting Freya and when these two ding bats started fighting about them both being my mate, it felt like it was growing faster and hotter.” Kissing Freya’s head I cuddled closer to her hoping it would help me feel more at ease to explain myself better.

“Syn?” Jarek asked his voice getting closer until I could feel his body warmth in front of me. Freya didn’t even growl at him. Trusting him already made me feel doomed with this mate thing.

“Yes.” I said flatly keeping my eyes down. 

“I didn’t have any powers until I came here either. It was the main reason I was sent here as a last-ditch effort not to embarrass my family.” The hurt in his voice showed through. “It is hard to explain but that doesn’t matter. What matters is you feel it and you have it within you.”

Slowly looking up I see his face with the smallest smile and his eyes blazing with care. He was on both knees in front of me with his hands on his knees. Gripping his pants so tight his knuckles were white. No one had cared enough to ever get this close before while I had an episode.

My hand moved to his instantly feeling the tingles again. It was joined this time by the warmth in my chest getting stronger. “I am sorry your family would ever think anything bad about you. You are blood so you should automatically be perfect in their eyes.”

“Agreed.” Wilder coughed. “His family is a bit traditional and set in the old ways of this realm.”

Catching Jareks eyes with mine I smiled back at him. “That is stupid. You deserve better.”

“I have better… hopefully.” His eyes told me everything he was saying about us.

Wanting to reply that I didn’t make any promises I shook my head. Pain rippled from my from my left shoulder blade. Freya jumped up instantly on alert.

“My…My shoulder…blade.” I yelped and ripped my shirt off leaving me in a tattered old beige bra. “What is it?”

Jarek pushed me to the side to get a closer look. His gasp had me worrying until he started cheering.

Shoving him away I growled at him. “What is it?”

“My mate tattoo.” He smiled and laughed like an excited little kid.

Punching him in the thigh took away the smile even before he made a sound of pain like I had. He jumped up growling with smoke coming out of his nose.

Wait, smoke out of his nose. “Are you a dragon?”

“What?” Ajax had ran over to look at my tattoo. 

“Jarek is a dragon right? Its either that or his insides are on fire.”

Grandpa just started laughing. “He is. He is also a big baby. He just got your tattoo on him.”

Jarek huffed ripping his shirt off and turned around. The skin around the new tattoo was red like he had actually sat in a tattoo chair for hours getting it done.

“What is it?” He was starting to sound more excited than in pain.

“Holy crap. It’s a black dragon with huge wings on your spine in between your shoulder blades.” Ajax answered him looking a bit jealous.

“And the four elements around it. Water, Earth, Fire, and Wind.” Wilder sounded amazed as he got a closer look. “It seems my granddaughter isn’t just a regular Fae. She has all the elements.”

“Awesome. Now can someone tell me what mine is?” I was exhausted and it was barely afternoon.

‘It’s a blue water dragon with its wings tucked in like it is about to dive into the ocean. The different blues through out its body is beautiful.’ Freya answered from behind me. ‘Can you get one of me done too?’

‘You are needy.’ I replied before noticing the guys looking at me.

“What? Freya answered and I replied.” I shrugged like it as no big deal.

“We have freakin mate tattoos! The bond is starting. I can feel my dragon wanting to be close to you.” Jarek fell to his knees in front of me again. “Can you?”

I took a minute to focus on me. Feeling around I could feel my bond with Freya pushing through nice and strong, the magic is my chest swirling around like it was happy, and after a bit I felt a faint presence fighting its way through.

“Something is fighting its way through.” I replied.

Wilder clapped his hands. “Awesome. Now since lunch is done and you have your first mate tattoo do you still want to chat or would you like me to take you to your dorm room?”

Freya laid down by his chair and closed her eyes. Traitor. “Guess we are gonna have that talk first since someone needs a nap.”