Chapter 21

"You? That's a laugh. Seriously Ash, who is he?" Keller said with a smile. Ash looked at her coolly, and her smile faded. "You're not joking, are you?" he just shook his head. "But... we're just so-" She struggled with her words.

"Wrong for each other? Yeah, I know." Keller flopped back into her bed and covered her face with her hands 

"i don't believe... it's just not possible," she started to cry. Ash rushed over to her and pulled her into his arms.

"I know, sweetheart, I know." 

"You're just so different from me. You're all feline grace, and I'm just so ordinary," Keller whispered.

"You? Ordinary?" He loosened his grip and held onto her arms,"Keller, you are one of the nine most important people on the face of this planet. 

"Aside from that, I am completely normal. If you hadn't broken into my house I'd still think I was a human, and it's just chance that i'm a half breed. I guess-" Keller started

"No, Keller. Just stop, you are anything but ordinary. I've been all around the world, and I've seen supermodels, actresses, geishas. You, with your blue eyes and beautiful brown hair, are more beautiful than all of them combined." Tears started to run down her face, Ash leaned down and kissed her and that just made her cry more. Tears of joy.

________

"Do you think she's okay in there with him?" Mist asked Gallen.

"I think she's perfectly fine. After all she is his mate, he won't hurt her, he can't." Gallen said pulling her close. She stood up and walked to the window, he stood up and followed her.

"You're right. When I had that vision she told me she was sorry that she wouldn't be there when 'it' happened, what do you think she meant by that?" Mist asked as Gallen started to nuzzle her neck.

Mine. Gallen thought to himself, looking at his seer, who had dirty-blond hair and blue eyes that sparkled with silver. What an ironic last name, La Fey. Especially when she has no fey blood running through her veins. You have to love the fates' cruel sense of humor. 

"Gallen? Gallen?" Mist brought him out of his inner-monologue.

"Hmm?" 

"I said,  What do you think Keller meant by 'I'm sorry I won't be there when it happens'?"

And then, without thinking Gallen blurted it out. "I think she meant, she was sorry because when you realized I was your mate she wouldn't be there."  That sentence hit her hard.

Mist flashed  back to when she first met him, He was the first she noticed even though Aubrey was talking; He had sat in the back seat when he could have sat next to her, for her safety; he was the one who had carried her to the safehouse when she fainted on the forest floor; he was the first one she saw when she had woken up in the safehouse hospital ward; He had stayed with her when doctor Ross had pulled Aubrey out of her hospital room; He calmed her down when she had started freaking out about Aubrey not getting to Hope in time, by kissing her. 

When had she fallen In love? Never. Her heart had been his the moment she was born, but she had only just realized it now. Her breath caught in her throat, She looked up at him and threw herself into his arms. He caught her easily and held her close. 

"That doesn't shock you?" Gallen asked, bewildered.

"Of course it does, but I'm taking my best friends advice. She told me not to fight it or else both of us would suffer," Her voice muffled, as her head was tucked into his shoulder. He let his grip on her loosen slightly, and braced himself for what he was about to tell her.

"Mist," She looked up at him with love in her eyes, "I need to tell you who my parents are, who I really am."

She smiled and she led him back to her room, in complete silence they walked, all the while he tried to figure out what he was going to say to her, how he was going to tell her that if his parents died she'd have to become a queen, but the people might not accept her because she had no fey blood in her. Dude, you are in deep s**t.

When they finally reached her room she sat down on her bed and he started pacing. So she stood up and put her hand on her shoulder, he pulled her to him and held her there. Sighing and finally deciding that if he didn't' tell her right then he'd have to spring it on her if his parents died, he said what he'd been dreading "Baby, I'm a fey, " She tensed "And my parents are-" He tried to finish but she beat him to i.

"Your parents are the King and Queen, which means you're a prince. And because I'm your mate, and you're the oldest brother, We are next in line for the crown," She pulled away.

"Yeah, how'd you-" Then he realized, She had tensed up like she does when she has a vision, "Oh, you sneaky little seer," he chuckled. Then he got serious. "Are you okay with that? With being the next queen of the fey?"

"Being a queen was never a fantasy of mine, when most little girls were playing dress-up in their mothers' closets I was out fishing with my Dad," she had a glossy look in her eyes " but if it means keeping you in my life, I'll do it," She smiled and he pulled her out of the room.

______

Keller Had fallen asleep in her bed, Ash was still holding her. He was still awake. He stroked her brown hair, periodically kissing her head. After convincing her she was not an ordinary nobody with a special power, she had fallen asleep hiccuping. He had made a promise to himself, he was not going to leave her unprotected ever again. He was also going to be very protective of her until he convinced her to complete the mate bond. Yeah, the fights we're going to have just multiplied, tenfold. 

She snuggled closer, and he tightened his grip on her. She groaned in pain. What? 

"Lemme go, Ash." She mumbled coming out of a deep sleep. He wouldn't let her go, but he would loosen his grip. "Over possessive, overbearing, butt-head" She opened one eye and then the other, squinting against the harsh light of the hospital room. And pushed him off of her bed.

"I can't help it, sweetheart," He laughed.

"It's called relaxing. I'm not going anywhere until the hospital clears me," she said, sitting up. 

"I love you." Ash said smiling at her. 

She threw her pillow at him and said "Oh, go gloat someplace else." He stood up and gave her her pillow back.

"What can I say?, I love my mate," He sat down and said "You know just because we're mates doesn't mean someone can't take you from me, not until we complete the bond. " That had gotten her attention.

"How do we do that?"

"Well, for vampires, It's simple. I bite you, say a few words. You repeat my words and poof we're mated forever, In the eyes of vampires. For wolves, we exchange blood. And for witches, there is a bonding ritual. A ceremony that you will have to set up."

"What do you mean, 'forever'? What do you mean 'bonding ritual' ?"

"Forever, until we both die. Meaning we die at the same time."

"Well, that's.... romantic?"

"No, It's necessary. If a Vampire or their mate have found each other and one dies before the other, the living of the pair will wreak havoc over the entire world until their put down."

"And the bonding ceremony for witches?," She asked quietly

"I don't know, I've never actually been to one," He smiled at her. Either he's telling the truth and he doesn't know or he's lying because he doesn't believe I can handle what I'll have to do.

______

Mist had walked around for hours with Gallen, and when they had found the indoor garden they decided to go in. They had spent a long time just talking to each other. Mist telling him stories of how she had never actually ever met her mother but her father telling her how much she was like her. Her father taking her fishing, comforting her, just spending time with her. Gallen had told her stories of how kind his parents were even how kind his mother had been to his half brother, who wasn't even her son. Eventually Mist had fallen asleep and Gallen had carried her back to his room and laid there, just holding her, listening to her breath, and eventually he fell asleep too.