Walking back to the cottage, I felt a wave of confusion washing over me. Today had been full of surprises, but meeting Navine and hearing about Rayne’s beta were the most unexpected.
The fact that Navine wanted me was constantly on my mind. It wasn’t unheard of for an alpha to approach their chosen mate, but Navine’s insistence that he didn’t see me as his beta was unsettling.
Alphas typically sought a partner who could be their equal, not just their wife and lover. So, Navine’s stance was perplexing. Why was he so against the idea?
Eventually, I reached the end of the path. The trees parted to reveal the cottage. It was a quaint, cozy place, nestled between two large trees, their branches casting dappled sunlight on the roof.
I remembered the first time I saw this place, when Anika brought me home from the palace. It hadn’t changed much since then. The dark wooden exterior was slightly weathered, and the windows flanking the front door were dimmed by the shadows inside.
As I opened the front door, the scent of herbs filled the air. Anika always kept a stock of them for her medicinal concoctions. As a healer, her shop in the nearby town was always well supplied with remedies for various ailments.
I often helped her prepare the medicines in the evenings. In the mornings, we would load her cart with the products to take to the shop. I found joy in these tasks. It was fulfilling to know that I was helping others and contributing to our home.
The cottage was silent as I opened the windows to let in some fresh air. Once done, I settled on a stool by the left front window, gazing out at the approaching evening. The pleasant air did little to ease the turmoil within me.
Navine’s handsome face was etched in my mind. If I was being honest, he was as attractive as Rayne. This realization was surprising. I never thought I’d find another man who could hold a candle to Rayne.
But maybe this was a good thing. Attraction was the first step toward love, and I hoped to experience that when I got married. However, I couldn’t understand what had drawn Navine to me so quickly. It couldn’t have been just my looks or our conversation. That seemed too superficial.
This uncertainty made me apprehensive about becoming his wife. Even though it could lead to a comfortable life, I was unsure of his motives. And even though he was giving me time to decide, it was clear that he expected a positive response.
My thoughts were interrupted by Anika’s return. I straightened up as she landed in front of the cottage, a trail of rainbow sparkles trailing her shimmering wings. She was always beautiful, like all the Rainbow Fae.
Anika wasn’t much older than me, though she often acted otherwise. Her face was slightly more mature than mine, her large dark eyes still sparkled with youthful intensity beneath her long lashes. Her hair, streaked with blues, greens, and reds, was usually tied back, but it still reached her waist, flowing gracefully with her movements.
What made her truly beautiful, though, was her kindness. Anika was genuinely kind to everyone she met. She had visited the palace shortly after Lord Jekia saved me and immediately offered to take care of me, claiming it was love at first sight.
I later learned that she had been married, but her husband was killed by a wild creature a few years before I came into her life. They hadn’t had a chance to have a child. She often said that I was a gift to her during her time of deep sorrow. I felt that she understood my trauma and loss better than most, which helped us form a strong bond from the start.
I stayed seated, turning slightly as Anika entered the cottage. She greeted me with her usual warmth.
“Hi, Raelina. I was wondering if you’d be home.”
“I just got back from a walk. The afternoon was too beautiful to stay cooped up inside,” I said, standing up to give her a quick hug.
I was trying my best to act normal, even though my mind was still reeling from the day’s events. I didn’t want to dive headfirst into this conversation with her.
“I wish you’d spend more time at the shop with me. I hate thinking of you here all alone,” Anika said, releasing me from our hug.
“I wasn’t alone all day, and I had a few things to do that kept me busy. I told you that before I left this morning,” I reminded her.
“Yes, you did,” Anika agreed. She seemed to hesitate before continuing. “I was a bit worried about you. I heard that Lord Rayne has chosen a beta. It was quite the surprise.”
“I was surprised too. I wasn’t sure I believed it at first,” I admitted.
“Neither did I,” Anika said, kneeling in front of me and taking my hands in hers. “I know it must’ve been hard for you to hear. You’ve told me about your feelings for Lord Rayne, and you two grew up together. I really thought there was a chance he would choose you as his bride.”
Facing this reality wasn’t easy, but I knew I had to. Strangely, I didn’t feel as hurt as before. Instead, my thoughts kept drifting back to Navine, even though I tried to stay focused on the conversation at hand.
“I thought so too, but we can’t change what’s probably fate. If Rayne is happy, that’s enough for me,” I assured her.
Anika hugged me gently. “You’re such a sweet girl, Raelina. Don’t worry about this. You’re still young, and I’m sure the Fates have someone who will love you forever in store for you,” she whispered.
“Maybe they already have.”
My words seemed to startle Anika, and she pulled back to look at me. “What do you mean?”
I chose my words carefully. I didn’t want her to worry or get upset.
“I know it sounds strange, especially considering what we were just talking about, but hear me out. I went for a walk earlier to clear my head, and while I was out, a man I’d never met before approached me. We spent some time together and talked, and he seemed quite interested in me,” I explained.
“Really? Who is he? Did he tell you his name?” Anika asked, sounding both excited and slightly worried.
“Yes. He said his name is Navine.”
Anika stiffened at the mention of his name. It was a reaction I’d never seen from her before. It was as if I’d shocked her to her core.
“He said his name is Navine?” she repeated.
“Yes,” I confirmed.
“What did he look like?”
I took a moment to find the right words to describe him. I didn’t want her to know how much he’d affected me in such a short time.
“I’ve never seen anyone quite like him. He was tall and handsome, with ivory hair and wings. His eyes were the most striking feature. I’ve never seen eyes like his before. They were black on the outside, but his irises were bright gold,” I described.
Anika slowly sat down in a nearby chair.
“So it really is him,” she muttered, as if trying to process the information.
I was a bit confused by her reaction. Navine had said that he and Anika knew each other. Why did she seem so worried?
“Is there something wrong with me meeting Navine? I know he’s a dragon, but does that mean I shouldn’t have talked to him alone?” I asked.
“No, not at all. It’s just…” Anika took a deep breath before gesturing to the chair across from her.
“Please, sit with me, Raelina. We have a lot to talk about.”
I nodded, doing as she asked. The air was thick with tension, something I hadn’t anticipated. It made me nervous about what my meeting with Navine might mean.
But I pushed that aside. There had to be a reason for Anika’s reaction, and she would probably explain it to me.
But I also had an important question to ask.
“So, meeting Navine the way I did…was that a bad thing?” I asked.
“No, I wouldn’t say it was bad, but it did surprise me,” Anika confessed.
“I never thought I’d need to explain the Dragons to you, especially Navine. I didn’t think you’d ever meet him.”
“You’re making it sound like it’s a bad thing that I’ve met him,” I pointed out.
“It’s not necessarily bad, but it does make me a bit uneasy,” Anika admitted, leaning back and folding her hands in her lap.
“Let me tell you more about Lord Navine. He’s the strongest Dragon among those who are left.”
“So, he’s like a super alpha then,” I said.
“It’s more than that. Lord Navine, also known as the Ivory Dragon, was one of the four contenders for the rule of the Northern Lands. He’s second only to Lord Jekia in terms of power,” Anika explained.
My eyes widened at this revelation.
“He’s that powerful?!”
“Yes,” Anika confirmed.
“But he’s also been quite reclusive for centuries. I’ve only met him three times, and the last time was ten years ago. There are rumors of a tragedy that changed him, but no one dares to speak of it. As far as I know, he and two other powerful Dragons oversee these areas for Lord Jekia, but they rarely interact with us.”
“There are two others like him?” I asked.
“Yes, the Onyx Dragon, Lord Niles, and the Prism Dragon, Lord Dominick. But I’ve never met them. They’re as elusive as Lord Navine.”
“But why are you worried about me meeting Lord Navine? You’ve met him, and I’m sure others have too. Is it because he’s reclusive?” I asked.
Anika shook her head.
“No, it’s not just that. What concerns me is the circumstances of your meeting. It seems there was more to it than him just wanting your company.”
“I can’t argue with that,” I admitted.
“It was strange. I was just out for a walk, trying to clear my head, when I saw him flying. The next thing I knew, he’d landed and wanted to talk.”
“What did he talk about?” Anika asked.
“It was odd. We talked about me, about how I came to live with you, and somehow we ended up discussing my feelings about what I’d heard today. Then he made me an offer. He said he wanted to marry me and gave me three days to think about it,” I explained.
Anika was silent, her eyes flickering with unease.
“Did he mention anything about you becoming his beta?” she asked.
“No, he said he didn’t want a beta, but he wasn’t against having a wife. He promised he’d take good care of me,” I replied.
“Oh dear,” Anika murmured.
“Is it bad that he wants me to be his wife and not his beta?” I asked.
“I can’t say it’s bad, but it does worry me. Lord Navine has never shown interest in a woman before, so his sudden interest in you is surprising. You’re beautiful, Raelina, and I hate to say this, but I’m worried that might be all he’s interested in,” Anika explained.
“I get it, and I won’t dismiss that possibility. But maybe this could be a good thing for me too. I can’t imagine Navine would harm me, and if he’s second only to Lord Jekia, wouldn’t his actions be monitored?” I suggested.
“Sure, I get it.” Anika conceded a bit.
“I’m not saying Lord Navine has any ill will toward you. Maybe I’m just being a bit overprotective, considering what you’ve been through as a kid. I know it’s not uncommon for alphas like him to approach the woman they want in their lives. But the speed at which he did it, the words he used, and how you’ve been feeling lately…it just worries me.”
“I hear you, and I’m not taking Navine’s proposal lightly. He did say he was giving me a choice, and that I have three days to decide,” I reassured her.
Anika didn’t seem to find much comfort in my words.
“He says he’ll give you time to decide, but I suspect he’s just giving you time to accept your place with him. If he truly wants you as his wife, there’s not much to contest.”
I knew she was right. The laws of our world were crystal clear when it came to alphas and their choice of a mate. Unless that choice was already claimed by another or the child of an alpha, there was no way around it.
But I didn’t want to fight this. Navine intrigued me in many ways, and as much as I hated to say it out loud, if I could fall for him, then I could bury my heartache over Rayne.
“I get that, and I’ll admit that I don’t really need these three days to think about it. I feel like it would be better for me to be with Navine. Even though I’ve been happy here with you, I don’t really belong in your Faerie Sect or anywhere else. Maybe I can find my place in this world with him,” I suggested.
Anika saw right through me. Not that I was surprised. She’d gotten to know me pretty well since she took me in.
“I know you’re being honest about how you feel, but you shouldn’t just accept this if you’re trying to run from heartbreak, Raelina. Maybe we should talk to Lord Emelio about this before it goes any further. It might ease some of our worries,” she suggested.
“If you think that’s best, I’m okay with it. But I still don’t see how Navine could have any ill intentions toward me,” I reminded her.
“Maybe not,” Anika conceded. She reached over and squeezed my hand. “Just let me be sure before we make such a big decision. All I want is what’s best for you, my sweet girl.”
I agreed, even though I knew nothing was going to change.
But for now, this could help with my own doubts. Then, maybe I could face Navine with confidence when he came back to make me his wife.
