CHAPTER 14: Stuck Together


    Monday came around sooner than I expected which meant I couldn’t avoid Lexus anymore, even


    though I was only sessful avoiding him Sundayst weekend. I waited by his room so I could assist


    him. He might have been sleeping in since his first ss didn’t start for another two hours.


    “Hey get back here!” A little girl yelled at another child who was running and slighting flying in his


    dragon form. Children were a lot smaller in their dragon forms but still a lot bigger than in their human


    forms. They were small enough to fit in the castle in their dragon forms unlike adults. “You can’t shift in


    here!” They still weren’t allowed to.


    Another girl came running from around the corner out of breath. “You guys wait!” She put her hands on


    her knees and panted. “You know I’m not as fast.”


    The first girl turned to her. “If I slow down for you, he’ll get away!” She continued chasing the boy.


    I watched the boy as he tripped and tumbled. He shifted back into his human form mid fall. “Ow…”


    I walked to him and helped him up. “Are you okay?”


    He hid behind me. “Don’t let Kaya tag me.”


    I chuckled as she started chasing him because they were running circles around me until she tagged


    him. Now all three of them were out of breath. “Isn’t it a bit early for tag?” I asked.


    The boy shrugged. “I guess but we won’t be able to y gamester because we’ll be in school. Do


    you want to join?” I didn’t mind joining but I was waiting for Lexus and it’d be a bad look for me to be


    ying tag with kids in castle as an adult.


    Kaya scoffed. “She’s probably working Gray.” I looked at the boy and I should have realized he was


    Konn’s son because of how much he looked like Konn, Cade, and Lynn. He resembled Lynn the most


    honestly. We both lived in the castle, it was only a matter of time until I bumped into Gray. Konn had to


    have realized that too.


    I looked at Lexus’ door, maybe I had enough time. “I can y one round of tag.” I wanted to make a


    good impression on Gray before he knew who I was.


    The other girl sat down on a bench. “I’m going to sit this one out, I’ll be here.”


    “Okay but Gray you can’t shift, or you’ll get us all in trouble.” Kaya repeated.


    “It was an impulse I’m sorry.” He turned to me. “You should be it.” He suggested. I closed my eyes and


    started counting. I heard their footsteps getting more and more distant. Once I was done counting and


    looked around the castle for them. I ran after Gray when I saw him, and he nearly knocked into several


    things. I wasn’t running at full speed because I didn’t want the game to end too soon. I could tell he was


    enjoying himself by theughter which made meugh a bit too. Soon we came across Kaya and I


    chased both of them until they turned a corner and ran into Konn. I stopped as soon as they fell.


    Konn red at them. “Again? You two should take your games of tag outside, it’s safer that way and


    you won’t get in the way of worke-” He stopped his sentence when he saw me.


    I rubbed my arm sheepishly. “He asked him if I wanted to join…”


    Gray and Kaya quickly walked off when they noticed I had Konn’s attention now. “Aqua-”


    I cut him off, “I didn’t tell him who I was or anything, I just didn’t want to say no. I’m sorry I won’t talk to


    your son again.” I was just happy I got to spend a little time with my younger brother even if he didn’t


    know who I was.


    Konn sighed and rubbed his forehead, “Just wait until I properly introduce you. I also don’t want to see


    you ying tag again, even after I introduce you.” I’m not sure how serious that statement was. I think


    he was just teasing me.


    My face was red from embarrassment at that point. “Okay, I won’t, I promise.”


    “Get back to work Aqua.” The scolding made him feel a little bit more like a father. I nodded and left for


    Lexus’ room.


    He was standing outside of it. “I’ve been waiting.”


    I rolled my eyes. “For two minutes? Anyways sorry, I’m ready.”


    We walked towards his first ss. We didn’t talk the whole time I apanied him to ss. He didn’t


    try talking to me at all, surprisingly. Things between us felt different since he spent the night in my


    room. Not different because he wasn’t talking to me, but different like it was harder for me to not want


    him. When we left hisst ss all he did was wave to dismiss my service.


    I was called into Konn’s office through a text an hourter. “Yes?” Lexus was already in the office. I was


    hoping Konn wanted to spend time together, but this was obviously work rted since Lexus was here.


    “The closest vige is having some concerns and since the king and queen want to give Lexus more


    responsibilities, we’re sending him to meet with the vige’s representative. As his possible future


    adviser, you need to go with him.” Konn instructed. “I gave him all the details already, you two can be


    on your way. Report back to me when you return.”


    I followed Lexus out the room and he still didn’t speak to me. “Are you mad at me or something?” I was


    fine with us not talking so I’m not as tempted but this assignment seemed like something we should talk


    for.


    He looked at me in the corner of his eyes. “No, Saturday night fucked me up.” The night we spend


    together. “The mate bond is getting to me, it’s better if we have as little interaction as possible before


    the full moon.” I wonder what he meant by that, was the mate bond getting to me? I felt it strongly, even


    more since that night, but I’m used to ignoring my feelings… It gets easy to ignore when you’ve been


    rejected so many times. Lexus probably never had to ignore his desire for someone.


    We walked until we got out of the castle. He didn’t shift into his dragon form, instead we walked. I


    couldn’t keep my eyes off the sky because the dragons were so incredible. I wanted to fly so badly. I


    felt Lexus pull me to the right. “Wh-what?” I said as I saw a dragon kid fly right past me.


    “You have to pay attention; kids fly low a lot and can barely control their direction.” Lexus looked up to


    see what I was looking at. Then he looked back at me. “Do you want me to fly us?”


    I shook my head and blushed. “No, it’s fine.” I kept walking and he took the lead. We didn’t talk for the


    rest of the walk.


    When we got to the vige we were immediately greeted. The vige was small, but it had a warm


    feeling. I loved ces where themunity was friendly. Everyone seemed close and I’m sure they all


    knew each other. We were taken to a private area to talk about the problem. “Werewolves.” The


    representative for the vige said. “The local pack have been threatening us and stealing our


    resources. They’re an annoyance and they’ve been everywhere.”


    “I’ll deal with them myself.” Lexus felt responsible for the werewolves. She gave Lexus more details


    than we left to find them.


    “Are we going to the pack house?” I asked. It would be a nice excuse to see Calvin I guess. He had


    been texting a little over the weekend.


    “No, we’re going to find the exact wolves causing problems,” He answered. It was the more direct


    approach. “I smell that they’re around. They probably won’t go back to the pack house if Ruben put


    them up to this. They probably have to be out here causing trouble for a specific amount of time or


    something.” After looking around we spotted one and Lexus shifted into his dragon form. He took off


    and I obviously couldn’t keep up with him.


    I sat down on arge rock and waited. The forest was full of a variety of nts which was a lot different


    than in the forests back in my home town. When he came back, he shifted into his human form and


    looked mad. “Fuck, there were a few of them but they good at evading even when the one chasing


    them is faster.” He sat down next to the rock and ran his hands through his long hair in frustration.


    “Ugh.”


    I know we weren''t talking but I hated seeing him so defeated. “We haven’t been out here for long, so


    you still have time to catch them as long as they don’t go back to the pack house.”


    Lexus stared at me for a while then looked away. “I wouldn’t have to catch them if I didn’t piss off


    Ruben.”


    “You sound doubtful but weren’t you defending Sadia?” I asked.


    Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    “I’ve been having many doubts about a lot of thingstely Aqua. Ruben only hates me because he sees


    me aspetition. I never gave him a reason to act on his issues with me until I decided to marry a


    member of his pack. My parents thought I could handle this one task but I’m the one who caused it.” He


    opened up to me and I craved more of that. “When I first met the pack, I hid who I was because it was


    an escape for me. Me and Ruben were friends until they all found out. He was the only one to know at


    first. I couldn’t hide it for too long because it’s not like my family''s faces weren''t all over the news. His


    pack started to look up to me the way they looked up to him. As a leader and he resented that.” They


    might have been good friends by know if Ruben didn’t let jealously and insecurity get in the way. I kind


    of understood Ruben in a way. I knew Sadia saw me as her friend but I’m jealous that she gets to have


    my mate. I don’t want to resent her. Lexus is kind of a jerk so maybe it’s better that she has him. Lexus


    stood up. “I’ll be back, I have to try again because I can’t report back with nothing.” He shifted and left.


    I sighed and stared up at the sky as I waited. I didn’t doubt that Lexus could figure all of this out. As his


    possible future adviser maybe, I was supposed to do more. How could I if I can’t even shift? I never


    advised anyone. I’m not great at telling someone what they should do, and I never have been. If Lexus


    came back empty handed, I’m not sure what he should try to do. The only other thing I could think of is


    confronting Ruben. That might not do anything either. Cade would be better suited in advising Lexus


    and he’d probably know exactly how to help him. I jumped when I saw a wolf leap out of some bushes.


    “Uh…” I wasn’t sure what to do or how I’d protect myself if I needed to. The wolf before me had to be


    one of the ones giving the vige trouble.