Chained- A Fated Mate Romance

~E~

What an absolute shit show. Alone for the first time since being transplanted here, I slid down the stone door that separated me from everything I didn’t want to deal with right now. Pulling my legs in from the marble floor, I rested my head on my knees and took a deep breath, as highlights from it all began dancing in my head.

First off, a rope? A freaking rope had been my downfall? It was spelled, and handled by two fairly strong men, but that’s not the point. I’d caused enough damage in my life that most would call me a walking natural disaster, and a piece of braided fiber was my undoing? It was more than just a kick in the gut. In fact, I was pretty sure my pride was balled up next to me on the floor, sobbing.

My pride would survive but you know what wouldn’t survive? Me. Not with that brooding, sexy, dark thing looking at me like I was about to be explored with his tongue. There I was, in a lovely argument with that creeping overlord man about how I didn’t appreciate being kidnapped, when I’m hit by a wave of sexual tension like none other. My body longed for him, even before I saw him, standing there, solid as stone, fierce and formidable. He was like a dark dream made just for me, and something deep down and used to being ignored inflamed at the sight of him. Thinking about his granite form, even now, already had my body heating and my breath quickening.

“Stop it.” I said, scolding myself. I only just met him for goodness sake.

Raising my head, I decided to distract myself with the room I was imprisoned in. Standing, I admired the gothic beauty surrounding me. Vampires might be glorified mosquitos, but they have great taste. The ceilings were high, with stone walls black and matte in finish that contrasted perfectly with their shiny, marble floor counterpart, while the furniture in the room, was thick and sturdy pure wood with the grain showing through. Some of it was kept plain and some painted in deep tones of navy with burgundy and gold highlights on almost every piece.

The bed frame sat centered along the wall, facing the rest of the room as if its crowning glory. Tracing my fingers along the silk bedding, an image of the brooding man, pressing me between him and the mattress forced its way into my mind. When he’d restrained me in the Great Hall, he’d pressed himself to me and the same warmth that filled me then, was coating my skin now. Biting my lip, the image pushed further, as his hands explored my curves. I’d felt his attraction to me earlier against my backside, but now the thought of it applying pressure to the slick area between my thighs sent a shiver of anticipation running down my spine.

Pulling myself from the image, I took a breath, continuing my attempts at distraction, with a velvet curtain, on the far side of the room, that caught my eye. Heading over to it, I stepped behind it, coming face to face with the most luxurious bathroom I’d ever seen. Off to the side was the vanity and a couple mirrors, beside which was a door that I assume led to the toilet, but what had me beaming was the room sized sunken pool in the middle of it all. Now this was a bath, one I was going to enjoy, right now.

Water filling the vast space, I made use of some soap I found, making it good and bubbly, before discarding my clothes and stepping into it. As the hot water enveloped me, I took in a deep breath. Hopefully, the man who thought he owned me, wouldn’t walk in right now. With the water not even waist high yet, there would be no hiding from him. Sinking down, just in case, my mind began sifting through the words I hoped it would forget.

Mate. Fated. Destined. Another kind of shiver ran down my spine at the thought of them. Standing out above the rest though, was one word, the worst word. Mate. I could easily handle being told fate decided and that the lanky high born felt his son and I were destined to be, but it was hearing him call us mates that forced me to fight for escape. I almost made it too, when ‘he’ stepped in, showed me up with his own set of powerful wings, and reprimanded me like a child.

As his face came into focus in my mind, a voice whispered to me from a distant memory. ‘Her mate will tame her’.

“Fat chance.” I huffed, crossing my arms in protest at the past and my mother's words.

Still, a piece of me was curious about the brooding man whose eyes glistened like dark gems. He has an effect on me, one that I can’t deny, no matter how badly I want to. Even after only a couple moments together, the moment we separated, something inside was urging me back to his side. Sighing, at the ridiculousness of it all, I leaned my head against the wall of the bath. Mate. Fated. Destined. What a disaster.

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https://www.amazon.com/Chained-Fated-Romance-Kelsey-Baker-ebook/dp/B087ZJR5RY/