Arlen's POV
I walked Brynn back to her car after our moment on the beach. She was nervous when Jason and her friend went back into the bar and left her alone with me. It drove me mad how even after I comforted her when she had a panic attack on the beach, Brynn is doing her damndest now to make sure her arm doesn't touch mine.
"Brynn please, tell me what you are thinking." She brushed her red hair out of her face and looked at me with those pretty blue eyes.

"I don't know what to think. I just saw you shoot glitter dust from your hands and do something spectacular with a large mass of water. Now you are saying we are meant to be together!?"
Her body wants me. I sensed her arousal in the bar when I told her I won't touch her again until she was ready for me to. I sensed her need for my comfort on the beach when I held her. But Brynn's mind and heart is so fractured that her natural instincts are clouded. I'm going to have to be very patient with my mate in the weeks ahead.
"I know it sounds crazy but yes, we are. You are my mate Brynn. If you want me to date you first and romance you, I will. I will go at your pace." I assured her.
"I'm going home to think this over!" Brynn snapped and got in her car, closing the door quickly. I instantly saw red.
The shyness and hesitation I can work around. But Brynn is going to find out fast I will not tolerate being curtly dismissed out of anyone, especially her!! I gently tapped her window and Brynn rolled it down a crack.
"Roll the window all the way down, Brynn." I commanded in my no-nonsense tone. To my surprise she complied, though Brynn's blue-green eyes could've burned holes right through me if she had the power to.

"I'll give you space this weekend to think things through, but I really want to see you on Monday." I told her.
"You are giving me an ultimatum!?" WHAT!!
"Don't twist my words around, Brynn Greeley! An ultimatum would have been worded as 'you have until Monday to think things over or this ends!' That is NOT what I said, and you damn well know it! So will I see you Monday or not??" Brynn reared her head up like a cobra about to strike.
Ha! Cornered you my little minx!!

"I'll meet you here on Monday after five!" She spat at me, then rolled her window up and sped off down the road. I couldn't help but laugh a little at our encounter. Brynn thought she had the upper hand, but I got what I wanted in the end. Though I don't put it past Brynn to show up late just to spite me.
Now I know what people mean when they say their beloved drives them mad. My head is already pounding because of this woman!!
Even though I know where Brynn lives, I'm not going to follow her. I called the guard I stationed outside her building to see if she made it home fine.
"She just came and stormed through the door like a bat out of Hell, Your Majesty!" Travis cackled at me.
"Let me know if she leaves again." I hung up and chuckled all the way back to the kingdom. Maybe one day when I'm old and gray, I'll laugh about this. But right now I'm just going to try to survive Brynn Greeley!
Once I finished up some work I needed to finalize in my office, I figured I'd binge on Alaska Troopers and crawl into bed. But just when I was about to leave my office, two of my guards rushed in.
"Your majesty, we have a situation!" I followed them to the courtyard where a frightened Kelli stood off against Merri, a dark fae woman who just recently found her mate. And judging from Merri's stance and the black vapor coming from her hands, Kelli is about to be incinerated.
I clapped my hands and everyone bowed down. "That's enough of that!! What is going on!!" I commanded.
"You highness, I was just..." Kelli began and I immediately held my hand up.
"I'll start with Merri." I already knew what was going on. It had to be what Jason and I have been receiving complaints about the last couple of months.
"This thing thought she could steal my mate!! She showed up at my home when I was out, naked, but he threw her out and called me right away!!" Merri hissed at Kelli and me.
"Who is your mate?" I asked Merri.
"Denver Chase."
"Get Denver down here immediately." I told a guard. "Kelli, what do you have to say about this?"
"Denver invited me back to his house! I've got the messages!!" Kelli brought out her cell phone and showed me the messages.
Hey it's Denver. Merri's b***h a** is gone. Want to f**k?
I'll be there in five baby. Be ready for me!!
"Merri, is this Denver's phone number?" I read it off to her. Merri took her phone out to compare the number and immediately shook her head. Kelli's face grew wide in horror.
I was kicking myself for giving Jason the night off to bond with his mate. He's much more tech savvy than me. He'd know in minutes where this number came from.
Denver came to the courtyard in minutes scared beyond belief. "Your majesty, I swear nothing happened between me and Kelli. When she showed up at my home I immediately threw her out!"
"We're not disputing that, but Kelli has text messages from someone saying they were you, Denver!"
"What!?" Denver looked at Kelli's phone with me and shook his head.
"Merri, that wasn't me!! I would never refer to you in such a disgusting way!" Denver grabbed Merri and hugged her to him.
"I know, my love." Merri cuddled him to her.
"Alright everyone, go home! Kelli I am taking your phone and any electronic devices you have in your possession pending investigation."
"What do my devices have to do with anything?" She hissed at me.
"We don't know yet, but it's clear someone is after you. Go home and let us find out who. You'll have a guard assigned to you 24/7." Kelli groaned but surprisingly, didn't fight me on it. I went back to my office where the guards were waiting with Kelli's devices. They had confiscated a laptop and her phone.
As late as it was, I went ahead and called Aiden Starr. Other than Jason he's the only other man I trust to be discreet with this. Thankfully, he sounded wide awake himself. "Your majesty, what can I do for you?"
"You're up at this hour too?" I laughed.
"One of the faes you sent sensed some dark activity at the border this evening so I'm helping patrol. The fae created another protection barrier and so far we haven't sensed anything else. Amos and Julian were talking about reaching out to a wizard, a Roman Esperanza? Have you ever heard of him?" Aiden inquired.
"I have, he's set in his ways but overall he's sensible and a decent man. But there aren't many wizards left and they're reclusive. We're going to have to go to some lengths to get ahold of one." Lengths I'm not looking forward to going because of how long it will take and cost me bonding time with my mate. But we are running out of options fast. The magic and barriers are only going to hold off the witches for so long.
"I say we just keep an eye out and contact the wizard only if absolutely necessary. But you didn't call me at eleven o'clock at night to see how it's going." Aiden laughed with his Irish lilt. The man knows me all too well.
I explained briefly the situation going on with Kelli and Merri. Aiden talked me through what to check on Kelli's computer to ensure she hadn't sent those messages to herself. Though I found an array of nude pictures that Kelli sent to multiple men and several messages to her saying they have mates and to slag off, I didn't find any indicating a texting app. I found nothing on her phone either.
"Finding nothing right now doesn't exactly mean there is nothing to find, Your Majesty. She may have deleted the app or just used another computer that isn't in the kingdom, or even have a burner phone. The only way to know is to do an IP trace on the number, which I can't do until the morning." Aiden told me.
"My consort will be back tomorrow and can handle that. Keep me apprised of the situation at Blue River and if you think we are going to need the wizard's help." Aiden told me he would and hung up, leaving me there deep in thought.
Something wasn't right about this. Though she was a dark fae, Merri didn't have any enemies and was well-liked in the Kingdom. The target had to be Kelli. But all the women of the men Kelli was flirting with trying to lure from their mates are well within their rights to kill her. It would be self-defense!
"Kelli has to be doing this to herself, or the person is after Merri." I said out loud. I don't put it past Kelli to put this whole thing in motion to cover her a** and get around my edict that she be banished if caught flirting with mated men again!
But after today with Brynn and now this, I'm too exhausted to dwell on it any further. I secured Kelli's devices and went to bed. I was awakened around nine the next morning by Jason calling me.
"Calling to brag??" I laughed, knowing Jason finally lost his virginity last night.
"Your Majesty, you have to get over here as soon as you can! Brynn's packed a suitcase and is trying to leave!!" Jason told me frantically.
In a blur, I threw my clothes and jumped in my car. I tore out of Dreake doing ninety towards Port Angeles, making a 45 minute drive in about 30 minutes. I was quick enough to catch Brynn shouting at the guard and having a tantrum.
"A f*****g car battery just doesn't disappear!! What the hell did you do with it!?" My tiny mate screamed at the guard. Brynn did a roundhouse kick and made a large dent right in the Travis's F150 truck door. That alternately infuriated me and turned me on at the same time!
"BRYNN!! KNOCK THAT S**T OFF RIGHT NOW!" I commanded in my King tone. Emma and Jason and the guard immediately bowed, but Brynn? She stared at me in rage and total defiance.
"You tell this man right now to give me back my car battery so I can leave!" She snarled, her blue eyes wild. The woman before me was in a fury beyond reason and something had to have pushed her over the edge.
"Brynn what's the matter? Why do you have to leave?" I placated her.
"You can't help me." She told me flatly.
"I'd like to try." I said softly, staying right where I stood.
"Well you shouldn't, Arlen Miller. Because a lawyer tried and now she's dead!! All of you will be too if you get in Patrick's way!!
Seeing my mate so frightened and hurt broke me, but I had to tread carefully. "Brynn let's talk about this..."
"Magic can't stop bullets and it can't stop bombs or whatever else Patrick wants to use!! My only chance to stay alive and keep the rest of you alive is to run and never stop running! I can't be your mate, Arlen! This is the way it has to be!!"