“Eddy,” Amelia chided, straightening the fox’s tiny sweater. “What has gotten into you?”
The little rascal weighed all of four pounds soaking wet, but his defiance rivaled that of a teenage boy. Following his arrival shortly after her fifteenth birthday, he’d become her shadow, tagging along wherever she went.
His size made him easy to sneak in and out of the orphanage, but for some reason, he hated sleeping in her room and instead hid under the furniture in the communal areas at night. He never came out from hiding until Amelia was alone, and when she realized she couldn’t convince him to stay in her room, she hid blankets under one of the worn cloth settees where she liked to read.
Usually, he enjoyed wearing the sweaters and coats Nick sent for him. Where her mysterious mate found small sweaters with arm and leg holes for a fox, she didn’t know, but today, Eddy kept trying to tear it off.
Hauling him into her arms, she wrestled with him a little longer before giving up. “You can’t be like this today. You have to stay still and quiet in my bag when I get to work.”
As if understanding her, he sat quietly and waited for her to pick him up and tuck him into the ugly book bag Ora had helped Nick pick out.
Amelia wanted nothing more than to burn the various gifts Ora had assisted in choosing, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it because he genuinely thought she’d like them.
He and Ora were probably fucking. The thought made her stomach twist uncomfortably.
She tried not to let her spiraling thoughts dampen her mood, but they did anyway. Nick didn’t want Amelia to have anything to do with other boys, but he could gallivant around with another girl, shopping with her.
The bastard.
Throwing open the library door, Amelia quickly schooled her features into a polite smile and approached the desk. “Hello, I’m here for Miss Bea. My name is Amelia.”
The guy working the desk looked up, and she sucked in a sharp breath. He was cute, and like with all cute boys, she clammed up. Not because she liked him—she didn’t know him—but because… well, because…
“Right this way.” He straightened and pushed open a door behind the desk that led to a small room with a table, basket of fruit, and shelves filled with plates, napkins, and other various things.
Gesturing for her to sit down, he said, “You can wait here. I’m Michael.”
She smiled and shook his hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”
He pulled out a chair across from her and sat, eyeing her appreciatively. “I’ve been dying to meet the new daytime librarian my grandmother can’t stop talking about. She’s excited to have you work here.”
Not knowing what to say, she flashed another polite smile. “That’s nice of her. I admire her and what she’s done with the library.” She meant that. When Amelia started coming to the library as a child, the shelves were in disarray, the selection of books was horrible, and most books had worn spines. Miss Bea took over and completely turned the place around. “Do you work here too?” she asked.
He laughed and leaned back. “No. I’m not much of a reader, but I’m helping my grandmother until I leave for the western region. I come back every year during the warmer months.”
The western region, also known as the garden region, bordered the fae’s Garden Kingdom. Beautiful, plush greenery and different types of colorful flowers and plants covered the entire area. At least, that’s what they learned in school. Amelia never left the northern region. All she knew was snow, ice, and freezing winds.
“Are you from there?” she asked, intrigued. Being eighteen, she primarily only interacted with people at the orphanage, school, and a few others here and there. She’d never knowingly met someone from another region.
School finished last month, and she’d be forced to move out of the orphanage soon. Maybe she would save her money and travel somewhere for a holiday.
Not for the first time, she wondered what fae kingdom Nick lived in. He gave her no indication one way or the other, highlighting yet another reason all signs pointed to him stringing her along for fun.
What kind of guy claimed he couldn’t meet her “until the time was right,” yet delivered things to her and watched her with zero explanation as to how? He only told her his first name and superficial things about himself. Every book she’d read on soulmates made it seem like it was an irresistible pull, a primal need to be with the person. Yet, here they were, five years later, not together.
They were never going to meet.
In his letters, he was witty and thoughtful, a bit stiff, and what she could only describe as rugged. As they got older, he became flirtatious, and from time to time he could be possessive and over the top, but she liked knowing someone felt that passionately about her. Supposedly. But what good was a one-sided relationship where only one person held the knowledge and power?
It wasn’t.
“Amelia?”
Michael’s voice startled her out of a daze. “Yes? Sorry. I just dozed off. Dazed off. I was gazing.” She wanted to crawl under the table. Taking a deep breath, she met his amused stare. “Sorry. My mind was elsewhere, and I’m nervous for my first day.”
Better a lie than the pathetic truth that she was pining away for her supposed fae mate, who was invisible most of the time.
Michael chuckled. “I understand. My grandmother will be here soon. I need to finish sorting through damaged books.” He turned to go but paused. “Since our shifts end around the same time, can I walk you home? I’d like to get to know who I’ll be spending my days with.”
She sat, stunned, and her mind flashed to Nick’s weird hand mold that she’d held more times than could be considered sane. Then it flashed to Ora.
“Sure,” she replied with a shrug.
He smiled and backed out of the room before turning and leaving her to figure out how to occupy her hands on the way home to keep him from trying to hold them. While she would like an updated version of Nick’s hand to see if it’d grown, she’d rather not provoke him on purpose.
Something nudged her leg, and she jumped a foot in the air, then startled again when Eddy made a yipping sound. The pounding in her chest slowed when he cocked his head to the side in question. “Don’t look at me like that. Nick can’t be mad if someone walks me home.”
Eddy knew all about Nick because, sadly, her pet was the only one she could tell. The fox might not understand her words, but he was a good listener who couldn’t tell her she was merely a lonely eighteen-year-old girl holding on to the smallest bit of affection thrown her way.
NINETEENTH BIRTHDAY
Letter #67
Happy Birthday, Love,
I hope you like the hats and gloves. I noticed yours was gone again. Finn said ten sets are too many, but he doesn’t know how often you lose things like I do.
I had to choose them myself, as Ora was away with her mother for a few weeks, but one of the female warriors assured me they were fine.
Nothing new has changed since my last letter. I still train daily, and I still think of you. I hope you think of me too and not that man who walks you home from work sometimes.
Would you be sad if something happened to him?
I wouldn’t.
Viciously Yours,
Nick
P.S. I lie awake some nights when you touch yourself, wondering if you’re naked or slipping your hand under your shift. Gods, I hope you’re naked. The mental image will be my undoing.
