The Contrary Mate
28 Cycle

Aura had arrived, so I hurried outside to meet her, not caring if I looked overeager. I probably couldn't hide it anyway. She was striding down the drive, her movements more tense and clipped than usual, so my mood instantly dropped in response. I scanned the area for threats and nothing caught my attention, except the unusual sight of a lone man standing outside the gates looking in. Pedestrians weren't uncommon, but something about his stiff stance and his attention in our direction caught my eye.

But not for long, because as she neared she was all I could see. She smiled when she saw me, and before I could even think to say anything back she threw her arms around my neck and her lips met mine. My wolf practically danced with his delight in my head at the greeting. Her lips were so sweet, and I wrapped my arms around her and deepened the kiss. My pants tightened uncomfortably. Her lithe body was soft in all the right places and she smelled so sweet.

The intensity was mind numbing in all the best ways, but gradually my distracted brain began to recall that she had been clearly upset. I reluctantly pulled my mouth from hers. "Aura, what's wrong?"

She chuckled, her voice harsher than usual. "Nothing, really."

I didn't believe her. "Please, tell me." I needed to know what the problem was before I could fix it.

"My ex followed me here."

My wolf growled, but I kept the sound from escaping. "He did?" My mind whipped back to the figure outside my home, on the public human street where I couldn't do much about his presence. The spot where he had been standing was vacant. Which was a good thing, because the idea of an ex even so much as talking to her made my wolf territorial. At least without an obvious target he would only simmer in the back of my mind and not try to bust out and take action against our rival. He was so easily agitated ever since we had found her.

She sighed. "He's going to tell everyone who you are once he figures it out. I won't be able to keep this a secret anymore."

I was torn between pleasure that the world would know that she was mine, and distress at her distress. "I'm sorry."

She turned those entrancing eyes up at me, and said, "I'm not. I hated the sneaking anyway. So what if the other fae are going to snub me? I've played the good fae my whole life, and that's over now."

I wrapped my arms more securely around her as if I could protect her from the whims of the fae. She was more bothered by the situation than she wanted to admit. "I'm sure you're a very good fae without playing at it."

"I'm very good at the magic the fae value, but that won't change how this is received." She sighed. "It doesn't help that Aunt Fern's husband abandoned them to go and live among the humans, which was a huge scandal, and that my father's job isn't quite respectable."

"Why do they have a problem with mining?" I asked, taking her hand as I led her towards the garden where everything was set up for another date.

"He works with the humans, and increased contact with humans and their business means more chances of exposure. He needed to do something like that though. He's got a very strong affinity for minerals, much stronger than average fae. I can detect whether plants have a deficiency or not, but that's about as far as my abilities go. But he's totally different. He wouldn't have been satisfied just sitting around a garden. Most fae can't stand to be away from life, but he could be happy in a bare cave, I think."

"Is that why you prefer the garden to the house?" I asked, my imagination beginning to think of ways that my home could be modified for her comfort if she would be here more often.

"It is," she says, but I sensed she had cut herself off mid-thought.

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"But?"

"Well, it could use a little bit of work," she said, glancing up at me to see my reaction.

"Tell me what needs to be done, and I'll see that it's done."

She beamed, and it was like stepping into the sunlight.

We reached the table. It was set up similarly to last night, except the flowers I had bought her were in the center of it. Her eyes were fixed on them as we got closer, and I couldn't read her expression. It certainly wasn't the excitement or delight I had been aiming for. "What's wrong?"

She glanced at me hesitantly and didn't answer.

"Tell me what you're thinking. I want to know, because there are still things that I don't understand about you. Please."

She grabbed my other hand, and brought herself around to face me, both our hands interlinked. "I love that you tried to make me happy, Jack," she said, and brushed her lips across mine.

"But...?"

"But...all these plants were cut off to die, and for what?"

"I didn't know it would upset you."

"I know you didn't. No one ever does. It's the downside of my magic. I mean, I know they're just plants, but I can feel it, if that makes sense?"

"I'm sorry."

"No." She kissed me lightly again, and took a seat. I took mine opposite her, feeling like an idiot for not anticipating her reaction again. "It's not like I'm not used to it. Plants die all the time, like all creatures, it's a part of the natural cycle. I eat plants. Even fae use wood in their homes and furniture, so I've always had to deal with it."

"So, what about synthetics like plastic?"

"They creep me out. There're so far removed from the earth that produced it. But don't worry, I just accepted a long time ago I'd never be comfortable anywhere but a wild place or a garden. And even there, it's like a constant hum in the back of my mind, but at least it's not a wanton destruction." She shrugged her shoulders. "I'm used to it."

The large building loomed behind us. That explained her unease in my home. I was going to have it filled with plants, but living ones, not cut ones. "I promise to never buy you another bouquet."

She smiled, obviously worried about my feelings. "Thank you. And I'm sorry I don't love them."

I rubbed the back of my neck and smiled back. "I'll figure you out yet." None of the stereotypical go-to gestures worked on her.

Our meal was brought out, and we started eating. Aura kept looking at the flowers in the centre of the table. "You know, I never really understood this human custom. Why do human men bring their women flowers? Is it to display their resource gathering abilities?"

I shrugged. It was a good question. "I think most women like them?" Other women I'd given flowers to in the past had appreciated the gesture. "Or they smell nice?" In moderation. The one upside to this new mistake was that I would never have to set foot in a flower shop ever again. That place had almost knocked my wolf out.

"I have sometimes wondered if it was some strange human fertility symbol. I mean, in essence, the male is presenting his partner with a bouquet of the reproductive parts of plants."

"You should have mentioned that theory before I bought them and I never would have." I groaned, only half seriously.

She giggled in response, and I couldn't even care about another misstep if she seemed happy.

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