Riley
This isn't good.
I can tell that William is freaking out. He isn't moving, barely even breathing as he stares at me. I'm frightened too. He is insanely big, and every slight little movement makes the ground tremble.
My heart is racing as I try to balance. "William..." I meet his eyes and resist the urge to run away from him. "Don't move... Please? You're making it harder for me to stand straight..."
William immediately freezes. Guilt pierces his features, and every muscle in his body turns tense.
I realize he is trying to be calm for my sake, as if not to hurt me, and that counts for something. Why am I even so scared of him?
I need to get a grip!
William is my mate; he looks exactly the same with his kind eyes and chiseled features.
Beautiful.
Ridiculously gorgeous.
But huge. Saying William is immense is the worst understatement of the freaking year. Alpha werewolves don't even come close to this size in their shape-shifted forms.
"This is a bit..." I take a deep breath. "Overwhelming."
William grimaces. "I'm sorry... I must look super scary. To be honest, I'm scared of myself too. How the hell am I supposed to function in a society like this?! I'm a giant!"
I cover my ears. "Not so loud!"
"Oh..." his face turns red. "I'm sorry... I will try to behave..."
I shyly glimpse up at William from my place in the grass. His arms are on either side of me, and he slowly and very gently lowers himself to lie down on his stomach.
Those eyes of his are like pools of blue.
My heart hammers at the sheer view, but I'm not afraid.
I'm more nervous because the eyes curiously studying me are way too kind to be frightened of—William is a big puppy. One incredibly sexy one with a smile that only grows more playful by the second.
"What is it?" I ask. "Why are you laughing?"
"It's nothing."
"Really?"
"I was just..." he bites his lower lip. "This situation is rather comical, is all. You're adorable... But your shaking legs kind of sucks."
I hadn't even noticed my legs were shaking. I still them and give William a weak smile.
"I'm sorry... I know you're not dangerous... But... It's still..."
"Overwhelming?"
"Yes..."
"Understandable," William smiles. "It was weird being shrunk the last time we were in the fairy world."
My eyes wander from his lips up into his saddened gaze. Strands of dark hair are falling into his eyes, and the tiny twitch of the left side of his lips got me heating once more.
The details of his face are easier to see this way.
Dimples.
Beauty marks.
"It must have been similar to what I'm experiencing," I push up from the ground and crack my shoulders. "Anyway, I'm done being frightened."
William blinks in surprise, and then he smiles. Warmth engulfs me seeing him look so happy. It causes my heart and adrenaline to pound in my ears.
I love William regardless of his shape or size, or species. I'm shaky around his new self, but the mate-bond is zapping like electricity, offering me courage.
Any sane person would run away from William since fairies eat smaller creatures. William is dangerous, but the mate-bond must count for something, and I love him.
And he loves me, right?
He wouldn't hurt me...
I lift myself on trembling legs and take deep breaths. William watches me the entire time.
One step.
Two Steps.
Three Steps.
Worry crosses over William's features. He seems confused when I place my hands on his philtrum. He freezes while I nervously laugh at the sheer difference in size.
My hands seem so tiny...
"This is weird... Do you want to hear the bad or good news first?" I ask in a playful tone while stroking his skin.
William parts his lips but hesitates, seemingly afraid to speak when I'm this close to him. "There is good news?"
"Mhm," I bite back a smile.
"Tell me the good news."
"The good news is that you will have no trouble defeating the enemy alpha like this—you could just eat him. One little bite and alpha Asher and his brother Josh would be but a memory."
His lips twitch at that. Humor dances in his eyes. "Uh-huh?"
"Mhm."
Amusement shines in his eyes. "And what is the bad news?"
"The bad news is that you won't ever fit into your room like this, not your mansion or any clothes."
"I think I could shrink back..." William looks hopeful. He angles his head to see me better, and I poke his nose.
"I hope you're right..."
"Pretty sure," William says. "I'm a werewolf too, and I can still hear my wolf inside my head... I think my blood is mixing."
"Really?"
"Yes, but... I don't think trying to shrink is a good idea right now. This isn't our world, and that worries me..."
"Worries you?"
He smiles. "No offense, but you're tiny. Even if you shape-shift, that won't change, but with me like this, I can protect you."
"True, it kind of feels safer if you stay like this," I shyly smile back up at him, blushing a bit. "I feel protected."
William watches me intently. "You promise?"
"Yeah, you wouldn't hurt me... Right?"
His eyes turn sad. "Never..." I notice his fingers twitching as if he wants to touch me but doesn't dare. "Not you. Never you."
"Yeah, I figured..." I say softly. I want William to touch me, but I'm not brave enough to ask for it.
"You're my mate," William whispers. "So you can take me for granted. I'm not going anywhere."
Since my heart is racing, I change the subject. If I get more of this sweet talk, I will melt into a puddle.
William is too adorable.
I clear my throat. "Should we look around and figure out exactly where we are?"
"Ah, about that—" William grimaces. A blush coats his face, and he peers into my eyes before averting them. "I don't think standing up is a good idea right now..."
I blink in confusion. "Why not?"
"Because look at me... I'm a monster."
"I am looking at you, and you're not a monster. You're gorgeous, and you're my mate. Okay?"
"If I stand next to you, you will scream..."
"I would not! And besides, you could always pick me up!"
"I don't think you would like that either..."
"But I will get used to it, okay? So just do it!"
I narrow my eyes to glare into his face. My stance doesn't seem to scare him, though. Probably because I'm tiny in comparison. Instead, he bites back a smile when I cross my arms.
Amusement is dancing over his features. It makes me lift a threatening eyebrow, and William relents and sighs in defeat.
"Okay, I will pick you up..."
"Good!" I dart my gaze around and then nod at his hands. "Now, pick me up, and let's explore this place. There must be a reason that you keep coming back to the fairy world."
"There is."
We both turn up to acknowledge the new voice, and William's hand approaches me when the new person stares down at me. It's a fairy woman, visually beautiful, yet William picks me up.
He brings me to his warm chest, and I lean into him while studying the new person.
William is growling. The other fairy's dark hair, pink cheeks, and friendly face don't seem to convince him that she is trustworthy.
William presses me further into his chest, and his eyes turn into feral slits as he studies the other fairy.
I'm pretty grateful that William is transformed.
Fairies scare me, but William is my mate; I'm getting used to him. Especially since he is so overly protective and seems ready to bite off this other fairy's head for my sake. But the other fairy? She scares me.
"Who are you?" William asks in a cold tone.
The other fairy smiles at him. "Your mother."
I blink in surprise, gasping at this new revelation. William is staring at her too, yet his hold on me hasn't turned any less protective.
"You're..." William gulps. "Leafia?"
Tears fill her eyes, and she nods, smiling. "It's such a pleasure to finally meet you again. It's been years."
"You left when I was a baby..." William says, still not entirely opening up to his mother.
Instead, he strokes his thumb down my back as if he has to touch me to keep his cool. I'm holding my hands on his pointer finger, and I can't say I'm used to being this size.
I want to go home.
"Well, we can get to know each other now? It's not like you're leaving the fairy realm anytime soon."
William turns tense. "What are you talking about?"
"William... You're old enough to awaken as a fairy, and fairies don't belong in the human realm. We eat them for dinner, and our bodies need to live in a realm where we can freely size-shift. Your home is here."
I can feel William inhaling slowly. I can't see his face from my angle. I'm met with the underside of his chin, yet I try to offer him my support by stroking his skin. It feels silly, though.
"But my pack..." William sounds distraught. "And the human realm is in chaos. Werewolves are taking over and making themselves known. They are killing humans in my city; I have to go back. My pack members aren't safe—I can't possibly stay in this realm."
"But this is where you belong," his mother says, sighing. "It's why the portal keeps opening for you. Anyway, get rid of the werewolf girl; eat her or something, and then follow me."
Eat her?
Me?
But I'm...
I'm William's mate.
Doesn't that matter?
Tears prickle behind my eyelids, and my heart races as I silently peer up at William. He wouldn't hurt me, right?