Page 12 of Convincing His Little Bee (K!nktober #2)

TWELVE

Cin didn’t make a habit of staying the night with anyone, so waking in a strange bed was unusual. Blinking awake, buried in blankets and pillows, it took several minutes to remember the events of the last few days.

Begging to join his peers on their secret trip to The Crimson Reaches, getting ambushed, left behind, faenapped, sold at an auction, chased by a drakonid.

Realizing that drakonid was his mate. And while there was a fuckton of things they didn’t know about each other, the kindness of his mate couldn’t be denied.

Rolling over, the tenderness in his front hole reminded him of their time in the wildflowers, a jolt of warmth slicking his entrance with renewed desire.

After the surprise Tor dropped about his multiple dicks , the drakonid had helped Cin wash up in his magic shower and then tucked both of them in bed. Birds and faint voices drifted in through the open balcony, and as Cin twisted around in the bed, he found himself alone.

Throwing the blankets off with a huff, Cin looked around the room and found it empty as well. Climbing out of the large bed, the fae fluttered his wings to land on the floor. Why is the bed as tall as me?!

Cin took care of morning business in the bathroom, grateful for the spells that created a system similar to Earth’s modern plumbing.

Not finding his own clothes in the bathroom or the bedroom, Cin rifled through Tor’s closet.

There wasn’t a chance that any of the man’s pants would fit but a buttoned shirt with a belt around the middle would work as a makeshift dress.

His wings protested the confinement, but he wasn’t about to rip holes in someone else’s clothes.

Hopefully, Tor could tell him where his own items ended up.

Not finding the drakonid in his sitting room and small kitchen either, Cin left the rooms and made his way toward the main hall when. A few steps down the hall and Cin picked up the sound of feet behind him. The fae peered over his shoulder to the sight of an ogre turning the corner.

Covered in weapons, leather clothes, with a slight scowl on his face.

Cin let out a small gasp, drawing the gaze of the creature.

Ogre’s were who’d attacked Cin and his fellow fae.

They carried swords and daggers. Oh cocknose!

Cin wasn’t wrong about Tor was he? Or maybe this ogre wasn’t supposed to be here?

Cin’s heart raced, fear overtaking his body.

“Oi! You!” The ogre picked up his pace, moving toward Cin.

Eyes wide, Cin let out a meep of a sound before his magic took over. The air shimmered, yellow and green sparkles flew around him. Suddenly, Cin poofed into his small pollinator form.

“Now you work?! Shit stupid magic.” Cin grumbled, trapped under the pile of his clothes. Ducking down, he crawled slowly to an edge. He needed to get away from the ogre before the creature found him.

“What’s going on here?” Tor . Cin froze in place, huddled under the shirt, his fingers grasping an edge of fabric. Pulling it up, Cin watched as large feet encased in leather shoes stopped about six inches away. Mate .

“Um…I thought I saw your guest.” The voice of the ogre was filled with confusion, “I tried to call out to him, to escort him to the dining hall as you’d asked but then… poof .”

“Poof?”

“Magic. And now this.”

Can I trust my mate?

“Little bee?” Tor’s voice got closer as he knelt next to the shirt. Cin didn’t know if it was safe, but better to have the ability to fly away if necessary. Tangled up in this shirt was just asking to get faenapped again.

Feeling a tug on the material above him, Cin crawled out the side and darted into the air. Rapidly fluttering his wings he took himself to the top of the closest door. The fae peered back down at the ogre who looked at him with confusion, and his mate who held the empty shirt in his hand.

“Are you okay, Jascinto?” Tor took a step toward the door, starting to reach his hand up like he was going to pick the fae up.

“Don’t!” Cin dashed to the other side of the door casing, out of reach.

Tor pulled his hand back and held it up, showing Cin he meant no harm. “You can go back to your route, Wilgs. I’ve got this handled.” The drakonid didn’t look at the ogre as he dismissed him, keeping his gaze focused on Cin.

“Yell if you need me.” The ogre shrugged and walked away. Tor stood quietly, hands resting at his sides, until the man turned the corner at the end of the hallway.

“Are you injured? Wilgs didn’t hurt you, did he?” Tor asked quietly. Cin watched him, his thoughts running wild. Tor was acting…normal. Nice. Kind. But why did he have an ogre here? Who was Tor, really? All these people deferred to him. We are in a castle!

“Who was that?”

“Wilgs? Just a guard. Like Kellan last night.” Tor paused to let Cin process before he continued, “It’s lunch time, are you hungry?”

“Hands to yourself.” Cin instructed then waited for a nod from the drakonid before he flew down from his perch, coming to hover a foot in front of Tor’s face.

“Hi there, my fated.” Tor’s face split into a wide smile. Even with their bond so weak, the elation the drakonid felt toward Cin bounced around deep in his soul. “I didn’t know you could change size.”

“I’m not very good at it,” Cin replied self consciously, crossing his arms over his bare chest.

“Ah.” The drakonid furrowed his brow slightly. “So you can’t change back?”

“Not…not right now. My…I should be able to change at will but my magic mostly reacts to high emotional states.”

“And you're small now because…”

“The ones who faenapped me were ogres. Looked just like your guard .” Cin said, his tone cautious even as his heart pounded out of rhythm, terrified. Tor had proven himself the night before, hadn’t he? Cin wanted to go back to the feeling of safety and home with his mate.

“Oh, Jascinto.” Tor sounded…sad for him? “Can I…” He slowly lifted a hand, not bringing it closer but showing his desire. “I promise you’re safe here. Wilgs is a good man. He’s been a part of my pack for a long time.”

“But…” Cin hesitated. He wanted to fly to his mate, curl up against his warmth, let the drakonid protect him. Love him. He was scared.

“I know this is difficult. Once I explain more, it’ll help. Right now I’d like to hold you and take you for some food, though.” Tor relayed calmly. “Then, we can sit down and I’ll answer any questions you have. No interruptions.”

Cin was hungry. And Tor…there was no denying their connection. Or the way he had shown kindness to everyone in his home last night. Or the bubble of worry and affection in Cin’s gut that he knew came from the drakonid.

“You won’t leave me alone?” Cin asked.

“Not for a single second.” Tor promised and the fae believed him.

Tor waited for Cin to give a nod and then he lifted his hand up, waiting a few inches beneath the fae’s current height.

Waving his wings, Cin set his feet down on the palm of his mate’s hand before sitting with his knees bent, arms clasped around the front of them.

Tor cupped his hand as if the fae was a precious gem he didn’t want to drop. Bringing the fae close to his face, the drakonid placed a gentle kiss on Cin’s head. A giggle escaped, Tor’s breath tickling as it wafted over Cin’s bare skin.

“How does lunch sound? There’s some people I want you to meet but I understand if you’re not comfortable, yet.”

Cin wasn’t ashamed to be in his smaller form. It was a natural size for a pollinator fae, even if he didn’t have the choice to change. “Maybe if I can cover up?” Cin peered down at his nude form.

“Good point.” Tor walked a few steps down the hall to a side table. He waited for Cin to fly down to its surface before shifting his hand to talons. The drakonid took the discarded shirt, cut off the arm and then cut it into a short strip of fabric. “Let’s try this. Is a dress-like outfit okay?”

“I don’t mind wearing a dress, sometimes.

” He took one of the strips from his mate, settling it so his wings had space to move.

The fabric wound around his body a few times and he had Tor pierce a small hole in the front so he could feed part of the end into it and tie it off. Simple, but it kept him covered.

“What do you normally do when you change?” Tor asked as Cin flew to sit on his shoulder. He grabbed some of Tor’s hair with one hand and part of his shirt with the other as the man started to walk down the hall.

“Children mostly live in the nude, their shifts are unpredictable. Most teen fae have a handle on it, they wear normal clothes. Once we start working, there’s a magic plant we spin into a fabric that changes size with us.

Since I have no control, I’m not allowed to work in the fields and I’m also not allowed to wear those clothes.

I keep some different clothes at work, otherwise I fly home. ”

“Hmm.”

“It doesn’t happen as much these days. I changed a lot during my school years.

Fucking fuckwits would jump scare me all the time.

” They made their way down the main stair into the front hall.

There were a handful of creatures about.

Lots of demons, a centaur, a few vampires even.

They all nodded to Tor as he walked past but didn’t stop to talk to him.

Cin wondered who they were, questions about who exactly his mate was jumped around his brain.

Food first. Then questions.

The closer they got to the dining room, the louder the chatter became. How many people were waiting for them? Fuck a duck his stomach was a riot of nerves. Cin was never getting back to normal size at this rate. Cin tucked himself closer to Tor’s neck, allowing his mate’s hair to cover his body.

“There’s nothing to worry about, little one.” Tor reassured him before stepping into the dining room. The large table sat about twenty five people and it was full. Everyone had piles of food on their plates, chatting to those sitting near them, laughter and smiles were plentiful.