Fake Mate of the Enemy Shifter (Red Oak Shifters #2)

21. Grey

Chapter twenty-one

Grey

S unlight blankets me as I wake up the next morning, feeling weight on my chest that I’m not used to. My eyes fly open as my fight or flight instincts kick in, but the moment I see familiar dark hair, my body relaxes.

It’s just Cassia.

I slowly exhale and relax into my pillows, my hand caressing the back of her shoulder as her cheek rests on my chest. My mind finally catches up, painting a picture of all that happened last night.

Cassia is a Cinderborne witch, and she just lost her adoptive mother to exile. Her good mother who raised her to be good despite the dark magic within her.

What a mess. Every day, it seems like things get worse. Morgana and Lucian have been making tiny power plays to secure more and more control, even if they think I can’t tell.

Something may have to be done sooner than I initially planned. I may not be able to wait long to gain their trust before trying to overthrow them. Whatever I decide to do will have its own set of risks, and as Everblade’s prince, the decision is up to me.

The pressure is on me .

Cassia lifts her head off my chest and blinks sleepily, taking a few moments to realize where she is. A frown crosses her face as she sighs, her shoulders slumping. “I thought it was a nightmare.”

I don’t bother to ask what part of yesterday she hoped was a nightmare. I’m sure it’s all of it. Hell, I’m sure she regrets ever stepping foot on our land because things have gotten worse for everyone but Morgana and Lucian since that happened.

“I’m sorry, Cassia,” I say as I trail my fingers through the prominent waves of her hair.

Cassia rests her body against mine as she peers down at me, her face softening. “Thank you for taking me here last night. If you hadn’t shown up … who knows what I would have done?”

I frown as I rest my fingers on the nape under her hair. “What do you mean?”

Cassia shrugs as her gaze drifts away from mine. “They told me not to go after her, but I wanted to so badly. Maybe it would’ve been best if we fled together.”

“You wouldn’t do that, though,” I say, knowing her character enough to make that guess.

Cassia shakes her head. “I wouldn’t have. How can I leave behind so many innocent people to suffer at the hands of Morgana and Lucian?”

She’s braver than she probably gives herself credit for. My thumb brushes the side of her face, coaxing her eyes back to mine. Just having her in bed with me makes the world feel a little less cold and dark. “I should’ve gone after you sooner when they left the dining hall with you. I knew something was wrong.”

Cassia leans into my hand. “It doesn’t matter. You found me when I needed you the most. That’s what matters.”

My eyes drift to the burn marks on her arm, anger flaring deep within my chest. I’m tired of Morgana hurting her. I crave the day she faces the consequences of her actions, and I hope it’s soon.

It needs to be soon.

“Every time we’re apart, I worry about you,” I admit as I look back at her.

Cassia’s eyes widen a degree. “You do?”

“Your leaders are cruel to you. You’ve endured so much lately with what you’ve found out about yourself,” I say as I brush her hair out of her face. “I don’t want to leave your side.”

Cassia’s breath lightly hitches. “Grey …”

“I know that might sound a little crazy given how terribly I treated you in the past, but it’s true. I know who you are deep down. Past your blood. Past your birth parents and coven,” I reply as I shake my head, dismissing all the worries and doubts in my mind. “Those things don’t matter.”

Cassia places her hand over mine, her eyes glistening a little. “I can’t help but feel like a terrible person because of my past. Even if it’s a past I didn’t know about.”

Her situation is unlike anything I’ve ever heard before. I can’t imagine all that she’s thinking or feeling, but if I can help remind her of how good she is, I will because I don’t want her to lose sight of her true self.

“You have to make a name for yourself,” I tell her. Just like I have to.

Cassia nods, her uncertainty shifting into determination. “I want people to see me like you do.”

I crack a small smile as the air between us electrifies, my free hand resting on her side beneath the sheets. It’s addicting having her body pressed against mine as our minds roam open and free. There are no boundaries here. No secrets or lies.

Just trust that has been lost, recovered, and strengthened over the weeks.

“Brave. Strong,” I murmur as my hand moves to her cheek, my thumb caressing her bottom lip. “Beautiful. So beautiful.”

Cassia’s eyes glide down to my lips, only a moment of hesitation passing before she leans down to kiss me.

My heartbeat quickens as I tangle my fingers in her hair, coaxing her closer so that our kiss can deepen. My lips brush hers slowly, the air around us heating up more and more with each passing second. It’s ecstatic kissing her.

Cassia slides her leg over my waist to straddle me, her hands roaming up my chest and dragging my shirt up to my abdomen. She tilts her head, her teeth gently pulling on my bottom lip in a subtle bite.

A groan rumbles in my throat as I tighten my grip on her hair, heat building within me. She’s so effortlessly sexy, working me up with ease as she grinds down against me. The sunlight makes her skin gleam, even adding a sheen to her wavy hair.

Like she’s an angel.

Cassia sits up and breaks the kiss long enough for me to help her slip her dress off. She straddles my lap in white panties that hug her waist, her nipples already hard.

I release a slow exhale, feeling my erection throb as it presses against her ass. She’s already killing me. I tear off my shirt before letting my hands roam up her bare thighs. “Come here.”

Cassia smiles and leans down, kissing me deeply as our hands move and caress every inch of skin we can reach. She rocks her hips against me, moaning from the friction against her clit through the thin material of her panties.

I drink in the sound and hook my finger in the side of her panties, drawing the fabric to the side so that I can rub my fingertips against her clit.

Cassia gasps into my mouth, her hips bucking against my hand. She grips my biceps, lifting herself enough for me to push a finger inside of her. “Oh …”

I thrust my finger inside of her, my cock pulsing at the feeling of how wet she already is for me. It’s easy to slip in another finger, her walls clamping down on me. “I can’t wait to be inside of you.”

Cassia nods eagerly, rocking down on my fingers a few times as he slides her hand under the waist of my pants. She wraps her fingers around my cock, stroking in time with the thrusts of my fingers. Every touch is a tease of what’s to come, making us that much more restless.

“Can’t wait anymore,” I breathe out as I remove my fingers and pull her higher up on my lap.

Cassia lifts herself, reaching down to line up the head of my cock with her entrance. She sinks down on me, taking me with a moan that’s like music to my ears.

Damn it, she’s so perfect. How can I resist?

I grab her hips as she starts moving on my lap, pleasure flowing through me. It’s already almost overwhelming because of how good it feels. My breathing quickens as she bounces on top of me, our bodies remaining connected. “You feel so good.

“So good,” Cassia moans as she grabs my shoulders for stability, moving faster and sinking down deeper. She drops her head back, looking like a work of art as she writhes and grinds.

My jaw tenses as I steady myself. She has no idea how good she feels. I let my hands roam, squeezing her breasts and rolling her nipples between my fingertips.

Cassia leans into my hands, her forehead dropping to mine. “Oh, yes …”

Our movements become quicker and more erratic, desperation gripping us as our pleasure starts to peak. I grip the back of her neck with one hand and lower the other between her thighs, rubbing her clit as she rocks her hips. “There we go. Come on, sweetheart.”

Cassia tenses before crying out, being reduced to shudders.

I thrust up into her, only managing a few before I release inside of her. The strength drains from my body soon after, heat buzzing on my skin as we grasp each other. My chest heavily rises and falls as I catch my breath, an easy smile crossing my face. “Damn.”

“Damn?” Cassia replies with a light laugh. She pulls her hair away from her face as she peers down at me, still looking flushed.

“No words,” I say as I squeeze her soft thighs. “I’ve been wanting to do that again for a minute now.”

Cassia smiles and places her hands over mine. “Well, your bed is much more comfortable than grass.”

“It was kind of romantic making you come under the stars.”

Cassia’s eyes widen as her cheeks flush even redder. She lightly swats at my chest as she shakes her head at me. “We shouldn’t be caught like this, though.”

“We’re married,” I point out as I lift an eyebrow at her.

“Your parents hate me, and even if Morgana and Lucian agreed to this marriage, they won’t like us getting too close,” Cassia replies as her face becomes more serious.

“I don’t want to act like we’re enemies,” I tell her.

We’re from different clans who are at odds with each other deep down, but she’s not my enemy. Not after what I’ve learned about her and her leaders. I may have more allies within these castle walls than I think, but that means taking a risk and deciding how much I truly trust her.

“I know,” Cassia sighs as her fingertips trace unrecognizable shapes into my chest.

“You don’t want Morgana and Lucian in power anymore, right?”

Cassia’s eyes snap up to mine. She then pitches a quick look behind her like she’s afraid someone will hear. She turns back to me and shakes her head. “Of course not. They’re terrible for Moonveil.”

And you’re not the only one in Moonveil who thinks that?” I ask her, hope burning in my chest.

“I’m not the only one, but people aren’t exactly outspoken about it. They’re afraid of Morgana and Lucian. And for good reason,” Cassia explains. “We all live cloaked in their shadows.”

They shouldn’t have to live that way. They could have so much more, but Morgana and Lucian have to get out of their way first.

Unfortunately, they won’t move willingly.

“Why are you asking me this?” Cassia asks me as she frowns.

I breathe in slowly through my nose. There’s no turning back now.

“The arranged marriage is my plan to take back power from Moonveil,” I admit.

Cassia’s eyes widen. “How would that even work? Why an arranged marriage?”

“Marriages can foster trust between two clans. It seemed like the easiest way to get my people out of their cells, keep us in our home, and silently work toward getting our power back,” I tell her. “I figured if we gained Moonveil’s trust, it would be easier to plan a revolt.”

Cassia shakes her head, still looking shocked. “Morgana and Lucian will never give up their power. They will never trust you or give you an inch.”

“I know. We’ll have to be more aggressive, but we need time to study them and figure out the best way to take them down,” I say. “We can’t just sit back and let them slowly destroy us. And you and the other Moonveil witches shouldn’t stand for it either. Join us.”

“Join you?”

I nod with a hopeful glint in my eyes. “Fight with us. If you help us dethrone Morgana and Lucian, you’ll be free from their reign of terror. You can live peacefully and safely without worrying about being punished for every little thing you do wrong.”

Cassia lowers her eyes, her forehead creasing as she thinks to herself. “It’s risky …”

“It’s better than allowing them to keep hurting people.”

Cassia pauses before sighing and nodding. “No, you’re right. I want them dethroned. I have for a while now, but I haven’t done anything because I know I’ll be killed. I know that I’m not strong enough on my own or with a handful of other witches. But if we fight with you and all of Everblade …”

“We will have a far better chance at winning,” I say as a determined smile forms on my face. “We’ll get Gliselle back. We’ll save the other Moonveil witches from Morgana’s and Lucian’s torment. We can fix everything, Cassia.”

Cassia exhales shakily before she nods. “I want to help. I’m just not much help anymore, though. I have no powers.”

“We’ll figure that out too,” I promise her.

Sure, we have a lot of problems to tackle right now, but if we’re together, we can fix them all. We can restore peace and serve justice to those who deserve it. The choice is obvious.

“Join me. Fight by my side,” I say as I sit up more, winding my arms around her body.

Cassia meets my eyes before smiling in a sly manner. “Very convincing.”

I chuckle. “Your answer?”

“Yes,” Cassia murmurs before pressing her lips against mine and sealing her answer.

We’re one step closer to stealing back power from Morgana and Lucian, but how many steps are there to go? How much more can all of us lose at the hands of our enemies before there’s nothing left to fight for?