Mated by Twilight (True Match)

Chapter 36

Leah

“Not if the entire business implodes first,” Leah said, her voice dry and uninterested, even as the audience burst into peals of laughter. The line wasn’t particularly funny on its own, it was the context of the scene that made it amusing.

Skara had just finished announcing her business plans and hope for the future. She was talking about how well things were going to be for them from now on, only to have Leah butt in with hard, unwelcome reality that contrasted hilariously with her optimism.

It was her first time performing the play in front of an audience and...

She loved it.

She’d been nervous at first. To the point she was sure she was going to puke. She had very nearly run away at the start. But then her mates were there, distracting her with all the presents the fans had brought, including a little bouquet of flowers for her. Then, Skara was there, asking her to run their lines one more time for their hardest scene to make sure that Skara still had them. By the time that common sense caught up to her and Leah reminded herself that the star actress of this troupe did not need help remembering lines, Corvidair was there to distract her with something else.

They’d all run interference on her nerves right up until the moment she was floating up to her place on stage. Then, suddenly, the lights were up, and she was ‘walking’ beside Skara. They didn’t actually move, but the hologram lights that made the stage props moved around them, making it seem like they were strolling down a street.

Then, it was like she’d gone into autopilot. All the practice had made her actions muscle memory, and the lines, which seemed so impossible to remember when she’d been waiting to start, suddenly came to her so easily.

She wasn’t delusional enough to think she made no mistakes. Skara had to move her sometimes to make sure she went the right way, and once she stumbled over her line, but Skara was able to cover for her and the audience even laughed. She didn’t have time to be self-conscious because that was the moment that Sollit and Tillos had a funny series of slapstick falls and gags that immediately diverted attention from her.

But it was just a little mistake. The rest of the play went off wonderfully. Probably because she had very little to do with the climax. She was there, of course, but most of the story itself fell on Tillos, Sollit, and Skara’s shoulders.

By the time they were taking their final bows, she was riding high on the excitement of a successful show, and she couldn’t wait to do it again.

They finished their bows and returned to the understage. Sollit and Tillos were waiting for her there with wide grins and open arms. It wasn’t her first show, but this was so different from playing the sleeping queen. Having lines made it feel like it was.

She threw herself at them, laughing excitedly, one arm around each neck, as they held her close.

“You did so good, aevea !” Sollit declared, kissing her temple.

“You were enchanting,” Tillos agreed, squeezing her tight.

“The best part of the show.”

“It wouldn’t have been good without you.”

“Ugh, you two,” Skara groaned as she walked past, annoyed. “She did fine, but it really isn’t worth all that .”

“Don’t listen to her, aevea ,” Sollit said primly, stepping between Skara and her, like he might be shielding her from some threat. “She doesn’t know what she’s talking about.”

“You were wonderful,” Tillos said even as she giggled at them. She knew that they were being extra, but she kind of loved it. Both the extra attention as well as the praise. Corvidair would have something to say, she was sure, about her mistakes, but her mates would never give her anything but kindness and encouragement. And she loved that. Even though she knew they were being playful, it still made her feel secure and safe. She didn’t know if, after her family, she’d be able to tolerate criticism from the ones supposed to love her again.

And maybe that wasn’t healthy either. But that’s where she was right now. She just wanted to luxuriate in unconditional support for once. And they certainly weren’t shy about giving it to her.

They continued doing so on the way back to their changing room. Extolling her success like she’d performed a starring role on Broadway. She was looking forward to meeting up with the fans after this show. So much so that, as her mates were helping to fix her hair and makeup, she began humming happily to herself.

She didn’t notice until Tillos and Sollit grinned at each other over her head in the mirror. The moment she realized, she stopped, rolling her lips and biting them even as she smiled.

“You’re ready, my pretty mate,” Sollit said, setting aside one of her curled locks. Deliberately not mentioning her singing, like he knew it would make her self-conscious again.

Tillos took her hands, helping her to her feet and bringing her out of the room. Smiling at her like she hung the stars in the sky. Sollit trailed behind them, making appreciative noises that she didn’t understand until she turned and checked him out over her shoulder. Only to find him staring at her butt without shame. He caught her eye and grinned, making her laugh.

She was incredibly light on her feet as they returned back to the front. The crowd let out a cheer as they walked in. And unlike before, she soaked it up immediately. Beaming, standing at the rail, she waved out at the crowd.

Since Tillos, Sollit, and Skara were the stars of the show, they stood at the front. Leah hung back with the rest of the secondary characters, but that was okay. She wanted a chance to walk through on her own this time.

So, instead of following after them immediately as they rode the stairs down, she hung back a little so she was on her own. Of course, she was still with the rest of the crowd, so it wasn’t like she was alone. And she knew her mates were right there. Both of them looked back to check on her halfway to the ground floor, and she waved. Assuring them from afar that she was okay. But she knew if she needed them, they’d be right there.

Because they cared about her. Because they weren’t going to abandon her if she didn’t think she could do this on her own.

That unfamiliar feeling rose in her chest again. It was choking, but in a way that she kind of liked. It almost made her feel like crying. Not because she was sad or overwhelmed. It certainly wasn’t a bad feeling. Just a big one. One that demanded some kind of release.

It was strange. But she didn’t have the time she needed right now to investigate it enough to identify what was going on inside her.

She forced herself to look away from them. To focus on the fans down below. She liked knowing her mates were there, and she was eager to feel their absolute devotion and appreciation again, but first she needed to challenge herself.

Leah began waving at the crowd below. Her part was rather minor, but she still had a few eyes on her, waving back, cheering, as they reached the bottom.

She was immediately swallowed by the crowd. No one was pushy or grabby. There was still order despite their excitement. That made it easier to move through, thanking people for their support and answering a few questions.

This wasn’t a formal meet and greet. There was going to be another one soon enough – it was a good way to connect with fans as they came through the space station. So, she wasn’t meant to linger. She did a lot of walking as she smiled and waved, swirling her skirt as she turned just because it was fun.

She was having such a good time, not really paying attention to where she was going, that she didn’t see the pink scaled female until she turned and found her standing there right in front of her. Blocking her path. Keeping her from moving forward.

Leah came up short, needing to take a few steps back because of how close she was. It took a moment to even recognize her. But she couldn’t forget the gorgeous avanava female. This was the one who had been so close to her mates, the one who won a date with them.

She wasn’t smiling this time.

The look on her face made Leah’s own smile drop. Her eyes were wide, the whites seeming to dominate her entire face as the gold of her iris sparkled with a malevolence that sent a chill sweeping over her. Though she had seemed so delicate and feminine when compared to Tillos and Sollit, when she stood in front of Leah, she was tall and imposing. Beautiful, statuesque, like a model. Leah’s fledgling confidence immediately withered under that wild eyed look.

“Who are you?” She hissed, tail lashing at the air, upsetting her long, flowing skirt. The white dress was beautiful on her body. Though she didn’t have breasts, that didn’t actually lessen her inherent femininity. The elegant, draped look made Leah’s flouncy gown with its ribbons and bows seem not only childish but outright silly.

“Erm,” Leah tried to smile as she twisted her fingers behind her back. Trying to keep her nerves from showing but knowing that she was failing. “Hi, I’m Le -ah !”

“Who are you!? ” She hissed, leaning in close so suddenly it stole Leah’s breath. “I know the whole troupe. I don’t know you. Who are you? What are you doing here? Why are you talking to my mates?”

“Wh-”

“They’re my mates! You need to stay away from them.”

“That’s not-”

“You hear me?! Mine!” She hissed, tightening her grip her arm. Claws digging into her skin.

Leah gasped, then whimpered, but she couldn’t force a scream past her throat. A lifetime trained by her mother pinching her in public to make her be quiet kicked in and the protest died in her throat as the female’s grip turned bruising.

“Stay away from my males,” she hissed right in her face. “I won’t tolerate you trying to draw their eyes anymore.”

“Let go…” Leah gasped, but it was such a quiet sound, it couldn’t really be heard.

“You stay away.” Biella’s grip tightened further until Leah felt like her bone was going to snap. “Or I’ll deal with you myself!”

Leah took in a breath. Some of the shock finally fading enough that she remembered she wasn’t still with her mother and family. That she wasn’t going to get into trouble for making a scene or asking for help in public.

But even as she was remembering that, Biella was withdrawing. She stepped back into the crowd and was gone in moments.

Leah just stared, blinking at the place she’d disappeared.

Biella wasn’t mated to Sollit and Tillos.

That thought was absolutely certain in her brain. She knew those two pretty well at this point. While she didn’t think she knew everything about them, she knew without a doubt that they were far too devoted to her to even think about someone else. Besides, they’d been matematched. There was scientific certainty of their matehood.

There was no doubt in Leah’s mind that Biella was lying. Or maybe just delusional.

But there was a new fear in her chest. Because that female hadn’t looked right in the head. She’d been so completely certain of what she was saying, like it was a basic fact.

However, it didn’t sound like she knew that Leah was their mate. It sounded like she just thought she was looking at them. Flirting with them, maybe.

Leah touched her sore arm. It was throbbing painfully where she’d been grabbed. There were some cuts from her claws, but not as deep as she expected.

Maybe it was best that lady didn’t find out that they were mated to Leah.