There is no way. This is no true. Same sex mates are forbidden by ancient laws. And not to mention, I liked guys. Didn’t I? I do have those magazine cut outs. “There has to be some kind of mistake.” I say slowly.

She laughs bitterly while turning a white-hot gaze onto me. Heat floods my body, her eyes setting my soul ablaze. Those perfect almond shaped eyes. The beautiful shade of dark brown. The pissed off aura radiating- Focus. I need to figure out what was wrong. I can’t get lost in her eyes.

“What are you going to say the goddess of our creation made a mistake?” she says, then stands and slams a fist on the table, “Did you think there aren’t others like us? Everyone gets a mate.”

That’s not true. Aunt Mia doesn’t have a mate. There are even support groups for people without a mate. She has to be wrong. There has to be another explanation.

I must have a doubtful look on my face because she continues, “I know it’s a lot to take in. If it helps, I can answer your questions,” there is a ding from the oven and she lets out a sigh with a small smile, “We even have fresh bread, and I can put on some tea.”

It’s hard not to believe her. My wolf wants to fall at her feet and worship the ground she walks on. She places a cup of tea and a warm piece of bread in front of me. It smells amazing. I can’t believe she is cooking for me. Holy shit, focus. The smell of baking bread mixed with the feeling of warmth she brings is defiantly warping my brain in a cozy blanket and taking away my ability to see straight, much less think straight.

“Do you have any questions?” she asks.

I blink a few times and shake my head. My ability to form a complex sentence is gone. The past few minutes have been an emotional roller coaster. Maybe its better not to have a mate. I feel my wolf whine and some of the coldness from earlier seeps back in. The cold wakes my brain up enough to ask, “Why?”

“Why? Why what?” she asks, “Why is it illegal?”

I nod weakly as I try to pull myself from the spell she has me under. She doesn’t seem to notice. Damn, this is embarrassing. I don’t even seem to be affecting her.

“Well, a long time ago our people were close to dying out. Royals wanted all abled bodied women to bare children. Of course, this presented a problem for women who were mated to other women and couldn’t bare children with each other. So, they made a law and spread propaganda about same sex mates. Others began to listen, but there were still so many people that didn’t listen. Royals decided to make a fake group that ‘helped’ same sex couples, but instead they were set up for crimes or exposed to the public. By the time the couples realized what happened, Royals had most of the kingdom on their side.” She says.

As I listened to her story, my body slowly got used to the warm feeling. “How do you know all that?” I ask slurring my words.

She looks at me concerned, “What’s wrong? Your face is all red and you are speaking right.”

“You’re,” I say with an awkward chuckle, “You’re making me kind of hot.”

“Oh?” she says confused, then with panic, “Oh! I’m sorry! We don’t feel the effects of our mate as strongly!”

“We?” I ask as she backs away to the far corner of the kitchen. The feeling in my brain diminishing with each step.

She looks down. Her hands clasp together and pull into her chest. She takes a deep breath and speaks in a hard voice, “I’m a Royal.”

My mother is defiantly getting her wish, just not in the way she wanted. I look around the small basement kitchen, “Why do you live down here?”

“I’m supposed to be the fragile sick little princess.” She says bitterly.

“Your Princess Abigail?” I say, her name tastes sweet on my tongue, “You aren’t sick?”

She slowly slides down the wall and sits on the floor with her head in her knees. I feel the small whine from my wolf. I want to comfort her, but I’m not sure what to say, “We don’t actually have to-“

“Yeah, I know-“ she says cutting me off.

“We can work up to that,” I say cutting her off again.

This is the wrong thing to say. Tears flow from her eyes. My heard breaks in half. Is this what its like to love someone? Why do I keep hurting her? What do I say to make her feel better? I stand and slowly walk to her.

She looks up, “I want you to leave and no ever come back.” With each word her voice cracks.

“Wait, we just met.” I say. Its so cold without you. “I don’t know what I’m going to do without you.”

“You’ll be able to live a normal happy life.” She says, “You won’t have to worry about the law, or be stuck in the basement of a castle, or have to deal with my past.”

“I want to,” I say in a hoarse whisper as tears start to flow over my eyes, “Please, let me try?”

“I am sorry for leading you on. I should have turned you away the second I saw you. I couldn’t help myself.” She says pushing me away.

“Please?” I say, but only a puff of air escapes. Can she turn me away? Can you do that to your mate?

She stands and presses a hidden button. I hear the doors open as five guards fill the tiny apartment. Two grab me under my arms and lift me easily. I don’t have the strength to fight back. I give into my wolf as she tries one last thing, “Please, don’t to this. I think I love you.”

Abigail turns her back to me, “I wish you didn’t.”