Free Alien Fae Mate by Misty Kayn

another realm. There is no realm, Rain. We are fae. We are people. We exist, and we’re not like you.” He paused to whisper, “Before you all had satellites, my ancestors used to come around and seduce human women so they’d breed more fae. Once the women delivered, they abducted the babies and made the mothers think they’d died. Most of those poor women ended up in your mental institutions, saying that men with pointy ears and black eyes fathered their children and took them away. Yeah, that went well for them. How about that? We’re a heroic race.”
    “I love you, and I don’t care. You didn’t do any of those things.”
    “But I would if I hadn’t killed the King and many other of my own people. I’m no hero. You look at me like you’ve seen the sun, and all my sins leave me. Did you know that?”
    “No.”
    “You’ll die if you mate me. You’re willing to die?”
    “You are not dead, and I don’t think the wraiths will hurt me.”
    He took my face between his hands. “I can’t mate you, Rain. The idea of your heart stopping even for a second is terrifying. You make me want to be better, learn about humans, do some good. We can’t mate, but we can be together. That’s all I got. Let’s get though the cursed season, and I’ll move your desk back. It’ll be me and you. Like always. What do you think?”
    “And the next mating season?”
    “By then I’ll figure something out.”
    He couldn’t figure it out, or he would’ve already. I glanced at the corner of the room. I wanted to please Titan. I wanted to, and I could never tell him no, anyway. Especially not now, when I knew he cared about me. “Sure,” I told him. “We’ll just go back to normal.”
    “I’m asking you to move in with me.”
    “Sure, I’d like that.”

Thirteen
    P op !
    A gum balloon exploded on my face. I peeled it off and threw it in the trash, catching myself on the sink at the last minute. “Oops.” I picked up a bottle of whiskey. “Almost slipped. Careful,” I told the bathroom mirror, then threw my head back and chugged. The alcohol burned its way down my throat and settled in my empty stomach. Whiskey used to make me gag, but after drinking half the bottle, it went down smoother than water.
    My sister walked into the bathroom and picked up a toothbrush. After breakfast, I went home and cried myself to sleep. As usual, Apple stayed in her room and hadn’t come out until after noon. I couldn’t even care anymore.
    “A bit early for that.” She stuck a toothbrush in her mouth.
    “Look who’s talking,” I said.
    “It’s noon. I start drinking at lunch.”
    “It’s after noon. Why wait? You should start now. Here.” I nudged her shoulder with the bottle. “This way, you don’t have to worry about eating lunch either. Maybe you could sustain yourself on alcohol alone.”
    She tilted her head, and her brow furrowed. “What’s the matter with you?”
    “Nothing. Let’s drink.”
    “No, thanks.”
    “Why not? You’ve been drinking for months, and now you can’t share? That sucks for me.” I chugged, then shrugged and turned away from the mirror.
    Water splashed behind me, and Apple wiped her mouth with a towel. She slapped it over the rail and folded her arms across her chest. Leaning against the wall, she said, “What happened?”
    “I fucked Titan.”
    “Ah.”
    “Actually, it was more like ‘Yes, please, may I have another?’”
    “I see. Did you have another?”
    “A few.”
    “And?”
    “Nothing. Back to usual, he said.”
    Her head thumped the wall. “It happens. Maybe we’re cursed.”
    “Hm. Maybe. Can fae curse people?”
    “Don’t know. What’s his problem?”
    “His mate is found in death. He thinks he’s dead because they don’t have heartbeats, and technically he is dead and has death powers, but he is very much alive. Very much alive. Yup.”
    Apple blinked.
    “See, beyond the words, beyond the fae male persona, Titan can’t come to terms with who he is and