“Should I come back later?”

Cassie jumped when she heard the deep voice behind her, letting out a completely undignified squeal. At the same time, she jerked the shirt back down that she had begun to lift up to pull over her head. Her hand went to the place over her heart as if to hold it in while it tried to beat out of her chest.

“How, what, where…” her words quickly tumbled out as she shook her head and tried to process how the handsome man had suddenly appeared in her room.

“Your mirror,” Trik said in explanation to her unasked question as he pointed to the mirror above her dresser.

“What about it?” Cassie asked, finally finding her words.

“It’s how I got into your room. That’s what you were asking right? How did I get into your room?” Trik crossed his arms as he leaned back against the wall behind him.

Cassie stared at him. She noted to herself that she must be seeing him in his human form at the moment.

“I was trying to be gentlemanly by announcing myself,” he said. “Though now that I consider the situation, it would have been much more to my enjoyment to let you finish what you were doing.” He continued with a smirk.

“That would have been rude,” Cassie told him as she took an unconscious step towards him. She was drawn to him. Something in her longed to be close to him and she could no more turn away from him than she could separate her soul from her body.

“Why are you here?” She asked him.

Trik pushed off the wall and prowled towards her. Her breath quickened as she saw his eyes begin to turn from grey to silver. She watched in awe as his shoulder length hair extended before her very eyes, becoming so dark as to appear tinted purple. His skin became more bronzed and the beauty that was already painful to look at became even more pronounced. She lost her breath as she took him in.

“Wh-wh-what are you?” She stuttered breathlessly.

“I think you know,” he told her softly as he came to stand mere inches from her.

He reached up and brushed away a few wispy strands of blonde hair that had escaped her ponytail. Cassie tried to remember to breathe as she looked up into his handsome face.

“How can you be an elf? How is that even possible?”

“How can you be mine? How is that possible?” He leaned forward and placed his forehead against hers.

Cassie’s breath caught as she felt something pass between them. It was like her spirit was joining with his. She could feel something deep inside her flowing from her body to his.

“What’s happening?” She whispered as her eyes closed giving herself over to the sensation.

“You are my Chosen.” Trik answered.

“What does that mean? Chosen what?” She asked breathlessly.

“My mate, the one being in the universe created to be a part of me as I’m a part of you.”

“We aren’t even of the same species, how can I be a part of you?” Cassie shifted, bringing her body in line with her head so that they were practically brushing against one another.

Trik’s hands came up and rested themselves on her hips. She felt his warm breath caress her face. She inhaled deeply, drawing in his smell and finding peace in his presence ; peace and comfort that she had no idea that she had even needed.

“I don’t understand it, Cassie.” Her name on his lips was the most intimate sound that she had ever heard and she found that she longed to hear it again.

“Cassie,” Trik said softly.

“Are you reading my mind?” She asked him, still not moving away from him.

“I can see your thoughts when I touch you, remember?”

“That’s sort of disturbing,” she told him as she opened her eyes and pulled her forehead back from his so that she could look into his eyes.

“I won’t invade your most private thoughts; I could never do that to my Chosen.”

“How do you know? Have you had a Chosen before?” Cassie asked. Even as the words left her mouth she felt an illogical pang of jealousy and hurt at the idea of him being with someone, anyone else.

Trik’s hands tightened on her hips and his eyes narrowed. “We only have one Chosen.”

“Ever?” She asked.

“Ever,” he confirmed.

“What now?”

She watched in fascination as he licked his lips. She felt her face heat up in a blush when she saw a crooked smile lift his lips . He had noticed what she was staring at.

“Want a taste?” He asked her suggestively.

Cassie’s eyes widened. “Are you always this forward?”

“You were the one staring at my lips like they were a succulent feast. Not that I’m complaining.”

Cassie tried to pull away but he refused to let go of her. Their eyes met and Cassie felt like she was falling helplessly into those silver orbs. She held perfectly still as his head dropped closer to hers. She knew what was coming and though a part of her thought she should stop him, she made a conscious choice to ignore that part.

“Cassie,” his lips were less than an inch from hers.

“Yes?”

“How old are you?”

Cassie started to back away, confused by his question. Again, he refused to let her go.

“Eighteen,” she answered.

He grinned, a wicked, wicked grin that sent a shiver through her body.

“I’m going to kiss you now,” he whispered.

Before she could protest, if she had wanted to, his lips where pressed to hers.