Aphelion

As I head home, I'm still trying to figure out what the Hell Katrina meant when she called Miles a hurricane. Wouldn't that nickname fit Beckett better, or even me, since I can control the winds? What does Miles have to do with Hurricanes? Maybe she ran out of nicknames but didn't want him to be left out. Fuck, who knows. My woman works in mysterious ways, and trying to get inside a female's head will just drive a man insane. My phone vibrates in my front pocket, signaling I received a text message. Usually, I'll ignore my phone anytime I pass through the portal home, knowing I need to keep my wits about me as the heir to the kingdom; after a multitude of attempts on your life, you learn quickly that you need to be distraction-free. But ever since Katrina came into my life, I find myself checking my phone more frequently. As I take my phone out and look at the notifications and see it's just a text from the group chat, I'm a little disappointed, even though I knew my girl wouldn't be texting me. She's with Miles currently, and he'll get her undivided attention for the day. She has a certain way of making whoever she's with feel like they're the most important person in the world. I don't know how she does it with five different mates, but each of us is lucky.

I let out a sigh, already missing my girl even though I saw her earlier today. Since my phone is already out, I open the group chat to see what's up.

**Katrina's Sex Slaves**
*Water Daddy: Family Meeting tonight*
.
*Dark Prince: What's up?*
*Blue Flamer: Everything okay?*

Snickering at the group chat name and the nicknames programmed into my phone, I type out a quick response.
Shocker: See ya then, Daddy.

I remember when I changed the name on the group chat. Everyone's reaction was different. Samael and Luka had been in their room, and I could hear Samael laugh, Luka scoffing and asking how he'd gotten stuck with a bunch of kids, and Miles, who'd been sitting with me at the time, shaking his head at my antics, although I swear I saw the corners of his lips turn up. I didn't get to see Beckett's response at the time, seeing as he was busy fucking Katrina-that man's stamina is almost as insatiable as our little succubus- but he did end up adding a picture of Katrina's snackable breasts as the cover photo, so I'm going to say he appreciated the name change.

As I put my phone in my pocket, I can hear voices approaching from a distance. Cursing quietly, I look for a place to hide, but there's nothing in sight. I wanted this mission to be more stealthy. My father is a paranoid man, and if he found I'd returned home again this weekend, he'd start to get suspicious, and the last thing we need is Zeus poking his head around.

"Poor little Princey. He has nowhere to hide."

The voice startles me. It's low and breathy, and it sounds like it's near my left side, right below my ear, but nothing is there.

"Did I scare you, little princey?" The voice asks, sounding pleased.

"Show yourself," I hiss as I still hastily look around for someone to hide; the voices in the distance are closer now, and I can make out my father's deep baritone as he discusses the upcoming engagement party.

"Now, now, Princey, there's no need to be bossy," The voice snickers.

A little kobold, a sprite-like creature that is capable of concealing itself, appears as I raise my hand to brush away my pesky visitor.

"No need to swat me, Princey. I was having a bit of fun and needed somewhere to rest. Your shoulder seemed to be the perfect place." the kobold retorts in a haughty tone.

"You're mad at me?" I ask, astounded at the creature's audacity.

"Why yes. You're bigger than me, and you're a prince. You shouldn't be picking on creatures smaller than you." it replies snarkily, morphing from a cute little pixie to an angry toddler with curly blond hair, brows furrowed, lips poking, arms crossed, and all.

I can't help but chuckle; it looks adorable.

"Are you laughing at me now?!?" It hollers loudly.

My father stops talking as he tries to pinpoint where the sound came from. Shit, they'll be here within two minutes tops, and there isn't any place for me to hide.

"Listen little Kobold. You aren't supposed to be here, and I don't want to be seen, so about we help each other out." I suggest, hoping the little nuisance will extend its invisibility to me.

"I'm not supposed to be here, Princey, but you're forgetting I can vanish into thin air." It responds, disappearing once again on my shoulder.

Now that I know it's there, I can feel its warm breath in my air. The sounds of crunching gravel are getting louder, and I know I only have seconds left.

"I can hide you, but I need a favor in return. I need shelter."

I want to ask the little Kobold what it's hiding from, but there isn't time. "Okay," I quickly agree.

I can see the gold of my father's sandal as I feel the flickers of the Kobold's magic kissing my skin.

"Hmm...How odd." My father states, reaching the top of the hill and standing mere inches away from me. "I thought I could hear something over here."

"Probably just a noisy little light fae. They've been loitering around the city." Hermes replies, "You should get St. Peter to rid them from the kingdom before the engagement party."

I wait until their voices start to fade before I speak again. "Can you keep this up until we make it to my quarters?" I ask.

The Kobold rolls its eyes, "I can do this for the rest of your life Princey, not that I would so don't get any funny ideas in your head. But yes, I can cloak you until you get to your quarters. As long as you keep your end of the bargain."

As I walk toward the castle, I start to wonder why my father and Hermes are discussing the engagement party. Parties are normally something he would leave my mother in charge of. My stomach starts to churn with worry as I think of what horrors he might be planning for my mate. It makes me want to call the entire thing off, but backing out of the party isn't an option. It's the only thing that'll keep Katrina safe from Brahma, at least for now.

When we enter my chambers, I can feel the Kobold's magic melt from my skin. It feels like I'm covered with mucus as it peels away. Once I'm sure the Kobold has called the entirety of its magic into itself, I use my wind gift and dry my skin to the best of my abilities. I still feel slimy, but it isn't as bad as it was before.

"So, are you going to tell me what you're hiding from?" I ask the little Kobold, who is already making a nest on my bed.

"Are you going to tell me why you're sneaking into your own home?" It mocks, morphing into a tiny little dog that somewhat resembles a chihuahua, its voice yippy and high-pitched.

I roll my eyes, annoyed by the pesky little creature. As I head out of my chambers, I hear the annoying little thing cackling. If I had more time, I would pester it, but as it is, I'm already on a time crunch. I need to get to the archives, find the report, and return to the dormitory before anyone of concern notices my presence.