by Rhys Rowlyn
“You’re here! I’ve been waiting for you.” He kisses me deeply, and I straddle his hips.
I lean back, rubbing his shoulders and looking deeply into his eyes. “Where have I been? Why haven’t I met you?”
He dips his chin, refusing to meet my gaze. “You were injured severely, and I gave you my blood to save you.”
Ah, so that’s what the woman was talking about. I put my hands on his cheeks and turn his gaze toward me. “You did what you had to do.”
“Yes, but I stupidly put you in danger.” He pulls me tighter against him, burying his face in the crook of my neck. “I didn’t know how you would react and should never have done that without being positive you would be safe,” he mumbles against my skin.
“Tristan, you saved me. Had you not acted so quickly, I would have been dead.” I pull back, scrunching down until our gazes meet. “You can’t feel guilty for saving me.”
He takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. “No, I don’t feel guilty for saving you. I will always save you.”
“Good, now what else is happening?” Sitting back against his thighs, I cross my arms over my chest.
Tristan grins at me, holding a strand of my white-blonde hair out, and I watch as it darkens. “You look a little different.”
“How so?” I narrow my eyes.
“Your hair is a darker blonde, more the color of your father’s, and you have been in bed, but I think you may be taller.” He pulls my hands away from my chest and links our fingers together.
I grin. “Hey, that will make me not stand out as much. Maybe I can lose the wigs. What about my eyes?” It would definitely make my life easier. Getting ready to go out has always been a pain in the ass.
“I don’t know. They’ve been closed.” Laughing, he leans forward and kisses my neck.
“Guess we’ll have to wait until I’m up to see, but it would be great not to have to wear those stupid contacts.” I tilt my head, giving him better access.
“Then let’s hope for the best.” He runs his nose along my jaw and takes my earlobe into his mouth.
I moan, running my hands through his hair. “What else is going on?”
“We used the book, and the sister witches know about you.” He kisses his way to the edge of my mouth.
Pushing against his shoulders, I lean away from him. “How? Why?”
“Circe has visions, and she saw us using the book, so they came and set up barriers so no one else could sense the magic.” He looks up at the sky, sighing deeply. “I’m not completely certain, but I believe you may share an ancestor. They don’t mean you any harm, and we didn’t have much choice.”
I’m unsure how to feel, so I stare at Tristan, knowing deep in my soul I can trust him. He will put my safety first. “I’ll have to trust your judgment on this and will do a read when I wake up, even though that’s like closing the barn door after the horse is out.”
“True enough, but I think you’ll find them to be worthy, and they have a ton of useful knowledge.” Tristan grips my hips and moves me against him.
“We’ll see.” I grind myself against his hardness, and thoughts of witches and books leave me.
“I don’t want to talk about the witches or anything but us. I’m so happy to see you. I’ve missed you.” He cups my neck with his hand and pulls me to his lips. I open for him, and our tongues meet.
I’ve missed him too but don’t understand. I was with him only last night, I believe. “How long have I been out?”
“Three days.”
“What! Three days?” My mouth drops open. Where have I been? Why am I only now dreaming?
Using his index finger, Tristan pushes my mouth closed. “Yes, we brought you to the plantation my famille owns. It’s isolated, and we didn’t know what to expect with your change, but all you’ve done is sleep. We asked the book what my blood would do to you.”
“And did it answer?” Drawing my brows together, I frown.
“Yes, it did.” He nods, grinning. “Fae/human hybrid and vampire matings are very desirable. You get all the good things about being a vampire, and it enhances your fae abilities.”
I do like this answer and am relieved because I’m not planning on letting Tristan go. “That’s awesome. I love the idea of us being together being a good thing.”
“Me too. Now can I continue kissing you? I really did miss you.” He takes my face between his palms and kisses me deeply.
I move up onto my knees, and our clothes are gone. I do love dream-walking. Taking his cock in my hand, I rub his tip against me and moan at the pleasure.
“Yes, love. You feel so good.” Tristan kisses my shoulder and moves to my breast, taking the nipple into his mouth and sucking.
Arching my back, I position myself over him and sink slowly onto his hardness. We groan together at the pleasure. Lifting up, I slowly move against him, and he grips my hips and pulls me back down harder.
Oh, I feel so full and have never felt this much pleasure in my life.
Tristan rolls us until I’m under him. Leaning on his forearms, he kisses me as his thrusts get harder and faster.
I grip his shoulders, feeling as though I need an anchor or I might splinter into a million pieces. “Yes. Please, yes.” I can feel the peak building inside me. My muscles clench around him.
“So tight, so amazing.” He reaches down to put pressure on my clit, and I tumble over the edge with a scream.
His thrusts become more erratic and faster as I ride wave after wave of pleasure. With a shout, he empties himself inside me.
Tristan falls to the side, panting, and I stare up at the sky, my thoughts scattered at what just happened.
“I’m not very experienced, but was that supposed to feel like that?” Nothing has ever compared, and I know nothing ever will, except maybe the next time we’re together. Pleasure ripples through me at the thought.
“It never has for me before. That was earth-shattering. You are more than I could have ever imagined.” He kisses my forehead and then the edge of my mouth. I turn and deepen the kiss.
Pulling back, I meet his gaze. “So what now?”
“I think it’s time you woke up. Your father is very worried, and we need to get back to the city. I want you to meet my famille and become a part of it.” Tristan sits up and pulls me so that my back is against his chest. He wraps his arms around me.
“It’s hard letting go of the fear of being discovered. I’ve held onto it since my mother was taken.” Breathing deeply, I lean my head against his shoulder.
“I know, but it’s time.” He nuzzles my neck. “Besides, you are now more than simply half fae, and my famille will help keep you safe. We take care of each other.”
Making my decision, I open my eyes and look around. I’m in a room I don’t recognize, but Tristan is asleep beside me. He has me wrapped protectively in his arms. I shake his shoulder, and he comes awake with a start.
“I’m ready. Let’s go meet the family.”
He grins, hopping out of the bed, and offers me a hand to help me up. “That’s my brave girl. Come on, your dad will be happy to see you.”
Tristan
We are driving back into town, and Zoey has decided to come to the house. We believe it will be safer than in her building. She’s nervous about meeting my famille, but after she read the witches, she agreed. Chi showed up this evening with the van so we could all ride together. Giles is in his car, following.
The girls have become fast friends and are in the back, chattering nonstop, while I sit up front with Chi and Shane.
Shane turns from looking out the passenger window, frowning. “Your people won’t mind me staying with you, will they?”
“Not at all.” I shake my head, knowing I’m right. “You will be a welcome addition.”
“You were a doctor, correct?” Chi glances toward Shane before turning his gaze back to the road.
“I still am, but yes, I practiced medicine for a number of years until folks started noticing
I wasn’t aging. I had bought the building we live in but practiced on the other side of town.” Shane raises a brow in my direction.
I grab the dashboard when Chi swerves in traffic and narrowly misses another vehicle. I didn’t mind riding with Giles, but this little man scares the hell out of me. I take a deep breath and turn my attention back toward Shane. “That’s good. One of the girls is pregnant, and we don’t know what to expect. Etienne was a physician before the curse but doesn’t have much knowledge of modern medicine. His mate, Lucy, is a nurse, but she only just finished school before she was taken by Minerva.”
“I don’t know how much help I’ll be, but I’ll examine her.” He shrugs. “She’s a vampire, so I’m assuming the baby will be also. Maybe once we know more, the book can help us.”
“If you’re going to ask the book anything, ask how to fix her mood swings. That girl is driving everybody crazy.” Chi rolls his eyes, cutting through traffic to reach an exit ramp and slamming Shane and me against the door.
“Damn, Chi, stop throwing us all around!” Circe yells from the backseat, and I want to kiss her.
“Sorry, I wasn’t paying attention and almost missed the exit.” Chi waves off her concerns, taking the exit on two wheels.
I grip the dash, leaving fingerprints. “Please slow down.”
“I am. I am.” He slows the van to a reasonable speed, and we all straighten in our seats. “Now, back to this pregnancy thing. Do you think we can do anything with her? She’s been up and down so much, it’s giving me whiplash.”
“That doesn’t sound much different from a human pregnancy, and if so, there won’t be any fixing it,” Shane explains with a laugh.
He lets out a long sigh. “That’s just great, just great.”
We arrive at the house, and everyone but Nyla, Jean Pierre, Phillipe, and Giselle are here to greet us. They are all excited I’ve found my mate and are anxious to welcome her into the fold.
I pull Zoey off to the side and whisper in her ear, “They are all excited and may be a bit overwhelming, but they all want the best for you.”
“Thanks. I’m sure it’ll be fine.” She gives my waist a reassuring squeeze and walks back to the famille.
“You must be Zoey. It’s so nice to meet you. I’m Cassie, and this is my mate, Bram.” Cassie takes Zoey’s hands in hers, holding them loosely. “We want to officially welcome you to the family.”
“Hi, Zoey, remember me? I’m Kane’s sister, Lucy, and this is my mate, Etienne.” Lucy pulls Etienne by the hand until he’s standing in front of Zoey. He glances at me with a grin.
Rodney pulls her away from everyone and hugs her to his side. “Zoey, how cool is this? We’re like family now or something.”
“Rodney, it’s good to see you.” Zoey hugs him tightly, and I have to take a deep breath to keep from snatching her away from the man. “You’re going to have to tell me how you came to be a vampire.”
“It’s a very tragic story.” Rodney puts his hand on his forehead with his palm facing outward and tilts his head back slightly.
Rebecca shoves his shoulder, rolling her eyes. “Oh, stop. You don’t remember most of it. You have to watch him eat. It’s so funny. Boy gets nauseated at the sight of blood.” She holds out her hand for Zoey to shake. “I’m Rebecca, by the way.”
Zoey takes Rebecca’s offered hand, wrinkling her brow. “How can he be a vampire and get sick when he sees blood?”
“He has to close his eyes to eat. Just wait.” Chi grins at Rodney, who growls at him.
“Hi, I’m Fleur, and this is my mate, André. Welcome to our home that is now yours.” Fleur grips Shane’s shoulder. “This is your father?”
“Yes, my dad, Shane Landry.” Zoey loops her arm through Shane’s grinning up at him.
“My dad, Troy, lives in town and knows about us. He owns an antique shop,” Fleur says.
“So you didn’t have to give up your family?” Shane tilts his head a bit, narrowing his eyes.
“He was there when I was changed, and my mother did some bad stuff that caused her to turn evil from what we can tell, so it wasn’t safe for Dad not to know. She’s working with someone named Renaud. Had things not happened the way they did, I would have simply had to disappear. From what everyone has told me, we don’t normally tell others about ourselves.” Fleur links her fingers with André’s, laying her head on his shoulder.
“I know how that is.” Zoey reaches out and squeezes Fleur’s hand. “I’ve kept my existence a secret my whole life. It’s not easy but it’s a must.”
“Why don’t we get y’all settled in…” Cassie looks at me, and I nod. “We’re fast running out of room in this house, and the witches recently moved out of the house next door, so we’re going to put you up over there. Nyla and Jean Pierre live in the house directly behind you, and Giles has moved over there as well. We are renovating the apartment house directly behind this one, but it will be a couple months before it is livable.”
“That sounds fine, but I have a building on the other side of town. We could just go stay there.” Shane crosses his arms over his chest.
“I’m going to recommend not doing that, or at least until Minerva is captured. We are stronger if we’re together.” Bram hugs Cassie from behind. He’s trying to be diplomatic, but I know if Shane forces the issue, he’ll insist we stay here. I hope Shane sees reason and doesn’t want to go back to the neighborhood.
“Fine, I’ll agree to it for now, but eventually I would like to go back to my home.” Shane runs a hand through his hair, giving Bram a pained look.
“Dad, you do know I’ll be staying with Tristan, right?” Zoey touches his arm, her cheeks turning pink.
Shane hugs her to his chest, kissing the top of her head. “Yes, Zoey baby, I do know this. As much as it pains me, you’re growing up, and I know how strong a mate bond is. I would never stand in the way of you being with yours.”
“Thanks, Dad.” Zoey wipes her eyes, sniffling. “Well, good-byes are not for today, so show us where we’re going to be living.”
I take Zoey’s hand and lead her and her father out the door and across the yard to the house next door. It’s almost identical to the house we left, so I know the basic layout. There is one bedroom downstairs near the kitchen, and the rest are upstairs on the second level.
Giles runs up the stairs ahead of us and unlocks the front door. “Your palace awaits.” He motions for us to enter, and I shake my head at his grinning face.
“Are there any bedrooms down here?” Shane sets his bag down, raising his brows in my direction.
“Right through there is one with a small bathroom.” I point toward the door leading off the kitchen.
“I’ll take it for now, if that’s all right?” He picks his stuff up and heads toward it without waiting for an answer. I guess he’s taking that room.
“Sure, take whatever you want.” I laugh at his retreating back and place my hand at Zoey’s lower back. I guide her to the stairs and lead her to the room at the end of the hall at the front of the house. It’s nowhere near her father’s room.
“I’m going to take the room at the other end of the hall.” Giles slings his bag over his shoulder and leaves us.
“So we’re getting as far away from Dad as possible?” Zoey giggles, walking into the room and spinning around.
“I think he would appreciate the sentiment.” I lean against the doorframe and watch her walk around touching furniture and looking in drawers.
“Oh, Tristan, this is gorgeous.” She disappears through a door, and I race over when I hear her squeal. “Look at this tub! It’s so perfect.”
I run my hand through my hair and grin. “Glad you like it.”
She hugs my waist, smiling up at me. “Do you think I could go to our apartment and collect some of my things?”
“Of course.” I touch her forehead with mine, kissing her nose.
“I also need to talk to Zeke. I hate leaving him shorthanded like this.” She pushes away from
me and sits on the side of the bed.
I sit beside her, taking her hand in mine and linking our fingers together. “I’ve already talked with him. He’s called every day you’ve been asleep, checking on you. He knows what is happening. He was the one who saved you and killed the feral.”
“He was?” Zoey’s eyes widen and she bites her lower lip, looking down at her feet. “Oh, and so now I guess he knows everything.”
Lifting her chin with my finger, I meet her gaze. “Zoey, he’s known for a long time, or what I should say is he’s known you weren’t human, but he also knew you meant him no harm, so he allowed you your privacy.”
“Oh man, now I owe him an apology.” She flops back on the bed, throwing her arms above her head. “What can I say, I have trust issues. It started with my mother and continued with her being ripped away from me.”
“Well, according to the book, no one in Faeland can sense you and you can’t go there. I lean over her and nuzzle her neck. “We can live our lives without the worry of anyone from Faeland coming to take you away.”
She wraps her arms around my neck and runs her fingers through the hair at my nape. “Live our lives in peace, you say? I don’t know if that’s going to be an option any time soon.”
“Possibly not, but just think of the adventure.” I tickle her sides, and she squirms against me, giggling.
A knock at the door has her giggling even harder when I blow out a deep breath and roll away from her to sit up on the bed. “Yes, what is it?”
Giles peeks his head in, frowning. “Sorry to interrupt, but Zeke called, and he needs bartending help tonight. Said he heard Zoey was healthy and it was time for her to get back to work.”
“I’m going to have to have a serious talk with a certain wolf.” I stand and offer a hand to help Zoey up. She laughs and leaves the room with me following and wanting to smack someone for interrupting.
Zoey stops, glancing around. “Wait, what am I going to do about my wig and contacts?”
