by Viola Grace
Kallie grimaced. “Funny.” She sighed. “Well, since she doesn’t seem to feel it necessary to hide from the rest of the world, I suppose that you two can press your suit. If she says no, I am going to back her up all the way.”
Hector nodded. “I understand, as long as you understand that we are not giving her up now that we have found her again.”
Cian took his wife’s hand. “We understand.”
Tynan asked the important question. “Where is she?”
Hector looked around, but he couldn’t see anything.
Cian smiled. “My wife is very good at wards, and she taught our daughter. Sometimes you can find something where there should be something and isn’t.”
Hector nodded. “Got it. Come on, Tynan.”
Tynan bowed to their intended’s parents. “On my way.”
They left the house, and Hector was scanning.
“What are we looking for?” Tynan muttered as he focused on directing his energies.
“We are looking for nothing. A pile of nothing where there should be life and trees and flowers.”
Tynan nodded. “Or we could just try that treehouse that has a power connection coming out of it.”
Hector paused and grinned. “That would be good, too.”
They walked across the open yard and headed for the treehouse.
* * * *
Cian chuckled. “Well, the grandchildren won’t lack intelligence. That is good to know.”
Kallie leaned against his back and clutched his shirt as he watched the two young men via the window. “I don’t like this.”
“I know, but she was never just going to meet someone suitable on a dating app, was she? They know what she is going in. That is important.” He turned in her arms. “You knew what I was, and I knew what you were. If either of us had something to hide from the start, things would have gone badly.”
Kallie sighed and burrowed against him. “I know, but I still don’t like it.”
“Do you want to see grandkids? If the answer is yes, those two are the key to it.”
She grimaced. “Yes, and I want her to have someone, but those two are just overpowering and smug. You know how I despise smug.”
“Yes, dearest, I know.” He rubbed her back and watched the two predators that he had just loosed on his daughter. It was a good thing she knew how to use her own teeth and claws.
* * * *
Nessa heard a knock on the base of the sprawling oak. She was going to slide the ladder down, but she glanced through the trap, and two familiar creatures were climbing up. No ladder necessary. It was only twelve feet, but she wished it was higher.
She sat on the trapdoor for three seconds before it started tipping upward. There was a shove, and she fell off. Hector emerged first, and Tynan was right behind him. She scooted back and went invisible. They both scanned the room, and to her shock, they walked over to her and sat to either side.
“Nessa, it is so nice that we have found you again. You may remember us. I am Hector; this is Tynan. We met a few years ago.”
She sat with her arms around her knees and her head down.
Tynan spoke softly. “You might also know me from last night when I shoved a ball of power down your throat with my tongue.”
Hector snorted. “Not filling her with confidence, Ty.”
She could feel the heat radiating off their bodies, and she started to shake. Her body was telling her one thing, and her mind was trying to keep her clothing on.
She murmured, “What do you want?”
They both jolted. It happened with men she wasn’t related to. It was also why she kept herself to the edges of the parties. There were fewer people to hear her speak.
Hector smiled. “Do you want the polite version or the direct version?”
She shivered. He had a good voice, too. “Let’s go with polite.”
Tynan chuckled. “Hector and I would like to court you.”
She blushed. “At the same time?”
Hector nodded. “Ideally, yes. Tynan and I complement each other. We have been companions for quite a while, and we are loathed to part.”
“What we don’t tell people is that Hector got loaded eighty years ago and split his life with me.” Tynan chuckled. “His drunk enchantments are something to be wary of.”
She lifted her head in surprise.
Hector was leaning back, smiling ruefully. “He’s not wrong. I did, and we are now bound until our lives run out.”
She muttered, “That is what my parents did.”
Hector shrugged. “It is common enough when a faerie feels affection for a mortal that reaches beyond the physical. When we can’t see our lives stretching on without that being by our sides, it seems the most natural thing in the world.”
“That is what my dad said, and then, he mentioned that my mom was hot, and he didn’t want a single wrinkle on her perfect face.” She chuckled and went quiet as she tried to ease to her feet. A hand shot out and pulled her back down with a thud. “Ow.”
Tynan wove his fingers together with hers. “Now that we know where you are, we are going to plead our case. You may as well become visible. We already know what you look like.”
She tried to shake his hand off, but Hector grabbed the other. “Uh, guys. I am pretty sure that there are quite a few women who would love to be the filling in your sandwich, but I am only in town for a few days.”
Tynan was surprised. “I thought you were here for your cousin’s wedding.”
She chuckled. “No. I just wanted to visit my parents.”
Hector asked, “Would you consider being my date for the wedding? I have a plus one.”
“No. It wouldn’t be appropriate.”
Tynan smiled. “You are attending with family. Of course. Can we offer you a ride to the event?”
“Oh. No. That won’t be necessary.” She chuckled. “I am not going. Frankly, I don’t have a thing to wear.”
Tynan leaned toward her ear. “Come naked.”
She shivered and was pretty sure that he had some innuendo going on in there, but without searching his eyes, she couldn’t tell, and she didn’t want to become visible quite yet. It was kind of nice with them holding her hands and no burning lust in their eyes. There was nothing in their eyes right now; they looked right through her.
Chapter Four
When her phone started going berserk, she wanted to go to it, but she was pretty sure that she wasn’t going to be able to drag them along. “I need to get my phone. Most folks don’t have my number, so it must be important.”
Hector extended his free hand, and her phone smacked into his palm. He swiped, and it opened. “Tsk, tsk, no password or biometrics? Now, let’s see who it is. Ah. Meredith. Oh. I understand now.”
She looked at her phone over his shoulder. Meredith was freaking out and wanted to know if she had fucked Twilight and Poldan, if she had bespelled them, and how she managed to let the CEO know that it wasn’t Meredith that solved the problem. The word whore had appeared six times in four sentences.
“Was there a lover of hers that you distracted?”
Nessa groaned. “We were fourteen. He was an eighteen-year-old that she had her eye on, and I didn’t even have boobs yet. He ignored her completely and started following me. The next year I developed, he stopped following, and I reported him for inappropriate contact with a minor.”
Tynan chuckled. “Interesting solution.”
“The laws are there for a reason.” She shrugged, even though they couldn’t see her. “So, I used them.”
“And Meredith was mad.”
“Yup. Furious. Called me a whore a few times when I really didn’t need to be presented with the idea of charging for it.”
Tynan kissed the back of her hand. She could see his lips press against her skin and flatten slightly. She faded back into view.
Hector smiled. “There you are. What finally worked for you?”
Nessa sighed. “His lips looked weird mashed against my skin. Invisible man syndrome is a real thing.”
Tynan smiled at her though his eyes looked a little surprised at her appearance. Her baggy sweats were covering up a lacy bra and matching thong, but no one knew that but her. She was pretty sure no one knew.
“This is the majority of my casual uniform. I swap out for jeans and wear gloves with the fingertips cut off.”
“I remember your hair being more pastel,” Hector stated from her other side.
She blushed. “I am not used to people paying attention.” She let her natural colour out, and Tynan smiled at her.
“There it is. That is how we first spotted you. You glowed against the trees, and there were no lights to reflect it. It was all you.” He reached out and took a lock before sliding it through his fingers.
She gave him a weary look. “A tracking spell? Really?”
Tynan blinked. “You felt that?”
Hector chuckled. “You can’t treat her like any of the other ladies over the years.”
“I don’t need false flattery.” She grabbed the lock and the other hair around it and chanted swiftly. It shattered Tynan’s spell, and he winced as the backlash struck him.
Hector cocked his head. “What do you feel is false about that?”
“That you two can’t treat me like any of the others.”
Tynan continued to hold her hand. “We don’t want to. For ten years, we have dreamed of you.”
“Great. Now I have performance anxiety.”
Hector laughed. “No anxiety necessary. We are all older and wiser.”
“You don’t look it.”
Tynan smirked. “Which part?”
She smiled. “Now, if you will let go of my hands, I am just going to...”
Hector grinned. “Didn’t think that one through, did you? It’s fine. We don’t mind if you aren’t certain. We are, and it is our job to convince you that what we felt that night is a true thing.”
“Uh, you guys have jobs, and you are short on sleep. You must be delirious. You should go to your respective homes.”
Tynan muttered, “We live together.”
“Right. You should go home and get some restful sleep. You two have normal jobs, and I need to straighten some things out and then start scoping up my new job.” Nessa sighed. “It has been nice catching up, but I know I am not really suited to a romantic relationship.”
Hector frowned. “Why would you say that?”
“If I were suited to it, I would have had one by now, wouldn’t I?”
His grip slacked, as did Tynan’s. She stepped up and jumped through a portal, landing in her parents’ attic.
From there, she grabbed her purse and bag and left a note for her parents. Her senses told her that they were near her car, so she took a deep breath and pulled herself to a friend’s place, hoping that she would be in a mood to hide a stranger. She hadn’t been to see Sallen since the bonding ceremony, but her family was diverse enough that Nessa should be able to hide there until she gathered enough power to take a bigger jump to somewhere that was out of their grasp.
She pulled on her human-seeming and walked up to the house in the woods and knocked on the door. Sallen opened the door, and a bright smile crossed her features. “Nessa! How are you?”
“A little stressed. I was wondering if you could let me hide in the shed or garage for a few days.”
“Uh, we have guestrooms.”
“I need to ward something to look like the woods. They know how to find a blank spot, and woods would be weird in the middle of your house. I won’t be any problem. I just need to recover.” She swayed. “I don’t mean to be a bother, but can I just sit down?”
Sallen grabbed her and helped her inside. “You don’t look well.”
“I have had a few shocks to the system. I shouldn’t feel like this, even after two ports.”
Sallen looked her over. “You really don’t look well. Should I call your parents?”
“No. Please. If I am too much trouble, I will find somewhere else.” She tried to turn back to the door, but the ground rushed up to greet her. Ow.
Nessa woke up with a scarlet man staring down at her. “Hey, Dr. Acker.”
“Hello, Nessa. What have you been up to?”
“Oh, you know, a few realm portals and stuff like that. Nothing too strenuous.”
He reached down and took her hands, turning them palm up. “I mean these.”
She stared at her hands, and each palm had a small pinprick. She was bleeding power through them. “Those bastards!”
Acker smiled. “I can see you have started dating.”
There was a laugh in the corner where Sallen was sitting, watching over her.
“I have not started dating. They asked me if I would, and I jumped through a portal.” She sat up.
Sallen nodded. “But you didn’t say no.”
Nessa opened and closed her mouth. “Um, correct.”
Acker tutted. “Well, you have been blood marked, so you are going to either have to break the drain yourself or get them to lift it. They are pulling pretty hard, so I am guessing that we are going to have visitors soon.”
She went white and tried to get out of bed. “I have to go.”
Acker put a hand down on her shoulder. “You stay put. If you stand up, you are going to fall down.”
“I have to go.” She could almost feel her eyes rolling in panic.
Acker cocked his head. “Why?”
“Because they are coming for me.”
“And?”
She looked at him, looked at Sallen, and they both smiled. Cale and Thomas weren’t home yet, but she knew they would have the same polite curiosity as to why having someone want her was a bad thing. She paused and stared at them both before her chin wobbled. “It hasn’t happened before, and I’m scared of what will happen when they stop wanting me.”
Sallen nodded. “Got it.” She stepped over to Nessa’s side, and she put her hand on her friend’s wrist.
Acker nodded and left.
“So, two guys who blood marked you and are tracking you to the other side of the city are going to give up just because you are spooked?”
“Yup. They didn’t even remember who I was the last time.”
“Wait, this is the second meeting?”
“Yeah.”
“When was the last one?”
Nessa frowned. “Ten years ago. Why?”
“They didn’t come for you then? Why not?”
“They didn’t know who I was. I pulled as much of me as I could, but I missed a spot. So, they dreamed of me.”
Sallen smiled. “That is sweet.”
“Yeah. What is worse is that it seems that my parents have authorized it.”
“Cian and Kallie gave it the go-ahead?”
“They let the guys into my treehouse, so yeah. I am sure I would have heard something otherwise.”
“Do you trust your parents?”
“Of course.”
“Did you trust the guys when you first met them?”
Nessa remembered the quiet space, the hands sliding and touching, lifting her and guiding her. “Um, yes. They seemed trustworthy.”
“Did they prove you wrong at any point?”
She remembered them rising and falling together. “Um, no.”
“Then, why are you having trouble believing that they are the same men now?”
Nessa chuckled. “Time and experience.”
Sallen sighed. “Well, you know my story, so if your first time was any good, then anything that happens later, even years later, can get better. Just ask for permission to touch and be touched. It will make things easier.”
“How will that work?”
“You feed via touch, so it will mean that they are trusting you not to consume them.”
Nessa’s eyes widened. “Oh. Right.” She had not considered i
t from their angle.
Sallen smiled. “There is always another way of looking at things. Yours is just the one you are most familiar with.”
Nessa lay back. “Right. How do you deal with three of them?”
Sallen smoothed her hair back. “Blindfold. It’s a lot of fun, and it can have a guessing aspect. It certainly made our first night together less cringy. Since I couldn’t feel which one was Thomas, I couldn’t freak out, and he made sure to take things super slow.”
Nessa looked at her and had an image of Thomas with all parts to scale. “Yikes.”
Sallen chuckled. “He’s really careful, and you get used to it.”
Nessa didn’t remember having any issue with either of her lovers. They had been slow, careful, and as things heated up, energetic, leading to blissful. She felt her cheeks pink. “Um, okay.”
“Right. You rest. I have given you what luck I could without the guys noticing.” Sallen winked and got up to leave the room.
She was in the doorway when there was a polite but firm knock from the first floor. “Oh, look. I think I have a guest. Ah, and Cale just got home. Yay!”
Nessa nodded, and despite the slight bit of adrenaline that struck her, she had nothing left to keep her awake.
* * * *
Tynan bowed to the demon and the djinn, who had dropped their glamour in their own home. “Excuse me, I am looking for Nessa Northern.”
A woman with long metallic gold hair came forward. “Ah. Please, come in. She isn’t feeling well at the moment and has passed out.”
He went pale, and Hector pushed past him. “Where is she?”
The demon asked with a frown, “What did you do?”
Tynan winced at the scowl from the demon. “We used a bloodbinding spell. She will gain strength as soon as we are touching her again.”
The woman laughed. “Oh. That was very stupid to do without telling her she was tethered.”
Hector loomed over the woman. “Where is she?”
The djinn put himself between Hector and the woman. “Back up or get blasted to the dark realm.”
