Protecting Shaylee

by Elle Christensen

  “What is it you want, Aodhagan?” I don’t even try to hide my impatience.

  He studies us for a moment. “You are Shaylee? You’re fated with Aden?” His voice holds mild curiosity, but there is something dark hidden behind it. There seems no reason to hide it, so I answer, “She is.”

  The darkness emerges as his gaze whips back to Killian, and for a moment he is unable to hide his disapproval and rage. “Killian was instructed to bring the whereabouts of certain Fae directly to us,” he quickly morphs his countenance back to one of only mild interest. His eyes shift just the tiniest bit, but enough to know that Killian was not supposed to approach Shaylee on his own.

  “He has chosen to go against the council one too many times and I was tasked with bringing him in to be…chastised.” His hesitation explains some of the terror I’d seen from Killian. I don’t think it’s a stretch to believe their version of chastisement involves a great deal of pain. “If you would remand him to my custody now, we’ll be on our way.”

  I have no sympathy for what Killian would endure under the thumb of the Fallen council. However, he is a fate reader so they won’t kill him and that’s not acceptable to me. Not only did this son of a bitch try to kill Shaylee, but she’ll never be safe from him if we don’t end him.

  The Fae are not ones to seek violence, we are not malicious, but our role as protectors becomes even fiercer when it is our family. I would not choose to kill someone if there were any other way, but I know, deep down, that Shaylee will always be in danger.

  “I’m afraid I can’t let you have him.” Again, I see the slightest crack in his pleasant demeanor and his angry disapproval becomes faintly visible before it vanishes.

  His probing gaze is steady on Shaylee and me, seeming to contemplate his options. He even turns to glance at Hayleigh, having not forgotten her as we’d thought. She steps forward, not in a threatening way, but simply in a statement that she is there to aid the situation. There is a miniscule change in him like he’s decided that going against us is a lost cause. “Very well, I would be a fool to pit myself alone against three other Fae, and even more of a fool, considering the power between you two.” He dips his head in farewell and glides toward the back gate, tapping the tree as he steps past it, eliciting a gasp from Killian. Just as he steps one foot through the exit, he pauses. “Tell your friend, Ean, I look forward to making his acquaintance,” he calls without even turning around. Then, he is gone.

  His cryptic words have the three of us wearing matching frowns. There is something about that man…

  I shake off the encounter and move on to my next task, wanting to get Shaylee home and safe. I pivot on my heel and step back in front of Killian, but before I finish him, I decide to take the advantage he provides us. I loosen the hold of the roots and wait, while he gasps for air and some of the bluish tint on his skin begins to recede.

  “Killian, I’m going to ask you once and you’re going to give me an honest answer, because, if you don’t, I’m going to let this tree slowly squeeze the life out of you. Suffocation seems fitting for you, doesn’t it? But, if you give me what I want, I’ll make it quick. Mostly.” The last word is mumbled under my breath but Shaylee must have heard it because she frowns darkly at me. I can see the indecision in her eyes, that she doesn’t want me to kill him, but she has come to the same conclusion that I have. She takes one of my hands with both of hers and the warmth that we share in each other’s presence spreads. She’s seeking comfort in our connection and to calm her discordant thoughts. She nods, and even though I know I’m doing the right thing, being of one mind on this makes it easier to swallow.

  Killian nods, his face resigned.

  “Were you the only one hunting Shaylee? Or do we have to worry about the Fallen council coming after her?”

  His voice is rough and raw when he answers, “No, they know the only value in either of you is if they have you together and are able to turn you both. They don’t believe you are a true threat to their plans and so their focus is elsewhere. However, should the opportunity arise to separate you two forever, they might take it.” He stops and coughs a few times, the speech, seemingly, having exhausted his throat muscles. “I was only supposed to mention your location, if I came across you,” he gives me a little more, his voice wheezing. He coughs again. “They don’t,” cough, “want to make the effort.”

  I don’t feel dishonesty radiating from him and from the corner of my eye, I see Shaylee’s quick nod, signifying that she agrees. I hesitate longer than I would have thought. I don’t relish the thought of destroying another of God’s creatures. But, he has made that choice and he’ll have to die for it.

  It’s difficult to do, but with Shaylee near, I’m able to manipulate the water and air above to shift charged clouds together at just the right spot and a bolt of lightning strikes Killian, killing him instantly.

  I drop my head in fatigue. Without the sun, that kind of power drains you. To be honest, my head is also hung in sorrow. I don’t regret my actions, but it still hurts my soul to take another life. Shaylee steps to face me and wraps her arms around to hold me tight. Her warmth seeps into my bones where I feel a chill that has nothing to do with the outside temperature. Hayleigh comes to stand beside us and she places a hand on my arms and gives a soft squeeze.

  She is ready to head home and I give her a nod of acknowledgement and a smile of thanks. She returns the gestures, squeezes Shaylee’s shoulder before stepping back and with a light radiance, she is gone.

  Shaylee and I burn the remnants of the tree and body, and then bury them in the ground. After we are finished, we make our way to her mother’s house. The lights are burning bright and I’m sure Violet is worried sick because Shaylee is always home by this time of night. We walk inside, prepared for her tears and questions and once she’s settled down, we explain the night’s events. Shaylee has fallen asleep on the couch, her head resting on my chest, her feet curled up under her. I bid her mother goodnight and carry her down to our room. She wakes as I begin to undress her and takes over the task. Naked, we fall into bed, our bodies each seeking the other, and we finally succumb to sleep.

  Two weeks later

  Excitement is coursing through me as I pace the living room floor waiting for Shaylee to come upstairs. Her mother, aunt, and uncle are all seated in the room, waiting as well. I want to walk over to the stairs and yell for her to get her sexy ass up here immediately, but I manage to restrain myself.

  Finally.

  Her soft footsteps are coming down the hall and then I see her beautiful face. It lights up when she sees me. Her gorgeous smile, making me shift as I feel more than my heart tightening at the sight of her. I can’t fucking believe she’s mine.

  Time to make sure the rest of the world knows it too. I go to her side and grasp her hand, bringing it to my lips for just a moment. Then I guide her to one of the elegant chairs in front of the fireplace. She knew we were all having dinner together tonight, as we are leaving to go home tomorrow. So, there is no surprise in seeing her family here. However, she gives me an odd look when I seat her instead of all of us moving to the dining room for dinner.

  I lower myself onto one knee (even the Fae follow some human traditions) and watch her eyes widen, staring at my hand, which now holds a small, blue box. The box is vintage and the exact color of her eyes, so I thought it a fitting home for it until it’s placed on her finger.

  “Baby,” I start. She slowly raises her eyes to meet mine, tears brimming in her eyes, making the blue look so much more like the ocean. “We both know I’m better at demanding than asking, and I don’t think I could get through a flowery speech without gagging.” There are titters of laughter from everyone, but I barely hear it, my only care for the woman who is destined to be mine for eternity. “I love you, for eternity.”

  “Forever,” her soft whisper adds another string to the bands that bind us together.

  “Will you marry me?” I’m actually pretty proud of myself for asking, inst
ead of just dragging her to a justice of the peace.

  She leans forward and lays her warm lips over mine, and I wish away all the other people here so that I could sink myself into her and get lost there.

  She sits back and swipes the box from my hand. “Hey!” I protest.

  She ignores me and whips open the box to find a platinum ring with a round diamond on the top. The band is a series of twists, creating linked infinity signs and, in each little opening, it alternates being set with a sapphire or emerald.

  She sucks in a breath at it, pulls it out, and examines it, then gives me a sly smile. “Ok. This is worth marrying you,” she says with a shrug, but she isn’t able to keep the act up and she bursts into laughter before planting a solid kiss on my lips. “Hell yes, I’ll marry you!”

  I pull her in for another deep kiss, but we’re interrupted by well wishes from the family. Shaylee’s mother decided she doesn’t want to return with us to Rien, she’s comfortable with her life and wants to eventually be with her husband. Shaylee was understandably disappointed, but she also understood and we promised to be here as often as possible. It was because of this that I chose to propose here, without my family. However, the wedding will be interesting, when my family descends on New York for a week. God help us all.

  Epilogue

  Aden

  “Aden! You are never touching me again!

  Shaylee’s voice rings down the hospital walls where I’m standing outside our room on the phone. Apparently, she was loud enough that Ean could hear her because he starts laughing uncontrollably.

  “Ean, just get your ass down here. And do you know where the fuck Laila is? I can’t get ahold of her to tell her Shaylee is in labor.”

  Ean’s laughter stops abruptly and he sucks in a breath. “Why would you think I’d know where Laila is?”

  “I don’t know, Ean. I just can’t find her. You both live there, what the fuck ever! Just tell her if you see her.” I hang up before I hear Ean’s response and run back into the room where my wife is holding out her hand to me and when I reach her side, she gives me a sweet kiss.

  Shaylee’s sudden mood swings are giving me whiplash, she’s a sweaty mess, and she’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen in my life. She grips my hand tightly as another contraction hits, then again, less than a minute later. “Where the hell is the doctor?” I rear my head back slightly at her yell, to avoid a busted eardrum. Lucky for me and everyone else in the world, the nurse arrives to take us to surgery.

  Shaylee

  I hear a light knock on my hospital room door and tear my eyes away from my husband, rocking our daughters in his arms. That’s right—daughters. As in plural. As in two for the price of one. I love them so much already, but the day we found out I was having twins was the day I sent Aden to the store for a case of condoms. Just so we’re prepared after the babies are born.

  Laila pops her head in and smiles brightly, “Hey! Can I meet my sweet nieces?”

  I wave her in, grimacing at the pain in my stomach from the C-section. When Ean follows her through the door, I’m surprised to see them together; Laila’s been icing him out for months. They both look a little rumpled and I narrow my eyes as I study them. I’m exhausted and about ready to drop, but I’m not stupid. They are both glowing—just faintly—sporting what can only be described as “bed head”, and completely avoiding each other’s gaze.

  Holy shit! They were in fucking when Aden called Ean!

  Ean notices my perusal of him and gives me a smile before his eyes slide away and he ignores me. Well, that’s an interesting development…

  Aden

  Kendrix kicks my ass for the third round in a row and I decide to give up. He helps me up off the ground with his eyebrows raised into his hairline. “What’s up with you, man? Are the twins keeping you up?”

  Lost in thought, again, I almost miss the question. “What? Oh, no the twins are actually sleeping most of the night and they are pretty good at going right back to sleep after Shaylee feeds them.”

  An image of Shaylee feeding the twins invades my mind, but it’s not the act that has my attention. The image has now shifted to Shaylee laid out on the bed for me, those plump naked tits just begging to be licked and bit—

  “Aden!” My head jerks up. “What the fuck is going on with you, man?”

  Don’t use that word… I shift; my pants uncomfortably tight.

  I try to keep my mind out of the gutter, but it’s no use. “I’ve got to go.” I start stripping off my gear and heading toward my bag.

  “What?” Kendrix looks at me, bewildered.

  I sigh. Oh screw it. “Shaylee told me last night that she feels ready.” He still looks confused. “I get to fuck my wife tonight, dude.”

  Kendrix looks completely taken aback for a minute. Then he laughs and shakes his head. “Well, at least some of us are getting laid.”

  “Damn straight.”

  I get everything together and sprint out of the gym up to my apartment and burst through the front door. Shaylee is washing bottles at the sink and jumps half a foot in surprise.

  “Are the girls napping?” I ask, rounding the bar to where she’s standing.

  “Well, hello to you, too.”

  “Hello. Are the girls napping, baby?”

  “Yes. Why are you—” I don’t wait for her to finish, I throw her over my shoulder, grab the monitor, and go directly to our bathroom.

  “Strip.” I start the shower and begin pulling my clothes off at record speed. I glance up and see Shaylee still standing there fully clothed with an indignant expression. I start pulling her clothes off for her.

  “Aden! Wait. What is going—would you stop?”

  “Baby,” I manage to speak as I bare every inch of her stunning body. “I can’t wait anymore. I need to fuck you.” Again, I don’t wait for her. She’s finally naked, so I grab her and crush my mouth down on hers. I’ve been at half-mast all damn day. You’ve been as half-mast since the day she gave birth. The moment I reached the apartment and saw her, my hard on was up in record time. Now, feeling her naked body plastered to mine, I get impossibly harder. I don’t know how the fuck it’s possible, but I do.

  She kisses me back with equal fervor, our tongues dancing and exploring every crevice. I nip her bottom lip lightly, then kiss and lick my way down to her throat and above those fucking awesome tits. “Fuck, I’ve missed you too, Aden.” Her words light a fire that blazes through every inch of me as I grasp her ass and roughly lift her up, so her legs wrap tightly high around my waist. That’s more like it. Her tits are at the perfect height and I pull a nipple into my mouth, licking, sucking, biting. They are still overly sensitive and she is almost coming apart at the seams.

  I lower her body just enough to rest her wet—oh, so fucking wet—pussy up against my cock. I suck her nipple into my mouth and rock against her at the same time. Holy fucking shit. Shaylee bites my shoulder to muffle her scream as an orgasm tears through her. It takes everything thing I have not to come at that moment.

  I stride into the shower, stepping under the hot spray and holding her as she continues to shudder lightly. Our mouths are sealed together, my tongue sweeping around her mouth to get every bit of her taste. I tug on her hair to give me better access and slant my mouth over hers, changing the angle and upping the intensity.

  I want to give her everything, to make this about her, but I don’t seem to have any control over my body right now. I move to press her back against the wall, lift her just slightly and line my cock up with her pussy; I can feel the heat pulsing from it, and I can’t hold back any longer. I slam inside, burying myself as deep as I can go, then pull back a little and repeat it, each time going a little further until I’m bottoming out on each thrust.

  Shaylee is trying desperately to keep her voice down but I’m lost to all reality and I want to hear her screaming my name. “You’re so fucking tight, baby. I could fuck you for hours and never get deep enough.” Her whimpers are escalating to moans
and it just spurs me on.

  “Am I going hard enough for you? Is my cock pounding your pussy the way you like it?” I’m about to lose it, so I still for just a moment trying to gain control, until Shaylee sinks her teeth into my bottom lip and pulls, before letting it pop out of her mouth.

  “Fuck me, Aden. I want it all. I want you to stretch me with your dick and fuck me so hard I won’t be able to move one damn muscle tomorrow without knowing you’ve been inside me.”

  There’s nothing left to say. I fuse our mouths together and set a fast but rhythmic pace, pounding into her hard and wild. When she starts chanting my name, I let her mouth loose and latch onto a nipple.

  “Aden! Yes!”

  I’m so close I can’t do anything but rest my forehead between her tits and drive my hips just a little bit faster. “Oh fuck!”

  Now it’s me chanting. “Fuck! Shaylee, oh fuck! Yes, baby!”

  I know I’m going to come, so I slide a wet hand down between us and press my thumb down firmly on her clit. She screams my name and it breaks down my last vestiges of control, shooting off inside her, coating her with me, branding her over and over as mine.

  My body is shaking from the force of my orgasm, so I drop her legs to the ground, but hold her tight against me and lick her mouth, dipping my tongue in, sucking on her lips, and letting the shockwaves settle. After an eternity of kissing her, I step back just an inch and pull out.

  After all that, I’m still hard as a fucking baseball bat. Shaylee lazily looks down at my swollen cock and gives me a coy smile. “That looks like it hurts.” I give her a jerky nod, unable to respond because her hand is wrapped around me.

  She drops to her knees and takes excellent care of my problem. Her mouth is almost as hot and wet as her pussy and after she swallows a few times, I come in her mouth with a shout and she takes every last drop. I married the perfect fucking woman.