by Nicole Hall
Dru poked him in the side. “Don’t revert back to strong and silent on me now. You agreed to talk if I spent time with you.”
Oren smiled and caught her hand before she could do it again. “I don’t recall there being an actual agreement, but there was something about getting you into bed.”
“That just goes to prove the rules are always right.” She tugged on her hand, so he kissed her fingers and let her go. “Stop distracting me.”
He snorted. “I’m distracting you? Who’s currently on whose lap?”
Dru raised a brow and performed a really impressive hip roll from her current sprawled position. “Oh, is that distracting?”
Oren groaned, and his hands clenched on her hips to keep her in place. She wanted to play? He leaned forward to run his tongue along her collarbone and up the column of her neck. When he got to the mark, he sucked hard.
Dru’s whole body tensed, and her back arched. She whimpered when he released the pressure, and Oren smiled against her skin. He hadn’t intended the mark to be sensitive to outside stimuli, but he planned to enjoy the repercussions.
At some point, she’d fisted her hands in his hair, and the scent of her combined with her obvious enjoyment made him want to spend the rest of the night finding out what else she liked.
Dru tugged on his hair until he looked up to meet her eyes, filled with pleasure but also uneasiness. “What did you do to me?”
He put his hopes for the night on hold to try to ease some of her concerns. “The spell seems to have tapped into our mutual attraction to form the bond. It affects me as well. We can remove it, but the protection will leave along with it.”
“Will this magic sex mark work with other people? Like if Samantha hugs me, do I have to be careful to keep her on the non-sexy side?”
Oren was secretly glad she’d chosen Samantha instead of Nick for that little visual. “I don’t know. Like I said, it’s never manifested this way before. Usually, marks and bonds are reflective of the people being connected, so my best guess is no. Samantha won’t get you hot and bothered if she touches your neck.”
“I’m planning to invest in some turtlenecks, just in case.”
“In summer?”
“Sleeveless turtlenecks.”
Oren nodded solemnly. “Of course. To answer your question, I don’t know where magic comes from, but Terra seems as good a place as any. I’m sure Seth has a theory, but if he told me, I tuned him out. He also wouldn’t have suggested Luc if the man was dangerous to us.” It wasn’t a lie. Seth wouldn’t knowingly put Oren in danger, but he probably didn’t have the same compunctions about a dryad he didn’t know. Then again, he hadn’t suggested they call Luc off when he found out Dru was the missing dryad.
Dru relaxed against him again. “Okay. Call him tomorrow when you think he’ll be free.”
“I’ll set up a time to come by your place.” If Samantha’s house truly offered protection, he wanted Luc to pass through the doorway before learning anything sensitive.
He expected her to head home once they had a plan in place, but Dru snuggled close again.
Her eyes drifted closed. “I’ve changed my mind. You’re not too bad of a pillow after all.”
Oren smiled and stroked the silky hair cascading down her back. “Stay as long as you like.”
As much as he wanted to carry her to the bedroom and indulge in a night of pleasure, he didn’t think Dru was quite ready for that kind of distraction, no matter what her body said. She’d just found out that her birth mother planned to sacrifice her for utterly selfish reasons, and she deserved a safe place to process. They had time yet to desecrate Seth’s big bed.
Tonight, he’d offer her comfort and support. Tomorrow, he’d offer her a hell of a lot more.
DRU
The next day, Dru woke up alone in her room. Again. Every time Nick delayed his official move-in, she became more convinced he’d moved on from their friendship in the last year.
She cracked open her eyes, glad for the blackout curtain over the one window, and blinked at the phone on her nightstand. Her phone. Right. Why was it so bright? Dru heaved herself closer and noticed the text icon next to Oren’s name.
The notification must have woken her up. Usually, she muted her phone at night, but she must have forgotten after getting home from his place super late. A lazy smile stretched across her face. Totally worth it. That man could make her forget her own name.
Who knew cuddling on the couch could be so much fun with their clothes on?
Dru blew hair out of her face and rubbed her eyes before picking up the phone to see what the man in question needed at whatever god-forsaken hour it was.
You never told me what to do about the dying plant. It took her a second to remember Oren’s terrible excuse for her to come over the night before. She frowned.
I thought the plant was hypothetical. What’s wrong with it?
Yellow leaves, kind of soggy looking, smells like rot.
She wrinkled her nose. You’re overwatering it.
I’m not watering it at all.
Well, it’s being overwatered. Set it in a sunny window for the day. Dru assumed it would be sunny, considering it was July in New York. Why are you awake this early?
I believe normal humans wouldn’t consider this early.
Dru snorted. Yeah, normal humans who weren’t smart enough to have jobs that let them sleep in.
Time to get up. Luc and I will be there soon.
Dru sat up abruptly. She’d agreed to the call last night, but she’d thought Oren would give her more warning. You couldn’t have started with that?
She didn’t bother waiting for a response, hoping she had enough time to shower before the guys arrived. Samantha was probably gone at work…Dru skidded to a stop at her door when she heard violins. Her brow furrowed, and she stuck her head into the hallway. Sometimes the neighbors put on some Vivaldi, but this was definitely not that kind of classical music.
Dru listened with her head tilted and decided it was probably Lindsey Stirling. Not the neighbors. Samantha only played her music loud when she’d stayed home from her office and wanted to be left alone. Dru hesitated. She usually ignored the ‘leave me alone’ part of the message and barged in to demand Samantha talk to her.
Did it make her a bad friend that she wanted to shower instead? She chewed her lip for a second, then sighed and headed for Samantha’s door. So what if she smelled like Oren? At least the scent brought good memories.
Dru didn’t knock, not her style. She walked right through the door and stopped in surprise. Samantha slumped over her desk, her head on her arms, completely asleep. She wore dark yoga pants and a tank top, not unusual for most people, but Samantha only wore yoga pants for actual yoga. That position couldn’t be comfortable, but Dru wasn’t sure if she should wake up her clearly exhausted roommate or let Samantha sleep in a way that was sure to result in some angry muscle cramps.
Before she could decide, the doorbell rang. Dru rolled her eyes as Samantha’s head popped up with a gasp. Problem solved. She sat up and caught sight of Dru standing in the doorway.
“Were you watching me sleep like a creeper?”
“Yes. Surprise. I watch you sleep when I find you passed out at your desk instead of at work.”
“Pervert,” she muttered, then got up to stretch. The doorbell pealed again, and Samantha gave her an arched look. “Are you going to answer that?”
Dru crossed her arms. “Come downstairs with me. You need breakfast, and if I leave now, you’ll go back to work.”
Samantha pushed a heavy curtain of hair off her face and pulled it into a ponytail. “Breakfast sounds lovely. Thank you for your generous invitation.”
“Next time, I’m leaving you to sleep crooked on your desk.”
“You just want me to make you breakfast.”
“True, but the other part is true too.” Dru held the door until Samantha brushed past her.
At the bottom of the stairs, Dru thought
Samantha would head into the kitchen, but she turned the opposite direction and opened the front door. Oren and Luc stood on the stoop. Luc’s smile widened when he saw Samantha, but Oren’s eyes slid past her to lock on Dru. She fought the urge to adjust her clothes, but she’d never been embarrassed by her pajamas before and she wouldn’t start now.
Samantha turned and shot Dru a disgusted look. “Did you have to add Luc to your harem?”
Dru’s brows shot up, but she couldn’t help the laugh that escaped at Luc’s considering look. “I thought we agreed I didn’t have a harem.”
Samantha shook her head and left the door wide open in favor of the kitchen after all. Dru waved the guys forward. “Might as well come in and have breakfast.”
Her prickly roommate yelled from the other room. “I’m not making Luc a damn thing.”
Luc winked as he walked past her, and Dru blew out a breath. This was going to get awkward. Oren stopped in front of her and leaned down to brush a kiss across her cheek. Heat filled her limbs, and a slow smile spread across her face as he took his time easing away.
“Good morning, kalia.”
A loud thump from the kitchen drew her attention away from the heat in his eyes. Dru frowned. “We’d better get in there before Samantha stabs him.”
“Is that a possibility?”
Dru shrugged. “She’s good with a knife and having a weird morning. In his defense, she’d have to really lose it to make a bloody mess in the kitchen.”
Oren urged her forward with a hand on her back, and spoke quietly. “Do you know their story?”
She lowered her voice too. “No. Up until yesterday, I thought they were work rivals.”
“They are, in mundane terms, though they could just as easily work together as against each other. I know Luc enjoys tormenting her, but I don’t know their personal history. I’d feel better if I did.”
They entered the kitchen, and Samantha whirled to point a spatula at Dru. “Don’t think I didn’t notice that blue streak on the table. We have rules for a reason.”
Dru slowed, and Oren pressed against her back, warm and reassuring. “I cleaned that up. The rule is that I clean up my messes, so I followed the rule. Don’t take your weird foreplay anger with Luc out on me.”
Samantha’s eyes narrowed, but Dru had won that verbal battle. She turned back to the stove. Luc sat at the table in question, watching Samantha with hooded eyes, and Dru wondered how right she’d been.
She wanted to talk to both of them about magic. Luc to beg for help; Samantha to beg for the truth. But the tension in the air made Dru think doing it with them together was a bad idea. Oren had no such compunctions. He dropped a kiss on her head and walked past her to join Luc at the table.
A giddy smile bubbled up, but Dru tamped it down. She’d always been a physical person, and she’d taken Oren for the hands-off type after the first time he walked her home. His easy touches fed a streak of happiness that curled up in her chest.
As suspected, Luc had already started annoying Samantha. “Do I place my order here or at the counter?”
Samantha flipped him off, but Luc ignored her.
“I’ll have scrambled eggs, juice, and a side of avocado toast.”
Dru shook her head at his antics as she set the table.
Samantha spoke without turning around. “I’m not making you avocado toast. I can’t pull ripe avocados out of my ass.”
Luc’s lips twitched, and his eyes drifted down to Samantha’s ass. “Yes. That would be a poor storage location.”
Dru set the jugs on the table and snapped her fingers in front of Luc’s face. “Eyes up here, buddy.” He shifted his attention to her. “Did Oren tell you why he called?”
His easy enjoyment morphed into a guarded expression. “He asked for my help and promised me breakfast.”
Samantha turned to glare at Oren, and he raised his hands in surrender. “I had no idea you’d be making breakfast when we got here. I’d planned to buy him a meal after our business here was done.”
“Great. We’ll provide breakfast.” Dru crossed her arms and raised her voice in Samantha’s direction. “It’s the least she can do after all the secrets she’s been keeping from me.”
Samantha’s back stiffened, but she didn’t turn around again. Luc’s gaze flicked to her briefly, then returned to Dru.
She pulled four glasses from the cabinet and sat at the table with them.
“I think a little truth-telling might be useful since everyone knows something about everyone here. I’ll go first. I know we’re all magic-users.” She held up a hand to forestall any arguments. “Don’t sass me. I know what I know, and I don’t care about the specifics. Luc, I need your help.”
His eyebrows shot up, and he sent Oren a look she couldn’t read. For not being close, they were certainly sharing a lot of non-verbal communication.
Samantha brought over a family-size platter of eggs and a plate of toast, then claimed a chair for herself. “You don’t need his help. Between Oren and I, we should be able to provide whatever you need.”
Dru snagged a piece of toast. “Oh really? And what help do you plan to provide?”
Samantha hesitated as she reached for the juice but recovered quickly. “Whatever you need.”
“That’s conveniently not specific.” She turned to Luc, who’d been watching their exchange avidly. “I’m looking for someone. Oren told me you helped him find me, so you must have an exhaustive network.”
The hawk-like intensity left Luc’s eyes, replaced with compassion that surprised her. “You were easy to find. Samantha let it slip some time ago she had a dryad living with her.”
Dru turned on Samantha once again. “Really? I’m dealing with learning that you knew about me from the beginning, but you couldn’t keep your mouth shut?” She flung her arm out in Luc’s direction. “You don’t even like him. Why would you be sharing my secrets?”
Samantha sat primly with her hands in her lap, ostensibly ignoring Luc to her right. “It was a minor slip of the tongue that he picked up and ran with. At no point did I confirm anything about you other than that you lived with me.”
Dru opened her mouth to blast Samantha again, but Luc took pity on her. “She’s right. I wasn’t sure until just now that you were a dryad. You confirmed that for me yourself. I knew Oren searched for one, and he seemed to stop searching when he met you, but that could have been infatuation.”
He must not know Oren as well as he thought he did if he believed Oren would abandon his assignment for an infatuation. “Great. Excellent detective work. Really well done. I have a bigger challenge for you. Find my sister.”
Samantha visibly started, while Luc leaned forward over his plate.
“Fascinating. I’d heard rumors, but didn’t give them much credence considering the penchant for magical enclaves in the middle of nowhere. Not to mention I’d already believed I’d found you.”
“Rumors about what?”
“Another dryad in New York.”
Dru narrowed her eyes. Luc’s sudden knowledge felt mighty convenient, even though that was why they’d asked him to come over. “Why would the presence of a dryad cause rumors?”
“Not just a dryad. A dryad in New York. Most of my contacts live outside the city, and you should know as well as I that we magic folk prefer small towns near great power.” He sneered as he said ‘small towns’, but Dru understood the sentiment under the prejudice.
She’d moved here from small town Connecticut because she’d known there would be less chances of crossing paths with one of Hollis’ minions in a place magic-users basically shunned. Samantha and Luc were the only people she knew, besides Seth apparently, who chose to live in the city.
Dru resolved to ask Samantha about her past once the guys had left. The anger at being fooled hadn’t entirely dissipated yet, but they’d been friends for a while. Samantha valued her privacy, and Dru wanted to respect that while also demanding answers she deserved.
The men ha
d begun eating, but Samantha sat staring down at her plate, playing with her eggs. Dru had never known Samantha to be timid, and the woman regularly lectured Dru about the importance of starting the day with a good breakfast. Followed by several smaller meals of coffee. Yet no one had made any coffee, and Samantha wasn’t eating.
Dru put down the vestiges of her toast and nudged Samantha under the table. When she looked up, Dru nodded her head toward Samantha’s plate. A small smile flitted across her face, and she finally shoved a forkful in her mouth.
Samantha taken care of, Dru turned to Luc. “I understand the city part, but contrary to popular belief, there are a few of us who choose to live here.” She gave him a pointed look.
Luc dabbed at his face with a cloth napkin she didn’t remember putting on the table. “If that was a poorly hidden request for information about me, I’ll simply say my circumstances are not important to our current situation.”
“Whatever, oh mysterious one. Can you find my sister or not?”
“Why do you need me? You have an excellent bounty hunter at your disposal.”
All eyes turned to look at Oren, who had continued to steadily eat throughout the conversation. Being the center of attention didn’t seem to faze him as he took a large gulp of juice.
Dru answered Luc, even though she was pretty sure the question was meant for Oren. “I’m in sort of a time crunch. Oren suggested you might have a faster way than his usual methods. What do the rumors say?”
Luc sat back, pushing his empty plate away from him. “That the dryad queen is looking for her wayward daughter whom she believes is in Terra, and that something important is happening soon which might affect magic everywhere.”
“How did you hear that?”
He shrugged gracefully. “People talk, and I know a lot of people.”
“Is that all you can offer? Vague rumors and popularity?”
Samantha snorted. “Popularity implies people like him. There’s a vast gulf between knowing someone and liking him.”
His shoulders stiffened slightly. “I was unaware this would be an interview where I would be obliged to present an offering.” He studied Samantha for a moment, then shifted his gaze back to Dru with a sly smile. “Luckily for you, I’m willing to help in exchange for the delicious breakfast.”
