by Lauren Dane
“That totally sucked.”
He tended to agree.
“It was nice that others spoke up.” Always good to point out positives.
“Sure. Man, I want to eat all the pie now. In the car on the way over.”
He laughed as he opened her door. “I’m sure your mother would understand if you did.”
That’s when they approached.
He was getting in on his side when her door flew open and her attention shifted as she was unceremoniously hauled from the car by three men.
“Stupid whore witch. Someone needs to teach you and your friend a lesson about knowing your place.”
He was mid shift and up over the car before he could even think about it.
• • •
SHE’D been pushing her anger and hurt away, stunned, as always, by how good her man looked when her door opened up.
Confusion froze her in place for moments because she was looking at Faine and he was the only one who should have been opening her door but he was on the other side of the car so it couldn’t be him.
Hands grabbed her by her upper arms, sending pie all over the place as it hit the dash.
Her moment of confusion was over quickly enough. Quickly enough to hook an ankle around the calf of one of her attackers and send him to the ground. She pivoted once her arm was free and elbowed another on the face, and the satisfaction of the crunch of a broken nose roared through her. He howled in pain as he stumbled back, blood flinging everywhere, and she used it, drew it around her and strengthened her power.
“You ruined my pie, asshole.” She gave him a roundhouse kick, knocking him into the car the next stall over and to the ground as the alarm went off.
One of them cracked her in the back of the head with a blackjack. Which is why at first when she heard the roar she wasn’t sure if it was real or something she imagined.
She nearly fell over at the wave of white-hot pain. But the blood that had been spilled kept her focus, so she reached out, spooling her power up through the concrete, the air around her crackling with it. Faine, his beast anyway, bounded over and knocked one of them down, landing on him with an oof of expelled breath and what she figured was also a broken rib or two given Faine’s size and the way he’d jumped on the guy.
Her vision had stopped doubling enough for her to open her palm and blow a ball of energy right before she pulled her fist back and gifted him with a one-two punch of magic and fist right to his stupid pie-ruining bigot face. His eyes rolled up and he crumpled to the ground.
“Call the cops,” she called out to the manager, who’d rushed to the door to see what the commotion was. “And you be sure your little pal Nancy doesn’t leave.”
“What?”
She turned and the nausea rose quickly. She had to breathe through her nose for a moment. She probably would have a concussion, but her mother could help with that.
“These guys knew what I was. How on earth would some random passersby know that? Someone told them. And that someone is very likely our little white-sheeted friend Nancy.”
She pulled her phone out. “Never mind, I’ll call.”
One of the guys on the ground groaned and started to move and she kicked him—hard—before she spelled him to sleep.
The cops arrived quickly—three cars’ worth—and of course pulled weapons on Faine, who was still in his beast’s skin.
She spoke calmly, but loudly enough that they could hear her over the whimpering of the guy Faine stood on. “Nope. Wrong as usual. These three pieces of filth yanked me from the car and began to attack me. One of them hit me in the back of the head with that blackjack over there near the curb.”
“I’ll tell you when we need your story.” The cop kept his weapon trained on Faine.
She sighed heavily. “I spent the last months making excuses for you all. But I’m done with that now. You will get your damned weapon off him. I told you, they attacked us. I quit your fucking jurisdiction if you’re only going to apply the law to certain people. I’m not weak and I will not allow you to play this game. So you can collect your scum but you will get your damned guns out of my face.”
The group of police there seemed divided. Some lowered weapons, while others ranged between rage and confusion, but kept guns trained on her or Faine.
The officer spoke again. “Or what? Only one of us has a gun. How about we take this little convo down to the station?”
She was so totally done. If this asshole wanted to bring it, she’d give it to him. “If you think you can do it, give it a try.” She flexed her power and blew just a small bit of heat his way. Enough that he should understand she wasn’t defenseless.
“I think a better question to ask is whether or not you really want to push me. All I wanted was to buy a pie to take to my mom’s house for dinner where I was going to announce my engagement. A normal thing. I came to the same market I’ve come to my entire life and had some bitch give me lip about not serving my kind. This after a senator called for my imprisonment and or death on the news. I come out here and three thugs come up out of the blue and assault me, and then you people show up on the scene and give me more shit? I am done. Test me, Officer, but only do it if you’re sure you can handle what happens.”
She saw the fear finally visit his features and she narrowed her gaze. Yes, that’s right monkey boy, I got skills and I will blow your butt off this pavement. I am PMSing and annoyed and covered in pie.
Faine tensed and a low, really scary growl trickled from him. She got herself back under control because the last thing they needed was for Faine’s beast to get any more pissed off.
The manager spoke up. “Um, Officer? We have video camera footage of the outside of the store. You can look at it and verify her story. I can verify the rest about how she was treated by one of my employees.”
“We saw it all.” The guy who’d been behind them in line spoke up. “I came out right behind them. It was my call you got first. Those three guys grabbed her, pulled her out of the car and started beating on her. The wolf guy, he only attacked after they jumped her.”
“Stand down, Officer.” One of the other cops who’d arrived spoke up. “Our apologies,” he said to Helena. “Been quite a day. We got a bulletin from the special Federal Task Force guys to be on alert.” He holstered his weapon. “Get these assholes cuffed and loaded up. Make sure they get looked at so we don’t get blamed for police brutality.” He looked back to Helena. “The PURITY folks’ newest thing is to get into altercations with Others, and then if we arrest them, to claim we dinged ’em up.”
“Makes you wish you’d have really done it, huh?”
His smile told her exactly that.
The manager came out with an ice pack and handed it her way. “Here, put this on your head.”
“Miss? Can you, um, get him to back off so we can take the guy into custody?” The cop motioned toward Faine, who continued to bristle as he growled low and scary when anyone tried to get close.
She stepped to him, placing her face against his, breathing in the loam and fur of him and letting him take her magick in as well. “It’s okay. I’m all right. They’re going to arrest them all. Please step back so they can do that.”
He growled, but it was annoyance and not rage like he’d done to the humans. She wrestled back a smile. “You don’t scare me, big guy.”
He snorted, but stepped back, leaning against her. She needed the support, as her head felt like crap.
“He’s big. Even for a werewolf.”
“Yes, he’s an overachiever that way.” Her fingers threaded through his fur and held on; he pressed against her body and a wave of warmth hit. She knew it was his. Knew he’d take care of her no matter what. But she knew, also, that he was probably on his very last nerve with the entire situation, so she wanted to get things moving.
“Can I get my statement taken so we can leave? My parents are expecting us for dinner and they’re going to be worried.”
Faine transformed an
d stood taller, totally naked. The cops looked up and then up some more. He was just as forbidding in his skin as a man, really. “And she needs to have her head seen to.”
But back to the naked thing. She stepped in front of him and he pulled her against his body. But not to shield his nakedness. He didn’t care about that. And why should he when he looked so good?
He wanted to comfort her and it did calm her just to have him there.
“We can probably get a blanket for you. You know, to cover up.” The cop, Officer Patterson, offered helpfully.
“I have a spare change of clothes in the trunk. If I may?”
The words were those of a question, but it really wasn’t a request and they all knew it. But they allowed it anyway and he got changed rather quickly and he never got farther than a foot away from her.
She knew he was angry. The barely leashed fury from his beast throbbed from him in hot waves. She wondered if the cops could feel it, or if they only sensed it and that was why they kept a wary eye on him.
Then again it could have been because he was a massive beast under his skin, the likes of which they’d never seen.
“Can you please call my parents and let them know we’re going to be held up? Don’t go into too much detail, they’ll only worry. But we’ll be there as soon as we can.”
Faine nodded, but didn’t move away to make the call. Instead he moved back to his place behind her, one hand on her shoulder, and did it there.
Patterson took their statement, got all their contact information and sent them on their way after they refused to go to the hospital.
She thanked the manager and the witnesses who’d stayed to speak to the cops and then got back into the car and they headed to her parents’ place.
“Your mother isn’t going to be pleased. She was quite disgruntled that I wouldn’t go into specifics.”
“She’s the wife of a hunter, it comes with the territory. Damn it. They totally messed up my pie and got it all over your upholstery. I’m sorry.”
“You. Be quiet and rest. I can get my car cleaned, but you are not replaceable, so hush.”
He was silent as they made their way the two short miles to the house. He tried very hard not to think about it. About the way she’d taken on those thugs and also the cops, no fewer than six holding weapons on her.
“I’m proud of you. You were a fine warrior tonight,” he said as they pulled up and he turned the engine off.
“Thanks for jumping on that jerk and breaking a few of his ribs for me.”
He knew he shouldn’t smile. It would only encourage her. But she made him laugh. “I would have taken out the other two, but you got to them pretty fast. Though I’m sorry about your head. I should have been faster.”
“I’m totally covered in goo. My head hurts like crazy and I totally threatened to throw down with a cop, so I’m quite grumpy. Far too grumpy to let you take responsibility for that dumb thing. So get out of the car and come open my door so we can go inside. Also? I love you.”
He had been ready to argue, but the last thing she said froze him in place. It wasn’t that he didn’t know she felt deeply for him. She’d agreed to the binding already. But it meant something to him that she’d say it.
He took her hand and kissed it. “Your knuckles are raw and you taste like blood and cinnamon. I love you too. Infuriating and danger-courting woman that you are.”
Before he could say anything else, her father opened the front door and her mother came out on the porch.
She waved.
“Oops, no time to scold me anymore. Rain has seen us.”
“Sit still. I’ll be around.” He kissed her quickly and got out, waving back to her parents before he opened her door and helped her out.
Her mother got a look at the disheveled state of her usually neat-as-a-pin daughter and rushed down the front steps. Faine felt the warmth of the wards that admitted them as they moved toward her mother.
“I’m all right. I just need to get changed and fed and maybe some pain reliever. Not necessarily in that order.”
Her mother tutted over her. “Hello, Faine. Come inside both of you and then someone had better be explaining why I had to hold dinner and my daughter has clearly been in a fight of some sort.”
“She’s been hit in the back of the head with a blackjack.” Faine wanted to be sure to let Rain know up front because that sort of thing worried him. He knew Helena was tough, but she was his.
“David, please bring me an ice pack and my herbs.” Rain took Helena’s hand. “Come on. You know the drill.”
“Dad, get Faine something to eat and drink. He’ll tell you what happened.”
“Faine will be right here with you and your mother, so I’ll tell them both. Should I carry her, Rain?”
Rain looked a great deal like her daughters as she turned, surprised and then very amused. “Oh that would be delightful to see. But no, she’s going to sit right there.” She pointed and Helena sighed, sitting where her mother pointed.
Eyes closed, one hand on her lower belly, she touched the same place on Helena and frowned. Her lips moved as she slid her palm from Helena’s belly to the back of her head.
Helena’s eyes flew open. “No.”
Rain continued to murmur, ignoring Helena. Faine looked to David, who shook his head.
“Mom, I said no.” Helena tried to move her mother’s hand and Rain’s eyes snapped open and her energy built up hot and fast. Faine stepped back and David appeared just as surprised.
“You will hold your tongue.”
Helena pushed back against her mother’s command. “You’re taking this into yourself. I won’t let you!”
“It’s my gift and I’ll do what I want with it. Stop fighting me. It takes more of my energy and I’m going to win either way. I’m your mother, Helena. Obey me immediately.”
Helena frowned.
“Listen to your mother.”
At David’s terse words, Helena sighed and put her hands back into her lap.
“Why don’t you tell me what happened?” David asked Faine.
He explained it all as Rain worked just a few feet away. David’s frown grew deeper with each word Faine spoke until he slammed his fist into the wall next to the bathroom door.
Rain sighed and looked to them both. “You’d better not have dented my drywall again. Go on out to the dining room. Helena is going to shower and change. Don’t go too far, Faine, I’m going to be looking you over in a few minutes to be sure you’re all right.”
Faine hated leaving Helena alone but knew he had no choice. She was safe here in this house.
“She’s more upset about the way she was treated by that checker than the three who attacked you all.”
Faine nodded his thanks when David handed him a soda water with some lemon. He didn’t know how much Helena would feel okay with him sharing with her father. Which seemed stupid.
“I think so. Using her fists and her magick on strangers? That’s easy for her. Having someone she trusted in some sense betray that? It shook her.”
“She likes to pretend nothing shakes her. I suppose that’s my fault. I raised them hard. Too hard, as my lovely wife likes to say. This isn’t a job or a life for fluffy bunny parenting. Rain did that part. But both my girls have big hearts and a seemingly infinite ability to protect people, and it gets to them more than they want to admit when people can’t see it.”
Helena hated being misjudged. Faine could see that quite plainly after all the time they’d spent together. He hated that for her too, because she was so good and people took it for granted sometimes.
“She’ll be out shortly and I’m sure Rain will want to feed you both. It’s her way of protecting those she loves.”
“You’re a lucky male.”
David paused as he pulled something from the oven. “Yes, I am. And now I suppose I’m going to have to hand over my last precious thing to another male. Yes?”
“She’ll want us to be together when we tel
l you most of it, but man to man, I want to tell you how much I cherish your daughter. I will take care of her, protect her. The best I can, that is. Your daughter is wily and seems to attract trouble as easily as she breathes. I will spend all my days making her happy and making sure she has everything she needs. Not that she doesn’t have the ability to do it all herself. She’s self-sufficient and eminently capable.”
Her father smiled at him. “She’ll beat your ass if you screw her over. And then I will. And then Lark will. But it’s really Rain you need to worry over the most.”
Faine snorted a laugh. “The Jaansen females are nothing to sneeze at. It’s no wonder that my brother and I found our women in two of them. Intelligent. Powerful. Strong. Beautiful. She’ll be right at home in Lycia among warriors.”
“You could take her there now and keep her away from whatever is to come. Keep her safe.”
Faine laughed. And then he laughed some more. “Nothing happens to your daughter that she doesn’t want to happen. I just watched her beat down two human males who topped six feet and she barely used her magick. However much I might wish to shield her from all this, especially after I saw her stop a bomb, I’d never disrespect her like that. Also, she’d kill me in my sleep if I tried.”
“There is that,” David agreed as he put the bowls of food on the table.
“And to be truthful? I believe Helena is important to all this. She’s integral in how things will play out.”
“Do you say that in general or . . .”
“I have a touch of foresight. Not like my mother, who is quite powerful with it. But enough that my gut tells me she’s part of this in such a way that should she not be around, things would go worse.”
• • •
“GET out of those clothes. I’m going to burn some of these herbs in here while you shower. You’ll absorb them through your skin in the steam.”
Helena knew better than to argue with her mother, so she hoped Faine hadn’t given her any of his love bites.
“Oh, they ruined your blouse. And it was such a pretty one.” Her mother picked it up and examined it. “I might be able to fix it. The rip is at a seam.” She put it aside and began to set up the brazier where she’d burn the herbs.
