Seduced by the Fae

by Laxmi Hariharan

  "What are you doing?"

  I glance over my shoulder to where Lily lolls in the chair next to the bed. "What does it look like?" I blow the hair out of my face. "I am trying to get out of here."

  I hammer again. And again. The door doesn’t even tremble. Damn it.

  "Maybe if you put more weight behind it?"

  "Maybe if you come here and help me?" I glower at her.

  "Oh, right." She slips off of the chair and ambles over to stand next to me.

  "On the count of three. One, two..."

  She puts her shoulder to the door at the same time that I shove with all of my strength. My muscles strain, sweat pops on my brow. Nope. Nothing. The door stays firm.

  Why is it that to be human means that you cannot physically push your way into anything, that you often feel helpless and always needing someone else? Just for once, can't I save myself? I drop into myself, to where the mating bond thrums against my chest. It flares up and I gasp.

  Gray-blue sparks laced with of amber and green.

  The flames rise up my chest, flood my blood, pulse through my veins. My vision narrows, the tips of my ears tingle. I peel back my lips then fold my fingers into fist and slam it against the door. It cracks. Just a little. Just enough for me to see through the gap. To put my mouth against the space and yell, "Get me out of here!"

  Footsteps pound up the corridor and I stiffen. They race toward me, coming to a stop in front of my room. "Alice...are... you, are you okay?" A thin voice sounds through the door.

  "Charley?" Lily hammers on the door.

  "Lily?" Charley's voice rises in excitement. "What are you doing in there?"

  "I came to see if Alice needed anything, only to meet this man..."

  "Gabriel." I snap, "he's my half-brother."

  "He is?" She turns to me, her gaze wide. Color smears her cheeks.

  "Yeah." Thought so. "And the answer is no," I firm my lips.

  "You have no idea what I was going to ask." Lily pouts.

  "You wanted to ask me about him. You're interested in him, that’s obvious. You should keep away from him. He's dangerous Lily, and totally out of your league." And that was the wrong thing to say. I huff out a breath. If I had been on the receiving end of that tirade I'd have redoubled my efforts to go after whoever I had been warned to stay clear of.

  "Right." Lily says in a tone that implies, you've gotta be kidding me.

  "Look, Gabriel's an asshole." I wince. "He's cruel and vicious and won't hesitate to hurt you." That's my half-brother I am talking about, but I feel protective about this girl, maybe because she's human and because I understand how it is to be trapped in the spell of a dominant man. I am not sure she can stand up to Gabriel. She's too delicate.

  "You don't want him, Lily."

  She juts out her chin.

  "He'll break you. Dominate you. Consume you completely. Make you wish you'd never met him."

  Her eyes gleam.

  Oh hell, what have I done?

  "Hey, hold the gossip you guys," The sound of the door being unlocked reaches me.

  Charley opens the door and Lily throws herself at the other girl with a squeal. The two hug each other. You'd think they hadn't seen each other in years instead of hours. Teenagers. I roll back my shoulders, "How old are you Lily?"

  "Just turned eighteen."

  "Well, small mercies," I mutter.

  "I'll be eighteen next month." Charley's gaze bounces between Lily and me. "You sound... edgy Alice." Charley frowns at me. "Your color is high. Are you sure you should be on your feet?"

  "Don't you dare nag me." I stab my finger at her, "I have had enough with that alpha-hole Fae."

  "Your mate?" Lily pipes up.

  "Thank you" I raise my eyes heavenward. "Even little girls get it, but tell that to that too-full-of-himself man who knows it, but for some reason still refuses to accept it. And after everything we'd been through."

  "Told ya, we're not little. Hell, you are only a few years older than us, Alice." Lily sets her jaw.

  And isn't that the truth?

  Only I feel so much wiser. Enough to be aware that imparted wisdom is never gladly received. You have to experience the consequences of your choices first hand, to learn from it.

  "You're right."

  I look down at myself and then at Charley. She's taller than me. Lily is closer to my size. I narrow my gaze on her, "I need your clothes."

  "I don't think Doc will be happy if you leave the room." Lily chews on her lower lip.

  "And I thought you were all grown up, hmm?"

  Lily flushes.

  Gotcha. "You are not going to allow some macho male to tell you what to do, are you?"

  Silence.

  I can almost hear her think, and a part of me feels sorry that I am manipulating her. But if there's one thing I have learnt from Doc, it's that anything is justified.

  When you want something, you have to go after it. And right now, I have to get to him. He'd walked off in a rage, and I am sure he and Gabe are going to hurt each other. I don't want that. I can stop the fight before it gets too vicious. Oh, he is strong and can take care of himself, no doubt, but everything inside of me insists that I should go to him. Now. The heat in my chest flares up, sparks of blue and gold spurt through my nerves, and my ears tingle again. The wound at the curve of my neck throbs. It's Doc. He needs me. Pain slams into my chest and I groan. My vision wavers and my breath comes in pants.

  "Help me Lily." I move forward and grasp her shoulder. "If you were in my place, and it was your mate rushing into something that might hurt him, then you'd go against his wishes too."

  She winds a strand of hair around her fingers, then pulls it to her mouth and chews on it before letting it go. Gross habit.

  "I know what you are doing." Her lips curve.

  "Oh, yeah?"

  "You're trying to emotionally manipulate me."

  "Maybe you can face up to Gabe, after all." I chuckle, then square my shoulders. "Well what's it gonna be, Lily?"

  "Yeah, I'll help you."

  Charley holds up her hand and Lily high fives her. "I'd have done the same for Hawke, ah!" She licks her lips and darts a look at me.

  "Not a secret." I jerk my chin at Charley. "His gaze eats you up when you don't notice it."

  "He's in denial." She shifts her weight, "He thinks the age gap is an issue."

  "Isn't it?"

  "Nope." Both girls chorus.

  My head spins. They have no idea what's in store for them. It would be a tough journey for both to claim their men. But they've gotta figure this out for themselves. I mean I am not giving up on Doc and me... yet. And I”ll bet these girls are smart enough to hold their own against their alpha males

  "Jeez. Look at the us." Charley drags her fingers through her hair. "I mean, are men even worth the effort?"

  "Yep." This from me and Lily.

  She smiles at me; her face lights up. She senses the kinship between us.

  I look from Charley's angry face to Lily's thoughtful one. "You'll work it out you guys, I promise." Yeah, look at me talking as if I have all the answers, I chuckle to myself. "At least you two have each other to lean on."

  They look at each other and something passes between them. "Okay then." Lily shrugs out of her shirt and hands it to me. "You go to Doc, we'll be right behind as soon as I grab a new set of clothes for myself."

  I look at her sneakers. "I need those too, by the way."

  45

  Doc

  I face off with the man who'd saved my life once already. My mate's half-brother.

  My mate, I roll the words around in my head. Why do I insist on calling her that? I mean she is, but... I can't possibly be considering owning the relationship that she had bonded with me? Not when I am all wrong for her.

  I need to find a way to break the connection...just as soon as I show this motherfucker who is more powerful here.

  The beach is empty when we step onto it.

  It's still early
evening, the time when kids are back from school, and mothers are cooking evening supper. Not that I'd know. I never did have a normal life growing up, but it's what I have heard from the newly mated members of the Fae Corps. Both Dante and Tristan—the latter having gotten a fully-fledged family with Jess' sisters—have changed around the timing of the Fae Corps recons to accommodate the schedules of their mates and families...Would I be doing the same once I took Alice home and recognized her for what she truly is? My heart? My soul? Why the hell are these thoughts racing around in my head now, when I need all my focus? Focus. On defeating this mofo.

  I shake my head to clear it.

  Ahead, Gabriel loosens the buttons on the cuffs of his shirt. He rolls up his sleeves, and takes his stance.

  I hold up my fists, then watch him as he takes a step to the side, then another. I mirror his moves in a counterclockwise direction. The fucker has something coming if he thinks I am going to be that easy to defeat. Footsteps sound and Hawke jogs up to stand outside the makeshift ring. "Well, that didn't take too long did it?" He takes a step forward into the margin of the circle in which we pace around.

  "Stay the fuck out of this." I growl, not taking my gaze off of my opponent.

  "You owe me." Hawke calls out to Dante, who prowls up to stand on the other side.

  "You guys laid bets?" I bounce on my heels.

  "Hawke thought you might last a week without picking a fight. Somehow, I thought otherwise." Dante drawls.

  Gabriel doesn't show any reaction. No change in expression on his face. He may not have noticed Hawke's arrival at all. I could pretend to believe that, but I am not fooled.

  "The man's not to be underestimated."

  I shoot Dante a sideways glance. "You doubting my ability to hold my own in a fight?'

  Dante raises his hands, "I just don't trust the motherfucker."

  "You and me both." I swivel around to face my opponent.

  Gabe bares his teeth, continues to circle. Sweat shines on his forehead. What is he playing at?

  More steps sound and a group of girls come racing up. They mill around at a safe distance. Another family ambles up, then another to the other side.

  I continue to pace around the wide circle, mirroring his motions. I am not going to be the first to charge. I am not going to give away any advantage I have here. He widens his stance and bends low. A chorus of gasps echo from the women.

  Gabriel rights himself and, takes another stance.

  "Go stranger!" One of the women screams. A smile flashes across his face, then it's gone. Fucker’s preening to the crowd. What the hell does he want?

  "I trust you to come out of this in one piece, you hear?" Dante mutters.

  "You're insulting me." I crack my knuckles.

  "Just looking out for your hide. Given you are recently mated." He leans forward on the balls of his feet.

  "Not." I grit my teeth.

  "All the evidence points to the contrary." Dante's voice is mild. "But if you want to deny it, be my guest."

  "Shut the fuck up." I bite down on the anger that rages inside. "Sir."

  "Good to see you're as respectful as ever."

  "If you don't mind, I'd like to focus on whipping his ass."

  "I wouldn’t expect anything less." Dante backs away from the perimeter.

  "Guess Alice has the backbone to stand up to you after all, huh?" Gabe grins at me.

  "The fuck you talking about?" I shake out my arms, then roll my shoulders.

  "You ready to lose this fight before your girl?"

  Her scent reaches me first and I swivel around to watch her approach.

  She's wearing a skirt that wings behind her, a T-shirt that clings to her curves as the wind flings it back against her body. It leaves not much to the imagination, showing off her figure, the way her nipples stand out against the fabric, and the skirt dips into the hollow between her legs. Her steps falter as she notices my attention on her.

  Then she raises her chin and increases her speed and comes to a halt on my side of the ring. Her gaze flows over me and relief floods her features.

  Warmth pools in my chest and I shove it away. I can't become weak, not now. I chose my path, to stay away from her. And I owe it to her to at least see it through. Just as soon as I kick the ass of this man who dared try to get past me to talk to her.

  "Leave Alice." I growl, then wince. Didn't mean for it to come out that way, all imposing, but hell. What is she doing out of bed, when she should be recuperating?

  Her head comes up. Her eyes flash. The sass in her. It fucking turns me on. No one has challenged me the way she has. No one means more to me than her.

  "When I finish here, I am going to whip your ass, Red."

  "Promise?"

  The fuck did she say? My vision tunnels, and it is at that moment that I sense the shift in the air.

  All of my instincts go on alert.

  The hair on the nape of my neck rises.

  I turn around just as Gabriel barrels into me. He tackles me around the waist. The world tilts. I crash into the ground and the impact sweeps through me. All of my bones seem to shake.

  Dark spots flash in front of my eyes.

  My body hits the sand and Gabriel buries his knees in my ribcage.

  I try to take in a wheezing breath, only he leans forward. His weight pins me down. I try to breathe and my lungs burn. My ribcage screams in protest. He plows his fist into the side of my face and my head snaps to the side.

  Red and white flash through my head. Before I can recover, he lands another hit to my shoulder, then back to my face. Pain whips over my side and my body shudders. Sweat slicks down my spine. Blackness licks the edges of my vision. I need to get the motherfucker off of me.

  I scissor my legs up and bring my knees up into his back. The bastard doesn't stop. He continues to paint my body with a flurry of punches and jabs; he moves so fast he blurs.

  Guess I underestimated him. Typical. He comes across as a suave, sophisticated man, but he's learned the same techniques I have, and he has the advantage of not being distracted. Less than a minute, that's all it had taken to lay me low. Am I going to let him get the better of me? Nope. Nyet.

  I lock my fingers together, then strike out. My fists connect with his chin and his body snaps back and off of me. He rolls aside and I spring up to my feet. Raising a leg I bring it down on his chest. Only he grabs my foot and heaves.

  For the second time I arc through the air and crash into the sand. Fuck. The jolt shudders down my spine, displacing the sand around me, which flies over me, covering my face and my chest. I rear up to my feet and race forward, and we clash chest to chest. The muffled thump echoes through the space. Fucker is strong, I'll give him that.

  I reel back, then dive forward.

  He raises his arm, the tips of his fingers spark. A bolt of white flashes across the space and slams into my chest.

  The energy overpowers my cells. My nerve endings flood, my brain cells spark. White noise envelops me and I can't see, can't hear. When the static dissipates I crack my eyes open. I am on my back, the blue sky above me, white clouds in the distance. The sound of screams, voices yelling, reaches me.

  I try to get up, but pain lances down my side, a burning heat lodges in my chest. I gasp and I’m gripped by a sudden, unfamiliar fear. My vision begins to fade. I grit my teeth. I can't give in. I can't.

  "Nolan."

  I am sure I am dreaming. I can't hear her voice in my head, can I?

  The scent of jasmine teases my nostrils. It's as if she's reaching out to me through the bond. The heat in my chest intensifies and I cough.

  "Let me help you, Nolan."

  I groan and crack open my eyelids. My blood thuds in my ears. My heart begins to race so fast I am sure it's going to burst out of my rib cage.

  Once again, I failed you, Red."

  I pulse the thought at her, knowing she'll read it. I had denied her everything. Refused to acknowledge who she is to me. Now here I am, unable to p
rotect my mate.

  It's not over, Doc.

  I chuckle. You are an optimist Red, but you have to admit, me on the ground is a sign that I am not as strong as I thought I was.

  You're right.

  Huh?

  You're not the man I thought you were.

  I pause, then pulse back, Using reverse psychology, Red?

  Is it working?

  Her voice lightens, and I swear the little minx is laughing at me. Heat pulses down the bond, and mixed with it is love and laughter... All the dreams, everything I had wanted is there within reach. All I have to do is reach out and take it. Can I? Will I?

  I squeeze my fingers into the sand. The pressure hums down on my chest, behind my eyes, pulsing through every part of me. Do it. Do it. Let her help you. It's not a conscious decision. It's as if the barriers dissolve. That last remaining hitch around the mating bond bleeds away.

  Sparks of heat and light, so much light, whooshes through the bond. Green like her, it's her spirit that floods my chest, my blood, my heart. I drop into myself and pull on my telekinetic energy. The blue and gold inside of me explodes, racing out to meet and entwine with the green. It slices through me, clearing my head. My eyes snap open.

  Adrenaline laces my blood.

  I spring up to my feet and I feel...fine. Ready. Strong. I raise my hands, palms parallel, and a ball of light appears. I swirl it and it grows more intense, the pulsing of it reflecting over my face, catching the glow from the surrounding space, drawing in every last bit of radiance. I thrust out my hands and fling it at him.

  The ball of energy catches him in the middle of the chest, shoving him away. His body arcs back through the air and he falls on his back. Only to spring up again.

  Motherfucker.

  I am going to kill him.

  I fall into the energy inside of myself, then pull it up, shooting it up over my chest, up my throat. It races to the edges of my fingertips. I raise my palms parallel to each other and another ball of energy flashes to life. I roll the energy together, then raise my arms to fling it at him when she screams, "Nolan, don't hurt him. He's my family."