Shadows and Stars

by Becca Fanning

  “What? That’s not what I—” He sighed and let out a low growling sound. “You are not freakish, or huge, Katenia.” He shot her a look, temper still simmering in his eyes. “You’re hot.”

  She shook her head, exasperated and confused and heartbroken. “No, I’m not, Nathan, I’m freezing.”

  He stared at her for a long moment, long enough that Katenia started to wonder if she’d grown an extra head, before he growled and focused on riding—driving—the car. “I think we need to do something about this language barrier, but first, we’re going to get you some new clothes.”

  Nathan nodded his head, agreeing with his own conclusion. New clothes were a damn good idea. Preferably the baggiest, bulkiest sweats ever created. Though he doubted even clothes made for someone his height would do a damn thing to tone done her innate sexuality. It was just…her. The woman breathed sex. He hadn’t noticed when she was fairy-sized, but when he’d come into close contact with her new height and new dimensions, the blast of lust that hit him had been staggering.

  Her brilliant green eyes had gone hot with need, and her mouth was fucking perfect. Perfect for smiling, lighting up her beautiful face when she laughed, and perfect for sucking. He’d had one brief image of her on her knees, his hands tangled in her long hair as she sucked his cock, that had been so crystal fucking clear he’d almost come in his pants.

  Then she’d arched those sweet, bared breasts at him, and the control he’d always prided himself on had damn near snapped and became non-existent.

  Worse, the lust wasn’t going away. He felt like a damn live wire, set to explode at any moment with the barest touch.

  What the hell? He thought wildly. He wasn’t a randy teenager, and he sure as hell wasn’t this goddamn hard up that one woman should be capable of shattering his control. Jesus, if she breathed too hard, he’d be all over her in a heartbeat.

  He jerked his car into a parallel parking spot, sure it was the enclosed space of the vehicle amplifying his need. So the second the car was parked he was out the door, breathing a sigh of relief before he remembered she probably didn’t know how to get herself out.

  Well, damn it, she could figure it out. It wasn’t fucking complicated, and he needed a minute to calm himself the hell down.

  She popped open the door, and like a beacon of light in a world of darkness, his gaze locked on ridiculously shapely legs as she slipped out of the passenger seat. Damn, the woman was stacked.

  By the time his gaze traveled up from her toes, over hips and breasts his jacket failed to fully cover, and finally landing on her face again, he was panting. It made his voice rougher than it should be, but it was the least of his concerns at the moment. Mainly, he needed to figure out where he could take a cold shower and calm himself down before he made an even bigger ass of himself.

  He crossed his arms over his chest, and hoped to hell she didn’t glance down at his crotch. He was sure there wasn’t enough fabric in the world to hide his hard-on. “Can you walk?”

  “I think so.” Her teeth caught at her bottom lip as she carefully stood. Once she was steady, she took a step away from the car.

  His arm shot out, snatching her around the waist before she could face-plant on the dirty concrete. He hauled her up against his chest as he slammed the passenger door shut, and then stood there glaring at her.

  “You need to stop this,” he snapped. He hauled her off her feet as he started across the four-lane street.

  She wiggled against his chest. “Stop what?”

  “This.” He glared down at her again. “Looking all sweet and seductive. There’s only so much I can take, Katenia.”

  Her pert nose wrinkled. “We’ll just pretend I know what you’re talking about, and you can tell me where we’re at.” She levered up to look over his shoulder. “People are staring at you.”

  “Pretty sure it’s you they’re watching,” he muttered. “Would you keep your damn body covered?” He jogged the steps up to the front door of the small apartment building, and after he hit the button he was looking for, gently set Katenia on her feet.

  Her head tilted back as he slipped his arm around her waist to hold her steady. “Where are we?”

  The door buzzed, and he opened it, letting them into the foyer. He scooped her up again as he started up the stairs. The second he hit the second story landing, he barely had time to set Katenia down again before a small dark-haired bullet shot at him from out of nowhere.

  “Uncle Nathan!”

  “Luxie girl!” He caught her in one arm, scooping her up and kissing her on the nose as he carefully led Katenia toward the open doorway.

  The petite brunette standing in the doorway crossed her arms and lifted an eyebrow as she took in Katenia’s indecent attire. “Do I want to know?”

  Nathan leaned down to kiss her cheek. “Probably not. Can we come in?” He jiggled the toddler in his arms and grinned. “I have this little punkin-head as a bribe.”

  His sister let out a sigh, and grinned. “Well, then, how can I resist.” She held out her hand toward Katenia. “Hi, I’m Hope.” She plucked the kid out of his arms and kissed her cheek. “And this little stinker is my Lux.”

  Katenia blinked down at her hand, and smiled as she held her hand out, too. “Katenia.”

  Nathan caught the look his sister was shooting him as he let them into her apartment and closed the door behind him. “I’ll explain later,” he murmured. “Do you have any clothes she can borrow?”

  Proving how awesome she was, she didn’t even blink as she smiled. “Of course. Katenia, why don’t you come with me and we’ll find you something to wear while my brother finishes watching Dora the Explorer with Lux?”

  Apprehension and confusion flickered in Katenia’s eyes, before she shot him a panicked look. While she was a little steadier on her feet, she was still moving like she was drunk. He cleared his throat and, knowing his sister was going to think they were crazy, led the fairy down to Hope’s room. He didn’t let her go until she was safely on the bed, and then he just crouched in front of her, Lux still in his arms.

  She gripped his shirt. “What’s Dora Explorer?”

  “A cartoon.”

  Her hand fell as she rolled her eyes. “I don’t understand what you’re saying.”

  “It’s okay. I’ll be in the other room. If you need help, ask Hope, or yell for me, alright?”

  Her eyes searched his for a long moment, before a smile lifted one corner of her mouth. “I’m not helpless, Nathan, and I’m way older than you. I’m almost a century old.”

  He chuckled quietly, and couldn’t stop himself from reaching out and tucking a waist-length strand of almost pure silver hair behind one point-tipped ear. “Good to know. Now I have a date with my niece.”

  “Nathan.” Katenia reached out, snagging his hand before he could stand. The second her skin made contact with his, she gasped, and yanked her fingers back.

  His jaw ticked, the live current flashing between them setting his blood on fire. “Yes?”

  She kept her eyes steady on his as she leaned up and pressed her lips gently to his. “Thank you.”

  He nodded, jerking back as if she’d slapped him instead of kissing him. “You’re welcome,” he snapped. Without another word or a backward glance, he stood up and hightailed it out of the room, before he did something either of them would regret, or his sister would kill him for. Because honest to God, his knees had gone fucking weak, and just the small contact had rocked his foundation, and all he wanted to do was hand over his niece to her mother, and devour the fairy.

  FOUR

  NATHAN’S SISTER WAS BEAUTIFUL. She was several inches taller than Katenia, and as soft and delicate as Nathan was hard and muscled.

  “Oh, sweetie!” Hope was next to her on the bed suddenly, her arm wrapping around Katenia’s shoulders. “What’s wrong? Why are you crying?”

  “It’s this body,” she sniffled. “I hate it. I’m huge.” She scowled down at her breasts, sure they were the pr
oblem. Without her wings to balance them out, every second she stood was a battle not to fall on her face. Her nose wiggled as she worked to keep back the pathetic tears. “Nathan’s so handsome, and he keeps looking at me like I’ve grown an extra head.”

  Hope snorted. “My brother’s an idiot, Katenia, and if you’re huge, I’m an obese giant.” She stood up, the friendliness Katenia had seen in her eyes only moments before hardened. “Let’s find you some clothes, then I need to go talk to Nathan.”

  Aware she’d offended Hope somehow, Katenia stood up, only to immediately pitch forward. Hope darted in front of her in an effort to break her fall, but all it did was send them both sprawling into the dresser.

  Katenia felt her face turn red as Hope’s brow arched up, giving her the same look the Elders had shot her numerous times over her lifespan. “Katenia, are you drunk?”

  “No, it’s my breasts. I’ve yet to adjust to my new size.”

  “I see,” Hope murmured, though the confusion on her pretty face told Katenia that she probably didn’t. “Can you stand?”

  Planting her feet, Katenia put all of her focus and energy into standing upright. When she only swayed a little, she beamed at her. “Yes.”

  Hope shook her head as she turned toward the dresser. After rummaging through one of the drawers, she handed Katenia a pair of pants and a shirt. “Get dressed. I need to talk to Nathan for a moment.”

  Not wanting to make a fool of herself again, Katenia clutched the clothes to her chest as she smiled at Hope. “Thank you.”

  The other woman nodded, and hurried out of the bedroom, leaving Katenia standing there alone. She carefully put the borrowed garments on the dresser top. It felt weird maneuvering without her wings, but she only stumbled once slipping out of his jacket.

  The clothing Hope had given her confused her, though, and as she stared down at the unfamiliar fabrics and pieces that would cover way too much of her skin, an overwhelming sense of panic hit her hard.

  Fairies were comfortable with nudity, more concerned with comfort and lightness than covering themselves.

  She considered stumbling her way out of the bedroom and telling Nathan and his sister thanks for the help, but she wouldn’t be able to breathe in the borrowed clothes, but he was helping her and covering her up seemed to be important. So with a dejected sigh she struggled into the new outfit, determined not to be ungrateful, no matter how uncomfortable she was. Until she found a way back home, she was stuck in their world, and it meant abiding by their dress code.

  Nathan glanced up from his tea party as his sister stepped out of her bedroom. As if the mutinous look on her face wasn’t worrying enough, she marched right over to him and flicked him hard in the ear.

  “What kind of bimbos are you bringing here, Nathan? Damn it, you can’t just bring any woman off the street into my house with Lux here!” All furious female, she planted her hands on her hips and glared at him. “What were you thinking?”

  Aware his niece was watching them with wide, worried eyes, Nathan got to his feet slowly, temper tightening every muscle in his body. “What the hell are you talking about?”

  “I’m talking about the woman in my bedroom, whose boobs are apparently so new and so much bigger, her entire body’s equilibrium is off! Are you serious?”

  Clenching his jaw, he barely managed to grit the words out. “She’s a fairy. Twenty minutes ago she was the size of Thumbelina, and sleeping in a goddamn flower.”

  Hope blinked at him. “Great.” She threw her hands up and stalked past him, scooping her daughter out of her tiny tea-party chair. “Now you’re on drugs. Anything else I should know?”

  “She was a gift from Aunt Mellie, who was apparently aware tonight was my dinner with…” his words trailed off as he scrubbed a hand over his face. “Fuck. Rhiannon.”

  Her eyes looked like they were about to bulge out of her head. “Rhiannon? You’re seeing Rhiannon again? For sweet Pete’s sake, big brother, do you not remember the kind of hell that woman put you through? Why would you want to open that door again?”

  Momentarily satisfied she wasn’t going to cause him physical harm or kick him out, he sat on the couch. Leaning forward, he shoved his fingers through his hair before he braced his arms against his thighs and shook his head. “It seemed like the right thing to do. She was devastated when I called everything off, and she said she needed answers.”

  “That is a bad, bad road to go down, Nathan.” She sighed, and moved over to sit next to him on the couch. “That woman is a manipulative monster, and she tore you up a hell of a lot more than you hurt her; you just never saw it.”

  He shrugged. He didn’t have an answer. Rhiannon had needed him—she’d always needed him, ever since they were kids. She was self-destructive, her desperate need for him toxic, and no matter what he’d done, he never been able to pull her out of her downward spiral.

  Hope nudged his arm with her shoulder. “Tell me why I shouldn’t kick you out of my house for bringing a half-naked woman into it.”

  “Fairy, Hope.” He turned his head to look at her, and arched a brow. “I am talking about a fairy. She can’t walk because she lost her wings when she got spooked outside my office, and her entire equilibrium is off.”

  She searched his face for a long moment before her mouth dropped open. “You’re serious. You actually believe this.”

  “It’s either that, or I’m insane, so yeah. At the moment, I believe this.” He let out a bitter laugh. “As soon as she’s decent, we’re heading to Mellie’s place so I can demand some answers.”

  His sister nodded slowly, her brow furrowing in thought. “Okay, let’s just say you’re not mental, and this is really happening. Why would the old bat send you a fairy?”

  He snorted so hard he was sure he popped a vein somewhere. “Because, like the sane person she is, she said if I took care of the plant, it would love me forever.”

  “Plant?”

  He nodded, past caring how demented he sounded. “Yes, plant. The one that opened to reveal a fairy inside of it.” He dragged a hand down his face. “A fairy who was apparently kidnapped from her home, and has no idea how to get back to it, or how she became almost five-feet tall.”

  “Oh. My. God.” When Nathan’s gaze snapped back to Hope, she slowly got to her feet, her face astonished. “You like this woman, this fairy. Like, like her, like her.”

  “What are you talking about?” he asked, irritated.

  It was her turn to snort. “Dude, in the five minutes we’ve been sitting here talking, you’ve glanced toward my bedroom ten times. Ten. I counted. Besides,” she chirped, pointing at him and grinning, “it’s written all over your face. You look somewhere between dazed and completely thunderstruck.”

  “You’ve lost your…” his words trailed off as Katenia finally opened the bedroom door. Anything else he’d been about to say was simply gone as his tongue swelled in his mouth, and his heart lodged in his throat.

  Christ Jesus, she was beautiful. The skinny jeans clung to her like a second skin, and the soft green V-neck T-shirt Hope had lent her was too tight across the chest, showing off quick hints of the soft globes hidden inside. Her body was X-rated and all kinds of dangerous, but it was like the woman glowed from the inside out. Her green eyes sparkled with some kind of inner light, and for the first time, he noticed the faintest smattering of freckles over her cheeks and slightly-upturned nose.

  “Okay,” Hope whispered behind him, her voice almost as dazed as he was. “Maybe I believe you. No one who looks like that can be human.”

  He nodded, one corner of his mouth lifting in a smile, but instinct was overriding every command he was giving his body, and suddenly, without his permission, he was closing the distance between himself and the fairy.

  Mine.

  The word echoed through his head, but instead of the warning bells he’d expected to come along with it, all he felt was need and rightness.

  She tilted her head back when he was standing in front of h
er, her fingers plucking absently at the hem of the shirt, as if she was trying to stretch it out. “Nathan, I—”

  He swallowed whatever else she was going to say with his mouth. The need to kiss her was so great, and unlike the urge to devour him that had nearly knocked him unconscious in his car, this wasn’t about lust. This was about need, and something deeper. Something that scared him down to his core, and yet felt as right as breathing.

  His perfect, curvy fairy went on her toes and wrapped her arms around his neck, a purr of contentment humming through her when he straightened to his full height, hauling her completely off the ground, his mouth searching and pleading on hers.

  Fucking hell, if he didn’t know any better, he’d swear it felt like he was staking his claim on her. And then, because it suddenly sounded like the best idea he’d ever heard, his hand shot into her hair, hauling her even closer as his mouth devoured hers.

  FIVE

  THIS WAS WRONG. These feelings, the primal need for possession passing from Nathan to her, the primitive urge to get closer to him and stake her forever claim on him, all of it was wrong. Every story the Elders had ever told her always repeated the same theme—humans were selfish, cruel giants who destroyed everything weaker in their path.

  Katenia kissed him back anyway, afraid if she didn’t, he’d devour her. He’d lifted her off her feet and backed her into the wall, one large hand gripping her hip as the other held her by the back of the neck, holding onto her as the storm raged between them. Her arms wound around his neck without her permission, desperate to get him closer as her new body suddenly started to make sense. She fit into him perfectly, and as need flooded her system, all common sense roared past her defenses.

  Unconcerned with nudity, or their audience, Katenia gripped the front of his shirt and yanked, sure if she could just get to his skin, this raging desperation would ease.

  “Eww, Uncle Nathan,” Lux giggled from behind him. “You kiss funny.”