by Kathy Lyons
“I know,” he said softly. “I am of Fairy, and I need a human child.”
Oh shit. That sounded a lot worse.
“I’m not having a baby just so you can use it!”
He exhaled slowly and his expression turned cunning. “Well,” he drawled in that really sexy, really annoying way he had. “I guess that means we have a lot to discuss.”
“What?”
He gestured outside. “We cannot go out there until the sprites get bored and settle down.”
She frowned. “How long will that be?”
He shrugged. “The last pixie invasion lasted a thousand years.”
She swallowed. “That’s a really long time.” Good thing her contract was for only another ten months. But she didn’t want to spend all that time locked inside with him. She’d go mad for sure and likely do something really, really stupid.
Meanwhile, Bitterroot grabbed a chair, flipped it around, and dropped it down in front of her. Then he sat and set his chin on his fist. It was a casual pose and one that never failed to freak her out, mainly because he was a pompous asshole of a fairy prince except in moments like this when he became casual. She knew it was a pose. He was mimicking something he’d seen on Earth. And yet, when she looked at him, she saw that his expression was defeated. Maybe even vulnerable.
“You really are in trouble, aren’t you?” she asked.
His eyes grew hooded. If she had to guess, he was ashamed of his failure. “I will find an answer,” he said stiffly. “I am the last living prince of this realm, grandchild of the human baby Eric, and protector of this squeak.”
She winced at the strange sound. “This what?” she asked.
He started to answer again but then shook his head. That happened sometimes. There were words in the Fairy language that just sounded like mouse squeaks to her. Apparently whatever it was he protected was one of those words.
“So you’re a big deal here,” she said.
He dropped his chin back down on his fist. “Yes.”
“And you need a baby to save all that.”
“A human baby.”
“And you think I’m going to give you one.”
He looked up, and his eyes seemed to dance with merriment. It was a very fairy look, and it was mesmerizing.
“That isn’t going to happen,” she said. “You should know that.”
He nodded. Then he glanced outside as the second tower tumbled to the ground with a rumble like thunder. When he turned back to her, that flash of vulnerability was gone. He straightened up on the chair and he faced her like the prince he was.
“Very well,” he said calmly. “Then let us discuss exactly what will happen.”
Epilogue 2
GRANDMA HAS A CONFESSION
AARON WAS getting heavy. The child liked to eat, that was for sure. Laddin set the bottle down on the table beside the rocking chair Ivy had given them and watched as Bruce unpacked another moving box and pulled out a gruesome head.
“What the he—heck—is this?” Bruce demanded as he dropped it back into the box. They both knew he’d been about to say hell, but they were trying to clean up their language in front of the child. It wasn’t going so well for Bruce, and Laddin had already got enough quarters in the Curse Jar to buy a cheap espresso machine. He expected they’d have enough for an expensive one in another couple of months.
“That,” Laddin said, “was my favorite prop from the very first movie I ever worked on.”
“It’s going to give Aaron nightmares.” Bruce squinted at it. “It’s going to give me nightmares!”
Laddin laughed. “Put it in the garage. I’ll bring it out for Halloween.”
“Not until he’s a teenager. Gah, that thing is awful.” Bruce picked up the box, holding it away from his face as if it were something more than a latex prop. Laddin was chuckling as he lifted Aaron to burp him.
After three months of parenthood, Laddin felt like he was finally getting the hang of having an infant. And to add to that miracle, the baby had slept six hours last night, so they were hoping for a repeat tonight. Laddin missed sleep, though he did enjoy lazing in bed with the baby between them as he and Bruce talked about how quickly their lives had changed.
They’d finally moved into the townhome at the edge of the state park. They’d both signed on to work full-time with Wulf, Inc. and were now creating a home for their tiny family of three. Official move-in day had been yesterday, so today was a lot of unpacking, and hopefully an initiation of their very own bedroom right across the hall from Aaron’s nursery.
But only if the kid went to sleep soon, because honestly, Laddin was tired from working full-time while coordinating the move of his life from LA and Bruce’s life from Indianapolis to right here, right now, in the largest home Laddin had ever had. Who knew Michigan real estate was so cheap?
“Look who I found outside,” Bruce said as he came in from the garage.
Laddin looked up and gasped in true shock. “Mama? Nana?”
His mother rushed forward, with his grandmother a half step behind. They arrived in a wash of exotic perfume (his grandmother) and the slight antiseptic smell that always clung to his mother. And didn’t that smell like home to him?
“Laddin! Sweetheart! Is this our little boy?” Mama cried.
For the first time in his life, the phrase our little boy didn’t apply to him. The two women were cooing over Aaron, looking at his face and stroking his dark head of hair.
“Oooh, he’s got your nose,” his mother said.
“He’s got your magic,” his grandmother intoned, her eyes wide.
Over the women’s heads, Laddin looked in alarm at Bruce. They couldn’t tell his family about being werewolves or their magic or anything. Those were the rules, and Laddin was loathe to break them. It wasn’t just about the consequence of sharing the magical secret. He didn’t want to explain the whole demon thing, and honestly, the fewer people who knew about that, the better. In all respects, Aaron was a normal human boy.
Meanwhile, Bruce did his best to distract the women. “Let me take your coats.”
“Mamma mia, I’m keeping mine on!” his mother cried. “Why do you live in such a cold place?”
“It’s fifty degrees out, Mama. It’s spring.”
“In LA it’s—”
“Smoggy and filled with traffic.” Two things he did not miss from his old life.
His mother couldn’t argue with that, and since she’d managed to take her grandchild right out of Laddin’s arms and was now singing a Spanish lullaby to Aaron, whatever objection she might have had was lost.
Not so for his grandmother. She turned to both Laddin and Bruce and gave them an arch look. “We thought you were dead,” she said in a stage whisper to Laddin.
“I called you.”
“Your birthday was months ago. We didn’t know what had happened to you.”
Laddin spread his arms wide. “Nothing happened, Nana.” He glanced at Bruce. “Except I fell in love.”
“And got a baby.”
Bruce came close as Laddin shrugged. A moment later Laddin was being supported against Bruce’s side. It was a casual pose. There was no need to lean into Bruce, but he did anyway because he liked it, just as much as Bruce seemed to like holding him.
Mama finished her lullaby. Then she looked up at Bruce with a narrowed eye. “You going to marry my boy?”
Bruce flushed. “I asked him last week.”
Laddin held up his hand and flashed the hardwood ring on his fourth finger. “I said yes.”
Mama nodded in approval. “Good.” Then she smiled. “I will put little Aaron to bed now, and then we will talk about how all this happened.”
Laddin flashed Bruce an “I’m so sorry” look, but Bruce merely shrugged. It was a good thing they’d long since sorted out what story to give to family and friends.
Everyone waited as Mama climbed the stairs. She’d started up the lullaby again but kept interspersing the lyrics with cooing sounds.
Laddin knew she was echoing Aaron’s sounds. The boy had quite a repertoire of noises. He and Bruce had spent many evenings laughing together at the delightful sounds.
But the moment Mama was out of sight, Nana turned on them with sharp eyes and pointy nails. “How dare you!” she growled. “How dare you become a werewolf and not tell me!”
Laddin reared back in shock. “How do you know?”
“Because I can see it, child. On both of you.” Her eyes narrowed when she peered at Bruce. “You’re fairy-born, aren’t you?”
“Um… yes, ma’am?”
“Harrumph.” Then she grinned. “I was right about you, wasn’t I, Laddy-boy? I knew you would change to magic in your twenty-eighth year, and I was right!”
“Yes, Nana, you were. But we can’t tell—”
“I know, I know.” Then she got a canny look in her eye. “But do you want to know about Aaron’s future? I saw it in a dream—”
“No!” Laddin said, his voice hard. “Just because you were right about me, that doesn’t mean I enjoyed twenty-eight years of speculation about my death.”
Nana reared back, her expression hurt. “But I never said you’d die. It was a change to magic.”
That was the truth. She’d never claimed he’d pass away. She said he’d have a complete change of life from one state to another. It was everyone else who’d assumed he’d kick the bucket.
Meanwhile, Bruce squeezed his arm and gestured them into the kitchen. It was the only room besides the nursery that was fully unpacked. “Let’s get something to eat, okay? I’m starved, and the lasagna was a long time ago.”
Laddin nodded as he grabbed the baby monitor. He wanted to be able to hear everything that went on upstairs too. He turned to his grandmother. “And then you can tell us why you’re here.”
Nana blew out a breath. “We wanted to see you, of course! And I wanted to tell you all about my dream—”
“No,” Bruce said sternly. “No forecasting, no dreams, no stories. I know I just met you, ma’am, but I must insist on this. We do not need more drama around your great-grandson.”
Nana pursed her lips. She hated being stopped from her drama, her stories, and most of all, her forecasting. But then her expression softened.
“I can see that you love him,” she said, looking at Bruce and then back at Laddin.
“I do,” Bruce said.
“And I do too,” Laddin echoed.
“And the baby? Even though he’s a magical child?” Her voice trailed away, and Laddin was appalled to realize she knew a great deal more than she was letting on.
“We adore our son,” Laddin said.
Nana waited a dramatic moment. Her gaze was sharp, her mouth pursed. And then, with a happy clap, she giggled. “Then I’ll tell you that I saw Aaron has a long and very happy life. As long as you two surround him with love—”
“Nana!” Laddin cried. It was just like her to tell the baby’s fortune anyway, even though they didn’t want it.
“—then all six of you will live happily ever after.”
“Ma’am,” Bruce began, admonishment in his tone, but Laddin cut him off.
“Six, Nana? What do you mean six?”
“Didn’t I tell you?” She blinked wide and innocent eyes, as if she hadn’t planned this from the beginning. “Aaron won’t be your only magical child. There are three more in your future, and what an exciting future it will be!”
Laddin didn’t know how to respond to that. He was too busy looking at Bruce and wondering if the guy was about to turn tail and run.
But all Bruce did was grin. And then he leaned back against the stove. “Six, huh?” he asked. “Is at least one of them a girl?”
“Yes! And she flies!” Nana said while Laddin let out a low groan.
“Don’t encourage her.”
“I don’t think I can stop her,” Bruce argued.
Wasn’t that truth? Then Bruce held out his arm, and Laddin slipped easily into the space opened for him.
“You sure you want to hear this?” Laddin asked Bruce.
“Only if you do.” Then he looked at Nana. “And only if it’s good news and you swear to tell us and no one else. Especially not the kids.”
Nana pursed out her lips and then she lifted her chin. “Will you tell me the truth about how you came to be a fairy werewolf? How you saved Wisconsin and ended up with a magical child?”
Laddin and Bruce shared a look, the question and answer clear within a few breaths. Then, together, they nodded.
“Very well,” Laddin said. “It’s a deal, but I expect you to keep your word.”
“Of course,” Nana said. “I agree.” And then, to everyone’s shock, a tiny little butterfly floated up from the sleeve of her coat and danced away—the same thing that happened when a fairy made a promise.
Holy moly, Laddin realized with shock. Nana was a fairy. That was how she knew all this stuff. His grandmother was a fairy!
She must have seen the shock on his face and realized that he’d seen the butterfly and knew the significance of it. But all she did was sit down at the kitchen table and gesture at Laddin.
“Make me some tea, please. And then tell me everything! Your mother’s going to be at least an hour with that baby.”
She was probably right. They could hear his mother talking to Aaron through the baby monitor. She said all sorts of things, but Laddin had grown up enjoying those talks. It was one of the most cherished memories he had of his childhood, that hour he and Mama used to spend every night talking about everything before bed.
Which meant that they had time, and Nana knew it.
So Bruce heated up the lasagna, Laddin brewed the tea, and together they talked with Nana. They told her the truth, and she, in turn, told them her predictions, all of which eventually came true.
It turned out that having a fairy grandmother was especially useful when raising four magical children.
KATHY LYONS is the wild, adventurous half of USA Today best selling author Jade Lee. A lover of all things fantastical, Kathy spent much of her childhood in Narnia, Middle Earth, Amber, and Earthsea, just to name a few. “There is nothing I adore more than to turn around on an ordinary day and experience something magical. It happens all the time in real life and in my books.” Her love of comedy came later as she began to see the ridiculousness in life.
Winner of several industry awards including the Prism—Best of the Best, the Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award, and Fresh Fiction’s Steamiest Read, Kathy has published over sixty romance novels and is still going strong.
Her hobbies include racquetball, rollerblading, and TV/movie watching with her husband. She’s a big fan of the Big Bang Theory (even though it’s over), and her favorite movie is The Avengers because she loves everything created by Joss Whedon. And she’d love to share all things geek with you in person at any of her many appearances. She’s usually found at the loudest table in the coffee shop or next to the dessert bar. To keep up with all things Lyons/Lee, sign up for her newsletter at www.KathyLyons.com. You’ll get early peeks, fresh news, chances to meet her in person, plus prizes and geeky gifts.
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By Kathy Lyons
WERE-GEEKS SAVE THE WORLD
Were-Geeks Save Wisconsin
Were-Geeks Save Lake Wacka Wacka
Published by Dreamspinner Press
www.dreampsinnerpress.com
Published by
DREAMSPINNER PRESS
5032 Capital Circle SW, Suite 2, PMB# 279, Tallahassee, FL 32305-7886 USA
www.dreamspinnerpress.com
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of author imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Were-Geeks Save Lake Wacka Wacka
© 202
0 Kathy Lyons
Cover Art
© 2020 Paul Richmond
http://www.paulrichmondstudio.com
Cover content is for illustrative purposes only and any person depicted on the cover is a model.
All rights reserved. This book is licensed to the original purchaser only. Duplication or distribution via any means is illegal and a violation of international copyright law, subject to criminal prosecution and upon conviction, fines, and/or imprisonment. Any eBook format cannot be legally loaned or given to others. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of the Publisher, except where permitted by law. To request permission and all other inquiries, contact Dreamspinner Press, 5032 Capital Circle SW, Suite 2, PMB# 279, Tallahassee, FL 32305-7886, USA, or www.dreamspinnerpress.com.
Mass Market Paperback ISBN: 978-1-64108-177-1
Trade Paperback ISBN: 978-1-64405-312-6
Digital ISBN: 978-1-64405-311-9
Library of Congress Control Number: 2020937830
Digital published October 2020
v. 1.0
