Rebirth (Rogues Shifter Series)

by Gayle Parness

  No one spoke for a moment. “This way, she has to accept the challenge, she has no choice. And yeah, he could die.” I felt a small shiver run down my spine and suddenly Garrett’s hand was there supporting my back, holding me steady. “But surprise is our best defense,” I heard him chuckle. “Garrett is much stronger than Eleanor realizes. My vampire will kick her ass from here to Hawaii.” I wrapped his arms around me, my back pressed against his chest. “I support his plan.”

  There was silence for only a moment. “We’re in,” said Ethan grinning at me. Sinc had a tear running down her cheek and even Kyle nodded and looked impressed. Rob gave a small salute in our direction and started laughing. Liam came over and had a few quiet words with Garrett, then nodded to me and left.

  The rest of us sat around for two more hours discussing strategy. We decided to use one of the natural clearings near the shore of the island for the site of the duel, keeping the vamps away from the small house. We’d position our fighters facing the ocean and the vamps with their backs to the water. Although they could swim, they were never happy about it, so it might put them at a disadvantage. We discussed where the team should set up our equipment and how best to use our resources.

  Rob took me and Garrett aside and said, “Jackie, you should think about running for council in a few years.” We laughed and I hugged him goodbye then walked over to Kyle to ask about Peter. Rob’s voice was quiet but our ears were very sharp. “Garrett, when you finish with Eleanor, I want to be your best man.”

  The room got really quiet, really fast. Looking a little uncomfortable, Ethan, Kyle and Sinc waved their goodbyes and left.

  “We haven’t actually discussed marriage, Robert.“

  “Ask her, Garrett.” He turned away, winked at me and then followed the others out.

  “That was awkward.” I said. I’d never expected him to propose to me; in fact I didn’t think shifters or vampires actually married. I thought there was the three part mating ritual and then that was it. I guessed maybe a lot of them married for legal reasons and others for religious reasons.

  I walked to the window and looked out at the waning moon. Marriage wouldn’t change anything between us, but I’d go through the whole dress/cake/ceremony thing if it made him happy. I turned to him and smiled so he’d know that I wasn’t upset by what Rob had said.

  “Rob was married to his love, Lynette. He just wants us to be happy like they were. My parents were mated, not married, and they were the happiest couple I ever knew.” He walked to me slowly, still unsure, and reached out to hold my hands. “Marriage is a choice but it isn’t a requirement for happiness, at least not for me. I’ll give you a huge wedding if it’s what you want.” He ran his warm knuckles down my cheek to my chin, neck and collarbone and on cue I shivered, my body making it clear what it desired. I thought about a life without Garrett and tried to gather up my courage.

  I took his hand and turned once more toward the moon, bringing him along with me. He stroked my hair and kissed my head so I leaned back against him and wrapped his arms tightly around my body crossing them over my chest as we stared out the large window at the woods beyond. “I don’t need a big wedding. The mating ritual will be perfect, whatever the third part is.”

  “What you did tonight, supporting me even though you’re afraid and very angry, meant everything.”

  I turned and faced him, my need rolling off of me in waves. “I love you. If you’re going to take this risk and face Eleanor alone… If I might only have one or two weeks with you…”

  “I’ll destroy her and then we’ll...”

  I put my finger gently on his lips and spoke softly. “Please hear what I’m saying. I’ll support you with my whole heart. But tonight we’re together, and I need you. I need to be yours in every way possible.” I leaned in and kissed him, my arms around his neck, my brain shutting down as my body warmed up. I pulled away and smiled at my handsome mate. “I need you to cave,” I teased him, wondering if he’d remember his little speech when I’d first moved into his lovely home.

  His expressive eyes were starting to darken and glisten with silver sparks, like the stars that I’d wished on my whole life. Leaning closer, he whispered next to my ear, “You shine like an angel in the moonlight, and I would never refuse my angel anything.” His smile had turned wicked, making my heart beat quicken like a rabbit’s. My toes curled up when he grabbed a handful of my hair and drew me in for another kiss.

  “Not feeling too angelic at the moment.” I managed to pant out before the next kiss scrambled my brain and made my skin catch on fire.

  He led me into his bedroom with his huge bed and his satin sheets, moonlight streaming in through the large windows. We stopped when we reached the foot of the bed. He took the band out of my hair letting my blonde waves fall across my shoulders. He held me tightly against him and said in a husky whisper, “I’ve never brought a woman to this bed. I want tonight to be perfect for you, Jacqueline.” Through our connection, I felt his desire but also his fear that he’d hurt me.

  I took a step away from him so he could see my face. “I trust you.” It was a simple statement, but it meant more to both of us than we could ever put into words. I hoped that he believed me, because I did trust him. I trusted him with my body and my heart, even though I was scared. The only experience I’d had being intimate… I shook off the memory of that boy. I was in my lover’s arms and I was his tonight, and he was mine.

  I smiled and ran my hand across his chest. “My dark angel…”

  Enjoying the name, he grinned and translated, “Mon ange sombre.”

  When he slid a hand under my shirt at my lower back and pushed me against him, I almost stopped breathing. He kissed my hair, my ear, my neck, my collarbone then ran his lips back up to my mouth where he kissed me hard, his fangs tugging at my lower lip when we finally pulled apart.

  In the silver glow of the moonlight we undressed each other, crawling into bed to love and laugh and deepen our commitment. The magic of the lines pulsed with the rhythm of our lovemaking, connecting our spirits and enhancing our pleasure. Garrett made love to me with a gentle skill and an urgent passion and all bad memories dissolved with each kiss and tender touch. We fell asleep utterly content; two lovers, two rogues.

  Chapter Thirty-seven

  I woke up in my own bed, alone but relaxed and glowing with pleasure. Stretching languidly, I took the time to remember each precious moment from the previous night. Now I was his mate in every way possible, so when I jumped in the shower, I found myself humming a song and making a fool of myself as I did a silly happy dance.

  After dressing and drying my hair I went looking for Liam. He was sitting on the patio reading what looked like a very old book with a thick leather cover, written in a strange language that I didn’t recognize. Liam put the book down as I walked outside to join him.

  His mouth turned up in a small smile when I sat across from him. “Your aura is a more vibrant emerald.” He took a deep breath. ”You smell of magic. Your support empowers your mate. Eleanor will have a very difficult fight on her hands.”

  Liam always got right down to the essence of things. “I can’t really help him during the fight, can I? That’s not allowed, is it?”

  “No, but you have done much already. You give him faith and a reason to win. He has always had the ability, but not always the confidence or the motivation.” I felt a nudge on my wall so I opened to Liam, curious as to why he wanted to converse mentally.

  “Jacqueline Crawford, I would like to offer you my assistance in learning to use the magic of the ley lines and the powers with which you have been gifted. I must tell you that if you accept my offer, you may not speak of our work together to anyone except Garrett. This will be a serious agreement between us and if our secrecy is breached by you or Garrett, then death may result. An agreement of this kind with a seelie fae is a magical binding and not something to take lightly.”

  I held my expression in check, not wanting to show him any
fear, but my heart was racing. A line of sweat dampened my hairline. “May I ask you, Liam, why you’re offering me this astonishing gift? I don’t mean to be disrespectful; I just don’t feel that I can make a decision without knowing.”

  “I am a warrior, Jacqueline, but also a healer, just as you are both. My mother is human, my father, fae. Maintaining a balance of power between the supernatural world and the human world is important to me. If you are trained correctly you would naturally work toward this end as well. It has been clear from the beginning that your innate instincts are to heal and not to fight. Maya and Garrett are great warriors, but not healers, and understandably, they can only see the world from their perspective. If you are trained solely by them, then you may not retain your balance. That could be a dangerous thing for our two worlds.”

  “You mean I could cross over to the dark side?” I laughed but saw quickly that Liam wasn’t amused at all. “Please forgive me. This is all very new to me still. How long would this training last?”

  “We could set our agreement to last for no more than three cycles of the moon, six hours per week and then we can review your progress. I would be your teacher and would expect your focus and your compliance during our training sessions, even if the work is difficult. Our relationship outside of those six hours would be as it has been, Miss Jacqueline.” Somehow I felt he wouldn't be addressing me that way during our lessons.

  He sat quietly while he waited for my answer. I'd be an idiot not to agree, but I had no experience with the fae. The amount of magic that surrounded him on a daily basis was staggering. He was more dangerous than Garrett, Eleanor and her entire nest put together.

  In the end it was his long term loyalty to Garrett that convinced me. He wanted to help us. “I accept your offer. How do we seal this agreement?”

  “With magic.”

  Oh. Big surprise there. He grabbed my hand and led me quickly over the patio and into the woods. We walked down a path I'd traveled several times in the past week, but it looked nothing like what I remembered. Here there were trees with shining white trucks and iridescent leaves that looked like tiny fingers, instead of the usual conifers and oaks. I looked down at the path we walked, but instead of pine needles, flower petals caressed my bare feet, their stirring filling the air with a pungent bouquet.

  We came to a lovely clearing where a gently flowing stream was fed by a golden waterfall, the sound of the moving water making a glorious music. Where was this place? Was this Faerie? I found myself too awed to ask a question, afraid that the sound of my voice would shatter this beautiful illusion.

  "We're in a sacred place in your world, where fae magic is strong." HIs golden hair started to float around his head in a wondrous manner and his eyes glittered like violet diamonds. I felt a little lightheaded, as if I'd fallen down the rabbit hole, so he seated me on the banks of the stream and then sat next to me.

  He began to sing a few short phrases in an exquisitely beautiful language and I lost myself in his music and his eyes and his spirit.

  Jacqueline Crawford, by magic, do you agree to be trained by me, Liam, Son of Caelen, to use the magic of the ley lines and to keep this secret from all but your mate Garrett?”

  “I agree.”

  A rune-covered goblet appeared out of nowhere, filled with water from the stream which glistened with rainbow colors. He offered it to me and I drank without hesitation, because I knew that it would be the most delicious water I'd ever tasted. It was even more: the finest wine, the sweetest juice, the most powerful potion. Gold sparkled in his eyes as he watched me drink greedily, taking it away when he felt I'd had enough. He downed what was left as I stared at his face, annoyed that he'd denied me the rest. The goblet disappeared and he smiled curiously.

  "Not many non-fae can drink more than a swallow."

  "I was so thirsty." He laughed and suddenly we were standing once more on the patio behind Garrett's house. How did we get back here so fast?

  “We begin tomorrow at noon.” He nodded in the fae manner then turned away to continue his work out in the garden as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened. I pulled up some power and watched the tendrils of rainbow colored energy still spiraling around him. I had to admit, Liam was a little spooky, especially outside of Garrett’s house. I could only imagine what kind of power he pulled in when he was battling an enemy. His scent, which somehow covered me, was exotically fragrant and enticing. I turned away, thinking that I needed to clear my head.

  Chapter Thirty-eight

  I sat down to a small bowl of cereal and a cup of coffee, not feeling very hungry even though I hadn’t eaten since last night’s steak. Still, I thought It was probably a good idea to put some real food in my stomach. The small amount of fae magic I’d ingested made every nerve ending tingle in a very pleasant way, plus all my usually acute senses were going into sensory overload.

  A few spoonfuls of cereal and sips of coffee later, I realized that maybe what I’d done wasn’t so smart after all. It wasn’t taking in magic that bothered me. It was that I’d just made a binding agreement with a fae. Garrett wasn’t going to be happy. Liam had kind of glamoured me with his purple eyes and his floating golden hair and his adorable smile. Garrett trusted him with his life and I was growing to like him, but there was something—alien about him. Weres and vampires had been human once and the shifters I knew were just like a lot of the people I’d grown up with. But Liam was other in a very obvious way. Who knows what his true motivation might be for making this agreement. Well, I couldn’t take it back now, so I was going to have to trust that Liam meant no harm.

  After breakfast I called Carly to see how she was doing, then gave Sinc a call to plan a possible lunch date. Still feeling buzzed from Liam's magic, I decided to go out for a run. I made sure to stay in the approved areas under Maya's protective shield, not feeling up to another run in with Lily.

  I walked in the front door to find Garrett sitting at the desk in his study working at his computer. I walked over to hug him and he grabbed me and pulled me into his lap.

  "Any regrets?" He whispered as he nuzzled my ear.

  I gave him a gentle kiss at the corner of his mouth. "Last night was perfect."

  He took a sniff and his eyes widened. “Jackie, I smell fae on you. That’s Liam.” His eyebrows arched in curiosity.

  I swallowed. “I kind of…have to tell you something. I hope you won’t get upset.” He just looked at me, patiently waiting. “You absolutely can’t tell anyone else, ok? Please, you have to promise me.”

  He nodded. “I promise.” He didn’t seem angry, but I hadn’t actually told him yet. I opened my mind to him, but found that he was closed up tight, so I nudged him and he let down his wall.

  “Today Liam offered to train me in how to use the ley lines. He said I could only tell you, on pain of possible death. The agreement is for three months, six hours a week. He took me down the path out back, only it looked nothing like it does normally. We drank some kind of water that was infused with fae magic.”

  “And you didn’t think that I should have shared in a decision that could theoretically cause your death?” His eyes darkened. Never a good sign.

  “Wait a minute!” I said out loud then switched back to mind speech. “Who just announced that he was fighting a duel to the death with a vicious vampire without consulting me first? I’m trying to be a grownup here. I made the decision so that I can learn to use the lines more quickly to help you and the team. I have a sneaky suspicion that Liam’s class isn't going to be an easy ‘A'.

  “The fae rarely do anything without getting something in return. What did you promise him?”

  “Nothing, really. He asked for my compliance when he was teaching me and he said our relationship the rest of the time would be the same as always. He wouldn’t force me to do anything…evil…would he?”

  “Liam has been loyal to me for over a century and I trust him completely. But the fae are a strange collection of beings. He’ll use you if it suits h
im.”

  “So I messed up?” I asked, glancing at his face to see if he was still angry.

  “No, I think it’ll be fine. I just want you to be aware that the fae aren’t what they seem. What you see is a handsome young man with perfect manners and a warm smile. But he kills as viciously as any vampire and he’s more powerful than all the other supes put together. The fae are made of magic. And Liam is an unusual case."

  "Unusual, in what way?"

  Until he came to me, Liam had spent 1400 years almost exclusively in Faerie, as is the case with most fae. He'd had absolutely no contact with humans, except for his mother, who may as well be fae at this point, and very little normal contact with other supernatural groups. Now that he's spent a century with me, he's become fascinated by other races. He wants to learn as much as he can about how others live and work and love. Having you here, must be like a dream come true for him."

  "He's fond of you."

  Garrett smiled. "We've become like brothers over the years. Just do me a favor and don’t make any more bargains without talking to me about it. I don't want you to become part of an experiment."

  "He wants to help me because he thinks it'll help you.”

  "Oh, so you think you understand his motives after knowing him for how many days???" He held my wrist up to his nose and said out loud in his sexiest voice, “So are you going to share?”

  “Share what?” I asked, grinning.

  “The fae magic,” He grazed my wrist with his fangs.

  "What happened to 'I'll never drink from you unless you offer it."

  "I'm asking nicely." He kissed up my arm and then moved even further to nibbled my earlobe. My heart started pounding wildly.