Oberon Boxed Set (Books 1-3) Welcome to Oberon

by P. G. Forte

  “You know, I meant what I said about your dog,” Siobhan said, getting up suddenly, and following him to the door. “I mean, if you want any tips, or anything, I’d be more than happy to—”

  “Yeah, thanks. I’ll think about it,” he said, as he stepped outside. “G’night.”

  “Oh. Uh, sure. You, too. Take care of—”

  The closing of the door behind him cut her words off mid-sentence. Ryan pulled his hood up over his head and started off down the path. It was only just starting to drizzle, but he figured he stood a pretty good chance of getting drenched again before he reached home. He was more than halfway there before he remembered the bag of clothes he’d left behind. No point in going back for them now. They weren’t anything he couldn’t bear to lose, after all.

  Plus, they’d make a convenient excuse for seeing her again.

  The thought took him by surprise. He had no plans there, he reminded himself. No plans there at all. At least, not right now, he didn’t.

  * * * *

  Well, what the hell had that been all about, Siobhan wondered, as she carefully replaced the rock back into its bucket. She reached for the switch that would turn out the table lamps, and stood for a moment in the darkness, thinking about it. One moment both instinct and experience had been warning her that he was about to kiss her and then the next—

  For someone with a bad leg, he’d sure moved fast enough getting out of here. And he’d been absolutely rude about her offer to help with his dog. She tried not to feel annoyed about that. Because, really, it was for the best. She couldn’t imagine what had prompted her to repeat the offer, anyway. It was a dangerous thing to have done, and she should have known better. She ought to be grateful for his lack of interest. Who knew what it might have led to, otherwise?

  Lately, she had found herself prey to such strange, frightening, almost predatory moods. Moods which seemed often to strike without warning. Almost anything could trigger one. A look. A smile. A certain type of song.

  And then, it was an almost alien heat that would come over her. As though it wasn’t blood that coursed in her veins any longer, but a thick, scalding magma that blasted the soft flesh it passed through. To the roots of her hair, she would feel herself on the verge of igniting. And beneath it all, fueling the fires and feeding on them as well, was the almost insatiable desire to feel herself consumed, to be undone, to give herself over completely to the burning need that had taken control of her being.

  It had nothing to do with love – that much was painfully obvious. It wasn’t even purely lust, at least she didn’t think it was. It felt a lot more like loneliness than desire. Or even a deep, rather desperate need for an absolution she knew she would never receive.

  She returned to the kitchen, put some more water on for tea, and began to straighten up, annoyed to find herself feeling at loose ends. This little interlude with Ryan had been an aberration. She had plenty to occupy her time tonight, at least as much as she ever did. First she would clear the table. And then wash the dishes. And then she’d make herself some more tea. Some chai, perhaps—that would be warming. And then a nice bubble bath. Long and warm and—

  Her thoughts broke off abruptly as she took a second look at the plate in her hand.

  He’d left the crusts of his sandwiches.

  It was such a little thing, but it evoked the memory of her daughter Emily so clearly that she shuddered as the aching sense of loss pierced her heart anew. Emmie had always been intractable in her refusal to eat her crusts. Unlike her sister. But then, Siobhan had sometimes suspected that Beth had eaten hers merely because she’d been afraid of hurting her sandwich’s feelings by leaving any of it uneaten.

  “I wouldn’t ever forget you, babies,” she whispered. Tears sprang to her eyes, and on the stove, the tea kettle set up a shrill keening. “I promise. I’ll never forget you. Not ever.”

  * * * *

  Nick came awake all at once; his heart pounding, the echo of Scout’s scream ringing in his ears. She was still asleep, still struggling to find her way out of the nightmare that had gripped her. She fought against him as he reached for her.

  It was getting worse, he thought as he worked to get his arms around her. Whatever was causing these dreams, they were coming more frequently now, and waking her out of them was getting progressively more difficult.

  “Scout. Come on, honey. It’s okay. Wake up,” he murmured, shaking her gently. Her eyes shot open and she stared at him, uncomprehending. “It’s okay,” he repeated patiently. “I’m right here. It was only a dream.”

  “Nick?” Her face crumpled and she sagged against his chest, softly sobbing. “Oh, God.”

  His arms tightened around her. “Shh, don’t cry, Jen,” he whispered against her hair, holding her while she cried, waiting for her to grow calm, as he knew she would; wondering if tonight was the night she’d finally tell him what was bothering her. “You’re all right now.”

  “I’m sorry,” she murmured at last.

  “It’s okay,” he said, again, adding wearily. “I just wish you’d tell me what’s wrong.”

  “I’ve told you,” she answered, her voice tight with tension. “I can’t remember. I know that, whatever it is, it’s terrifying. But by the time I realize I’m dreaming it’s gone again.”

  “I know. You’ve told me. It’s just...” His voice trailed off as he realized what he was on the verge of saying. It’s just that I’m having a hard time believing that you’re not holding out on me.

  He didn’t know why that should be the case, but true or not, it was how he felt. And he was equally certain how she’d react if he told her of his doubts. The truth had always been a sore point between them. He’d accused her of lying too many times when she hadn’t been.

  Now he had no choice but to believe whatever she told him.

  “Nick?” Her voice was soft and tentative. He felt a fragile ray of hope.

  “Yes?” he answered, just as softly. His hands stroked down her back in what he hoped was an encouraging gesture.

  “Do you ever think about your heart?”

  He blinked in surprise. And then smiled, ruefully. “Yeah, hon, sure I do. Ever since you’ve been back, I’ve thought about it a lot.”

  “No.” She sat up, frowning in the semi-darkness. “I mean your actual heart – the way it keeps beating and beating. Think about it. It’s just a muscle. And our hearts have been beating for decades, already. Wouldn’t you think they’d get tired, just like any other muscle? But they can’t ever rest. It’s frightening, isn’t it?”

  “I guess. I mean, I’ve never really thought about it like that before. It’s what they do, after all.”

  “I know. It’s just... there are times when, if I think too much about it, I’m almost afraid to go to sleep, you know? What if, what if it just... stops?”

  He pulled her back down against him. “It won’t. Stop thinking like that. There’s nothing wrong with your heart, Scout. There’s no reason for it to stop yet – not for years and years.”

  “Oh, I know.” She sighed. “In my head I know that’s true, it’s just— well, now there’s the baby to think of, too. Every time I see the doctor and we can hear his heart, it’s like a miracle. And it always sounds so strong and that’s so reassuring. But if something were to happen to me right now? Don’t you ever think about things like that?”

  “No,” he told her, firmly. “Never. And you shouldn’t either. Come on, now. Stop worrying. Let’s get some sleep.”

  She yawned. “All right. I’ll try.”

  Within the space of a few minutes she had fallen asleep again. But for Nick, sleep would not come so easily. His hand rested on her belly, where their baby was sleeping as well, he guessed, since he could detect no motion beneath her skin’s surface. He thought about how close he’d come to losing her last summer. And how, afterwards, it hadn’t seemed to matter what the future held for them, as long as they could face it together.

  That was the only thing he’d thought
about then. The only thing he’d cared about. The only thing he’d wanted. Just to be with her. And he’d been sure that he would gladly do whatever life required of him – whatever became necessary – to keep them together. To keep her happy. To keep her safe. But lately, he’d found himself wondering if he hadn’t been fooling himself.

  The need to protect her was as strong now as it had ever been. But how was he supposed to do that, when he didn’t even know what he was protecting her from?

  After a few minutes, Nick slipped out of bed, being careful not to wake her. He dressed quietly before he headed down the stairs. He was pretty sure he had a pack of cigarettes in the car, but the stores were still open, so either way he was okay.

  He didn’t bother to leave a note. She slept so soundly, he didn’t think even the noise of the engine would wake her. And even if it did, she’d probably assume that was where he was going, anyway.

  * * * *

  The man stood beneath the ancient pine trees. Watching. It was a miserable night; cold and wet. But he didn’t care about that. He couldn’t really feel the cold, anyway. The anger flaming inside him was hot enough to keep him warm. Hot as the fires of hell, he thought, wryly. Which was fitting enough. He stared through the window, eyes burning as they tracked Siobhan’s every move. He’d been right about the need to come back here tonight and check up on her. It looked like she was up to her old tricks again. He watched as she closed everything down for the night, as she worked her way around the small infirmary, going from pen to pen, her face gentle with compassion. Moving calmly through her routine as if she hadn’t a care in the world. As though her conscience was clear. As though her black soul was free from sin.

  “I bet you’d like to think that, too, wouldn’t you, bitch?” he whispered. “You’d really like to believe that was true, huh? Wouldn’t you? Yeah, I know you would.”

  He shuddered when desire seized hold of his gut and twisted. The way the light shone on her face now, she looked just like an angel; which was how almost everyone thought of her. How they’d always thought of her. Saint Siobhan. The angelic. The compassionate. The guiltless.

  But he knew her better than that.

  He knew she’d been graced with the power to make ordinary men act like devils. But he had been given something even better: the power to keep her in line.

  And it looked like it was high time she received another lesson.

  Back to Top

  * * * *

  Chapter Five

  * * * *

  Siobhan was deeply immersed in her Marine Biology program when Ryan returned to the nature center, shortly before noon the following day. But because he’d come in so quietly and blended in so well with the parents who had accompanied the class on their field trip, it was a while before she realized he was there. She’d been marginally aware of him, only as a large figure leaning idly against one of the display cases. It wasn’t until she’d turned to the man, intending to offer a couple of suggestions on how he might make himself more useful to the children, that she realized who he was.

  “Oh, it’s you. I’m sorry, I thought you were someone else,” she said stupidly, before she managed to get her tongue under control.

  He smiled at her. “Yeah, I get that a lot.” His hair was still misted from the soft rain that had been falling all morning and his sea-colored eyes gave no hint at what he was thinking. “Mind if I watch?”

  “Uh, no. Not at all,” she said, forgetting in the confusion of the moment, her own most unbendable rule. Everyone participates. No one gets to just stand around and watch. “Actually, yes,” she corrected herself, once she’d recovered. “I do mind. Come with me.”

  She crooked her finger at him, noting the surprise in his eyes as she motioned him towards one of the tables. “Now, there’s a very special animal in this tank.” She paused to smile at the ten year old boy who looked up from the hand lens he’d been using to examine a corner of the rock in his tank. “But Jason hasn’t been able to find it, yet.”

  She took the lens from the boy and handed it to Ryan. “Why don’t you see if you can’t help him with that. Okay?”

  The alarm in Ryan’s eyes grew more pronounced, he took the lens reluctantly. “Uh, sure. I guess I could do that.”

  Stage fright, she thought to herself, unsurprised. She’d worked with a lot of volunteers over the years. They almost all started out like this. They either got over it, or they went away.

  She smiled at him encouragingly. “This is an animal you’re already familiar with, Ryan. After you find it, you can tell Jason what it eats and what other animals it’s related to and—”

  A question from another student about the plankton sample she’d collected that morning distracted her just as Ryan bent to peer into the tank. After that she was kept too busy with other matters to pay any more attention to him. By the time she’d begun the wrap up discussion she’d almost forgotten he was there. It wasn’t until the class was headed out the door and the two volunteers who’d been assisting her, Gail and Erin, had begun cleaning things up, that she was suddenly reminded of his presence.

  “Like some help with that?” She heard his calm voice ask matter-of-factly from somewhere behind her. She turned at the sound of it. Ready to smilingly take him up on his offer. Eager to learn what had brought him here today. Only to find he’d been speaking to Erin, who was in the process of folding one of the tables.

  Erin smiled in response, “Sure. Thanks.”

  Siobhan took note of the frank appreciation in the younger woman’s gaze. She retreated to the other side of the room and went to work straightening up some of the mess on her desk. She must have been out of her mind last night, worrying that he might want to kiss her. Obviously, he liked his women young. Very young. Erin was still in college, for heaven’s sake!

  It hadn’t escaped her notice that it wasn’t Gail – only a few years her junior – whom he’d offered to assist, either.

  The most embarrassing aspect of the whole thing though, were the dreams she’d had last night. Very detailed dreams they’d been, and Ryan had been a featured player. Now, the sound of his voice was bringing the memory of them back all too vividly. She could feel her cheeks start to burn as heat pooled in her lower body. When Erin laughed suddenly, at some remark he’d made, Siobhan had to bite her lip to keep from saying something scathing in response. She opened a drawer and began blindly shoving papers into it.

  “You okay, Siobhan?” Gail asked curiously. Siobhan jumped. She hadn’t even realized the other woman was close by.

  She forced a smile. “Yeah, sure. I was just thinking about the uh... about the dinner that’s coming up,” she said, glancing at the envelope in her hand. “It’s less than two weeks away and there’s still so much to do to get ready for it.”

  “I know just what you mean.” Gail smiled too. “Finding a dress. Finding the right shoes to go with it. Making time for a manicure. Tell me, did you find a date, yet?”

  “What?” Siobhan felt her cheeks burn hotter than before. She was all too aware of the way voices carried in the empty room. “No. And I don’t plan to. The only reason I go to these things is because they benefit one of our biggest sponsors. Well... that and the fact that I help organize them.”

  Gail looked surprised. “Really? But if you’re going to be there anyway, you might as well have a good time, don’t you think? And what about the dancing? You don’t want to sit out the entire evening.”

  “Oh, I really don’t care about that,” Siobhan murmured as she went back to cleaning off the top of her desk. “It’s a fund raiser. That’s all. I don’t even think about it in terms of enjoying myself.”

  “No? Well, I sure do. This one sounds like it’ll be even better than last year’s. I, for one, plan to enjoy myself thoroughly,” Gail said with a grin as she zipped up her jacket. “And anyway, what are you talking about? I’ve seen you at these things before. You’ve always looked like you were enjoying yourself. But hey, don’t worry about it. If you chang
e your mind, I could probably lend you Larry, for a couple of dances. Just promise not to wear him out, okay?”

  “Thanks, Gail. Maybe I’ll take you up on that.” Siobhan watched the other woman leave, then turned to find Erin putting on her coat, as well.

  “Well, I think we’ve got everything put away,” Erin told her. “So, I’m gonna head out now, too. Unless you need help bringing the rocks back?”

  Siobhan shook her head. “No, thanks anyway, Erin. I want to wait for low tide, and that’s not for another couple of hours. Don’t worry, I can handle it.”

  Truth was, she could almost always use an extra hand, but right now it was more important that everyone leave. The cottage wasn’t the largest space in the world, but it had never seemed as small as it did at that moment.

  Unfortunately, Ryan gave no indication that he was planning to go anywhere soon.

  Siobhan took a deep breath and plastered a big smile on her face. “So, Ryan. What can I do for you?”

  “Not a thing.” He shrugged. “Actually, I just stopped by to return the clothes you lent me last night. I put them back where I found them, by the way. Was that okay?”

  “Oh. Uh, yes. Yes, that’s fine. Thank you,” she said, growing angry as she heard herself stumble over the words. It had been a long time since anyone had managed to keep her off-balance like this, and she didn’t like the feeling any better now than she ever had.

  “So, what were you planning to do now?” he asked, before she could figure out a polite way to get rid of him.

  Siobhan smiled. She had an answer to that, one that would get them both off the hook. “Actually, I really need to take my dog out for his walk. So, if you’ll excuse me...”

  “What a coincidence,” he said smoothly, paying no attention to her implied dismissal. “That’s just what I was gonna do, too. My dog’s waiting for me outside. I thought I’d walk down to Beach Hoppers while I was at it, and grab some lunch. Care to join me?”