Lauren was so tightly wound that he couldn’t help but slip his hand into hers as she stood frozen in place. “It will be all right. She is just your sister.”
“Yes, of course,” she replied. For a moment, he thought she was going to pull her hand away, but she did not.
Tait might have expected a hundred different types of women to walk through the front door but not the one that did. She was certainly the same lovely woman Sam had manifested beneath the ash tree when she directed him back in time, but there was more to her somehow. Matthew seemed to sense it as well because his dragon went on high alert.
Even Lauren seemed surprised as she narrowed her eyes and whispered, “Erica?”
Confused, Tait watched as Erica removed her jacket then approached Lauren slowly. He took in her lithe stature and the smooth glide of her movements. She possessed a level of confidence he rarely saw.
Erica’s words were soft but unmistakable as she took Lauren’s hands and met her eyes. “It’s good to see you again, Sister Dragon.”
Chapter Fourteen
LAUREN’S WORLD FLIPPED upside down as she stared into Erica’s eyes and felt a sense of familiarity far beyond merely being sisters in this life. “You’re her,” she whispered. “Maeva?”
“I think so,” Erica confirmed and embraced her. “Though I’m not entirely sure what that means yet.”
Lauren had no idea what to make of any of this. Not Erica’s attire nor her changed personality. At one point in time, her sister had been a cutthroat lawyer who became extremely successful at a very young age. In fact, that was how Lauren met Charles. He had hired Erica. She dressed in nothing but the finest clothing and was as ruthless when dealing with people, including her sisters, as she was in the courtroom.
Or at least she used to be.
Now Lauren wasn’t sure who she was looking at. While Erica was still smartly dressed, it wasn’t in her usual pantsuit but in a casual pair of stylish jeans and a tasteful, scoop-necked top. Lauren’s eyes narrowed on the thin ridge of faint tattoos stemming along Erica’s collarbone. Tattoos? Erica? Her eyes widened when she realized what they were.
Runic symbols.
Lauren was too stunned to speak, so Erica introduced herself to Tait, Matthew then Sven as he came back inside. Everyone except Tait seemed taken by her. But then Erica had always had a way with men. But not Tait apparently based on the way he shifted closer to Lauren and put a protective hand on her back.
Erica didn’t miss the gesture yet instead of mentioning it, she said the last thing Lauren expected. “Charles will be here very soon. I suggest you do not kill him, Tait.”
Lauren’s blood grew sluggish. “Come again?”
“He has been trying to visit you since you signed your divorce papers.” Erica headed for the kitchen. “I’ve managed to keep him away all this time by telling him you were fighting an illness. Now that Tait has arrived, it’s time.”
“Time for what?” Lauren shook her head. “I don’t ever want to see him again. I do not understand why he’s coming.”
Erica didn’t respond but grabbed a beer from the refrigerator then introduced herself to everyone else. At least the way she owned a room hadn’t changed. What was she doing drinking a beer, though? The last she knew, her little sister only drank top shelf liquor.
Erica took a hearty swig before her eyes returned to Tait. “So do you intend to listen to me, dragon?”
Meanwhile, Emily was ready to burst, likely off of Erica’s initial dragon sister comment, and now this.
“I knew it, I just knew it!” Emily cried and tugged on Shannon’s shirt. “I told you I saw a dragon just before Christmas.” Her eyes went to Sean and Svala. “Remember that night you carried Santa’s present out of the ocean?” Her eyes only grew wider as she smiled at Svala then her eyes shot to Tait and Matthew. “You’re all dragons, aren’t you?” Her eyes landed on Sven. “Even you?”
Shannon, as usual, seemed remarkably calm as she tucked Emily close, met Sven’s eyes and shook her head slightly. Lauren’s eyes widened at that. Did Shannon know they were all dragons too? That said, did she know she was one? Perhaps even Emily?
“Am I a dragon?” Sven grinned and winked at Emily. “Hard to know.”
Lauren thought his answer was evasive enough. Emily, however, took it as confirmation because she yelped with pleasure and ran into Sven’s arms. He scooped her up, held her on his hip and gave Shannon a sheepish, apologetic look.
“Why is Charles coming here?” Lauren repeated, her eyes narrowed on Erica as she tried to rally all her newfound strength.
“Because I invited him.” Erica’s eyes met Lauren’s. “You’ll see why soon enough.” Her gaze returned to Tait. “So long as your mate does not kill him, everything should work out…one way or another.”
“Tait is not my mate,” Lauren argued, feeling guilty the minute she said it and not quite sure why. “At least not in this life.”
Erica’s eyes held hers. “As you can see, I’ve moved past a lot of my own denial. Haven’t you yet?”
Lauren bristled at her tone. Erica always had a great deal of control over her. That was half the reason she put distance between them. Well, no more. Erica was back, and yes, Lauren was different, so she narrowed her eyes and clenched her fist, surprised to realize she wished she held a weapon. “Watch how you talk to me, Erica.”
Instead of trying to put Lauren in her place like she would have in the past, a soft smile of approval came to Erica’s lips before she looked at Matthew. “Can you hold Tait back? Are you strong enough?” Her eyes went to Sven. “You too. Are you strong enough?”
“I am as strong as I need to be,” Sven said, setting Emily down. “If trouble is coming, Emily should not be here. She should be somewhere safe.”
“I can defend myself just fine,” Emily argued as she leaned against Sven and narrowed her eyes at Matthew. “Even against you.”
Matthew frowned, confused, before Shannon said, “Emily, I think it’s time to get you into bed.” She crossed the room and started to usher her daughter upstairs, but not before she met Matthew’s frown, narrowed her eyes, leaned close and whispered, “You should go home. As soon as possible. I cannot help you with what haunts you.”
What did Shannon mean by that? What was haunting Matthew? And why did Shannon feel obligated to tell him she couldn’t help?
That soon became the least of her worries as a car door slammed shut outside. Was that Charles? Was he already here? She stiffened even more. “Please tell me what is going on, Erica.”
“We just need to open the door,” Erica said softly, heading down the hallway. “Then so long as your mate does not kill him, everything should start to improve.”
Lauren glanced at Tait and frowned. He wouldn’t kill Charles. He didn’t even know him. Yet the look in his eyes was telling. The dangerous glint.
“No.” She held his gaze. “Do not cause him harm, Tait.”
“I will not kill him if you ask it of me.” He frowned. “Just let me be there for you…let me be by your side.”
Interestingly enough, the longer their gazes held, the more strength she felt. Less fearful of Charles. She quickly realized how little fear was left in her. She was no longer searching out a door in her mind. She was no longer trying to tuck away reality.
Despite his heartfelt request, she knew she had to do this alone. So she said, “Please respect my wishes, Tait. I will never forgive you otherwise,” and headed down the hallway after Erica.
For a split second, her nightmare flickered through her mind. Her glance back in time. How Tait had wanted to go with her to face the enemy. To be by her side and support her as she fought to save her sister. Yet she was stubborn and said no. Then he was equally stubborn and followed anyway. Would he again? Though this was a vastly different situation, he seemed to care a great deal.
“I will answer it, Erica,” Lauren said and glanced back, almost positive she would see Tait right behind her. But he wasn’t. Instead
, he remained at the end of the hallway with a troubled look. Frustration with a hint of anger. Yet he stayed put. He respected her wishes.
So far.
Erica’s eyes met Lauren’s. “Are you sure? I don’t mind answering it.”
“I am sure,” Lauren said firmly. “If you were determined to get him here I can only assume that it has to do with me.”
“It does,” Erica confirmed. “I’ll fill you in on everything once this is over.”
Lauren didn’t bother asking why she couldn’t just fill her in beforehand because she knew she would not get an answer. When a knock came at the door, she glanced back at Tait in warning. His posture seemed rigid, as if he were braced to use the dagger tucked at his side. Samantha’s dagger…Eluf’s dagger. Thankfully, Matthew and Sven remained close, ready to stop him if they had to.
She inhaled deeply, braced herself, and opened the door.
The last thing she expected to see was Charles’ unkempt appearance. The dark rings shadowing his eyes and his disheveled hair. The new fine lines on his forehead and around his mouth. He wasn’t the same man he had been months ago. If anything, he looked like he was cracking up.
They stared at each other for several strained moments before he spoke.
“Lauren,” he said tightly as his eyes swept over her. “Finally.”
For a split second, she felt that old familiar hold he had on her rear its ugly head, but she promptly disregarded it. He no longer had that kind of power over her. Instead of getting haughty or defiant, she simply looked at him with pity. “Finally, what Charles?”
“You’re seeing me. Talking to me,” he replied and ran a hand through his hair. Something he would never have done before and risk upsetting his perfect hairstyle. “Why did you sign them? I thought we had an agreement?”
For a second she had absolutely no idea what he was talking about. She was too busy trying to figure out what had ever attracted her to him. Disorderly appearance aside, he was too, what was the word? Pretty? Too rigid and contained. Where was his masculinity? Her eyes dropped to his groin. Not there. Not much of it anyway.
“Lauren, are you listening to me?”
Her eyes returned to his. “I’m sorry, what did you say?”
“Our divorce papers,” he grumbled. “You were never really supposed to sign them.”
“No, I wasn’t, was I?” she murmured, suddenly wondering if the other woman in his life was only with him for his money and status. She had to be. What other reason was there? Because it wasn’t his personality or skills in bed.
“No, you were not supposed to sign them,” he bit out, the Charles she knew so well surfacing. “I’ve managed to keep it from the public this long, but it’s time for you to come home.”
Funny, she hadn’t watched the news once since she returned. She simply didn’t care what was going on in the world. More than that, she couldn’t care less what was going on with him.
She cocked her head as she thought about everything that went into being a politician’s wife. How much in the public eye you really were. “So where did you tell everyone I was all this time?”
“I ended up telling them what Erica recommended,” he huffed. “That you were traveling. That you were visiting long lost family in Norway.”
“Norway, was it?” She chuckled. “How ironic.”
“Why?”
She shrugged and met his frown with a smile. “Because one way or another I was.”
“Well, it is time to come home now,” he reiterated as he offered what she knew was his attempt at a warm smile. “I cannot do this without you, Lauren.” Then his tone darkened. “I refuse to.”
“You refuse to?” She perked her brows, not intimidated by him in the least. Not anymore. Unbuttoning her top two buttons, she rolled her neck and narrowed her eyes. It was time for him to go. No, it was long past time. “I suggest you get back into your car, drive away and never come back.”
“Excuse me?” he said. “I will not. And you better not talk to me like that again.”
“I should have talked to you like this a lot sooner,” she shot back. “In fact, I never should have been with you, to begin with.”
“You can’t possibly mean that—”
“Oh, I mean it.” Red skirted her vision and heat flared beneath her skin that had nothing to do with lust. “Go now, or I will ruin your life, Charles. I will call the news stations and tell them all your secrets.” Her tone turned dry. “For starters, about your long-time affair.”
His eyes widened. “What are you talking about?” he started, but she shook her head and cut him off.
Genuine anger flared. The last emotion she ever intended to waste on him. “You know very well what I am talking about.”
Stark fear flashed in his eyes as he stumbled back. He tried to speak but was clearly too terrified. Satisfaction rocked her as wetness blossomed on the front of his slacks. As he experienced true terror. Seconds later, he was in his car and squealing out of the driveway. While she imagined a tiny part of it had to do with her threats, she figured it mostly had to do with catching a glimpse of her dragon. The otherworldly rage in her catlike eyes.
Good, let him mull that over.
Let him think he was losing his mind as readily as she had over the years.
“You did it, Lauren,” Erica said softly from behind her. “You broke free.”
She had. In more ways than one. Signing those divorce papers hadn’t been enough. She needed to face Charles again. Not to confirm she made the right decision but to see how much she’d changed. Yet when she turned around, she realized Erica had been referring to something else entirely.
Lauren no longer stood inside the house.
Rather, she was standing in the driveway.
“How?” she whispered and shook her head. “When?”
“Just now,” Tait said from the doorway. “You drove him right out of here.”
Though there was pride in his eyes, she noticed his troubled expression hadn’t lessened. He might be pleased by how she handled Charles but he remained upset with her.
“What is it?” she asked even though a part of her knew.
“This has happened to us before, hasn’t it?” he murmured. “I felt it when you exited the house. When you seemed to finally break free from the spell. You would not let me help you. You were determined to face what threatened you alone.” His eyes narrowed slightly. “We have been through something similar before, yes?”
She didn’t want him to know the details of her nightmare but wasn’t surprised he was figuring it out because of their mental connection.
“Yes,” she said softly. “But this was a very different situation. My life with Charles was none of your concern.”
She flinched at her words. At how harsh they may have sounded.
“Yes, it is, Lauren.” There was no missing the anger in his eyes. “The moment I learned how much pain he caused you, he became my concern.” His frown deepened. “He hit you before. Who said he wouldn’t do it again?”
“As you just saw, he was not going to hit me,” she said. “I would not allow it. Never again.”
“And what of the enemy?” he remarked. “What if he had reappeared again and taken you? What if he still does?”
“I know how to protect myself now,” she said before thinking. Because what did she really know? There was no telling if she could fight the enemy again like she had before. As it stood, in this life, she didn’t know how to fight or use a weapon. Her dragon might. Tait’s soul assisting her might. But was all of that enough? More importantly, would all those hidden skills come to her in the nick of time if the enemy appeared?
Tait clenched his jaw, leaned against the edge of the door, crossed his arms over his chest and eyed her for a moment before he nodded. “It is good you have such confidence now. That you no longer need my help.”
She felt his repressed emotions. Things he would rather not feel. Things he didn’t entirely understand. Anger mixed with s
adness. A sense of helplessness. And something more. Something he was tucking so deep inside she couldn’t get a good look at it. Whatever it was, it was strong, and he was trying to deny it.
“I will always need your help,” she said because she meant it. What truly struck her though was that she couldn’t imagine him not being there when she eventually did.
Now or for the rest of her life.
Alarmed but at the same time curious, she headed his way. Tait said nothing, just watched her with a grim expression. That’s when she realized. She knew that expression.
“Oh no,” she whispered and slowed several feet away.
Her sisters sidled past him. Determined to keep her warm, Erica wrapped a heavy fur coat around her shoulders, and Shannon put a hat and scarf on her then handed her gloves. But Lauren didn’t feel a thing as she stared at Tait.
He shrugged and managed a lopsided grin that never quite reached his eyes. “It looks like we’ve switched positions, Lauren.”
“No.” She shook her head and tried to walk in the door but couldn’t. “No,” she half whispered, half growled as she tried again to no avail.
“No,” Tait confirmed, his tone just as frustrated but remarkably calm as his eyes met hers. “Whatever happened, this curse isn’t finished with us.”
“How can you be so calm?” She kept trying to get in but knew better. “Why aren’t you running to all the exits to see if you can get out?”
“Why aren’t you?” he said softly.
She leaned against the doorjamb on the other side, less than a foot away, so close she should be able to reach out and touch him. “Because it will not matter, will it?”
He shook his head.
Lauren remembered how angry she had been the first time this happened. How they blamed each other for it. Now, however, that was the furthest thing from either of their minds it seemed. While she couldn’t speak for him, she felt entirely different this time. Now she felt an acute sense of discomfort, borderline panic. A sense of anxiety that had nothing to do with the curse and everything to do with anything keeping them apart.
Soul of a Viking (The MacLomain Series: Viking Ancestors' Kin Book 3) Page 20
