He pushed her back from the safety of his chest and held her steady by the shoulders. "I am not asking you to marry me, Hailey, so please take that look off your face." She had turned a ghostly white. "I am giving this to you but I don't want you to wear it until you are ready. When I see it on your finger I will know that we can move forward. Until then, we will date. You will be my girlfriend and I, your loving boyfriend."
Dacea traced her arm down to her wrist and pried open her fisted hand. In her palm he pressed the ring and closed her fingers around it. "So, Hailey, girlfriend, love of my life," he punctuated each title with a soft kiss on her lips, "Céile, do you need some time alone or may I spend the day with you?"
Hailey's big eyes looked up at him and nodded. Dacea waited. Her mouth opened and closed as she tried to find the words. "Um, yeah." She cleared her throat. "We can…do something."
He smiled and kissed her again because he could. "Why don't I put this in your jewelry box?" He was taking the ring out of her hand when she snapped it shut.
"No! I mean…I want to wear it." Well, now he was thoroughly baffled and his face must have shown it. "Not like that!" Hailey laughed nervously. "You were right, we are moving too fast and it s-scares me. But I do want," she opened up her hand and smiled a little at the ring, "I want this…eventually."
"A chain then?" She looked up at him confused. "To wear it around your neck," he explained.
"Yeah, a chain would be great."
The turn of events was quite pleasing to Dacea. Their talk helped even though he had to pry the words from her. Since he knew where it was, he went to her dresser and opened the jewelry box he had gotten her. Back in her apartment Hailey had kept her things in a plastic gallon sized bag in her nightstand, everything had been in a tangle of knots. Now they were hung with precision. He found a chain that matched well enough and gave it to her.
"It won't take long," she said as she clasped the necklace behind her neck. "I love you, but I don't take change very well and this is kind of major."
"Take as long as you need." He grabbed her hand pulling her into his arms and kissed her forehead. "Now, let's put your books in order."
Chapter Twenty
She splashed cold water onto her face. Alex and Lia had attempted to fit three years of worth of sex in twenty hours. She was hot, tired, hungry, but most importantly, ready for more. Their hunger for each other had never been so insatiable before. A couple times a week was average and it was a perfectly normal thing to go a few days without sex. They had time, so why rush?
Then he was gone.
All that time they had disappeared in an instant. Lia had spent the past few years promising that if she could get him back, she wouldn't take what they had for granted, take him for granted. She didn't know why they were getting a second chance, but she wasn't going to waste it.
Lia turned the water off and dried her hands on the towel. Alex was asleep so she had snuck away to take a minute to herself. After their latest escapade—against the wall followed by rolling on the floor—he passed out almost immediately. The last time she had seen the outside of their bedroom was fifteen hours prior when she had gone for sandwiches and a quick sidetrack to Silas.
Her stomach growled, sounded like she'd need to make another sandwich run soon.
The bathroom door opened and a sleepy, satisfied Alex sauntered in. He had slipped on a pair of sweatpants, which was more than she had done. He smiled at her bare form.
"I woke up on the floor, alone, drooling on a sock." She watched him in the mirror as her came up behind her and move her sweat soaked hair off her shoulder. His body came flush up against hers and she sank into him.
"Poor sock."
"Mmmmm." Alex kissed down her neck and across her shoulder. Fucking hell, she loved those lips.
"How are you even functioning right now?" she asked in awe as his hands found her hips. He was hard up against her ass, heat flooded her skin.
"I'm not. I died hours ago; my body is being run by my dick at this point." To drive home his point, Alex ground against her.
"I need food," she said but was distracted by his wandering hands. They had discovered two fun things to play with and took up tugging on her swollen nipples.
"It can wait."
"You've said that the last two times I've suggested it." Although, she wasn't really upset about that.
"You smell good," he said completely ignoring her. Lia had a choice to make. Either she stayed and was to be ravished against the bathroom tile, or put on some clothes and get sustenance. Alex's hands grew tired of her breasts and began their descent. She could so easily let them continue downward where they would bring her to another mind blowing, scream inducing orgasm followed by a heart pounding, leg quaking sexual excursion. Or she could stop his hands and join the land of the living.
Lia put her hands over his and pulled him away. If they continued as they were then the cycle would just be repeated until one or both of them died. They needed to refuel.
"Food first."
Alex tried his hardest to continue but her mind was made up and they were going to get out of this room for at least an hour. He slumped forward, defeated.
"Okay, you're right. We need food." He backed off of her but looked like a puppy that just lost his ball. Lia patted his cheek and walked past him for some clothes of her own.
The house was quiet, everyone doing their own thing elsewhere. They took advantage of the emptiness and teased each other down the hallway. Lia ran from Alex, giggling as she stepped off the stairs. She spotted Darby and stopped short making Alex bump into her.
The witch was sitting in a chair staring out the window. Her face was long with sadness. It seemed so comfortable in that expression that Lia had to wonder how long she had been hiding it from everyone. She was pale and not from lack of sun. This kind of paleness came from the chronically sick.
How had she not seen this earlier? Blinded by her mission to find Hailey and Alex, Lia had missed Darby's ever growing misery. Alex placed his hands on her shoulders and squeezed.
"Darby?" The witch twitched. Startled she turned her head toward them and plastered on a smile.
"Hey, you two!"
"Everything okay?" Lia came into the room with her hands linked with Alex's.
"Just spacing." She smiled at Alex, offering her hand. "It's nice to finally meet you."
"Likewise," he said clasping her hand in his. "Hailey spoke quite fondly of both of you." He took his spot next to Lia on the couch and settled and arm across her shoulders. She snuggled into him.
"Where is she anyway? I haven't seen her at all since she got back."
"Dacea was showing her to the guest house. Oh, I guess you don't know about that. Last night he put together the house out back next to Dane's with all of her things. It's lovely actually; you should go take a look."
Last she had heard Dacea had wanted to put her in the room next to his. Lia strongly advised against that. Looked as if he took her advice after all. "We'll check it out then."
Darby nodded, her fake smile slipping slightly. "Are you sure you're okay?" Lia asked again.
"Oh, I have a cold and the medication is making me sleepy. Nothing to worry about." The lie came easily, but Lia caught it anyway. Alex seemed to have caught it too. His eyes narrowed as he looked over Darby. She was sick alright, but not with a cold.
"Any idea when Dacea will be back? I have something I need to ask him." Like why Darby was flaking away in front of them.
"I'd imagine soon. They've been out there all morning."
Lia sent an apologetic look to Alex. Their next round of sex would have to wait a little longer. He nodded in understanding and kissed her cheek.
"Why don't I get us some food? Any preferences?"
"Something greasy."
He stood and asked Darby if she needed anything but she declined. When they were alone, Lia stared her down.
"Don't bullshit me again. What's wrong?"
"Nothing. Just
drop it," she snapped back, the mask of happiness disappearing completely.
"I'll find out."
"I have no doubts about your sleuthing skills." Darby stood abruptly and began to leave. "I'm glad you found your Mate." She didn't sound glad but was gone before Lia could respond.
She felt a thread of guilt. Obvious Darby was going through something, but everyone had been so caught up in their own drama that they had looked over her. Then there was Hailey, the girl went through hell and Lia hadn't even gone to see her yet. So obsessed and absorbed in Alex, she had forgotten she needed to be a friend too.
Her Mate handed her a beer and went back in the kitchen to return with a pizza. "These frozen pizzas are always so small," he said as he cut her a wedge. "I have another one in the oven." After taking a slice for himself, Alex took a swig of his beer and inhaled the cheese and meat. "What's with the face?" he asked her.
Lia picked off a slice of pepperoni and nibbled it. "I'm not making a face."
"Yeah Baby, you are. It's your moping face. So what wrong?"
"It's Darby. She snapped at me. I'm not sure what's going on with her, and I've been a shitty friend to her lately." She took a bite of pizza but it was tasteless to her guilt ridden emotions.
"Well, that makes two of us. I wanted to check on Hailey yesterday but was caught up in us." He shrugged. "She'll understand though."
"I haven't talked to her yet. Darby had told me what happened when you brought her in. She said it was bad."
Alex switched his plate for the beer. His easy going smile molded into one of uneasiness. "Yeah, it was bad. Worse than bad, actually."
"What happened?"
"One of the guards had a special interest in Hailey. Whipped and beat her to shreds. It's my fault." He shook his head. "I saw how he watched her and I should have told Silas, but I didn't. Figured she was safe enough in the cell, ya know?"
She nodded.
"When he brought her back," Alex rubbed the back of his neck, "well, I thought she was dead. Not at that exact moment, but she wasn't going to make it the night without some help. Hailey's stubborn though and after everything she went through, she still managed to get the code to the doors. For a human, she's something else."
Lia smiled knowing exactly what he meant. "So how'd you find this place?"
"After I secured the guard for Silas to find, I took Hailey out of there. He has a fleet of cars and I stole the first one I came across. Hailey was in and out of consciousness but she gave me an address." He smiled as if just remembering something. "When did cars start coming equipped with GPS? Never mind," he chuckled, "it's not important." Alex cut another slice of pizza.
"When we got to the gate the guards began to give me a hard time but Hailey sat up in the back seat and told them to let us through or she'd tell Dacea about the Anime porn on their computer in the gatehouse," he said with a grin. "Hailey had passed out again and the rest you know."
"Wow. Anime huh?"
He nodded. "I'm glad that's what you took out of that story." She pushed his shoulder and laughed. "I better get the other pizza out of the oven." Lia picked up her slice and took a bite. Her appetite was slowly returning. Alex hoped over the couch and jogged into the kitchen.
"Show off!" she yelled after him.
The backdoor opened and Dacea walked in. He looked much better than the last time she had seen him. "Did ya kill Silas yet?" she asked.
He gave her a toothy smile. "No, but the day is early yet."
"How's Hailey?"
"Better. Her injuries are almost fully healed thanks to Darby." Alex walked by with the second pizza and handed Dacea a slice. That reminded her.
"I need to talk with you then, it's important."
"Can it wait? I have to deal with Silas, and Hailey and I have gone four hours without a fight so I know one will be coming soon."
Alex laughed but didn't say anything else. Lia gave him a glare. "After you talk to Silas then? It's about Darby."
A flicker of acknowledgment crossed his face. He knew what she wanted to talk about. He'd seen it too. "Yeah, ok after Silas. My office, let's say in an hour?"
"Works for me."
"An hour, huh?" Alex said with a smirk after Dacea left. His hungry eyes roamed over her body. "I know a lot of things we could do in an hour."
"Do any of your things include a shower and a gallon of soap? Because I am feeling anything but fresh right about now."
"I think we can figure something out."
Chapter Twenty-One
The keys jingled as he walked. They bounced on their ring and echoed off the cement walls. His house was almost finished, the basement being the last area to do. It was bare bones at the moment; something put together just as a necessity, while the rest of the house was finished. Dacea was glad he had what he did or there would have been no place to put Silas.
The Green Overlord sat patiently, looking like he was seated in a leather armchair instead of on the cement floor. This was what he had wanted all along, Silas in chains and at his mercy. All too easily Dacea could kill him. A slit throat, snapped neck, gunshot, all the possibilities put a smile on his face. Hailey didn't even have to know. He could tell her Silas left and that was that. No more Green ruining his life.
The key slid into the lock and he opened the door. "Hands," he said and waited for Silas to raise his cuffed wrists, instead he raise an eyebrow in question. Dacea grabbed the chain and lifted Silas's hands himself. He was letting go the most hated dragon of their time all because he was soon to be family.
Fucking honor.
Before he turned the key releasing Silas back into the world, Dacea let his dragon surface for a few words. "You hurt Hailey and I will kill you."
"Right back at you…Dak."
He growled, the vibrations bouncing back at them from the walls. A small clink of metal and the cuffs opened on a spring. Dacea turned and walked from the cage.
"Touchy, touchy," Silas chuckled. "Shall I be congratulating you now or later?"
"Not yet, but you'll be the first to know."
"Can't wait."
That made two of them. He needed to leave. Hailey had just escaped hell, he didn't need to pick a fight with Silas and get on her bad side again. But that was twofold; Silas also couldn't pick a fight with Dacea.
"Guest bedrooms are on the second floor if you plan on staying, but please feel free to leave."
*****
The papers on his desk seemed inconsequential now. Adoption information, medical records, and a few photos were scattered about in a frustrated mess. He sat, letting his body relax for the first time in hours, and began to organize the clutter.
What was he to do with all of this? Would Hailey even want to see it? Dacea still didn't know how she felt about her newfound ancestry. Every time they got together the conversations steered towards their own issues. They hadn't been able to discuss at any length how she was dealing with everything.
Before the curse had broken, their relationship hadn't seemed so hard. Yes they fought and often. But somewhere along the way, their paces had changed. They were still headed on the same path as Mates; Hailey was just taking the scenic route. His lips twitched into a small smile. But she now wore his ring. It was just not on her finger…yet.
All those years of seeing his friends and family find their Mates, he now understood why they went through with it and why they fought for it. Dacea felt whole for the first time in his life. His father's ultimate demise after his mother's death was completely understandable now. To not have Hailey would be one thing, but for her to be gone from this world would kill him.
He slipped all the papers in a folder. Dacea would give it to Hailey later. Even if she never looked at it, she deserved to have her history available to her. With that done, and his desk in some semblance of order again, he picked up the phone to deal with some neglected business matters. His voicemail would be overflowing with messages by now. It had been days since he last checked it or his email.
&nb
sp; Thirty minutes later Dacea had made it through all of his messages, noting who to call back and who could wait. There was only one that had peaked his curiosity. He hit replay on the last message. Received only two hours prior, it was from a Council member and only three words long, "Call me back." No number was left, but his answering system recorded the number he called from. No name either, but he had dealt with the Council for so long that he knew their kind and how they sounded.
He checked the time. Lia was due in any minute. Dacea tapped his fingers on the desk. He was interested about the call. It was unavoidable that by now word of his return would have made its rounds in their community. The rumors they started last month would have kept him fresh in everyone's mind. He looked at the phone out of the corner of his eye then back at the clock.
He would make it quick.
Redialing the number, Dacea waited through the rings. Under the desk his foot bounced with nervous energy. He hadn't thought that when he returned, he would need to deal with the Council or the ruling of Red. Someone else was ruling now, his time had passed. In all actuality, Dacea was looking forward to having a life of his own. He had a Mate, friends, a house and no obligations to his sept. It was freeing.
"Hello, this is Wendall."
And that was the sound of his freedom coming to an end before it even had a chance to begin.
"This is Dacea, returning your call."
"Ahh Dacea, yes. I see congratulations are in order for your miraculous reappearance." Dacea didn't know who his man was or what sept he was with, but he didn't like him already. His voice was too high, his words too practiced. "Your Mate tells us you've been back awhile now."
"My Mate?" he asked as he was thrown from his thoughts. "I think you are mistaken, Sir. Hailey has not spoken to anyone on the Council."
The Hailey Holloway Complete Series Page 31
