by Eden Ashe
“Nathan? Are you alright? You look like you’re contemplating ways to kill me.”
He opened his eyes and glared at her, even as he let out a shuddering laugh. “No, Katenia,” he gritted out through clenched teeth. “Killing you is not what is on my mind. I thought you said we would be a bad idea?”
“I did,” she said, her beautiful face screwing up in confusion. “Pair-bonding between us would never work. Sex, however…sex is a very good idea.”
Nathan nodded once, finally understanding. Ignoring the honking of the line of cars behind him, he rolled up one shirtsleeve and pinched his arm.
“What are you doing?” she asked, her voice worried.
He barked out a laugh when the pain did nothing to wake him from whatever dream he’d landed in. “Testing myself.”
“Oh.” She sighed. “I don’t know what that means.”
“I don’t, either, but considering I am not certifiable enough to have sex with a fairy, the only other logical conclusion is I’m dreaming.”
“Oh,” she repeated, still sounding confused. “Are you dreaming?”
He sighed and shook his head, accepting the facts laid out before him. “No. My whole world view has just been altered, but unfortunately, I am not dreaming.”
Chapter 6
Katenia considered hitting him. The man looked miserable and uncomfortable, but that didn’t mean he had to be mean. She gripped the handle thingy when he started moving the vehicle again, and glared at him. “Are you done insulting me?”
“No, damn it. You need to start making sense before one of us does something we’re going to regret.”
She thought she’d made perfect sense. Pair-bonding was bad. Sex was good. She frowned. Maybe the two were linked in his head? Sex and mating? “Nathan, your eye is twitching.”
He pressed a palm to it and nodded. “It’s your fault.”
Her grip tightened on the handle. “Please, can you keep both hands on the wheel? I don’t want to die.”
He let out a low frustrated sound, then did as she asked. “Here’s an idea. No talking until we get to my aunt’s, alright? Because honestly, Katenia, I can’t handle much more of this conversation.”
She ground her teeth together and turned her attention to the rapidly changing scenery.
“Well?” he snapped.
She turned very slowly to stare at him, before she finally understood. She nodded, not sure if she was relieved or heartbroken. “I got it. You’re insane. Right? You tell me not to talk, then snap at me when I don’t. You’re like Elder Asenia.”
“I don’t know—” His words cut off as he sighed. “Who is Elder Asenia?”
“She is one of the eldest fairies in our valley. Some days she insists she is a goat.”
He pointed at her. “If I’m crazy,” he ground out, “it’s because you’re driving me there.”
“I don’t understand,” she finally admitted. “I thought human men were more casual about sex than this.”
He snorted.
She sighed and shifted in her seat, trying to get comfortable in the enclosed space. While she could understand the convenience of a vehicle of this type, it wasn’t natural, and it showed a total lack of respect for the earth.
When the vehicle stopped moving again, she leaned forward, staring out the open hole next to her, where the glass had been before it had mysteriously vanished at the push of a button. “Nathan, what are those children eating?”
He glanced over, then shot her a confused look. “Ice cream. You’ve never had ice cream?”
“No. Is it healthy?”
To her surprise, he chuckled. “No, but it’s wonderful anyway.”
“Oh.” Because she didn’t know what else to say, and he didn’t want to talk about anything that involved them, she tugged at the sleeves of her top and loosened the button on her pants. While most human females wore the same type of clothing, Katenia felt like her skin was suffocating.
“Are you alright?” he asked after a long few moments. They’d turned out of the crowded area, and now, minutes later, there was nothing but rolling hills and trees. She perked up, her discomfort forgotten.
“Oh, my.” She stuck her head out the window. “It’s beautiful. Where are we?”
“Elm Springs. There are some beautiful gardens coming up.”
She gasped as they passed house after house, each one with a lawn garden more beautiful than the next. Bright, gorgeous flowers spilled over windows and pots, the grass so green it hurt her eyes. She’d never seen so many flowers together. Even when she was flying at her highest, there had never been anything like this. Suddenly, she could see the benefits of being human, surrounded by all of nature’s beauty.
“Does every house have a beautiful garden like these?”
“Around here, yes. If you like these, wait until you see my aunt’s.” He chuckled again. “Just whatever you do, do not pluck one of the roses, or you may lose a hand.”
Her head whipped around. “She’ll cut off my hand?” she asked, terrified. The woman had her kidnapped, and now she’d remove a hand for the price of a rose? “Nathan, are you sure—”
He cut her off by reaching over and wrapping his fingers around hers. “I’m kidding.” He caught her gaze for a brief second. “Calm down. No one is going to hurt you. I won’t allow it.”
Katenia’s heart swelled in her chest as his large, strong hand wrapped firmly around hers. “I don’t understand you,” she finally admitted.
“Yeah, well, don’t feel too bad about it,” he sighed as he glanced at her. “I don’t understand myself at the moment.”
“But, why would you joke about cutting off someone’s hand? Is removing a limb amusing for humans?”
“No.” His brow furrowed, and after a moment, he shook his head. “It’s a figure of—never mind. I’m sorry for scaring you.” He jerked his chin toward the front window. “We’re here.”
She glanced to where he’d gestured, only to sit up straight as they wound through the most beautiful, spectacular garden she could ever imagine. Everywhere she looked was a riot of color; every hue of the rainbow could be seen. The flowers and plants all ran together in what looked like a messy, haphazard way, but it only took her a few minutes to realize the quiet ingenious behind the randomness. She leaned forward, excitement and hope building inside of her, her hand gripping Nathan’s.
He glanced at her. “What is it?”
“Each garden is designed for a specific type of fairy, or pixie—they’re kind of like fairies, only bigger and more mischievous. That’s a water sprite’s garden there, and the one with the sunflowers is the sky fairy.”
His brow winged up. “Sky fairy?”
She bobbed her head as she smiled. “Yes. I am an earth fairy from the Lillie Valley. We primarily live in lilies, or compatible plants and trees. The sky fairies like to be in the air, so they sleep in sunflowers.”
* * * *
Nathan breathed a sigh of relief as he listened to her talk. It meant his aunt knew exactly where Katenia had come from, and that was half the battle.
But like the bastard he was, her excitement wasn’t contagious. He wasn’t ready to let her go yet. She infuriated him, challenged him and confused him with every word that came out of her perfect mouth, but he’d felt more alive in the last couple of hours than he had in years. He’d had a gaping hole inside of him since he’d been a teenager, where his emotions should have been. It was as if Katenia had shown up and had finally given him life. A need to do more than stumble through life like the walking dead.
Forcing a smile he didn’t feel, he pulled his car up in front of his aunt’s sprawling Victorian mansion, noticing that it needed a fresh coat of paint, new stairs and new balconies. He sent her money every month to pay for the upkeep of this elephant, but she insisted on putting every penny of it into her gardens, saying month after month that one day, he would thank her for it.
He snorted. Not likely. And he doubted she was going to be thrill
ed with him, either, once he accused her of kidnapping.
Reaching into the backseat, he grabbed Katenia’s plant and slid out, walking around the car to help her to her feet. He was already braced when she stood up, her amazing body brushing against his as she leaned into his side, steadying herself. “You okay?” he asked, searching her eyes. “I’m sorry for being an ass.”
Her brow screwed up in confusion, and her freckled nose wrinkled. “I don’t understand. When were you a donkey?”
He laughed, he couldn’t help it. “No, ass means asshole.” When she continued to give him a blank look, he grinned. “Jerk? Bastard?”
“Oh!” she said, relief flashing over her face, before she frowned. “Why would you apologize for being born to an unwed mother?”
“I wasn’t—never mind.” He crooked his fingers under her chin, lifting her face to his. A mistake. She had the most kissable mouth he’d ever seen, and he could lose his soul in her eyes. Instead, to prove to himself he could do it without screwing up again, he leaned down and brushed his lips gently over hers. “I’m sorry for upsetting you.”
Her lips parted on a soft gasp, and to his surprise, she went up on her toes and kissed him back. “I’m sorry for upsetting you, too.”
“Oh, good, Nathan.” A lilting Irish voice sounded from behind him. “I see you got my gift.”
Ignoring the old woman for the moment, he focused on Katenia. He brushed a strand of pale hair behind her pointed ear. “Listen. No matter what happens here, I will find a way to get you home, alright? I promise.”
He’d expected relief, so the worry and fear colliding in her eyes shook him. She didn’t want to go home. And then it hit him. “In your fairy size. If you can grow, I’ll find you a way to shrink back.”
She smiled and walked into his chest, wrapping her arms around him. “Thank you, Nathan. For everything.” She lifted her face until she could see his. “No matter what happens, nothing is your fault, alright?”
He started to tell her he wasn’t that hard on himself, but the look in her eyes worried him, and his body tensed. Yeah, there was something going on in her head he didn’t know about, and it scared him.
Before he could figure it out, his aunt’s voice pitched to an ear-shattering level. “Nathan Malone Alexander, what have you done?”
Chapter 7
For someone who could barely stand on her legs, Katenia turned into a wildcat. She shot around him, putting herself between him and his irate aunt.
Then, to his absolute astonishment, she spread her arms as if to protect him, and let out a warning growl. “Do not yell at him!” she shouted, the air around them pulsing with her temper. “He didn’t do anything wrong.”
Nathan wasn’t sure who was more stunned about the vibrations in the air—him or his aunt. He hooked his arm around the fairy’s waist and leaned down to murmur in her ear. “Katen, sweetheart, it’s okay.”
“No, it’s not.” She stomped her foot, and with it, there came the tiniest rumble through the grass and trees. Not enough to knock them off balance, but to let his aunt know she’d pissed her off. She crossed her arms over her chest. “Apologize to him. Now.”
Mellie’s elegant brow winged up ever so slightly. She shifted her gaze from Katenia to Nathan. “I apologize, nephew, and then I ask again—what did you do? Fairies aren’t meant to be this size.”
“I don’t know what happened. A car horn spooked her. We were hoping you could help return her to normal size, and help her get home.”
His aunt nodded, concern flickering over her face. “I should have warned you. Fairies tend to react badly to overwhelming stimulation, though this is the first time I’ve heard of one growing.” She moved to the side. “Let’s get her in the house. It’s not safe for her to be out here.”
Nathan nodded once. Any questions he had could wait another minute. Because he still held Katenia’s plant in one arm, he scooped her up with the other. She tilted her head to glare at him. “Why did you come between me and your aunt? She shouldn’t talk to you like that.”
He smiled at the fury in her eyes. “I’m a big boy. I can handle myself when needed.”
She snorted. “You’ve disrupted your entire life for me tonight. I heard you and Hope talking. You were meeting a woman tonight, weren’t you? I’m sure you’d rather be doing that then helping me. Your aunt should give you some credit.”
“She didn’t know about Rhiannon.” The indignant outrage on her face on his behalf was enchanting. It shouldn’t have mattered that she was defending him, but damn it anyway. He fought all day long, every day of the year, and he couldn’t remember the last time someone had thought to help him in some way. It was nice.
No. It wasn’t nice. It was wrong, in a totally screwed up way, that someone as tiny and out of place as Katenia defended him when no other would. And he fell a little bit in love with her.
He cleared his throat of the emotion clogged in it. “I don’t do anything I don’t want to do. I’m here because I want to be, Katenia.”
She shook her head. “Don’t do that,” she whispered. “Put me down, Nathan.”
He stopped and glared down at her. “Don’t do what?”
The fairy pressed against his chest until he gave in and set her on her feet, worried otherwise she’d hurt herself trying to force him to let her go. She took a step back, spreading her arms for balance, then pointed up at him. “Don’t make me like you. We can have sex all you want while I have this body, but liking each other is bad. Like really, really bad. I’m a fairy, not a human.”
She was right. They literally came from two different worlds. No matter what she looked like now, and no matter how much he liked her, she wasn’t going to stay.
He jerked his head in a quick nod. “You’re right. Let’s just get this done.” His brow winged up as he forced his face to go neutral. “Do you think you can walk?”
Small, perfect teeth caught at her bottom lip, a shy smile tugging at her mouth. “I should probably try, right? Just in case this doesn’t work to change me back?”
He rubbed a hand over the sudden, sharp ache in his chest. “It’s probably a good idea.”
She bobbed her head in agreement, then canted it to the side and narrowed her eyes at him. “Just stay close, alright?”
“Yeah.” He steadied her as she turned around. “I’m not going anywhere.”
* * * *
Though her gardens were beautiful, Katenia didn’t like the inside of Nathan’s aunt’s house. It wasn’t the clutter or the dust, or even the piles and piles of things stacked haphazardly high, but rather the feel of the place. Her chest hurt the second the door was closed behind them, and the urge to flee was so great, she took a step back. With her instincts screaming, she wasn’t about to argue with Nathan when he wrapped his hands around her shoulders.
“What is it?”
She shook her head. “I don’t know.” She glanced over her shoulder at him, trying to hide the panic burning in her throat. The last thing she wanted to do was offend him or his aunt when they were both trying to help her. “I can’t breathe all of a sudden.”
He didn’t even blink. “Aunt Mellie, I’m taking her to the back porch.”
Mellie nodded without breaking stride as she wound through the stacks of junk toward a closed door at the rear of the room. Katenia smiled up at Nathan, resisting the urge to leap into his arms and demand he run until they were free of this place. “Thank you.”
He dropped one of his arms to wrap it around her waist, guiding her through the maze of furniture. The gesture was sweet, but all the warmth in his eyes was gone.
The pressure in her chest didn’t start to ease until they were fully out of the house. It didn’t go away, but she could breathe without wanting to curl up and cry.
“Katen.”
She closed her eyes at his voice. There were very, very few fairies who’d ever found a true mate, one they’d give up everything for and be faithful to until time ran out. She’d never expecte
d it to happen to her, but every instinct she had kept screaming mine every time they got close or he touched her.
So she kept her distance. She could not afford to let her heart get involved. “Yes?”
He sighed. “Do you want to tell me what that was about?”
“No.” Aware he was watching her like she was batty, she moved a little farther away from the house to see if the feeling diminished anymore.
“Katenia, what the hell are you doing?”
Giving up, because no matter which direction she paced, all she wanted to do was run, she turned to face him. “You don’t feel it?”
He planted his feet and crossed his arms over his chest. With a wildflower garden behind him, his long dark hair wind-tossed, he looked every bit the beautiful, mythical human warrior she’d always been fascinated with. “Feel what?”
“Something bad,” she whispered, wrapping her arms around herself as she looked around. The urge to take flight and find cover was so overwhelming, it hurt. “Something is not right here.”
When she finally turned to look at him again, his gaze was locked on her face, searching. “Okay,” was all he said. There was no judgment in his wild, dark blue eyes. “Can you stand it for a couple more minutes while we try to get answers?”
She opened her mouth, prepared to tell him she wanted to leave. There was something very wrong with the place, but leaving meant longer to get answers. Though she wasn’t ready to say good-bye to Nathan yet, she knew staying would be bad for both of them. “I’ll handle—” Her words cut off as a figure popped its head around the side of the house.
Dark, nervous eyes flittered around, then flicked from her to Nathan. For a second, she was sure she saw triumph and avarice curve his twisted mouth. She darted into Nathan, gripping his arm.
He spun around in reaction, every honed and massive muscle in his body tensing until he saw the small, mole-like figure peering at them. Nathan relaxed slightly, though he reached around and hooked his arm around her waist, pulling her into his back. “Uncle Thad.” For the first time, there was absolute steel in his voice. “What have I told you about skulking around?”
