Sleeping Rose

by Erin West

  Muttered swearing echoes in the room. His hand connects with my face in an open-handed smack. “Ouch, you little bitch.”

  The sting from his hit fuels my determination to not let this happen.

  My hands go to his chest as I try to push him off while kicking wherever I can.

  A grunt leaves his mouth as I make contact somewhere.

  The burning becomes too much to keep inside me, and then he’s flying across the room.

  His head hits the dresser, and his body thuds to the floor, unmoving, with a dark puddle forming under his head.

  Silence fills the room as I stare at his prone body and down at my hands.

  What the hell was that?

  Rick enters the room, eyes wide as his gaze takes in his friend lying still on the floor and swings back to me.

  “What the fuck happened?”

  “Rose, wake up. It's just a dream.” Drake places his hands on my shoulders.

  I raise up in a cold sweat. The memory of that night is fresh in my mind from the dream.

  I don’t know what could have triggered that. I haven't suffered that dream for years.

  Breaths rush out of me, and I start to calm as Drake and Oren’s presence begins to register.

  “I'm okay. Sorry to wake you.” My hands release the white down comforter from the death grip. A gasp leaves me.

  Both men look down at what caused my surprise. Burned holes cover the comforter and mattress where my hands were.

  How did that happen? My wide stare meets Drake's concerned amber eyes. “I'm so sorry. I'll replace that.”

  He shakes his head. “No, it's fine. I'll have someone get you a new one.”

  Oren’s voice cuts in. “Or you could come stay in my room. There, problem solved.”

  Drake glares at him across the bed. “No. She stays in this room.”

  The burn marks are forgotten. Who the hell does he think he is?

  “Uh, I’m right here and I can make decisions for myself.” My head swings between the stubborn-ass men on either side of my bed.

  Oren tucks his hands behind his back with a smirk. “Then, I might keep this new information to myself.”

  My eyes narrow. “What new information?”

  He shrugs. “If you want it, you have to pay the price.”

  Ugh. Why are these men so damn frustrating?

  “Depends. What’s the price?”

  A big grin takes over his face. “You spend the same amount of time with me that you have with him, without any outside interruptions.”

  Drake’s body stiffens and his hands clench, but he doesn’t say anything.

  That is appealing. Would that be such a hardship?

  The tension in the air thickens as both men wait for my response.

  “Okay. But on my terms and when I choose. There will have to be exceptions, like me going to work, etcetera.”

  Oren nods and waves his hand in the air. “Yes. We can work all that out later.”

  Drake bristles. “No. You can’t expect me to be okay with this.”

  My glare turns to him and softens when I see the hurt in his eyes. “We’ve discussed this. I’m sorry you’re not happy about it, but I need to.”

  “Ah, you’ve talked about me,” Oren interrupts with a glint in his hazel eyes.

  “Shut up,” Drake growls, eyes glowing.

  Oren chuckles. “Touch a nerve, did I?”

  I hold my hands out. “Stop. You’re acting like children fighting over the same toy.”

  Drake breaks the silence. “You’re so much more than a toy. Don’t you realize the power you have over us?”

  With a shake of my head, I redirect the conversation. “So, now that the stipulations have been set, what’s the new information?”

  Oren holds his hand out between us.

  “What?” He wants a handshake?

  He nods. “We must shake to seal our deal.”

  Thinking nothing of a handshake, I reach out and grasp his hand. Power weaves a thread between us and around my wrist. It’s a sparkling green magic bracelet. When our hands separate, it stays. I stare at it and look at Drake.

  He looks at my hand but doesn’t appear to see what I’m seeing.

  What the hell?

  Oren ignores my confused look. “Now that that’s taken care of, I think you’re from the Summer court. That would explain the fire power since you don’t have a court tattoo.”

  My eyebrows raise up to my hairline. “So, that means I can shoot fire from my hands?”

  My gaze locks on Oren’s smiling face. “Yes. We need to unleash it. It seems to be dormant. There’s something blocking it that I’ve never encountered before.”

  He winks, and I have to stop myself from smiling back at his cheekiness. “Okay. How will you do that?” I cross my arms over my chest, pushing the girls together and revealing more cleavage in my tank top.

  Two pairs of eyes drop down and back up to my face, one glowing and the other blazing with desire. My nipples harden and show through my top, drawing their attention again.

  Shit, this escalated quickly.

  A different kind of tension fills the room.

  Clearing my throat, I point at my eyes and break the silence. “Eyes up here. What do I need to do?”

  Oren shakes his head with wide eyes. “I’m not sure yet.”

  My eyes drop to the floor and I frown.

  “Don’t worry, Princess. We’ll get it figured out.” Oren rubs his hand down my cheek.

  His hand is jerked away, and Drake’s replaces it. “You should try to sleep some more.”

  Mind racing around this new development, I nod my head.

  Drake looks me up and down. “Everything will be fine.”

  Both stand to leave, but Oren hesitates. “Are you sure you don’t need me to stay and… comfort you?”

  His cooling touch pops into mind, but I’m pretty sure that’s not what he is referring to.

  “No. Go on.”

  My thoughts are what I’m left with in the silence after they leave. Then, the burn marks catch my attention, and I hold my hands up in front of my face, turning them front and back.

  Is that what that burning inside me has been all these years?

  Concentrating hard on my palms, I will them to burst into flames. Nothing.

  Why did I even think I could do that?

  The red glow from the clock says it’s four in the morning. Well, my night has gone to shit.

  Oren’s information bomb is going to keep me up the rest of the night. Might as well get up.

  The dagger’s power is calling to me, drawing me to the closet where I hid it in the back corner.

  It’s pulsing as I pull the old t-shirt I wrapped it in out of the bag and unroll it. Blue light floods the closet, and the burning within me intensifies. Grabbing it with both hands, I focus on the power surrounding me, and it merges with every fiber of my being.

  A blast resonates from my body outward. The burning is tenfold, and I feel like my entire body is on fire. Power from the blade is coursing through me, enhancing everything, but it extinguishes just as fast.

  Holy shit. What just happened?

  Oren cannot know I took this from him that night. There’s no telling how he’d react, and he’s just started opening up more.

  The need to know more about our home is eating at me.

  That was a strange thought.

  Before last week, I didn’t know what home felt like. Then, Drake became my home. It’s weird to think about something as crazy as another realm being home, but it also provides a sense of acceptance.

  Maybe that’s why I’ve always felt different. Like I’ve never belonged anywhere.

  Chapter Eighteen

  At breakfast, I open the French doors, letting the fresh air blow into the kitchen before I walk over to the coffee maker. It’s Saturday and I don’t have to work, which is hard to grasp since I’ve spent the last eight years working most Saturdays.

  I want to spend som
e time learning more about these men who have fallen into my life all at once.

  The men are quiet as I hand them their coffees.

  Inhaling the aroma before taking a drink of my own, I assess them. Drake is dressed in his jeans and no shirt, with bare feet. His short hair is spiked up a bit, like he’s already been running his fingers through it.

  Oren is in casual clothes today, consisting of jeans and a brown t-shirt, looking relaxed.

  “So, what are your plans today?”

  That grabs both of their attention. They inspect me with suspicion in their eyes.

  Shit. Can they tell something is different?

  Oren sets his mug down on the island. “I was thinking we could work on unleashing your powers today. If you’d like.”

  Worry lines my face. “Yes. That sounds like fun.” How can I tell him I think I already did without revealing how it happened?

  Drake scowls.

  I lift my mug to hide my smile and grab Drake’s attention. “Maybe we can spar later. You asked me once, and we haven’t gotten the chance.”

  His disposition changes, and a dimpled smile replaces the scowl. “You got it.”

  A deep, accented voice comes from the door. “You could offer me lunch.”

  My head jerks up, and my gaze clashes with sea green eyes. With narrowed eyes, I glare at Eli. His words from last night still sting, and I don’t want to see his handsome face.

  Drake growls and walks toward him, while Oren sits back and watches.

  “What the fuck are you doing here? It’s not time for another feeding, and Rose doesn’t want to see you.”

  Eli’s face is made of stone. “You think I want to be here? I don’t want to have to depend on her for anything. But her blood is an aphrodisiac and I need more.” He glares at me, anger blazing through the stone. He sniffs. “She’s been tainted by the two of you. I have no further use for her other than a food source.”

  Pain pierces my chest, and I have to brace my hands on the island between us. The effort it takes to hold my new power back has my body trembling.

  How can he be such a callous ass?

  Drake growls, opening his mouth to speak. He gasps and looks on in shock as the ground opens up and Eli falls into a hole. The earth seals back over the top.

  What just happened?

  Oren walks over and inspects the dirt. “That should hold him for a while.”

  Holy shit.

  The ground rumbles, and Eli bursts through the ground covered in dirt, eyes red and fangs descended. “You’re going to regret that, fae.”

  Oren chuckles. “No, I don’t think so. I quite enjoyed that.”

  Eli takes a menacing step toward Oren.

  However, Oren steps back into the house.

  Shaking with anger, Eli hisses. “Get your ass back out here, fairy.”

  Oren’s shoulders shake with laughter. “What’s wrong, bloodsucker? You can’t enter the house? Good thing you don’t care about her anymore or this could really piss you off.”

  Walking to me, Oren pulls me against him and lowers his lips to mine.

  What the hell? However, my body responds of its own accord. I press my breasts against his chest, causing him to moan.

  Growling fills the air, and Drake yanks him back from me. “He might not be able to do something, but I sure as hell can.”

  Shit. What the fuck is wrong with me? This whole situation is messed up.

  “Just you wait, fairy.” Eli’s tone is quiet and menacing. His nostrils flair and his fists are clenched. “You will come out eventually.”

  Oren pushes Drake away and moves toward the door. “Do you think I’m scared? I’m just fucking with you. I’ll come out now.”

  I step in front of him, putting my hands on his shoulders. “Quit it. Don’t egg him on.”

  “Rose, get your fucking hands off him,” Eli hisses.

  Drake yanks Oren back again. “For once, we are in agreement.”

  This is getting out of hand. “As fun as this is, I’m going to go get dressed.” I glance toward Oren. “And then, I’d like to go learn more.”

  Grinning, he winks. “Wouldn’t want it any other way.”

  I walk through the kitchen and up to my room. I was hoping time would provide clarity, but all it’s doing is making things more muddled. How can I feel so strongly about three men at the same time? This is Jerry Springer-type stuff. Even jackass Eli is growing on me each time I see him, which is fucked up.

  I grab a sports bra and tank top, putting them on, then throw on some shorts. I’m not sure how to dress for power training, so I’m just winging it. I go to the mirror on the back of my closet door and pull my hair into a low ponytail. Damn, there are dark circles under my eyes, proof of my restless night.

  Shaking my head in disgust, I walk into the bathroom and turn on the lights. I run the water and, when it gets warm, cup it in my hands and splash it on my face. Maybe this will help. I grab the towel and pat my face dry. I take a deep breath. Enough stalling. Let’s get this over with.

  When I walk into the kitchen, I find that Drake has already left, and Oren is sitting back at the table, finishing his coffee. “Hey, where did Drake go?”

  Putting the cup on the table, he turns to me. “He needed to address some things with his pack. He’s not happy that Eli showed up unannounced. He should have at least been alerted.”

  Yeah, I wasn’t expecting to see Eli again so soon. I lean against the counter, taking him in.

  “Like what you see, Princess?” He smirks.

  Sighing, I close my eyes. “Yes, I do. That’s the problem.”

  He startles. “I have to say, I wasn’t expecting that answer.” He stands and comes over to me, trapping me in between his arms. “That’s not a problem at all. That’s what I need you to understand and accept. Whatever this weird relationship is that you have with the shifter needs to be cleared up, and you need to come back home with me.”

  Tilting my head up to see his face, I frown. “I feel the same way about him. That’s the problem.” Despite my body protesting, I bend down and disentangle myself from him. “Can we go train?”

  He stays still for a moment, but then stands back up straight. “Yeah, sure. Anything for you.”

  What is this weird tension I feel between us now? Ugh, I was just being honest. I need to focus and get as much information from him as I can before he decides to leave.

  When we head outside, I almost expect Eli to appear, but the coast is clear. At least, for now. The one thing I’ve learned is that you never know what to expect from him. He’s a loose cannon.

  We walk further into the forest, the humid southern summer already sweltering by ten in the morning. The trees are green, and the air feels muggy. Sweat is already forming all over.

  Oren is leading the way. He seems to know his way around, moving swiftly through the trees.

  However, I have no problem keeping up. The bubbling sound of a small stream soon filters through the air as we go a little deeper. When we reach the water, there is a small opening to the left of it.

  That’s when he stops and turns to me. “All right, so, I don’t know how much I can help you since I’m Autumn Court and connect with the earth, but some of my ways should work for you. I mean, we are both connected to the elements.”

  Yeah, that makes sense. And, right now, beggars can’t be choosers.

  He looks around. “Okay, things may be volatile at first. That’s one reason why I wanted to be near water. Don’t worry, I can use my earth powers to shift the land to extinguish anything you might inadvertently light. Though, since it’s not unleashed, I don’t expect us to have issues this time, but better safe than sorry.”

  Nodding, I look around. Birds are chirping nearby, but other than that and the small stream, there is silence. “What do I do?”

  “Well, I never had to unleash my magic but had to learn to connect with it.” He runs his hand through his hair. “We are fae, so our very core is made of energy. That
’s one reason why we can connect to the elements. We are part of them in a way. So, close your eyes and try to find it.”

  This shouldn’t be hard. My fire always seems to be coursing right underneath my skin. Doing as he asks, I focus and search for it. I follow the fire just underneath my skin like a string, finding where it starts. When I reach it, I find the center, and it’s so hot that the flame is white. I try to connect with it, and when I do, my body bursts into flames.

  The land beside me shifts, and soon, water douses me, extinguishing the fire. As soon as that happens, my connection falters and it recedes. I attempt to connect to it again. I see it, but I can’t reach it for some reason.

  Shit. What the hell just happened?

  Eli materializes out of thin air, and his red eyes are fierce. “What the fuck are you doing?”

  Oren hands his shirt to me. “Put this on, now.”

  What the fuck is his problem? Glancing down, I cringe. I’ve burned my clothes, and there isn’t a lot left to the imagination. I grab his shirt and slip it over my head. His earthy scent fills my nose. Thank goodness, he’s tall. His black shirt hits my upper thighs, similar to the length of a mini dress.

  Eli moves again, disappearing and reappearing right in front of Oren, shoving him hard against a tree. “Are you fucking stupid?”

  The ground shakes and Oren snarls. “I’m helping her embrace her heritage.”

  Fangs descending, Eli shakes his head. “You’re going to get her killed.”

  Is he turning crazy again? “Stop. I asked him to help me.”

  He turns to me. “From you, I expect stupid, careless things, but he should know better.”

  Oh, hell no. “What the fuck does that mean?” Who does he think he is?

  Stalking to me, he lifts his chin, looking down at me. “You are ignorant of this life and what is acceptable and not. There have been tensions brewing between the supernatural races, and you think that just because you feel connected to three different types, we should tolerate each other and move on? This goes beyond you.”

  What an asshole. I never expected the three of them to just accept this. I’m hoping time will sort it all out. “Don’t be narcissistic, vampire. This has nothing to do with you and everything to do with finding out who I am.”