"I know Garrett as well as you."
"I've known him for over a hundred years. I saw his family die. I was there when he was made, when he was tortured. I was..."
"Fine, go ahead." I scowled and indicated that he should sit. This was going to suck and I was probably going to end up feeling really guilty.
"Now, you are his family, his entire world. By going to a dangerous place where he couldn't take any action to help you if you needed him, you put him back in his cage at Eleanor's, helpless to save his father, mother or sister. I know that this was never your intention, and I don't tell you this to make you feel guilty." He smiled at me. "Well, not terribly guilty." I frowned back.
"A small part of Garrett still lives in that cage. It's much less obvious since he's met you. He tells us he's happier now with you than he's ever been before, and we can see it for ourselves. I just don't want to see him back in that dungeon, reliving those moments all over again. When you were taken by Kennet, he held himself together with an enormous effort. It helped that he could be out actively searching for you. Today, he could do nothing but wait and hope."
He wanted to say more, probably that if my grandmother had decided to keep me there, my careless, impulsive act could have broken Garrett. I sighed as another tear ran down my face. "Where is he?"
"His office." He turned to leave.
"Thanks, Sash."
"Mistress." He closed the door behind him. I couldn't get him to stop calling me that no matter how hard I tried.
I thought about changing out of my pajamas, but what was the point? He was angry and he needed to get it out, so the sooner that happened the better. I left my bedroom and knocked on his office door. He opened the door himself almost instantly and stared at me, looking only concerned and not angry at all. I really didn't deserve him.
I nudged him back inside the room, closed the door behind me with a kick and then led him over to his chair, pushing him down. I could tell he was surprised when I curled my body into his lap, but I also felt him relax in relief. As he wrapped his arms around me, putting his chin on the top of my head, I sighed and said, "Okay, go ahead and yell at me. I deserve it. Just get it all out."
He didn't yell. He spoke so softly, and with such deep feeling, that it practically broke my heart. "I trust your judgment, my love, but I can't let you walk into such a dangerous situation without me at your side. I'm not capable of allowing you that freedom. That will never change between us. You'll somehow need to accept this quirk of mine that angers you so."
I sat quietly for a few moments just breathing him in. "I want you beside me every moment of every night and day. I just need you to think of me as an equal partner. I treasure those moments when I feel your respect as well as your love."
He kissed the top of my head. "But that's every day. You must know that I value your opinion by the number of times I defer to your judgment. And I don't do it simply to humor you, love." He squeezed me a little tighter. "It's only in these extreme circumstances that I can't compromise."
I looked into those gorgeous sapphire blue eyes and apologized. "I'm sorry that I frightened you. I won't willingly go back to the Demon Realm. And by not discussing the invitation with you, I didn't treat you as a partner either."
"You're my equal in all things, mais Je suis désolé aussi. But I'm also sorry. I should never have made that comment about Kennet. I hurt you. Please forgive me."
I blew out an aggravated breath. "This was our first real argument." I ran my hand back and forth across his chest, as much to comfort myself as him. "I feel like an ugly black hole just took up residence in my heart."
"This is normal between mates. My parents fought often, but they always ended the evening in each other's arms." He gently kissed my forehead.
"What did they argue about?"
"The usual things, but mostly their differing parenting philosophies. My mother felt that my father was raising us too wild. He taught Marie and me to fight and to use weapons, always aware of the dangers that a shifter faced, even in our remote part of Quebec and later, Louisiana. My mother wanted us to study medicine to help the shifters and even the humans who suffered in our rural communities.
"I was determined to become a soldier as a younger adult. Later, I studied medicine and science for a time to appease her, but I was never a healer. Eventually I found I had more interest in history, particularly relating to war. I guess I never quite gave up my idea of becoming a soldier."
"You're the team's general." I saluted and we laughed softly together.
He smoothed down my hair and then squeezed me a little bit tighter, just making sure that I was safe, I guess. "Tell me what you learned about your parents."
We stayed wrapped together on his chair as I told him the few facts she'd disclosed regarding my mother and father. He asked me all about my impressions of my grandmother and how Isaiah reacted around her, and he got a big kick out of Samson's protective instincts and my grandmother's opinions of males.
"It's a matriarchal society. The powerful females have many consorts."
"Oh, really?" I teased.
He grinned. "Does that idea appeal to you? Do I not satisfy you, Madame?" He nuzzled my ear.
My heart pounded. "I'm pretty sure you know that you satisfy me—epically."
"Epically?"
"You know what I mean." I pushed at his shoulder.
"Utterly? Absolutely? Or perhaps you mean explosively? Fiercely? Passionately?" He was saying each word low and sexy as his warm breath tickled the sensitive skin of my neck.
I was giggling. "Yeah, yeah, and you're humble too."
He laughed with me, but then his look turned serious again. "Whenever you feel you're ready, we'll contact your father."
"Not yet. I want it to sink in. And I need to tell Bridgett, too." I stroked his face and smiled. "Sasha brought me a sandwich."
"I sent him. I didn't think you'd want to see me again so soon."
"He said that I'm your entire world." I teased him.
"Sasha talks too much, but he's right. If I lost you, I'd walk into the sun."
I shook my head in disbelief. "You have so many others who love you. Who need you."
"I've spent my entire life waiting for you, my love. If you leave this world before me, I'll follow. Liam says we should look for each other on your cliff."
"Let's not get morbid. We have lifetimes remember? But to be honest, I am a little worried about the stupid three-question bargain I made with my Grandmother. She was seriously spooky. I might have put us in danger."
"If you never go there again, she can't collect and I don't believe that she can come here unless she's summoned or invited. So don't worry." He stood with me still in his arms. "You need to eat your sandwich."
"You're always worried about whether I eat. Anyway, I think I'm getting chubby." I pulled up my tee shirt and looked at my belly. "I'm eating too much of Liam's french toast and bacon."
"I want you healthy, so don't argue."
"Yes, General." He smiled a little wickedly this time.
I ended up eating in the kitchen with my feet in his lap as he massaged them. I think we both needed to reconnect physically as well as emotionally after our spat. I was feeling very relaxed and quite content by the time I finished eating.
We watched an action movie with the boys downstairs, (Will, Rick and Sash), and then Garrett beat them in pool while I ate a huge bowl of ice cream and cheered him on from the couch, still wearing my comfy pajamas. The vamps decided to go out for a while, they needed cheering up after their loss to Garrett, not that he ever took money from them. Usually it was a promise to do some silly chore he'd dream up. Two days ago he had them cleaning the gutters on the roof and then replacing all our bulbs with energy saving ones. He definitely got off on playing Master Vampire with his nest, even though he was probably the most easy going MV in the country.
"Come on, General. Lets end the night the way your parents did." I led him into his room, with its huge be
d, satin sheets and abundant pillows.
His eyes were already dotted with silver. "You want to sleep here tonight?" Usually we spent our time together in my bed because his room shut down tight at dawn.
"Eventually."
"Vixen." He kissed my cheek, then my ear and then finally, my mouth, causing my toes to curl up. "Prepare to be satisfied epically." Making up was so much fun.
CHAPTER THREE
The next morning, I packed for the trip to Los Altos we’d be taking later that evening. I pretty much knew what Garrett would need, so I packed for him too. We'd explained to the Alpha, Quentin, that driving back and forth from a hotel would really cut into our time, so they'd agreed to put us all up in one house, since we didn’t want to be separated. They assumed that Garrett and his nest would rest in the windowless finished basement of the house during the day, however we had other plans.
We were bringing Liam, and two other fae warriors for security during the day and night while we worked. They’d also be secretly transporting the vamps back to Garret’s house before dawn to rest in their usual rooms. Vampires were vulnerable to attack when they rested and we weren’t trusting the wolves with their safety. In addition we’d be installing our own surveillance equipment around the property. We couldn’t rule out the “inside job” theory.
Kyle and Ethan arrived right on time so I rewarded them with a hug and a kiss on the cheek. I’d invited my three original team mates to a late lunch, thinking that it would be great to hangout and chill together for a couple of hours before we had to leave. Ethan looked his usual handsome self, with his thick, dark chocolate hair, his large golden brown eyes and his warm smile. He was dressed in dark jeans, boots and a solid black tee shirt under a sports jacket. He turned women’s heads wherever he went, but it never made him stuck up.
Kyle was my height, 5’9”, and had an edgier look. Spiky blonde hair framed his Asian features, assorted tattoos decorated his arms, and eyebrow stud set off his dark intelligent eyes. He wore his usual sneakers, black jeans and gory graphic tee. This week it was some heavy metal band called Death Bed, with blood splattered around the words. His exotic features turned heads as well, but Kyle was already committed to his mate, Peter, and so never noticed that kind of attention.
I dished up the amazing chili that Liam had left warming on the stove, since he wouldn’t be coming back until 4:00 PM. “So Kyle, how many of those…um...shirts do you actually have?” I was thinking that he could have changed it up a bit for the important meeting tonight.
“At least a hundred, I think.” He kept eating, but his eyes had narrowed. “Peter said I should dress more professionally, but this is how I dress.” He shrugged. Ethan and I didn’t say a word so he sighed in exasperation, rolled his eyes and pulled out his cell. “Hey, could you bring over my leather jacket and a regular shirt? Yeah, you were right. See you soon. Love ya.” He looked at me. “Happy?”
“I’ll be very happy to see Peter.”
“Yeah, I bet. He’s everyone’s favorite. Nobody can figure out why he picked me as his lifemate, but you two can vouch for my winning personality, right?”
Ethan almost choked on his chili. I chuckled out, “It’s similar to Bridgett and William choosing each other.”
“You are so not comparing me to your crazy-assed sister." We continued to eat without answering."I mean, yeah we’re both smart and kinda outspoken—and hard to live with sometimes—and stubborn.” Ethan and I were grinning and trying so hard to hold in our laughter. Kyle frowned. “Well I’m much cooler.”
“Much,” I said.
“Cooler.” Ethan added as we nodded at our annoyed teammate.
He glared at us for a minute and then shrugged it off. “Well, anyway, Peter’s been talking to that Flynn kid, trying to help him out. We don’t want the Shifter Council getting involved and then executing the poor guy just ‘cause he’s a hard headed SOB.”
“We’ve all been there,” Ethan chimed in before gulping down another mouthful.
Sinc, our other team mate, arrived twenty minutes later looking great in black leather pants and a red silk blouse, but after giving me a weak hug, she sat as far away from Kyle and Ethan as she could manage. She was a knockout with piercing blue eyes and rich brown hair that hung below her shoulders in soft waves. At 5’4” she was curvy where women should be curvy and always moved like a woman with plenty of confidence. Tonight she avoided our eyes and only seemed to be playing with her food.
After our Rogues, Inc. team was formed, Ethan and Sinc discovered a mutual attraction, becoming lovers and then eventually, housemates. When Ethan suggested that they make it more permanent, Sinc flipped, managing to sabotage their relationship by pretending to cheat on him with Sasha. When she’d returned to her empty house, she realized that she’d made a terrible mistake, but Ethan couldn't bring himself to trust her again.
I took another good look at her. Sinc was getting thinner and I knew it wasn’t just because of losing Ethan. She was stressed about seeing her parents again in Los Altos, the weres who’d tossed her out when they’d found out she was ‘only a shifter’ and could never be made a werewolf. She’d also have to confront the Alpha and his mate who’d insisted that she leave, even though her dad had petitioned them to let her stay. Tonight was going to suck for her, so I decided to stick close in support.
Peter arrived soon after Sinc, handing Kyle a garment bag that obviously had more than just the two items Kyle had asked for. When Kyle curled his mouth into a sheepish smile, Peter bent down to kiss him lightly on the lips. “You’re welcome.” He walked over to me and gave me a hug, asking, “How are you feeling, Jackie? I haven’t seen you since you’ve gotten back.” Peter was tall, over 6’, with wavy dark hair, dark eyes that glittered with humor and beautiful mahogany colored skin. He was laid back and relaxed for a lawyer, and the perfect complement to Kyle’s more intense personality. I offered him chili but he declined.
“I’m doing fine, thanks to everyone who helped to find me, including these three.” I looked at them affectionately as Samson ran over suddenly to lick my hand. I chuckled as I said, “You too, Samson. You kicked some serious ass!” We all laughed when my big tough Rottweiler lay down and rolled over to get his belly scratched. We were leaving him in Faerie with Aedus and Philladre while we were on assignment in Los Altos, where we were sure he’d be spoiled rotten. Plus Bridgett was there to pamper him too.
We chatted with Peter, who told us a little bit about the lion shifter, Flynn. “He’s stubborn and afraid, not cooperating with any of us. Rob’s at his wit’s end and we’re both concerned that the Council may take matters into their own hands. Because he won’t talk to us or shift again we think they’ll decide he’s too dangerous, and they may be right.” He turned to me. “You’re pretty much our last hope for him.”
“I’m planning on paying Flynn a visit as soon as we get back from Los Altos. I’ll do my best.” I shrugged. The Shifter Council had agreed to wait until I was able to spend some time with him before making their decision, since I was the only shapeshifter healer in the western states.
After a few minutes, Peter said goodbye and wished us luck, so Kyle jumped up to take his hand and walk him out to the car. I was happy to see that their relationship seemed stronger than ever. I flashed on them possibly adopting a kid one day, and then recalled some of Kyle’s stubborn temper tantrums. Peter really didn’t need to deal with two unruly children. Still, I understood the attraction more than Kyle might think. Kyle made you laugh and relax, even in the middle of a terribly tense situation. He glowed with self-confidence, exuding a vibrant life force, and was never hesitant to speak his mind on any subject, usually with passion. There was an open honesty about him that I respected.
Two minutes later, Kyle was back at the table shoveling in his food, jabbering on about some book he was reading, but Ethan was watching Sinc, who was barely nibbling at her chili. He got up and moved to the chair next to hers, draping his arm around her so that she could lean
against him. This was such a typical Ethan thing to do. He was all heart and he wanted her to know that he’d be there for her tonight, no matter what was going on with their relationship. I smiled at him and he just shrugged. It was obvious to me that he still cared about her, and I hoped that they’d have a chance to talk privately before we left for tonight’s meeting with the pack.
To make that happen, I grabbed Kyle and asked him if he’d like to play some Mario Kart with me before the vamps woke up. This was a game he never lost, so it didn’t take much urging to get him upstairs and beating me at every-single-race. Ethan and Sinc made it upstairs half an hour later laughing about something, and I was grateful to Ethan for making the effort to cheer her up. If anything was going to help her get through tonight it was having his support. They sat on the couch and watched as Kyle’s Princess Toadstool flew past my Luigi once again, laughing wickedly. I stole a glance at Ethan and he smiled back as Sinc leaned against him to rest her head on his shoulder.
Kyle glanced at the couple, narrowed his eyes and said, “Ethan you’re nuts." He held up a hand to stop Ethan's angry comment. "But I’m following orders and keeping my mouth shut this time.” Kyle and Sinc were like oil and water, always picking at each other like kids. Garrett had laid into them the last time, so Kyle was trying to stay on his best behavior, hoping to avoid being placed on unpaid leave. The odd thing was, they were actually very similar, both with a glowing red aura and attitude to spare. I figured that probably explained their constant bickering.
Hearing Kyle's comment, Sinc immediately stiffened and stood up, moving to sit in one of the adjacent arm chairs while Ethan glowered at Kyle. “Like you keeping your mouth shut’ll ever happen."
He kept his attention on the game. “This time I’m staying out of it. It’s your funeral.”
“Kyle, we’re a team right?” Ethan yanked him around to look him in the eye. Ethan was our team leader and knew the best way to approach each one of us. Kyle sometimes needed a physical wake up call.
Blown Away (Rogues Shifter Series Book 4) Page 5
