As we lay entangled in one another, I thought on what we’d just done as she slept peacefully on my chest. I heard movement downstairs, drawing my attention. Gently, I eased her to the pillow and covered her with the blankets before pulling on my pants, tightening to laces and slipping into my shirt as I silently, left the room, latching the door shut so as not to disturb her, whatever might happen below. Gearden was sure to have known what went on between his mate and me.
Our mate? I thought. Could it be possible the draw our magic had to one another was a faerie form of mating? If the Lycans were descendants of faerie, forced to evolve to accommodate their lives separated from the goddess, did that also mean they got their mating drive from us, the faerie? And if that were the case, how often did we neglect acknowledging our other halves. Variety in sexual partners was so common in Seelie Hill, it became second nature to simply have intercourse without attachment. Barely anyone remembered what it was like before we were locked away. Then I recalled my predecessor, Nuada and his consort. His wife. His mate. They had to have been mated. I vaguely recalled him and Sidhla being inseparable. I’d always thought it was just the priestess in her that made her all the more irresistible.
When I rounded the corner from the stairs to the open space of the kitchen, living and dining areas, Gearden and Marshall froze. On either side of the island, they were speaking in low tones, and the tension could have been cut with my newly sharpened sword and still gotten stuck in the slicing.
Fully anticipating a full-on beating, I stepped up to the wolf that had first claim to Maeleigh and lifted my chin to take it on with dignity.
“What are you doing?” he asked, merely glancing at me before turning back to look at something on his communications device.
From the kitchen side of the island, Marshall didn’t pretend not to notice what was happening before his eyes. In fact, all he seemed to be missing was a beverage to complete the gawking his eyes were doing. Still, I ignored him.
“I took something of yours. And, though I confess I could not control it, even if I tried, I wouldn’t have wanted to,” I admitted, swallowing as I tensed for the first blow.
Gearden only sighed though, a deep, resounding sigh that lasted a few long heartbeats. Finally, he turned to look me dead in the eye. I had to steel myself for the inevitable blow. “You can’t take something that’s yours as well.”
Completely taken aback, it took me a moment to process his words. “You – ahem – you mean you give me your blessing?”
He shook his head, eyes closing briefly before opening again to give me the smallest of smiles. “No. That’s not mine to give. She might be my mate but she belongs to no one, Danu knows. But we talked. I told her I understood. druids have been known to have multiple partners in the past. Even of the same species. This…” He made a gesture to indicated himself, me and towards the stairs, where she, Maeleigh, our mate, slept. “…is just something we will all have to learn and find our way with as we go.”
Up until that moment, I’d seen the man as a threat, an opponent, even when fighting my feelings for Maeleigh. And now, I was seeing him for what he would be, a partner. Rolling my shoulders back, releasing the tension that had settled between them, I extended my hand to him. Without hesitation, he grasped it and gave it a firm shake, forging another bond entirely.
A throat clearing had us both looking at the other male in the room. “Are you two done, or should I make some popcorn?” Marshall asked.
Though I had no idea what popped corn was, I could feel the sarcasm dripping in his tone. Using the new gesture I’d learned from watching Ro talk to Bri, I raised my middle finger to him before turning away to search for a clean glass and pour myself some water from the tap at the sink. The running water was like what we had in Seelie Hill, but it was far faster and not magical by any means, which was fascinating all on its own.
Glass in hand, I took a hearty drink as I settled my ass on a stool, leaned my elbows on the counter and eyed them both sternly. “Now, what did I miss?”
They both filled me in and, as I assumed Gearden had to, I repeatedly quelled my instincts to punch something in the absence of the hunters whose ashes were already cooling in the pit outside. When they’d finished, I made my queries.
“What is our plan for counterattack?” I looked to Gearden, but he only crossed his arms and looked toward the stairs pointedly.
“Right. Well…her magic should be, ahem, recharged,” I didn’t dare look at the other man standing watch as I looked at the alpha wolf. I would swear Marshall was more disappointed than relieved, like myself, when Gearden only nodded as he processed the information, without a single indication of animosity.
“Let’s give her until the morning. I’ll call Bri and Ro, have them meet here for breakfast,” he said, pulling out his…phone.
“Shelly and I will cook.”
At Marshall’s announcement we both turned to look at him, a little surprised at the offer.
Nonplussed, he shrugged. “Our parents were chefs, we picked up a thing or two,” he supplied, turning to move some dishes in the sink to the dishwasher.
“Weis is aware of where I am for the evening and knows how to reach me should he need. I’ll rest down here.” I moved to eye the cushioned furniture, deciding I could find a way to be comfortable on the long chair.
“She’ll want to see you,” Gearden interrupted my thoughts. “After your first time.”
I could see the words hurt to say, which made me appreciate them even more.
Nodding, we both walked up the stairs, the sounds of Marshall finishing up in the kitchen following us.
Silently, we entered the bedroom, finding that she’d curled into herself in the center of the bed, still under the covers I’d wrapped her in. At the far side of the bed, he undressed to his undershorts while I only removed my shirt, loosening the laces at my hips again. I’d have to ask where I could get myself some undergarments similar to his later. Completely out of my element, I took his cue when he lifted the covers and moved to settle close to Maeleigh, and did the same on the other side, careful not to touch him. This was all so surreal, but something inside me found it comforting, knowing that Maeleigh was protected by another. Her safety wasn’t solely on my shoulders with another sharing the burden.
I drifted off soon after that thought, the deepest sleep I’d had for a long time without assistance.
"Wake up!” I heard someone shout in my head. Maeleigh? Groggily, I lifted my head to blink groggily down at her. The frustrated look was accentuated by the flush on her cheeks. With what I was sure was an idiotic smile on my face, I moved to nuzzle her neck, only to be shoved off.
Confused and a little hurt, my eyes snapped wide, suddenly in perfect focus. “What—”
“Move! I have to pee!” She shouted out loud. At that, Gearden shot up, looking ready for a fight.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, glancing around for a threat.
All at once, with room to move, she wiggled out from between us to crawl out and off the bed, stumbling to the small bathroom to the side of the room, slamming the door behind her.
Still a little stunned, I moved to lean my back against the wall. A chuckle drew my gaze to the other male in the bed – not wanting to pick that one apart – just in time for him to bark a laugh as the toilet flushed.
A few moments later, she exited, looking bedraggled but still as gorgeous as ever. She glared at us both in turn before signing, “You guys had me trapped and were having a snoring competition.”
That’s when I realized something. “You spoke in my head,” I pointed out.
Just a nod, but I could tell that she was thinking about that as well. “Did you have to work hard to reach me?” I asked.
“No. I was just desperate,” she replied, then moved to dresser, pulling out items from each drawer. As she moved, I couldn’t help but watch. There were plenty of beautiful fae, some that I’d lain with, but none compared to her.
Before she
went to return to the bathroom, she turned to look at Gearden. Not saying anything, she just squinted her gorgeous eyes at him and then turned on her heel to start a shower, shutting the door and us out.
Behind me, Gearden made a snorting sound, getting out of the bed to undress it, pulling on the very sheet under my ass. Taking the hint, I climbed out as well, looking at him, making a gesture of “what the hell” with my hands.
“She said I stunk and now the bed does too,” he replied, shaking out the pillows from their cases. I barked out a quick laugh, then lent a hand as our girl bathed.
The sounds of Ro and Bri’s voices entering the house had him hurrying. “Will you let them know we’ll be down soon?” At that, he darted into the bathroom.
I tossed my shirt over my shoulder and gathered the bundle of bedclothes but when I reached the hall, I had no idea what to do with them. Not wanting to disturb Maeleigh or Gearden, I dropped them onto the hall floor by the door to manage later.
“Laundry room is two doors down on the left.”
Whipping around, I saw Shelly striding down the hall, hair already pulled up at the top of her head, curls exploding out at the back, makeup accentuating her young features. Full lips painted a soft rosy pink, drawing attention to the matching shadow over her eyes.
“You look lovely this morn,” I told her, smiling. Surprised, she stopped in her tracks a few feet away, eyes wide.
Worried that I’d overstepped myself, I said, “If you don’t mind me—”
“No,” she rushed to stop me, giving a little embarrassed smile. “I’m just not used to compliments, I guess.”
Though I understood her reasoning, it angered me that her friends or her brother had not supported their beautiful friend or sister by telling her she was so. No wonder she was a bundle of nerves every time we crossed paths.
“And it’s not going to get me to do your laundry for you,” the disgusted twist on her lips was betrayed by the teasing tone.
Looking down at the pile she spoke of, I opened my hands, palms out in surrender. “I find that I have no idea where they go or how to take care of them myself,” I admitted.
Understanding dawned as her brandy colored eyes widened. “Oh yeah, I guess they didn’t have washing machines in Seelie Hill, huh?” Without waiting for an answer, she moved to the door she mentioned earlier, opening the door and flicking the light on. “Set it in that basket and I’ll teach you how to wash them after breakfast, hm?”
Thump, the load landed in the holey basket. With a bow of the head to show her my thanks, I beamed at her offer as well. “I’d appreciate that.”
“Now, let’s see if you can put me to work in the kitchen as repayment.” I held my arm out to her and together we descended the stairs. Her brother was already banging around a skillet on the stovetop, as Ro, Brianna and Bobby all sat at the island. I saw the other man standing at the head of it, his eyes following me as I entered. Shelly, damn her, abandoned me to the scrutiny of Maeleigh’s father, Benjamin, and I swore to Danu that somehow, he knew what I’d done with his daughter just six hours ago in this very house.
He spared no animosity in the glare he kept zoned in on me but finally, after a few moments of awkwardness, he turned to the cup of some brown steaming liquid that Shelly placed in front of him. Bless her, maybe she hadn’t abandoned me entirely.
Taking the opportunity to brush off the uneasiness of the moment, I moved to settle beside Bri on the last stool, farthest away from the old druid.
Shelly moved to dive into the cooking with her brother, moving in sync with one another around the kitchen. The room was filled with decision makers, not what I was used to as king of the Seelie for the last thousand years or two. My people looked to me to make the decisions and make them law, without consultation. This though, this was obviously a democracy. My Maeleigh had developed a support system of people with experience to help her, not allowing her to sink or swim as I was forced to.
“Let’s get started, shall we? Gearden and Maeleigh can join us when they’re ready,” the druid announced. He looked over at Bobby, the only one, aside from Marshall, who would have firsthand knowledge of last night’s events. Except the young man’s back stiffened as he looked around, landing on Marshall’s gaze, which flicked up from the bowl of eggs he was whipping. A silent agreement passed between them before the temporary second shook his head and looked at his alpha’s sire.
“We should probably wait for Maeleigh,” he said, his voice, to his credit, unwavering.
Benjamin’s surprise was short lived, but there none the less. Though, rather than argue, like it looked like he might, he gave a curt nod of his head and scooped up his steaming cup to take a tentative sip.
“Ro and I brought our things,” Bri announced, breaking the new tension.
The other male pushed off his stool to pour himself a cup of something from a carafe on the counter. “Mom’s kind of sad about it.”
Shelly shot him a sympathetic look before remembering her shyness and went back to shredding cheese.
Catching his eye, I ticked a finger in the air, inquiring for a cup of my own of whatever the other males were enjoying. He grunted but poured me one and set it down unceremoniously at my elbow, murmuring, “Get it yourself next time, pretty boy.”
Unoffended, I took a cautious sip, testing the bitter taste on my tongue.
“You’ll probably have to bunk with Shelly, Bri,” Gearden announced from the bottom of the stairs, freshly showered, Maeleigh following behind him, hair still damp but brushed down her back.
I couldn’t help but smile at Maeleigh as she walked in on bare feet. She caught my eye and gave her own welcoming smile as well, before turning into the kitchen, just as Gearden poured his own drink, emptying the pot.
Maeleigh glared at him but pulled something out of the food box – the fridge they called it – pouring it into the drink in front of me, giving it a stir with a spoon on the counter. Giving it a wave, she indicated I should try it again. When I did, the sweet taste of vanilla and cream exploded on my taste buds, and the now cooler temperature allowed me to take a hearty gulp. When I set it down, she stole the mug from me and took a sip of her own, smiling around the rim, eyes sparkling over it.
The silence in the room drew my gaze away from hers, seeing that all eyes were on us, except Gearden and Shelly. Marshall seemed to be happy to have food for his show this time around, popping a bit of bacon into his mouth, grinning as he chewed.
Someone knocked on the counter, snapping Maeleigh’s attention to the other end, to her father. Lifting a brow to him, he signed, “The realtor in charge of Selena’s townhouse is asking about what to do with her belongings. It’s due on market soon, and apparently she has your name as a contact.”
Jarred out of her thoughts, she set the coffee down to free her hands. “Alright…I’ll get back to you on that.”
“Are we all here?” she asked, looking to Bri, who nodded.
“Alright, I guess we can get started. First, is there any word from Julie or Caleb on the murder investigation?” she asked her friend, both aloud and in sign.
“Not yet. All they’ve been able to determine so far is that it was definitely someone with magic, so we’re probably not looking for a Lycan or vampire,” the Beta explained, accepting the plate of food that Shelly deposited in front of her and Ro, at the same time that Marshall set identical ones in front of Benjamin and Maeleigh.
Maeleigh nodded, though I could see the disappointment in her expression. “Which means they probably aren’t affiliated with the Hunters either,” she concluded.
Slowly, Bri agreed, shaking her fist in an up and down motion to sign ‘yes.’
Damn it. We didn’t have just one problem, we had two. I’d never thought I’d desire to return to being trapped in Seelie Hill, but right then, I wanted nothing more than to take Maeleigh with me, away from the dangers here on the surface.
“Well,” Gearden started, then stopped to swallow a mouthful of food, “�
�the men who attacked us last night definitely were.” He signed brokenly to Maeleigh, as well.
“How many?” Ro asked, his food still untouched.
“Five,” Bobby answered. “Three down here with Tomos and Dom and two others upstairs.” His eyes flicked to his alpha briefly, an expression of foreboding etched into his features.
“And one was vampire,” Marshall chimed in, taking a spot at the corner of the island, left to stand as all the seats were taken. Shelley hopped on the counter by the stove to eat hers.
Bri’s round eyes turned to Maeleigh, saying silently yet clearly, “What?”
Maeleigh nodded. “They’ve all been taken care of. But it doesn’t make sense for the hunters to attack here.”
“Less force here, no vampires, on our side that is, and not an entire army of Seelie around,” Bri deducted.
“But still, only sending five guys?” Ro pointed out, looking dubious. “That’s a suicide mission.”
A blanket of quiet fell over the room before finally, Bri spoke up, saying what no one else apparently wanted to say aloud. “Then what were they really after?”
No one had any ideas, at least, none that were expressed to the rest of the group. Before it became too awkward, Maeleigh held a hand up, opposite the one shoveling eggs into her mouth, signing “Okay,” to get everyone’s attention before saying, “I’m going to visit the queen’s house in the city. I can’t tell them what to do with her stuff until I see it, I guess. Meanwhile, if anyone has any thoughts on why five men were sent to their deaths last night via the organization of faerie haters, let me know.” She turned away then, setting her cleaned plate in the sink and taking her phone out of her back pocket, tapping vigorously at the screen.
Meeting adjourned, discussion changed to reports between the two betas, Bri and Bobby. Ro watched his charge wearily though, almost obsessively. Weis had informed me of the wolf’s ingrained duty to protect the female alpha that was my…
Truce: Book 1 in the Aftermath Series Page 12
