“What? Why the hell do you want to move out?” He shoved himself up off the couch and started pacing.
“I want my own place again. I lived alone for a long time.”
“Is there something you’re not telling me?”
Oh, yes. There was plenty she wasn’t telling him, but that wasn’t going to change anytime soon. “I’m going to find a place to rent. You can have Rowan half of the time.”
Brennan sank back into the couch. His shoulders slumped forward. She could see his distress in the way his muscles tightened, and she could feel the mood change in the room. “I like having him here all of the time. I like seeing him in the morning and in the evening.”
“You’re welcome to come by anytime, and I’ll be flexible about schedules. We don’t need to get the court involved.” Of course, if Brennan became angry, he could involve Liam. He could make this into a legal issue, but she really hoped he wouldn’t.
“I’m not going to get the court involved,” he said. “I don’t want to draw any attention to our family.”
She had figured as much. She felt the exact same way. “Good. We’ll work around your schedule since your hours are the most unpredictable.”
Brennan clenched his jaw. “What are you going to do with Rowan while you’re working at the diner?”
“If you’re off work, you’re welcome to pick him up. I’ve already spoken to Juliana. She, Clara, and Brynne all offered to watch him while I’m working. All of them have been so kind and understanding.”
“They are pretty awesome sisters-in-law. I’m lucky to have them.”
“I feel the same way. I’m so glad that Rowan has all of them. It’s a very different life here then the one we had in Rosemary Beach.”
Brennan’s jaw relaxed. His entire face softened. “Are you missing Rosemary Beach?”
“Not really. Florida was never my home. I stayed there because the homeowners paid a lot of money for me to clean their houses that weren’t even dirty to begin with.”
“You guys have had a lot of changes in just a week,” Brennan said. “It’s normal to feel out of sorts.”
She knew all about feeling out of sorts. She knew about losing a home. None of that was a conversation she was ready to have with Brennan. She couldn’t share those secrets with someone who saw her as only a friend.
17
Brennan
He had no fucking clue what had gone wrong between him and Fallon. One minute, everything was great. They were at Kellan’s house, laughing and joking around with his family. He tried to hide it, but he had kept a close watch on Fallon during the entire night.
She was so mercurial, and her moods could swing rapidly. The changes were always subtle—except for the one time when she left the country and ran to Cuba, but that didn’t count because she had felt like her time with her son was threatened.
Maybe people would think that her wanting a job and wanting to move out was normal. Maybe those things were normal. God knew that he wouldn’t want to depend on someone for all of his money. It was hard enough to let Kellan buy him extravagant things sometimes. His instincts told him that something was wrong with her, though. He just couldn’t figure out exactly what it was.
Ever since the moment when she told him she was moving out, he had been restless and irritated. He did not want her to move out. He liked her living in his home. Even if he had his son full time, he still wanted her around, close to him.
He got up the next morning in a sour mood and went to work. When he found himself wanting to arrest the high school principal for speeding, he knew he needed a break. He texted all three of his brothers and asked if they could meet him for lunch.
Quinn had patients all day, but Kellan and Liam agreed to meet him. They couldn’t go to the diner because Fallon was already working a shift there. Instead, he picked up some barbecue, and they all met at the lake.
Kellan didn’t even let him get his pulled pork sandwich out before he slapped him on the back. “What is going on with you? You better tell us right now.”
“What do you mean?” Brennan asked.
“You’re never moody like this. You’ve had a scowl on your face since you got out of your Jeep.”
He might as well confess. They’d get it out of him eventually. “It’s Fallon.”
“We could have guessed that much,” Kellan said.
“I just don’t understand what’s going on,” Brennan admitted.
“Give us some details then,” Kellan said.
Brennan scoffed. “Do I really have to spend my lunch break like this? Sitting here and gossiping about girls like we’re still fifteen years old?”
“We are not the enemy,” Liam reminded him.
It was hard to be mad when Liam was around. He was the calmest and most laid-back of the four of them. He was a good listener too.
“Fallon’s different,” Brennan said.
“Yeah, we noticed,” Liam agreed,
He frowned. “Noticed how?” Brennan asked.
Liam nodded. “She’s hard to read. She reminds me of a vampire.”
Brennan’s dragon growled deep in his chest. “Don’t compare the mother of my child to one of those bloodsuckers.”
“Obviously, she’s not a vampire, or she wouldn’t have had your child.”
“I thought I had her figured out. I thought we were having a good time. You guys know I never really wanted to get serious with anyone, but there was no way I was going to leave the mother of my child in Florida with no money and a shitty apartment. So I convinced her to move in with me. And shocker, I really liked having her there.”
“So what’s the problem?” Quinn asked.
“She moved out. She said she needed her own space.”
Liam nodded. “And you miss her?”
“It goes beyond that,” Brennan said. “I don’t know how to describe it.”
Liam frowned sympathetically. “I think you should really consider the possibility that she’s your mate.”
How was that possible? Brennan didn’t feel like that was at all the situation. “I thought I was supposed to feel an all-consuming need for my mate, or like I can barely function without her.”
“You’re not functioning. You’re not sleeping, you’re not eating, and you told us you wanted to punch your deputy in the face yesterday.”
All of that was true. They were right. He was the sheriff, but he was hardly a hard-ass. He expected the people in town to respect their laws, but if things went wrong, he would always look for a solution that would benefit everybody. Outside of work, he was the life of the party.
He had to consider what they were saying because both of them were mated. One was mated to a human, and one was mated to another shifter.
Brennan just thought it would be more clear.
“She’s not a female shifter,” Kellan said. “You’re going to have to use your brain, not just your instincts.”
Brennan sat back and chewed on his pork sandwich. As soon as he was finished, he gathered up their trash and shoved it all in a bag. “All right, guys, enough chat. Let’s shift and swim for the thirty minutes we have left on our lunch break.”
18
Fallon
Fallon’s new house was cute. It was tan painted brick with accent stones and a perfectly rectangular backyard. She’d saved up enough money to pay for the deposit herself. It was far lonelier than she had anticipated. In fact, she had never really lived alone. She’d gone from having roommates in college to having baby Rowan living with her.
She hated being in the house alone and worked non-stop on the days that Brennan had Rowan. As a result, she had saved up quite a bit of money, but she had nothing to spend it on. Brennan had insisted on fully furnishing the house because Rowan would be staying there. She hadn’t argued. Brennan had also bought Rowan everything he needed. He had a wardrobe full of clothes and shoes for each house, a toothbrush for each house, and toys and books for each house.
She missed the predictable
life she’d lived with Rowan and Brennan in the same house. It hadn’t been long, but she cherished the family time that she’d had. She missed the boisterous Irish clan, too, but she needed some distance from Brennan, and she couldn’t get that if she was living in the same house with him.
She was in love with him. She wanted to be his mate, but Brennan had given no indication that he felt the same way.
Clara showed up that afternoon with a bundle of fresh flowers and a vase. “How’s the new job going?”
“It’s going really well,” Fallon said. “Kate is really nice, and the Bluebonnet Cafe is a fun place to work.” Fallon really liked Clara, but she wasn’t sure why Clara had dropped by.
Clara began to separate the flowers, grouping them in a way that made sense to her. “If you ever need to talk, let me know.”
“Okay. Thank you.”
Clara didn’t look at her, but her hands kept moving, picking leaves off the stalks and snapping off stems that were too long. “If you ever need to talk about what it’s like to be with a dragon shifter, just let me know. I know what it’s like to get that kind of shocking news.”
“That’s really kind of you.”
“I’m glad that Brennan told you he was a shifter. I’m not sure if Brennan told you, but I found out after Declan and I were kidnapped by witches. I was working as Declan’s nanny at the time.” She bowed her head. Then she looked over at Fallon and met her eyes. “I almost didn’t give Kellan a second chance.”
Ah. This made sense. She was here to give Fallon a pep talk about accepting Brennan’s flaws. Fallon didn’t have a problem with Brennan’s flaws. She accepted them mainly because she had plenty of her own.
19
Brennan
Kellan was trying to distract Brennan, which he appreciated. Kellan hosted yet another pool party, which was fun, but Fallon wasn’t there. She’d been invited, but she had to work. He suspected she intentionally signed up to work anytime she might be around him. She’d packed a bag for Rowan, though, complete with pajamas so that he could spend the night with Declan if he wanted to.
Brennan was playing water volleyball with the kids when the air around them stirred. There weren’t a lot of strong breezes in Cedar Lake. He immediately hopped out of the pool and grabbed a towel.
“Do you feel that? he asked his brothers
They got out of the pool and joined him on the deck immediately. A scraping sound came from the direction of Kellan’s gate. All four of them turned to look.
Quinn picked Finn up out of his blanket and handed him to Brynne. “Sweetheart, would you mind taking all five kids into the house?”
“Safe room?” she asked.
Kellan didn’t take his eyes off the gate. “Yes, please.”
Brynne tucked Finn and Isleen under her arm. “Declan, grab Shannon, please. Rowan, come with us.”
The lock popped off, and the gate swung open. A woman stepped into Kellan’s yard. Well, she wasn’t actually a woman. She wasn’t human. She was Fae. She was staring right at Rowan, but she didn’t move toward him, which was just as well because Brennan would take her head off.
When Brynne said his name, Rowan hesitated. He looked at Brennan, and Brennan nodded his head. “Go with Aunt Brynne, please. I love you.”
The kids must have known something was up because they followed Brynne with no protests. “You guys want to grab a popsicle?” he heard her say as she bolted the door behind her.
Now that the kids were out of the way, all four brothers turned their attention back to the gate. At first glance, the woman Fae looked a lot like Fallon, but that was impossible. Fae refused to mingle with humans. They’d rather die than clean a human’s house, even to provide for their child. They also didn’t fraternize with dragon shifters. The Fae viewed shifters as if they were animals. Occasionally, one of the tribe might be ostracized. At that point, they’d join the vampire covens and work for them. Otherwise, they kept to themselves and were rarely seen in public.
Kellan, the most accustomed to meeting people outside their small circle of residents in Cedar Lake, stepped forward. “Can I help you?”
“I need to speak with you.” Her Irish accent was strong. She twisted her hands together, which drew all of their eyes to her hands. Fae were notorious for not fidgeting. He didn’t know if they got nervous like other living beings, but if they did, they sure did conceal it well—except this one.
Kellan ushered her to one of his round patio tables that seated six. “You’re welcome to have a seat.”
Her eyes darted to the table. “I’ll stand, thank you.”
Kellan shrugged, feigning nonchalance. We all knew that was an act, though. He was poised and ready to strike if necessary. If she had done any research, she knew it too. It probably wasn’t easy for a Fae to stand alone and face four male dragon shifters at once.
Liam, who was the best at coming across as non-threatening, pulled out a chair and sat down. “I am Liam. What can we help you with?”
“I know what your name is. There’s nothing you can help me with. I came to warn you.”
“Warn us?” Quinn’s voice was sharper than usual.
“Yes, I came to warn you.”
“We appreciate any warnings. Although I have to say, it’s never been the Fae custom to warn a dragon.”
“I have a personal interest in protecting you,” she said.
“I don’t suppose you would be willing to share with us what that personal interest is?” Brennan asked.
“You are correct,” she said, and again Brennan thought that something about her reminded him of Fallon. Her statuesque bearing, her regal poise, her crystalline eyes.
“Can you give us some details on what you’re wanting entails?” Kellan asked.
“The witches are planning to attack you. Again.”
Quinn took a step closer. “How did you become aware of this information?”
“The Fae don’t participate in the human world, but when your clan was destroyed, we lost out too. It was a blow to the supernatural world.”
“We’re well aware. Are the witches planning to attack us here? They’ve come here once before,” Liam said. “They came when Brynne was pregnant with Finn. They had seen a female shifter carrying a hatchling as a threat. They had not physically harmed Brynne, but they threatened her.”
The woman gave a nearly imperceptible nod. “Of the three powerful witches, only one is left, as you well know. She’s planning to come here to Texas and move against you. You may wonder how she plans to prevail. She’s found a dragon shifter that will aid her in her mission.”
Quinn shook his head. “That’s not possible. A dragon shifter would never help a witch with those kinds of evil plans.”
“The dragon shifter may be brainwashed. Her spells are strong. I have to go now.” The Fae glanced at the house again, then turned away.
“Thank you for the warning,” Kellan said
The Fae nodded but did not turn back to them. She disappeared through the gate and latched it closed behind her.
“Fucking hell. Not again.” Kellan buried his face in his hands.
“How do we know she’s telling the truth?” Brennan asked.
Quinn grimaced. “We don’t.”
Liam nodded. “The Fae have never been an ally to the dragons. In fact, they usually only have animosity toward us.”
Brennan pulled out a chair and sat down. “Let’s think this through. What does she have to gain if she’s lying to us?”
“If we all race off to Ireland for a preemptive attack, we leave our children here unprotected, as well as our human wives.”
“Good point. If we do go, one of us needs to stay behind, or we need to leave them well-protected.”
“Liam, I don’t want to volunteer your mate, but all five of us are probably going to need to go.”
“I agree, and she would too. She would not be okay with staying here and not fighting. Realistically, we need more than one shifter to guard five kids an
d three women.” Liam looked at Brennan. “I’m including Fallon in the count.”
“Good. I am, too, whether she likes it or not. As Rowan’s mother, she’s a target too,” Kellan said.
They all vividly recalled a few years back when Clara had been kidnapped by witches, and she’d been Declan’s nanny at the time.
“Who in the hell do we trust to protect them?” Brennan asked.
Kellan crossed his arms. “Not the fucking vampires.”
“God no,” Liam agreed.
Quinn rubbed his forehead. “There’s no one else.”
“I need to go get Fallon,” Brennan said and got up. “Everyone else is here. I’ll be back soon.”
This couldn’t wait.
20
Fallon
Fallon stacked the menus into a pile as one of her regular customers left after leaving a big tip. “Thanks, Mrs. Smith! We’ll see you soon,” she called out.
She had been working for nine hours, and although she’d like a break, one wasn’t necessary. Her Fae blood kept her going a lot longer than a human could. Now that she was working with other people, she just had to remember to pace herself. If she didn’t, they’d probably think she was using drugs.
She went back to the table to put out fresh silverware, and she caught sight of Brennan standing in the corner of the room. She dropped a spoon, and it clattered against the ceramic plate. She crossed the room to stand in front of him. “Hey. Is Rowan okay?”
“Yes. He’s fine. He was eating a strawberry popsicle when I left. It was his second one tonight.”
She smiled. “I’m glad he won’t get cavities.”
She hoped that was true. Dragon shifters didn’t suffer from mundane human maladies, and neither did Fae. She hoped the human portion of his genetics didn’t show up in his teeth.
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