by Vella Day
She was more confused than ever. “You didn’t know I was coming here, so how did you know to prepare this cabin? Or did Nessa call you?”
“No one called me.” Meena laughed. “I just knew.” She gave Greer’s hand a squeeze and then let go. “By tomorrow morning, all of your worries—or rather most of them—will be gone.”
Now she was talking crazy, but the idea of a relaxing night to think would be so welcome. “Is there any way that Changeling can find me?”
“The fairies will make certain no one harms you.”
“That sounds wonderful.” Greer pointed to the most prominent path. “I just go down that path for half a mile and I’ll find it?”
Meena smiled and then stood. “It would be better if you follow me.”
Before Greer could tell her guide that she could find it on her own, Meena changed into these tiny points of light. In a V-shaped pattern, she flew down the path, and Greer trailed after her.
As Greer walked down the tree covered path, her thoughts shot back to Blake, wishing he was with her instead of the terrible guilt that had assaulted her earlier.
Greer must not have been paying attention, because it was as if a cabin appeared out of thin air. Only it wasn’t the white wooden cabin with the green shutters that her brother and his mate had described. This was a rather upscale cabin with lots of windows. While there wasn’t a front porch, the tall soaring sides created from some kind of sleek stone she’d never seen before, made up for it. “Wow.”
When she turned to thank Meena, every bit of light was gone. All that was left was a quick shot of cold air that blew past her. Now that was almost creepy.
“Meena?”
Greer waited for a moment, and when she didn’t appear, she hurried up the path to the front of the house. The front door was unlocked, so Greer stepped inside. When she flicked on the light, her heart pounded at the amazing interior. Everything was classy and upscale, not at all what she expected from a cabin in the woods. Blake would love this place too. She should call him and invite him to join her. Unfortunately, when she pulled out her phone, it indicated there was no service. “Great.”
Given the late hour, Greer would stay here tonight and return home tomorrow to the man she loved.
Chapter Eighteen
As soon as Griffin landed, he shifted and then shook Blake’s hand. “I spoke with Nessa. She said she heard from Greer.”
He blew out a breath. “Does she know where she is?”
“Nessa suggested that Greer speak with Fay Forrester.”
“Who is she? I’ve never heard of her.”
“She’s a fairy, but I can’t tell you what her powers are exactly. All I know is that both Nessa and Birk have spoken at length with her. Both said she knew things. Their word, not mine.”
“Nessa said Greer was rather confused, and that she sounded exhausted too. She sent her to Fay in hopes she would help her get things straightened out with whatever caused her to run. Also, Nessa said there was a cabin in the woods, and she is hoping Fay might put Greer up there to relax and calm down.”
“Good to know, but why go to a fairy?” Hell, he didn’t even know they existed. Then again, he’d never heard of Changelings before either. He really needed to get out more.
“Fay might be able to tell her how to defeat this guy, or how to deal with her feelings about both of her abductions. It’s hard to say which.”
That made sense. “Where is this Fay woman now? I know it’s late, but do you think she’ll be around?”
Griffin shrugged. “If that is where Greer is, you should go. I would suggest you wait a bit before running after her to give her some time to come to grips with things.”
“She’s already had a half hour head start.”
Griffin wrapped an arm around his shoulder. “I can’t say I’m an expert with women, but I know my sister. Give her another hour and then head out after her. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to go home and shower either.”
He did look a mess. He also probably smelled. “I don’t want her to be alone. What if she can’t find this Fay woman?”
“Okay, you can skip the shower, but don’t rush out right away.”
“I’ll take your advice. You never said where I could find this fairy chick.”
“She’s at the eternal flame.”
“The one that’s in the middle of the realm?”
“The one and only. It’s where Fay lives—or should I say where she flits about. Just so you know, Fay will probably be in her lightning bug form.”
Okay, this was getting crazier by the minute. “Maybe this isn’t such a good idea.”
“You don’t have any hope of finding Greer if you don’t go through Fay. In my heart, I believe my sister needs you.”
“Right. Just not immediately.”
Griffin smiled. “Exactly. I’d go with you, but I need to get back to make sure Danita is okay. Being attacked by that wolf really set her back.”
He wouldn’t think of taking anyone away from a person in need. “Thanks for everything.”
“Let me know how it works out.” Griffin gave him general directions on how to find the flame. Blake had been once years ago, but he appreciated the repeated information.
Griffin took off and Blake headed back down the trail in search of the small stream he’d seen. While he couldn’t completely clean up, he didn’t want to scare Greer with smeared blood, though by the time he flew to the center of Tarradon, his dragon would have healed any major cuts and scrapes.
Once clean, he trotted back to the area where he’d fought with the Changeling. When the man shifted, his clothes ripped apart. That meant Blake’s car keys would be somewhere on the ground.
While it was dark, his excellent eyesight enabled him to find them close to the path. Dropping them in his pocket, he took off again, ready to search for Greer. Griffin had assured him it wouldn’t be too hard to find the flame. After all, it was Tarradon’s national treasure.
All during his long flight, he kept spotting bits and pieces of Greer’s light trail, which gave him comfort that he was headed in the right direction. At the forest entrance, her essence turned rather wispy, indicating she’d passed this way a while ago. He hoped he’d given her enough time to calm down, though after all she’d been through, ninety minutes might not be enough.
Blake landed at the trailhead and then shifted. To his delight, there was a wooden sign that pointed to the eternal flame trailhead. Now that he was near her, Blake couldn’t wait any longer to hold Greer in his arms and tell her all would be okay. He jogged down the path, searching for more of her essence. He spotted it at random intervals, but he had no idea why it was appearing and then fading. It was almost as if this place was trying to hide her—something that was possible considering Griffin claimed this fairy was magical.
When he came to the end of the path, he was surprised it wasn’t guarded.
“Greer?” he called out, though he didn’t expect her to hear him. If she had been close, he would have sensed her presence.
He paced the small space, trying to figure out his next move. Blake must have been there a good ten minutes when a man stepped from behind a tree and startled him. He hadn’t even known anyone was near, which was not like him.
“Welcome,” the stranger said. “I’m Kenton Forrester, Fay’s brother. Are you looking for Greer?”
Blake had called out her name. “Yes. Have you seen her?”
“Not personally, but my sister, Meena, told me that Greer is staying in our cabin.”
Griffin told him about the cabin too. “That’s great. Where is this place? I need to see her.”
“I want to show you something first.”
Not that Blake didn’t believe this guy was on the up and up, especially since he knew about Greer, but Blake was capable of finding his mate on his own. “That’s okay. If you point me in the right direction, I’m sure I can find her.”
Kenton held up his hand. “You don’t trust me. I get it. Gr
eer is your mate, and you want to protect her.”
Alarms were going off in his head. “Precisely.”
“Whether you like it or not, you need me to reach her. I will show you where she is, but first, come see this,” he demanded, even though his tone held nothing but humor. Kenton walked to the other side of the eternal flame to a small cement fountain.
Given this guy wasn’t any kind of shifter, Blake could take him if need be even though he wasn’t any diminutive fairy who would fly away, that was for sure. When Blake stepped next to Kenton, the long-haired man closed his eyes and held his hands over the water. He mumbled something in a language Blake had never heard before. When he looked down at the surface of the water, his muscles froze. In it was the reflection of Greer speaking to a small woman with similar colored brown hair to Kenton’s.
“Thank you. What should I do now?” That was Greer speaking to this woman. It was as if this guy had recorded their conversation and was playing it somehow in the water. When Blake looked around however, he didn’t spot any cameras.
“That’s my sister Meena,” Kenton said. “Watch.”
Meena smiled. “I have just the thing. There is a cabin I’ve set up just for you about a half mile or so down that path.”
“You don’t think I should return to town and explain to Blake why I just up and left?”
Blake’s heart pounded. He’d been wondering if she would feel bad for basically running away. Now he knew the answer.
“After you rest, you’ll have plenty of time to tell him everything. And do try the tub. A good soak can do wonders for your clarity of mind.”
“You couldn’t have known I was coming here. Did Nessa call you or something”?
“No one called me.” Meena laughed. “I just knew.” She clasped Greer’s hand. “By tomorrow morning, all of your worries—or rather most of them—will be gone.”
“Is there any way that Changeling can find me?”
“The fairies will make certain no one harms you.”
“That sounds wonderful.” Greer pointed to the most prominent path. “I just go down that path for half a mile and I’ll find it?”
“Yes. Follow me.”
The image disappeared and returned to being an ordinary looking pool of water. Blake spun around to face Kenton. “What just happened?”
“What do you mean? I wanted to show you that I mean you no harm, and I thought this would be the proof you needed.”
Kenton was right. Blake had needed proof. This man had some serious powers. Even a Changeling couldn’t have pulled that off. “Okay. I’m sorry I jumped down your throat. I’m just so worried about Greer.”
Kenton nodded. “No problem. Come with me.”
“You don’t have to walk with me. Just tell me where the cabin is.”
“I’m afraid you can only find it if one of us guides you there.”
“Are you going to turn into a firefly now and lead the way?” Blake honestly had no idea what a male fairy was capable of.
Kenton laughed. “I’m not a fairy. I’m a fey. Trust me, there is a big difference. My mother is a fairy, and my dad is a fey. Meena, Fay, and Tally are fairies, while Beven and I are fey. We don’t turn into light like our sisters do.”
“Good to know.”
“Come on.”
As nice as this guy was, Blake was willing to let him lead but that was all. Even though Blake kept looking for this cabin, nothing resembled any kind of structure. “Are you sure you know where it is?”
“I do. In fact, we are here,” Kenton said.
“Where?” Blake had excellent eyesight, especially in the dark, but nothing was there. He was certain of it.
“Right there.” The moment this fey pointed to the woods, a house appeared out of thin air.
“Holy shit. How did you do that?”
“Ah, I see I’ve finally impressed you. Now go see your mate.”
Blake turned around to thank him, but Kenton had disappeared. “Thank you,” Blake called to the air.
He must be losing his mind. Without waiting any longer, he raced up the short path to the rather modern looking cabin. As soon as he lifted his hand to knock, waves of sexual excitement coursed through him. Yes! Greer was definitely here!
Greer leaned her head back against the tub, the soap bubbles covering most of her body. The heat and the quiet helped calm her racing mind. If it hadn’t been for Meena’s promise that all would be well, Greer probably would have flown back to town. She had freaked out Blake and hurt his feelings, but she couldn’t handle dealing with even one more thing at that moment. First, she’d take a soak and then get a solid night’s sleep. Tomorrow morning, she’d return to town to repair the damage she’d caused to their relationship.
If she had been in her right mind, she would have done a better job explaining things to him. Never having had a panic attack before meant she hadn’t been able to express herself clearly.
At the time, she feared that the Changeling might return and battle with Blake again in order to get to her. Or wasn’t that the real reason? Hell if she knew.
She shook her head at how stupid she’d been from the moment she entered the apartment. She should have noticed the man was an impostor right from the start. Then there was the tea. How did he know she loved peach tea? It could have been Blake’s. She didn’t want to think he’d been watching her for a while.
Oh crap. She’d ordered peach tea at Angelique’s coffee shop. It was possible he’d been a waitress there or another customer. She shivered at that creepy thought.
Greer needed to stop thinking about what she’d done wrong and focus on what she would do the next time she saw Blake. A small smile crept up her face. She knew the first thing she’d do. She’d tempt him and tease him until he forgave her. After they had an amazing lovemaking session, she’d calmly explain her faulty reasoning for leaving. He’d forgive her—or so she hoped.
The water in the tub had turned a bit tepid, so she drained a bit of it while turning on the hot water. Just as it reached the perfect temperature, something blocked the lamplight streaming in from the bedroom. She looked up.
“Blake?” Or was it the Changeling? Her body said it was her mate, but maybe she wasn’t capable of knowing the difference. “Is that really you?”
Blake grinned and moved closer, forcing Greer to cross her hands over her breasts. It didn’t matter she was covered by the bubbles or that lust was shooting through her.
Blake smiled. “Yes, Greer. It’s me. Really.”
Greer lifted her chin. “Prove it.” A twinkle shot to his eyes. He unsnapped his jeans and had his pants halfway pulled down when she grinned. Only Blake would do that. “Okay, okay. Tell me this, Mr. Hard Body, where did we first meet?”
It was stupid to question him when her pussy was lighting up like the midday sun, but her illogical brain demanded she ask. Greer wasn’t sure she’d survive if this Changeling fooled her again. That newcomer from Earth wouldn’t know anything about the inauspicious start to their relationship, so this was a good test.
Blake kicked off his boots and then dragged off his pants, along with his briefs.
“I came into the jewelry store to buy a ring. Before I could, this dark entity you called Mange inhabited my body, making me stab you in the neck with a tranquilizer.” His brows rose, as if he was waiting for her to give him the all clear.
She leaned her head against the tub’s rim. “I knew it was you. I just wanted to see you naked.”
“Uh huh.”
She lowered her hands and planted her elbows on the edge. “I’m sorry I left in a huff.”
“You don’t need to explain. I understand. You were overwhelmed.” He held up his palms. “I spoke with Griffin, and he assured me you were merely having something like a panic attack, and it wasn’t anything I had done.”
“That’s totally what happened. I think it was partially that I’ve never dealt with the first kidnapping that caused the meltdown. Then when I feared the Changel
ing might best you, my brain cells disconnected.”
He tossed off his shirt. “You have nothing to worry about. I’m good. If you don’t mind, I need to get clean from all that rolling around in the dirt and frenlen needles. I don’t want to mess up your bath, so I’ll just step in the shower.”
“I’ll help you wash.” Being around Blake helped settled her soul and her heart.
She stood, and his eyes turned that gorgeous teal, causing her libido to catch on fire. Blake approached. He held out his hand and helped her out of the tub.
“You are a sight for sore eyes,” he said. “When I saw you lying on the ground like that, I was scared shitless that the Changeling had harmed you.”
“Other than drugging me with the peach tea, he didn’t hurt me.” Greer grabbed a towel and wrapped it around her body.
“Same here, only it was with coffee.” He explained how the Changeling must have pretended to be his secretary. “She offered me a drink, and I didn’t think anything of it. Only after I thought about it did I suspect something wasn’t right, I had asked Belinda a few questions that she should have known the answers to. By that time though, I had become dizzy. Next thing I remember, I woke up sprawled out on the floor and two hours had passed.”
Greer gritted her teeth. “I want to kill the bastard.”
Blake dragged a hand down her shoulder, his touch calming her. “How about we worry about him later? I have a lot of other things on my mind besides an insidiously terrible werewolf.” Blake ran his gaze down her body, heating up her interior scales.
“Is that so? And what would those things be?” she asked as innocently as possible.
Chapter Nineteen
“For starters, this.” Blake drew her close and kissed her. Wow. No doubt about it, this was most definitely her Blake Masters. No one kissed like he did. How she hadn’t been able to tell him and the Changeling apart during the fight still confused her, but it didn’t matter now. They were here together, and she planned to do whatever it took to keep it that way.
