by Jackie May
“I think the real question,” Terrance says, “is why did you lose control of your power?”
Rook frowns. “Why even use it in the first place?”
“I—” My cheeks heat up. “He asked me to.”
Terrance’s eyes narrow, and Rook’s pop wide. “He asked you to?” Rook repeats.
I shrug, squirming under their scrutiny. “I guess it feels good—like true love—and the guy’s a cupid. He was curious.”
“So you did it?” Rook says, aghast.
He turns even more around in his chair, glowering at me like I’m a moron. I glare right back. I do feel like an idiot for causing the trouble, but I truly didn’t do it on purpose, and I don’t like the accusation in his tone.
“Of course I didn’t just do it!” I snap. “I’m not stupid.”
We pull up to the den and I jump out of the car, slamming my door. Rook scrambles out of the car behind me. “Nora, I didn’t say you were stupid.”
I throw the door open and stomp down the stairs. “I wouldn’t just use my song for the hell of it. Especially not in front of people. Not on purpose. I tried not to use it. But once the idea was planted in my head, I couldn’t resist. My body craved using the power, and my power craved being unleashed.”
When I reach the bottom of the stairs, Oliver is sitting on the couch, rubbing sleep from his eyes. His favorite Zelda hoodie is rumpled, and the side of his face is red as if he’s been passed out on the couch for a while. Damn, he’s adorable. “Everything okay?” he asks, sleepiness turning to concern as he takes in the tension between Rook and me.
I hang up my coat and sigh. “Fine. Sort of.” I hang my scarf and rub my aching head. “It’s complicated.”
Before I can go to Oliver, Rook pulls me to his chest. “I’m sorry,” he says, squeezing me tightly to him. “I know you wouldn’t risk yourself on purpose. I’m just having a hard time with this situation.”
“And I’m not?” I scoff, but I melt against his chest at the same time. “You’re not the one with a new mate.”
Rook rubs his hand in circles on my back. I want to stay mad at him because I need a way to vent my frustrations, but he’s making it difficult. “He may not be my mate,” Rook says softly, “but he is my new clan brother. And he’s one more man that I’m going to have to share your affection with.”
I slide my arms around his waist and bury my face between his pecs. “I’m sorry.” I groan. “You’re right. This isn’t easy on any of us. Let’s just forget the how and why and deal with the here and now. What’s done is done. All we can do is accept it and make the best of things.”
Rook holds me a moment longer until Oliver says, “New mate?”
Rook lets me go with a grunt and hangs up his coat. Oliver reaches out to me. I place my hand in his. He steps up to my side and laces our fingers together, but he won’t kiss me in front of Rook. We all understand the struggle it is for Rook to accept this relationship, and the guys respect that. Well, Oliver and Parker do. Illren, not so much. He uses any opportunity he can to touch me even though we aren’t in a relationship. He doesn’t respect my boundaries, much less Rook’s.
I squeeze Oliver’s hand and wave toward the man who’s just come down the stairs behind Terrance. “Oliver, meet Charlie. He’s…um…”
Charlie steps forward, holding out a hand to Oliver. “I’m Nora’s new mate. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
His beautiful smile seems natural, as if he can’t help being happy.
Oliver’s eyebrows climb his forehead, but he shakes Charlie’s hand and returns the greeting before looking to me for more explanation. I cringe. “Our instincts kicked in like Terrance’s do sometimes, and we claimed each other. I guess it’s a fey thing. We’re bound magically and everything.”
Oliver’s jaw falls open.
I wince. “I’m sorry.”
Terrance grunts. “I told you to stop apologizing, Nora.”
I meet his scowl with a quick glare and then throw myself down onto the couch in an exhausted heap. “I can’t help it.” I lay my head on the back of the couch and scrub my hands over my face. “This isn’t just about Charlie and me. This affects all of us—everyone in this family. I’m sorry if I feel bad for disrupting all of our lives. Again.”
The couch sinks with Terrance’s weight, and his big arm drapes around my shoulder. “Trouble, you’ve been one giant disruption in all of our lives from the moment we each met you. If we didn’t like it, none of us would stick around.”
I cut him a sideways glance and find him smirking at me. The look makes me crack a smile. He grins and tucks me against his side. “Stop feeling sorry. We’ll all adjust to this, same as we have everything else.”
His words are what I need to hear, and there is no affection quite like that of my big, grumpy troll’s. I snuggle into his side, soaking up the contact like it’s the magical cure to all of my worries. “Thanks, T-man.”
Terrance squeezes me in a gentle hug and kisses the top of my head. “No more apologizing.”
“Okay.”
Terrance climbs to his feet and lifts his arms into a stretch. “I’m going to bed,” he says on a yawn. He looks around the room and adds, “Make sure you introduce Charlie to Illren before everyone goes to sleep. We don’t need him killing Nora’s new mate.”
I laugh, but it’s weak because I’m so tired. Terrance disappears down the hall, and, as if that’s some kind of cue, Rook, Oliver, and Charlie all sink down into the furniture and let themselves relax. Oliver takes Terrance’s place beside me. Rook stretches out on the other couch, and Charlie sits in one of the chairs. He’s the only one who doesn’t look completely comfortable. “He was joking about the assassin, right?”
Rook and I both chuckle, and Oliver grimaces. “Not really. But don’t worry. He seems to have a surprising amount of loyalty to everyone in our clan. He won’t hurt you once he knows you’re with us.”
I lay my head on Oliver’s shoulder, and my eyes flutter shut. “We just need to tell him before you go wandering around the den alone, or else he might mistake you for an intruder, and then you’re toast.”
Charlie doesn’t respond to this vocally. I peek one eye open and smile a little at the pale, disturbed expression on his face. In some sick way, I’m a little proud of my assassin and his terrifying reputation.
Oliver shifts his arm behind me and starts kneading my neck at the hairline. It feels so good that I let out a moan. “Yes. That. More.”
Oliver chuckles and places a throw pillow on his lap. I lay my head down and let him work the tension out of my neck and head. After a minute of bliss, I break the silence. “Where is Illren, anyway?”
“I don’t know,” Oliver says. “Haven’t seen him since I got home.”
Rook scoffs. “He’s probably out decapitating people and dancing on their corpses.”
Illren’s soft voice splits the air, startling us all. “The monsters I kill are hardly people.” He hangs his coat on the coatrack while we all continue to gape at him. None of us—not even the wolf—heard him come in. “And I don’t dance.”
He stands there, taking in the scene before him in that calm, assessing way he always does. His eyes flit about the room and settle on me. He seems very interested in the fact that I’m lying in Oliver’s lap, receiving what happens to be my very first massage, but I can’t tell what he thinks about it. I can never tell what he’s thinking. After a long look, he eventually turns his calculating stare on Charlie. I should get up and properly introduce Charlie to Illren, but Oliver’s massage is so relaxing my brain is officially mush. “Illren, come meet Charlie,” I mumble. “He’s a member of our clan now, so you can’t kill him, ’kay?”
He cocks a brow at me, silently demanding more of an explanation, but Oliver buries his fingers deep in my hair, lightly pulling on the strands. The slight sting at my scalp has me moaning with pleasure again.
The air around me shifts, and before I can figure out what’s happening, Rook’s mouth
is on mine. He’s leaning over me, fiercely claiming my lips like I’m not lying in Oliver’s lap with Charlie and Illren looking on. “I love your noises,” he growl-murmurs against my lips.
Embarrassed by his words, I try to sit up, but Oliver refuses to release his grip on my hair, forcing me to stay in his lap. He tugs the locks again, gently pulling my head back and exposing my neck to Rook. Rook moves his lips down my throat, and I gasp. His teeth graze my neck, raising goose bumps all over my body. “The next time I hear you make sounds like that,” Rook says, “we’ll be alone, and it’ll be me coaxing the moans from you.”
His words are a seductive threat that makes my body warm. He drags his lips back up my throat and kisses me once more. “I’m going to bed before my wolf forces me to drag you to my room with me. Dream of me tonight.”
He’s up in the next second and out of the room without another word, leaving me flushed and panting for breath. Before my mind can catch up to what happened, Oliver sits me up and drags me across his lap so that I’m cradled against him and my legs are draped across him. He tucks my hair back behind my ear and catches my gaze. “You okay?”
I have to swallow hard before I can get any words out, and then I only manage one. “Yeah.” The single word is embarrassingly breathy.
Oliver smiles a small smile that’s only for me. “I kind of liked that, too,” he whispers, then presses his lips to mine. I expect just a quick kiss, but Oliver hugs me to him and takes his time, building heat slowly instead of instantly igniting me the way Rook had. Before things get out of hand, he breaks the kiss. “I’ve been waiting for that kiss since midnight.”
My face is on fire, and I’m very conscious of the two other men in the room who seem content to watch me make out with my boyfriends, but I force my attention to stay on Oliver. He deserves it for being patient with Rook. “Happy New Year,” I mumble.
He smiles again and adjusts me so that I’m comfortably settled in his arms. “Happy New Year.”
“Happy New Year,” Charlie chimes. When Oliver and I both turn to him, he flashes us a wide grin. “I thought your relationship with Rook was strong, but you two”—he points at Oliver and me—“you’re something else entirely. And the three of you together? Damn, that was sexy. I really am going to love it here.”
Illren clears his throat. He’s leaning against the wall, picking at the dirt underneath his fingernails with one of his smaller daggers. “Will one of you explain this man’s presence before I kill him?”
The smile falls from Charlie’s face. He gulps and shifts in his chair, squirming beneath Illren’s intense scrutiny. I pull myself out of Oliver’s embrace and sit up with a sigh. “Illren, this is Charlie, and like I said before, you can’t kill him.” Illren shoots me his infamous bored look. “I’m serious. You can’t touch him. He’s…he’s…”
I can’t get the word out, and neither, it seems, is Charlie willing to break the news to my personal assassin. Oliver decides to be the brave one. “He’s her mate.”
A brief look of shock passes over Illren’s face before he shuts it down with his usual blank expression. He slides a narrow-eyed gaze to Charlie. “Mate?”
Charlie tugs at his collar before nodding once.
“Bonded?” Illren demands.
Charlie forces another nod, and his face goes a shade paler.
A long moment of silence stretches out before Illren says, “You’re a cupid.”
Surprised by the statement, Charlie gives him a confused nod. “Yes.”
Illren pushes away from the wall and slinks toward Charlie. I climb to my feet as well, ready to jump in if Illren loses it on Charlie. Illren notices my movement and stops. “Did you do this?” he asks Charlie.
Charlie frowns. “Do what?”
“You’re a cupid.” Illren grinds his jaw. “Did you make her fall in love with you and claim you? Did you force the bond on her?”
Charlie’s eyes pop wide, and whatever blood was left in his face drains out of it. “No!” He gasps, shaking his head frantically. “I would never do that! I couldn’t even if I wanted to. I can’t use my magic that way. I swear.”
I push myself between Charlie and Illren. I’m pretty sure Illren won’t harm Charlie because I already asked him not to, but better safe than sorry. “Charlie did nothing wrong. If anything, I was the one who forced the bond on him. I lost control of my power and claimed him. He was under the spell of my siren’s song when he completed the bond.”
Illren’s eyes snap to mine, and his voice turns sharp. “You lost control of your power? How? Why?”
Now that Illren’s attention is focused on me, Charlie sags back in his chair and lets out a breath he’d been holding. I, on the other hand, feel the weight of Illren’s glare and attempt to scurry back to my seat beside Oliver. Of course Illren doesn’t let me. I’ve already put myself within arm’s reach of him, and he’s not one to miss an opportunity to invade my personal space. He steps in front of me, blocking my escape and bringing us toe-to-toe. “How did you lose control of your power, Nora?” he asks, that lethal calm back in his voice.
A shiver runs up my spine. His voice is always so powerful despite the quietness of it. It invokes a certain level of both fear and thrill in me. “I don’t know,” I breathe. “I just did.”
I try to sidestep him again, and again he matches my movement. He leans in a little, and I get a whiff of his tantalizing scent. He always smells so good. Like some type of tangy yet sweet berries mixed with a very fresh, crisp something that reminds me of a forest after a snowstorm. I love the smell, but I’m afraid to ask him what cologne he wears because it might just be his natural scent, and I don’t need him knowing I’m attracted to him on such a primal level.
“Nora,” he says, his tone a warning that he wants a better answer.
I shake my head and focus before I accidentally lean close and breathe him in deeply, giving away how much he makes my head swim. “How did it feel?” Illren asks when I meet his eyes again.
“Dark,” I answer. “Seductive. It wanted to come out and play, and not in a harmless way. It was consuming. And the scary part is I wanted to use it. I knew I shouldn’t, but I was almost desperate to unleash it. It was as if it was mesmerizing me as much as it was him.”
Illren watches me for a few moments of tense silence as he thinks through everything I’ve just said. Once he’s finished processing, his eyes narrow, and he nods. “We’ll visit the mermaid tomorrow. She will know more about this.”
I’m glad he’s concerned. Now that I’m thinking about it again, tonight really scared me. The fact that I came out of the evening’s events with a new mate sort of overshadowed the scary fact that I lost control. But Illren couldn’t care less about how many mates I have so long as he’s one of them. Never thought that would be a good thing, but I can trust him to keep his head clear and focused on the important things. “I think that’s a very good idea. Thank you, Illren.”
I try to move again, but he still won’t let me pass. “May I go now?” I ask, annoyed.
The corners of his lips twitch, and his unearthly violet eyes seem to laugh at me even as they fill with heat. “Will you not wish me a Happy New Year as you did the others?”
I gulp. Why does he always have to stand so close? “Happy New Year, Illren.”
“Happy New Year, Mistress.” He picks up my hand and brings it to his lips. As he kisses the back of my hand, he keeps his eyes locked on me and sends me a specific thought. Will you not also kiss me as you did them? As is custom on this holiday?
I rip my hand from his and step back, putting some space between us before he realizes how fast my heart is beating. Illren scares me, but there’s also something about him that draws me near. Like a child being drawn to a sharp object knowing it’s dangerous and they could get hurt but still wanting to play with it anyway.
When the moment is broken between us, Illren assesses me again but quickly turns his thoughtful gaze to Charlie. “Cupid,” he says.
&nb
sp; Charlie’s eyes widen, surprised and almost fearful to be so directly addressed by the killer. “Yes?”
“You cannot make anyone fall in love with you, but you can make people fall in love with each other, correct?”
My stomach drops. There’s only one reason Illren would be asking that question.
Charlie swallows. “Um, n-no, that’s n-not exactly how it works,” he stammers.
Illren doesn’t let up. He folds his arms and spreads his feet shoulder width apart, as if he’s preparing for a fight. “How does it work, then?”
Charlie loosens up, looking relieved to be discussing a topic he’s confident in. He pushes to his feet and gives the scary winter fey a real smile. “It’s a subtle power of suggestion. I can sense relationships between people and also their potential. If there is a spark there, I can feed the flame. But I can’t just force two people to fall in love if they don’t have it in them.”
Illren nods to this, and then places his hands on his hips. “Do it.”
Charlie and I both blink at him. “Do what?” Charlie asks.
Illren points at me. “Work your magic on Nora and me.”
I gasp. “Excuse me?”
Illren ignores me. “She is being extremely stubborn about the connection between us, and she needs to give in to it. In fact, you need to help her let down her walls between all of her men. She’s losing control of her power because she’s still denying herself all of her physical needs.”
Charlie’s eyes widen as he realizes I haven’t been to bed with any of my men. He studies me a moment and then smiles at me like the cat that ate the canary. “So you’re saying she needs to get laid.”
My mouth drops open.
“Precisely,” Illren says. “And I want to be one of the men she’s intimate with.”
I’m at a loss for words. Complete. And utter. Loss.
Oliver finally jumps into the conversation, scrambling to his feet and pushing his way in front of me as if he’s going to shield me from Charlie’s magic. “Hang on, now. You can’t just magic Nora into doing something she’s not ready for.”
