Link (Keepers Of The Lake Book 5)
Page 14
He clutched her close. She nuzzled his neck and snuggled close.
Link could give that to her. He would work hard to put a roof over her head and, when they were ready, they could start the family she wanted. He worried, though, that passing on his father’s blood wasn’t the best idea. Maybe the line should end with him.
The power and rage that his father had fostered in him was a burden on the world.
“I know what you’re thinking,” Kiera said, her voice gone soft. “I won’t pressure you into something you don’t want, but when you start to think of yourself as a monster remember that Buffy shares the same blood as you. The two of you are half of the same.”
He grunted. “I think her mother was a fairy. She’s so bright and cheery and ephemeral.”
“That’s a big word for a blockhead,” Kiera teased.
He squeezed her tight and nipped her ear. She squealed and laughed.
But she was right. His father’s blood wasn’t the problem.
The problem had been the short time that Alistair had been in his life. His father had been the problem all along. Link could only hope that he would be different. He didn’t want the same things his father wanted. But could he be a good father at all?
There was no telling until the time came. Which, he didn’t think would be any time soon. One step at a time. First, he needed to get Kiera to a bed. Then he needed to shower her with love and affection. Later, he would get her the house she craved. He would fill it with everything she ever wanted but could never have.
17
Kiera enjoyed house hunting far more than any one person should. She enjoyed discovering the feel of a home upon stepping inside and uncovering its little secrets while they were led around by the realtor.
Many of the houses they saw ultimately failed the test. Not because she couldn’t see herself living there, but because it was never close enough to the clan for their liking. They wanted to be closer to their new friends. Link needed to meet Asher for sparring matches. Kiera wanted to be around as Jude’s pregnancy progressed.
Every house the realtor showed them was out of walking distance. Flying was prohibited by day. Dragons were too easy to spot in the sky. Kiera didn’t want to have to get into Link’s growling car every time she wanted to go anywhere. They needed to be walking distance, which hindered their search.
Today, though, Kiera knew she’d found the one.
This was the house she would never leave. There was a huge bay window that had a reading seat on the inside and a fiery maple tree on the other side. The bedrooms were situated very close, so that when they started to have children, she would never be far away. Even the little patio in the back was perfect for fairy lights.
She spun on Link, hoping the happiness glowing in her chest was on her face as well. She felt like she’d found another missing part of her soul. How it ever could have belonged to a house, she would never know. Kiera was sure that she was finally whole, though.
Link, tuned into his mate, declared it a done deal. They waited for the inspector to check it out and signed all the proper papers that night. They would finally leave Asher and Zara’s spare bedroom. The single night they shared at the hotel had been nice, but not financially viable during the time they used to look for a house.
It meant they had to stay with the clan. Kiera felt cramped and walked around the house like a mouse trying to be utterly silent. That was no more. She wouldn’t have to make herself small here. She could take up every available inch of space.
That night she waited for the realtor to call and tell them their offer was denied. She curled into Link’s chest and felt her breath grow shallower and shallower.
“You deserve this,” Link told her.
Those words shattered the small voice in the back of her mind, the one that had been harassing her again. She broke out in tears. Link misinterpreted them as sorrow, but they were simply relief.
No one ever told her she was worthy of anything. Link had given her so much that it should have been obvious that he thought she had earned it all, but she hadn’t believed it until he uttered the words. She had a tarnished past, but it was just that. The past.
“You worked to survive. I know that cost you a lot, but that time is over,” Link told her. “Now you put all of that focus into making everyone around you happy like you have to make up for something. You’re allowed to be happy, too.”
“I am happy. I have you.”
“We are everything to each other. I know that. I feel it, too. But there’s more than just us. You’re allowed to want this house, to want peace and quiet, or…”
“Or a red velvet cake?”
He grinned and laughed. “I’ll get you one on the day we move in.”
Disbelief stirred in her heart. There was still no word from their realtor.
Just as she began to doubt, the phone on the nightstand buzzed. Good news poured in. Their offer was accepted, and they could move in soon. Not as quickly as Kiera had envisioned, but it was better than nothing.
She had her dream. She had her mate.
Now, all she needed to do was order some furniture. They cuddled together, peering down at her phone screen. They perused couches, chairs, rugs, and lamps. Kiera never had the chance to do any of this. Anything she might have yearned for in the past had been with the knowledge that she’d never have it.
They were the proud owners of a very empty house. She could order anything her heart desired. She wanted the fluffiest blankets to cuddle her mate with. And a sturdy bed frame. They’d already knocked some of the bolts out of the spare bed frame.
18
Link pulled Kiera into his lap. This close to the lake, he wanted her within reach. He didn’t trust the waves that lapped at the shore. A monster lived beneath them; one they were all trying to save.
Jude stared out at the water with her hands on her hips. She’d brought the clan together for a meeting but spent the first few minutes just watching the lake. Did she think Zane would attack now?
The lake had been suspiciously quiet for a week. No water-beasts came to wreck Alec’s repairs on the small cabin. No waves assaulted the stone walls of Asher and Zara’s castle. Everything was blissfully peaceful. Link suspected it would have to break soon. Peace like this couldn’t last forever.
Not when Zane was involved. For all they knew, he was planning ways to sweep all the cabins into the lake. Link could keep that from happening, but only if he was here when it happened. They all needed to stick together if they were going to keep Zane from destroying everything this clan had rebuilt.
“What do you think he’s doing?” Charlie wondered aloud.
Heath snorted. “Zane’s probably sleeping. He’s been a menace for a long while. I can’t imagine his energy is infinite.”
It was Jude who shook her head. Link pulled Kiera close, reassuring himself that she was still there. Kiera was safe. She even patted his arm to prove that she was alive. Link laughed into her back, mostly at himself. His nerves were running on high alert, burning out so fast. Only the long nights spent with his mate kept him sane.
Everyone knew that there was a battle on the horizon. So long as Zane hated them, he would fight them.
Jude broke the nervous silence. “The presence that I felt is gone. The lake doesn’t feel as menacing as it used to.”
“What could that mean?” Asher, too, pulled his mate closer.
Zara didn’t object. She was small and defenseless in the face of dragons. Fate had pulled her into a time of danger for this clan. Zane was going to attack, one way or another. Everyone here had someone to protect. Mates and futures.
“I don’t think he’s in the lake,” Jude said, her voice nearly breaking.
A murmur passed around the clan. It quickly grew into a roar of fear and outrage. Everyone spoke at once, spilling their thoughts into the world like a storm of chaos.
“We didn’t break the spell,” Cole said. His deep voice cut through the shrill sound and silence
d the clan. “Which means he found a mate. Let’s hope she keeps him busy.”
Kiera laughed. “Let’s hope she straightens him out. If she can, then maybe the clan will have a new member and not an enemy.”
The looks everyone gave his mate were heavy with doubt. Kiera’s nails bit into his skin like even she didn’t know if it was possible. A war was coming for them. The terms had changed. No one knew when or how Zane would strike.
“Well, let’s make sure we have each other’s numbers. This is going to be messy and we will have to work together to get through it.” Link chucked his phone onto the picnic table so the others could enter their numbers.
The lake was safe, but the world around them hid a whole new threat.
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