by TL Reeve
As she stepped up onto the porch the red front door swung inward and her aunt appeared, blocking their entry. Her aunt’s lips flattened into a thin line, and her arms were crossed. The glare Ayí fixed on Fallon had her withering in her aunt’s presence. It’s good to see some things never change.
Fallon swallowed hard. Her aunt’s appearance hadn’t changed since Fallon was younger—a blessing of her shifter genetics infused by her witchy ways. She wet her bottom lip while trying to meet the woman’s eyes. “Ayí. I’m here.”
Her aunt gave her a once over before stepping to the side. “You brought company to my home, Fú zé.”
“She did.” Warren stepped forward, extending his hand. “We work together. My name is Warren Wilcox. The other guy is Suān ní.”
Her aunt stared down at Warren’s hand. “I see.”
“We’re here because Kalkin Raferty sent us, or else you wouldn’t have to deal with my presence. I know it’s a burden to you.” Fallon stood a little taller while her heart felt as though it would pound out of her chest. “So, if it won’t take long you can tell me what you wanted to say, here, and then we can leave.”
“Come in,” Ayí stated.
“Ayí.” Fallon bowed her head before stepping into the house. Her blood ran cold and everything inside her said to run fast and far.
It didn’t surprise her when her aunt began her tirade in Mandarin, instead of English. It was tradition after all. She winced when aunt got to the part about Fallon smearing her parents' honor. Yeah...she still got it. Had she not gone out; they’d still be alive. She was evil, blah, blah, blah.
“Tíngzhǐ!” Suān ní stepped in front of Fallon. “This is not how we treat family.”
Ayí stared at her guardian then bowed. “You’re right. But, in this situation, Fú zé has brought disgrace upon our family.” She glanced at Fallon. “Do you have anything to say for yourself?” The demure tone she took with Fallon unnerved her.
“No.” She kept her gaze on the floor. She didn’t want to see the displeasure in her aunt’s dark brown gaze. The sooner they could get out of there, the better off they’d all be.
“This is not the answer.”
“I know.”
“You are lucky they don’t kick you out of Window Rock. It would have been their right and I would have been able to do nothing to prevent it. If it happened, you’d be cutting ties with the only remaining family you have.”
Fallon winced as a wave of pain washed through her. She’d already lost her parents, to lose Ji, Lu, and Lyle would send her into a deep dark hole in which she could never return. She couldn’t breathe.
“I told you, there are rules. Always. Without them, the world would fall into chaos.”
“Yes, aunt.” Fallon lifted her gaze.
“I’m not happy with the alternative, either,” Ayí said. “I’ve informed Kalkin several times of my issues with you working as an agent for PRA.”
“Oh. I see.” Fallon balled her hands into fists.
“He wouldn’t budge. Said this job was perfect for you.” Her aunt stepped to her and placed her finger under her chin. She pushed upward until their eyes met. Those intimidating obsidian orbs probed her dark brown eyes. What her aunt hoped to find there, she had no idea. Probably didn’t want to either. “Promise me, wài sheng nǚ, you will be smart in this endeavor. Use the brain I know you possess and stay as far away from danger as you can. You don’t want to leave your brothers without a sister.”
“Ayí.” Her voice wobbled before she cleared it. “Of course not. They don’t need the added shame.”
“You will return to this house in two days, at night with your team. When you return we will have traditional tea. You will not question this.” Her aunt continued to stare at her. “When we’re done you will understand everything.”
Somehow, she didn’t believe her aunt. “Sure, what time?”
“After sunset. When the vampire rises.” Ayí eyed Suān ní. “Your guardian is formidable.”
“I am hers.” He stepped forward. “You will not disrespect her again in my presence.”
Fallon grabbed his hand. “He’s been asleep for a long time. He’s still working the kinks out.”
Warren coughed to cover a chuckle. “He has a point though. I’m sorry ma’am, I might not speak Chinese...Mandarin to be exact, but you are being awful rude when you requested this little meeting.”
“I see.” Ayí motioned to the door. “Two nights from today. Be here at sunset.”
When they were outside and the door closed behind them, Fallon exhaled. Holy shit. She was every bit as formidable as she remembered. She had that scary as fuck demeanor about her too. As much as she didn't want to come, she'd hope maybe a little bit, they could have a relationship. However, the second she began to tear her apart, the glimmer disappeared.
“We’re alive,” Warren said. “Score one for us.”
“She is rude. I do not like her.” Suān ní snarled.
“She is Ayí,” Fallon answered, going back to the vehicle. “Come on, might as well grab a bite then go back. Not much we can do here.”
On the way back to the hotel, she turned over everything her aunt said. It didn’t make sense why she had to have tea with her aunt. Though there was a minute she glimpsed a woman she vaguely knew. The one who had nicknames for all of them. The pain in her forehead started again, burning as it receded. What the fuck is that? Maybe she was about to have a stroke. It would serve her right.
So, about this tea....” Warren said, pulling into the hotel parking lot. “Are we supposed to bring something?”
“Kevlar vests?” Fallon teased.
“You know, if you hadn’t smiled, I’d believe you. Maybe I should anyway.” Warren wrapped his arm around her shoulder and she jerked.
Since they’d stepped out of her aunt’s house, Suān ní had been quiet. Having him stick up for her was, amazing. The contrite expression on her face surprised Fallon. She’d remember it for a long time. Probably one of her top ten memories now. She glanced over at her guardian and took his hand. The snap of their connection flowed through them and Warren groaned. She glanced up at him and sucked in a breath.
“Talk about power,” Warren said. “I like it.”
“Good. You’ll be sharing it with us. Later.” Suān ní stared at her. “Much later.”
“Boy, all it took was your aunt chewing you out and now he’s giving the orders.” Warren tucked her into his side as he chuckled. “I like it.”
“Uh, thanks. I think.”
“Come on, let’s go wait for the others to get up, then we can tell them the new plan.” Warren guided her back toward their room. “Then we’ll go hunting.”
Finally, they could get back to normal.
Chapter 5
“Tea? With her aunt?” Grainger scrubbed the top of his head. The sun had set only twenty minutes beforehand, and he was still a little groggy. “Maybe I didn’t hear you right.”
“You did.” Warren chuckled. “The place is exactly the way Fallon described it too—dark.”
Grainger quirked a brow. “Dark?”
“Yeah. Crazy as it sounds, she was right. If I didn’t know people lived there, all the time, I’d swear it was a museum.” Warren snapped his fingers as though he remembered something. “The place reminds me of one of those stupid horror films you and Abraham like to watch. Old shit followed creepier older shit. Like, there's totally a bunch of places serial killers could hide and jump out at stupid victims. It's also cold. Heavy too. It didn't feel right.” Warren blew out a breath. “The minute I stepped over the threshold; I could feel the magic. If I had to say who was the witch or whatever, I'd say it's the aunt.”
“Talk about rough,” Abraham murmured.
“You don’t even know the half of it.”
Grainger tapped his fingers against the table, trying to wrap his foggy brain around what Warren told them. “What about the aunt, how did she act around Fallon?”
“Fri
gid. Fallon hadn’t been lying. By all indications the woman hates her. If it hadn’t been for Suān ní, shit... I don’t want to even contemplate what the woman would have done to her.”
Abraham whistled. “Harsh.”
“Do you think it would have gotten physical?” Grainger shouldn't care. From the beginning, he'd pushed aside the knowledge of who Fallon was to him and did his job. He didn't have to like her. Yet, as he sat there with Warren and Abraham, worry crept in.
“I’m not sure. I don’t speak Mandarin. Whatever Suān ní said, her aunt backed off. Then, as if nothing happened, she invited Fallon back for tea. Craziest shit I have ever seen.”
“We’re going to have to Kalkin,” Abraham added. “No way, after this, he can’t know.”
Grainger nodded as he stood. “I’ll call him.”
Grainger stepped out of Warren and Abraham’s shared room as he slid his finger across the screen of his phone. The information Warren gave him didn’t sit right. He didn’t like the idea of Fallon’s aunt being violent. In a way, it made sense why Fallon acted out, though it didn’t excuse the tiger’s actions. When he found Kalkin’s name, he hit the send button and waited. It didn’t take long for the man to answer.
“Yeah?” The growled edge of Kalkin’s voice always seemed to surprise Grainger.
“We've been invited to Fallon's aunt's house for tea in two days.” Correction, traditional Chinese tea. He wasn't an expert on anything to do with Fallon's culture. He did understand, of course, tea had been a big freaking deal. At least they wouldn’t be alone. The dynamic duo would have to endure it with him. The knowledge gave him some small pleasure. It also unnerved him.
The why's of it didn't make sense. Nothing about Fallon made sense. Of all the people in the world, why did his beloved have to be her? On a good day, she was insufferable. On a bad, he couldn't even stand the sound of her name being spoken by Warren or Abraham. It even bothered him that Suān ní was her familiar. He couldn't even shake the need to touch her. He wanted to feel warm again.
“Interesting,” Kalkin replied. If Grainger expected him to explain anything, Kalkin didn’t.
“Am I missing something?”
“I’m bound. I can’t tell you anything kid, other than this, you need to go. All of you do. Everything will make sense once you’ve had tea.”
Okay, nothing like the feeling of foreboding to make someone reconsider all their decisions. “We’re going. All of us. I don’t think after what happened Warren would let Fallon leave on her own.”
“Ayí isn't what she seems,” Kalkin muttered something under his breath Grainger didn't catch. “It'll make sense when you're there.”
“Sure.”
“Kid,” Kalkin grunted. “You’re going to see things while there. Be kind.”
Grainger scrunched up his face. “Be kind?”
“You heard me. Be kind. Also, get to work. Too much is at stake to be slacking off.” Kalkin hung up first, leaving Grainger to stare at the darkened screened.
Be kind? What have we gotten into here? He pushed back into the room, still unsure of the cryptic call he shared with Kalkin.
“What did he say?” Warren pushed off the bathroom door frame.
“Nothing.” Grainger shoved his phone into his pocket.
“Don’t play these stupid games, Grainger.” Abraham crossed his arms.
He shrugged. “Kalkin said he was bound and couldn’t say much. Only, we’d understand after we had tea. He emphasized having tea, as well.”
“Serious? That’s it? Did you tell him anything about how Fallon was treated or the house?” Warren prodded.
“No.” Grainger shook his head. “Kalkin said it’s not what we think. He said we need to be respectful while there.”
“Yeah, I’m not buying it.” Warren pushed off the doorframe and crossed the room. “Her aunt isn’t kind.”
“Tea never hurt anyone,” Abraham said. “I suspect Kalkin agrees. If he says there’s more there than he can state, we should go, but also be careful too.”
Grainger’s gaze flicked between the two, trying to determine how they felt about Fallon and their situation. Their expressions never changed. Their eyes, however, gave them away. Warren’s glowed an eerie shade of red, and Abraham’s matched Grainger’s, not in color, but in how much he—they’d craved Fallon. It startled the shit out of him. Were they all on the same page?
“We can’t guarantee she won’t get hurt,” Warren said.
“No, we can’t. I think, between the three of us—”
“Four of us,” Warren added.
Grainger inclined his chin. “Right, four of us, we’re going to do everything in our power to prevent it from happening.”
Both nodded.
“This could get interesting,” he muttered the understated factoid. There were four of them. They hadn’t even talked to Fallon about her feelings or what any of this was or would be. However, it’d been the appropriate time to put everything out there, even if he still had conflicting feelings. “Is this going to be an issue? For you two?”
Warren and Abraham’s relationship wasn’t new by any means. Their connection was rock solid. Nevertheless, when it came to Fallon, things had a way of going sideways, and not in a good way. If they couldn't keep their personal feelings separate from their job, Grainger wouldn't hesitate to send them home.
“We’ve already discussed it. We’re good,” Warren replied. “The question is, are you good? Do you get what this means for all of us?”
It meant, among other things, admitting who Fallon was to him and moving past his anger. It also meant he’d be connected to the members of his team for the rest of his life. They worked well together; had from the moment they were assigned. The biggest variable, at least for him, seemed silly. Could he share Fallon’s affections with three other guys, two of which he considered both teammates and friends? The third, well, he still didn't know much about Suān ní.
“I’m working my way towards it,” Grainger answered.
“Thought you should understand, we’re not willing to wait for you,” Abraham stated.
Warren nodded in agreement.
“So basically, I need to get there quicker, is what you’re saying.”
“Pretty much,” Warren grunted.
“I’m not into guys.”
Warren chuckled while Abraham snickered.
“We’re aware. Although you’ve never been around an Incubus. Things could change.” A smug grin floated a crossed Warren’s lips.
“What else did Kalkin say?” Abraham switched back to the conversation he had with Kalkin, giving him a minute to focus on something else besides his dick and what he wanted from Fallon.
“Time to hunt,” Grainger stated. “No more slacking.”
Abraham rubbed his hands together while anticipation swirled in his eyes. “About time.”
“Fallon goes with us. This will be the first night of her in the field training, so no screwing it up.” Grainger glanced at the clock. “We leave at nine. Don’t be late.”
“Are you okay, Fallon?” Concern laced Suān ní’s tone as he came up behind her in the bathroom. They’d been back for a few hours and she still couldn’t shake the way her aunt talked to her.
“Depends on your definition of okay.” She glanced over her shoulder. “It could have gone worse, right? Like, a thousand times worse.” Fallon blew out a breath and sagged. “At least she didn’t eat me.”
“I wouldn’t have let her.” Suān ní stepped up behind her and pressed a kiss to her shoulder. “I’ll always protect you.”
“I knew when I started down this path, it wouldn’t be easy. But this? Being somewhere where I’m not welcomed or wanted.” She frowned. “Is it punishment for being such a petulant child? For wanting more than I deserved?”
The nap Fallon took did nothing to help her rest. She tossed and turn as images of the headlights along with her screams mingling with her mother’s filled her mind. Then, Grainger, Warren and
Abraham's faces were there, twisted by rage and disappointment. They were angry with her. Vicious to the point she’d wanted to cry. If her familiar had been there, she couldn’t see him for all the fog and malcontent. A roar of fury caused her to jolt awake. She’d fought so hard, her legs were tangled in her blankets and her pillows were on the floor, surrounding her bed.
“No. I believe you punish yourself enough for what you believe you’ve done wrong.” He pointed to his head. “I have seen some of your dreams. You relive every ounce of loss. You relive the accident, but there is more. I cannot touch it because it is stuck behind a fog.”
“Magic?” Fallon faced him; her towel still wrapped securely around her.
“I am not sure.” He placed his hands on her hips, the warmth of his touch seeped through the terrycloth, heating her skin. “I do not like it. It is unnatural.”
“Now do you believe me when I say I needed the herb?” She arched a brow, half teasing and half being serious.
“Yes.” He took a step closer. “I will help you.” He kissed her then before lifting her into his arms.
A squeal of delight filled her throat. “Where are you taking me?”
“Bed.” Suān ní placed her in the middle of their bed and released her towel.
“What are you doing?” She stared up at him as he removed his clothes tugged his hair free of its binding.
“Making you forget your bad dreams.” He climbed over her and kissed her again.
“Sex doesn’t cure everything,” she murmured before pressing her lips to his neck and chest.
“No, but it helps you forget too.” He filled her in a single stroke. “And, it makes our bond stronger.”
Fallon gasped, threading her fingers through his as he held them above her head. He was right, she did want to forget. Forgetting made it easier to keep going forward. It meant staying in the now, with Suān ní. She arched to him, a moan of pleasure escaped her lips. Being with him was simple. Easy. Way too easy maybe.