Laoch

by Kate LaMontagne

  Suddenly a warm body pressed up against his back, strong arms wrapping around his waist. Hot breath puffed into his ear. “It’s all right. I’m here. Let me help you.” He didn’t turn around, but he knew that voice.

  Closing his eyes, he leaned his head back against the man’s shoulder as one hand trailed down across his flat belly to curl around his shaft. Laoch laid one hand over the arm that circled his waist and lifted the other over his shoulder to sink his fingers into silky hair while warm lips trailed along his neck, nipping and kissing.

  His fingers tightened in the strands as the hand around his shaft began to stroke, moving at a maddeningly slow even pace, squeezing and twisting, sliding slickly on the pre-come dripping down Laoch’s cock. His hips moved unbidden, following the movement of the hand.

  His chest heaved; his breaths synced to those of the heavy breaths at his ear. His balls drew up and an electric shock raced up his spine as thick ropes of cum spurted over and over from his slit and teeth sunk into his shoulder. “Laoch!”

  “Laoch?”

  “Laoch!”

  “Huh?” Someone was shaking his shoulder. Laoch struggled to open his eyes. He pushed up in the lounge chair, rubbing at his eyes and squinting against the light. “What time is it?”

  “It’s oh-eight-hundred. Why are you sleeping out here?” Tiger frowned down at him.

  “I couldn’t sleep. The waterfall and fresh air helped.” He couldn’t very well tell his cousin that the sounds of him fucking his mate were keeping him awake.

  “Are you okay? You never sleep this late. I’m worried about you, cuz. You’re pale and you’re getting shadows under your eyes.” He dropped his voice. “It’s getting worse, isn’t it?”

  Laoch looked at Tiger. He didn’t want to lie to him. He was honest with Tiger when they first met about his physical state, but he hadn’t expected his health to deteriorate so quickly. Sheer determination didn’t appear to be enough to keep him going.

  “Yes, it’s worse” was all he said. He got up and went to his room to clean up.

  Chapter 9

  TJ , Tristan, Noah, Laoch and Tiger went into a quick huddle when they arrived at the warehouse. Noah had already brought the materials to finish the construction and the Fae and the Rangers were busy out back unloading everything. With the big hauler emptied, they’d need fewer trucks to transport the barracks supplies.

  TJ had the troops running like a well-oiled machine in no time. Fae were paired up with Rangers to learn construction. With their strength, the Fae helped get things done in half the time it would normally take.

  Heath had the barracks supplies ready for pickup by lunch time, but the trucks still needed to be loaded, so TJ called a halt on construction and loaded everyone up for a road trip. Most of Tristan’s warriors had never ridden anything other than horse-drawn wagons or on horseback, so no driving for them, but they could load and unload the trucks faster than using equipment.

  The kid at the drive-thru restaurant nearly choked when TJ ordered meals for sixty. Another hit to Remi’s account… Fae ate twice as much as humans due to their higher metabolism. Everyone ate on the run that day. There was no real lunch break.

  Once they unloaded everything at the warehouse, half of the Fae went back to construction while the other half worked on assembling beds and unpacking what was left. By the end of the day construction was completed, the mess was cleaned up and there were twenty sets of made beds and lockers in a neat row with clothes and personal items neatly stored. They had tables and chairs, lights and Noah had even worked a small kitchenette into the plans to allow for some cooking and cold storage.

  TJ slapped Tristan on the back. “Man, if this is how your guys handle everything, I’d love to see them on the battlefield!”

  “You honor us,” Tristan said grinning, “but we would not have been able to work so quickly without your leadership and the skills of your men. We make a good team I think.”

  TJ called everyone together to thank them and congratulate them on a job well done, then ordered food delivery and cranked up the tunes. The Rangers taught the Fae how to dance to human music and introduced them to beer, although the Fae claimed that mead was better. Tristan kept an eye on his men to make sure no one got drunk, though it would take a lot more beer than they had on hand to get the Fae drunk.

  TJ and Noah sat off to one side with Laoch and Tiger, laughing at their antics. Most of the Fae seemed to be pretty laid back and TJ thought he even saw some sparks fly between some of the dancers. Maybe some of the Fae wouldn’t mind staying on Corvan after the matter of dealing with Cillian was settled.

  More and more Fae were spreading out to other planets from Old Earth as they sought escape from the Fae courts’ political intrigues, while still others hoped to find their fated-mates, having failed to find them on their home world. As the ranks thinned on Old Earth, the courts tried all the harder to establish dominance over their wayward kin by using enforcers like Cillian.

  Cillian was not only an assassin but a terrorist. His real enemy among Laoch’s kin was Laoch himself. He had nothing against Aidan. He simply killed Aidan in order to hurt Laoch. Laoch knew that Cillian would continue to target his family and friends until he put an end to him for good.

  Tristan wandered over with fresh drinks and he and TJ began to work on the assignments as they half watched over the festivities. They assigned two guards to Tony’s house, two to Remi’s house, and the rest would split into roving watches of eight-hour shifts. Since the barracks was on site at the new training center (formerly known as the warehouse) no guards needed to be assigned there.

  “I’d like to assign Eoin and Callum to Captain Styles’ house,” Tristan said.

  TJ considered the suggestion for a moment. “Actually Tris, I think the pairing of our people worked so well I’d like to suggest keeping with that system, especially since your men are unfamiliar with the area and human culture. What about having Eoin and Noah cover Remi’s house, and Callum can cover Tony’s with Heath. The rest of my men will fill in as they’re available on a daily basis.”

  “Technically, this isn’t really an official operation, so I need to give the appearance of business as usual for the nosey-bodies up the chain of command, if you know what I mean.” TJ winked at Tristan, clinking their glasses together.

  “Ah, yes, I too have to be creative with my troop assignments from time to time,” Tristan agreed. “Not that Master Liam is a problem, but some of the aristocrats he deals with can be difficult at times.”

  Noah smiled at Laoch when he heard that he’d be assigned to Remi’s house. In the meantime, Laoch was quietly freaking out in his head. He’d expected to distance himself from Noah once construction was finished. Now he would be seeing him every day until Cillian was no longer a threat. He was already sleep deprived. How was he going to deal with having Noah at the house all day and all night?

  At least Eoin and Noah wouldn’t be moving in until the following afternoon. Laoch was conflicted. Noah was nice enough and he was sexy as hell but there was no future for the two of them together, so he didn’t want the added stress of trying to keep him at arm’s length without hurting his feelings.

  The dreams he’d been having worried him. There seemed to be an element of prophecy in them, since he’d dreamed about the tattoo that he hadn’t even known existed, but what did it all mean? There was no way that he could just hook-up with Noah and even if he did it wouldn’t alter the fact that the broken bond was slowly killing him. He’d felt Aidan that day in the park. Was he just trying to let Laoch know he was watching over him, waiting for him to cross over?

  Suddenly he was just bone-weary. “If you’ll excuse me, I really am tired. I think I’ll retire to my room and try to rest. I’ve not slept well lately.”

  “I’ll go with you,” Tiger said, starting to stand up.

  “Nonsense, stay here and celebrate with your friends. I’ll be fine.” Laoch pressed him back down in his seat.

  Noah sto
od up. “Come along then. I’ll give you a ride. You shouldn’t be out there alone with Cillian running around loose and I need to call it a night if I’m going to pack and move into the captain’s house tomorrow. I’m not much of a party animal anyway.”

  Laoch was too tired to argue so he followed Noah out to the truck. It was only about a fifteen-minute drive, but they were both quiet until Noah pulled into the driveway. He cut the engine, staring out the windshield.

  Laoch didn’t move to get out. He looked down at his hands, clasped around the dragon sword, sighing tiredly. “Thank you.” As he reached for the door handle, Noah reached across the cab and squeezed his shoulder saying, “Hey… it’s all right. I’m here. Let me help you.”

  Laoch froze, staring into Noah’s eyes. Finally, he snapped out of it, flinging the truck door open and running up to Remi’s front door. He quickly punched in the security code and rushed through the door, slamming it shut and resetting the alarm. He leaned back against the door, his heart pounding.

  Jake leaned over the bannister at the top of the stairs. “Hey Laoch! Remi’s not home yet. Did Tiger come home with you?”

  Laoch straightened, trying to appear nonchalant. “Um… no. They’re celebrating at the training center, so he stayed there with TJ. I’m a little tired so I’m just going to lie down for a bit. Tell Remi not to bother with dinner for me please. Goodnight, Jake.”

  “Oh. Okay. Goodnight Laoch. Let us know if you need anything.”

  Laoch went to his room. He let himself in, then locked the door. Too exhausted to clean himself up or soak in the bath, he propped his sword near the bed and pulled his boots off, falling onto the bed and curling up on his side.

  “Aidan…. I don’t think I can do this anymore,” he whispered. He closed his eyes and the tears that had gathered there slid slowly down his cheeks. He thought he felt a hand brushing them away, but he was so tired he didn’t give it much thought before dozing off.

  “Laoch… Laoch… Wake up Laoch.”

  Someone was shaking him. He didn’t want to open his eyes. He just wanted to lay there until it was all over, and he disappeared. Didn’t have to hurt anymore. Didn’t have to think. Didn’t have to remember.

  “Laoch… wake up dammit! I’m not going to let you do this!” Tiger pressed a cool damp cloth to his face, wiping the grime and perspiration away. “You scared the crap out of poor Noah. I came back to check on you.”

  Laoch opened his eyes. “Thought I locked the door,” he mumbled.

  Tiger snorted. “You did, but that never stops me when I want to get through a door. We Rangers have many skills.” He waved a lock pick in front of Laoch’s face.

  Laoch closed his eyes again. “Go away Tiger.”

  “No. Sit up.” He poked at Laoch, like a pesky annoying little brother. “Sit up. You might as well do it because I’m not going away.” He tugged on Laoch until he finally shoved Tiger away.

  “Fine! I’m sitting up, now go away!”

  “No. Drink this.” He handed Laoch a protein drink. Laoch took it and guzzled it down without stopping.

  “All right? Will you leave me alone now?” He shoved the empty bottle back at Tiger.

  “No. Your father asked us to look after you… not that we wouldn’t anyway. I’m not going to let you just shut down and fade away. You still have a lot to give… and a lot to receive. It’s not all about duty and honor and fulfilling your father’s wishes. It’s not all about avenging Aidan. You have a right to live for you! You have a right to love, to feel more than pain and remorse!”

  “No one’s to blame but Cillian. Hate him and punish him if you want to but don’t kill yourself in the process. I just found out I’m not who I thought I was, and that I still have family. I have a cousin who’s amazing and smart and loving and I don’t want to lose that! You have to fight, dammit!”

  Laoch squinted at him. “Is that all you’ve got?” he asked drily.

  “No,” Tiger wrapped his arms around him and hugged him tight. “I love you,” he whispered in his ear. “Don’t leave me. Don’t make me watch you just give up. If something happens to Remi, should I just throw in the towel? I fought like hell to overcome war and torture and rape and a damn virus. I won’t just lay down and give up, ever and you shouldn’t either.”

  Laoch gasped, grabbing Tiger’s shoulders and pushing him back till he could look in his eyes. “You were raped by Harriott?”

  Tiger glanced away. “Yes… and by Chris. But that doesn’t define me! I’m still here. I’m not a victim and I’m not just a mate-mark. I hope to God I never lose my mate but if I do, I’m going to spit in the face of fate and fight for another chance, and you’re a better man than me so how can you do less?”

  Laoch held him tight then, rocking him and crying. “I’m sorry. I tried so hard to watch over you. I never knew.”

  “It’s not important. You got rid of the threat from those two. They can’t hurt me or anyone else again.”

  Laoch calmed down and pulled back to try to explain his situation to Tiger. “Losing a bond to a fated-mate is like having your heart ripped out millimeter by millimeter over an extended period of time. It’s not like ripping off a bandage. It’s not just mental anguish, it’s physical too and you grow weaker. It’s debilitating. It’s like having an incurable disease on top of losing the love of your life, the other half of your soul.”

  “I told you I wouldn’t wish this on anyone, but there is one. I wish Cillian could feel the pain he has forced on every mated Fae through the years of his unholy existence. He would probably go mad and take his own life.”

  “I’m not saying you should stop loving Aidan and just move on, but it’s become such a source of pain for you that you can’t even cherish the time you had with him. It’s like you’re erasing all the good memories and replacing them with Cillian’s image. How do you think Aidan would feel about that?” Tiger squeezed his hand, trying to give Laoch something to hold on to, both physically and emotionally.

  “No… he’s still with me. Something’s wrong. Maybe I’ve trapped him here by refusing to let go. I… I’ve felt him. Touching me. Sometimes I smell his scent, like pine boughs and sea mist. It’s like he’s trying to tell me something. I feel like the bond is still active… weak but… but like we’re still linked.”

  “And I keep having strange dreams, but they’re not just normal dreams because I see things that are real, but they’re things I couldn’t possibly know.” He was getting worked up and rambling, but Tiger just let him vent.

  “The phoenix tattoo on Noah’s back… I saw it in a dream before the day I saw it at the training center.”

  “If you saw it in a dream, was it the exact same situation?” Laoch blushed bright red and shook his head.

  “Oh… ooohh! “Maybe you saw him with his shirt off and just forgot about it, then had a sex dream,” Tiger suggested.

  “No, I didn’t. He never took his shirt off before that. He said he got it around the same time that Aidan died. The artist said he only does one of each design.” Laoch got up and went to his dresser. He pulled an artist’s sketch pad from a drawer and brought it back to the bed. Flipping it open, he handed it to Tiger. There on the page was the exact image tattooed on Noah’s back, right down to the tiny “A” hidden in the wing feathers.

  “Aidan finished this the night before he was killed. He said it was a picture of me. Aidan never copied anything. Everything he drew was original, straight out of his head.” Laoch stared at Tiger, looking for an explanation, but Tiger was speechless.

  “What Noah said to me in the truck tonight… I heard those exact words in a dream last night… in his voice!”

  “Was this another sex dream?”

  Laoch looked away, not answering.

  “You think maybe Aidan is trying to guide you towards Noah?” Laoch looked down, silently picking at the edge of the sketch pad.

  “Hey, I get it. You’re attracted to Noah and you feel guilty about it. Like somehow, you’re betrayin
g Aidan. But if he is trying to steer you towards Noah, wouldn’t that prove that he’s okay with it? Even if it were just normal attraction is that so bad?”

  “Each Fae gets one fated-mate. There is no future for a relationship between Noah and me. Even if I survive the broken bond, it would be a half-life.”

  Tiger was confused. “Don’t some Fae take mates when they don’t meet their fated mate?”

  “Yes, but those Fae never had a bond to begin with. They don’t feel the loss of something they never knew,” Laoch replied miserably.

  Tiger was at a loss. He didn’t know what to say to give Laoch some measure of relief.

  “Well, at least the construction is complete, so that monkey is off your shoulders.” Laoch looked at Tiger in confusion. “Monkey?”

  “It’s a… never mind. It’s something you don’t have to deal with anymore. Are the dreams the reason you haven’t been sleeping well?” Tiger patted Laoch’s hand, trying to be sympathetic, but Laoch couldn’t resist getting a dig in after being bullied by his cousin.

  “Well, that and the fact that I can hear everything when you and Remi have sex,” he said sarcastically. “I’m surprised Jake never complains. He’s right next door to you two.”

  Tiger jumped up, blushing furiously. “You’re just teasing, right!?”

  Laoch just arched an eyebrow at him. “Fae hearing. I’m surprised Remi’s a switch. You might want to have TJ’s guys soundproof your room before Eoin moves in.” He leaned back on an elbow and smirked up at Tiger.

  Backing out of the room, Tiger pointed an accusatory finger at Laoch. “You’re just… evil! Bastard!” He pulled the door shut noisily and Laoch heard hurried footsteps retreat down the hall. No doubt Tiger was already on his Cortex to Noah.