Chapter Twenty-nine
I woke up around noon and called Rob from my cell phone to see if he wanted to come over for brunch. He was happy about the invitation and said he’d be at Garrett’s house in twenty minutes.
I walked into the kitchen and stopped dead in my tracks. A young man I didn’t recognize was watering the plants near the window. He was my height with extraordinarily vibrant purple eyes, a heart-shaped face, thin lips and a slightly turned up nose. His shoulder-length golden hair floated around his head as if a steady breeze blew through the room from all directions. Recognizing the warm buzz, I connected to the lines and saw thick tendrils of energy wrapping around him, flashing in a rainbow of colors. His lean build and pale skin made him appear almost delicate, but I knew better than to underestimate anyone who could pull in so much power. And the guy was just watering plants. Whoa.
He turned to look at me and smiled warmly, his hair settling back down. “You must be Miss Jacqueline. It is very nice to finally meet you. I am Liam.” His voice was delightfully musical and soothing and I couldn’t stop myself from smiling back. He wore a light blue button-down shirt with the sleeves partly rolled up, and jeans. He was barefoot.
I didn’t quite know what to say, but managed a, “Nice to meet you too, Liam.” I was at a total loss. Was this one of the people Garrett fed from? Was he from some paranormal cleaning service? He noticed my confusion and smiled a little wider.
He really is adorable when he smiles.
“I guard Master Garrett every day while he rests and I also clean and cook when he has guests. I am Seelie Fae, of the Cascade Sidhe.
I started laughing and had to turn away before I made a total ass of myself. “It would have been nice of him to let me know you’d be here.” I chuckled. “He did tell me last night elves had cleaned up the mess, but I thought he was joking. No offence, Liam.”
“No offence taken, Miss Jacqueline, but we do not refer to ourselves as elves. My mother is human, but my father is a fae lord—the eldest child of the former King of Faerie. I will be gone shortly after Master Garrett wakes, usually around two or three.” I glanced at the clock. Happily, I didn’t have long to wait to see him again. Liam took two hesitant steps in my direction. I think he was trying not to scare me. “Are you hungry? Perhaps you would like me to cook something for you?”
My mind whirled with happiness around the idea of someone else cooking brunch. “Can you make omelets and ham or bacon? I have a hungry guest coming. Oh, and coffee please?”
“Of course.” He seemed pleased to be asked to cook, not something Garrett required him to do too often, I guessed.
“Who is your guest? I only ask because I must ensure Garrett’s safety.”
“Rob.”
“Excellent.” His smile was genuine.
I decided to take a look outside the patio doors to see what the weather was like. The back garden was delightful and the sunshine spreading over the patio reached out with a comforting blanket of warmth. An outdoor table and four chairs were placed adjacent to a white and red rose garden, along with some calla lilies, lilacs, and a small fountain. Around the borders was a large patch of multicolored wildflowers. Blown away by the beauty of his garden, I went back to let Liam know we’d eat outside.
Rob arrived ten minutes later and I escorted him to the patio where Liam had placed a carafe of coffee, a small pitcher of freshly squeezed orange juice and some fresh fruit salad. We sipped coffee and chatted about the lovely weather, my various adventures on Solo Island and my move to Garrett’s house. Liam glided in gracefully bearing omelets, toast, bacon, and ham. He greeted Rob with a nod, wished us bon appétit and left to clean up the kitchen, his hair floating in the air around him.
We chuckled, watching him leave. “Liam was unexpected.”
“He’s been with Garrett for over a hundred years. I don’t know the whole story, but I know Garrett helped Liam’s half brother, Aedus, out of a bad situation. Since then, Liam’s father, Lord Caelen, a powerful fae elder, has become an ally, and Liam has pledged service to Garrett.” He turned back to look at me and I must have seemed confused because he laughed. “Garrett will explain it all. The fae are a complicated race.” He took a bite of food, swallowing and then smiling with pleasure. “You know, it does make sense for you to stay here, you’ll be safer and he’ll be a lot less stressed out.”
We both dug in as I puzzled over what Rob had said. “Does he stress out a lot?”
“He takes on too much responsibility, as if the whole community were under only his protection. I worry about him.” His mouth turned up at the corners. “I think I’ll be worrying less.”
“Do you know what the third part of the bonding ritual is? Garrett hasn’t said.”
“The ritual for shifters and wolves is very similar, but I’m not sure about vampires. Shifters first claim their mate, then share a kill during the full moon. The last part is a ceremony in front of the council and the community. For weres, males fight to claim a mate.” He rolled his eyes. “Very violent. Then the couple shares a kill and has sex during the full moon, then there’s another bloody ceremony led by the alpha. Weres always take everything to the extreme.” He smiled wryly. “I think you should ask Garrett about the vampire ritual.”
I watched him as he sipped his coffee and stared at the trees. “Do you have a mate, Rob?”
“Not anymore.” Pain tightened his mouth and narrowed his eyes. “When I’d recovered from the torture, I decided to stay here in town. I took a job with a construction company and got an apartment. Lynette was a professor at the local college and we started dating. We were crazy about each other and we went through the ritual, then married and planned to have a family. But the werewolf who’d originally imprisoned me found out where we lived. He kidnapped her. He was angry he’d been strong-armed into letting me go.”
“What happened?” I was afraid to ask, but felt he deserved my support if he wanted to talk about such a painful part of his life.
“He killed her. Then Garrett killed him. Slowly.”
“I’m so sorry, Rob.” I put my hand on his.
“It was fifty-five years ago. I still miss her every day.” I got up and went over to Rob to give him a hug. “Thanks, Jackie. You’re so easy to talk to. That’s a gift, you know.”
Liam was clearing away the last of the dishes when he turned to say, “Her aura is a rich green, Robert. It is in her nature as a healer to listen with compassion.” He walked away and we both stared after him feeling more than a little confused. Robert laughed and kissed me lightly on the cheek.
“While the cat’s away, Rob?” Garrett was standing by the patio door grinning and looking incredibly hot, wearing only black jeans and holding his shirt. Yum.
“We’re all cats here, Garrett. The mice live two towns over.” They cracked up and I rolled my eyes. Ugh. Corny shifter humor. “Anyway, if I wanted to play, you wouldn’t be able to take the competition.” He jokingly tried to put an arm around my shoulder, but I ducked out just in time, pushing him away with a giggle.
“Depends on the game.” Garrett winked at me.
“My Sicilian good looks would win over the signora.” Robert patted his chest.
“Have you looked in a mirror, Robert? You dress like a lumberjack,” Garrett teased back. “I don’t think your ancestors would approve. In case you haven’t heard, some of the best designers live in Italy.”
“And what about when you vamp out?” returned Rob, sticking his fingers out like fangs and hissing.
By now we were all laughing and the somber mood brought on by Rob’s tale had reversed completely. I wondered if Garrett had heard what we were talking about and had wanted to cheer Rob up.
My chin practically dropped to the ground when I noticed he was standing directly in the sun and didn’t seem to be affected at all. I sent, “Don’t you feel weaker in the sun? Doesn’t it burn you?”
“If I was in the direct sun for an hour or so, it would kill me, but a few minu
tes feel great. Older vampires can tolerate the rays for longer.” He shrugged. “I miss it.”
Not realizing we were speaking to each other, Rob said, “Well now you’re up and my plans to steal Jackie away have fallen apart, this lumberjack will be leaving. Next time I’ll bring my chain saw.” He gave me another quick kiss on the cheek, thanked me for lunch, gave Garrett a playful punch on the shoulder and left.
I took in Garrett’s muscular chest and hard flat stomach and sighed. “You know, if you want me to control myself, you should keep your shirt on around me.” He grinned, as I sauntered past him. “I’m getting a glass of OJ, do you want anything?”
“I’m fine.” He laughed quietly but I could feel his eyes glued to my back, taking in every movement as I walked into the kitchen. I made sure to sway just a little bit more than I normally would, the frisky cat in me coming out.
I came back with a glass of juice and asked, “What should I wear to meet with Maya? Will she ask me to shift?”
He was, unfortunately, listening to my advice and buttoning his shirt as he said, “Wear something comfortable. I’m coming to make sure she behaves herself and doesn’t ask you to do anything too difficult. She won’t like me hanging around but I’m the equivalent of your fiancé, after all.”
The word made me smile. Fiancé. He seemed to know Maya really well and it was strange how she’d seemed kind of jealous. I decided to just blurt it out. “Were you and Maya…? Were you lovers?”
He took a moment to assess my mood before answering. “Yes, around forty years ago. She was another cheetah, so it made sense, but we fought all the time about everything. She wanted a permanent commitment and I couldn’t see us lasting more than a couple of years. We had practically nothing in common.”
“She’s a lot like me though, isn’t she? She’s a cheetah and she pulls power from the lines.”
“She’s nothing like you. She’s ruthless and—demanding would be a nice way to put it. She likes to be in charge and doesn’t share authority easily.” He grinned widely. “I won’t let her bully you.” He wrapped his arms around me and kissed my ear. “Thank you for inviting Rob today.”
I tilted my head in the hopes he’d kiss it again. “He’s been patient and kind to me, even when I acted like a brat. Speaking of which, I’m sorry about how I’ve been acting with you lately. I’ll try to control my libido.”
His mouth turned up in a sexy smile, crinkling the edges of his eyes. “Patience comes naturally to a vampire, while shifters can’t help but live more in the moment. Your life energy is potent and delicious,” he teased, kissing me gently and then playfully pushing me toward my room. “Get ready. We have to go soon.”
Rebirth - Book 1 Rogues Shifter Series Page 29