* * *
I toss the rag into the hamper by the closet, and sit on the edge of the bed to plug my phone into the charger. My back is to Shaylee and I feel her fingers begin tracing along my neck.
“Aden, what’s this?”
“My mark?” It dawns on me then that I forgot to explain about our mark. “I can’t believe I forgot.”
I glance back and see her furrowed brow, as she continues to trace the stained skin of my neck.
“Fairy wings?”
I laugh at the skepticism in her tone. “Seems cliché, huh?” She raises a single eyebrow, waiting for me to expound upon my question.
“Where do you think the folklore came from, babe? Haven’t you wondered why you haven’t seen anyone here with wings?”
Her eyebrow descends and a sheepish look crosses her features. She shrugs, “I guess it crossed my mind once or twice, but I haven’t really thought about it.” She gives me a lopsided grin, the embarrassment in her eyes growing. “I guess I thought—um,” She stops and clears her throat, avoiding eye contact. Then she lets out a long sigh of acceptance. “I thought maybe I had to earn them.”
I try. I really, really try to hold back my laughter but it explodes out in a howl of mirth. Shaylee’s face turns bright red and her lips turn down into an annoyed pout. I get control of myself, and caress the side of her face, “You’re so damn cute.” Then I lean down to kiss her pout away. When I pull back, she gives me a little smile and I return it, before clarifying on the subject.
“You’ve experienced hurricanes in New York, right?” I ask.
“Sure”
“Walking with the wind in a hurricane forces you to move faster, pushing you into a run and practically lifting you off of your feet.” I scoot back onto the bed, resting against the headboard and pull her to rest on my chest. “We often use wind that way, to gain some extra speed over the Fallen. They are more proficient with water because it doesn’t need light to flourish, in fact, water is denser in the shadows without the light to evaporate it, and so the ability to manipulate the other elements accurately can be a huge leg up.” I look down to see if she is following me and she nods, listening with rapt attention.
“You know how truth gets distorted. One human sees our mark, another sees our use of the wind and as the story is shared, it changes little by little, until—all of the sudden—Faeries are winged creatures who fly.”
I glance at her face again and see her mouth open in a little O, as understanding fill hers eyes. She shuts her mouth after a moment and shakes her head ruefully. “I’m a little disappointed in humans. Their view of the world is so skewed,” she states. I slant a look down at her. “Ok, so mine was too.”
I snicker at her admission as I slide down back on the bed, tugging her with me so her back is snug against my front. I’m jarred back when she sits up suddenly. “Oh!” she exclaims. “I have a mark!” The second is stated in a matter of fact tone. She holds out her arms and studies them, turning them over, then moving on to her shoulders when her arms turn up bare. I tap lightly on her shoulder, chuckling and waiting patiently for her attention. She looks down examining her chest, but when I tap again, she lifts her head, cocking it to the side in silent question.
I smile mischievously and lean forward to run a finger up her leg from knee to hip, and lick my lips at the sight of her skin quivering under my touch. I trail back down a few inches and trace a circle in the inside of her thigh, and then tap it lightly, indicating she should take a closer look. Curiously, she bends down to see what I’m referring to. Right there, on the inner skin of her left thigh is a little set of wings, about the size of a half dollar.
I know that my mark is a mixture of muted shades of green, Shaylee’s, however, is bright with a rainbow of color. The design on the wings is exquisite, just like her. I let her study it for a few minutes more, pull us both back down and onto our sides, molding Shaylee’s back to my front. Reaching down with my top arm, I pull the sheet up over us, and then return my hand to rest on her stomach, just high enough that my thumb brushes against the underside of her tits. I want her all over again but I sternly tell my dick to stand down; Shaylee needs a little time to heal.
She wiggles in a little deeper into my embrace, finding a comfortable spot. I grit my teeth and hiss out a breath when her sexy little ass brushes my cock, and then settles tightly back against it. I run through bland images in my head, willing my hard on to go away, when I hear her breathing even out and know she is asleep. My arousal forgotten, contentment washes over me, and I quickly find myself drifting off.
I’m surrounded by turbulent darkness and I’m trying desperately to claw my way into the light. The evil in the air is thick, almost choking me with its heavy presence. I can feel Shaylee in my arms and I hold on tight, afraid that if I let her go, the blackness will take her from me. But, even as I clutch onto her, I feel the pull separating us. The push of the wind, blowing us apart. Now, I can’t feel her warmth, I reach out and grasp at nothing but air—
My body jackknifes up on the bed, my breath coming out in heavy pants as I look wildly around the room. There is nothing there, but even as the first streams of sunlight penetrate my windows, I swear I feel a lingering scent of evil in the air. Shaylee is resting on the other side of the bed, almost a foot away from me. As my racing heart calms down, I lie back down and pull her gently back against me. The touch of her skin, the feel of her in my arms, chases away any last vestiges of shadows and I slip back into sleep.
When I next wake, the sun is high in the sky, bathing my room with brightness and invigorating power. I stretch lazily, and then notice that Shaylee isn’t in the bed next to me. For one second, I fear that she regrets last night and has taken off for her apartment, until I remember, smugly, that I changed the locks. Cocking my head, I listen and realize that I hear water running in the bathroom. The image of Shaylee wet and naked in the shower prompts a wicked grin and I hop out of bed and pad over to the slightly ajar, bathroom door. I open it fully and steam billows out, the heat washing over my already overheated skin. My morning wood is now hard as steel, and I move in the direction of the corner shower. The shower is an open design, it has no door. Instead, the privacy (I use that term loosely since the “wall” is made of frosted glass) comes from a tall wall that you have to walk around to reach the spacious area where there are three shower heads and a small built in seat. The seat and all that empty wall space are certainly going to come in handy.
I can see the silhouette of Shaylee’ body, and all the blood rushes to my head. Not that head, the other one. Stealthily, I step inside and come up behind her, gripping her waist and bringing her body flush against mine. She gasps in shock, but it turns to a moan when I run my tongue along her neck and slide my hands up to cup her fucking gorgeous tits.
“Good morning, baby,” I breathe, nipping at her earlobe. She lets out a strangled greeting, quivering from my hands squeezing and rolling her pink nipples. I can’t keep the cocky grin off of my face, feeling how I affect her. “Let’s see how we can turn this good morning into a spectacular one.”
Shaylee turns to me and we get lost in one another, coming together in an explosion of lust, playing and pleasuring until the water runs cold.
Satiated, we turn off the water and step out, wrapping ourselves in soft, large towels. We take turns drying each other off, and then I hightail it out of there before I give in to temptation and haul her back to bed for the rest of the day. It’s Saturday, but we still have shit to do.
“I’m going to go make us some breakfast,” I grumble, doing my best to ignore her heated looks. I kiss the tip of her nose, smack her naked ass on my way out the door, saying, “I’ll meet you in the kitchen, baby. You don’t need to wear training clothes; we’ve got some errands to run.”
After pulling on some khaki cargo pants and a plain black t-shirt, I head to the kitchen and pull out all the fixings for omelets. I’m chopping up the vegetables, when my cell rings. Recognizing the numbe
r, I wipe my hands and answer the call.
I’ve been expecting this call, so I’m not surprised when I hear the pleasant voice of Calista on the line. She sits on the council and has called to set up a time to meet with Shaylee. Calista is a legend among the Mie'Lorvor, and she’s cool as hell, so we shoot the shit for a few minutes, before agreeing to meet around noon. I’ve just hung up and turned back to breakfast when Shaylee saunters into the room.
Glancing at her, I immediately stop what I’m doing, completely distracted by her mile long legs, shown off by the short jean skirt she is wearing. I slowly drag my eyes from her feet, up those sexy legs, and land on her chest. I wouldn’t have thought it was possible to divert my attention from those perfect tits, but I somehow notice that her yellow t-shirt has a colorful unicorn on it with the words, “Always be yourself. Unless you can be a unicorn. Then always be a unicorn.”
I burst out in uncontrollable laughter. She puts her hands on her hips and grins at me, making me laugh that much harder. “Where the hell do you get these shirts, baby?” I ask, still chortling as I go back to making breakfast. She strolls up to me and gives me a peck on the cheek before rounding the island and sitting on a stool, facing me.
“When I was a kid, eight or nine maybe, my dad got me a t-shirt that said, “I run like a girl. Do try and keep up.” I laughed so hard I had to book it to the bathroom before I peed my pants. From there, it became our thing. We always gave one to the other on our birthdays.” The memory lights up her face and I’m mesmerized by the sight. I’m determined to be the one to put that look on her face in the future.
“After he died, it was a way to keep him close to me. Eventually, it kind of caught on and I get them from my friends and family as gifts, so I have quite the collection,” she confesses with a giggle.
Taking advantage of her mood, I encourage her to continue talking to me and telling me stories. I finish up preparations and plate our breakfast, setting it out on the bar. We chit chat about light subjects while we eat, then clean up together, the whole time stealing kisses and subtle touches.
“Grab your stuff, baby. We’ve got to get going.” I grab my keys from the bowl on the island and lift a jacket off the hook by the door. With our extended days and abundance of sun, the seasons in Rien are milder that the human realm, but it is December now and sometimes the wind can bring a chill.
Shaylee returns from the bedroom with yellow and black converse on her feet, a thick sweater, and her purse slung over a shoulder. How she pulls off being incredibly sexy and cute-as-hell at the same time is beyond me. But damn, that package is all mine.
“Where are we going?” she asks as she steps out into the hallway.
“We’ve got a meeting with the council at two, and then I’ve got a surprise for you after,” I tell her absent-mindedly as I lock the door, then turn to leave, bumping right into her still form. I steady her with my hands on her waist, “Sorry, baby. You all right?”
Her head slowly moves from side to side and I tug on her hips, bring her around to face me. Her eyes are wide, the gears almost visibly working in her head, and her mouth is opening and closing like a fish. I raise my brow in question, but stay silent, waiting for her to tell me what’s got her freaked out.
“Aden,” She deadpans. “Could you maybe start giving me a little warning before you throw me to the lions?” Her voice is rising steadily as she speaks and her sapphire irises becoming turbulent, a storm of emotion brewing.
Before she can escalate into full blown panic, I take her face in my hands and lift so that she is focusing on me. “Chill out, baby. I promise, there is nothing to stress about. You’re not meeting royalty, it’s not a tribunal, or The Underground Kings. It’s just a group of people who have the knowledge to help and guide us.” Some of the tension seeps out of her muscles at my relaxed attitude. “Do you trust me?” When she nods without a moment’s consideration, I take her mouth in a grateful kiss.
I lace our fingers together and we get on our way. We drive into the city, passing by the neighborhood where my parents live, into a bustling area, similar to Chicago. There are tall office buildings, streets of pedestrians (cleaner and wider than New York), and a river, although it runs along the border of the city, rather than through it. Shaylee is riveted to the scenery, everything catching her interest in a way that tells me she is once again surprised at the similarities of Rien to the human realm. I keep my mind focused on the drive and my amusement at Shaylee’s reaction to everything, avoiding the knot in my gut, resulting from worry over what the council members might let slip to Shaylee. I still haven’t told her about being fated, the timing just hasn’t been right. Having some suspicions on how she’ll react, I’m being a coward and avoiding the conversation. I need to know she has fallen for me completely before I tell her.
I park the car in an underground garage below a tall, glass building that sits right on the river. Exiting the car, I round the hood and open her door, helping her out. Needing to stay connected with her, I place my hand at the small of her back and gently guide her toward the elevator. We get inside and I hit the button for the thirtieth floor, before turning and backing her up into the wall. I grasp her hips and jerk her body into mine, crushing my mouth over hers in a soul stealing kiss. Shaylee sinks into me as our mouths devour each other, our tongues exploring the wet heat, and I hope that she doesn’t feel my desperation.
As I told her, she has nothing to fear from the council, but I don’t know what we are up against. While I know that we are meant to be together, I don’t know exactly what is ahead of us. The feeling of being hunted has dissipated since being in the Fae realm, but it hasn’t completely gone away. I’ll do whatever it takes to protect her. I just hope the council can shed some knowledge on what we are up against.
When I hear the bell, indicating we’ve reached our destination, I pull back and admire the glazed look in her eyes. I love that I can take her to that place, make her lose herself in me and the desire between us. I kiss the tip of her nose and coo, “Are you still nervous?”
The haze is beginning to clear and she considers me for a moment, “Not so much,” she muses, her voice laced with amusement. So damn cute.
We exit the elevator and I lead her through a set of glass double doors into a sleek lobby area. The walls are white, decorated with black and white photos of landscapes from all over Rien. Facing the doors is a tall gray desk with a young, male receptionist, sitting in front of a wall with the words “Fae Fer Li” in bold silver, block letters. Life, Magic, Light. The wall stops evenly with the edges of the desk and it practically glows from the sunshine streaming in the windows beyond it.
“Hey, Grady.” I greet the young man with a smile and a handshake. He stands and returns it with enthusiasm, then turns to Shaylee and his whole face lights up. She reaches to shake his hand and instead, he grips it and kisses. Shaylee laughs and says hello with a twinkle in her eye.
I pin him with an annoyed gaze and when he sees it, he immediately drops her hand, but remains standing, smiling brightly at her. Grady is all of eighteen, and I can understand anyone being enamored with my girl, but that doesn’t mean I have to be happy about it. I clear my throat loudly to get his attention and give him another pointed look. His face flushes bright red and I hear Shaylee suck in a breath. A glance in her direction shows that she is holding her breath in an attempt to keep from laughing, probably not wanting to further embarrass Grady.
“Where’s Calista?” I ask evenly, stifling the urge to snap at him. I roll my eyes when I hear a giggle escape Shaylee’s mouth.
“The north conference room,” Grady answers, studiously avoiding looking at Shaylee. Smart.
I grab Shaylee’s hand and drag her down to another set of glass doors. The offices take up the entire floor, so all of the exterior walls are made up of floor to ceiling windows, filling the open floor plan with radiance. The conference room holds a large, round, glass table with plush, black leather chairs. Currently, it’s occupied by thre
e women and two men, seated and making relaxed conversation. When we enter the room, they all turn to us with wide, welcoming smiles.
Calista is sitting closest to the door and she hops up taking the advantage to greet Shaylee first. “Hey, girl! Welcome!” She pulls Shaylee into a hug and then guides her to an empty seat at the table. For a moment, I worry that she will be overwhelmed by all of this, but I should have known better. Despite her attitude with me, Shaylee is very laid back and acclimates to unknown situations quickly. The way that she accepted the existence of this world so readily is proof of that. Instead of being wary, she follows Calista’s lead, laughing at her gusto, returning her hug, and following her to the indicated chair.
The other four people wave from their seats and welcome her jovially. The relaxed air of the room seems to chase away any remaining nerves and Shaylee falls happily into conversation with them. I mosey over to the seat next to her and join her at the table. One by one, they each give me a nod, then dive right back into their discussion with Shaylee. I blow out an aggravated breath at being ignored, and then mentally whack the backside of my head for acting like a petulant child. Instead, I watch Shaylee bloom under their attention and admire her ability to captivate them. My heart fills with pride at the knowledge that this incredible woman is mine forever.
Protecting Shaylee Page 12