by Claire Marta
She didn’t fight when Cayden pulled her into his strong arms, tears stinging her eyes.
“We’ll find her,” he vowed. Squeezing her shoulder in reassurance, he turned in one direction while Killian took another.
Raven felt as if her world was falling apart. Too frightened to keep still, she continued searching with Darcy. Willow had to be here. Somewhere. Maybe she’d gone to see the kangaroos again.
“Mummy!”
Raven froze at the little voice. Turning from her search of the tiger enclosure, she saw her daughter riding on one of Killian’s shoulders, her slender arm wrapped around his neck. Raven’s knees buckled. She dropped on them to the sidewalk, tears spilling down her cheeks.
“Where have you been?” Raven scolded, her fears giving way to sweet relief.
“She was with a man,” Cayden informed her grimly, the look on his face taut. “He’d promised her a puppy.”
“What have I told you about talking to strangers?” Anger rising, Raven couldn’t stop herself from snapping. “What were you thinking?”
The words descended into a sob when how close had she been to losing her child hit home.
Thank God for these men.
Darcy knelt beside her, radiating warmth and hugging her tightly as she wept. “It’s okay. It’s okay. She’s safe. She’s safe.”
Willow was safe, but Raven couldn’t stop crying. The tears just kept coming. Before she knew what was happening, she was hauled to her feet and embraced by a pair of strong, protective arms.
Cayden.
“Nary a hair on yer daughter’s head was harmed but I cannae say the same for the man who tried tae take her,” the Scotsman crooned in her ear. Just the sound of his voice was enough to ease her fears and bring her comfort.
She wanted to know more, but details would wait. Right now, she needed to hold her daughter and put this nightmare behind her.
“Come here, baby,” she said, holding out her hands to take her from Killian. Reaching, he angled his head, swung Willow off his shoulder, and put her daughter neatly in her arms.
“I’m sorry, Mummy,” Willow sniffed, seeing her tears and knowing that she’d caused them. “But he knew it was my birthday and said he had a puppy for me.”
Just that fast, the fear was back. How would a stranger know it was her birthday? And who would want to kidnap her?
Colin? Or one of his father’s enemies?
Why hadn’t Willow sensed something was amiss? Her child was psychically gifted. Intuitive. The only thing that made sense was that the offer was legitimate from someone Willow knew.
It could only be Colin.
Her ex-husband had sent one of his men to try and take her child.
Jaysus, Joseph, and Mary.
“Settle,” Cayden crooned, coming close to stand behind her. “She’s safe. Ye both are. And sounds like ye hae a birthday tae celebrate. Perhaps a trip tae the gift shop is in order? After introductions, of course.”
He stepped to one side and extended his hand to her cousin. “Cayden McPherson, at yer service.”
Darcy’s blue-green eyes widened in delight. Whether it was his Scottish brogue, his emerald eyes, his ginger hair, or his dimples, Raven didn’t know, but her cousin’s reaction made her spine stiffen with jealousy.
“Killian,” the Irishman told her, his Irish accent making Darcy melt even more. “Killian O’Connell. We’re pleased to make yer acquaintance…”
He left it hanging like a question.
“Darcy. Darcy Takahara. I’m Raven’s cousin. Our mothers are sisters.”
Darcy’s mother had been teaching English overseas when she’d fallen in love with the wealthy Japanese businessman she was tutoring. Named for her mother’s favorite book boyfriend, Darcy had eventually come to the States to study.
Raven’s American mother had fallen for a local man, too, while on vacation in Ireland. The cousins hadn’t seen each other since they were young, but learning Darcy was in New York, Raven had known she’d never be closer and came to visit. Once she was here and reconnected with her cousin, she’d chosen to make America her home.
Both women had dual citizenship, thanks to their mothers. She’d never had to worry about getting a green card or rushing into marriage in order to stay. She and Michael, her late first husband, had dated six months before they had sex.
One night with Cayden and Killian, and she was saying yes to a threesome.
She blushed, remembering.
Darcy arched a knowing brow. “So nice to meet you,” she said. “Raven’s been telling me about you.”
Raven narrowed her eyes to slits and shot a death ray at her cousin. She was going to kill her when she got a chance.
Darcy ignored her. “It was fortunate you two were here at the zoo,” she continued brightly. “Do you visit often?”
Killian and Cayden shared a look.
“Aye,” Cayden smiled. “We heard cubs were born tae one of the panthers and wanted tae see fer ourselves.”
“Are we going to the gift shop now?” Willow piped up with a hopeful tone.
Hugging her daughter to her, Raven laughed. “Yes. Alright. I think we’ve had as much of the zoo as we can handle today.”
“Can Cayden and Killian come home for some birthday cake?”
She glanced at the two men. “It’s the least we can do, isn’t it.”
Both men were eager to join the women. In a group, they moved toward the exit and shops. The choice of stuffed toys was extensive, offering nearly everything a child could wish for. Determined to get her a birthday gift, the men told Willow to pick whatever she wanted. The trouble was, anything she cooed over or hugged or petted got added to their pile.
Raven tried to warn them, but Cayden and Killian seemed thrilled at the chance to spoil her daughter. Knowing an argument would fall on deaf ears, Raven held her tongue and watched the pair buy a whole menagerie for Willow’s bedroom.
The men headed back to Raven’s car with them, carrying loaded shopping bags in each hand.
“Where are you parked?” Darcy questioned.
Cayden and Killian shared another look. “We… had a friend drop us off.”
“You can catch a ride with us, then. If you can fit in the rear of Raven’s car with all those toys.”
Raven had them place the items in her trunk, half wondering if they’d flown here. Why were they even at the zoo? Coincidence? Had they been following them? Watching them?
Or watching out for them?
She couldn’t help feeling that somehow, someway, they had heard her prayers for her daughter and flown to the rescue.
Strapped in her child seat, Willow kept a nonstop commentary going about every animal she’d talked to today. She was still going strong when they pulled up to the starter house that Michael had found when they first got married. They’d never had a chance to look for another before he was killed. She’d kept it as an investment, renting it to a pair of well-heeled football fans to use on game days while she was married to Colin. They were the only ones saddened by her divorce. Everyone else had breathed a sigh of relief.
“Here we are,” she said brightly, opening the garage door and pulling inside to a stop. Popping the trunk, she let Darcy help Willow from the passenger side while she unlocked the interior door to the mudroom. She was barely in the kitchen when she heard the front doorbell ring.
Mrs. Myers.
Hurrying for the front of the house, she checked the peephole to find her neighbor on the stoop. Undoing the deadbolts, she opened the door. “We just got back from the zoo,” she told her, making sure that Mrs. Myers could see her face. Hearing aids only helped so much. “Come in. Come in. We have guests. They’re bringing in Willow’s new toys. Spoiling her rotten.”
Mrs. Myers shuffled in, leaning heavily on her cane, her gray hair swept up in a tight bun on the top of her head. Despite her age, the retired teacher was sharp and keen. Her hearing not so much nowadays.
“Well, introduce me, then,” she
told her impatiently, making her way toward the living room and her usual chair. “I want a good look at them.”
Raven was used to her elderly neighbor’s ways. She could seem prickly but beneath her rough exterior was a lonely woman who cared deeply about those she took beneath her wing. She and Willow were lucky to fall under that. The spinster was more than happy to watch her little girl when needed. In return, Raven picked up her groceries and helped out with her beloved garden.
Mrs. Myers settled herself against the pillows of her seat, one gnarled hand resting on the top of her cane when the men entered. With one shrewd look, she took the measure of them.
“Well, they don’t look like nursery friends of Willow’s, so they must be yours, Raven.”
“Aye,” Killian confirmed, giving her a charming grin. “New friends.”
The two men arranged the toys as Willow instructed, setting them out on the floor. Brimming with excitement, she rushed to get her plastic tea set from her room. The men stayed where they were, out of the way, taking everything in stride.
Leaving them to it, Raven and Darcy busied themselves in the kitchen pouring glasses of sparkling white grape juice and readying the birthday cake.
“So those are the guys,” her cousin whispered the second they were alone. “Yum. Who wouldn’t want a threesome with them?”
Heat bloomed in Raven’s cheeks. “Can we not talk about it while they’re here, please?”
With the drinks poured, Darcy perched strawberries on the rims, making them look like virgin Daiquiris. Raven dug out plates, forks, and napkins. The chocolate layer cake was from a local bakery known for its original designs. This one featured a fairy princess surrounded by woodland creatures.
There was something magical about the way the artist had taken a Victorian painting in one of her daughter’s fairytale books and brought it to life. You could almost believe the Fae folk, birds, and animals were real.
Tucking five candles into the scene, Raven found a lighter and laid it by the cake. She wouldn’t cut it until Willow had made her wish and blown out her candles. Right now, Darcy needed to fetch the presents hidden in the laundry room, and she needed to distribute drinks.
She served Mrs. Myers first.
The elderly woman took a sip. Pulling off the strawberry to eat it, she waved it at the male guests. “Well, at least these two aren’t like the other one,” she announced, not even trying to be subtle. “All the poor child had to do was breathe and he’d start shouting. No patience.”
Killian looked up from where he sat on the floor crossed-legged, a small pink plastic teacup in his hand. The Irishman’s lips curled down in a frown of disapproval. “That’s no way to be treating a wee one.”
Mrs. Myers grunted. “He didn’t treat either of them well and good riddance to him, I say.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Myers,” Raven jumped in before she could continue. “But I’d rather not talk about Colin, especially on Willow’s birthday.” With so little good she could say, she tried to not speak of him at all around her daughter. “Anyway, it’s time to open presents.”
At the mention of gifts, Willow bounced up from where she was sitting, sending her blonde curls tumbling over her shoulders. “This is the best birthday ever!”
Darcy brought in a big box of wrapped gifts and took it to the sofa. Sitting by Raven, the two women took turns handing out presents for the eager child to unwrap.
This year they had both gone a overboard. Divorced and free of Colin’s restraints, Raven had felt like splurging to spoil her daughter. There were rainbow hair clips and unicorn headbands. Pencils, an expensive set of crayons, and sketch pads. A mermaid sleeping bag with a shimmering sequined tail. A pair of shiny sneakers with soles that lit up when she walked. A range of children’s movies. Princess dolls. A princess dress. Storybooks for her collection. A set of building blocks to build her own magical world.
Raven pulled out a parcel wrapped in green paper. “This is from Grandma and Grandpa, sent all the way from Ireland.”
Taking it eagerly, Willow ripped it open. Inside was a trinket music box. When she opened the lid, a small ballerina inside twirled to a pretty tune. Someone had filled it with brightly colored plastic bracelets and a beaded necklace.
“And this is from Nanna,” Raven told her, clutching the smaller package to her chest. She helped her daughter remove the paper. Inside was a velvet box. Snapping it open, they discovered a rosary of Connemara marble nestled inside.
“Ye’ve no family here but yer cousin?” Cayden questioned, his curiosity clear.
Raven felt a familiar pang of heartache. “No, they live in Ireland. I haven’t visited them in years. My ex-husband… he didn’t like me traveling.”
The truth was Colin had forbidden it. During her marriage to him, contact with her family had been limited. Now that she was finally rid of him, she planned to visit them as soon as her schedule allowed.
The gift from Darcy was the biggest hit. A cuddly unicorn plushie whose horn glowed whenever its tummy was hugged.
“Mummy, Mummy! Isn’t it soft?” Willow cried, stroking the fake fur gently. “Thank you, Aunty Darcy! I love him so much!”
“How do you know it's a boy?” Cayden teased.
Tilting her head to the side, the child gave him a serious look. “He told me so. His friends like the apple tree near your garden. We’re going to visit them soon.”
“God bless that imagination of yours,” Mrs. Myers chuckled softly. “I hope you never lose it.”
“We’ll be waiting,” Killian told her, pulling her onto his lap and accidentally learning just how ticklish she was. “Ye can pick flowers from Elijah’s gardens to braid in their mane. If ye ask Tobias nice-like, I’m fair certain ye can get him to do yer hair again.”
Raven knew it was idle talk but she could see that her daughter was taking it to heart. Rather than let Killian keep filling her head with dreams that might never come true, she interrupted him, clearing her throat and smiling brightly. “Presents are done. It’s time for cake…”
That night, reliving the events of the day, Raven felt a lump form in her throat, remembering how her daughter had giggled and squirmed in the Irishman’s tattooed arms. She’d never seen her so happy. Killian and Cayden were so easy-going and understanding. There was no need for her to be on constant guard like she had been around her ex-husband. Always gauging his mood. Colin had a short fuse that never lasted long around her child.
Kissing her daughter good night, she turned off the light and went to her lonely bed, trying not to remember how it felt to fall asleep next to Michael and get awakened with a kiss. Turning down the blanket, she slipped beneath the sheet and raised a prayer of thanks that her daughter had been found.
The phone on her nightstand vibrated, alerting her to a text message. Thinking it was one of her clients, Raven opened it to see who needed her. She didn’t recognize the number but tapped it anyway.
What she read next chilled her to the core.
You were lucky today. If you want to keep your daughter safe, you’ll do what we say. Wait for our instructions and follow them
OR ELSE…
Chapter Seven
As soon as they returned to the Citadel, Cayden and Killian sought out Tobias to tell him of the day’s events. He was as disturbed by Willow’s attempted abduction as they were.
“Maybe Zana can put a tracker in her brogans,” Cayden suggested. “When Casey was wie the ATF, she wore one in her high heels when she went undercover. It couldnae be tae hard tae do. And put one in her favorite unicorn. She’ll be sure tae keep the one if she’s barefoot or wearing another pair o’ shoes. After Morgan and Casey, we should probably put one in Raven’s purse, too.”
That is, if they did it without getting Raven’s permission.
Tobias rubbed his face and raised his eyes heavenward. “She’s a special child. Gifted. A child of Light. The dark side would love nothing more than to snuff it out and turn her into an instrument of evil.
We cannot allow that to happen. What of the mother? Will she keep her silence about what she saw here?”
“Well, now,” Killian hemmed and hawed. “Ye told us to do whatever it took, and so we did. It just so happens, she’s a fated mate. She’s all but through the flux but we’ve not yet explained what it means. Truth be told, we’re dreading telling her that she’ll outlive her daughter, that she’ll be the one to watch Willow grow old and die.”
“Maybe,” Tobias said. “Maybe not. “There’s a chance that she’s a fated mate for one of our kind or one of the children who are coming. We should talk to Theo. See if he can sense what will be.”
He was on the phone with his next breath.
Theo was downstairs and in his office almost as quickly. He must have been next door with Emmett in the library. Theo’s face was flushed and his breath was as thready as if he’d been running a race. Unless Killian was much mistaken, Theo had been playing teacher’s pet again. All fine and well, but they’d best be saving some of that for their fated mate.
Blushing at their questioning look, Theo turned his focus on their superior, who filled him in on their conversation.
“Can you see anything?” he asked Theo. “Any possible outcome that the mother will welcome hearing when she learns what her transformation has wrought?”
Theo inhaled deeply, centered, and grounded himself. He breathed out, quieting his mind and listening for Divine Guidance. “There is a man,” he said slowly. “A prince of his kind who’ll claim her when she’s grown.”
“His kind?” Tobias demanded to know. “And what kind is that?”
“Fae,” Theo told him. “Otherworldly. He’s already seen her. Marked her. Now he waits for her. Raven won’t have to watch her daughter die, that much is clear.”
Cayden tensed. Willow was a child. Part of him understood how they were drawn to a fated mate. It was instinctual. A basic urge. Thinking that another male had already mentally marked the five-year-old as his own made him bristle with the urge to protect his mate’s offspring. Willow would be his adopted daughter once Raven lived with them. There would be no males hanging around, trying to catch her eye. Whether Fae prince or common mortal, they’d have to go through them first.