by Larissa Ladd
Aiden took the last leg of the drive, his right hand rarely straying from Aira’s knee as she sat in the passenger seat. Dylan sat in the back, pretending to nap but actually thinking about the upcoming visit. He and his brother had rarely had much time to spend with the rest of their family since they had become one of the go-to partnerships for the Elders in apprehending unstable or otherwise dangerous elementals. In a way, he was relieved that Aiden and Aira would be the focus of his mother’s attention. Jessica had been intent on her sons finding wives for years, and Dylan had not been exempt from that. In fact, as the more “stable” elemental—more closely aligned with her family of water elementals—she had hoped that he would get married first, would find a mate and produce another generation of water elementals. Her concern for her eldest son to be mated had more to do with keeping him out of the way of the Elders’ possible condemnation as an unstable elemental.
He loved his mother. Jessica was not even in the same league ability-wise as Aira’s grandmother Lorene had been, but she had taught him well as she could about his inheritance as a water elemental. He knew that part of her willingness—and his grandmother’s willingness—to come to terms with Lorene had to do with the closeness between their families. Dylan wondered if his mother had entertained the hope that Aira and he would become mates, that he would provide the stabilizing influence that Aira had always lacked. It was for the best that Aiden had become Aira’s mate, and there would be less pressure on him for a little while as Jessica campaigned for Aira and Aiden to make it official, but Dylan knew eventually the same attention would be focused on him.
Aira had steadfastly refused an arranged marriage; Dylan wasn’t in any danger of that expedient, but he almost—almost, in the back of his mind—considered the possibilities it might offer. He wanted to love the woman he would bond with, but he was feeling lonely, and envious of Aiden’s happiness. Dylan reminded himself that if he wanted what Aiden had, he would need to find it spontaneously. He should stick with being grateful that his possibility of finding a mate would play second fiddle to the more urgent—to his mother—matter of Aiden’s relationship being official. There would be no gentle pressure, no suggestion of his potential connubial bliss, while Jessica was focused on convincing Aira to go through with a ceremony, and pressuring Aiden to insist on it. Dylan wondered if his mother had yet observed—either through conversations with her sons or through her own empathy and clairvoyance as a water elemental—that Aira was not a woman to be insisted to. If Aiden kept the pressure up, she would never agree to actually marry him. She would dig her heels in like the most intractable of toddlers, close her metaphorical eyes and ears, and shout down anyone who even mentioned marriage in passing.
Even while Dylan hungered for a relationship of his own, he could understand Aira’s hesitation. She was determined to be independent; it was part of what had made her frustratingly difficult to guard on occasion during the time when they were waiting for her to come into her inheritance as an elemental, even more so when she had been in contention to rule her element. That she had completed the bond with Aiden at all spoke more to her sense of self-preservation than to her readiness to have a mate, to be vulnerable to another person for her happiness. She had entered into that bond to satisfy the Elders—as well as to thumb her nose at them with her choice—and to keep from being taken out by those who would have preferred a different elemental ruler for air. That she and Aiden were perfect for each other, Dylan didn’t doubt; before Lorene’s passing, he had gathered that she had ‘seen’ their possible future together, and that she approved of the match. She hadn’t said it to Aira, knowing that if she had insisted, Aira would have refused to entertain the idea sheerly on principle.
But she was still feeling guarded, Dylan could tell. She didn’t like being dependent on Aiden in any way, and until she adjusted to that feeling, it would be difficult to persuade her to take another step that would firmly entrench her in a relationship—one that could be interpreted to bind her even more strongly to his older brother. Dylan, aligned with an element only slightly less mutable in nature than Aira, appreciated her desire for freedom, even while he maintained his own emotional need for some level of dependence. Dylan thought to himself that it was better her than him, having to deal with his mother’s determined desire for her sons to be married off. He would at least have the enjoyment of watching Aiden carefully try and modulate his desire to marry Aira with the need not to push her into being stubborn.
CHAPTER THREE
AIRA TOOK DEEP BREATHS, TRYING to suppress the tension she felt as Aiden pulled the car into a wide, long driveway in front of a cozy-looking yellow and white house. Her heart was beating faster and she glanced up at the mirror and into the back seat; Dylan was smiling slightly and Aira knew that he was watching her—that he was anticipating the meeting between her and his mother with considerable amusement.
“You know,” she said irritably, “You don’t have to look so smug about this.” Dylan’s smile grew broader.
“Who’s smug? I’m just glad to be visiting my mom, and to see how well you and she will get along together.” Aira pressed her lips together, taking a deep breath through her nose and exhaling it slowly.
“All of you water elementals are the same,” she said, hearing the whining note in her own voice and for the moment not caring. “Manipulative jerks!”
Dylan laughed out loud, his head falling forward. Aira’s irritation rising, she glanced at Aiden to make sure he wasn’t laughing at her too. Aiden’s expression was torn between amusement and frustration as he put the car in park and switched off the ignition.
“Dylan, she’s nervous. Stop being an asshole.”
Dylan shrugged in the back seat, unbuckling his seat belt.
“You’re her mate; you deal with her nerves.” Aiden aimed a halfhearted swat into the back seat; Dylan dodged it, opening the door and launching himself out of the car, hurrying to the trunk to start unloading their luggage. Aiden shook his head and turned his attention on her, and Aira found herself smiling in spite of her nervous agitation.
“You’re going to be fine. Mom is great—she’s nice, she’s polite. And she’ll love the gift you brought her.” Aira had insisted on a short detour on their way, thinking as they rode along the highway that she had a perfect idea for a gift for their hostess. She had stopped off at her grandmother’s house, dredged the bottom of one of the most important ponds Lorene had maintained on the property, and pulled out some smooth stones—a memento of the woman. The rocks had originally come from a lake that was well-known to all elementals; Lorene had, in her youth, swum the lake to recharge her energies, collecting stones every time that she would later deposit in the western-most pond on her property.
Jessica’s home—which both Dylan and Aiden had grown up in—showed all the signs of being inhabited by an elemental. The edge of the property was lined with elms, and there was a water feature in the western-most corner; nothing more than a small pond with a fountain in the center and lilies covering the surface. A garden on either side of the front door combined water and fire-aligned plants: Red poppies, marigolds, and geraniums were tucked in and around violets, lilies, and sweet peas. Aira felt her heart beating faster as they approached the door. “Stop fidgeting, Aira,” Aiden murmured, pulling her close to him. Aira could feel the flicker of his energy through her body. She had become accustomed to the presence of his energy flowing through him in the months since they had bonded; the hot, fiery crackle was not quite as familiar as the air energy that had surged through her as she came into her elemental inheritance, but she enjoyed the constant reminder of Aiden’s presence.
Dylan slipped ahead of them and knocked on the door, and it had opened by the time Aiden and Aira reached it, Jessica stepping through it. The older woman bore faint resemblances to both Aiden and Dylan, though it was easier to see in the younger brother who shared her alignment; dark-haired and dark-eyed, she was only starting to show age, the skin around her eyes
thinning, lines starting to form around her smiling lips. “Dylan! Aiden! It’s so good to see you both,” Jessica said, smiling at each man in turn. She gave them each a hug before turning her attention onto Aira. “You are your grandmother’s spit and image, Aira,” she said, taking both of Aira’s hands and looking her up and down slowly. “I’ve been wanting to meet you for so long; not just because of Aiden, but your grandmother was very important to all of we water elementals, beyond her position as our ruler.” Aira smiled, and felt the flow of Jessica’s energy into her—felt the older woman trying to calm her. It was clear that Dylan came by his empathy naturally.
“I actually brought you something, and I think you’ll really like it,” Aira said, relinquishing Jessica’s hands and reaching into her purse. She withdrew the handful of stones. “These were from the western-most pond at her house; I knew they would be significant to you, and of course, I couldn’t do anything less for the mother of my mate.” Jessica’s eyes widened as she looked down at the stones and then up at Aira’s face.
“Oh, my dear, this is a very, very special gift.” Jessica’s voice held a trace of Tennessee, though Aira knew that she wasn’t originally from the area. She had lived in the state for the brothers’ entire lives, or nearly that long—it had been built for her and her husband to the exact specifications that they made, for aligning them in their elements for the best possible comfort. Jessica took the stones from her hands, bringing them up to her lips and kissing them lightly—a gesture of reverence for the pond they had come from, the woman who had placed them, and their original provenance. “Oh goodness, come inside, all of you.” Jessica ruffled her eldest son’s hair and gestured for Dylan to lead the way into the house.
Aira was torn between the nervous urge to talk as much as possible, and the fascination of watching Aiden, Jessica, and Dylan interacting; it was clear to her that the woman loved both of her sons equally, but in different ways. Dylan, being aligned with Jessica’s own element, was quizzed about his development in his abilities; he would be coming into his inheritance soon, attaining the full measure of his elemental energy. Aiden she asked about politics within his own element, about how their cases were going, and finally about his stability. “I would not have thought an air elemental would suit you so well, son,” Jessica said, glancing warmly at Aira.
“They fought it kicking and screaming, Mom,” Dylan told her, grinning slightly at their discomfort. “Neither of them wanted to recognize that it was the best choice for them.”
“Well, your father and I always thought that an air elemental would only add to your instability—make you more volatile.” Jessica smiled at Aira. “I knew you were a potent young woman, and of course everyone who knew your grandmother had agreed that you were the best choice for her heir; but seeing you now, seeing how changed Aiden is, I am glad you decided to take him as a mate.” Aira blushed, finding herself in the rare position of not knowing what to say.
“He really isn’t that different,” Aira said, looking at Aiden. “In fact, we fought on the way here, same as always.” Dylan snorted.
“They fought over whether the gift Aira brought you was sufficient; she thought you’d appreciate some of the plants from Lorene’s garden, and Aiden insisted the stones from the pond would be enough. They didn’t stop arguing it until we were long past the point of no return on the road.” Jessica laughed out loud, shaking her head.
“You’re still both sorting out who will be in control in the relationship, I see,” she said, her dark eyes full of mischief. Aira glanced at Aiden, trying not to smile.
“Neither of us is going to be in control,” Aiden said firmly. “We’re equals.” Jessica shrugged.
“Your father said the same thing, you know.” Jessica gave Aira a knowing glance. “It occurs to me that wind can thrive just fine without fire—but fire can’t get started without air.” Aira bit her bottom lip to keep from laughing as Aiden stared at his mother in undisguised shock.
“I’ve pointed that out to Aiden and he punched me in the arm,” Dylan said, sipping from a mug of the tea that Jessica had prepared before their arrival. Jessica scowled at Aiden.
“Did you apologize for hitting your brother?” she asked, raising one dark eyebrow. Aiden grumbled and muttered something that Aira thought might have more closely resembled an apology if there had been any contrition in his voice whatsoever. Aira stifled the giggle that rose up from her chest, knowing that her laughter would only make things worse.
Aira was both pleased and alarmed at the fact that the dinner Jessica prepared had clearly been made with her and Aiden in mind. She recognized the components—some of them had potent aphrodisiac qualities for both fire and air elementals. The curry had clove and coriander, allspice and mustard; the rice had almond, anise, and bergamot. Part of her wanted to think that it was simply a coincidence, but the accompaniments were full of strengthening herbs for fire and air; it was impossible not to feel the effects as she ate, the energy quickening inside of her, making her more and more aware of Aiden’s presence across the table from her. She was barely able to keep up her end of the conversation, distracted and wanting nothing more than to get Aiden alone. “Hey Mom,” Dylan asked, interrupting one of several reveries that Aira found herself in, “Are you going to make Aiden and Aira wait until they’re married to have a room to themselves? It doesn’t seem fair with the way you’re obviously getting them all hot and bothered with dinner.”
“I just wanted to celebrate them!” Jessica insisted, a smile twitching at the corners of her lips. “But I will honor the fact that they are bonded—it’s official in the eyes of our kind, so they can absolutely share Aiden’s room.”
“You’re already trying to get grandkids, you mean,” Dylan said, grinning at Aira and Aiden. It was easy for Aira to see that he was at quite content not to be the focus of his mother’s efforts at securing the family’s future through marriage. It was indisputably manipulative, giving them food that would increase the flow of their energy—but it was a kind of manipulation that Aira could respect, having been exposed to her grandmother’s elementally-aligned methods at convincing people. “There are different ways that each element tends to go about getting its own way,” her grandmother had explained to Aira when she was young—an important lesson that the old woman had imparted in the interests of her granddaughter’s survival amongst her peers. “You’re an air elemental, so you’ll quickly see that your instinct is to convince people with the right words. You make arguments, you bring intellect. Fire elementals persuade with their passion; if they can’t lead you to what they want, they’ll bring you around with sheer force if they have to. Earth elementals get their way by providing benefits to agreeing with them—they’ll bribe, or they’ll give gifts, or they’ll appeal to your material interests.” “How do water elementals get their way?” her grandmother had smiled slowly. “We appeal to the emotions. We manipulate you into feeling the way we want you to feel. Always question why you feel a particular way when you’re around one of us, Aira.”
It was difficult to make herself sit through dessert, through the necessary and polite after-dinner conversation, telling Jessica about what she had done before she had met Aiden and Dylan, before she had needed their protection with other elementals vying to either marry her or see her dead. The entire time, she was acutely aware of Aiden’s presence, only a few feet away from her. She wanted nothing more than to feel him pull her into his arms, to feel his body pressed against hers. It was all too easy to remember how Aiden felt inside of her, how their energies mingling crackled through her body; the more often they had made love since they had bonded fully, the deeper the bond had become. Though they were mostly able to avoid scorching Aira’s sheets, she found herself sharing more and more sensations with the fire elemental as they moved together. They had taken to making love in the shower—it was easier to avoid setting something on fire with water streaming down on them. The lightning storms that frequently accompanied their lovemaking were s
omething they couldn’t avoid, no matter what they chose as their venue. Aira realized sheepishly that when she and Aiden went to bed together, it would be very easy indeed for Jessica to know that they were having sex. Even that consideration didn’t entirely diminish her desire for him.
When she and Aiden were finally able to excuse themselves, Aira followed him into his bedroom and snorted, seeing that it was relatively unchanged from what it must have been before he had gone out on his own. There were a few teen boy dream pictures of Maxim models on the walls, and his bed was a double—not the queen she had in her apartment. A battered old dresser, a video game console, and the red-and-black color theme proclaimed it to be the room of a young fire elemental; but the room didn’t have the musky, onion-y teen boy smell—and Aira almost groaned as she realized that Jessica must have been in to clean up. Instead of cologne or teen boy sweat, the room smelled like lavender, verbena, and basil. “Your mom is trying to get me knocked up,” she said, giving Aiden a half-scowl.
Aiden pulled her into his arms, quickly shutting the door behind them. “Would that be so bad?” he asked her lowly, brushing his lips against hers. “I mean, yeah it would cramp our style, but at least it would be fun to make a baby.” Aira shoved him half-seriously away, unable to fight the urge to smile.
“I am not going to let you get me pregnant on your childhood bed. That’s just creepy.” Aiden’s eyes widened and he looked at her, his expression wounded.
“You’re seriously going to deny me sex while we’re here? That’s just cruel! Especially when you know exactly how much I want you right now.” He was right; Aira could feel his desire for her as an undercurrent of her own desire, a potent heat running through her veins, fiery energy crackling in her nerves.