Blaer. Cassidy’s mouth formed the word without speaking it aloud.
“I met her at the May Day ritual the spring before I came to Shannon.”
Four years ago, Nic had bought a glamour so he could attend the ice fae’s May Day celebration in the hopes that he could finally get some answers about his parents’ disappearance.
It had been spring, the time when an ice fae’s power wanes. May Day was their last large gathering before they went underground for the summer in their cool caverns. Much of the fae world took part in the May Day ritual and party that followed. It was one of the few times that Sindre’s court was open to outsiders.
Nic had slipped in disguised as a human, a little shorter and broader, and his face changed enough to make him unrecognizable. A fada would have sniffed him out, but the ice fae didn’t allow fada into their inner court.
The party was held in a huge, hexagonal ballroom festooned with ropes of frozen flowers. Silver and blue fae lights floated above the crowd, shedding a silvery light on the dancing, glittering fae. Tall stone statues of various animals presided over each of the ballroom’s six corners—a polar bear, a giant bird, a narwhal with its spiral tusk.
He spent a couple of hours snooping around the edges of the court, but hadn’t learned a damn thing about his parents. Then Lady Blaer had asked him to dance. He’d been flattered, even though he’d known it was a bad idea. Blaer was tall and curvy with a night fae’s black eyes and an ice fae’s blond hair, and a fae’s glittering charisma. No unmated male would’ve turned her down.
When Blaer invited him to her sumptuous bedroom, he’d smiled and followed her through the ice fae castle’s long white halls like a dog on a leash.
“I see,” Cassidy said in a flat voice, clearly reading between the lines. After all, May Day was a fertility celebration.
“I didn’t know you then. Trust me, you have nothing to be jealous about.” It had been the most soulless sex he’d ever had, like making love to your fantasy woman and then waking up to find she was actually a doll. “It was a one-time thing. The next morning, I left.”
He grimaced, recalling how he’d slunk out of the castle with his tail between his legs and headed straight for the Atlantic Ocean. He’d swum as his river dolphin until he was far enough north that no one would see his dragon, and then ridden the waves of the North Atlantic for several weeks. When he felt clean again, he’d headed to Ireland and his granddad.
And there, he’d met Cassidy. She was the anti-Blaer, witty and fun-loving, the kind of woman who drew others to her like bees to honey. A woman open-hearted enough to try and warm even a dragon’s soul.
“Truly?” Cassidy replied. “I’m surprised you even noticed me after sleeping with a fae.”
“You’re twice the woman she is. Once I saw you, I never wasted another thought on her. You made me happy, Cassidy.” He reached for her and then clenched his fists on his thighs. “You’re warm and funny and special. I never smiled so much as I did that summer. My heart was yours from the first week.”
She hmphed. “You did a bloody good job of hiding it.”
“Because I was trying to do the right thing, damn it.”
Her look would’ve set a lesser man on fire. “You thickheaded arse. You don’t get to decide what’s right for me. I do.”
He glanced at Rianna, playing in the pools. He was coming to see that he’d treated Cassidy like a child who couldn’t make up her own mind. “I know. I’m sorry.”
Her mouth flattened, but she gave a short nod. “Just so you remember in the future.”
Hope sparked in his chest. Maybe, just maybe, she was starting to forgive him.
“So this Lady B,” Cassidy continued. “Are you thinking that she figured out you’re a sea dragon?”
“I don’t know.” He scrubbed a hand over his face. “I was a hundred miles off Iceland and fifty fathoms deep before I shifted to my true form. And don’t forget, this was four-and-a-half turns of the sun ago.”
“Which isn’t long to a fae.”
“But why would she turn up at the Shannon base? I used a glamour. She didn’t know I was a fada, and even if she did, no one would guess I was part-Irish.” His accent was American with a touch of Portuguese, and his glamour may have changed his looks, but not his coloring, leaving him with a Latino’s dark hair and olive skin.
She shrugged. “Could be it’s a coincidence then.”
“It must be.” But he couldn’t shake his uneasiness. Had Blaer guessed he was a sea dragon? But how? He’d had a few shots of Reyka vodka, but not enough to make him drunk—and even hammered off his ass, he wouldn’t have shared his deepest secret with a fae.
Cassidy stirred at his side. “I’m sorry about your parents. If I thought there was a chance that my mam and dad were alive, I’d do anything to find out for sure, too.”
“Thanks.” He looked down at his hands. “It’s the not knowing that drives me insane.”
“I know.” She nodded at Rianna, backstroking her way across the center pool. “I wish my parents could’ve met her. That’s the hardest thing about having them gone. They’d have doted on her. Aunt Maire and Uncle Fergus are the best grandparents you could ask for, but it’s not the same.”
“Same here. My pai was a gruff, old-world Portuguese, but the pups loved him.”
Rianna dove underwater and surfaced at their feet. “Can we play now? Please?” She flashed her dimples.
“Of course, menina.” Nic stood up. The pup was adorable. Even if she weren’t his, he’d be tempted to spoil her rotten. But for a man who’d thought to live out his life as a solitary, the idea that this incredible little girl belonged to him was heady stuff.
She tilted her head. “What’s that mean?”
“Menina? Little girl. It’s Portuguese.”
“How do you say princess?”
“Princesa.”
“Preen-say-za,” she repeated.
“That’s bom. Good.” He stepped into the pool. “Last one to the other side of the pool is a rotten egg,” he said, and then gave her a head start so that she tapped the other side just before him, chortling with glee.
The three of them played in the water for another hour, and then got dressed and went up top to see the herd of five goats, Rianna proudly wearing her felt horns.
The island was covered in brush and tufts of wiry grass. The only source of fresh water was the pool Nic had discovered, so humans had never tried to colonize it. But the goats were happy to browse on the woody shoots and scrubby grass. Ben supplemented their diet with alfalfa hay, and the occasional handful of grain.
The goats were friendly enough. When they heard Nic’s voice, they trotted into the cavern where Ben had built a shelter for them. Nic filled a pail with grain for Rianna to feed them, and she was thrilled when they crowded around her, not caring when a white-and-tan female almost knocked her off her feet.
Nic jumped to steady her but she just laughed. The girl was fearless.
When the pail was empty, the goats nibbled on her clothes, looking for more, and she giggled so hard, Nic couldn’t help joining in.
Cassidy stared at him, arrested.
He gave her a wink. “What, you never heard me laugh before?”
She just shook her head.
After making sure the surrounding area was clear of boats, they let Rianna run around in the sun with the goats for a half hour before heading inside again. On the way back, Nic showed Cassidy a couple places where she could hide with Rianna if necessary.
“The best place is probably the pool in my quarters,” he added. “That way you have the option of escaping to the ocean.”
She nodded, eyes shadowed.
“But it won’t come to that,” he hurried to say.
“I hope not.” She rubbed her nape. “But I know they’ll come. I feel it.”
In the dining hall, Ben had a tasty fish stew waiting. This time, Rianna ate her entire portion before hopping off her seat. She leaned against her mom, ru
bbing her eyes and yawning.
“Naptime.” Cassidy scooped her up and started for Nic’s quarters.
“I’ll take her.” He eased Rianna from her arms, pleased when she came without a protest.
In his quarters, he set her on the futon mattress next to her ragdoll. Rianna threw a skinny arm over the doll’s smiling embroidered face and closed her eyes.
“She’s tired,” Cassidy murmured—and smothered a yawn.
“So are you.”
“I am at that.” She stretched like a sleepy kitten, her T-shirt riding up to expose her creamy belly.
Nic’s whole body went taut. He yearned to pull her into his arms. Not to make love—she was still recovering from her ordeal—but just to hold her.
But he’d promised not to touch her.
“Go ahead, take a nap,” he said a little hoarsely, so that Cassidy’s brow furrowed.
“Maybe I will.”
But neither of them moved. She gazed at him with that perplexed expression until Nic’s heart slammed in his chest.
Cassidy moved first. “I’ll see you later, then.” She took a step toward the bed.
He jerked his chin in assent. “I’ll be in the next room if you need me.”
16
Cassidy awoke from her nap to find Rianna curled into her, utterly limp. Cassidy stroked her back, heart full.
It had been so long since her daughter had felt safe enough to sleep that deeply.
She said a silent prayer of thanks—that they’d made it safely to Nic’s den, that she and Rianna weren’t alone anymore. Whatever was to come, they’d gained some powerful protectors—and not only Nic, but the three other men as well.
She turned her head. Nic stood at the edge of the saltwater pool, hands in his shorts pockets, staring into the indigo-blue water.
His bleak expression stabbed at her. She’d seen that look before. That summer in Ireland, Nic had always seemed alone, even eating dinner along with the other men in the crowded Shannon great hall.
She’d pushed that image down deep. Tried to forget how her heart had hurt for him. Now it welled up, along with other memories from that summer.
Nic with his soft dark hair and soulful eyes. His sinewy warrior’s body and blunt-fingered calloused hands. The impression he gave of taking everything in, even if he didn’t talk much.
Nic with his granddad Chas Gallagan, the Shannon alpha. People said the Gallagan could charm the birds out of the trees, but even he hadn’t been able to draw many smiles from his quiet, watchful grandson.
The women muttered that Nic was standoffish, and then made a play for him anyway. He was the alpha’s grandson, after all—and besides, he had an arse that made your mouth water.
Only with Cassidy had he opened up.
Oh, it had taken a few weeks, but she’d persisted. In the end, she’d made him smile—and been struck dumb at how it transformed his lean, saturnine face.
After that, he’d sought her out. They’d talked about everything—their families, his clan in America, how much they both missed their parents. They’d taken long swims in the Atlantic—but only as their dolphins. She’d never seen his sea dragon.
She hadn’t even known the dragon was his true animal until that last night, when he’d come to say he was leaving. His dragon had been spotted in the Atlantic, and the clan was in an uproar. The warriors armed themselves with long iron spears. Meanwhile, the old folk muttered about the last dragon, the one who had brought the humans out with torches and pitchforks, demanding the fada’s blood.
Everyone agreed they had to hunt and kill the intruder. Sea dragons were so strong that you didn’t ask questions when you spotted one this close to your base. You attacked first, before it could attack you.
Nic had dragged Cassidy into the small room he’d been allotted in the visitors’ quarters to tell her he was leaving, and why.
Her jaw had unhinged. “You’re the dragon? But how?”
He shrugged.
“Sorry, stupid question. But—”
He slid a hand down her red braid. “I shouldn’t have stayed this long.”
Her mind had raced. Things were moving too fast. Just that morning, she’d walked with Nic in the green hills north of Shannon, and now he was leaving.
She gripped his shoulders. “Tell the alpha that it’s you. He’d never attack his own grandson.”
“Maybe not. But next the fae will come, and if they suspect I’m hiding at Shannon, your whole clan will be in danger.”
Tears rolled down her cheeks. “Then take me with you.”
He cupped her face and wiped the tears away with his thumbs. “Ah, minha linda. My pretty one. Trust me, you don’t want to mate with a solitary. It’s a lonely life.”
She swallowed hard. She loved Nic, but he was right. She’d grown up surrounded by a large and loving clan. When her parents had died during an influenza-like epidemic which swept the base, her aunt and uncle and cousins had been there for her, as well as the rest of the clan.
“But why would we have to live alone?”
“Because this follows me wherever I go.” He waved a hand, encompassing the near hysteria that had swept over the clan at the news a sea dragon had entered their territory. And it wasn’t just the fada. The mayor of Shannon had confronted the alpha on a village street, demanding he do something about it.
“Can’t you keep the dragon hidden?”
Sorrow filled his eyes. Sorrow, and disappointment. She bit her lip, but let the question stand.
“Could you live your life without ever letting your dolphin out?”
Shame washed over her. “No,” she whispered. “I’m sorry.” She rose on her toes to kiss him.
The kiss turned into something hard and deep and heartbreaking—and then they were on the bed, tearing at each other’s clothes. They’d made love, sweet and wild.
Cassidy had murmured over and over how much she loved him. He’d thrust into her like a man who’d found home.
She’d believed he understood that she’d go with him anywhere.
Neither of them had thought of protection. Fada didn’t get sexual diseases, and pregnancy was rare, even for mated couples. And pups were welcomed with open arms, with plenty of hands willing to pitch in, so that a single mom had all the help she needed. By morning, Cassidy was carrying Rianna—and Nic was gone, along with a large piece of her heart.
Now he turned and strode to the bed. “What’s the matter?” His gray-green eyes searched hers. “Is it the fae?”
“No. Just thinking.”
“About what?”
She moved her shoulders in a tiny shrug. “About you and me, and why you left. You broke my heart.” She’d meant to state it calmly, but her voice cracked on the last word.
“Cassidy.” He crouched next to the bed. “I thought it was the only way. I—”
She held up a hand. “Hear me out. I just want you to know that I understand a bit better now. My aunt and uncle—they love Rianna like she was their own granddaughter. But when they found out she was a sea dragon, even they thought it might be best if we left.” She grimaced. “Uncle Fergus said no one would want her as a mate. That she had to learn to hide her dragon.”
“I’m sorry.” His big fist clenched on his thigh. “So sorry.”
“And the worst thing is, a part of me agreed.” She gave him a fierce look, but he just gazed back sorrowfully. “But I don’t anymore. She shouldn’t have to hide, damn it.”
“She wouldn’t have to if she lived here. Ben, Marlin, Joe—they don’t give a damn I’m a dragon. I thought I was doing them a favor letting them live in my caverns, but I’ve come to see I’m the lucky one.”
She nodded. “You are at that. They’re good men.”
Rianna stirred. “Mam?” She gave a big stretch. “Where’s Daddy?”
Nic stood up and reached for her. “How’s my menina?”
“Hungry.” She cuddled into him as if she’d known him all her life.
He chuckle
d. “Let’s find you something to eat.”
“And then I want to do some more ’splorin’!”
“Okay.” He met Cassidy’s eyes over Rianna’s dark curls. “After that, we’ll do some more exploring.”
17
A couple of days passed with no sign of the fae, although no one thought they’d seen the end of them. Still, Nic enjoyed the chance to spend time with his mate and daughter, playing in the water and exploring the caverns. He made sure both of them knew a couple more places they could hide in an emergency.
Rianna had an uncanny ability to know exactly where she was at all times, even when they were deep in the tunnels. She was too young for her Gift to have manifested yet, but he suspected she’d grow up to be a hunter—rare for a woman, but with her dragon genes, it wouldn’t be a surprise. He’d challenged her to lead them back to the dining hall from a cave deep in the island’s center, and she’d skipped her way back through the twisting tunnels without missing a beat.
Each day at dusk, Marlin swam out to check in with Joe, but he confirmed there was no sign of the fae, as did Cassidy’s tracking Gift.
After dinner, they sat around the firepit and told stories to a rapt Rianna. Ben shared Navajo tales, and Marlin had a store of fairytales about a fish that turned into a handsome prince—or a world-famous surfer. Nic dredged up a couple of Portuguese folktales, and Cassidy kept them all on the edge of their seats with her retellings of Irish myths and legends, including the story of Fionn and the salmon of knowledge, a favorite with water fada clans everywhere.
It reminded Nic of his days as pup when he’d sat squeezed between his older brothers Dion and Joaquim while the clan elders told stories.
Each night, Nic bedded down in the outer room. He lay on the futon, head in the crook of his arm, listening to Cassidy and Rianna breathe in the next room.
On the third night, he felt a warning tingle in his spine: The fae were coming.
It wouldn’t be long now. His dragon swished its tail, eager to eliminate this threat to its mate and child.
But even though Nic put on a confident face for Cassidy, he knew it wouldn’t be easy. There was a hell of a lot that could go wrong.
Sea Dragon's Hunger: BAD Alpha Dads (The Fada Shapeshifter Series) Page 9