by Zoe Parker
“This is Keri and she is your Center and deserves a lot more respect than you’re showing her now, Frosty.” Ciar says, stepping in between Rime and me.
Leaning around Ciar’s broad shoulders to look back and forth between the two men I realize that although they are both alpha males, Ciar just burns a little brighter or darker, depending on how you look at it.
Rime can see it too. It’s why he backs down and adopts a more relaxed stance.
“I don’t care what her name is, I’m not giving up my life for some mystical shit I don’t agree with or understand but,” his eyes land on me, “I will take your generous offer to allow us to stay here and bring Penelope for a temporary move. This pull won’t allow me to do anything else… yet.”
In a swirl of snow, he vanishes. Why does everyone but me get cool powers?
“You can call someone’s fate to them by whistling and you don’t think that’s cool?” Ciar asks, one black brow arched.
“I wanted to blow things up or portal out or heck, throw a fireball once in awhile.” There’s no shame in wanting something… normal.
“Normal is boring.”
The backyard, or courtyard as my mother called it, boasts a variance of Faerie fauna, some of which are trees. One such tree has a branch that hangs low over the walkway. Grabbing my attention is a blue raven perched precariously on the very tip of the branch.
Blue raven? That’s not normal either. Just like with Rime, a thread goes from me to this bird.
“I thought you had some things to take care of?” I ask the bird, surprising Ciar, who turns on his heel to face the bird.
The bird, who chitters in what can only be described as a laugh.
“It’s not him really, it’s simply a golem for him to be snoopy with,” Ciar informs me, and turns and walks into the house.
I look back at the bird. A golem huh? I’ve heard of them, but never saw one before. They’re made from blood or flesh of the caster, typically used to spy.
“Well, snoop all you want. At least you’re nice enough to send me candy.” With that said, I head back into the house to catch up with Ciar in the kitchen.
Now I have hopes for Trick, he at least didn’t come in full of anger over something I have no control over any more than he does.
“Frosty needs educating. He’s young and foolish and more than likely under some type of spell, or in the least stupid over a wet—”
“Ciar.”
“It’s nothing less than the truth. If he doesn’t want to pursue romantic ties with you that’s fine, more for me—but he can and will respect you whether he wants to or not.”
Ciar has that tone, the not fooling around one. Smiling, I link my arm through his and kiss his cheek.
“What’s that for?”
“For making me feel like I’m worthy of something.”
Turning suddenly, he yanks me up and slams me—gently—against the wall. Without a word he fastens his mouth on mine and plunders it, yes plunders. His tongue is a hot dominating presence that seeks out every single inch of my mouth and lips.
Wow.
Biting down, not so gently, on my lip, he pulls away and stares at me with bright eyes.
“You are worth everything, monster girl. Never doubt that for a single second.” And I’m pretty sure he mutters something about killing Frosty under his breath, but my heart is beating so loudly in my ears from his kiss I’m not sure.
Releasing me enough to let me slide down his body and to the floor, he steps back and smiles the devastating smile that says, run away little girl. With a squeal that to my shame sounds real, I turn and run for all I’m worth.
I almost made it to the stairs.
Are those magic Fairy wands glistening on the tree or only winter icicles that I see? ~ Author Unknown
Somehow, we end up in the bedroom, on the bed that almost exploded.
“WHAT?!” he yells, sitting up with a jerk. Whoops, I forgot to tell him or think about it.
“What she neglected to tell you is that there was a magical fire bomb planted under her bed that would’ve gone off if not for myself and Miss Gertie,” Zag fills in, flying into the room from wherever he hid while Ciar and I were having our escapades through the house.
Ciar gives me a dirty look and drags me onto his lap. Flipping me over he solidly slaps my bare butt cheek.
“OW! What the heck is that for?”
“For thinking that wasn’t important. For not being vigilant. Keri, this is your life you’re playing with… our lives.” His voice grows steadily calmer as he talks but the anger is still a spark in his eyes.
“Okay, okay! I’ll be more vigilant. I didn’t think to check in my own home.”
“Until we catch the people responsible for these attempts, expect it from anywhere. You’re smarter than this, act like it.”
“Well, in my defense there’s a lot going on right now! I didn’t ask for this crap to happen. I wanted a nice quiet life in the dang forest.”
“No Fae has a nice quiet life, monster girl.”
“Mada—”
He cuts me off, “Has just as many struggles in a different way. Power is coveted.” To dig home his point, he smacks my butt again and I bite his thigh. Laughing, he tosses me off his lap and pauses when one of the journals thumps onto the ground.
“What’s this?” he asks, leaning over to pick the leather-bound book off the floor.
“My mother’s journals, I figured that maybe I could find some things out reading them.”
“Did you?”
“Yes and no. I have an idea who’s trying to kill me if that helps?” He makes a face and goes to grab me again, probably to abuse my poor bum some more, so I slither away from him and slide to the floor. “The Sun Clan.”
Face palming, he lays back on the bed. “Gods, it’s those idiots. They think they stand for Faerie and take fanaticism to a dangerous level. Are you sure?”
“Pretty sure, yeah. I’m guessing you’ve made their acquaintance before?”
“Several years ago, when we found you, some tried to breach the forest wards. They were like birds beating their heads against a glass door.” Rolling onto his side to study me, he pushes the hair off my face. “I didn’t connect the two at the time, it wasn’t the first time they tried—I should’ve. They were more persistent than normal, but you were fighting for your life, so I was focused on more important things than a clan full of idiots.”
Standing, I cross to the bathroom, pausing in the doorway to look at him over my shoulder when he calls my name, “Keri?”
“Yeah?”
“Do you want to go to the beach this weekend?” Standing there, staring at him lying naked on the bed with only a sheet across his hips, his lean muscled body still bearing the marks of my teeth and on display to my hungry gaze, I do the only thing a woman in my situation can do.
I run and jump on him like a cat. Of course, he catches me. Laughing, we roll around on the bed and—no surprise—I end up on bottom. Laying on me his hips cupped between my thighs he kisses my nose.
“You’ve never been to the beach, so I thought you might like the trip. I had no idea that you’d like it that much.”
“Had nothing to do with the beach,” I murmur, letting him see my thoughts. Laughing, he pushes the result of those thoughts against me. Then his eyes turn serious and thoughtful.
“You’re not saying much about your wayward Triad.”
Oh, there’s the question that I was hoping to avoid.
Taking a deep breath, I explain, “Rime has some hoopla going on, that’s for sure. With the pregnant wife and all that, something is wrong with that arrangement. Since he is definitely part of my Triad, then a child with her is impossible. Which means more drama for us.”
“Agreed, him having a child is an impossibility, a mate… I highly doubt she’s his mate.”
“Why?” I ask him, curious despite myself.
“I’ve known from the moment I saw you that life with you in it wi
ll never be the same. Something that goes for your Triad as well. I think ultimately, we’ll all three end up mated to you. I also know that you won’t do what I would in this situation and force the bonding.”
“That’s wrong and you know it. Plus, I didn’t know I could do that.”
“Yes, you can, and it would solve the problem. The goal is right whether or not the method is.”
“There are times when talking to you makes me feel like I’m talking to an old wrinkled man, and other times, someone my age.”
“Can’t I be both?”
“Wait, does this mean you’re going to get old man balls?”
“I’m going to rub them all over your face too, monster girl.”
I end up laughing so hard my bladder gets upset with me. Crawling out from under him, I creep off to the bathroom and while sitting on the toilet notice the blue raven in the window across from me, staring.
“That’s rude to stare at someone while they pee, bird.” It chitters at me and I toss a roll of toilet paper at the window. Of course, it doesn’t hit the bird, but it startles it away.
Which means he is watching me through the bird.
Well, Rime is a jerk—maybe because of his circumstances, but it stands regardless. I wonder what Trick is like? Not as big of a jerk because he did send me candied flowers. Gods, I hope he doesn’t have a wife hiding somewhere too because as much as I hate Ciar being right, he is, often.
And my gut agrees with him this time.
Finishing up my business I wash my hands and go in search of food. Ciar chuffs when I walk by the bed without a backward glance. Smiling, I keep walking, the key is not to look, which I barely manage to avoid.
Looking is a trap.
“Keri.”
“Sorry Ciar I’m hungry, the rest will have to wait until I eat.”
“Not that I mind another hour of fucking you, but I thought you should know you’re still naked and there’s a houseful of Fairies downstairs.” His laugh follows me as I turn and run into the closet. I’m not ashamed of my nudity, but there is a point where you shouldn’t just parade around naked as the day you’re born.
Especially in front of a houseful of male Fairies, or Fairies in general for that matter. The majority of them aren’t shy like Bis, and all of them have an extremely high sex-drive that’s set off with the slightest provocation.
Me, strolling by them naked, might be considered that.
Clothed and feeling a bit better than I did when the day started, I run down the stairs and straight for the kitchen. My stomach protests loudly as I swing open the fridge door. Patting it, I sort through the gobs of leftovers. Settling on spaghetti and meatballs I load up two plates and toss one of them into the microwave. When I lean my hip against the counter and look up Ciar is in the doorway watching me.
“What?” His eyes darken.
“Nu-uh, I just put the food in.” I know that look and I swear a woman in a kitchen turns some men on. Backing away from him, I jump when he rushes me and manage to do laps around the kitchen island to avoid his grabby hands. Both of us laughing—me borderline out of breath—I take the chance to change the plates out when the ding interrupts our game.
“Aw, you made me some too.” He wraps his arm around my waist when I set the plate of hot food down.
“Of course I did. I figure since you don’t have the leg of some strange guy in the freezer that spaghetti will do.”
“I don’t eat people outside of work,” he teases, taking a fork and attacking my plate of food.
“Hey!”
“Too slow, monster girl.” Grabbing the plate, he turns in circles to avoid me. Giving up I wait for the second plate to be finished.
“You have sauce all over your chin,” I taunt.
His tongue snakes out and licks his entire chin clean, that must come in handy when he licks his own butt. I sputter as noodles rain down on my head. Oh yeah, he heard that.
“Well, you were a dog.”
“I never licked my own butt,” he protests.
“Liar, I saw you licking other parts.” Which is true.
“That’s a perk of the canine form!” he defends throwing more noodles at me. Some of them smack me in the eye and makes me laugh, even as it stings.
“You two are worse than little ones, I swear.” Gertie comments, popping into existence above the spaghetti covered island. Whoops.
“Sorry about that, Gertie.” We apologize at the same time.
When Gertie turns to clean part of the counter, I smack him in the ear with a handful of sauce saturated noodles and run. Like the children Gertie accuses us of being, we run through the house, leaving bits of noodles all over the walls.
I vow to clean it up as I dive away from hands that reach for me and head outside into the backyard. The blue raven joins the game, dive bombing both of us and making that gurgling laugh.
At least Trick has a playful nature, I hope. The bird’s behavior gives me hints that he does.
Running around the fountain I head towards the front of the house and look back into the smiling face of Ciar, the predatory smiling face. Laughing out loud, I put more pep in my step and push myself to run faster. We both know that he’s barely moving and that he can catch me at any point.
I think in this case he’s conserving his energy and simply wearing out his prey, who happens to be me. Seeing the spaghetti in his hair and all over his clothes I can only imagine how bad I look, and that makes me laugh harder.
Aren’t we a pair?
“Ciar, you know—oof.” My rather clever insult is ruined when I collide, full-throttle, with something solid and warm. Hands grasp my upper arms to try and catch me but it’s too late, my momentum is going to taking us both down hard.
Coming to a stop, I make a face when I meet the ice-blue eyes of Rime. Fudge.
Scrambling off him, no matter how much my body decides to like the feel of his, I roll to my feet and step back out of his space. He’s returned rather soon, and I don’t feel like having my happy moment dimmed by another one of his temper tantrums.
It’s then that my eyes decide to work properly and take everything in, including the blonde human standing to the right of him. I’ll be darned, he actually brought her. In a glance I take in the red spots on her cheeks, the hate filled look she’s giving me, the gobs of suitcases at her side and the single duffle at his.
And somehow, in all that jumble, I see the swell of her stomach. Looking at her I have to wonder who the father really is, Ciar and I know it isn’t Rime. Now, how do we go about telling him that?
“You are covered in spaghetti,” Rime says dryly.
Looking at the orange handprints all over his white shirt I smile and say, “You are now too.” For a split second I think he almost smiles but then Penelope elbows him, and it fades before it ever reaches fruition.
That’s a shame.
“There’s a bedroom on the third floor you’re welcome to use. If Gertie wants to help you she will, but I’m not going to make her.” I caution.
“Who’s Gertie?” the woman demands. Her tone makes my teeth hurt and I have to force myself not to wince. Yeah, she and I aren’t going to get along.
“The house Brownie,” Ciar says, over my shoulder.
“Are you going to take our things to our room, Rime?” she demands of the man glaring daggers at me like I’ve committed some grave sin.
“Frosty, I suggest you explain that this isn’t a hotel or a luxury resort. This is our home and she is merely a guest here.” Sensing an impending disaster, I step directly in between the two men. Rime is now looking at Ciar like he wants to pound his face in and Ciar is looking at Rime like he’s a dog turd on his shoe.
“Penelope, this is the woman I was telling you about and her companion.” Rime attempts to introduce, a bit late.
“Oh, the whore that summoned you against your will and the dog that follows her around?” The whore? The dog? Gods I’m going to punch him in the nose again. He sees the intent a
nd flinches, away while Ciar grabs me before my fist connects.
A mean part of me wants to blurt out that I’m onto her scam and wipe that smug grin off her face. Ciar and I are both aware that Rime is mostly ignorant about Awakenings and how Triads work.
Ignorance doesn’t forgive his or her behavior.
Instead of ruining his day, I grit my teeth and disentangling myself from Ciar, turn away and head into the house. I need to hit something but choose to go shower.
‘Why not tell him? It’s the truth and he does deserve to know,’ Ciar asks, as he joins me on the stairs. See, he could’ve caught me at any time.
‘I don’t want to be the one he hates, so I’m going to do something you did to me a long time ago.’
‘Monster girl, that’s a long list.’
‘I’m going to give him the book.’ Ciar pauses, then throws his head back and laughs.
The book is a history of Fae kind specific to Awakenings. It’s magic and no one mortal can tamper with it. Ciar made me read it as a child and it’s how I have the limited knowledge I do have.
It’s also how the book may or may not have gotten the scribbles saying that ‘Ciar is a buttface’ in the margins.
Ciar’s laughter increases, he caught that thought, did he?
“There’s something off about that human,” he states, tugging off his jeans when we reach the bathroom. I eyeball him but choose to say nothing and turn the shower on.
The fact that she’s lying about Rime being the father of her baby is more than enough for me to agree with Ciar. The way she looked around her like she’s adding up dollar signs didn’t set well with me either.
That was only from a couple of minutes in her presence. I can’t imagine spending more time than that with her. Keri, you can’t strangle a pregnant woman, I remind myself, and wonder how many times I’ll have to say it around this Penelope.
“You forgot to eat.”
Sonofabiscuit.
They are Fairies; he that speaks to them shall die. I’ll wink and couch; no man their works must eye.
~William Shakespeare