So long as Faye was happy. So long as Penny was happy. So long as they were all happy.
Before him, the two women broke apart, and Penny’s gaze flicked to his. She licked her lips, the glazed look on her face difficult to decipher. He hoped she wanted to kiss him too, but he didn’t want to push it by bringing it up. He also didn’t want to take advantage while she was already affected by Faye’s magic. He knew first hand how much it could dull the senses.
“Faye,” he warned. She nodded once, knowing him well enough to understand what his concern was. She stepped away, leaving the path clear between him and the other woman. He checked her face, surprised to see there wasn’t even the slightest hint of jealousy there. Instead, there was a curiosity and a fulfillment that rivalled just about anything he’d ever witnessed before.
“Are you okay?” Faye asked her, lifting her hand to touch her face, before dropping it back to her side. She probably didn’t want to freak Penny out. Though maybe it was just a reflex from when the two of them couldn’t actually touch.
“I...I...I...” Penny stuttered, filling Reese with dread. She was going to run now, he was almost certain. He wasn’t sure he even blamed her. It was a lot to take in.
“No one has to do anymore,” Faye said softly, before pinning Reese with a look he didn’t actually need, but acknowledged anyway.
“Whatever you’re comfortable with,” he added. But Penny’s face didn’t clear, she was still clearly uneasy by the situation. He hoped it was just a bit of shock and not them that’d done that.
“I...I...I don’t know,” she stammered. It was odd. She hadn’t seemed like the nervous type before. But then again, he supposed he didn’t really know her very well. Though he hoped that’d change soon.
None of them moved, and tension filled the air. There was definitely something brewing, and the urge to kiss her and seal what was between them, was tugging at the shifter inside Reese. It was already getting possessive, and there would be a point where he couldn’t control it any longer.
Panic crossed the redhead’s face, and she turned, fleeing through their home and back out into the world. He just hoped they could find her again. Otherwise their mating would never be fulfilling.
Chapter Eight
She shouldn’t have run. She was already feeling guilty for running. But the air had been so full of promise it’d been hard to ignore, and had she stayed...she dreaded to think what she’d have done. Well, not dreaded. She knew exactly what would have happened. And despite the concerns running around her head, it wouldn’t have been too soon. It would have been just when it was supposed to be.
The only problem was that it scared her a little. The feeling, the promise, the seriousness. And she knew that would lead to conversations. Like what she was, how her kind mated. The real answer was that they didn’t. Or they never had before. Her kind were made, not born. And by made, she meant cursed. None of them had any choice in being made into what they were. In fact, it even overrode their original DNA. It also made them forget what they’d been born as. Penny had often found herself wondering what she really was, but there was no point spending too much time dwelling on it. She’d never know. And she’d certainly never be able to get back what she was.
Now, the only thing she could hope for was that she never came across a dying child with the right combination of factors. So, basically, she just avoided children as much as she possibly could. It was the only way when she didn’t know anymore about what the circumstances had to be for that to happen. Just another curse her kind seemed to bear.
Glancing at her watch, she cursed. Why was there so much time between now and when her yoga class was? At least while she was teaching, she didn’t have to think about what’d just happened. As it stood, there were hours for her to dwell on the two people she’d left behind. And they were distracting her majorly. Seeing the two of them kiss had woken something within her she’d just assumed was dead. It wasn’t desire. She’d felt that plenty of times. It was something more fundamental than that. It went bone deep.
She liked that. She hoped they did too. Which just made her question why she’d run away. In that split second, it’d seemed like a great idea. Now she was out in the cold, not quite so much. But she couldn’t go back now. Not without looking like the fool she was. They were probably laughing at her now, wondering what was wrong with her for running away from two such perfect people. They’d be right to. She was wondering what was wrong with her too.
“Penny?” a soft female voice called out into the night. One she recognised. Her heart skipped a beat. They’d come to look for her? No, that couldn’t be possible. No one had ever come to look for her. At least, she didn’t think they had. No one had attempted to ever tell her that they’d known her before she became...this. She’d only been a child then too. Surely she’d had parents who missed her? Apparently not.
“Here,” she replied, not speaking above a whisper. She wasn’t sure why. She wanted to be found. She thought, anyway. Being found meant that someone cared. Someone wanted her. But she didn’t want to risk the rejection it would entail if she spoke louder and they didn’t actually want her. Maybe she’d just forgotten something when she’d left.
“There you are,” Faye sounded relieved, but Penny still didn’t turn around. She couldn’t, not without risking letting the other woman see the tears in her eyes. Despite Penny’s best efforts, Faye dipped around her so she was stood in front of her. “Hey, what’s wrong?” Her voice was soft and caring, confusing Penny no end. No one had ever been like this with her. Faye leaned forward and wiped the tears from her cheeks.
“I’m sorry I freaked out,” Penny muttered.
“Don’t be sorry. It’s completely understandable.”
But why was this woman being so nice? Other than the fact she thought Penny was her mate. Though that was probably it. “But...”
“You don’t know what you’ve given me already, Penny.” Earnestness shone through Faye’s eyes as she spoke, and Penny met her gaze, almost getting lost in the other woman’s. “I couldn’t even touch my mate until I met you. Well, one of my mates. But I’ve known Reese since I was five years old. Then when we were eighteen, and finally able to act on what we knew was between us, we couldn’t. We tried to kiss once. It ended up in Reese staying away for a week. He only came back because it was too painful for his shifter side to be away from me for so long.”
“It’s true,” Reese’s voice rumbled, his hand touching the small of Penny’s back. It was only a gentle touch, a tentative one to check she was okay with it, which she appreciated more than she could actually say. “Please don’t put me through that again.”
“Sorry?” Penny didn’t think she understood. He was looking at her, not Faye, which implied he was talking to her and not the blonde. But that didn’t make any sense. None at all. She couldn’t make him feel like that.
“You should,” Faye said to him softly. Reese nodded once.
He turned her ever so slightly so they were facing each other, and with an unrivalled tenderness, he leaned down and pressed his lips against hers. It took her a mere second to respond, even if she hadn’t intended to. There was a tension in the air that was nothing like she’d ever experienced before. It filled her with anticipation, and with want. Pure, unadulterated want. She pressed her body against his, and he deepened their kiss, but kept it tender. It was so different from Faye’s kiss before, and yet it held the same depth of potential emotion.
Disappointment engulfed Penny as the kiss ended, and she was left already yearning for more. He breathing was kind of laboured, and she knew both of them could tell how affected she was by them. The question was, did she really care? She glanced between the two of them, seeing the intense looks on their faces.
No. She didn’t mind at all. Not if it led to two people like this in her life. She opened her mouth to speak, but was cut off by Faye holding up a hand.
“Don’t say anything, we know it’s a lot to take in, you can take a
ll the time you want to think about it.” She smiled softly, but Penny still caught her eyes glancing down to her lips.
“I know but—”
“How about a coffee?” Reese asked, his hand still pressed against Penny’s back. She leaned back into his hand, appreciating the comfort he was giving her.
“Is there anywhere open at this time of night?” she asked, her voice shaking slightly.
“There’s a little place, just down the street.”
“That’d be good.” A coffee sounded like a good plan. And being in public. She needed some time to process, even if she was sure about the two of them. Rushing into something, especially with two people who’d known each other for so long, sounded like a terrible idea.
Chapter Nine
Faye watched as Penny leaned back in her chair, seeming far more at ease now she had her hands around a steaming cup of coffee. Faye took a sip of her own, enjoying the bitter tones through the sweetness of the milk. She hadn’t had a decent coffee in ages. Reese had bought a coffee machine a couple of months back in an attempt to make them, but he’d managed to break it accidentally. Much to her amusement. He could be a little clumsy like that.
Speaking of, Reese’s eyes were flickering back and forth between her and Penny. She smiled to herself. The poor man really was confused. He was probably far more conflicted than she was. He liked to know exactly how things worked and why, having two mates was just going to be confusing for him. And the fact that the second one was another woman...well if she knew Reese, then he was worrying that it meant he was being unfaithful to her. She had to admit it was a big leap from thinking she was the one for him for so long, to having to share. And be shared. But it was also something she looked forward to getting used to.
Though they may need to rearrange the beds. Then again, they’d need to do that anyway now she and Reese could touch. Staying in separate beds just didn’t make sense anymore. Excitement rushed through Faye. It was only just hitting her that they’d now be able to experience the other side of their relationship. The one she’d only heard about from her sisters and pretended to know something about so she didn’t end up looking like an innocent fool. Well, she was that anyway, and Mia had worked that out now. She wasn’t sure whether Bex had, but not much slipped past her eldest sister. Sometimes, Faye even thought she was too intelligent for her own good. It took a certain level of thinking to be able to hide a child for as long as Bex had.
At least they knew about Fiona now. Though not who her father was. It didn’t really make any sense. Paranormals couldn’t have children with anyone that wasn’t their mate. That just wasn’t how it worked. But Bex also wasn’t mated. Or she wasn’t as far as Faye knew. So they had no idea who Fiona’s father was, or how she’d come about. And there was never really a good time to bring it up. Now that the family knew about the little girl, she went everywhere with Bex. It was like they were making up for lost time.
“Faye? Are you okay?” Reese asked, resting a hand on her leg. Her heart skipped a beat at the small touch, and because of the affection it conveyed. This was what they’d been missing in their relationship. What she was glad to finally have with him. She glanced at Penny. What she hoped to have with them both.
“Sorry, I was thinking about my family.”
Reese smiled at her affectionately. It was one of the many things she loved about him. He thought of her family as if they were his own. And she supposed they were.
“What are they like?” Penny asked softly.
“Intrusive. But they love me. They love us all.” Faye smiled to herself. “I’m the youngest of three, so my parents doted on me a little as a child. It sent my middle sister, Mia, up the wall. Especially when our eldest joined in.”
“You’re one of three then?”
“Yes, and Bex has a little girl now.”
Penny frowned and Penny longed to know what she was thinking of. “Do you want children?” she asked.
“Some day.” Faye shrugged. “But up until now, we’ve had bigger things to worry about. Plus, neither of my sisters were mated, so there weren’t really any children about to make me want any.”
“Makes sense,” Penny muttered and looked away. Faye exchanged a worried glance with Reese. There was clearly something more going on, but she didn’t want to pry. At least, not yet. One day she’d discover what was wrong with the other woman, and why the talk of children was making her so uncomfortable. Even if she had been the one to bring it up.
“What about you? Any desire for children?” She regretted her question almost the moment she asked as she watched hurt flash across Penny’s face.
“It’s not really an option for me.”
“Maybe now it is,” Faye responded, reaching out for the hand Penny was resting against the table. She placed hers around it, enjoying the feel of skin against skin, and hoping it offered the redhead the comfort she needed.
“Not of my own,” she muttered. Faye’s heart sank. That didn’t sound good. She wondered if there was anything any of them could do. Maybe Mia could sort out some kind of potion if not, it was what she was best at after all. Penny stared into her now empty coffee mug, looking a bit morose.
“Want to see a trick?” Reese asked suddenly, boyish glee lighting up his face.
“Not here,” Faye hissed, already worried about what he might be up to. Knowing him, it’d be something like shifting and stealing a part of the plant that seemed to be perched above the counter of the shop.
“I wasn’t going to do that.” He pouted slightly. Clearly she wasn’t the only one feeling a lot lighter for their change in circumstances. Now all the had to do was cheer Penny up, and then see where the night took them. Hopefully to a lot of laughter and joy. Seemed they could all deal with that.
“No.” Penny sat back properly, a haunted look in her eyes. “No, no, no, no, no.”
“What’s wrong?” Faye leaned forward, anxious to make whatever it was better for the other woman.
“Run, run, run, run.”
“We’re not going anywhere,” Reese assured her.
“You should,” she replied, looking like she was desperately trying to hold something back, though what that something was, was still a complete mystery. Faye had never seen anyone look like that before.
Penny’s head tipped back, and her face stretched, turning darker and far more menacing. But neither of them flinched away. There was something deep within Faye assuring her that Penny was still her mate, and she wasn’t in any danger from her, even if she did look like a completely different person.
It wasn’t until an ear piercing scream filled the café, that the pieces slot together for her, and she realised what Penny was.
The only confusion lay in that Faye hadn’t realised banshees existed.
Chapter Ten
He cradled Penny to his chest, feeling her shivering against him. Her teeth began to chatter. He hated it. Seeing her so vulnerable was physically painful. He was vaguely aware of Faye spinning a tale about allergies to the other people in the cafe,. He was just grateful they hadn’t seemed to hear her scream. Well, other than the vampire in the corner. But he scarpered off quickly afterwards. Ridiculous, if anyone asked Reese. Just because beings liked banshees existed, it didn’t mean the legends about them were true.
“What are you still doing here?” she asked weakly.
“You didn’t think we’d abandon you, did you?” He stroked her cheek, before pushing a stray strand of hair behind her ear. Her eyes looked up at him, grateful and in awe.
“You should have done, its not safe to be near me right now. Or ever.” She shuddered and looked away.
“Nothing to see, she just forgot she can’t eat cinnamon. She does it all the time,” Faye told a few more bystanders. She turned towards the two of them. “You think we care you’re a banshee?” she demanded.
“You should.” Her voice cracked, making the tears she was trying to conceal all the more obvious.
Faye sunk to her knees, re
aching out to turn Penny’s face upwards so their gazes locked.
“We don’t. You’re ours. We’re yours. It doesn’t matter what you are. Just like it doesn’t matter that Reese can turn into a raven, or I can make sparks appear. How we’re born doesn’t define who we are. It’s what we do with our lives that counts.” She sat back on her heels, looking pretty pleased with her little speech. Penny didn’t look so sure.
“But I wasn’t born this way,” she whispered hesitantly.
“Banshees aren’t born?” he asked, receiving a shake of her head in return. “No wonder you’re so rare.” He’d almost thought they were a myth himself. Until one had started screaming right in front of him. That was a pretty good reason to start believing.
“No, we’re made.”
“Like vampires?” Faye asked, a frown covering her face. He wouldn’t admit it aloud, but he’d been wondering the same thing.
“No. At least, I don’t think so. I don’t actually know beyond the banshee curse can only be passed to a paranormal child. And that it stops them being who they were. I always thought it would erase their mate too, but...”
“But here we are.” Faye’s frown transformed into a broad grin, lighting up her face. He imagined his own probably mirrored up.
“Yes. But...”
“But?” Faye prompted after a moment’s silence.
“I’m still a harbinger of death,” she pointed out.
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