She's No Faerie Princess

by Christine Warren

  "Give it up, Jake. A hundred-year coma wouldn't be enough beauty sleep to make you prettier. Get your butt over here. You've got fifteen minutes."

  Hanging up the phone, Walker settled himself onto the sofa and propped his heels on the edge of the coffee table. He could feel Fiona's eyes on him but let his own eyelids drop and rested his head on the cushions behind him. God, he needed some sleep. He also needed to feel the princess spread hot and naked beneath him, but like he'd already said, he wasn't that stupid.

  She watched him for a couple of minutes; he could feel it as clearly as if she'd been touching him, and he gritted his teeth against the sensation. Then she heaved a disgruntled sigh and flopped herself down on the other end of the sofa. "Well, at least I know now that you're just this charming with everyone, so I won't take it personally. But I can't believe no one ever taught you better manners."

  He didn't even twitch an eyelash. "Remember, sweetheart, I was raised by wolves."

  * * *

  CHAPTER 6

  Fiona glared across the cushions at Walker's completely relaxed form and stifled the urge to scream. She'd known the man for less than an hour, and she'd already had to restrain herself from tearing his clothes off or wringing his bloody neck. That had to be some kind of record.

  With her teeth clenched together hard enough to alter the atmospheric pressure in her skull, Fiona watched the easy rise and fall of the werewolf's chest and plotted some very creative forms of revenge. As bonelessly as he'd sprawled over the end of the sofa, she knew better than to assume he'd fallen asleep. She had no doubt that if she so much as moved a muscle, she'd find herself flat on her back before she even realized she'd lost her balance. Now, that wasn't something she'd have minded if she had thought he intended to do anything about having her in that position. Other than yell at her, anyway. But somehow this seemed like a particularly bad moment to tug this wolf's tail.

  She really didn't get this whole resistance thing of his. In Faerie, and especially amid the decadence at court, resisting a mutual sexual attraction was unheard of. Bordering on mind-boggling. In fact, Fiona couldn't call to mind a single instance in which she'd ever seen any Fae not indulge in the kind of chemistry that existed between her and her stubborn werewolf. It just wasn't done.

  Despite the fact that her people had left the human world for their own several millennia ago, they still possessed a few characteristics best described as "earthy." Foremost among them was the tendency to screw like bunny rabbits. The Fae just liked sex. They considered it a natural, healthy, and pleasant way to pass the time, so the fact that Walker was refusing to pass some time with Fiona when she had been able to feel how much he wanted to just didn't make sense to her. Maybe it was one of those weird things humans got hung up on and Walker had been corrupted after living among them for so long.

  She took advantage of his closed eyes to watch his expressions. She wasn't sure what she was looking for, only that she liked looking. Relaxation didn't make him look any softer. His jaw stayed just as firm, his cheekbones just as sharp, and she could still see a little echo of the furrow she'd already noticed creasing his brow just between his eyes. It was a hell of a trick, managing to look just as much of a conquering warrior while sprawled limply on a sofa as while trying to tear the throat out of a rampaging demon. She'd ask him how he did it, if she thought she'd be sticking around.

  Making a face, Fiona tucked her feet up under her and pulled her knees to her chest. She needed to keep that point in mind. This was supposed to be a quick vacation, a little pleasure jaunt undertaken for the purpose of eating pizza and those "hot-dog" things, taking in a few punk concerts, adding to her aunt-shocking wardrobe, and basically distracting her mind from the situation at home. The last thing she needed was a case of unrequited lust for a werewolf with an attitude. In contrast to the rest of her family, Fiona wasn't the fuck-and-flee type. She liked to be able to remember the names of the men she slept with, and she liked it better if she spent more than a few minutes of non-naked time with them before and after. Since that wasn't possible here, everyone was probably better off if she just kept her hormones to herself.

  She was debating the merits of indulging in a healthy pout when a teeth-rattling slam broke the silence, followed closely by the thunder of footsteps on the stairs. She jumped at the initial noise, her gaze shooting to Walker's face. He looked back blandly and pushed lazily to his feet. If the two of them were about to be attacked by another demon, the werewolf seemed to be taking it well.

  He was standing facing the top of the stairs when a blur of blue denim and black cotton came charging through and skidding to a stop in front of him.

  Walker looked at the clock above the stairs. "That was almost twenty-two minutes."

  "I'd have made it in fifteen, but that would have been without clothes. And it's chilly out there."

  Fiona looked at the newcomer and raised an eyebrow. This was who Walker called in a crisis?

  She couldn't call herself an expert in mortal growth patterns or anything, but if she had to judge, Fiona wouldn't put the boy's age at all that far past adolescence. He looked like a college kid, all lean and lanky, like he'd just finished growing, but his weight hadn't caught up yet with his height. He stood an inch or two shorter than Walker, skimming right under six feet maybe, and had lightly freckled skin, disheveled brown hair, and sparkling eyes in that light amber brown so common in Lupines.

  Glancing back and forth between the two figures, Fiona frowned. They shared more than that one similarity, in fact. She saw something around the shape of the eyes and the set of the jaw that told her these men were more than acquaintances.

  Eyes narrowing, she pushed to her feet, immediately drawing the attention of the young werewolf. His head turned toward her, eyes and nostrils widening simultaneously as he raked his gaze over her and drew her scent in deeply. For a split second she saw an echo of Walker's predatory grin on his face as he took a step forward, but that was before the older Lupine shot out a hand and grabbed him by the scruff of the neck.

  "If you so much as drool on her, I will kick your ass into next semester. Got it, Jake?"

  "Aw, but Uncle—"

  He gave a shake before returning the teenager to his feet. "Off-limits, Jake. I mean it."

  "Why?" Jake seemed smart enough—or maybe un-suicidal enough—not to make another move toward Fiona, but he didn't give in easily. He stood his ground warily. "It's not like you marked her or anything. I mean, yeah, you touched her, but look at her. Who wouldn't?"

  "Um, excuse me." Fiona raised her hand and waved it above her head. "Talking about an actual person here. I don't appreciate being fought over like some sort of bone."

  Jake turned and looked into her eyes for the first time, his grin all charm and energy and youthful lust. "More like a roast, actually. A nice, juicy one."

  Walker snarled, not the kind he'd used to let Fiona know she'd been irritating him for most of the night, but a real, honest-to-goddess, dog-in-the-manger growl. "Off. Limits."

  For a minute Fiona thought Jake might take his life into his hands and push the issue, but apparently youth hadn't deactivated all of his brain cells. The two men stared at each other silently until Jake broke down and looked away, turning his head into what looked like a really uncomfortable position. It took Fiona a second to realize the significance of the tilt. It left his throat completely exposed to the older Lupine. She shivered.

  "Fiona," Walker growled, still not looking at her, "I'd like you not to meet my nephew, Jake, but under the circumstances, I can't figure out a way to avoid it."

  Fiona extended her hand, then withdrew it at Walker's low growl. Ooookay. No touching, then. She settled for a little wave. "Hi, Jake. It's nice to meet you."

  "Jake, this is Fiona. Off-limits."

  The younger man kept his gaze focused someplace beyond Fiona's left ear, but she could see him pursing his lips, looking half-irritated and half-amused. "Unusual last name you've got there."

  "
Isn't it?"

  Ignoring her glare, Walker herded his nephew farther into the room and placed himself between the youth and Fiona. If Walker kept this up, all the eye rolling she was doing was going to make her dizzy.

  Slouching on the end of the sofa like the college student he was, Jake looked up at his uncle and yawned. "So, what was so important that you interrupted your own date and dragged me out of bed at four nineteen in the morning?"

  "She's not a date. And unfortunately, you're the only pack member I could think of who'd be more afraid of what I'd do to you if you talked about this to anyone than you'd be of Graham if he started asking questions."

  Jake shrugged. "I'm plenty scared of the alpha. He could probably kick my ass through the power of suggestion if he tried. But he barely knows I exist, so I'm not real worried about the eventuality. You, on the other hand, know where I sleep."

  "Exactly. Remember that."

  Fiona snorted and waved a hand in front of her face. "Stars, the cloud of testosterone in the air around here is getting toxic. And here I thought the story about men thinking with their testicles was an old wives' tale."

  They both ignored her.

  "Fiona needs to get home as soon as possible, and you're going to help me with that."

  Jake looked incredulous. "What? You can't find the number of a good cab company?"

  "Oh, it's not that," Fiona put in breezily, "but once you cross the planar barrier, the fare just skyrockets!"

  More ignoring. Sheesh, it was like the ability to pretend she didn't exist was hardwired into this family's Y chromosome.

  "Planar barrier?" Jake's voice rose on the question. "Are you trying to tell me she's Fae?"

  "Would you please stop talking about me as if I weren't in the room?" Fiona snapped, her patience thinning with every "she" and "her" one of them uttered.

  "In case no one noticed, I am, and not only that, but I have a right to have input into my own plans."

  "I don't give a shit about your plans, sweetheart," Walker said, turning a fierce glare on her. "What I care about is keeping you intact and getting your ass back to Faerie before anyone notices you were ever here."

  "What's wrong with the way she came in? I assume it was one of the gates. The one in Inwood is closest. If you don't want to call a cab, we can use your car."

  Walker shook his head at his nephew's suggestion. "The problem is that the last time she got near the Inwood gate, we ended up getting jumped by an unpleasant fellow with serious sulfur breath."

  "Holy shit!" Jake's eyes widened until he no longer looked the least bit sleepy. "A demon? You ran into a demon? In the park? That's crazy."

  "We got out whole, which is the important thing, but I don't think it would be a great idea to go back there tonight. We can't take the chance of running into it again. It got in a couple of good swipes at Fiona, and I haven't had any sleep in more than twenty-four hours. I need to catch a nap, and it would be smarter not to head back there during full dark."

  Jake turned to look at Fiona, his eyes now holding a measure of respect in addition to the lust. The lust hadn't gone anywhere—he was a young, male Lupine, after all—but the respect at least made it easier to accept.

  "I'm fine," she said. "I've got a souvenir or two, but it didn't do any lasting damage."

  Jake nodded. "Okay, so what do you guys need me to do?"

  "Nothing. I can take care of myself."

  "I need you to babysit. Keep an eye on her while I catch a couple hours of sleep. When I wake up, we'll figure out the best way to get her to the gate without being seen."

  "No problem."

  "Babysit?!" Fiona couldn't decide which of them to glare at first, so she got up and stood where she could keep them both in her furious sights. "I already told you, I don't need your protection, and I sure as demon spit don't need to be 'babysat' by a kid whose parents weren't even born when I was celebrating my two hundred fiftieth birthday!"

  Walker turned to her, those golden eyes finally fixing back on her, but they didn't look any more cooperative than his attitude so far had indicated.

  "Well, that's just your tough luck, Princess, because you've got yourself protection whether you want it or not. You're in my city now, and until I put your butt back through the gate that takes you out of my city, you're my responsibility. You'll do what I say, and as ridiculous as even I find it, you'll do what the puppy here says, or I'll take it out of your hide."

  It took a few seconds for Fiona to process that threat. No one had ever threatened her before, and certainly no one had ever tried to order her around before. She might not care about her position as a sidhe princess, but now that someone was treating her as if that position didn't matter, she found that the alternative to the prerogative of royalty pretty much sucked.

  "Princess?" Jake asked, his eyes wide. They both ignored him.

  "You've got no right to try and tell me what I can or can't do—"

  "As in daughter of the queen? That kind of princess?" Jake's voice had risen half an octave.

  "In Faerie, you'd probably be right about that, Princess, but you're not in Faerie anymore. You're here and around here, might makes right. I've got the might, so that makes me right."

  "Holy shit," Jake breathed. "No wonder you wanted someone who wouldn't run right back to the alpha with that news. We gotta get her home before he hears about this."

  If she hadn't already been drained of magic, she would have used whatever reserves it took to turn the pair of them into sea slugs. Come to think of it, based on their behavior, it might not take much magical energy after all.

  She settled for killing looks, folded her arms over her chest, and plotted what exactly she would do once she got her powers back. Maybe a trip back home wouldn't be the end of the world. Going through the gate didn't mean she had to go back to the palace. She could spend a few hours, replenish her magical reserves, then come back when the werewolf of her nightmares wasn't looking. That sounded a lot easier than trying to change his rock-hard mind about something.

  Walker stared at her for a long while before he turned back to his nephew and gave the last of his instructions. "Remember, if you lay so much as a paw on her, I'll bite it off. And keep your damned mind on business. She might look like a sugar-coated bonbon, but she's more trouble than a coven of witches, and she's smart enough to use your own damned hormones against you. Don't listen to a word of her twisted logic, and if you let her step one foot out of this apartment, I'll rip off something you'll miss a hell of a lot more than your hand. Got it?"

  Jake nodded and Fiona stifled a scream. "Got it. Neither one of us will be going anywhere. You can count on me."

  "Good."

  He turned and headed for his bedroom, and Fiona watched the broad back flex before she purred a promise of her own.

  "You can count on me, too, Tobias. You can count on paying for this one day. A lot."

  He glanced back over his shoulder just before he disappeared into the darkened bedroom. The look on his face was inscrutable. "Princess, I've been counting on that since the first minute you opened your eyes and looked at me. The only question is how I'll come up with the price."

  * * *

  CHAPTER 7

  Within two hours of Walker's disappearance into the bedroom, Jake had managed to find and immerse himself in a college basketball game, and Fiona was seven seconds and half a breath away from climbing the apartment's Spartan walls.

  "You know, if you add short bursts of jogging every quarter mile or so, you'll get a better cardiovascular workout."

  Fiona kept pacing, but she still managed an irritated grumble in the werewolf's direction. "If I'm bothering you, feel free to call me a cab. I'll be out of your hair before the meter starts running."

  "Right. Sorry, but I'm really too young to die. Besides, if my uncle kicks my ass hard enough that I miss my statistics exam tomorrow, my mom will be happy to finish me off." He grinned at her. "You're hot, but you're not worth facing the wrath of a Lupine mother
paying NYU tuition."

  "Gee, thanks. I see charm runs in your family." Tightening her mouth to keep him from seeing her almost smile, she turned away and went back to pacing. He was a cute kid all right, or he would be if he'd just stop being so uncooperative. Kind of like his uncle, who was way too sexy for her peace of mind when he wasn't being a stubborn jerk.

  "What did you do to piss him off anyway?"

  Tugged away from her thoughts, Fiona turned back to the sofa and frowned at Jake. "What are you talking about?"

  "My uncle. What did you do to piss him off? He looked ready to chew metal when he went to bed."

  "You mean that wasn't just his normal sunny disposition?" She shrugged. "I think he objects to my breathing the air of 'his' city. But he's gonna have to learn to deal."

  Jake raised an eyebrow, his amber gaze much too insightful for the pup he was. "Not that it's my place to give advice to a princess, but just so you know, he can get even crankier when he thinks you're being deliberately disobedient. Trust me. I speak from experience."

  "Okay, number one, what is this obsession you folk have with idiotic titles? And letter b, in order for me to be 'disobedient,' your uncle would need to have some kind of authority over me that required me to obey. Which is, by the way, a four-letter word. I don't do obedience."

  The werewolf's bark of laughter stopped Fiona mid-pace. She crossed her arms over her chest and gave him her unamused look.

  "Sorry," Jake chuckled. "It's just that for someone who seems to be touchy about being called a princess, you sure don't have a problem acting like one."

  "Oh, shut up."

  Jake grinned and focused back on the game, while Fiona brooded at the reflection of his good cheer in the television screen. Obnoxious brat. That had solidified the family resemblance. Two damned werewolf peas in a pod. But at least the pup didn't get her hormones raging. Which would have just been weird. And kind of creepy. It was bad enough that she should lust after Walker, in spite of his nasty attitude. Was that kinky? Did that make her some sort of masochist? Maybe heading back to Faerie was a good idea after all.