Mending Scars

by Rivers, Brandy L

  With no other options, the price would be high. “Call the Paineater, and do it now.”

  “Yeah… yes, of course,” he stammered as he rushed back up the stairs. The hunt for him was on. There wouldn’t be much time once the Paineater arrived. At least he’d warded the building, keeping prying eyes from seeing inside.

  Chapter 14

  Preston opened the passenger door for Dacia and helped her into the car. Walking around the sweet ride sparked a multitude of fantasies he had no time to explore. It was enough to drive him insane with lust. Too damned bad they had so much to do. Driving to some out of the way location was on his to-do list once everything with Remus was settled.

  He slid into the driver seat with a smile for Dacia. “Why is it you want me to drive?”

  “You know how to handle a car,” she purred.

  “Shit, Dacia, you need to stop with that tone or we aren’t making it to Robert’s anytime soon.”

  “Drive,” she commanded.

  His brow arched as he started the engine and pulled onto the road. Endeavoring to change the course of his thoughts, he asked, “Do you have any idea what your father is planning?”

  “Don’t want to think about him.” Her hand slipped under his arm and unzipped his pants, carefully freeing his straining length.

  “Dacia, I wouldn’t…” He groaned as her hand wrapped around his base to pump him. “Fuck, Minx, not sure I can drive while you do that.”

  Her thumb spread the glistening drop of pre-come around his crown. He bit his lip as he tried to focus on the road.

  “You did the other night.” Her voice was pure seduction. “Now I want you on edge, so when I have you pull over I can glide down over you until your engine blows.”

  It didn’t take long until he was panting. “Shit, I’m there.” He found an old logging road near Robert’s and gently pulled onto the rutted, gravel surface. As soon as the car was in park, Dacia disappeared, only to show up in his lap, as she reached down to drop his seat back.

  She shifted her thong aside and took him in with a moan of ecstasy. “I’ve been waiting too long.” Her mouth covered his as her body undulated.

  His hips rocked into her, his cock straining with her walls rippling around him. He got his hand between them to thumb her clit. “Not gonna last, Minx. Need you there now.”

  “I’m there, I’m there,” she cried out.

  Her air rushed through him, and his fire seeped into her, contained within their bodies. This time, he felt all of her emotions roll through him.

  He wished he knew how to erase her fear. Winding his arms around her, he pulled her down to rest on his chest and whispered against her ear, “I’m not letting you go, Dacia. Whatever we are, you’re mine. We have all the time in the world to explore this.”

  “I’m scared,” she quietly admitted.

  Capturing her face, he pushed her up to stare into her eyes. “I know, but we bonded for a reason. We’re meant for each other. So let’s make the best of it.”

  “And if it’s not enough?” she asked softly.

  Preston kissed her. “I’ll fight for you until you see you are.”

  He felt the air whoosh over him, and she was in the passenger seat wearing the saddest expression he’d ever seen. “It’s not that.”

  “Then what?”

  “If you haven’t noticed, things go wrong around me all the time.”

  “The Dales weren’t your fault. Hell, you saved the day.”

  “Malachi came back because I didn’t let Fallon kill him. I—”

  “Don’t. Had you let the fire consume the vampire, the wolves would have been burned.”

  “And Amethyst?”

  “You weren’t in control. Damn it, Dacia, you tried to fight the shadow fae’s influence.” He reached over, capturing her face to draw his thumb down the scar he could always see, regardless of her glamour. “I never meant to do this to you. I reacted, without thinking, after Izackarus sliced me open.”

  “Not your fault. You were protecting yourself.” She swallowed hard, and took a breath. Tears filled her eyes, but she blinked them back. “I watched my hand wield the dagger that nearly took your life. You almost died… if Amethyst hadn’t been able to heal you, I don’t know what I would have done. I’m not sure I could have lived with the guilt.”

  “Shh, it wasn’t you. I can’t imagine the memories he left behind.”

  “Can I ask you something?”

  He nodded, dreading the turn of conversation.

  “What was between you and Amethyst? I mean, you avoided Edenton, especially her, for two months after everything went down.”

  He rubbed at his forehead as he tried to form a reasonable and honest answer. Finally, he sighed. “I love her, and it’s complicated, but I’ve never been in love with her. For the record, I’ve been with her mother.” He winced slightly, knowing how that had to sound. “Opal’s a close friend, nothing more. I’ve been around Amethyst since before she was born. So even if I could have gone there, it would have been weird.”

  Her head tilted to the side. “Why did you avoid her?”

  “This is probably going to make me sound like an asshole, but you asked.”

  “You’re not an asshole, Preston.”

  He doubted that. “She tried to seduce me when she was fifteen. Even knowing fae work differently, I’ve been raised as a mage, with human values where sex is concerned. At that point, as turned on as I was, I couldn’t see her as anything but a kid and it was wrong. So I turned her down.” He scrubbed a hand over his face. “When I noticed Amethyst was falling for Hayden, I realized maybe the age thing wasn’t such a big deal. Of course, it was ten years later. She found her mate, and I was too late.”

  “And what do you feel for Jamie?”

  “You’re asking all the hard questions, but you deserve to know.” He smiled sadly. “Jamie will always be a friend. I think I’ve been ready to settle down and find someone for a while now, but I didn’t know what I was looking for. I love her, as a friend, and I hoped it would be more.” Shaking his head, he shrugged. “It wasn’t. It honestly wasn’t.”

  Dacia nodded thoughtfully.

  “And before you ask, let me explain Fallon. I admire her. She’s a strong woman who knows herself and what she wants. You don’t fuck with her. I fully admit to being in lust with her back then. I wanted her, and had her a couple times. I was too cocky, and fucked it all up. Now, I wish I hadn’t gone to bed with her. It wasn’t worth damaging our friendship.”

  “And you wonder why I worry you’ll regret me.”

  “This is different. I didn’t fight for Fallon, Jamie, or Amethyst. They weren’t what I needed, or even what I really wanted when I look back. I’ve been fighting for you. You’re who I want, what I need. Not them.”

  A tear fell. “But you don’t love me.”

  “I’m beginning to. I feel something, stronger, better, than I’ve ever felt for anyone. You said you didn’t want to define it. I’m playing by your rules.”

  “It might be?”

  He nodded, a slight smile forming as he reached out to dry her face. “Yeah, I think so.”

  * * * *

  Against all reason, Dacia believed him.

  Every time she trusted anyone could love her, they proved otherwise. Her father drilled it into her head that she was worthless, a nuisance, and the reason everything always fell apart.

  Preston sat there, watching her with true emotion in his pale blue eyes, waiting for her to do something, but another tear fell. She didn’t even know where to begin.

  He’d already proven he trusted her. Was doing everything in his power to gain her trust. She had felt his emotions rolling through her, but was terrified he’d come to his senses and leave like everyone else.

  “Talk to me. I know we have something. Have you ever felt this way?”

  “Not like this,” she whispered. Her eyes rounded. She hadn’t meant to admit it out loud. That was a surefire way to make him backtrack.


  He took her hand. “I’m not like Kurtis, or anyone you’re thinking about. I’m not. I’m not going to throw you away or take you for granted because you admit you feel something. So let’s make a pact.” He gave her a cheesy smile. “Until we’re sure what we feel, let’s not say it. We’ll prove our feelings with actions, not words. Maybe by the time you’re ready to define what’s between us, you’ll believe me.”

  She nodded, finally feeling hope. “Deal.” She held out her pinky, and then blushed.

  He didn’t hesitate to take hers with his and shook. “Your brother taught you to pinkie promise?” he asked with a warm smile.

  Dipping her head in a nod, she answered, “Yeah. It may be silly, but he’s never lied to me.”

  He opened his mouth to say something but closed it with a nod, then kissed her hand. “Not silly, Minx.” He looked down at his lap with a raised brow and tucked himself back in before starting up the car.

  She chewed her lip. “Maybe you should have called Robert.”

  He reached out and gently pried her lip from between her teeth. “Don’t worry about him. He’s coming around. He knows me better than I know myself. Yes, he worries, but he trusts me, and after I had him dig around my head, he believes you.”

  “Dig around your head?” She frowned as she leaned toward him. “What do you mean?”

  “I know you heard most of that conversation in the car yesterday. I felt you with us.” He sighed. “Your dad drugged me at the party. I had Robert give me back my memories. One of his many useful abilities, he can get in your head and find memories, even change them in some cases. It’s not something he likes doing, and as someone he’s done it with, I’m not fond of the process either.”

  “Then why allow it?”

  “I trust him, and I needed to remember that night.” He flashed her a sexy grin. “I’m glad I got the memories back. You finally started to trust me. I’m sorry I wasn’t all there. Or I was, but the drugs didn’t let me remember. I wanted to do everything we did, and had for what seems like forever.”

  Preston pulled up to the house and shut off the engine.

  She took his hand. Regardless of Preston’s reassurance, she knew Robert didn’t trust her. If their positions were reversed, she wouldn’t either.

  He squeezed her hand and climbed out.

  She walked around to join him with a nervous glance at the door.

  “How bad did he freak after the explosion?” Preston asked.

  “He was going into shock. He did call later to check on you. Should have mentioned that.”

  “You had other things on your mind.”

  * * * *

  “They’re here,” Liz called. “He’s really mated to Dacia?”

  Robert took a slow breath as he came down the stairs. “Yes. And after today, I think it’s a good thing. Exactly what he needs.”

  “I agree. I was getting tired of seeing her mope around. It took poor Preston long enough to convince her to give him a chance.”

  Robert nodded as he walked to the door. He opened it as Dacia and Preston came up the steps, hand in hand.

  Preston wore a sheepish smile. “Sorry, man. I wasn’t trying to scare you. I’m still not totally sure exactly what happened but as you can see, I’m whole.” He gestured up and down his body. “More so than I have ever been.” He pulled Dacia to his side with a grin.

  “I’m glad.” Robert turned to Dacia with a warm smile. “Thank you. Truly, I can’t fully express my gratitude for helping Preston find his way back.”

  “My pleasure. I’m not ready to let him go.” She turned to Preston, her eyes sparkling. The connection between the two of them was plain to see. All of Dacia’s past crimes and mistakes were washed clean in his eyes.

  “Come in. Please.” Robert motioned inside and moved back to allow them in. He turned to Preston.

  “You okay?” Preston asked.

  He harrumphed. “You know what to do if that happens again?”

  Preston nodded. “Believe so. However, I’m not ready to attempt that again. Not yet.”

  “You scared the hell out of me.” Robert honestly wasn’t sure what he would have done without Preston. They were slowly changing the Council for the better. Weeding out the corruption was a slow process, and one he couldn’t tackle alone.

  Preston half-laughed, and redirected the conversation back to business. “So, have any clue where that crafty piece of shit floated off to?”

  “Unfortunately not. I have no way to track him, and I was…” he glanced away with a sigh, “more concerned with you.” Shifting his attention to Dacia he added, “Luckily Lincoln helped with your brother and Dominique. I shouldn’t have fallen apart like I did.” Taking a deep breath, he ran his hands down his lapels and offered a weak smile. “I did go back to check on them after Liz and Tremaine calmed me down, but they were getting ready to go to Lincoln’s.”

  Dacia gave him a shy nod. “Thank you. I knew Dane would be fine. Figured the two people closest to you would bring you back around.”

  Robert gave her a brief hug. “Couldn’t have done better, Dacia.”

  She squeezed back.

  Turning to Preston, Robert asked, “Do you have a plan?”

  “I haven’t felt anything with the wards up in Whidbey. I suppose now all I can do is go back home and resolve the issue of those documents.” He gently caught Liz’s shoulder. “I need to ask you a favor.”

  She nodded. “Anything.”

  “Can you make one of your hidey-holes at my place and teach me how to get into it?”

  “Robert already asked, and the answer is yes. But dare I ask why?”

  “It’s to protect Dacia. I found a contract selling her to a dragon, but it’s not signed. Destroying it would allow Remus to create another, so I need to hide the document where no one can get to it.”

  Liz’s eyes rounded. “Let’s go then.”

  Chapter 15

  Preston walked up the steps to his apartment, and opened the door. “Hope you aren’t too disappointed. I haven’t taken time to do much with the place.” He glanced around at the simple furniture, and Marvel figurines on the mantel.

  Other than to sleep and shower, he really hadn’t spent time here. When he first moved in, he put up a few of his favorite things, but then got too busy to finish making the place his. Especially lately, he’d been chasing leads, trying to find Remus.

  If things kept progressing with Dacia, he doubted he would spend much time making this a home.

  Dacia walked to the mantel. She reached out to touch Wolverine. Glancing over her shoulder, amusement danced through her eyes. “You’re into comics?”

  He nodded slowly, wondering what was behind the question.

  “I used to read them with my brother. I wasn’t as into them, but I’ll admit to enjoying comic book movies.”

  He grinned. “Really?”

  She nodded. “I do. I either go with Dane, or by myself. No one else knows.”

  “You can go with me now.”

  Liz and Robert came through the door.

  Dacia nodded toward the bedroom. “Mind if I make a couple calls? I ditched Lincoln and my brother earlier.”

  “Go ahead. We’ll be out here.”

  She took a quick kiss, waved at the other two, and went back to his room.

  Liz laughed softly. “It’s weird seeing her happy. I’m so used to her pissy attitude lately. And I’ve never seen her so warm.”

  Preston looked down the hall. “I think she needed someone to actually put her first for once. Sounds like she never really had that.”

  “You need someone to put you first too,” Robert pointed out with a smirk.

  Preston glared back. “She did when she left her brother, Lincoln, and you to fend for yourselves.”

  “She called me,” Liz added. “I wouldn’t have blamed her if she skipped that, but she was worried so she took the time. She’s really growing, and I like the new Dacia.”

  “Agreed.” Robert
thumped Preston on the back. “Where do you want this hiding spot?”

  “Over here. We’ll make it easy.” He walked into the kitchen and pulled open the empty drawer next to the refrigerator. “Please.”

  “Of course,” Liz answered.

  Robert took Preston’s arm and pulled him to the balcony. “Does Toryn know?”

  “He does. It’s good—I think. He wants time to get to know me.” Preston leaned against the railing and looked into the woods. “I’ve always wanted that, but right now it’s the last thing on my mind. I need to catch Remus.”

  “We will. And Dacia impressed me today. She took care of you.” Robert sighed and leaned against the door. “I wasn’t sure she was worthy of you, but she proved me wrong. She kept it together, and sought help to bring you back.”

  “You couldn’t have known about the smoke.” Preston turned toward him. “She knew because it’s similar to what she does. Things are changing though, Robert. Inside me. I’m not sure I can hide what I am from everyone. What if I can’t?”

  “We’ll figure it out. Don’t worry about that right now. You’ll always be my partner.”

  “You wouldn’t know what to do without me,” Preston teased.

  “Probably not. On the plus side, I’ve noticed you haven’t been getting sick from translocation.”

  Preston smirked. “That’s a relief. I think it has something to do with the smoke, or maybe the way her magic is mingling with mine. Lately, I feel lighter while traveling with you. Like maybe I was getting ready to try the smoke thing without the explosion. I’m not sure that would have been better, but I can worry about that later. Right now, we need to find Remus.”

  “What if he didn’t survive?”

  “That would be too easy. I saw him float away, fast. I’m willing to bet he’s in bad shape. But where would he go?”

  “Have you asked Dacia?”

  “Shit, that’s something I need to talk to you about. He’s making this personal for her. She wants in, and as much as I’d love to get all gruff and tell her fuck no, I understand what is driving her need to help. I get it—hate it—but get it. Can you take back your earlier decision if she agrees to play by our rules? It’s not protocol, but I don’t want to leave her out.”