Her eyes widened as she realised the complete one-eighty she’d done from not wanting the other two here, to thinking about all four of them together. Her mind strayed further, wondering if a date with all three of them would end the same as a traditional date with just one. Eira took a sip of the wine that Leth had poured her, trying to use the moment to regain her composure.
“Did you have fun with Josh earlier?” he asked, a twinkle in his eye.
“Erm—” she started, unsure quite what she should be saying to him.
“It’s okay, Eira, I know.”
“How?” she demanded instantly. She’d figured that Josh and Rueben had been talking without her, they’d probably exchanged numbers just after she’d given hers to the vampire. Knowing Josh like she did anyway.
“If we all want to spend time with you, then we’re better off actually talking to one another rather than just competing.” He shrugged and Eira’s mouth fell open and closed a few times as she struggled to find what to actually say. That wasn’t what she’d expected. “Cat got your tongue?” He leaned back with a smug grin on his face, making Eira glare at him.
“More like a fae,” she muttered, having spent the day mulling over what he was and coming to that conclusion. It was the only race that made sense given the way that his eyes and hair glowed. Which just raised anther question. Mostly what his father had been. Izzy’s best friend was fae, or at least, Eira thought she was. Rhianna had certainly never admitted it. Just like Josh. Maybe there was something in that. But Eira had recognised her for what she was instantly. It’d had taken a bit more doing with Leth because he seemed to be a different type, but she was sure she had him pegged. The thing was, that male fae didn’t exist. Well, they did. But they were only halflings, or even quarterlings she reckoned. Not that anyone would ever call one that. It wouldn’t be taken all that well by a lot of them.
“Ah, you figured it out then?”
“Hard not to with you summering all over the place,” she retorted, thinking back to how warm his hands had been on her skin the night before.
“You worked that out too then?” He raised a questioning eyebrow.
“You’re fifty degrees hotter than I am,” she said with a small laugh, finding herself relaxing even more.
“Hardly fifty, Frostie. Fifteen is probably more like it, and that’s only cause you’re so cold. I’m not much hotter than a normal human.”
“Because you’re only half?” she asked before her hand flew to cover her mouth. She’d literally just been thinking that she shouldn’t say things like that, it wasn’t the best idea to blurt things out. What on earth was wrong with her? This man affected her in ways that she wished he didn’t.
“Something like that.” He leaned back, smirking and showing that there were no hard feelings. Odd. She’d heard that fae could get really funny about it.
“So, you promised me an explanation,” she said after a moment’s silence. She’d double checked after Josh had left earlier, and the frosts were definitely late, and that was a big problem. If they didn’t come on time, then winter would be delayed, and if winter was delayed, then spring would be too. In fact, the knock-on effect could mean complete global disaster.
“I did,” he responded, still looking annoyingly amused at everything.
“And?”
This time, he sighed, and a far more serious look crossed his features. A look that she instantly decided that she didn’t like. It made him look different. More melancholy, and not in a good way. She needed the information, but after that, she was going to do anything she could to make him smile again. Even if that meant letting him call her cereal names again. The damn fae. As if she didn’t already have enough to deal with.
“It’s a long story.”
“Dinner isn’t here yet, I’d say we have time.” He cracked a smile at her words, warming her insides and making her fall that little bit more for him. She was a goner. Which was a little odd considering the feelings she’d had for Josh for years.
“I see we’re going to get along just fine, Frostie.” He smirked.
“I should hope so,” she responded quietly, knowing he’d be able to hear, but still not wanting to talk any louder. Maybe then she could avoid the truth that bit longer. Alright, not avoid it. She’d just about accepted what was happening already, but it would be hard to explain to everyone else. Not many people walked around with three men mated to them...though that did open up some interesting possibilities in Eira’s head. It was a little odd that she’d gone from zero to three in the space of a day, but then the bond tended to happen the moment mated paranormals met, so it couldn’t have happened in any other way.
“Yes.” He acknowledged her words with a nod of his head, leaving little doubt that he felt what was between them too. She waited for him to continue, taking another sip of her wine, but not allowing the alcohol to affect her like it had the night before. Now was the time for taste, not one for losing her senses to the drink. “I think a fae is stopping the frosts from coming,” he said finally. She stared at him for a moment. She didn’t even know if a fae would be able to do that, nor why they’d want to. A winter fae maybe? But surely they’d want to help the frosts come not hinder them.
“You think?” She really hoped he was wrong. If he wasn’t, then she was about to have a real issue on her hands. It certainly wouldn’t be as easy as just hunting them down. Which was a stupid thing to think anyway. It wasn’t like the frosts lived in one particular place. They were like magic. They were a part of the world in their infiniteness, always active in one place or another, even if they weren’t being used right there and then. The only place they could possibly be considered to be, was the spot within Eira where she went to call on them once a year.
It had always been a little bit of a mystery why Eira’s family was even needed. It was always winter somewhere after all, and yet she was just one person. She wasn’t required to travel around the world, and she only had to make sure the frosts did anything once per year. It was strange, that was for certain.
“All the signs point that way.” He shrugged again.
“That’s really not helpful, Leth.” She rolled his name over her tongue, enjoying the way it sounded. It was certainly a name she could get used to saying. Or screaming. Oh, how she hoped she’d have a reason to scream it.
“Sorry, I’m not certain of the specifics.”
That didn’t sound right. She could almost swear that he was hiding something. What kind of something, she wasn’t sure, but definitely something. Maybe it was as simple as him being certain it was a fae. Or maybe it was something to do with it being him holding the frosts back. But no, that couldn’t be possible. Male fae just didn’t have that power, only a full fae would and a powerful one at that. Or at least, Eira assumed that was the case. It was hard to think otherwise considering that it’d never happened before. Ever.
It was that moment that their meals arrived, and she noticed that he’d ordered the same as her. Yet she had no real recollection of him doing so. He looked up from his pasta, his warm summer eyes meeting hers and all thoughts fled from her mind. Well, that could be why she didn’t remember. She hoped she’d become more immune than this, it’d definitely be a pain if she kept forgetting what she was thinking every time Leth was around. And here she’d thought that vampires were the only ones with hypnotism powers.
“So, what do you do?” she asked, deciding to ignore the more burning question of what they hell she was going to do about the missing frosts for after they’d eaten. But if he thought that she was just going to forget about it, then he had another thing coming. It just wasn’t the way she worked.
“Don’t laugh.”
“I can’t promise that, laughter is an involuntary reaction.” She gave him a satisfied smirk, feeling like she had the upper hand for the first time.
“True. I’m a veterinary nurse,” he said, the serious look on his face. Without meaning to, Eira giggled. She just couldn’t imagine him with
kittens and puppies and the like, though maybe he was more the kind that worked with farm animals. She examined the immaculately clothed man in front of her and pushed that thought out of her mind. He didn’t seem the type, he was definitely the small animals that wouldn’t trample him kind.
“Sorry,” she muttered, taking another bite of her delicious pasta. Thankfully, it was just as good as the last time she’d been here.
“It’s funny I know, but I’ve always wanted to be one. I kind of expected my mate to be a shifter if I’m honest,” he admitted, watching her intently as he said the word mate. She gave him a sly smile, making it clear to that she’d caught the word, but wasn’t going to make anything from it.
“Maybe she is. Maybe she’s a bunny shifter, with floppy ears and a cute little nose,” Eira said, trying to keep as straight a face as she could, but the giggles escalating all the same.
“Maybe. Or more likely she’s a beautiful blonde with a witch and a vampire in tow.”
She blushed, looking down. She knew she was pretty, it just seemed to be a part of being paranormal. But being called beautiful was always a little distracting. Especially when it came from someone who was sure he was her mate. Well, she was pretty sure too, the lack of guilt over being here was enough of an indication about that.
“No arguments, Frostie?” he asked when she said nothing.
“I can’t choose,” she whispered, hating how insecure the words made her feel.
“I’m not asking you to,” he replied. “You can have us all.”
“All? But how would that even work? In a nice circle?” She held back the nervous giggle that welled up inside her at the thought of them all stood around her. While she’d accepted them as hers, she had no clue how it would actually work. In her daydreams, she’d only ever envisaged it being her and Josh. Oh how things had changed in such a short space of time.
“A circle? Where’d you get that idea?” He sounded amused.
“Something I read,” she muttered, thinking back to a book Izzy had sent her a few months back. Leth laughed, the sound lighting up her insides and making her fall that little more. She really had to pull herself together. She wasn’t the kind of woman to just fall blindly, and yet, here she was.
“Well there’s three of us. It’d be more of a triangle than a circle, I think.” He set down his fork and looked her straight in the eyes, his own dancing with amusement.
“Why aren’t you more freaked out about this?” she asked, surprised by just how easily he seemed to be accepting it. In fact, he didn’t seem jealous at all. Which was just odd. Maybe she should have waited longer to broach the subject, but then, she doubted she’d be changing her mind about the three of them any time soon.
To her surprise, Leth pushed his chair back and circled the table, coming around so that he was stood behind Eira. She sucked in a breath, waiting for the moment his hands would touch her, and when they did, they left tingles in their wake. He leaned in closer, bringing his lips close to her ear. “Maybe I like the idea,” he whispered, the words and the feel of his breath against her skin filling her with anticipation.
“You do?” she whispered, turning slightly so that she could look up at his face, their lips just millimetres apart. She was so close that she could feel the hitch in his breathing, and the warmth radiating from him.
“If it means that I can have you, yes.” He finally closed the gap between them and pressed his lips to hers. It was almost as intense as when she’d kissed Josh earlier, but this time there were no sparks, which was probably a good thing given that they were still in the middle of a restaurant. On their first date. Damn, she really should pull back a bit or he’d think she was easy. Oh well, too late for that.
She threaded her hand into Leth’s hair, pulling him as close as she could and deepening the kiss. Just like earlier, she could feel herself refreshing in a way that she really shouldn’t be, at least not from just a kiss. Maybe it was something to do with the connection that was already forming between them. Or maybe she really was just that desperate.
They broke apart, and she stared up at him with what she was sure was a glazed look in her eyes, her lips slightly parted.
“Hi,” she whispered lamely.
“Hi,” he whispered back, the smug smile gone and replaced by an interesting expression that looked somewhere between adoration and lust. She’d have to take advantage of that later. Except she couldn’t. Rueben had said he’d be waiting for her when she got home. Disappointment flowed through her as she realised there’d be no chance for more with the fae tonight. Balancing three men was going to prove a challenge, unless they all just gave in and were there all at the same time. Now there was a thought. A thought she needed to push away if she was going to get anything done.
“You still haven’t told me everything,” she said, finally asking the question she really needed to.
“No.” He sighed and took as step back, putting a regretful amount of distance between them, even if that distance was actually needed. Silly fae. He should come closer to her, not get further away.
“Are you going to?”
He looked indecisive, which helped make her decision. She scraped her chair back, making Leth jump back, and without a backwards glance, she walked out the restaurant, leaving him behind. She couldn’t even tell if he followed her, but if he wasn’t going to tell her what was going on, then there really was no reason for her to stay.
Seven
“Hello, Eira.”
The voice made her jump, and it took her a moment to realise that it was Rueben leaning against her front door, his shirt sleeves pushed up to his elbows, revealing strong toned arms that had her salivating. Yes. There was no way she was giving any of them up. Except maybe Leth, but if he started telling her things, she’d keep him too.
“Evening,” she muttered, angrily sticking her key in the door and turning the lock. She stalked into the room, leaving Rueben to follow her, apparently he really didn’t need to be invited in. She threw her bag down on the side, thankful that she’d remembered to pick it up from the restaurant. “Thank you for not breaking in,” she said eventually, not turning to look at him. Her anger would probably evaporate then, and even if it wasn’t aimed at Rueben anyway, she also wasn’t ready to let it go.
“You’re welcome,” he answered. She gave him a weak smile after giving in and looking at him. Between Leth and Josh, having privacy seemed like it was going to be an issue from now on. At least one of them was going to respect her space. Though did she really want to be left alone? Well she guessed that remained to be seen. “Now what’s bothering you?” he asked, stepping up behind her and wrapping his arms gently around her waist. She leaned back into his hard-muscled chest, enjoying the comfort he brought.
“You’re the same temperature as I am,” she remarked, surprised to discover the fact. Rueben chuckled, the sound rumbling through his chest and making her whole body vibrate.
“Is that really what’s bothering you?” She shook her head, but didn’t say anything else. “I guess it’s cause I’m dead.”
“I can feel your heartbeat.” It was true, she could sense the steady calming beat running through him.
“I’m not sure how it works, but I do know that I was nearly dead when I was turned, so it makes sense that I’m dead.”
“Oh.”
“But believe me, I feel very much alive.” His voice was low, causing shivers down her spine. “Now, tell me what’s wrong.” She relaxed more in to his arms, feeling safer than she had in a long time. Odd considering the only time she’d actually been unsafe was the moment she met him.
“The frosts are gone. Leth knows why, but he won’t tell me.”
“I see. And is there a way to change that?”
“What do you mean?” She tried playing dumb, but just got another low chuckle from Rueben.
“Don’t even bother, Eira. Josh told me what you are, there’s no way you don’t know what I’m suggesting.”
Sh
e spun in his arms so that she was facing him, his cool blue eyes taking her in, and storming with emotion that she was sure her own reflected. The air almost felt stagnant between them, as if there was nothing more important than the two-foot radius they inhabited. She didn’t care, as far as she was concerned, it was perfect and nothing else had to exist.
“Maybe,” she finally responded.
“Hmm, I’m sure that’s not true.” His voice rumbled through her, low and intimate, like there was no one else about. Well, there was no one else about. Unless Josh was hiding behind the door. She wouldn’t put that past him, it was exactly the kind of thing he’d do. He’d also interrupt just because he could. She pushed the thought away, focusing instead on the man in front of her. She really wanted him to kiss her, it wouldn’t take much, just her leaning up, him leaning down a little, and yet it didn’t seem to happen.
“Kiss me.” She hadn’t meant to say the words aloud, but with her laboured breathing and the intense feeling in the air between them, there was no regretting them.
“No,” he replied, not breaking eye contact or the mood. Except for when the word registered in Eira’s head. She took a step back, breaking his hold on her waist.
“No?” She couldn’t keep the incredulous note out of her voice. What the hell was wrong with her men? First Leth refusing her last night, then Josh this morning, now Rueben...it just wasn’t right. She put her hands on her hips and stared him down, only being more confused by the heat that still seemed to be emanating from his eyes. That wasn’t someone who was uninterested, so why wasn’t he kissing her. Hell, she was sure she was still throwing off pheromones, never mind the fact that she was his mate, he shouldn’t be able to keep his hands off her.
“No.”
“Why?” she demanded, crossing her arms and pushing her breasts up, knowing what it would look like with the plunging neckline of her dress. His gaze darted downwards. Good. He wasn’t oblivious.
Saving Eira (Fated Seasons Book 1) Page 4