“I’d be able to hear them.”
“Oh.” She fumbled in her pocket, pulling out her phone and hitting the speed dial number for Josh.
“E?” he answered after it had rung a couple of times, and relief flooded through him. It was good to hear his voice.
“Josh, where are you?” she asked, eyeing up the vampire in front of her.
“At Rueben’s.”
“Oh.” That meant he was nowhere near here, not unless Rueben lived closer than she thought he did.
“E, are you okay?” he asked, concerned.
“One second.” She pulled the phone away from her ear and covered the microphone with her hand. She didn’t want Josh to know about this until she was safe, otherwise he’d only panic and do something stupid. Maybe, probably, she wasn’t too sure, but she also wasn’t in a hurry to find out. “If I let you go, will you leave me alone?” she asked Edward, already aware that she was probably making a monumental mistake.
“Yes,” he said quietly, and nodded for emphasis.
“Good.” She pulled her ice back inside her, hoping the sparks would follow, she reckoned they would, but even so, she was relieved when they did. The vampire pushed to his feet, giving her an odd look before running back into the night. “Hi, Josh,” she said, bringing the phone back to her ear.
“What’s going on?” He sounded worried, and she instantly regretted not waiting longer to call him.
“Erm, I kind of sparked.”
“You did what?” He sounded more amused than shocked, so maybe it wasn’t something to be surprised about.
“I sparked. You know, green bits of electric stuff.”
“Oh, good.”
“Good? Not worrying?” She began to continue her walk home, knowing she still had a lot to do before her day was over.
“Yes, good. It’s just the bond settling in. It’s all perfectly natural.”
“Oh.”
“How did it feel?”
“Electrifying.” She smiled as she said it, and was rewarded with a laugh on the other end of the phone before a shuffling noise and a low rumble as another man, presumably Rueben, asked Josh something.
“Eira,” Josh said, not speaking to her. “Rueben says he’s looking forward to seeing you later.” He sounded louder, clearly speaking to her this time.
“And you?”
“I’m always looking forward to seeing you.” His voice sounded like sin and promises. Mostly like the voice he used when they were alone. She could get used to that. He needed to use that voice more often.
“Will you be home soon?” she asked, only realising what she’d said after he chuckled knowingly.
“Yes, we’ll be home soon.” She sighed in relief. “But, E, if it’s going to be home for us all, you may need to get a bigger bed.”
Thirteen
Having showered and got ready as far as she could without a dress, or any of her dates, Eira pottered around her flat in just her underwear, not caring if any of her men walked in. Maybe it would encourage Rueben to get a move on and kiss her if he walked in. And if it was either of the other two...well she wasn’t exactly going to say no. She took a sip from the glass she’d placed on the dining table earlier, hoping that it would cool her down. Metaphorically speaking that was, her core temperature never really seemed to change.
A knock sounded on her door, and deciding to try something out, she flicked her hand towards the door, sending a mixture of snowflakes and green sparks towards it. Much to her surprise, the trick actually worked, and the door swung open to reveal a bemused looking Leth with a large dress box in his hands.
“Useful,” he said, before properly clocking her. “Wow.”
“Evening, Leth.” She smiled at him, leaning over slightly so that he could truly appreciate the cut of her bra. He dropped the box onto her sofa and slammed the door shut behind him, before stalking over to where she was standing by her dining table.
“You shouldn’t walk around dressed like that,” he said, a slight growl in his voice.
“Why on earth not?” She looked up at him, trying to look as innocent as possible.
“That look isn’t going to work on me.” His eyes glazed over, and she gave herself a metaphorical pat on the back. The look had clearly worked perfectly. She bit her lip, and that was all it seemed to take to completely capture his attention. He made an odd growling noise, lifting her up with two strong hands on her waist and placing her on the table. Her legs fell apart, and he stepped between them, bringing him closer to her. She could feel the warmth emanating from him, and wanted to lean into him.
“You sure?” she asked, already a little breathless and wanting him to continue. She brought her hands to his chest, and slowly began to unbutton his shirt, speeding up when he did nothing to stop her. In fact, rather than stop her, he reached around and unhooked her bra in a split second. He almost ripped it off, and she was just thankful it was strapless, meaning she didn’t have to pause in her quest to remove his shirt. Really, if she’d thought about it, she should be more careful given that he was already wearing his tux, but at this point, she was past caring. She wanted him. No, she needed him, and she didn’t want to even wait until he was fully undressed to have that.
Having rid him of his shirt, which was now lying in a puddle on the floor, she fumbled with his belt and fly, finally managing to make enough room for her to slide her hand into his boxers and take him in it. Unsurprisingly, he was already hard, and as she stroked him as he groaned, only exciting her more. His hands trailed over her skin, the temperature difference making things more intense for her. With one hand on her thigh, and the other on her lower back, pulling her closer while keeping her on the table, he was already exciting her more than should be possible. Not that she cared, he was her mate, she just wanted him.
“Frostie,” he ground out. “We should move to the bed.”
“Nuh-huh,” she replied. “Now. Here. You.” The words came out strained. She normally hated sounding so desperate, but she found she no longer cared, it was hard to when she could barely think straight.
“It’s not romantic,” he pointed out.
“Fuck romantic,” she got out, palming him more firmly and watching as his eyelids fluttered open and closed in response. “We can have romance later,” she added, omitting that if he started being as insistent as Rueben on the whole perfect moment front, then she would find a way to freeze them both.
“If you’re sure?”
Instead of answering, she pushed his boxers down slightly, not bothering to remove any of the rest of his clothing properly. Or her own for that matter, though if she could call what she was wearing clothing. Small scrap of lace was more realistic, maybe she’d skip putting it back on later. It’d make life easier. He gave in, reaching down between them and taking her hand from him, replacing it with his own. Watching intently, he guided himself towards her, and the moment he entered her, she tipped her head back and almost screamed. The feeling of him filling her, and the warmth that radiated from him, was nearly too much. It was intense, as good as it had been with Josh, but completely different at the same time.
Her last fleeting thought before sensation took over was of what would happen when their powers merged. Summer and winter weren’t normally a good mix, and yet here they were.
With her head tipped back, Leth had easy access, and seemed to take advantage kissing a path from her collarbone upwards. Reaching the shell of her ear, he began to nibble, surprising Eira, but also sending darts of pleasure through her and adding to the release that was building inside her. She rolled her head, pushing his head out of the way, but Leth had other ideas, and move the hand that was on the small of her back so that it was threaded in her hair. With a tug that was neither gentle, nor rough, he moved her head back to the side, giving him access to her ear lobe once more. Hot damn, he was going to end her if he carried on like this.
“Let go, Frostie, I got you,” he whispered. She tried to shake her head, but another tu
g to her hair stopped her in her tracks. “Let go,” he repeated. It was all too much, and she began to shake, everything that was happening becoming too much. Leth tugged on her hair again, and that seemed to be the final straw. Her release crashed through her, taking Leth with her.
She collapsed forward, her head resting on his bare chest, thankful that she’d removed his shirt earlier and could enjoy his warmth. It took her several minutes to regain her composure, and when she looked up at Leth, she was rewarded with a lazy satisfied smile.
“That was unexpected.”
“You expected sex with me to be bad?” she asked, genuinely shocked that he thought that.
“No, of course not. But I didn’t expect to be having any sex with you until later, when you’d forgiven me more.” While the laughter was still on his face, she could tell that his words were sincere.
“I have forgiven you, not forgotten mind.”
He groaned. “You have a look in your eyes that says you have a punishment lined up and everything.”
“I do,” she admitted, grinning widely.
“Is it a punishment I’ll enjoy?”
“I highly doubt it.” She supposed that there was a chance he’d enjoy working through her family history, but she doubted it. How anyone could enjoy reading that drivel was beyond her, even if the odd passage was of interest.
“Would bringing you a present help?” he asked, not pulling away from her, and she could feel him still hard inside her. If only they had time for more, but she had no idea when Rueben and Josh would be back, nor what time they had to leave for the ball, and she didn’t want to risk being late. From the little Leth had said, it was important to him.
“Depends on the present,” she admitted. If it was something like flowers, then probably not, they always seemed to die under her care.
“A dress.”
“Oh, yes, please.” She beamed at him, having completely forgotten that he’d said he’d bring her a dress for tonight while she’d been focused on more physical pleasures.
“Then you need to let me go, Frostie,” he said, the amusement returning to his voice. It was only then she noticed that her hands were hooked onto his belt loops, still holding him to her. She let go, and instantly felt like part of her was missing when he pulled back, zipping up his fly and refastening his belt, but mercifully not putting his shirt back on. She wasn’t ready to lose the view of his glorious chest.
Once he’d turned to collect the box he’d entered with earlier, Eira hopped off the table, straightening her underwear and grabbing her bra from where it had been abandoned and re-hooking it. Realistically, she needed to go clean up, but that could wait until she’d seen the dress Leth had brought. More than anything, she was intrigued to see what was customary for a fae ball.
He strode back over and handed her the box, which she took from him and eagerly set it down on the table. She’d never received a dress quite like this before, all wrapped up in a pretty box with a fancy label on it. Leth watched her intently, excitement burning in his eyes.
“Can I?”
He nodded, and she lifted the box, peeling back the pink tissue paper and revealing what looked like layer upon layer of tulle. Carefully she lifted the shoulders of the dress, which was covered in small glittering crystals, and lifted it from the box. The dress unfolded, showing her a full white skirt and... “You bought me a wedding dress?” she demanded, spinning on her heels.
“I did?” He smirked at her, not seeming in the least bit phased. He was well aware of what he’d done.
“A wedding dress,” she repeated, annoyance bubbling up inside her. “Is there something you need to tell me?”
He shook his head. “Nothing like that, Frostie. Its tradition is all.”
“Tradition?” She tapped her foot against the floor, trying to keep calm. When was he going to learn to start telling her things and not just doing them? Leth said nothing, and she could feel her anger rising. He gave her another smirk, and she cracked, sending a shot of ice his way. Unfortunately, it melted before it hit him. Damn him. Why did he have to be summer fae? He’d be forever melting her attacks.
“Frostie, it’s tradition. I promise, there’s no wedding of any kind. I mean for a start, you’re more than married to us anyway.”
“Well…” He had her there. It was difficult to get funny over marriage when a wedding was already too late for them. If rumour was to believed, then she’d mated with them all the moment she’d met them, sealing the bond the moment they slept together and their magic merged. “Our magic-?”
“It happened, just not like it will have with Josh,” he assured her.
“We’re not going to take on each other’s powers, are we?” She hadn’t realised how sad she found that until this moment, but it seemed wrong somehow, like their bond was incomplete.
“I doubt it, but you don’t want to take on my powers, Frostie, it’ll cause more problems than it’s worth.”
“Huh.” She’d never thought about it that way. Which just caused an even more surprising thought. What would happen when they had children? Would they be one or the other? Or a weird mixture of both? And more importantly, why was she thinking of children already? She was nowhere near ready for that.
“I just wouldn’t worry about it yet. Now go get that sexy ass into the shower, before I do something else to it.” His eyes twinkled, and she swallowed the slight lump that seemed to have formed in her throat. It wasn’t nerves, she knew that for sure.
“I might hold you to that promise later,” she said, taking him a little off guard.
“I look forward to it,” he responded after a moment. She turned towards her bathroom, and made sure to sashay her hips. He may have satisfied her for now, but it never hurt to leave him wanting more.
Fourteen
Fixing the last strand of errant hair into an elaborate up-do, Eira sighed. She couldn’t say she’d ever thought she’dd be wearing a wedding dress, even if she’d admired them on all the TV shows she’d watched. As much as it had taken her off guard, and as much as it still seemed odd she needed to wear one, she trusted that Leth knew what he was doing. If he said that it was tradition, then she’d have to trust him.
A rumbling of voices revealed that Josh and Rueben had arrived, and something like butterflies started playing in her stomach. She wasn’t nervous about seeing them as such, more about what they’d think of her in the dress, which was stunningly beautiful she had to admit. Taking a deep breath, she stepped out of her bedroom and into the main room, to find three pairs of eyes immediately fix on hers.
“E, you look…” Josh started, the first to actually respond.
“Beyond stunning,” Rueben added, looking like he was about to storm over to her and ravish her on the spot. She wouldn’t say no if he did.
“You look just as good as I thought you would,” Leth said, making his way over to her and kissing her cheek. “What’s this? Did I hurt you earlier?” he asked, smoothing a gentle finger over her forearm. She looked at where he meant and her stomach sank.
“No, you didn’t,” she answered quietly.
“Then where’s it from, Frostie?” He tried to look in her eyes, but she looked away, refusing to meet them.
“Has it got anything to do with your call earlier?” Josh asked, getting up and walking over to her so that he could look too, Rueben hot on his heels. “Hell, E, it looks like he grabbed you hard.”
“It was a vampire.” Rueben’s statement of fact shocked her, and she looked up to find angry blue eyes boring into hers. “Eira?”
“Yes, it was Edward,” she answered, not looking away from him.
“Fuck, the little—”
“Hey, Rueben, it’s alright. Vampires do dickish shit all the time, so do witches and fae. You can just report him to your Council, right?” Josh asked, and something odd flitted across Rueben’s face.
“You mean Elders,” Leth butted in, but was ignored. Rueben pushed a hand through his hair.
“
Can you?” Eira asked softly.
“Sort of, but there’s a couple of problems with that.” He sighed, but none of them said anything as they waited for him to continue. “He is an Elder.”
“What?” Josh demanded, angrier than Eira had ever seen him before, including the time that someone had broken his little sister’s heart. Rueben took a deep breath.
“And so am I.”
She stared at him, not quite sure how to respond. “An Elder?”
“Yes.”
“How old are you?” It wouldn’t change anything, she knew it wouldn’t, but now she was curious.
“A hundred and seventy ish I think. I’m not sure I spent most of the early nineteen hundreds drinking away the memories.”
She pushed past Josh and placed a comforting hand on Rueben’s arm. “I’m sorry.”
“For asking? You have every right to know.”
“No, that you had to live through that. It can’t have been easy.” She looked into his eyes, hoping to convey the emotions she wanted to through them.
“I can’t complain, I found my way to make amends, and now I’ve found something truly worth living for.” He lifted a hand to touch her cheek and it was like the whole room ceased to exist, and only the two of them existed.
“But what does that mean for Edward?” Leth interrupted, ruining the intensity between her and Rueben.
“It means I need to go deal with him. Then I need to go find Eden.”
“What? You’re not coming with us?” She didn’t like the idea of him not being at the ball, she’d been looking forward to the four of them being there together.
“I’ll come as soon as I’m done. I’ll make it, Eira, I promise.”
“And who is Eden?” Leth asked, sticking his nose in again.
“She’s the most reasonable member of the Elders. Don’t worry, she’s already happily mated.”
“I’m not worried,” she told him truthfully. After all, she could read the look in his eyes as well as she would have been able to read her own. “But will you kiss me before you go?”
Saving Eira (Fated Seasons Book 1) Page 8