“Earth shifters,” Rui told Alesia.
Alesia looked at them again. They stared back at her, unsmiling. They had Adric’s tough, catlike body. Neither of them were as big as most of the Rock Run fada, but she wouldn’t want to meet either one in a dark alley.
“Don’t worry,” Rui said. “Dion has an agreement with Adric. We have three days to take down Jorge and the others—then all bets are off. That’s not going to stop them from dogging our steps, but they’ll only see what we want them to see.”
They all trooped into the rowhouse. Rui took charge then, deploying his warriors in various directions. In a few minutes he and three of the men had shed their leather jackets and donned various disguises, then slipped out through a basement exit that was apparently unknown to the Baltimore fada.
Dion went out the front door, having volunteered to search the streets nearby as himself. If the earth shifters wanted to trail him, so much the better.
Chico had been deployed to guard Alesia. He visibly swallowed his disappointment and ushered her to the front room and a seat on one of the plain, denim-covered couches, while he took the other.
“So,” he said with his most charming smile. “You’re Tiago’s mate, huh?”
She recalled the day Chico had visited her. She’d avoided him like she had all the Rock Run fada save for Tiago and Rui. When he’d finally coaxed her out of hiding, he’d given her that same white, easy smile, but she’d sensed a predatory edge beneath.
Now she could tell he was not happy to hear the news about her and Tiago. But the predatory edge was gone, too, which told her more than anything that he’d accepted it as truth. No, he was in full protective-fada-male mode, questioning her about last night, asking if she wanted something to eat.
They ended up playing cards, Chico teaching her blackjack and then staking her fifty dollars “to make it interesting.”
She shrugged and went along. Dion might think he had her safely stashed in this rowhouse, but he had it wrong. She might be just a tree-hugging, peace-loving dryad, but she was not going to wait tamely while they rescued Tiago. This was her mate’s life at stake and something told her she needed to be there.
That he needed her there.
And it wasn’t that Fausto had been so insistent that she should go. Her own instincts were saying the same thing.
And so she would be—as soon as she figured out how to lose Chico.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Alesia gazed down at Fells Point from her perch in a scraggly street tree.
Across the narrow road, a small sign labeled a three-story rowhouse as the Full Moon Saloon. Everything about it marked it as a fada bar: the plain brick exterior, the dark plate-glass window, the howling-wolf logo and the forbidding man with the shaved head guarding the front door.
So this was where they were bringing Tiago.
It was three-thirty; he’d be here any minute. It hadn’t been hard to find the saloon. Tiago had awakened about thirty minutes ago, allowing her to pinpoint his general whereabouts to within a block or two—and after that, she’d simply asked directions.
And in the end, it hadn’t been hard to get away from the Rock Run fada, either.
Dion had returned to the rowhouse around two o’clock, and at her enquiring look, had shaken his head. “Sorry, querida. We haven’t found him. The S.O.B.s must be using some kind of magic to hide him. I contacted Cleia, and she has her cousin Olivia working on it, but unfortunately, she’s only able to trace him to this general area as well.”
“So what’s going to happen?”
“I’m going to meet Jorge at the Full Moon Saloon at four.”
Alesia had bitten her lip. “Can I speak to you in private?” she’d asked with a glance at Chico.
“Of course. Go outside,” Dion told the younger man. “Give those earth shifters someone else to worry about. And then get yourself to the Full Moon by three-thirty. Jorge doesn’t know you well, but just in case, grab a jacket from a human store to disguise your scent. We’re putting you and Eliana inside. She’ll meet you there.”
“Yes, sir!” Chico headed for the door.
“Well?” Dion cocked a single black brow at Alesia.
“You know Tiago’s going to use his Gift against you. That has to be what they want him to do.”
“Do you think I don’t know that? But he can’t hold me. I’m his alpha—if it comes down to it, I’m his dominant. He’ll submit to me.”
“Are you sure?” She swallowed hard. She’d been thinking about this for the past couple of hours, but it was still hard to volunteer for what could turn into a full-out brawl. “I’ll go with you to the bar. If Tiago sees me, he’ll know I’m—”
“No,” Dion interjected. “It’s too damn risky. What if Jorge and Mys get to you first?”
“I’ll make sure they don’t see me. If there’s one thing I’m good at, it’s blending in.”
“Sim?” Dion looked unconvinced. “I don’t think so, little one. I thank you for offering, but Jorge’s sick—he’s not thinking straight. Even with Tiago, he’s not going to be able to control me.”
“But what if you’re wrong? What if Tiago can overpower you?”
“If it comes to that, my men have orders to knock him out. He can’t use his Gift if he’s unconscious. Now, here’s what you’re going to do: go back to Rock Run. I need Chico at the Full Moon, and I can’t leave you here unprotected. There’s a ward on the house to keep intruders out, but wards can be broken. I want you safe at Rock Run.”
“But—”
Dion held up a hand. “Por favor, Alesia. Indulge me, sim?”
She blew out a breath and nodded.
Rui had returned then and the two men had bundled her out the back door where a large peach tree in full bloom presided over the tiny yard between the house and the harbor.
“It’s not an oak,” Dion said, “but you can use it for transportation, yes? Now, promise me you’ll go straight back to Rock Run.”
“All right. I will.”
“Good girl. Now, don’t worry. I’m not going to let anyone hurt your mate.”
He pulled her in and planted a kiss on each of her cheeks, and she gave him a quick, shy kiss in return. Rui gave her a hard hug, then interlinked his fingers to give her a boost into the tree. She went up another couple of branches until she was at the tree’s heart, surrounded by beautiful pink blossoms with carmine hearts, and set a hand on the rough grayish-brown bark.
The peach practically quivered with delight at having a dryad in its branches. She murmured her thanks and a promise to return soon for a longer visit, and then with a wave to the two men, was on her way back north.
She hadn’t lied to Dion and Rui. She did return to Rock Run, where she went first to her island to pick up a few necessary things, then on to Dina, then back down to Fells Point. All that ’porting should have been tiring, but she was running on adrenaline.
Now Alesia narrowed her eyes at the bar’s dark, gritty exterior. Tiago was somewhere nearby, she was sure of it.
But not in the Full Moon. He was somewhere close, but not in this building. She had the feeling he was underground—a basement or a shifter den. She shuddered.
But that meant she could enter the saloon without him knowing.
She didn’t have to be a mind reader to know Tiago wouldn’t want her here. And Dion was not going to be happy when he realized she was back in Baltimore.
A few days ago the thought of their anger would’ve had her scurrying back to her island, tail between her legs. But not now. She’d held her own with Mys and Orius, had even found the courage to stand up to Mys. She’d gone into the heart of a fada base and found they weren’t all that different from her.
If she and Tiago were mates, he was going to have to accept that she had the right to make her own decisions. Otherwise he’d walk all over her and neither of them would be happy. Fada respected strength. Tiago wouldn’t want a weak mate any more than she wanted to be one.
&n
bsp; On the sidewalk below the tree, a herd of college students making an early start on their Friday night rumbled past. The scent of beer and cigarettes rose to her perch. She shifted, reluctant to leave the safety of its branches.
She’d been in bars before, because hey, she might be a solitary but that didn’t mean she didn’t have needs like everyone else. But always with at least one of her sisters—and those bars had been for humans and the occasional slumming fae. They might be loud and filled with people who’d had too much to drink, but she’d felt safe enough in them, especially with her sisters to back her up.
The Full Moon Saloon was quiet enough, with the music playing at a lower level to accommodate a shifter’s acute hearing, but that only served to emphasize that it was a fada bar. She glanced again at the forbidding exterior and flashed on Mys, gazing at her as cold and unblinking as a shark. And Adric, tearing out Orius’s throat in that silent, efficient way…
Her neck and shoulders tightened and her heart rapped hard against her rib cage. Who was she kidding? She was scared out of her freaking mind.
But Tiago needed her.
She realized she was clinging to the tree like a monkey. She took a deep breath, released the trunk and leapt to the ground.
As she crossed the street, she donned Dina’s large black sunglasses, concealing the most fae part of her. Dina had been dying to come with her, but Alesia had put her off by saying she had a date with Tiago. It wasn’t a lie; she did have a date with Tiago. Just not the kind Dina assumed.
“Do Rio?” Her sister had grinned. “That Rock Run shifter? I knew something was up.”
Alesia had nodded. “Can I tell you a secret? You can’t tell Mama—promise.”
“I promise. Now what is it?”
“He’s my mate.”
Her sister’s mouth fell open. “You’re kidding.”
“It’s true.” And while Dina was taking that in, Alesia had borrowed the sunglasses and a pair of black skinny jeans, sprayed herself with eau-de-something-lemony to disguise her scent and helped herself to a tube of bright red lipstick.
Now she walked up the short flight of steps. The big doorman had the yellow eyes of a wolf.
“I.D.?” he asked in a bored voice, clearly not realizing she was a dryad.
She let out a breath. First hurdle passed.
Fortunately, she’d obtained the correct card several years ago, and she had the fifty dollars she’d won from Chico tucked into her purse. She produced the driver’s license with a flourish. He glanced from the card to her, taking in the tight black pants and Cleia’s ankle boots, and waved her inside.
She walked down a short hall into a room full of large, powerful fada males. Oh, there were a few females and humans, but most of the tables held men with a warrior’s big body and stony eyes. She didn’t see any of the men she’d come to Baltimore with, though. Dion and Rui must be keeping them out of sight.
Speculative male stares settled on her. Cleia’s leather jacket nipped in at the waist, showing off her ass and legs in the skinny jeans. She’d twisted her unruly hair into a braid that fell over one shoulder and put on the lipstick she’d borrowed from Dina.
It was camouflage, plain and simple. Like she’d told Dion, if there was one thing she was good at, it was blending in. Hopefully, no one from Rock Run would connect the shy, retiring dryad with this woman.
Keeping the sunglasses on, she headed for the long, polished-oak bar and ordered a beer. She took a sip and glanced around unsmiling.
She’d arrived early. Tiago wasn’t at the bar yet, and neither was Jorge or Mys.
She glanced down the bar and froze. Chico was seating himself at one end of the bar next to a pretty woman with dark, curly hair. He was wearing a cap and a gray hoodie, but it was him all right. He murmured something to the woman, who must be Eliana.
Alesia spun around, giving them her back. When her beer came, she took it to the back of the bar, where she settled into a dark corner out of their line of sight.
The music changed to a slow, pulsating blues. Alesia was as susceptible to music as most fae. Her eyes drifted shut, her body swaying in time to the droning, hypnotic rhythm, forgetting for a few seconds why she was there. The man on the recording began to sing in a low, gravelly voice.
She opened her eyes to find a man—a human—propped against the wall next to her, a beer bottle in one hand. He slanted her a look. “The man rocks, doesn’t he? John Lee Hooker.”
“Is that who it is?” She turned her head to look at him. He was a cute blond, his eyes glazed with drink. Perfect. More camouflage.
She shifted closer so that his body shielded hers from the rest of the bar and placed a hand on his arm. “I like it. It makes me want to move.”
He smiled, not too drunk to pick up on such a clear signal, and tilted his head in the direction of the tiny dance floor. “Wanna dance?”
“Not right now.” That would be like painting a bull’s-eye on her back. “But maybe later.” She lifted the bottle to her lips.
His gaze narrowed on her mouth, pursed around the brown glass neck. “Why don’t we sit down then?”
Without waiting for an answer, he put a hand on the small of her back and steered her to a booth to their right. He waved her to sit down before him, then sat on the bench next to her so that she was trapped on the inside of the booth with him to her left. She allowed it since it concealed her not only from the front door, but most of the other tables.
Now the only thing to do was wait.
* * *
It turned out Alesia’s new friend was named Sean. He’d been out of college for a few years and worked in IT.
He asked about herself and she responded with her usual cover. Humans were much more at ease with a forester named Lisa than a dryad.
Ten minutes passed, when suddenly, her heart gave a hard thump. She knew without looking that Tiago had entered the bar. But they were coming from the back, not the front as she’d expected. From the booth, Alesia had a clear view of the long wooden bar and a short passage that led to the saloon’s back door. Her eyes widened as Jorge came down the passageway followed by Tiago and Mys. She dove sideways so that the walls of the booth hid her.
She couldn’t let Tiago find out she was here before Dion arrived. She had no idea how strong his Gift was, but Jorge and Mys had beaten him once. This time she was going to make sure that the odds were on his side.
Jorge growled something at Tiago. She sneaked a peek from under the table. Jorge was herding Tiago in the opposite direction, toward the bar.
“Lisa?” asked Sean. “You all right?”
She sat up again. “My purse,” she muttered obscurely and lifted it to show him.
He nodded and took another drink of his beer.
She waited until her heart stopped pounding and then risked a look around Sean. Tiago was standing at the bar with Jorge and Mys on either side of him, all three with their backs to her.
Tiago was still wearing the T-shirt and cargo pants from yesterday, but they’d found him a pair of canvas shoes and his shoulder-length hair was secured with a leather thong. She leaned sideways so she could see his face in the long mirror behind the counter. He was still bruised, but his color was better than when she’d last seen him, and he seemed to be moving okay.
That was a relief; at least they hadn’t beaten him further, although Jorge and Mys looked like they’d been in a scuffle.
The bartender brought Jorge and Mys whisky, while Tiago stuck to water.
Sean rested an arm on the seatback behind her. His mouth moved and she nodded without hearing, all her senses trained on Tiago. He glanced around the room and she felt him searching for her. She tamped down the mate bond and shrank down on the seat next to her companion.
She hadn’t expected Tiago to sense her so quickly. Their bond was solidifying, something that would’ve thrilled her any other time.
The bar clock had a big white face with plain black metal hands. The long hand moved another notch.
Ten to four. Dion should arrive any minute now.
Across the room, Tiago took a sip of water before looking surreptiously around again. Chico and Eliana had taken a table across the bar. Tiago glanced at them and stiffened, but he kept his face expressionless and turned back to nod at something Jorge said.
But a minute later he was scanning the room again, his worry and fear for her saturating their bond.
Alesia’s belly clenched. She ached to go to him, let him know she was all right. But she told herself she was doing the right thing.
Without her, Jorge had no hold on Tiago; nothing else would’ve brought him here. Once Tiago knew she’d escaped, he’d be free to fight back. But if Jorge found out she was here before Dion arrived, he or Mys would simply grab her again and they’d be back where they’d started.
And this time, she might not get free. She hadn’t forgotten Jorge’s threats—or the way Mys had seemed to like hurting her.
Then it occurred to her that unlike last night, today she had a squad of fada warriors backing her up. Her lips curved in a way that made Sean blink and stop in a middle of a sentence.
She nodded and smiled more naturally. “You were saying?”
There was a stir at the entrance and Dion entered. Even Sean sensed the danger. He glanced over his shoulder and gulped.
The Rock Run alpha halted in the center of the room and crossed his arms, large and lethal in the black leather jacket and weathered jeans. He looked exactly what he was—the most powerful male in a clan of warriors and assassins.
The bar went silent. A couple of humans slipped out the door.
Jorge eyed Dion in the mirror. Then, moving so deliberately it was an insult, he finished his shot, set the glass on the bar and turned around, dragging Tiago with him so that he stood a little to the front and side of him.
Dion gave his brother an unreadable look and then raised a brow at Jorge. “Well? You’ve got me here. Now what?”
“I challenge you to a duel for alpha of—”
“No,” Dion cut him off. “Challenges are to settle claims within the clan. You’re an exile and an oath-breaker. You have no right to challenge me.”
Tempting the Dryad Page 26