She stood to pace. Fionna walked in circles throughout the garden while her mind frantically tried to formulate a plan. She would have to stop Kelsha or Kelsha would surely kill her. Fionna knew, all too well, how badly Kelsha craved baby James. The woman would stop at nothing to find him. Killing Fionna would be nothing more than an inconvenience to Kelsha, one that Fionna was sure the evil bitch would enjoy. She was in such deep concentration she didn’t hear footsteps approaching. When a deep voice said “Hello,” she jumped in reflex. She turned and was instantly embarrassed when she saw Diallo standing there. The man, she thought, was an angel as she gazed into his deep blue eyes.
Fionna had only been at the Levannah Manor a few days, but from the moment she saw him, she was smitten. Every time Diallo was near her, Fionna reverted back to a teenage girl, nervous and shy. A conversation with him usually consisted of him talking and her giggling. She always walked away from him feeling giddy and embarrassed. Her frightened heart was now fluttering unevenly with nervousness. Her brain was in a tizzy with thoughts of Kelsha, and Fionna didn’t know if she could handle the butterflies Diallo always made appear in her belly. She usually welcomed them, but today she worried they would make her vomit.
“Hello,” she said back, her voice barely a whisper. She so badly wanted to touch him yet wished he would go away. Her palms were drenched as she rubbed her hands together, trying to rub away the anxiety.
“Fionna, are you alright?” He asked, concern clear in his voice. He took a step toward her, his hand outreached. She could see in his eyes that he was truly worried about her, which made her all the more self-conscious. She must look a mess for him to be so worried. She couldn’t help it. She was wound tight and felt as though she was ready to burst.
“Actually, Diallo, I was just thinking about Kelsha and how angry she will be when she discovers what I have done,” she said and sat down on the nearest marble bench. The bench appeared to be hard as stone, but formed to her body nicely when she sat, and it was soft as air beneath her.
“We will protect you, Fionna. I will protect you,” he said in a voice that made her believe him.
“I have every faith that everyone here will try to protect me, but Kelsha is dark. She is dangerous beyond anyone’s imagination. She will find me. I just have to be ready when she does,” she replied, trying to sound strong through her shaky voice. Fionna flinched slightly when Diallo reached out and gently took her hand in his. She looked up at him feeling self-conscious again, until he smiled down at her, making her heart melt.
He'd been so kind to her since her arrival. He didn't judge her or seem to look at her like the horrible person she felt she was. She couldn't deny her attraction to him but had resolved to never finding love again. Friendship maybe was all she thought she deserved, after what she had done to Shep. Fionna made peace with what she had done. She accepted that because of her decisions, she would not be able to find true love. She was thankful for Diallo’s friendship, even if he made her heart do flips every time he was near her. She never imagined this angel-like man could maybe feel something for her in return. He gently squeezed her hand, which caused her heart to dance with excitement and those butterflies began to flutter. All her worries of Kelsha were slowly fading and she wondered if this is what real love was supposed to feel like. She thought she loved Shep, but she never felt like this with him. She had never felt like this with any man.
“I will protect you, Fionna,” he said softly before bringing her hand to his lips and kissing it softly. She shrank back shyly and giggled. He dropped her hand and wound his arms around her, pulling her close. “I think we might have something special, Fionna. I refuse to let Kelsha ruin what we have before we know what it is. Trust me please. My duty in life is to protect people. That is what I was born to do. Let me protect you,” he said before resting his head on top of hers.
She had no words to say. Fionna wanted to believe they had something special, a spark, or a connection. It was terribly romantic, love at first sight, but she knew she felt deeply for the man and wanted his protection. The thought of a man, especially this man, wanting her was foreign and part of her warned her to be careful. Things were moving fast, and she knew she would have to fight in the impending war. Now was not the time to be making connections of any kind with anyone. It was, however, beyond her control, and she made herself a promise to make it through the fight. She had to know what the future held with Diallo in her life. Maybe this was her second chance to be happy, to truly be good. She squeezed him gently and let her head relax on his chest. His arms felt natural around her, and she knew any future with him would be bright.
She could have stayed there forever, with him, but there was so much to do. Plans had to be made. The war could not be put off forever. Kelsha would come looking soon. They had to be prepared. She had to make peace with Lilly and Shep. She had to know they were going to be able to stand and fight together without the past creeping up and taking hold of them. Jealousy would be a real, raw emotion for Lilly. Fionna worried it would not only hinder the fight, but the future of all three of them.
“I could stay like this forever, Diallo, but we both have a future fight to plan for and I have some demons to lay to rest. I do hope we make it through this. I am curious to see what the future holds for the two of us,” she said and smiled up at him, feeling suddenly courageous. Diallo smiled back before releasing his hold on her. No words had to be said. Fionna stood and gently blew a kiss to him before leaving him sitting alone in the garden.
She made her way to the house intent on finding Shep. She was relieved to find him sitting on the front porch, alone. “Hey, stranger,” she said and he jumped slightly. He had been in deep thought and had not heard her walk up. He laughed it off and stood to greet her. “Hello, Fionna, how are you?” He replied before hugging her softly and sitting back on the porch.
“I am well, Shep. Lilly has been wonderful. Actually the entire family has been amazing and accepting of me.”
“Yeah, they are great,” he replied. Their once easy flow was suddenly awkward. Fionna didn’t like feeling this way around Shep. She cared for him deeply and wanted nothing more than to move on with him as her friend. She didn’t want to give him up completely, but she would, if she had to.
“Look, Shep, I know things are strange between us but I don’t want them to be. This is the thing. I have made some serious mistakes in my life. I have hurt a lot of people, but I don’t want to hurt anyone anymore. I love you, Shep with all my heart. You are an amazing man, and I am so terribly sorry for what I did to you and to Lilly. I know the two of you belong together, there is no denying that. As much as I love you, I don’t love you in the way I thought I did. I cherish your friendship, Shep, and I really hope you can forgive me and allow me to stay in your life,” she said, hoping he believed her. He didn’t respond immediately. Instead, he sat quietly, thinking of the right words to say. The silence was thick around Fionna. She felt the blood coursing through her veins, quickly and anxiously. Her heart was pounding hard and fast. She hadn’t realized how terribly it would hurt not having Shep in her life. Being surrounded by his silence put it into perspective. Just when she thought she couldn’t take his silence any longer Shep finally spoke.
“Fionna, you are an amazing woman and I will be forever in debt to you for bringing my boy home. We have both done things in the past we are not proud of. We both fell into evil’s trap. You are no more to blame than I am. Lilly is my other half though. I can’t physically or emotionally love anyone like I love her. My connection to Lilly runs so deep it hurts and knowing that I broke her heart shatters mine. All that said I care very deeply for you, Fionna. I am blessed to have loved and been loved by you. You will always have a place in my heart, Fionna and I would be honored to call you my friend,” he replied.
Fionna hadn’t realized the tears spilling from her eyes until Shep reached his hand up to her cheek and wiped them away. “I am proud to have loved you too, Shep. You will always be in
my heart as well and I hope to always have you as my friend.” Shep draped an arm around her shoulder, and the two of them sat in silence basking in their newfound friendship.
~Chapter Three~
Kelsha felt the impending war deep in her bones. The feeling excited her greatly. Having her Hybrid by her side only stoked the flames in her belly. At times, the thought of her two men actually being one made her feel slightly strange but most of the time she felt like the luckiest woman in Neveah. Who else could claim to be loved by the sweetest, kindest man, while being desired by the darkest most twisted man? Her heart was filled with love and adoration while her body was satisfied by lust and animalism. Her life could be perfect. Would be perfect, as soon as the Levannah family was dethroned and all of Neveah followed her.
She heard the man’s body stir in the bed as she stood near the window admiring her land. She could feel his eyes on her, though he didn’t make a sound. Her olive skin was exposed and glistened in the ray of moonlight that grazed through her window. Her ebony hair fell around her shoulders to the small of her back. She felt powerful and sexy standing there with nothing between her bare body and his eyes except the thick strands of her tresses. With each tiny movement, a strand would wave slightly exposing a new patch of skin to tease him. Yes. She knew he was watching her.
Standing there like an exhibitionist, feeling his eyes on her and knowing he would be hard and ready should she choose to take him, made her own sex begin to warm and moisten. Being on display was an aphrodisiac to Kelsha. Her mind swam as she imagined him watching while she gently caressed her breasts and swayed slightly in the ray of light. She allowed one hand to slide between her legs while the other continued its massage of her upper body. The area between her legs was warm and slippery, and she let out a stifled gasp when her finger found the soft area of skin that always caused her body to shudder with pleasure. She continued to pleasure herself, first slowly, gently, but as her blood began to boil under her skin, the movements became faster, more frenzied. She lifted a breast to her mouth and let her tongue fall until it tickled her nipple. Her fingers massaged the drenched area between her legs until she could take no more. She slid one finger inside while the others stimulated her special spot. She rolled her nipples between her fingers just hard enough to feel a twinge of pain. Her hands worked furiously until her body began to tremble, her belly tightened, and her breath stopped. She hung her head forward while her body continued to pulse and orgasm.
She remained curled forward until her breath returned, and her mind was able to see through the fog. After a few moments, Kelsha straightened her body and turned to face her audience. He was magnificent. His tawny skin was glistening with sweat and anticipation. He had nothing covering his body save his hand that was wrapped tightly around his shaft. His body was tense and every muscle stood at attention, pulling his skin tight around them. “Have you saved some for me, or did you keep it all to yourself?” He asked her as she moved leisurely toward him. She laughed wickedly before asking if he enjoyed the show.
“You have no idea what you do to me, woman. Just watching you touch yourself is enough to bring me pleasure, but I want more than pleasure, Kelsha. I want ecstasy. I want you on top of me. I want to feel myself inside of you. I want to suck and caress your breast while my manhood intoxicates you until you are lying limp and gratified on my chest,” he answered as he reached for her, pulling her on top of him.
She buried her mouth on his, their tongues swirling together, their teeth gently nibbling the other’s lips. His hands ran across her skin until they found her soft spot. The heat and moisture caused his manhood to rise again, and his cold fingers sent a shock of pleasure through her body. The foreplay was maddening, driving them both to the brink of insanity until she finally lowered herself onto his shaft, and he took her breasts in his mouth.
She moved deliberately and smoothly. She tried to move slowly but the tension was already heightened, and she couldn’t control her body. His hands found her hips, encouraging them to move faster, harder. He released her breast from his mouth, allowing her to sit upright, giving him a view of her magnificent body. He loved seeing her face when he took her over the edge. He took a tight grip on her ass, squeezing and slapping, while she rode him to pleasure. When he could hold back no longer, he allowed himself to fill her with his passion as her body bucked, and she screamed in pleasure.
She collapsed on his chest, limp and gratified, just as he had said he wanted her. He never failed to please her. Even when their lovemaking was gentle, and she wasn’t brought to complete ecstasy, he always pleased her completely. Kelsha had never been happier.
“I love you,” she whispered in his ear.
“Which one?” He whispered back, and she could hear the sinister in Jax’s voice.
“I love you both,” she told him surely before kissing his lips and rolling off him.
He was satisfied with her answer. Though both Jax and Heren were confident in her love for them, every once in a while, one would feel slighted by the other. It was those times she had to confirm her love of both of them. The situation really was perfect. At times, she could almost forget about the past and the future. She would never admit to anyone that she was nearly content in her present. Kelsha, for the first time in her life, felt truly loved. She had her man, her people, her fortress, and soon she would have her baby back. She secretly questioned finishing the war she helped create, and at times she just thought she would be happy to disappear in her newfound love and life, but that was only part of Kelsha.
Kelsha knew that for every gratifying tickle, there was a sinister pinch and the pinch always felt just a tiny bit stronger than the tickle. She truly hoped that defeating the Levannah’s and having Neveah to rule as her own would help satisfy her constant yearning for conflict.
She propped herself up on one elbow to look at her lover. A million thoughts had passed through her brain in the few seconds she took to adjust herself next to him. He was watching her longingly and any doubts she had regarding Jax’s loyalty had disappeared. He had proved to her both in bed and in daily life that he was there to stay. That he loved her. She couldn’t say how much of his loyalty was Jax, or Heren peeking through, but she didn’t care.
“Love,” she began as she traced a circle around his nipple. “I think it’s time to bring the boy home.
His response would convey a huge message to Kelsha. She was thankful when he turned his head to look her in the eye and responded, “Yes, it’s time we were a family.”
The time was right, she would go retrieve her son, and then she would finish the war.
~Chapter Four~
I tried to hide the jealousy when I came upon Shep and Fionna. She was snuggled up against him, and his arm wrapped protectively around her. Their position didn’t look loving in any way, but just seeing the two of them touching caused tiny fractures in my heart. I despised the resentment I was feeling and pushed it away. At least, I tried to.
“Hey you two,” I exclaimed just a little too forcefully. I could hear the tremor in my voice and cursed myself for exposing my insecurities. They didn’t jump up and instantly begin explaining the situation in which they had been caught. Instead, Fionna looked up at me, her eyes red and glossy from crying, wiped her crimson nose, and said, “Hey, Lilly.” Shep’s arm fell from around her shoulder’s to her back where his hand rubbed vigorously, clearly trying to make her feel better. She turned to hug him before reaching a hand up to me and asking, “Can you help me up, Lilly?” I felt like an ass having been so jealous moments before and allowing that to show. I was deeply grateful neither of them acknowledged it.
I helped her up and was taken back when she wrapped her little arms around me and held me there tightly. “Thank you, Lilly,” she whispered. “Thank you for letting me say goodbye to him.”
I wrapped my arms around her in return. I knew what she meant by goodbye. She wasn’t leaving us, but she was leaving her relationship with Shep, and he was leaving that par
t of her. “Thank you for giving him back,” I replied softly in her ear, only loud enough for her to hear. I felt the jealousy weaken and cursed myself for allowing my heart to feel it so strongly. I had grown very fond of Fionna in the short time we had spent together and wanted nothing more than to be her friend. I consciously buried any resentment I harbored toward Fionna and Shep and promised myself that I would try very hard not to let it creep up on me again.
“Well,” I began when Fionna released her grip on me. “We need to come up with a strategy. We don’t have a lot of time to waste. Kelsha will come for James soon. Who knows what she will do when she gets to Antiope to find Fionna and James gone.” The two of them stood quietly. Shep looked as though his mind was doing cartwheels, and Fionna wore a genuine look of fear. The woman was a tiny thing, and her gift of emotional manipulation was not going to protect her in a battle. I thought of suggesting she stay at the Levannah Manor until the war was over, which was tempting, but I knew she would want to help. I also knew she would be no good to us if we had to look after her. My mind was spinning. There was so much to think about, so much to do, so much to lose, and time was a precious commodity that was running low for everyone.
“First things first,” Fionna said, breaking me out of my own head. “We have to hide James. I truly believe the Levannah Manor is the first place she will look when realizes he is missing.”
“I know, but where in Neveah would she not think to look for him? Where would my boy be safe?” I asked to no one, specifically. Shep, whom had been quiet since my finding him and Fionna embraced, finally spoke. “I have an idea, but I need to speak to my mother first. Actually, I think we need to call a meeting and try to hammer out some details. Come on,” he said and grabbed my hand. He pulled me into the house with him while Fionna followed behind us.
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