by April Kelley
“I think if you go out to dinner with the dude people will notice his ears.”
“I know that. I was thinking more of making him dinner here and you buzzkills can leave for the night. That is, if he still wants to stay for a while. Wouldn’t blame him if he did want to go back home what with you people gawking at him as if he’s a two-headed dragon or something.”
Everyone looked at Laith as if he lost his mind. “Yeah, okay. This is fucking weird. Still can you just dial it down a little. You’re upsetting him.”
Kele nudged him and grinned.
Colton started laughing. “I knew it. You like him. You fall for guys way to easily, Laith.”
“Fuck you. At least I don’t sleep with every guy in this town.”
“Considering the town has a population of less than ten thousand people and not very many of them are gay men, that’s not actually a lot,” Colton said. Colton waved him away and changed the subject. “So you can really bring trees and shit like that to life?”
“Yes. All pookas can. We used to help human farms long ago but stopped that practice when Dadga created the door between our worlds. We can also take life away, if necessary.” When Colton moved away from him, he explained, “In plants only. I can’t hurt you.”
“So you can help us with our farm?” This question came from Wyatt
Talli looked at Laith and then away again. “I’ll help however I can, of course. I may not stay long though, depending on if Laith wants to soul bond with me.” Talli looked at Laith again. “I won’t stay if you don’t want me.”
Sly sucked in a breath, his eyes widening. “He thinks you’re his soulmate?”
“I thought we fucking established that already,” Laith said.
Sly frown at him and then coughed into his fist. “What the hell is your problem anyway? If I had a cute little dude like him, elf or not, I’d be all over him.” Sly’s voice sound strange to Talli, as if he were talking while plugging his nose.
“I am not an elf.” Talli knew he was frowning, which was probably rude, but he couldn’t help being offended.
“Whatever.” Sly sort of swayed on his feet for a second and Talli quickly stood. He grabbed on to Sly’s arm from across the table. “Laith,” Talli said, asking him to grab ahold of the man as he was the closest to him.
“Shit,” Laith muttered and grabbed Sly around the waist, steadying him.
Talli let Sly’s arm go, breathing a sigh of relief that the human didn’t fall over and injure himself. When Laith lifted Sly in his arms and carried him from the room, Talli followed close behind them, wanting to make sure Sly was okay.
Laith laid him on a long lounger, which already had bedding available for him. Laith sat down on the edge of the cushion. “You need anything?” He said softly.
“Naw, I’m good. Thanks,” Sly said and coughed suddenly.
Talli put a hand on Laith’s shoulder, leaning over him, to address Sly. “Are you sure? Would you like water?”
“Got a bottle right here,” Sly said, point a thumb behind him to a bottle sitting on a table.
Bottled water? What a strange custom. Instead if commenting on it, Talli said, “If you need something just let us know.”
Laith turned to look at him, giving him a strange look.
“What?”
“Nothing. It’s just that you got real comfortable, real quick,” Laith explained.
“It is our way. You’re my soulmate. Comfort is a given where that’s concerned.”
“We just met.”
Talli straightened and then moved back when Laith stood. “I am aware of that fact, however it doesn’t matter.”
Laith turned to look at him. He started walking towards Talli, which was a bit unnerving given the scowl on his face. “It matters to me.”
“I don’t see why it should.”
Laith took another step towards him. “You don’t see…that is…”
“Don’t you understand the term soulmate? It means we share a—”
“I know what it means. What I don’t understand is how you can be so accepting of it?”
Talli wondered if Laith was aware that he was still walking toward him. Talli doubted it. Not when his words basically rejected him and his actions actively sought Talli out. That last fact was the one that kept Talli in the Upperworld at the moment. Well that and he wouldn’t leave without Kele, who had his own anam cara to court.
Talli was finding it very hard to court a human. Had Laith been Faery, and aware of the fact that he had a soulmate, they would have bonded the second they met.
“Not everyone finds their soulmate, Laith. You are very special to me. Of course, I accept you.” Talli’s back hit the wall, preventing him from going any further.
Laith came so close his body brushed up against Talli’s. Talli put a hand on Laith’s chest and waited to see what he would do. His breath fanned out across Talli’s face as he stood there studying him. What he was looking for, Talli didn’t know. He wasn’t sure he cared when his gaze turned heated and his weight pressed him against the wall further.
Laith braced himself with a hand on the wall next to Talli’s head. “You just accept it? After knowing me less than a day.”
“I know you.” Laith watched Talli’s mouth as he spoke. Talli’s heart pounded in his chest at the realization that Laith wanted a kiss. He just didn’t know how to take what he wanted and still maintain the distance he thought he needed.
“You think you know me.”
“I know I do. For instance, you’re very close to the three other humans in the dwelling. I could tell you have a bond just by the way you helped Sly. I have three people in my life that I’m bonded too in that way as well.”
“Anybody could guess that,” Laith whispered.
Talli could feel Laith’s hard cock, which made his heart speed up even more. “Um…okay…then I know you want to kiss me.”
The corners of Laith’s mouth turned up, giving Talli just a small smile.
“I know your farm is failing and you blame yourself. The thing I don’t understand is why.”
Laith put a finger over Talli’s lips, effectively shutting him up. “If we talk about the farm it’ll ruin the moment.”
Talli smiled and kissed the finger against his lips. Laith took his finger away. “So you acknowledge we’re having a moment, then?”
“Yeah.” Laith looked at his lips as he spoke the word.
Talli slid his hand up Laith’s chest to the nape of his neck, pulling him even closer. When their lips finally connected, something snapped into place for Talli. He stopped doubting that Laith would want him and just gave himself over to the moment.
Laith’s kiss was gentle in a way he hadn’t experienced before. It was as if they were cuddling together. That wonderful contentment that washed over him whenever someone held him close was the same feeling he got when Laith kissed him. It made him wonder if Laith liked to cuddle also. But then they were soulmates so he probably loved it as much as Talli did.
Talli was surprised that Laith didn’t turn the kiss into a demanding quest for more. That was the main thing that made Talli realized just how conflicted Laith truly was about their bonding.
Talli was the one that broke the kiss. He couldn’t let things go farther until Laith was sure of what he wanted. Backing off, was a good idea. Even as he thought that, he pulled Laith down and kissed him again. The whimper that slipped spoke of Talli’s need, but he couldn’t help it.
Laith ended the kiss the second time, pressing his forehead against Talli’s.
“What the hell, man? We’re not keeping them, Laith,” Wyatt said from somewhere in the room.
Laith shut his eyes. The tension in his brother’s words caused Laith’s shoulders to tense as well. It was as if Talli had watched Wyatt put one stone after another on top of Laith and then told him to hold it up.
Talli rubbed the back of Laith’s neck.
“Don’t talk about them like their fucking pets, Wyatt,” Lai
th said without opening his eyes or moving away from Talli.
Talli rubbed down Laith’s back.
“I know they’re not. I just want to make sure you know they’re not. We can’t have more mouths to feed.”
Laith sighed and then finally moved away from Talli, turning to look at Wyatt. “You don’t think I know that. You shove this failed farm down my throat every fucking day. I get it.” Laith took a step in Wyatt’s direction. “But don’t you dare use Talli as yet another reason to keep beating it over my head.”
Colton and Kele came into the room. For the first time since Talli met Colton, he looked subdued. His hands were in the pockets of his pants and he looked at the wood flooring underneath his feet.
“You’re not the one who takes care of the finances, Laith. You don’t see how much money we don’t have.”
“You constantly reminding me doesn’t change anything.”
“Maybe not but buying this farm was your idea.”
Laith looked as if Wyatt punched him in the face. Even Sly, who still lay on the lounger sucked in a breath at Wyatt’s words. Colton’s face turned red.
A silence fell over the whole room and for long seconds no one moved a muscle. Then Laith said, “I’ll be in the barn if anyone needs me.”
Chapter Five
Talli took a deep breath, letting it out again. He had a feeling that Laith’s broken relationship with his brother was directly tied to the land. If Talli was going to help repair one, he’d have to start with the other. Talli contemplated the dilemma as he walked over to a window overlooking the cornfield outside.
The patch of corn he had inadvertently fixed stood a foot taller than the rest of it and it looked lush and green. He could fix the rest of it if the humans wanted him too.
There was a small plant with waxy, dark green leaves and a pretty pink flower in the center sitting on the ledge. The pot had purple and white stripes. Talli touched it and watched it wilt absently. He touched it again and it was healthy as it had been.
He played with the plant absently, thinking about what it would mean if they were stuck here. If they didn’t go back home by the time the sun melted beneath the earth they’d be stuck here, in a place so foreign to them. It didn’t escape Talli’s notice that they looked different from humans. Well, they’re ears looked different but they were hard to hide. They’d be stuck on the farm, with humans who may not want them around. Being soul-mated wasn’t enough, at least not to the humans.
Already the bottom of the sun nearly touched the ground. It cast orange and purple shadows across the clouds. While it was a beautiful sight, it didn’t give them much time to decide what to do.
Talli turned to address Wyatt and found everyone staring at him with their eyes wide and mouths open. Well, all but Kele, who had a small grin on his face.
“Oh my God,” Sly said, voicing what the others thought.
Talli ignored him when he started coughing again. He looked at Kele, silently asking him if he wanted to stay. Kele nodded and that was all it took.
“Is corn the only crop that’s failing on the farm?” Talli asked Wyatt.
“Everything is.”
Talli shook his head. “Everything? I don’t understand. Aren’t you familiar with the practice of farming?”
Wyatt sighed in frustration. “Yes, Laith and I both grew up on one. We know what we’re doing.” Wyatt ran his hand through his hair, much the same way Laith did when he was upset. That one simple gesture brought home the fact that Laith and Wyatt were very similar, which was probably why they argued. “The crops will grow for a while and then nothing. It’s been like that for two fucking years now. We’ll be lucky to own the farm for another year. That’s if we sell off some of the horses.”
Talli remembered the horse in the barn and wondered if he would be sold. Laith and the horse had bonded. Separating them now would be heartbreaking for both of them.
Talli watched Kele place his hand in Wyatt’s, lacing their fingers together. “Talli can help, anam cara,” Kele whispered to him.
Talli held up a hand. “I might be able too.” The bite of cold in the air would kill the plants quickly. The humans would have to move fast if they wanted the crops at all. “How fast can you harvest your crops?”
“You really can help?” Wyatt asked him.
Talli nodded. “If you can bring in the crops on time. Doing all that work in just a day or so will be a challenge.” Talli felt some niggle in the back of his brain, annoying him with its presence. “If all goes well, I can restore your crops easily enough.”
“The hay isn’t doable. It’s too wet and the grass won’t dry out in time even if we could get it in before the first snowfall. The weatherman says that’s going to happen next week sometime,” Wyatt said almost to himself.
“The corn would work. We’d be able to trade some of it for hay. I know a guy who would trade for hay and probably buy the rest,” Sly said from the lounger and then promptly coughed.
“Do you have a kitchen garden that’s went to hell?” Kele asked Wyatt.
“Yeah. Side of the house.”
“Do that first, Talli. I’ll preserve the harvest on my own. That will take care of the food,” Kele said, letting go of Wyatt’s hand and heading back into the kitchen.
Wyatt watched him go. He opened his mouth and Talli thought it might just be to thank Kele, so Talli promptly put a stop to that. “Don’t thank him or you’ll make him angry. We don’t have time to deal with him when he gets like that.”
“But it’s a nice thing for him to do,” Wyatt said, half-turning to follow Kele.
“He’s just tied himself to this dwelling. He doesn’t consider it nice and he doesn’t want to be thanked. He doesn’t need praise. Brownies take care of the dwelling. It’s just what they do, so let him.”
Wyatt opened his mouth and then closed it again. He ran his finger through his hair. “I feel like I’m in a movie.”
Colton started humming a tone that reminded Talli of the forest at night.
Wyatt smirked at him. “Exactly. It’s the fucking twilight zone.” Wyatt looked at Talli once again. “So what do we do?”
“It won’t take long for the corn to turn. The plant will continue to grow and turn green within seconds. It’ll turn brown and be ready to harvest by the next day. Ready your harvesting equipment.”
Kele took that moment to enter the room. His long ears dropped down in that way they sometimes did when he was about ready to get bossy. He pointed at Sly. “You, get in touch with this human you know and make arrangements for the corn.” He pointed to Colton. “You start gathering the equipment.” He pointed to Talli, but stopped talking when Talli raised his eyebrows. Talli wouldn’t let Kele boss him around without making it a joking matter.
“You think your Oberon of this dwelling now, is that it?” Talli teased him.
Kele grinned. “I am the bossiest one here. Might as well put it to good use.”
Talli chuckled. “Dasan would be so proud.”
Kele’s face fell. “Dasan and Awan will be missed.”
Talli walked over to Kele and pulled him into a hug. “We’ll find a way to open the door during Imbolc. We’ll go back to visit then.”
Kele shook his head. “I don’t think there’s a way to open it from this side. I heard Awan say that there was no magic left in the Upperworld.”
“We both found our anam cara’s, Kele. That’s magic all by itself.”
Kele pulled back and then said, “Talli, go get started on the kitchen garden.” He narrowed his eyes at Wyatt. “You’ll need to apologize to Laith.”
Wyatt folded his arms at his chest. “I don’t take orders from you.”
Kele let Talli go, amusement in his eyes. He waved his hand, dismissing Wyatt’s comment as he left the room. “You’ll learn just who runs this dwelling from now on and it isn’t you, human.”
Wyatt followed him out of the room, yelling as he went.
Talli looked at Colton and then at Sly,
gauging their reactions to Kele’s bossy nature. Sly just shook his head and reached for the phone on the small table behind him.
Colton said, “I’ll show you the garden.” They both started out the door together, walking through the kitchen to get to the front door.
Talli looked over to see Kele shaking his finger in Wyatt’s face. “Talli and I are saving you, so just remember, human.”
“I’ll remember that when you remember just who owns this farm, woodland creature.”
Kele sucked in a breath. “I am not a woodland creature, sir. I am a brownie and a Faery, and you will do well to get that through your thick head.”
Talli shook his head and sighed. He stood next to Colton watching them argue. Talli couldn’t seem to look away as each one threw insults at the other.
Talli looked at Colton, wanting to see his reaction. He looked as caught up in the moment as Talli felt. Neither said anything for several minutes.
“I’ve just about had it with your mouth,” Wyatt said and took a step closer to Kele.
“And just what are you going to do about shutting me up.” Kele was brave but stupid. He barely came up to Wyatt’s shoulder. Wyatt could really hurt him if he had a mind to.
Talli took a step in their direction, getting ready to defend his friend when Wyatt lifted Kele off his feet. “I’m gonna do this,” Wyatt said and kissed Kele. It looked like a good kiss too, if the fact that Kele wrapped his arms and legs around Wyatt’s waist was any indication.
Talli breathed a sigh of relief and looked over at Colton with a smile.
Colton sighed. “Well, life on the farm sure got a lot less boring. Come on, pretty, let’s go do our jobs while these two suck each other’s faces off.”
Talli wasn’t outside very long when he started shivering. The air had a bite to it that worked itself deep in his bones. Still, he moved inside the cornfield steadily. He had to finish before the sun fell so the humans could harvest tomorrow.
He felt something warm cover his shoulders and jumped in surprise. He turned to see Laith and held a hand to his chest in relief. “You scared me.”