Fighting Fate: Book 2 of the Warrior Chronicles

by Leigh Morgan

  Peri-menopause must be flooding her with hormones designed to make her crazy, irrational and hyper-emotional. Knowing that she was nuts didn’t stop images of Shay, fresh from the shower, from burning into her brain.

  The fact was she hadn’t encountered either one of them in the house since Shay first showed her to what he called her ‘room’, which was actually a suite with a small kitchenette, a full bath, a separate room for sleeping, and a sitting room, didn’t make the threat less real. Just in case her room wasn’t enough to attend to her needs and secure her privacy, she also had a sliding glass door that led to her own private patio. A patio with enough outdoor furniture to host an intimate garden dinner for twelve. On her second day there, Shay had a drafting table and art supplies delivered so she could continue sketching her jewelry designs. She wanted for nothing. Shay attended to all here needs, save one. And since that one just served to piss her off she didn’t put a name to it.

  Damn the man and his courteous solicitude to bloody, everlasting hell.

  She’d barely caught a glimpse of him in days. Shay spent all his time with Magnus, which she couldn’t really blame him for. A man had a right to get to know his son, and a son his father. She didn’t begrudge either of them that. Mari just couldn’t understand why she was being ignored by them both.

  Because you insisted that Shay leave you alone.

  She hated it when inner-self insisted on honesty. She could have left anytime. She stayed because of the unfinished business between her and Sham…Shay, Mari corrected herself. Sham died in her heart a long time ago. Magnus would forge his own path. She and Seamus had made sure he was strong, caring and kind. He was smart as a whip too, but he’d popped out that way and Mari didn’t think she had much to do with it beyond nurturing and challenging him every step of the way. Seamus had done the same.

  Now, all three of the men in her life had abandoned her.

  Even her father had gone to the dark side. Seamus spent his days helping out at Potter’s Woods. Reed Mohr set up a small smithy and Seamus kept busy crafting jewelry and daggers, items of refinement and war, for the benefit of the residents. Seamus gave minor tasks to many of the residents as he worked. They were thrilled and he was in his glory, lecturing and creating and flirting with every female who flocked to his demonstrations. Still, her father’s eyes lit with genuine affection every time Mary Campbell crossed his path, which was often.

  Mari didn’t even get to see Seamus at night. He spent every evening with one or more of the men coming and going from Potters Woods. He played cards with a man Shay reverently referred to as Sensei, and Henry, husband to Finn, the most sensually beautiful woman Mari had ever seen. Sometimes Shay, Magnus, Jesse and Jordon would join them. Her father argued with Charlie, resident historian, poet and art critic over just about everything, including whether Shakespeare actually wrote the works attributed to him and whether he was bi-sexual.

  In short, Seamus sparkled with life. In all her life, Mari had never seen her father so happy and carefree. The sounds of Magnus’s frequent deep laughter combined with images of her son’s ready smile haunted her too. Her men were happy, and she was miserable.

  It was 9:00 a.m. and already she’d exhausted the sketching potential of the day. She just wasn’t creative when she was pissed-off and feeling sorry for herself; the latter she deplored on principle alone, the former she whole-heartedly embraced given its cause.

  Mari looked at the quiet beauty of the late summer morning, the bees buzzing their last hurrah as they flit from one lush blossom to the next. She set down her cup of tepid tea and said to the universe, not caring whether said universe was actually listening: “Screw this.”

  Then she got up, brushed herself off, picked up the credit card from the mantle Shay had left in case of ‘emergency’, and headed up to the big yellow house in the glen, leaving everything she brought with her behind.

  It was time for a fresh start. And Mari intended to create some damage along the way to forging it.

  CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR

  Mari ran into Taryn and Daisy on the path that ran from Jesse and Shay’s house to Potter’s Woods. Mari was glad she had this opportunity to speak with Taryn. She nodded toward the satchel Daisy was valiantly struggling to keep on her thin shoulder as she pulled Taryn along the path.

  Mari nodded toward the satchel and asked Taryn, “Are you moving?”

  Taryn stopped, effectively stopping Daisy’s mission-march mid-stride. Taryn grabbed the satchel and threw it over her much larger shoulder with the ease of long habit. She smiled down at Daisy so the girl wouldn’t take offense. “Yes. I won’t stay in Jesse’s house anymore. I don’t feel like I belong there. Truth is, I feel like a prisoner that no one wants to talk to.”

  Mari’s heart beat painfully in her chest. “I know the feeling.”

  Daisy looked up at Mari. “Why don’t you move into the big house with Taryn? We have more than enough rooms. I love Uncle Shay and he’s always nice to me, but mom says he can be a colossal pain in the as-ah-bottom.”

  Mari laughed. Taryn grinned. Daisy continued.

  “Aunt Finn has a really nice workshop that’s like a cottage. She stays there when she’s mad at Uncle Henry, which she’s not now. So you could stay there if you’d rather be on your own, Mrs. Alexander.”

  Mari’s heart melted. She liked this girl. She liked this place too. She liked that her father had the opportunity to show the residents how to craft jewelry. She liked Reed, who seemed to know Shay better than she did these days. She even liked Jesse, who went out of his way to make her feel comfortable. Unfortunately, she had no clue exactly how or what she felt for Shay, and what if anything she was going to do about it, once she figured what out what ‘it’ was.

  “I’d like to stay anywhere Shay isn’t, but I need to be close to Magnus and my father. Thank you for your offer Daisy. Finn’s cottage sounds lovely.” Mari said sincerely.

  “Magnus is hot. He’s nice too. Do you think it’s too early to ask him to marry me?”

  Mari choked and Taryn laughed, an infectious sound that made Mari laugh too. She didn’t want to hurt Daisy’s feelings.

  “Magnus is a nice person, and at the risk of sounding too proud, he is very handsome. It’s probably a wee bit soon to commit yourself to a lifetime with him just yet lass, don’t you think? Better to keep your options open than to settle for the first pretty face.”

  “Did you keep your options open after you met Uncle Shay? I bet he was pretty way back then since he’s so good looking now.” Daisy was curious and open and not prying, yet the question lanced Mari’s heart so thoroughly that no fire on earth seemed capable of cauterizing it.

  “No, lass. I didn’t.”

  Daisy thought about that. Then she grew serious. “If I agree to keep my options open and I enjoy other boys’ company, can I ask Magnus to marry me when I grow up?”

  “When do you think you’ll be all grown up?”

  “I’ll be thirteen in a few days. I skipped two grades already so I should finish college when I’m nineteen. I’ll take two years to ‘sow my wild oats’ as uncle Shay says, even though I don’t like oats, but he’s insistent. So I’m thinking I’ll be all grown up and ready for Magnus to marry me by the time I’m twenty-one. Can I ask him then?”

  Taryn whistled, obviously impressed with the logic of Daisy’s plan. Mari had to admit she was impressed as well. Magnus could do a lot worse, and many a sip was missed betwixt cup and lip in a decade, a very pivotal decade at that. It wouldn’t hurt to indulge Daisy. Mari didn’t want to step on Daisy’s almost thirteen year old heart. Besides, she was certain the girl would forget all about this conversation before she became a teenager.

  “Yes, lass. When you’re all grown up you can ask with my blessing. Magnus would be lucky to have you.” Mari said, remembering that nothing would have kept her from Shay’s side when she was twelve or eighteen. Nearer to forty than thirty-five was a whole different matter.

  None of the women
had any idea where this conversation would ultimately lead them. Had they, at least two of them would have hit the rewind button. Mari shook off the feeling of foreboding trying to wrap its way around her shoulders.

  “I think I’d like to stay in Finn’s cottage if that is acceptable. I’m not fit company at the moment.” Mari said to Daisy. Then she forced a smile and produced Shay’s emergency credit card. “But I intend to start feeling much better soon.” She wagged the card in the air. “Anyone up for a wee bit o’shopping?”

  CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE

  “You stole my credit card.”

  Mari didn’t look up from her e-reader as she answered. “You left it for me to use.”

  “In case of an emergency. Not to go on a shopping spree.”

  “I was feeling an ‘emergent’ need.”

  “To shop?”

  “To punish you.”

  Her honesty set him back. Her mood seemed as uncertain as the bland look on her face. Had she been a color, Shay would have defined her as medium beige. Usually she was a vibrant yellow or orange depending on her mood. Now he couldn’t hate neutral earth tones more. “Do you feel better now?”

  Mari set the reader aside but remained curled into the chair Finn had made for herself. Shay couldn’t read her expression. He couldn’t tell if the slight narrowing of her green eyes and the crinkling of the half moons on the sides of her sensuous mouth signaled anger, mere displeasure or something more disturbing.

  “Your card is in the pencil basket on the counter. They don’t take credit cards at the farmers market.”

  Shay decided to push his luck and take a step forward into the open room that served as work space, bedroom, kitchenette, and sitting room. Mari blinked, her eyes narrowing for a moment before settling again into that non-committal expression he was growing to hate. Shay took another step and then another. He hadn’t thrown the deadbolt before he started moving. Shay was banking on his speed and dexterity to overtake her if Mari decided to make a run for the door.

  “You decided to punish me by going to the farmers market?” Shay said moving incrementally closer, hoping against hope Mari didn’t know he was almost within grabbing distance.

  “At first.” She shrugged like they were discussing the weather. “Then I decided to take a page from your book and politely leave you alone.”

  Fuck that.

  “Yea? How’s that working for you?” Shay crossed his arms across his chest and inched closer. He widened his stance, flexing his knees as he readied for battle while trying to calm the painful pounding of his heart as it pushed hot blood through visibly throbbing veins. Mari unwound her legs and moved closer to the edge of the chair, leaning toward him. “Relatively well. At least it was working until you unlocked my door and inserted yourself into what is now my domain. Without invitation.”

  Shay straightened, dropping his arms to his side and inched closer into throw-you-over-my-shoulder-and-toss-you-onto-the-bed range. “Are you asking me to leave?”

  “Would you leave if I asked?” She cocked her head at him looking more like the sweet girl he’d left behind than the complex, irritating and wickedly devastating to his senses woman she’d evolved into. He didn’t know where to begin to mend what he’d broken so long ago and he was sick to death of trying to tip-toe around it. Jumping into the deep end seemed to be the most expedient way to move along what was proving to be a painfully frustrating process.

  Shay surprised himself by answering honestly before his brain had time to check his response. “No. I’ll not be leaving you again. Not while I’m breathing, anyway.”

  Mari got up, bridging the gap between them. She didn’t stop until he could feel the heat coming off her skin as it radiated up and around him, encapsulating him in her scent: moss and heather, wind and rain, warm sunshine, freshly cut grass and a drop of honey. It had changed some since he’d brought her here, more fresh air, less sweetness. Her attitude revealed less bending of the willow and more cold steel.

  Mari reached up, caressing his cheek with her palm. Shay leaned into her small hand, relishing this freely given intimacy. “I’ve been told you have a tradition here of gifting small but meaningful items.”

  Shay didn’t know what she was talking about and as long as she kept rubbing him he didn’t much care. He made what he hoped was an affirmative noise, wishing Mari would stop talking and kiss him. He missed her every day and he yearned for her forgiveness and acceptance more than his next breath. “Umm.”

  She stepped away from him and dropped her hand to her side. Mari’s warm green eyes turned the color of frozen peas as all the warmth drained from her. “Your present is wrapped in brown paper on the counter. Leave the key O’Shay and don’t let the door smack your lovely arse on your way out.”

  The no nonsense look on her face told Shay strategic retreat was the only path to peace, so he took it and the present as he went out the door. He didn’t leave the key. “I’m only a short walk from your door, Mari-girl. I’m not going anywhere without you ever again.”

  She turned away from him, back stiffened, and made a snort of disbelief that made Shay want to scream his frustration and pound his fists into the next poor fool who wandered across his path. Shay tried to slam the door, and as sure as hell is hot, the door hit him in the ass on his way out. Not very dignified as far as exits went, but he wasn’t feeling particularly dignified.

  He was halfway to the big house before he remembered the present in his hand. Shay unwrapped it, stared in disbelief and then threw his head back and laughed. In his hand he held a tall hand-crafted stoneware mug. On the top in a circle of brightly colored scales was a lovely, obviously female dragon, with long lashes and green eyes. A lecherous, evil looking tiny male leprechaun was captured and flailing from her sharp she-dragon teeth. Under the beautifully crafted image was the quote: Even Lucky Leprechaun’s get Eaten when they Dance with Dragons.

  “Oh Mari-me-girl. We’ll be dancing soon and you can eat as much of me as you can swallow.” Shay headed back to the house he shared with Jesse. He needed to be alone to think and scheme and come up with a plan his inner evil, lecherous and much taller leprechaun would be capable of enacting to tame a dragon.

  It was time to invite the dragon to dinner and ask her to dance.

  Shay almost ran Jesse over on his way home. He was so lost in thought about soft dragon under-bellies that he just avoided crashing into Jesse by inches.

  “Hey, man, you know that deed you kept for me after Jordon gave me the five acres next to your gardens?” Shay asked.

  “Yeah, what about it?” Jesse didn’t look the least perplexed at the choice of topic. In fact, he looked relieved to have his headlong journey interrupted.

  “Is it still in the wall safe?”

  “Three certified copies. I filed the original with the registrar of deeds when I executed it years ago.”

  “I asked you not to.”

  “I didn’t listen.”

  “Good. I’ll be starting construction tomorrow.”

  That garnered Shay two raised eyebrows and a low whistle. “What’s the hurry?”

  “I have a dragon to tame, or slay, or-”

  Shay waved a hand around in a take-your-pick gesture before continuing.

  “- whatever trips your trigger and I don’t want you to be disturbed when she starts bellowing and spewing fire.”

  Jesse whistled low in his throat, shook his head in what Shay decided was a silent ‘good-luck-to-you-fine-sir’ affirmation of Shay’s all-around-awesomeness.

  Now it was Shay’s turn to whistle. As long as he was about to embark on a Quixotic adventure, he chose Dream the Impossible Dream, Goulet’s deep voice echoing in his head.

  He heard Jesse’s bark of laughter and smiled. For the first time in a very long time Shannon O’Shay knew exactly what fate had in mind when she threw Mari back into his world.

  …

  She’d forgotten her pills when she left Sham’s house. Mari had left in such a hurry she left
everything there, her drawings, her clothes, her heart. She thought it would be difficult sneaking back in, since the security system was like nothing she’d ever heard of or seen before, but it wasn’t. She simply opened the door and walked to her suite of rooms. No one stopped her. In fact the house appeared empty. Open and empty…odd.

  Mari felt a momentary flash of danger. That feeling quickly faded. A small amount of uneasiness took its place, like she was being watched. Mari shook off the thought. She’d get her things and get back to Finn’s cottage with no one the wiser. She opened the door to what had been her bedroom, and shut it quietly behind her.

  Tip-toeing like a naughty teenager sneaking in after missing her curfew, Mari headed for the bathroom. Pills first. Clothing and supplies after. It was dark, and she kicked the trashcan, knocking it over. “Shite.”

  The light next to her bed flashed on. “They say shit in this country, Mari-girl. If you’re going to stay, you should get it right.” Sham was lounging on the bed. The bed she’d spent her nights in when he was gone, worried about him, missing him, touching herself while thinking about him.

  “What are you doing here?” she asked, breathless.

  “Waiting for you.”

  “How did you know I’d come?”

  His smile was lethal, it practically oozed sex. She was in danger, just not the kind she had anticipated when she stepped through the door. “Why Mari-mine I knew you’d come because I summoned you.”