Ride: Cyn and Fallon: Episodes 5-8 (Puca Mates Collection Book 2)

by A. C. James

  She’s drifting off to sleep, even though Fallon is trying to speak to her. She shakes her head sleepily, trying to wake up, but his face keeps getting fuzzier and fuzzier. His voice turns into a drone. She tries to speak, but he swims out of her view and everything fades to black.

  CYN WOKE WITH A START, blinking sleepily. Her heart was thudding. It took her a moment to realize she was alone, in her own bed. The late morning sun streamed through her windows, along with sounds from the street below. She was shaky and sore, and her hair was soaked with sweat. Cautiously, she brought the fingers from her right hand to her face. They were lightly scented with her musk and Cyn blushed at the erotic dream. Every other time she’d dreamt about Fallon, she’d woken up in tears. But this morning was different, and not because she’d had an orgasm right before waking up. Though that was a nice touch, it was lacklustre compared to Fallon.

  “Bloody hell,” she said, wincing at her scratchy voice.

  She wasn’t exactly hungover, as her alcohol tolerance was pretty high, but she was off-centre. It took a full minute of recollection to get past the sexy dream and remember Nathan’s sloppy attempt at kissing her.

  “Shit.”

  Cyn hoped her rebuff had finally got through to him. This whole thing was completely out of hand. It was her fault. She’d let it go too far because she didn’t want to hurt him. If not for their friendship, it would have been so much easier. How many times had she taken someone home and kicked them out in the morning? She always kept it casual. There were no misunderstandings or expectations. His infatuation was harmless, and even a little cute in the beginning. When he’d first developed a crush on her, Cyn had enjoyed the attention, much to Felicity’s chagrin. But lately Nathan had become determined, verging on obsessive. Sometimes it frightened her. Cyn was afraid of losing his friendship, especially now that Felicity was gone too. Unfortunately, she’d have no choice but to end it if Nathan continued down this path.

  Sighing, she rolled out of bed and stood up. A painful head rush made her stagger. She shook it off, determined for once not to have a shitty, lazy day. There was a photoshoot tomorrow, and she planned to hit the gym and take a walk. As she was getting ready to take a shower, her mobile rang. Warily, she picked it up and looked at the screen. Her agent had been calling her nonstop, and she dreaded discussing what should have been the opportunity of a lifetime. She still hadn’t made a decision, although she’d be lying if she said she wasn’t leaning in one direction.

  She gulped. It wasn’t her agent, though. It was Nathan. Cyn took a deep breath and answered, unsure of how to proceed.

  “Oh, good, I’m glad I caught you,” he said in a rush.

  It sounded like he was standing in the middle of a busy street, and Cyn strained to make out his words.

  “Of course,” she said smoothly, clearing her throat. “What’s up?”

  “I’m so sorry. I was pissed out of my mind last night.”

  “Me too,” Cyn lied. “That bottle service was a bit much, right?”

  “God,” Nathan said.

  There was a rustling sound against the mouthpiece.

  “Are you still there?” Cyn asked.

  “Sorry, I’m still recovering.”

  Cyn cringed. She knew exactly how hungover Nathan must be feeling. She tried to make herself sound cheerful to cover how awkward this conversation was after last night. “Well, I hope you feel better. Drink loads and loads of water.”

  “How come you’re so chipper? Weren’t you pissed, too?” Nathan sounded suspicious.

  “Completely... In fact, I don’t even remember leaving.” She cringed at her lie.

  “Me neither.”

  She instantly relaxed at the relief in his voice.

  “I really don’t even remember anything beyond dancing. God, that’s probably what did it,” Nathan said.

  “I bet... Listen, I’ve got to go. I’ll ring you soon, okay?”

  “Sounds good,” Nathan said, but his voice faltered.

  Cyn dreaded what might lay ahead if he kept talking. She needed to get off the phone. Her gut told her he hadn’t forgotten anything.

  “Bye, Nathan,” Cyn said, and hung up quickly.

  She sighed with relief. At least for the sake of their friendship he hadn’t mentioned his botched attempt to kiss her.

  Chapter Six

  “Fabulous, darling,” the photographer said. He made a flamboyant gesture with his arm. “Try to look a little more scandalized.”

  Cyn was posed on a bench, dressed like a pinup girl. Her hair was curled in victory rolls over her head, and the stylist had knotted a red kerchief on her crown. She was seated with her legs crossed at the ankle and her knees pointed sharply to the right while a fan blew up her skirt, theoretically exposing her panties to an onlooker. With her prim hands, she was ‘trying’ to hold down her skirt, rather ineffectually. The male model couldn’t actually see her undergarments, as the dress she wore required extensive shapewear. She’d been stiffly posed like that for almost an hour. Her joints ached. At the photographer’s instruction, she vamped and pouted, turning her cheek to the camera and showing off a doe-eyed innocent look of shock.

  “That’s perfect...” He walked around her and snapped a few shots from different angles. “I think we have enough to call it a day.”

  Cyn immediately relaxed. A warm ache spread out from her hips. She made a face, standing up stiffly. The shapewear under her vintage dress pinched at her skin, and even standing straight up, breathing was a challenge. Cyn used to love vintage-style shoots. They’d actually been her favourite. But now, like almost everything else, it wasn’t enough.

  Cyn nodded at the photographer and his assistants. The scene was a flurry of activity. As she stretched, an assistant came up to her and began removing her jewellery and accessories.

  “That was great,” the assistant said in a monotone, without looking at Cyn. Her fingers were tangled in Cyn’s hair, pulling out the carefully-pinned kerchief. “They’ll love that. They’re so particular.”

  “Thanks,” Cyn said, turning her wrists so the assistant could remove her bracelets.

  She automatically walked behind a screen, and the assistant unzipped her. She stepped out of the dress. Clad only in the shapewear, shoes, and elaborate makeup, Cyn thought she looked a bit like a department-store mannequin.

  The assistant left, carrying an armful of clothes and jewellery. Cyn grabbed a robe and headed to her dressing room. As soon as she reached it she peeled down the Spandex girdle and took a deep gulp of air. She was exhausted. Modelling might not look like hard work, but it definitely was.

  The assistant returned, speaking cautiously. “Cyn? There’s a call for you. Are you available?”

  Cyn felt a small bubble of panic erupt in her stomach. “Who is it?”

  “Your agent... Are you available?”

  “Not at the moment,” Cyn said quickly, turning around so she wouldn’t be caught in a lie. “Tell him I’ll call him later.”

  “Okay, he sounds kind of irritated, though,” the assistant’s voice dropped to a whisper, and she had a questioning expression.

  Cyn turned back around and fixed the young girl with a glare. “I know. But that’s my business, isn’t it? I’ll deal with it later.”

  CYN TUGGED ON HER STREET clothes and dug through her purse. Normally after shoots, she’d meet up with Felicity (and sometimes Nathan) for a few rounds at the pub. It was a depressing thought to realize that she’d be heading home to an empty flat. She checked her mobile calendar, and realized it was almost a full nine months since she’d left the Realm. She was about to be an auntie, and she didn’t even know if Felicity was having a boy or a girl. I’m the worst friend in the world.

  Cyn made sure the door was locked, then dumped the contents of her handbag all over the couch. She spotted the communication portal and her heart ached. Its shimmery surface winked at her, and as always, it was disconcertingly cool to the touch. She opened it, feeling less foolish than she
had a few months ago.

  “Fallon...” Cyn said, holding her hand around the portal like it was a megaphone. “Are you there?”

  There was no answer, and no change in the surface of the portal.

  “Felicity?” Cyn whispered. She was frustrated when the surface of the portal registered no change. “Felicity, where are you?”

  She held the portal up and squinted at it, holding her breath and waiting for the slightest change. Nothing happened.

  “Damn,” Cyn cursed, and threw the portal across the room.

  It hit a mirror and clattered to a stop on her dressing table. She stalked over and glared at it. It showed no change, or damage. Lying on the table, it almost seemed like an innocent paperweight.

  Something inside of Cyn was straining and tugging, like her heart was being squeezed by a vise. Although the sensation had been coming and going for the months, ever since she’d left Fallon, she’d attributed it to heartbreak. But it wasn’t fading or going away. If anything, it was getting stronger and stronger as time went on. With dismay, Cyn looked down at the portal again, but its glossy face was serene. Fallon must have been so angry and devastated he couldn’t stand to look at her. Maybe he wouldn’t want her back. Not once had he picked up when she tried to contact him, even though he’d given it to her as a gift. She wondered if he’d moved on and fallen in love with someone else. Tears trickled down her cheek.

  “Fallon, I’m coming home. I’m coming back, okay?”

  Predictably, there was no answer.

  “Damnit!”

  Cyn stared at the portal until her vision blurred, and then set it down. She should have never left. Every man she’d been with disappointed her in the end. Her old manager had betrayed her. And she’d been perfectly satisfied with her lifestyle until Fallon and his youngest daughter broke through the carefully constructed walls she’d built. But that wasn’t true, was it? Truthfully, she’d been a train wreck long before she woke up in the Realm, naked and hungover. She always drank too much, and shagged whoever could fill the void and alleviate her boredom. She had to fix the terrible mess she’d made.

  As she walked out of the room, she took a last look around. It was unlikely she’d ever be here again. She tallied a growing list of things in her head. Call my agent, tell Mum and Lillian, tell Nathan, pack, pick out a gift for my new niece or nephew. Since she’d never actually reached Fallon, he had no idea she was coming home. With fear and anxiety, Cyn realized maybe he wouldn’t want her to return. And Maelíosa would certainly be happier. But even though she worried whether or not her mate would take her back, Cyn knew she had to try.

  Chapter Seven

  Fallon was seated at the table in the great hall, waiting for Tomas to join him. His chest was heaving with the effort of his short trip downstairs. Despite feeling like shite, he couldn’t shake his amazing dream from last night. He’d dreamt Cyn had come home. They hadn’t done much talking, but he’d known everything would be all right. His stallion perked up and pranced around, rearing and pawing at the air. His mind wandered to the glorious vision of Cyn’s curves, displayed like a sumptuous feast.

  He couldn’t get a particular image out of his head: Cyn riding him hard, grabbing onto the headboard and throwing her head back as she came. The scene was enough to throw Fallon into a frenzy of desire. Regardless of his physical condition, there was stirring in his loins. Closing his eyes, he imagined Cyn’s high-pitched shrieks as he lapped between her legs. He could almost feel her soft lips pressed against his. If he concentrated really hard, he could almost catch a whiff of her musky scent. His stallion cantered happily, more than pleased about the dream. The mere mention of Cyn was making him crazy. We want her back, his stallion insisted. We must have her back, now.

  Fallon imagined himself restored to full health, carrying Cyn up a flight of stairs and throwing her on his bed. In his fantasy, she smiled with love and adoration. When he made love to her, she whispered how she loved him, and how she’d never leave his side. It hurt, but nowadays it was the only thing that took his mind off the all-consuming physical pain.

  Tomas entered the room, breaking Fallon from his reverie. “My Sire. How are you today?”

  A bolt of pain shot through his chest. He gasped, sucking air into his lungs.

  Tomas grimaced and concern wrinkled his features, but he was glad his trusted friend hadn’t made a big show of sympathy.

  “Tomas, there’s something I need to speak with you about.”

  “Yes, Sire?”

  Fallon’s heart thudded. Even though he’d planned this meeting, knowing what he was about to say was a heavy weight on his chest. “Tomas, you’ve been a trusted advisor to me for a very long time. And when I am gone, you will need to help Niall fulfil his role as chieftain.”

  “Sire, I couldn’t possibly...”

  Fallon shook his head. Tomas was only resisting out of propriety. His advisor didn’t really have a choice. Niall wasn’t ready to rule, and they both knew that was true.

  “It’s an order, and you must. You know that.”

  “I understand, Sire. But this whole subject is incredibly difficult for me to discuss at present.”

  “Me too,” Fallon said.

  Tomas coughed, and his boots apparently held great interest. “I’m sorry, Sire.”

  Fallon shook his head again and chuckled half-heartedly. “No, I’m sorry, Tomas. This whole situation has me on edge. I’m sure you understand. Things have changed so much in the past few months that I’m not certain of anything anymore.”

  “How so, Sire?”

  “I am very concerned about my children. They won’t be able to deal with it. Darcy will be inconsolable. She’s the youngest, and has more heart than anyone I’ve ever known.”

  “Aye, sire. That lass is a bundle of headstrong emotion.”

  Fallon sighed. “But even Niall and Maelíosa will have a difficult time accepting my decision. Even though Niall understands how our clan would regard a union forced upon Cyn, I know he doesn’t understand why I’m not fighting for her as a man in love with her. Really loving someone means letting them go if that makes them whole. I’d never want to change her mind. I want her to need me, to desire being my mate.”

  His stallion pawed at the ground in agreement. Fallon needed to shift and run through the fields once Tomas left them. A long run would do them both good.

  Tomas nodded. “Sire, if you’ll forgive me for saying so...it’s hard to watch you go through this. But I know our clan needs a queen worthy of your love, someone who chooses us willingly and wants you as a mate. If not for my mate, Mara...”

  “Aye,” Fallon said. “Think of how you would do anything to make sure she’s happy. You’d go to any length. I know you would.”

  “Sire, we’ve been mated for years. Our devotion has grown because we’ve worked on it together. She would be willing to sacrifice for me, even though I wouldn’t let her. I wouldn’t want her to get hurt. Niall knows you’re doing the right thing or he’d have intervened. He knows our ways, and finding someone who wants what you have to give is rare.”

  Fallon’s chest was aching again, and he winced. “I would have given anything for her, even after knowing her for five seconds. Cyn is my true mate. If I can ensure her happiness and safety, it’s enough for me.”

  “I understand, Sire.”

  It pained Fallon that his family wouldn’t be able to fully comprehend his decision. He hoped someday his children would forgive him. Thankfully, Tomas was far wiser than Fallon’s son. Niall was only a few years younger, but he still operated on instinct and emotion instead of trusting the older, more experienced members of the clan. Fallon cocked his ear. Someone was running in the hallway. The door burst open.

  “It’s Felicity,” Darcy said, panting. “She’s gone into labour...”

  Chapter Eight

  “And you’re absolutely sure about this?”

  “Yes, yes!” Cyn shrieked into her mobile. “I’m positive. This is what I want. It�
�s what I’ve always wanted, even though I didn’t realize it until now.”

  “You were going to be a star,” her agent said.

  She smiled into the phone even though her agent would never see it. She didn’t have the slightest bit of guilt. “I really do understand what a huge opportunity this was, and how tirelessly you’ve worked on my behalf. You’ll forever have my gratitude, but I need to turn this down.”

  “If you’re sure. I’ve always had your best interests at heart. You’re one of my favourite models to work with because you handle yourself professionally and you’re always dependable. But if you’re sure you want to turn this down...”

  “I am. Thank you for all of your help and support. You’ve been a great agent, please know that.”

  Especially compared to the first one. She shuddered, recalling that vile incident.

  “Of course. Enjoy your new life, my dear,” he said without a trace of irony.

  “Thank you.” Cyn was completely sincere as she said her goodbyes and hung up the phone.

  She was going back to her love, her mate. Cyn had never been this happy in her entire life—not even when she first found success as a model. Deep down, she’d always wanted a love like she’d witnessed between her mum and her dad. Since she’d found Fallon, she wondered how she’d ever wanted anything else. She’d have her own happy ending. The concept was still unbelievable. Cyn wasn’t naïve enough to think they wouldn’t have their share of challenges, but she already looked forward to the make-up shagging. Of course, he’d have to forgive her, and she was sure she’d have to put Fiona in her place or maybe some other woman who tried to gain his attention. But it was worth the risk.

  Cyn glanced around her flat. It was a total mess, but she’d be leaving it for a life she never expected to have. There was no way to take everything with her, and besides, most technology was rendered useless in the Realm. Cyn gave a squeal of glee when she realized she’d be with Fallon in a matter of hours. I’ll bring him a gift. She searched for the perfect thing among the piles of rubbish. A peace offering... She’d make her home by his side, wherever that might be, for as long as he’d have her.