by Rhavensfyre
“What are you?” she asked, almost whispering.
“Don’t you know? I have to admit, I am curious at Rohanna’s apparent lack of knowledge about her heritage. Here you are, reeking of Fae—all seduction and sexual tension, yet you are as ignorant of me as Rohanna is of herself. What gives?” Alex tried to rein in the aggression tramping through her heart.
Neither of these women were what she was used to finding, mostly human with a drop or two of Fae blood, enough to quicken her pulse and pique her interest. These two were altogether different. Rohanna barely tasted human and Shyann not at all. Both were fascinating in their own way, but it was Rohanna that set her blood boiling…despite her contrived and well-scripted indifference.
“That’s not my place to say, I am honor bound not to interfere.”
“Interfere with what?” Alex demanded.
“That’s not my place either, Alex. I can’t divulge our secrets.”
“And yet you come to me, asking about Rohanna and me, and you wonder about this?” Alex frowned, rubbing the leather on her forearm. “You keep glancing at it. Why?”
“Because I care about Rohanna and don’t want to see her get hurt.”
“You think I have the power to hurt her?” Alex asked, contemplating the unexpected answer.
“I see that,” Shyann reached out to tap the leather bracer, then snatched her hand away. “And I have to wonder, what is it hiding? If you aren’t hiding anything, then it means something altogether different, now doesn’t it?”
“So you are worried that what I want from Rohanna will hurt her,” Alex said. She looked down at her arm. “Because of this.” She looked up, searching Shyann’s face and finding only concern and worry. “And what if it is both?”
“Both?”
“What if this hides something I do not wish to share, but it also conveniently states where my interests lie?” Alex asked.
“Then I am worried. Just like I am worried that you know who I am, and I know nothing about you.”
Alex laughed. “This is quite a dance we are having, Shyann. I think I should end it now and give you what you want.” She straightened up to her full height, drawing around her all the power and privilege of her rank. She wasn’t worried about being seen. Alex had picked her vantage spot carefully; she knew there would be no witnesses to their little exchange.
“I know you Shyann, from seeing you inside Rohanna’s dreams. I know you say you are her cousin, but you are not. Not technically. I see an old woman she calls Grandmother, whose soul and body do not match. I see many things, including what Rohanna holds dearest to her heart, and what she has kept buried deep in her soul all these years. This piece of leather hides the key to how I know these things, but the leather itself should tell you I know how to break Rohanna free from her inhibitions.” Alex’s voice stayed low, but it carried force and authority behind it.
She had expected Shyann to cringe away from her, for fear to etch her brow with each piece of knowledge she laid out in the open. She didn’t. Shyann held her ground, with only the least bit of fear touching the corners of her mouth.
“I disagree. Rohanna has had it rough. She won’t respond well to a firm hand. She has known nothing about love and compassion for years but what little we, her grandmother and I, have been able to give her. What you think she needs could break her.”
“Love is the law, Shyann. I have to follow that law as much as you do,” Alex countered, arguing for Rohanna even while acknowledging that she was treading in unknown waters. What she felt for Rohanna was so unexpected and so overpowering, it frightened even her.
“Are you saying you love Rohanna? You just met. You barely know her.”
“No. I am saying that I am drawn to her, and I must follow that imperative. She feels right to me. I cannot turn my back on the voice inside me that tells me not to turn away.” She was angry now. Shyann was pushing her and she didn’t like it. Her face must have given her away because Shyann backed off, making a peacekeeping sign with her hand.
“Look, I am sorry if I offended you. I just want what is best for Ro and you seem to affect her.”
“Really, you think I affect her?” Alex drawled, narrowing her eyes at the other woman. “Well. Now that is interesting.” Alex turned and walked away.
“Wait, you never answered my question,” Shyann called after her.
“No, I didn’t, did I?” Alex said. She had enough of her own questions. She wasn’t in the mood for satisfying someone else’s curiosity.
Shyann really had a problem with the leather bracer, or rather, what it meant. Sure, she would wear it around the forge on occasion, but she usually went for leather gloves unless she was working on something intricate and small. Alex wore the bracer when she had visitors, or like today, when she was working in public.
The intricate blue tattoo along her forearm was not for outsiders. It was forbidden to show it, just in case it was recognized and her people were discovered. The bracer had been a convenient way to hide the tattoo. It also made her natural inclinations a much easier thing to advertise when she went out at night. She discovered that many humans were just as adventurous in bed as the Fae were known to be. She had also discovered that the ones who were more likely to enjoy what she had to offer as a woman had Fae blood. It was fascinating, learning that those humans who identified as gay or bisexual had a drop or two of Fae in them. She had yet to meet someone who was not strictly heterosexual who didn’t. It worked for her.
Alex found Fae blood subtly more aromatic, an aphrodisiac if you will, that identified others with a like mind. She had heard some humans call this Gaydar. The cute label was amusing, but it also revealed the differences between them.
Humans were so blind to their senses, ignoring what their noses and tongue told them. Smell and taste alone told her who was not locked into the strict duality that humans seemed so determined to adhere to. It amazed her how much animosity humans held against their own, especially if they thought another of their kind enjoyed pleasures with the same sex. Even sadder, they did it without knowledge of how they knew. They were so head blind it was ridiculous.
Alex shook her head then made a scoffing noise in her throat. She was an anomaly herself. She preferred only women, which was rarer than enjoying both sexes amongst her own people. This was one of the reasons she stayed away, but not the main reason. The main reason was more complex. There were no easy answers to that particular problem so she chose to live alone, without the comforts of the tribal community. It was a simpler way of living, not having to answer to others all the time, but that didn’t mean it was easy.
Alex walked around the fairgrounds without paying much attention to where she was going. She didn’t stop until she found herself at the entrance of one of the larger barns. Huh, I wonder why my feet brought me here?
The steady clop of metal shoes on concrete on the other side of the barn answered her question. The dim lighting didn’t hide the identity of the horse or the person leading him—Rohanna was bringing Galileo back to his stall.
“Hello, Rohanna.” Alex’s salutation was met with a small squeak Alex thought was quite adorable. “How’s Galileo’s shoes holding up?”
Epona! What I really want to talk about, what I want to do. Asking about Galileo’s shoes is the last thing on my mind. Alex realized she was tempering her conversation based on what Shyann had said. She was treating Rohanna more like a skittish colt than the woman who had let her into her dreams and shared her fantasies.
“Alex! You scared the crap out of me.” Rohanna’s heart was pounding so hard Alex could hear it from where she stood. The urge to reach out and touch her, to feel that bounding pulse beneath her fingertips, was almost overwhelming.
“My apologies, I swear that wasn’t my intent,” Alex said, offering Rohanna a lopsided grin. “I do seem to have a habit of doing that. Why don’t you let me make it up to you?”
Rohanna stood frozen in place, the very image of indecision. Alex took a chance and reached for her ha
nd. The same electrical jolt passed between them, making both women gasp. Alex didn’t let go this time. Instead, she let the pleasant tingle travel up her arm and take up residence at the base of her skull. Rohanna closed her eyes and swayed in Alex’s grip. When she opened them again, they smoldered with the same fire that had set all of this in motion.
“What is that?” Rohanna rasped, her eyebrows drawn together in confusion. Her voice sounded forced, hoarse, and low.
Alex stepped closer. “It’s one of the things we need to talk about. Meet with me, tonight?”
“I promised Shyann I would go out with her, but in all honestly, going to a club doesn’t appeal to me.”
“Nor me, not tonight,” Alex admitted, feeling the heat of Rohanna’s gaze. They stood close together. The back of her hand rested along Rohanna’s breastbone, the heavy drumming of her heart beating against Alex’s knuckles. All she had to do was spread her hand, and she would touch softness. The thought was enough to ignite a blaze in her, burning her skin and heating her blood. The familiar warmth of arousal coiled deep in her belly, threatening her ability to think.
“Rohanna? I need to do something.” She stroked the soft skin along Rohanna’s cheek.
“What?” Rohanna trembled beneath her touch.
“Just this one thing,” she murmured, running her thumb along Rohanna’s lower lip. “So soft.”
Rohanna’s lips parted to accept the caress. It was enough for Alex. She dipped her head and tasted Rohanna’s lips for the first time outside of the dream world. The two realities collided together madly, adding to the experience that was new and yet already realized.
She had no idea what might have happened next if they hadn’t been interrupted. Alex wasn’t above a wild romp in a haystack, and the way Rohanna was looking at her? She wouldn’t have been able to resist. Unfortunately, another rider was making their way down the aisle, and whatever privacy they had was ruined. Alex growled in frustration. “Damn it all to Hell.”
In an instant Rohanna was gone, out of her arms and back into her shell. The tired clop of a horse’s hooves gave Rohanna enough time to pull away, both physically and mentally. She fiddled with her saddle, keeping her eyes on her work and away from Alex.
“Rohanna?” Alex asked.
Rohanna held up her hand, palm out, begging for silence.
“No, not here. We could have been caught. I can’t have that,” Rohanna spoke over her shoulder, her voice muted, low. “Tonight. We can meet tonight.”
“Where?” Alex asked, letting her take the lead. Rohanna picked up her gear and turned towards her, holding her saddle in front of her like a shield.
“At your booth?”
“I’ll be there,” Alex readily agreed. For the chance of tasting those lips again, she would suffer the wait. Unfortunately, a good part of the day remained until nightfall, and she had a booth to attend to. Alex sighed. At least the busy work would keep her preoccupied.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
“I hope you don’t mind vegetarian?” Alex asked.
“Vegetarian? No, I don’t mind,” Ro looked around her. They had been walking for a while, leaving behind both the barn size halls crammed with vendors and the outside demonstration booths where she had met up with Alex. The fairgrounds were bigger than she had imagined, but then, she usually relegated herself to a strict triangle...riding arena, barn, and trailer. “Where are we going?”
“My place. I hope you don’t mind,” Alex said, making one last turn before leading Rohanna through the trees to her motorhome. The East Coast Equine Exposition was one of the largest shows of the year and it attracted a huge number of visitors, which meant the vendors were relegated to the farthest corner they could find to camp out in. Alex didn’t mind; it was quiet and wooded and reminded her of the past. The hodgepodge group of individuals were about as close to a family of wanderers as she had seen in a very long while. Many of them had a gypsy heart, and she felt more comfortable around them than most humans.
“No, not at all.”
Rohanna’s eyes widened when she saw Alex’s motorhome for the first time. She had set up the camp for comfort, with a large stone fire pit ready and waiting for an evening fire. There were other surprises as well, ones that Alex had prepared with Rohanna in mind. Alex grinned at Rohanna’s expression. “Surprised?”
“A little,” Rohanna admitted, sounding a bit awestruck. Rohanna looked around, then tilted her head back to look at the sky above them.
“Beautiful, aren’t they?” Alex asked, following Rohanna’s gaze. The moonless night made the stars appear all that much brighter for not having to compete with its bright glow. The Milky Way looked close enough to reach up and touch with her fingertips. Alex smiled. The wide belt blazing across the heavens seemed a worthy place to ride.
“Yes. I love nights like this.”
“So do I,” Alex said. “It would be a shame to go inside and miss such a grand display.” Alex opted to start a wood fire in the stone fire pit and before long, she had a stunning array of vegetables grilling while they enjoyed a glass of wine.
While Alex worked, Rohanna sat on the makeshift log bench, silently contemplating the glass in her hand. She swirled the liquid around until it almost hit the rim of the glass as it circled, but had yet to raise the glass to her lips.
The fine crystal suits her, Alex thought, watching the subtle play of tendons along Rohanna’s wrist. Her gaze moved to Rohanna’s face and she rethought herself. The crystal was flawed and dull when compared to the woman. Cool and clear and finely wrought, something told Alex that with the right touch across that deceptively fragile lip a crystal note would sound, as true and pure as anything this world had to offer.
“Do you want something else?” Alex asked, pointing at Rohanna’s full glass.
“No, no. It’s okay. I’m just not used to drinking alcohol.” At least not with sexy female blacksmiths who make me lose my mind whenever they get too close to me. She dropped her eyes, sure that Alex could read her thoughts and taste the lie. She felt awkward and obvious and altogether too transparent beneath that brilliant blue gaze.
Rohanna raised the glass to her lips and took a sip of the Pinot Noir Alex had bought on a whim. Her hand trembled slightly as she did so, giving away her nervousness. She smiled up at Alex, as delicately and sweetly as the wine wetting her lips, and it made Alex thirsty just looking at her. She raised her own glass and drank, just to have the same taste on her tongue, then frowned in disappointment. The wine was sweet but too cool, not what she wanted at all. She wanted warmth.
“It’s very good.” Rohanna looked up from her glass, bringing all the warmth and heat that Alex desired in one unguarded moment.
“Yes, it is, isn’t it?” Alex agreed, lowering the timbre of her voice so it would slip across Rohanna’s skin like a caress. Rohanna shivered in response, shifting her eyes back to the fire.
“You’re cold,” Alex said. She stood up and held her hand out to Rohanna. “The fire is dying down out here and we should let it. Why don’t we go inside and finish our conversation there?”
Rohanna hesitated a moment before taking Alex’s hand. Alex pulled her close. The stakes were about to get much higher and she had to know that Rohanna knew that, too.
“You don’t have to come in, Rohanna. I can take you back to your trailer right now, if you want,” Alex said. She didn’t want to ask her permission, but she had to. Every fiber of her being had wanted to remain silent, to simply lead Rohanna through the door behind her and seek the intimacy they could find within those walls.
“No, I want to do this.” Rohanna thrust her jaw out bravely, challenging Alex’s attempt at chivalry.
“So brave,” Alex murmured. “Is that what this is all about?”
She leaned down and brushed her lips across Rohanna’s once and then again, ever so lightly, drawing from her what she needed to know. Being inside someone else’s head made it hard at times. Especially when you knew that a brave front, was just tha
t—a front. Alex had no doubt that Rohanna wanted to be here. Whatever power that was drawing them together had as tight of a hold on Rohanna as it did on her, making tonight as inevitable as the return of the new moon.
“No, I—I dreamt of this, you know, of you and me together.” A deep red flush crept along Rohanna’s cheeks, making her look even younger.
“And it made you curious?”
“No. Not curious so much as drawn. Yes, that’s the right word,” Rohanna said, her admission an uncanny reflection of Alex’s thoughts. A cold chill ran up Alex’s spine, defying the heat in her blood and setting off warning bells in her head.
Rohanna was trembling now.
“I have held myself apart from so much, for so long. I just can’t seem to do that with you. Every fear I have, all the years I have felt nothing…and you just walk in and burn them all away.”
“Not yet,” Alex murmured, opening the door behind her and holding out her hand. This time there was no hesitation. She led and Rohanna followed, into the darkness and shadows where her bed lay.
I am actually here. This is really happening.
Rohanna stood in the dark, listening to Alex move around behind her. She jumped when Alex’s hands slid across her shoulders, then melted against the taller woman when Alex kissed her, brushing warm lips against her neck.
“Lovely,” Alex murmured.
Rohanna closed her eyes, removing the one sense she didn’t need to fully savor the sensations Alex was drawing from her without effort.
Oh, God. She makes me feel so much. Her passion had sat inside her like a still pool for so long. Now it rippled and flowed like a spring, fresh and sweet and demanding. The emotion was so raw and powerful she should have felt afraid or overwhelmed, but she didn’t. She felt exhilarated, her body taut with anticipation.
Alex continued to plant gentle kisses along Ro’s neck, letting her fingers dance lightly up and down her arms, lighting small fires along their languorous path. Rohanna moaned. The light touches were torture. Her lips parted to beg for more, but Alex’s voice silenced her, low and hoarse and sounding as desperate as she felt.