by Elle Boon
“Alright, we gonna stand here all night and stare at one another, or you gonna spit the fuck out what’s on your mind?” Torq asked, his last nerve twitching.
“What’s the matter, enforcer? Someone piss in your beer?” Bronx pulled his mate in closer, completely unfazed by Torq’s anger.
Torq’s wolf pushed to the surface. “You wanna try me, pup?”
Talia moved in front of him. “Absolutely not. My family isn’t fighting.”
His wolf calmed at her words. Whether she realized it or not, she’d claimed him.
Taya didn’t miss anything, though, her back straightening, her fists clenching and unclenching. “How can you claim him when you just met him, yet you’ve—you don’t even acknowledge me?”
Talia moved toward Taya, her hands outstretched. “Of course, I acknowledge you. I—you and your sister are the reason I’ve come back. The reason I lived thro...through everything I did. I prayed that one day I’d be able to hold you both. During the endless hours, the only thing that kept me sane was the thought that you two were alive.”
Taya snorted, her hand waving toward Torq. “Really? ‘Cause from where I’m standing, you looked like you were just trying to take a ride on his magic train, not find me and Taryn and see how we were. How long you been back? An hour, two? When were you gonna come and check on us?”
“Enough, Taya. You don’t speak to your mother that way, ever,” he growled. In the pack, he was above Bronx, but they’d never had the occasion to fight. Right now, he’d take the other wolf down and make him show his throat if that was what it took for them to show Talia respect.
“No, she has a right to be angry,” Talia said, her hand looking way too perfect against his tattooed arm.
He looked down at the milky white perfection of her hand, noticing tiny white scars over the top of them. For a Fey to be scarred, he knew the damage had to have been immense and painful. “She has a right to fuck off. Bronx,” he addressed the other wolf. “As her mate you want to challenge me, let’s do this. Our mates have issues? There’s two options. They can discuss it like grown women? Or if yours wants to cry like a little bitch and act like one too, that’s where you and I are going to have problems.”
“That’s fucking rich. I’m being a bitch because I want my mother to—oh forget it. Have a good time.” Taya turned to walk away.
Before Torq realized what his mate-to-be intended, she flashed in front of Taya and Bronx, putting herself in the way of two shifters, who he wasn’t sure he trusted.
“Taya, please don’t leave, yet. I wasn’t expecting to find him.” Talia waved toward Torq. “I’ve been trying to fix myself, so I was worthy of you and Taryn. I wanted to make sure I could be—here. Not knowing what might trigger memories, I...I wasn’t safe before.”
Taya stood still, her breathing even. Torq moved closer, ready to intervene. He’d never hit a woman, ever. Didn’t plan on it now, but he’d make damn sure his mate was safe.
“Explain,” Taya whispered.
Knowing what the young female expected, he moved closer. “Bronx, there’s things you two missed that are brewing which supersede family drama. Those were Niall’s words. We were actually heading back to Talia’s cabin so she could do her soil searching.” He knew there was probably some fancy Fey word for what she was needing to do. If she and Taya had a heart-to-heart in the middle of the clearing, there was a ninety-nine percent chance neither woman would be able to do anything but cry. Not that he didn’t think he was up to the task of soothing his mate-to-be, but that wasn’t how he planned on spending his evening.
“Taya, when shit blows over, you, your mother, and your sister can have a sit down and spend hours, days even getting the air cleared or whatever you need. Right now, she needs to find out where the danger stalking our pack is coming from.” Torq came to stand next to Talia, his hand instinctively going to her hip.
Bronx’s head swiveled back and forth. “What the hell does that mean?”
Torq tapped his temple. “Give the alpha a holler. I got shit to do, and it ain’t to stand out here. Talia needs to rest before she attempts to face what’s to come.” He took a deep breath. “Because I have a feeling it’s a lot bigger than anything we’ve come up against.”
“That’s great, man.” Bronx smiled, showing white teeth with his canines longer than usual. Yep, the wolf was on edge.
Chapter Five
Torq watched as Talia stared at Taya, wishing he could make the other woman see the struggles her mother had gone through. Hell, he wasn’t sure what all she’d suffered, wasn’t sure he truly wanted to know, but knew she’d endured a lot. Before Bronx and Taya stepped around them, Taya paused next to Talia. He swore the air stilled, or maybe it was him holding his breath.
“I’m glad you’re back,” Taya said.
Talia lifted her hand, touching Taya’s cheek. “Me too, beau bebe,” she murmured.
Taya put her hand over Talia’s. “What’s that mean?”
“Beautiful baby. Both you and your sister were the most beautiful babies in all of the realms.”
He didn’t have to wonder if Talia was being sincere. Honesty poured off her in waves. The blue light he’d seen when she’d found her blade glowed as she stood connected to Taya. Finally, Taya took a breath and let her hand drop. “I don’t imagine you saw a lot of babies to truly judge by. Let us know if we can be of any help.” She stepped away, her voice shaking.
“We good?” he asked Bronx.
Bronx lifted one shoulder. “I don’t hate you. I understand you were protecting your mate, the same as I will mine. If those two issues clash...” he trailed off.
Yeah, if they clashed there’d be a battle, and it would be bloody. Torq wondered if Talia would want to join the Mystic Wolves with him if that were to happen. Not that he could see himself losing to Bronx, but he couldn’t imagine the battle being anything less than devastating to their family. Better for them to leave, and give some space than to destroy what could be, before it had a chance.
“I can see wheels turning in that thick skull of yours, Torq. It scares me the way I feel as if I know you, yet I don’t. Does that make sense?”
He brushed his thumb across her bottom lip, remembering how it had felt when he’d sucked that plump lower lip between his. “That’s the way of mates, truemates, Talia.” He pressed his thumb against her mouth, silencing her protest. “I don’t give a flying fuck about what you thought you had, or what that—less than scumsucking, bottom feeding, dickweed made you think you had. He wasn’t your mate. He manipulated you. Make no mistake, farfalla, I’m nothing like him.”
She opened her mouth, biting down on his thumb. “I realize that. I was only going to say we need to slow down. Not because of before, but because this is all new to me, and I want to take the time to experience it correctly. Does that sound better?”
He grinned. “I can give you nice and slow.”
Talia shoved him. “Goddess, you men are all alike,” she laughed.
The tinkling notes of her laughter made him hard. Absolutely everything about her made him—hard. Shit, if he didn’t get some relief, Torq was sure he’d be the first shifter in history to go crazy from lack of sex.
His mate-to-be laughed again. “Oh goddess, did you really just think that?” she covered her mouth. “Sorry, you were projecting, and we’re connected, and I just caught it. I wasn’t prying, I promise.”
Fear colored her words while she backed away from him. Torq held his hands up, keeping his tone low and non-threatening. “Farfalla, you can listen to my thoughts anytime you’d like. In fact, I’d love to have that connection with you.”
She stopped her retreat, her eyes widening. “You’re not angry?”
He shook his head. “I’ve always envied the other wolves, and even those humans who seemed to have true love connections. So, no, I’m much farther on the opposite side of angry. Come here, farfalla.” He motioned her back to him, not wanting to risk her running from him.
“Can we just flash back to the cabin?” Talia asked, but she moved toward him instead of away.
He reached for her, dragging her in close to him. “You know what would make my second experience, traveling Air Talia, even better than the last?”
Talia shook her head, her tongue coming out and wetting her lips. “No, what?”
Torq lifted her up by the waist. “Wrap your legs around me,” he instructed her. “Can you flash us like this?” At her nod, he smiled. “That’d make traveling better. Of course, it would be even better if I was buried deep inside your body, but we’ll save that for...maybe our tenth trip.”
Her laughter was his new drug. Even though he’d never been an addict, he was fast becoming addicted to Talia.
Talia couldn’t remember the last time she’d laughed with a male. The other warriors she’d fought side-by-side with considered her a friend, yet they’d not had a lot to laugh about during their off times.
As she materialized them outside the cabin she was given, her instinct had her releasing Torq immediately. Pulling the blade from her waistband with practiced ease, she turned in a circle, searching for what made her wary. Opening all her senses, trying to find the source of her unease, she didn’t find any trace of Dark Fae.
“You’re entire being has a blue hue to it. Is that part of your Fey trait, or only when you’re in fighting mode?” Torq asked, his body poised to protect.
She took one more look around before putting the blade back into her waistband, wondering if Torq was going to think she was a complete loon. “I felt, or rather sensed something was off when we materialized. It was as if someone was right here, yet they were not.” She ran her hands through her hair, plaiting it into a braid over one shoulder.
Torq groaned, making her eyes jerk back toward him. “I love your hair. Even with very little light, there’s this hint of blue to it.” He reached out and tugged on the end.
“It’s been the bane of my existence. I cut it, and it’ll grow back to this length within days.” She looked at the end, then secured it with a band.
“Most women would kill for that super power,” Torq said.
With her eyes still on her hair, she whispered words she hadn’t told anyone else. “Keith would shave my head whenever he wanted to punish me, then he’d rage when it would grow back so quickly. Those were some of the worst times.” The shiver that worked up her spine had nothing to do with the presence she felt earlier. Although she knew Keith had been evil, the fact he was able to hide the darkness inside him amazed her. She’d fought the Dark Fae for decades in Fey.
“Why did he choose you?” Torq’s tone was gentle, yet the question was one she’d wondered as well.
“I think I was just the unlucky one who fell for him first. Most Fey didn’t...trust so easily. We can sense truth, and generally evil within a being. I think my internal radar is broken.” She stepped away, her words making her rethink the instant chemistry with Torq.
He shook his head, moving with her. “You’re not going to use that to put distance between us. Open your heart and your mind, tell me you didn’t truly sense something was off with that bastard all those years ago. You were, for lack of better terms, exhausted. I think you weren’t using your internal radar, combined with the fact he wasn’t a normal man. You said it yourself, the Dark Fae will use anything and anyone to get what they want, and he clearly wanted what you have. Goodness and light. For one who is evil, they crave that. The need to take all that’s good and twist it into something perverted is the greatest high. I imagine that was what really got his rocks off.”
Torq’s words made her blush. In all the years she’d been Keith’s prisoner, he’d only had sex with her the two times, both experiences creating her daughters. Afterwards, he’d realized they’d only produce females, and he’d wanted a son, which made her useless in that regards to him and his plans. Of course, he still needed her for the powers she held within herself, which he’d taken his daily doses in whatever manner he chose. The more violent, the happier Keith had been. Her stomach rolled as images from the past surfaced. She stuffed her fist into her mouth, and the other went to her stomach, trying to ease the ache.
“Hey, he can’t hurt you anymore, farfalla. Stay with me.” His hands framed her face, making her look into his mesmerizing gaze.
“I hate that he’s made me a shell of my former self,” she admitted.
“That’s not what I see. Not what anyone sees. You could’ve given up at anytime when you were down there, but you didn’t. You stayed alive, allowing him to do what he did because you’re a fighter. You knew one day you’d get free, and you’d need to be the strong, brave female you are for your daughters. You’re beautiful in every single way. Inside and out.”
She laughed, the sound hollow. “You’ve only seen what I’ve shown you. You haven’t seen all of me.”
“Are you talking about scars, baby?” One of his hands released her face, picking up hers. “These lines here? Scars don’t make you ugly. They show the true triumphs you’ve made. In a world filled with beautiful people who are all flash and show, I prefer my mate to be unique. These,” he brought her hand to his mouth, kissing the top and then tracing each line with his tongue. “These are maps to your journey, showing me you’re uniquely you. Nobody else has these.”
“I have more, bigger ones on my stomach and back,” she whispered. An ugly truth she hated to admit.
“I’ll take great pleasure in discovering each one myself and paying homage to them and the goddess of a woman who wears them. You wear them, they don’t define you.”
“You make me want to believe you, and that scares me. What if you change your mind? What if you learn all the terrible things about me and decide you don’t want me?” She tugged on her hand.
He grunted but let her go. His low growl had her looking over her shoulder. “Talia, nothing you show me, or tell me, will change the way I feel in here.” He pounded his fist against his chest. “Or in here.” He tapped his temple. “There’s only one truemate for me, and that’s you. If you don’t accept me...I’ll do my damndest to change your mind, but I’ll never force myself on you or any woman for that matter. However, my life will be meaningless without you. I’m not saying that to guilt you, but to show you that I’m serious.”
“Fine, but I’ve warned you so don’t be shocked if you see things that make you think twice about this mating business.” Without looking back at him, she went to the small cabin she’d been given. Her wards were strong around the exterior, nothing had disturbed them from what she could tell. However, the feeling that a sinister presence had come onto the land wouldn’t leave her. In her training with Belle, she’d told her to trust her instincts. “Alright, I’m trusting them, Belle.”
“Shit, is the dragon here, too?” Torq asked, his heat close enough she could feel him at her back.
Talia shook her head. “No, but she told me that just because I was, you know, a prisoner for a while, those were Belle’s words, by the way.” She took a breath. “I think she’s also suffered at the hands of someone or something much greater. Anyway, she told me to trust my instincts. Actually, her words were a little more—harsh. Talia, you get knocked down? So what, Fey girl. Get your tiny female butt up and dust off the crapola you’ve landed yourself in. Use what the Goddess has given you. It’s called instinct and trust it to guide you. Believe me, when you have a woman who can shift into a huge ass dragon, you listen.”
“Well Belle sounds like a very intelligent female. So, what are your instincts telling you now?” Torq inhaled.
She wondered if he was scenting her for lies, or if he too, was checking the area.
Opening the door, she waved him inside. If someone had been around the cabin, they could still be near. Or, if they were magical, they could’ve set up a way to watch and listen to her and Torq. No way did she want them to hear or see anything that went on between her and the enticing wolf she wanted more than her next breath.
Once ins
ide, she waved her hand in an arc, whispering words to seal the ward, enclosing them inside. “There,” she said, wiping her hands down her thighs.
“Want to explain all that?” Torq asked, standing in the middle of the room. His stance was one she recognized as that of a man who wasn’t going to be put off. Only, she didn’t fear him.
“There was someone, or a being here, or rather outside. I couldn’t tell who, but it’s been recently. I could probably trace them,” she offered.
Torq shook his head. “Let me go and see what I can find.”
She laughed. “Do you think I’m some helpless female, Torq?”
His entire being froze, shutting her out. Talia wanted to pretend it didn’t hurt, but it did. She didn’t know how to fix it. Goddess, she hated feeling inadequate.
“Don’t,” he grated. “I don’t think your helpless, but the thought of you getting hurt makes me and my wolf—crazy. You haven’t bound yourself to us. If something out there were to take you, I’d have no way to track you. I’m not magical like you, Talia. The mere thought of losing you, before I even have you, is like a death sentence. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
Her hand shook as she held it out to him. When he eliminated the space, her world shrank to him and her. “I do, Torq. Again, I’m asking for patience, and I know for men such as you it’s going against the grain.”
Torq lifted their hands, kissing her knuckles. “Farfalla, if it’s time you need, I’ll give what I can. Space, on the other hand, isn’t an option for me or my wolf. Nor can I allow you to put yourself in danger. Whatever you felt out there had my wolf raking at me. I couldn’t contain him if I tried.”