Authors: Penelope Fletcher
“
If you know what’s good
for you you’ll end that sentence right there.”
I blushed furiously. I would not be
called out so blatantly. It was none of his business.
He held his hands up, laughing. “The
irritation and tension speaks for itself. I won’t say a word.” He
mimed closing his mouth. I nodded once, feeling my face cool down.
“Is there a reason you have not mated him yet?”
“
Alec!”
At the sound of my voice, Breandan’s
head whipped round to stare at me. He made to rise, but Conall said
something that made him freeze, and return to his cross-legged
position. He turned away, but not before I felt the intensity of
his mind upon mine, looking for any fear or concern. Finding none
the pressure of his mind left mine and I scowled. Alec had seen the
exchange and scratched the back of his head, expression
mystified.
Still not happy with the fact the
shifter lead me over there I squeezed his hand until he grunted. By
the time we reached the trio the tendons in his arms popped out,
and his face was strained. I applied more pressure and heard a
satisfying crack muted by the short bark of pain. I let him go and
he shook out his hand, glaring at me.
Rubbing my sweaty palms on my hips, I
looked everywhere but at Breandan’s face. My chest heaved, my
breath coming short with nerves. I made an impatient noise at Alec
to get on with it.
“
I am going to run the
territory,” Alec told Breandan. “Rae wants to come with me. I ask
permission to guard your mate until I bring her back to
you.”
“
As her Elder, I agree that
Rae may accompany you,” Conall replied easily.
I started and looked at my brother,
cocking my head. Why had he answered? Alec simply nodded slowly and
paused, waiting.
My face got hotter and hotter. Tears
pricked my eyes because I wanted Breandan to object. How crazy was
that. When Tomas made to touch me Breandan’s jealousy was plain,
but the stress of it had given my stomach cramps. But was I
secretly pleased? After years of being ignored and seen as weird,
was I happy to have two boys fighting over me? Maybe that’s why I
felt an irrational urge to smack him in the face to get him to look
at me. I stared at him now, waiting for him to acknowledge
me.
His gaze flicked to me and his eyes
burned. Then he glanced at Conall and his lips pressed together in
acute frustration.
The silence became charged. Byron and
Alec shared a baffled look.
I turned and walked away.
After fewer than three steps, a hot
and thick wave of lust gushed over me. My forth step faltered
before I gathered myself. Swallowing hard, stunned by the ferocity
of the desire he had sent to me and unable to help myself I snuck a
look over my shoulder.
Breandan winked before turning his
attention back to the conversation Conall and Byron were deeply
immersed in.
Alec skipped up beside me and I
slanted him a pleased look under my lashes. “Shut up,” I mumbled,
but could not help the smile that tugged up the corner of my
mouth.
Both palms shot up in
innocence. “I knew he’d let you know somehow.” At my puzzled look
he said, “I see now that your culture is different to ours. Conall
guards your honor, and Breandan cannot openly speak for you.
Why
is the riddle
though?”
Alec led the way out of the shifters
camp and into the tall grass. As I walked, I let my palms brush
over the prickly tips.
“
He has before,” I murmured
to myself.
“
Conall seems to like him,
but won’t give his blessing on your mating. Why?”
My mouth opened to deny this then
snapped closed. Breandan had openly defended me when Lochlann had
considered trading me over to Devlin for a month of peace. And
he’d…. It was like a mental slap. That was the only time he had
openly spoken for me, and the result of that had been his oath
breaking. Did that remove the fear of having to choose between his
brother and me? The trust and devotion in the action was
mind-boggling. Was there more to it than I had initially
understood? Gods, I had not thought much about anything because
stuff happened so fast, but Breandan had turned his back on
everything he had known to protect me. What did it mean? Fairies
were tradition conscious and had a high concept of honor. If
Breandan had broken away from his family did that mean he was no
longer able to lay a claim on me? Unguh. That made no sense. He
believed that we were destined to be, that he was born for me, so
why would he throw his life away on a distant threat from a beloved
family member. By rights, Lochlann should be the one courting me.
He needed me, and my power, to help bring back the balance, and
keep the favor of the people. Could he have ordered Breandan to
step aside? He had plainly said he expected us to mate.
No. Oath sworn or not,
Lochlann
retains the right to claim me over
Breandan if he becomes High Lord. So that couldn’t be it … not
entirely. Breandan had been upset that he had seen me first and
that the bond sparked between us. He’d known a month before we met
what was going to happen, so he was not surprised, if anything
subdued and resigned. Was he still fighting against the bond? Was
that the real reason why he stopped himself getting closer to me?
Did he expect it to be broken so Lochlann could claim me as fairy
law required?
I stopped dead and Alec walked out of
sight before he came crashing back, looking panicked. Seeing me
frozen with thunderstruck expression he did not speak.
Is that what Lochlann and
Conall thought too? That the bond could be broken? Was this why he
asked me to be discreet, and why Conall was so hell bent on
ensuring we were? My tie with Tomas made it clear Breandan and I
could still be separated, though I got the impression it would be
emotional and physical torture. No. That could
not
be it. Breandan wouldn’t let that
happen! He’d broken his oath so he could have me. It was his only
choice. He could not stay sworn to his brother
and
mate me when it was his Elder’s
right to have me.
Conall thinking this way, I
could understand to some degree. He was Lochlann’s right hand man,
and loyal to a fault. Despite my love for Breandan, he would try to
save me for his chosen lord. Were Breandan and my Elder doing some
secret power play behind my back? On one hand was Breandan trying
to strengthen our bond, and get to know me, whilst on the other
hand keeping to the rules giving Conall no option but to accept our
time together as he’s not actually overstepping any lines? Uh, I
was confusing myself. I thought about what Breandan had told me at
the lake. Of course, in public he could not stake his claim. I
could show him favor, but he could not show it to me.
Oh.
Perhaps Conall didn’t
voice his disapproval before because he was unsure of what he felt
between Breandan and I. When we first met, he’d told me he sensed
something odd around me, but he did not know what it was. When he
had found out, Devlin opening his big stupid mouth trying to trade
me for a month of peace, he had said nothing to oppose our bond.
Then again, I guess it wasn’t really the time for him to talk to me
about such things. When he had tried to broach the subject
yesterday I’d refused to listen, too wrapped up in Breandan. And my
fairy was more than happy to get in the way of such a conversation,
after all, I could still turn my back on him, and leave him with
nothing.
How did I not see this? The tension
between the two boys made perfect sense now. So did Conall’s magic
appearing act every time Breandan came more than two feet near me.
He thought he was protecting me.
But what was Breandan’s plan to make
this okay? He had been honest in the beginning, and on Lochlann’s
return he had told me his brother was not happy. But he had been
sure he could make him understand, make him accept us.
That did not seem to be happening, in
fact, the opposite.
The idea of being with Lochlann was
horrifying. He didn’t care for me at all. He had openly admitted my
heart belonged to Breandan. Would he really condemn himself to an
unhappy mating for the sake of the High Lordship? Would he hurt his
younger brother that way? I knew him to be stuffy, and cold, but
even he could not be that cruel.
I waved Alec on, not wanting to share
my revelations until I had worked it through a few more
times.
We’d reached the edge of the
grasslands and were lightheartedly jumping over the low grown
shrubs and bushes that unexpectedly shot up to become young trees
at the edge of the forest. Alec seemed to be following a specific
trail since he took us in a curving, zigzagging path that went
deeper into the forest then back out again into the
grass.
“
You going to Change?” I
asked absentmindedly.
“
I’ll stay human for a
while. My senses aren’t as good, but I want to enjoy what’s on show
for a while longer.” He wiggled his eyebrows.
I did not get it. “Can’t you see as a
cat?”
“
Can’t see colour and you
are extraordinarily colorful.”
He leered at me and I snorted. It was
relaxing to muck around with someone.
“
Where are we going?” I
asked grumpily.
He pointed across the grass in no
particular direction I could see; only that we would be entering
the forest again, and that was good enough for me. I breathed in
deeply, enjoying the rich smell of soil and green
things.
Alec himself smelt nice too, sort of
like sweet grass and warm animal. With his dark hair and green eyes
he was not ugly either, by the way the shifter-females reacted
quite the opposite. He had a pleasantly square head and was
unshaven. His body hair was raven black, like his cat form, and he
was long of torso and short of leg. Byron said he was the Pack
Omega, second-in-command, and I understood why. Despite his youth
he had a commanding air about him. An innate calm. He was pleasant
to be around, and I was glad I was here, even if my body was
already beginning to miss Breandan’s touch.
So far the bond had not become
annoying, but I wondered if one day always needing my fairy close
would upset me.
“
You and the fairy are so
strange. I’ve never seen your like,” Alee said.
I huffed a sigh even as I felt a pang
of hurt. “Being different is not so bad.”
“
Your love is cold,
awkward. So odd. I would say The Claim between you two is stronger
than anything I’ve ever felt, and I am not of your
species.”
“
I’ve never heard of this
before.” My brows furrowed. “The Claim?”
“
It is what we call the
urge to mark our mate. A sign to others that you are mated to
another.” He shook his head as he walked, muttering to himself. “A
cold love.”
“
Because we don’t cuddle
and sigh in each other’s ear – in front of others – makes us cold?
The connection between us goes deeper than words or touch. I am
bound to him, and he belongs to me.”
I straightened and looked down,
incredulous at myself. Did I really say that out loud?
“
I never meant to offend
you,” Alec said. “I didn’t understand. As cats we’re open in our
affection. We see no shame in nudity or excessive displays of
courting or passion.” He blushed. “If I felt half as passionate to
any female as you seem to feel for him I would not be able to take
my hands off her. His gaze rarely leaves you, but I thought it was
more to do with protection than passion.” He took my hand in his
and held it solemnly. “I didn’t understand it was that
complicated.”
I shrugged, feigning nonchalance.
Neither did I until a few moments before. “Breandan is exercising
control. It’s not that he doesn’t want to touch me; he mustn’t to
make sure that Conall … his brother needs me to be … uh, it’s
messed up. He’s different when we are alone.” From the dubious
expression on Alec’s face I was not explaining myself well. “We’re
bonded. A rare connection and–” I hesitated, remembering the
warning from both Ana and Conall about speaking of the bond freely.
That and the fact I had told Lochlann I would be discreet about my
relationship with his brother. If Alec ever spoke openly about this
to my Elder…. “You can’t tell anyone about this. If you
do–”
He tightened his grip on my hand. “I
swear.”
I breathed out and with it came a
torrent of words. “It’s magic. Pure power. When we don’t touch it
starts to build, and we do touch it explodes between us.” I could
hear the excitement in my voice. “It’s not so bad when he’s close,
a few paces away, but any further and my skin starts to itch, and
my mind can’t focus on anything for more than a few moments before
it seeks him out. It’s frustrating and exhilarating all at the same
time.” I felt a rush of relief. It was good to talk to
someone.
Alec chuckled. “Had we met in any
other circumstance I fear I would fallen quite in love with
you.”
His eyes became distant,
wistful.
“
Who is she?” I asked. His
eyes became hooded, expression clouded. I scowled at him, crossed
my hands over my stomach. “I bared my soul to you, time to exercise
some faith.” When he said nothing, I rolled my eyes. “I swear I
won’t tell.” A ripple of wind passed over me, I shivered. So
creepy. “Happy now. You have an iron clad promise sealed by magic.
Spill.”