Retribution (30 page)

“About what?”

“You wouldn't be fine going by yourself.”

“Yes I would...” She paused, her face growing warm as she realized he was right. If he made her go without him, she’d be nervous and missing him the entire time, and she’d end up rushing to get back to him. “So why did you ask if you already knew the answer?”

“I didn't know, not until you told me, but once you told me you want me there, I knew it wouldn't be okay if I'm not.”

“Oh.” She narrowed her eyes on his aura. “Is that the only reason you agreed to go?”

“No. I want to go.”

His smile was easy and reassuring, so she relaxed and nibbled on her apple, hoping he’d finish his breakfast even though she was done.

“I know what you're doing, Layla.”

She huffed and rolled her eyes. “Just eat.”

He grabbed a piece of ham before vanishing his dishes, and she finished her apple as she closed the distance between them. Taking the meat from his fingers, she fed him a bite. Then she hovered from the ground and stole a salty kiss. “I love you, Quin.”
 

Carefully working his fingers into her hair, he took her by the cheeks and whispered. “I know, angel. I love you, too.”

Chapter 20

Most of the coven members were busy – guarding, spying, planning or dealing with everyday life – which left only a few to welcome the newcomers due to arrive that afternoon. Insisting they didn’t need escorts, Quin and Layla told the available family members to stay home. Then they used her superb concealment spells to make the trip to the Cormac/Adair community by themselves.

She’d dressed with the meet-and-greet in mind, wearing a cute, fit-and-flair dress with a knee-length skirt and layers of peach lace, but she still felt self-conscious when she flew into the community and revealed her and Quin’s bodies.

Hovering over the clearing, she blushed and looked down, finding a lawn similar to her own. Of course the houses were unique, and the people and pets were different, but it had the same shape and organization, and it gave the same impression of a peaceful fairy tale land.

“Ready?” Quin asked, pulling her against his bare chest.

She looked away from the crowd and found his dark stare. “Kiss me.”

His eyes brightened as he flashed a grin. Then he dipped her into a deep, spine-tingling kiss that would keep her blood pumping hot for at least an hour.

His mouth eventually abandoned her, but her eyes stayed closed as she licked her lips. “That was… um… perfect. And a little cruel.”

He laughed then gave her a much softer kiss. “How about that?”

“Still perfect, but if you thought it would simmer me down, you were way off.”

“I wouldn't dream of simmering you down, Layla.”

She tucked her fingers in the front of his waistband, urging him into another kiss, and as natural tingles ignited, she mixed in some magic. The energy stretched and strengthened, making his lower abdomen twitch, and she smiled, her tongue flitting over his bottom lip as she shot the shivers to his groin. His body went rigid as a moan gurgled in his throat, and she giggled while pulling her hands from his shorts.

She tried to back away, but he wasn’t having it. One of his hands tightened around a fistful of curls as the other grasped her hip, firmly holding her against him. “My naughty angel,” he softly admonished. “Are you sprouting horns on me?”

She widened her eyes. “Who me? No. I just like playing tricks.”

“Well I'm tempted to show you a trick right now, and I don't think you'll like my timing.”

Her eyes narrowed as her stomach flipped. “You wouldn't.”

“Wouldn’t what? Take you into the forest and have my way with you before introducing you to my friends? Yes, I absolutely would.”

He was telling the truth, which kind of turned her on, but she’d be mortified if he actually went through with it. “Cool yourself down,” she smirked. “We have people down there waiting for us.”

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Then his lids popped open as he shook his head. “Nope. That didn't help a bit.” Releasing her from his embrace, he took her hand and kissed it, spreading magical heat throughout her body. “Oh well. This won’t be the first time I’ve had to talk while thinking about my naked angel. Ready?”

“As ready as I’ll ever be.”

Tucking her under his arm, he descended toward the lawn, landing several yards away from its residents. Layla scanned the waiting coven, and had just enough time to register their curious stares before a pack of wolfhounds charged her. They were huge, like miniature horses, and they quickly covered a lot of ground with lengthy legs and bodies. Layla braced to take flight, unafraid of the dogs, but smart enough to know they could easily overpower her. Aside from the puppies in the pack, all of them would stand taller than her and could probably knock her to the ground with a hyper nudge.
 

The dogs were halfway across the lawn when someone whistled, and the pack slid to a halt before dropping to their bellies. Two puppies thought they'd be sneaky and crawl forward, but two adult dogs bit their scruffs and pulled them back.

Layla laughed as she counted the beasts. Aside from the two ornery puppies, there were eight adults, but their immense size gave the impression a dozen or more lay there.
 

Several men stepped away from the watching group and reprimanded the dogs, who slowly rose and turned, shamefully bowing their heads as they retraced their steps. Weylin called one of them to his side. Then they both approached Quin and Layla. When Weylin stopped, the canine sat, but its thick tail kept wagging, and its eyes stayed on Layla as its big tongue lolled from a furry face.

“Sorry about that,” Weylin offered. “We’ve never seen them run up on guests like that. Guess they already sense something. Did they scare you?”

Layla smiled and shook her head. “No, but I was ready to get out of their way.”

Weylin laughed as he pointed to the dog beside him. “They’re surprisingly gentle. This one is mine. Her name’s Otsana.”

Layla extended a hand, and the dog’s tail went crazy as she leaned into Layla’s palm, not stopping until Weylin spoke again. “Okay, Otsana, go brag to the others that you got to touch the angel first.”
 

The dog gave Layla’s hand one more shove. Then it trotted to the others with its head held high.

Weylin laughed as he watched her go. “I should have known you’d attract the beasts. I imagine most animals are drawn to you.”

Layla shrugged. “No.”

“Yes they are,” Quin disagreed.

“No they aren’t,” she argued. “Our coven's pets don't act weird around me.”

“Because they were warned not to.”

“They were?”

“Yes, before you ever stepped on the lawn.” He paused and tilted his head. “How have you not noticed animals are drawn to you, Layla? It must have been that way your entire life.”

Layla considered this, her mind flashing over the past twenty-one years – all the times she walked outside to find neighborhood pets on her porch; the raucous and furry greetings she’d get at the animal shelter; the butterflies that would land on her fingers; the birds and squirrels that would draw close when she was alone, but retreat to the trees when someone else came along. “I guess they do like me, but I thought it was because I gave them treats and attention, or because I was quieter than others. It never struck me as unusual.”

Quin’s forehead furrowed. “What kind of pets did you have?”

“I didn’t have pets.”

He straightened and frowned. “What?”
 

“No pets,” she repeated. “That’s the one thing mom wouldn't let me have. Seriously, she never told me no, but animals were off limits.”

“Why?”

“She was allergic.”

“Oh. I'm sorry, love.”

“Don't be. I spent a lot of time at the animal shelter and spoiled the neighborhood pets, so it’s not like I missed out.”

“Hmm...” He stared at her for a few more seconds then looked away. “Well I have no doubt you’d be an excellent creature caller.”

“Creature caller?”

“Someone who excels at connecting with the minds of creatures.”

“We can do that?”

“Most of us, especially with our own pets, but there are some who can connect with just about any creature in the area, whether they've met them or not.”

Weylin's eyes lit up as he rubbed his palms together. “See if you can call Otsana.”

Layla looked between him and the dogs. “I don't know how.”

“It's the same as connecting with human minds,” Quin explained. “The difference is the way creatures read and relay thoughts. It's not really a language; it’s an assortment of feelings. You won't understand words, but with practice, you'll understand what they're trying to convey by the way they're feeling and by the way they're making you feel.”

“It sounds difficult.”

“It's extremely difficult for some. For you, it will be easy. Just try a connection for now. Don't worry about understanding her.”

“Okay,” Layla agreed, turning toward the pack. “Which one’s Otsana?”
 

“She still boasting,” Weylin answered, “in the very middle. The one with her nose in the air.”

Layla found the target and expanded her mind, searching for another. Then she jolted as hordes of voices invaded her head. She squeezed her eyes shut, shocked and disoriented by the river of nonsensical words and sounds splashing around her brain.

Quin’s voice broke through. “Layla!” And not his mental voice. He’d yelled at her. All at once, the noisy clatter ceased, and her lungs emptied as she turned into his chest.

“What did you do?” he asked, wrapping her in a hug.

She drew a deep breath laced with his scent, trying to calm her shaking. “I don’t know. Did you hear them?”

Quin’s confusion grew as he stared at the top of her head, trying to piece together the chain of events. He'd been watching her pinpoint her target, and suddenly she was in his mind, uncovering every thought, idea and memory it held, including those tucked away for safe keeping. He’d never been so exposed, and his gut reaction was brutal, an urge to grab her by the shoulders and shake her from his brain. But when he jerked his head up, he found everyone glaring at her, and his innate need to protect her kicked in.

“No,” he answered. “I didn't hear them.” He looked at Weylin. “Did she connect with your mind?”

“Intruded would be more accurate,” Weylin corrected. “She cracked me open.”

Layla gasped, and Quin tightened his hug as he narrowed his eyes on his friend. “She didn't mean to.”

Weylin held up his hands. “I didn't say she did, and I’m not mad about it, but there’s a good chance your angel’s ready to condemn me to hell after what she just witnessed.”

Quin grimaced as he looked down, urging Layla’s face from his chest. “What did you do, love?”

“I don't know, Quin. I was looking for Otsana's mind, but I guess I did it wrong. Tons of voices came at me.”

“That's because you tapped into every mind in this clearing.”

Her eyes widened as her mouth fell open. “But… I didn't… How could I...” She stopped stuttering and looked at Weylin. “I swear I didn't mean to, Wey, and I promise I didn't comprehend anything. There was so much noise, I couldn't understand any of it.” She took a shaky breath and returned to Quin's chest. “They must be so angry with me. I swear I didn't mean to.”

“It's okay,” Quin soothed. “They'll understand as soon as we explain things.”

Kegan approached and held his hands out beside him. “What was that all about?”

Layla cringed, and Quin’s jaw flexed as he checked his temper. “It was an accident, Keg. She was trying to connect with Otsana.”

“Ah… First creature call?”

“Yes. And apparently that’s something we need to practice in a more controlled environment. But don’t worry, she didn't comprehend anything she heard, and you can assure your family she’d never do something like that on purpose. She's more freaked out by this than anyone.”

“I’m sure,” Kegan replied, staring at Layla's back. Then he cleared his throat and slapped Weylin’s shoulder. “We'll go let them know it was an accident. Come over when you're ready. And don't worry about this, Layla. They'll understand.”
 

She nodded, but she didn't say anything or look at him, so after throwing Quin a sympathetic glance, Kegan and Weylin walked away.

Layla sighed and shook her head. “So much for first impressions.”

“Hey,” Quin whispered, forcing her to look at him. “Don't worry about this. That impression will be wiped away as soon as they meet you and see how incredible you are.”

“I'm not sure they’ll get over it that easy, Quin.”

“I am, but they don't concern me right now. I want to know how you feel about it.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, are you okay?”

“Yeah, just embarrassed and guilty.”

“Did it scare you?”

“It was jarring, yes, but I'm okay now.”

He searched her eyes, making sure she wasn't downplaying her emotions. “Good. Now let's talk about how amazing that was.”