Cade left to go deal with the wolves. He said to let you know we had the use of their plane if we needed it. Gage sat back. Even in the house his gaze was never still, always roving, looking for possible trouble.
We do. All this moving around exposes us to a threat I simply cant protect adequately from. Not anymore.
Shed take Molly back to Seattle and then get down to Los Angeles. Shed probably have to go to a meeting of the Council of Others. She had three messages from them already, but she wanted to check on her people as well.
Chapter 11
THEY got off the plane in Seattle and she smiled at the sight of her sister on the tarmac.
Lark gave her a hug, kissing her cheek. Hey you.
Hey yourself. Thanks for the escort. Im going to stick around here and catch a ride down south.
Youre not.
Lark and Helena both turned, surprised by Faines rumble of disagreement. Simon just burst out laughing.
Im not? Helena gave him a look that would have sent any other person running. But not this giant. No, he just looked back.
Youre not. Youre going to my house and youre going to rest for a day and then we will go wherever were needed next.
You have a house here too?
I have multiple houses. Its a smart thing to have places you can retreat to when necessary. He shrugged, looking every bit like a prince as he did so.
Youve been appointed my guardian?
I believe weve already discussed this issue. You need a keeper sometimes because without one you will run yourself into the ground. In case youve forgotten, and let me hasten to add that I have not, you nearly died today. You stopped an explosion, and in doing so you bled from the nose and mouth. You need to sleep. Not nap, like you did earlier. You need to eat a real meal and then you need to have a hot bath and then you need to sleep for an uninterrupted eight hours. Then youll be well enough to go about saving the world and risking your life again.
Lark gave Helena a wide-eyed look. So when did this happen?
Helena threw her hands up in the air. Its like Im not even here.
Im taking Molly home. Everyone else is going home or to the hotel. Ill talk with you later. Just let me know where you end up. Gage gave her a one-armed hug before disappearing with Molly, who gave her two thumbs up and a wink.
We should get out of the open. Simon held a hand out to Lark, who looked back and forth between Helena and Faine.
Lark pulled her aside. Theyre going to hear everything we say, but lets pretend they cant, okay? You can stay with us. Theres plenty of room. Or you can go back to Los Angeles. I do think hes got a point. If you go back home, Mom is going to show up at your place with a basket full of goop, tea and tinctures and she will make you consume them all while covered in sticky stuff that will make you itch out the poison or whatever. And then shell make you tempeh loaf. Or you can stay here, have steak, some good scotch and cheesecake. While you tell me when you and Faine hooked up.
Is this supposed to be a choice? Moms tempeh loaf or letting that giant wolf over there tell me what to do?
Lark laughed. You fucked a Lycian and, from the looks of it, hes not just interested in a few days between the sheets. They latch on and then youre done.
I boned him, I didnt marry him.
Im not a wolf, Faine called out, amusement clear in his tone.
Beast, Lycian. Whatever. Bossy, and the sex wasnt so good Ive lost my mind.
Lark cocked her head and dared her to keep lying.
She sighed. Okay so it was. But . . .
There are no buts. Hes right. You need to rest. Also? They come with one setting. Bossy. Domineering. Theyre used to being in charge. But theyre worth it. At least the Leviathan brothers are. Lark smirked. Come on. Lark took her hands. I dont see you enough and youve had a rough day. Let me take care of you. Lets catch up a little. Please? Before he and Simon can start making plans for world domination?
Just Lark domination, pixie. Simon smiled at Lark, who waved it away as they walked toward the brothers.
Faines place happens to be our place. Hes just poking at you. Come on back. Ill grill some steaks and we can relax. Id like to spend time with you and my brother for a change. Simon gave her a little bow and she knew she was giving in before she did it.
* * *
SO while Lark has Helena cornered off in your room, interrogating her, let me do a little interrogation of my own. Whats going on?
Faine stood on his brothers deck, looking out over all the wildness just beyond. He breathed deep of the trees and earth. Its good here.
Simon grunted. Theres plenty of acreage just up the road for you to build your own house. But I figure youll be settling in Los Angeles at this point. How long has this been going on between you and Helena?
Faine blew out a breath. Hed been holding all this inside for some time and it felt good to finally be able to talk about it with someone whod understand. Ive been attracted to her for some time. Months now. Probably since the first time I laid eyes on her. Until today it was just kisses. He pushed away from the rail hed been leaning against, pacing. She could have died. It just hit me and then I saw her in an exposed moment. Emotionally, I mean. It was . . . I couldnt resist any longer and I realized it was stupid to have resisted as long as I have. I dont know, at first I felt like perhaps I should have waited, talked it all over with her before we had sex.
Grabbing his glass, he turned to face Simon, letting the smoke of the scotch dance over his senses.
The scent of the meat rose as Simon put the steaks on the grill. Shes a big girl, as Lark is so fond of saying. She knows what we are. Her sister is my Neest, after all. Helena knows what she wants. If she hadnt been interested and hadnt wanted you, she would have punched you in the head and kicked you out of her room.
Faine guffawed. Theyre a lot alike, I imagine. You appear to be unharmed so you must be doing something right.
Simon growled. Infuriating, these Jaansen females. Theyve got a penchant for placing themselves between danger and their people. Drives me nuts.
And you wouldnt have it any other way. Faine understood it because he felt the same. The danger of what Helena did made him crazy, but he respected her path a great deal.
Simon snorted. No. Its an integral part of who she is. One of the reasons I love Lark so much. Shes a warrior. As Helena is a warrior.
As we are. But you and I are nearly seven-foot-tall males who share existence with a beast bearing razor sharp teeth and claws. Weve been bred for what we are in ways they cant be. Theyre far more physically fragile.
Simon gave one of his infuriatingly calm shoulder shrugs. Thats all true. The fact that theyre warriors like we are makes it easierrationallyto accept the danger they put themselves in. But the fact that I love Lark so deeply is always a challenge to ration. But I do and its who she is. Theres no way around that, and if I dont accept it, we cant be together. Lets not avoid the fact that youre not only Lycian.
Faine blew out a breath. Yes. She knows my mother is a demoness so its not as if its a secret. But when is it Im supposed to bring up that the two halves of my being unite to make me cleave to the right female for life? Especially when she knows I was married at one time and I wasnt bonded to Lydia?
You loved Lydia, yes. But she was human. And you and I both know theres love and theres forever love. You didnt make it up. It simply is. Given that one of your siblings is bonded to her sister, I suppose it means our genetics seem to click with theirs. Its not a surprise that youd fall for her. Shes beautiful. Willful. Passionate and fiery about things. And shes got a most excellent left hook.
Faine snorted a laugh. She does. And some other stuff she does, Krav Maga, that stuns me when she does it. Shes so fragile though, just beneath that tough exterior. It calls to me.
Simon nodded. And you want to protect her. You know by now that you can only do so much. The Jaansen women are not going to be managed. You have to be sneaky about it. And really? You have to accept the whole package. That means they come home bloody at least once a month. Though lately its more. Im hoping it slows down at some point.
Faine scrubbed hands over his face. I want to take her to Lycia. Things are so busy just now it hasnt been possible. But soon. I want to take her and explain everything.
Shes your Neest then?
Lycians werent like werewolves in the sense that they didnt have the same sort of fated mate bond with their partner. Most Lycians had plural marriages. Faine was born when his and Simons father had two other wives. Many married or had long-term partnerships. But they had long life spans and they loved and embraced that love. Sometimes it was short term. Sometimes it was longer term, sometimes it meant more than one spouse.
But for some, usually in ruling families, there were special bonds. A voluntary bond that united a couple together for their entire lives. Tila, Faines mother, and Cross, his and Simons father, had chosen to perform the binding after Simons mother had died. Lark was his brothers Neest. His key. Their union was forever and highly respected by their people.
Faine felt that for Helena. And more than that, he was half demon, and demons tended to imprint on mates in the way of cat shifters. Intense attraction and then a voluntary binding. The two parts of Faines being had united in their hunger for Helena. He wanted her and he wanted her forever.
It all came down to just how Helena felt about it all.
She is my Neest. Faine blew out a breath. Now I just need to convince her of that.
Simon laughed as he turned the steaks. Unsolicited advice?
Faine shrugged. Always appreciated.
Theyve grown up in the human world. Concepts of love are different for them. It took a while for Lark to come around when I first told her she was my key. Even though theyre witches they live in a world of what they can see more than what they can feel when it comes to romance.
This had occurred to him. It had been a positive when hed interacted with human women. He kept it light and that was fine. Back home hed had more than enough company when he desired it, but Lycians were on the same page. They knew what he was, what he wanted, and those females who wanted more looked elsewhere.
He had thirty years with Lydia and it had been wonderful. But every time he went to his parents house, he saw their connection, saw what their bond was and he yearned for that. Had waited hundreds of years for it.
He hadnt expected Helena. When hed told her that, it was the total truth. Yes, sure, she was desirable on many levels. That hadnt been the surprise part. It was that sweetness he glimpsed, as well as the ferocity in battlethat combination had been his undoing.
We broached the subject earlier today and she blew it off. But she didnt get out of bed either. Faine raised a shoulder and grinned. His shoulder had ached for an hour after theyd been together. The nails shed raked over his skin had left a mark that should have healed faster.
That they hadnt was just another sign she was meant to be his. A mates marks faded slower because they were meant to be shown off.
Simons laugh was knowing. Faine knew his brother and his mate had an intense connection. Keep a first-aid kit handy and watch your blood pressure. Shes as wild and hard to manage as her little sister, Ill wager.
Yes. They share a tendency to work until they fall over.
Youll need to provide incentive to get her into bed. It doesnt get easier. Lark works herself to exhaustion. Im glad Helena is here, maybe theyll both rest a little. At least relax.
The next step is war. You know that. Unlike Lark and Helena, Faine and his brothers had been through war. More than once. He wished it wasnt heading in that direction. War sucked for everyone involved. But the humans, the ones who kept provoking the Others with acts of violence, werent going to listen until they were taught a hard lesson.
And sometimes hard lessons were bloody.
Simon sighed. Yes. They have fought against it. But you cant not react to what happened. Weve tried diplomacy and its not working.
* * *
HOW do you handle it? Being around such a big person all the time? Helena asked as she pulled on some thick socks. Lark hadnt bothered with any pretense; shed led Helena to Faines room and Helena hadnt argued. What would the point of that have been?
The doorways around here are big. Lark winked. You mean his presence? Lark sat on the floor, leaning back against the chair. If I sit on the bed, my scent will be there and hell get agitated. Lycians are particular and Faines going to want your smells all over the place.
See, thats part of what I mean. Helena pulled a pillow into her lap to lean on. Its so sudden. Yesterday he was one of my guards. Today he sexed me into a puddle of goo. Ive never . . . shew, suffice it to say hes got some moves.
Lark laughed, pushing her hair from her face. A body lives a few centuries and they seem to pick up some stuff. If hes anything like Simon, well, youll be well satisfied. No worries there. As for handling him? If you tell anyone this I will deny it. Lark sent her a prim look and she laughed.
Cross my heart.
I sort of like it. Hes so big and bossy and he pushes into my space like he was meant to be there. Its comforting. No one has ever taken care of me the way he does. But at the same time, he respects my job. Oh, he gets pissy when I come home bloody or when I dont get enough sleep, and he comes along with me a lot when Im out in the field. But hes seven hundred years old and built like a tank, its not like I cant use him. If I include him when I can hes more mellow about things.