Moonlight & Mechanicals (24 page)

Bell bared his teeth at the blatant challenge. Liam leaned forward again, as if intent on protecting Caroline from his father, but then Caroline tucked her hair back to reveal the points of her ears that marked her as part Fae. She bared her teeth in an almost lupine fashion that she must have learned from watching Liam. “That will include any of my future grandchildren. Do we have an understanding?”

Lord Bell started to speak, but his wife gripped his shoulder.

“Of course,” she said. “Discipline is the purview of the parents, not the grandparents.” She stared at her husband until he gave a curt nod and settled back in his seat.

Wink bit her lip to keep from laughing. Liam’s hand closed on hers and merriment sparkled in his eyes. They’d never have to worry about Liam’s father around their children. The big, bad wolf had been put in his place by a dainty little elf.

* * *

Liam made an attempt to return to his own house to sleep but was overruled. His parents were here, Wink was here, and if he needed further medical attention, it was here. More exhausted than he wanted anyone to see, he retired to the room next to Tom’s shortly after the meal.

As he made his way up the stairs, Nell stopped him. “I thought you’d want to know, Liam. Your mother’s ghost is smiling.”

“She is?” He’d nearly forgotten Nell’s mention of the ghost over his shoulder, but his throat thickened at the reminder. “She’s happy that I survived? Or that Wink and I are getting married?”

Nell tipped her head as if listening and smiled brilliantly. “Both. She’s moving on now, Liam. She says she couldn’t leave you while you were so alone, but now she thinks you’ll be fine.”

“I will.” He heard tears in his own voice. “Mama—thank you. I hope I’ve made you proud.”

“You have,” Nell said.

“Then good-bye, Mama. I love you.”

“She loves you too.” Nell’s eyes misted. “She’s gone now, Liam. Don’t be sad about that. She was ready to go.”

“I’m glad.” Liam leaned down and kissed his sister-in-law-to-be on the cheek. “Thank you, Nell.”

“My pleasure.” She patted his hand, then turned back to the drawing room and the rest of her family.

He made his way up the stairs to the guest room he’d been assigned. The first thing he did was shift. After going from human to wolf to human a couple of times, he could sense an enormous decrease in the effect of the toxins. Now he just needed sleep.

A knock on the door put paid to that idea. He opened it to find his father.

“Yes?” Liam truly didn’t want to cope with Lord Bell’s horseshit right about then. His patience was long since gone.

“We’ll be leaving right after the wedding,” Bell said. “Imogene doesn’t want to miss it. Bad form and all that.”

“That’s fine,” Liam said. “I’m not coming back to Ireland. Now or ever.”

Bell jerked his head in a parody of a nod. “Don’t know why—pack is pack. If you don’t give a damn about your own, I can’t make you. Don’t understand why though.”

“I’m nothing like you,” Liam said. “I don’t want to be anything like you.”

“Fair enough,” Bell said. “You’re more like your mother than I’d have preferred. She and I never got on.”

“An understatement, but go on.” Liam was so exhausted he barely took in what his father was saying.

“Your mother—she wasn’t my mate and I didn’t have much patience with her.” Bell shrugged. “Imogene and I are better suited. You sure this human girl is the one for you?”

“I’m sure.” Liam would have some thinking to do about what had just come out. His father was a brutal jackass, but he could see where being married to the wrong woman would have exacerbated the man’s violent tendencies. Still, it was no excuse.

“Anyway, Imogene told me to say you did a good job today.” He looked as miserable as if his fangs were being pulled at having to compliment Liam. “These people you know—they’re not weak like most humans.”

“No.” Liam shook his head. He’d reached his limit. “Thank you, Father. Good night.”

He closed the door in Lord Bell’s face before he fell into the bed and immediately into slumber.

He woke some hours later when someone lifted the blanket and a soft body crawled in beside him.

“I couldn’t sleep,” Wink whispered. “I know you need to rest, but I just wanted… I mean, you almost…” Her voice cracked.

Liam pulled her against him and cradled her in his arms. “Shh. I understand. Good lord, woman, you were in danger too. Do you think I don’t feel the same? That I don’t need to hold you and assure myself you’re all right?” His body responded instantly to her closeness, letting both of them know he was mending quite well.

Wink snuggled tightly into him. “I love you.” She kissed him lightly. “I wanted to say it in private for once. I love you with all my heart.”

He returned her kiss with a deeper, more sensual one. “And I love you. You are my heart, Winifred. Thank you for not giving up on me.”

“Never.”

They made love slowly and tenderly. Later, as they lay together in the dark, he said, “That was a good idea, buying some land outside of town. You can build us a steam car to come in to work.” He’d never force her to stop working for the Order, but he did hope she’d never be in a battle like that again. Hell, he hoped he’d never be in a battle like that again.

“Mmm-hmm.” She stretched against him. “Your parents aren’t going to be a problem, are they? I’m glad they’ll be in Ireland, but I’m also glad they helped. They did work to save you. That’s more than I expected.”

“Me too,” Liam said groggily. “I mean I’m also glad they’ll be on a whole different island and I didn’t expect them to help. My father was as easy-going tonight as I’ve ever seen him.”

“Maybe he’s mellowed with age.” Wink yawned.

“I think it’s more than that.” Liam brushed his fingers over the mark on her shoulder. It was time to tell her the whole truth about that. “This mark is how a wolf claims his mate. We only have one in our lifetime. I don’t think my mother and father were truly mated to each other. That’s why they made each other miserable. With Imogene, I think he’s finally found some level of happiness.”

“That’s a nice idea.” A soft kiss tickled his shoulder. Then she swatted him. “Wait, does that mean you’d marked me as your mate before you even said you love me?”

“I’m afraid so. My instincts knew better than my brain did, I’m afraid.” He hoped she wasn’t too angry.

“Idiot.” She kissed him again then settled down by his side. “I like the idea of mating for life, by the way. I’m going to hold you to that.”

“Good.” Liam cuddled into her and drifted off again.

He woke as the door opened, to find light streaming in the window. He pulled the covers up to his and Wink’s chins.

“Well,” said a sharp, male voice.

Wink stirred in his arms and looked up to see her father in the doorway. Liam swallowed hard. “Sir…”

Wink put a finger over his lips. “Morning, Papa. Did you need something?”

Merrick sighed and smiled. He couldn’t stay angry at Wink. Liam understood the feeling. “Liam’s superiors are here asking to speak with him.” He shot them a telling look before the door closed. “And the wedding will be very, very soon. Understood?”

“Yes, Papa.” Wink giggled as Liam buried his face in the pillow.

He was happier than he’d ever been. Life among this family was never going to be dull.

* * * * *

We hope you enjoyed
Moonlight & Mechanicals.
For further adventures with the Knights of the Round Table, download the first three titles in Cindy Spencer Pape’s The Gaslight Chronicles series. Available now.

Steam & Sorcery

Photographs & Phantoms
(free novella)

Kilts & Kraken

Connect with us for info
on
our new releases, access to exclusive offers and much more!

Visit
CarinaPress.com

We like you—why not like us
on
Facebook:
Facebook.com/CarinaPress

Follow us
on
Twitter:
Twitter.com/CarinaPress

About the Author

Author of more than forty popular books and novellas in paranormal, historical and erotic romance, Cindy Spencer Pape is an avid reader of romance, fantasy, mystery and even more romance. According to
The Romance Studio,
her plots are “full of twists and turns that keep the reader poised at the edge of their seat.”
Joyfully Reviewed
said her “colorful characters and plot building surprises kept me spellbound,” and
Romantic Times
magazine says her “characters are appealing, and passionate sex leads to a satisfying romance.”

Cindy firmly believes in happily ever after. Married for more than twenty-five years to her own, sometimes-kilted hero, she lives in southern Michigan with him and two college-age sons, along with an ever-changing menagerie of pets. Cindy has been, among other things, a banker, a teacher and an elected politician, but mostly an environmental educator, though now she is lucky enough to write full-time. Her degrees in zoology and animal behavior
almost
help her comprehend the three male humans who share her household.

Where no great story goes untold.
The variety you want to read, the stories authors have always wanted to write.
With new releases every week, your next great read is just a download away!

Keep in touch with Carina Press:
Read our blog:
www.CarinaPress.com/blog
Follow us
on
Twitter:
www.twitter.com/CarinaPress
Become a fan
on
Facebook:
www.facebook.com/CarinaPress

ISBN: 978-14268-9452-7

Copyright © 2012 by Cindy Spencer Pape

All rights reserved. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of publisher, Harlequin Enterprises Limited, 225 Duncan Mill Road, Don Mills, Ontario, Canada M3B 3K9.

All characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all incidents are pure invention.

This edition published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

® and ™ are trademarks of the publisher. Trademarks indicated with ® are registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the Canadian Trade Marks Office and in other countries.

www.CarinaPress.com