Summon (15 page)

“Reverse our situations. Feeling as you do could
you give up? I glimpsed happiness with her. True happiness.” His voice ripened
with passion. “I died realising I was falling in love with her. I’d die a
thousand times to keep this feeling.”

“Good. If you continue this way a thousand deaths I
swear I will levy upon your life.” My fingers itched to wrap around his neck
until bones cracked. “With significantly less effort than before.”

Tomas’s figure wavered until he was transparent,
fading into a plane of existence beyond my reach. “I think not.” He studied me
as he returned to earthly form. “You’re threatened by me. I can’t see why you
would be if she felt nothing.” He stared at the middle distance. “This
conversation encourages me.”

“Enough,” I barked. “Just leave.”

“Would you believe me if I said I want to help?
That I’ve changed.”

“No.”

“I wish to gain your trust. I respect you.”

At that, my face twisted. It smoothed when I
recalled one redeeming act this vampire had accomplished in his dammed life.
“You Sired Daphne. Took her as your progeny after she turned.”

His head cocked. “Yes.

“I consider her a friend.”

“Oh?”

“She took her vow to protect Rae seriously. That
kind of loyalty and devotion cannot be taught by someone who has no concept of
them.”

“Did you just compliment me?”

No longer unable but unwilling to lie, I cut my eye
at him. “The kind you stemmed from and the one I was born into have an uneasy
history. Clashing at a fundamental level. Nonetheless, if you were sincere in
your wish to make peace, instead of using it as a ploy to steal my life mate, I
would welcome you as an ally.”

“I understand why Rae tolerates me. Though raised
by humans her perception of me is different than normal. You honestly think our
kinds will coexist?”

“Why not? An alliance of sorts between our kinds
will happen since my brother cares for Daphne, and she for….” I trailed off
when the vampire’s eye twitched. “You did not know? What have you been doing
since Marinette brought you back?”

“Watching Rae.”

My eyes closed briefly. My determination to set
this demon straight before he caused more trouble renewed. “The bond tied Rae
and I together, and I feel relief when I think of it. Had it not happened would
Rae and I have parted on that first morning? Perhaps. After learning of her
destiny, she would have distanced herself because it was the right thing to do.
I would have done so to ensure my brother assumed the title of High Lord.”

“No one is that selfless. You’d have me believe
you’d give her up if it were best for her and painful for you?”

“I do not deny our feelings might not have faded,
but intensified until we succumbed causing pain with unimaginable consequences.
Rae’s mother made such a decision in a moment of weakness. She allowed herself
to fall in love with a human and betrayed her life mate. Ripples of that choice
are suffered to this day.”

“And what’s your point?”

“It is the essence of Rae I love. Her generosity.
The way she refuses to yield in the face of ridicule. Her courage. So many have
looked down at her because she is different. Yet she remains full of hope, and
goodness.”

“I still don’t understand your point, I know
precisely what you mean about Rae. It’s why I won’t give her up. I’ve been
given a second chance.”

I clenched my fists.
She was never yours to give up.
“I also love her vulnerability. Her
softness.”

Tomas’ brow lowered, perplexed. “So do I.”

“All these qualities make me proud to put her fist
in all things. You took advantage of her. Played on her generous nature.
Terrified
her. By doing what you did,
offering her up to your lover as if her worth was no greater than a vein to tap
you stole a piece of her innocence. Chipped away at her ability to trust.”

“You can’t blame me–”

“Yes I can. I am. If Rae chose you that night you
would have destroyed her. Luckily, she accepted how she felt about me, and that
is why she
let
me tear you apart.”

His eyes burned. “She couldn’t have stopped you.”

I leaned closer; upset at the sick satisfaction I
derived from his pain. “Yes,
she could
,
if she had wanted to. She chose me, and even if she had not it would never have
been you. She would have mated my Elder. That, Tomas, is the end of it.”

“That moment lasted forever,” he murmured. “As the
world dimmed I wished to go back and do things different. I’ve been given
another chance.”

“Marinette brought you back to distract Rae and
make
me
jealous. The godling uses
you.”

“To what end?”

I flushed remembering Marinette’s blatant
attraction.

Tomas chuckled. “I see.”

“I doubt you see further than your own desire.”

He laughed outright. “True. I hope the godling’s
pursuit of you meets success.”

“You love a Rae that existed for a moment so
fleeting it barely existed. I am humble enough to admit you could have bested
me. Once. Confused as she was she may have turned to you for some brief
coupling as solace if you had not betrayed her to your Queen.”

He snarled, fists clenching. “Do not make our
relationship into some sordid thing just so you can disregard it.”

Jealousy seared my insides. I snorted in pretend
amusement. “Kisses and a bite do not equal a relationship.”

“It wasn’t that clear-cut.”

“I will not pretend to care what you shared or what
your motivations were for tracking Rae.” I let my power pour from me in a
crackling wave of hostile energy. “But it ends. Now. What we share is beyond
you.
She
is beyond you.”

Tomas glared. “I–”

“Nothing you say will change that. Nothing you do
will be good enough.” Confident, victorious, I turned and strode away. “Nothing
will shake my faith in her.”

Nothing
you say or do will convince her to betray me.

CHAPTER TWELVE

Rae

Lochlann
awkwardly extracted himself from my impromptu hug, flushing when Daphne
strolled into the coppice, smirking at us both.

Face drawn, Breandan appeared behind her. Gaze
lifting the immediacy with which he sought me warmed my heart. He raised an
eyebrow at me in his brother’s arms, but instead of charging to my rescue
headed towards to Ana and Baako. He and Ana couldn’t embrace, but they shared a
smile. Breandan pointed towards where the werecats gathered, and watched my
niece skip away chanting.

“Tomorrow then,” Lochlann murmured as his attention
shifted from me to the vampire.

Laughably
besotted.

I did a double take at Daphne. She boisterously
questioned the Knight at her side, and swung her arms, bouncing on the spot.
Her normally pale face was pink with health.

A rabbit hopped onto my foot and sat on its
hunches, whiskers twitching. I scooped it up and stroked its tapered head with
my finger. I loved how it snuggled its squidgy body deeper into my embrace.

The rabbit stilled and shivered tucking into a
ball.

Baako thrust his wet nose into my hands. Pushing
his face away, I scratched him under the chin. “Go eat or harass Wasp or
something. I want to spend time with my mate.”

He grumbled and lumbered off.

Then everything faded into insignificance.
Breandan’s smile dazzled me. Blotted out the world leaving me floating in warm
fuzzy stuff.

We crossed the distance staring at each other.

A
dagger
whistled past my face and embedded half way up a tree.

I gasped as Breandan lunged for me.

Gunarr
burst into the clearing and dashed between us. He pulled the dagger from the
bark and a few feathers drifted onto the ground at his feet.

He
roared and slammed his head into the tree.

Gunarr stormed away with Daphne taunting him. Lochlann and Kian trailed
after the vampire bickering over who should’ve monitored her feeding.

Fierce
demeanour diminishing Breandan looked troubled. “I think we drove him mad.”
His gaze dropped to the fidgety bundle in my arms.
“Who is this?”

“I haven’t been able to decide.” I held out the floppy eared rabbit
and rotated it to get a better look. “A dozen hopped around Conall’s dwelling
waiting for me. I got confused when I tried naming them because they look the
same. And the girls started doing bizarre things to the guys.” My eyes
narrowed. “Making me think they’re secretly not girls at all.”

Bemused, Breandan reached for the rabbit.

I jerked, and his hands collided with my upper arm.

He froze.

I winced as horror streaked across his face and
dimmed his glow.

Wrenching a smile from somewhere, he tightly
crossed his arms, hands balled. “That was close.”

Setting the rabbit down I shooed it away. I’d find
another to snuggle later.

I took Breandan’s hands. Refusing to unclench them,
he avoided my eyes. I ducked my head until he gave up and let me see the pain
he unsuccessfully hid. “Nothing bad happened and if it did I’d be there to
help. Just as you’re always there to help when my fiendishly clever plans
fail.”

I rubbed my fingers over his wrists then encircled
them. My fingertips barely touched. I loved how dainty and feminine his larger
masculine body made mine in comparison.

His tattooed skin was rough to touch, the faint
hairs dusting his forearm crisp and shiny. Tiny freckles speckled the pale
skin. I barely saw them under the faint glow that radiated around him like a
sliver nimbus. It shone brighter when we touched.

Shooting him a shy look from under my lashes, I
smiled as I walked backwards. “Come with me.”

Allowing me to tow him along, leggy stride loose
and easy, Breandan’s gaze turned liquid sliding down my body. He raked his
bottom lip with sharp teeth, leaving it damp and kissable. “Feeling playful?”

Making a soft noise, I turned and drew his arm
across my chest. Wriggling until he got the hint and wrapped me in a snug
embrace we marched down the pathway. My hands clasped his crossed arms, and my
bottom pressed into his groin. His chest warmed my back and his chin rested on
my shoulder, so our temples bumped.

He rained kisses on my face as we walked, and our
legs synchronised to an exaggerated stomp.

Laughing when I snorted during his ticklish
exploration of my nape, Breandan nipped my earlobe when I directed us towards
the glade reserved for the fairy High Priestess. “That does not belong to you
anymore.” His whispered words barely made headway.

All I was able to concentrate on was his breath
puffing against my neck.

I shivered and my skin goose-pimpled. He kissed my
throat. I hummed, tilting my head to invite another.

He obliged twice more.

At the feel of his tongue teasing the sensitive
curve of my jaw my eyes glazed.

His words took root when my mind repeated them.

Chagrin made me stop our odd waddle and pull a
face. “Are you telling me I’m homeless?” His chest vibrated against my back. I
jerked my hips in a makeshift shove and balked. “You
laugh
at my homelessness?”

“Baako will let you sleep on his hump.”

“Of course he will. I’ll have to steal my food now.
And my clothes.”

He tugged on my rounded collar. “Where did you get
these?”

“A gift from my Familiar.”

Breandan hunted my shifty gaze. “Where did Baako
find them?”

“I didn’t ask, and he didn’t say.”

“Wicked creature.”

“Thrifty. You forget I’m impoverished.” Sniffling,
I covered my face with both hands. “Destitute.”

“You forget I have a dwelling.”

Intrigued, I peeked through my fingers. “Can I see
it?”

“Later.” Eyes warmed by affection, Breandan
couldn’t help himself from claiming my lips. “I want to teach you to swim.”

He led me like a lamb to slaughter until his words
penetrated the pleasant haze he’d lulled me into with kisses.

I dug in my heels yanking him to a stop.

“Rae–”

“It’s so not happening.”

He curled a finger under my chin and brushed his
lips back and forth across mine. “You stubborn thing you. What happens when you
fall in deep water?”

I rubbed our noses together. Stole a kiss then
grinned impishly. “I drown because I was stupid enough to fall in?”

Exasperated, he made as if to bite the tip of my
nose, and I swatted him away. “Your mate would feel better knowing you can
paddle.”

“I repeat, it’s not happening.”