Chapter 7
Chapter
Seven
Iawoke in the circle of Rowan's arms. Pressing a kiss to his chest, I slipped away to pull on a heavy cashmere cardigan and a pair of slip-on sneakers and slipped out of the bedroom.
Moira's apartment was half a mile away, an easy walk for anyone living on Keep grounds. I made a pot of coffee and pulled out a few pastries from the fridge. While the coffee was brewing, I tied my hair into a messy bun and brushed my teeth.
With a thermos of coffee and the pastries balanced in my hands, I headed out to make the short walk.
Moira answered the door, bleary-eyed and wearing a silk nightgown that hit the tops of her thighs.
My bestie was stunning, though she never thought so.
Moira used her beauty when it benefited her.
Otherwise, she was perfectly content to lounge around in joggers, tanks, and bare feet, or nightgown and slippers.
Her dark hair fell loose and wavy around her shoulders. Dark brown, almost black eyes squinted at me. She grunted when she saw what I was holding and stepped back, holding the door open.
The moment I stepped over the threshold, she snatched the thermos of coffee and slammed the door.
“Misty had a wild night?” I ventured.
Moira grunted again while she opened the thermos and poured herself a cup. She took a sip, grimaced, but took another sip. I went straight to the kitchen and put on the kettle.
Moira would always prefer tea to coffee, but she drank coffee when someone offered the beverage. If it were caffeinated, she'd drink whatever someone put into her hands.
I rummaged through her cabinets until I found her London Fog canister and set up her mug with a teaspoon of the fragrant blend.
She already had the steamer set up, so I poured a little of the milk she kept in a glass bottle into the metal carafe and turned the machine on, after I added a dash of cinnamon to the liquid.
Moira kept a glass jar of vanilla bean sugar by the kettle. When the tea finished brewing, I added a little sugar and carefully spooned in the steamed milk, gently stirring to combine everything in the exact way I knew she liked it.
I felt her eyes on me, curious and loving. When I turned to hand her the mug, she took it. “You never make me tea. Is everything okay?”
“Everything is fine,” I assured her. “I'm here to check on you and hang out. I don't want to be the kind of friend who fades away because one of us gets married.”
Her lips twitched. “And you're here to see the baby?”
“And I'm here to see the baby.”
We laughed together. Moira was usually up with the sun, but last night was her time to have Misty.
The abandoned Chimera baby was flourishing in her new home at the Keep, even as the vast majority of shifters were a little sleep deprived after a night with her.
We made a calendar for anyone who volunteered to help, and little Misty was happily keeping those volunteers up all night.
At first, we wondered if bouncing her around might harm her development, but shifters always banded together.
None of the volunteers abandoned her and visited her wherever she was that day.
Misty had taken to everyone like a fish to water. There wasn't a single shifter in the Keep she didn't like. Gummy smiles and baby laughs were payment enough for a rough night's sleep, and everyone seemed happy to pay.
“When did she fall asleep?”
Moira sighed and took a fortifying sip of her chai latte. “Two. Before that, she was up every hour and a half. But I think she's beginning to see longer stretches of sleep. In a few weeks, the little nightmare might be sleeping through the night.”
They'd taken it easy on me through my honeymoon period and had gone as far as to remove our name from the volunteer calendar. I wouldn't let it go on too much longer. Partly to be fair, but also because I wanted baby snuggles just as much as the rest of them.
And soon enough, the Keep would be filled with babies.
Several shifters were heavily pregnant after I'd come onto Rowan's land and started working my magic.
I had no idea earth magic could work that way, but I'd really let go once I felt safe which resulted in a whole lot of sexy time and a ton of unplanned babies.
Not that anyone was angry about it. The complete opposite, in fact. They borderline worshipped the ground I walked on for a while, which made things uncomfortable for me. Now that everyone was used to me and things had settled down, they treated me as Rowan's lady and not some unapproachable deity.
The arm wrestling incident had solidified me as flesh and blood, and Rick, the Navy vet I'd beaten, still acted as my driver when Rowan wasn't around. He was a good guy who was still begging me for a rematch. I had yet to give him one, but one day I might surprise him.
I still planned to win.
“How are things with Ethan?” She had yet to take Rowan up on his offer of knocking on his shifter's door for some companionship, and I sent up a little prayer every time she refrained.
Yes, having some after hours entertainment might knock the edge off, but Moira had never been that kind of person.
She had boyfriends in the past, but no one serious and no one long lasting.
What she didn't have was a revolving door of men, and I hoped she didn't start.
Moira's eyes darkened. She and the other Lord had a short, but interesting history. I'd never seen her crush on someone the way she was crushing on him, but he wasn't making it easy on her. I wanted to tell her to find another distraction, maybe a hapless human in town who didn't mind being casual.
Shifters and paranormals came with their own troubles. I know I sure as hell did. For a while, I was a walking red flag. Human troubles were a lot less dangerous, and after hanging out with me and all my surrounding drama, Moira could use some down time.
Her eyes narrowed. “You're staring at me like you're about to give an unasked for piece of advice. Please don't.”
When I first met Moira, I was taken aback by how freely she spoke. All these years later, I appreciated knowing where I always stood with her. “I only want you to be happy.”
“Ethan won't make me happy. He's got more baggage than an international flight.” She rolled her eyes. “He's hot in the physical sense, but cold everywhere else.”
The temper snapping in his eyes when he hauled her out of that bar months ago begged to differ, but I kept my mouth shut. “Hmm,” was all I said.
“I've been eyeing a shifter who lives on the other side of the Keep. Beautiful, mysterious, quiet. He makes these little wood carvings I find all over the place.”
I watched her. “Are you thinking about knocking on his door?”
She stretched her long legs out and wiggled her pink toes. “Maybe. I'm not into Rowan's idea of having a revolving door of shifters, but I wouldn't mind having a man around. It's been a while.”
My heart ached for her, even as I knew the lack of men was my fault. When your best friend became surrounded by dangerous predators and gods trying to kill her at every turn, having a boyfriend took the back seat to survival.
She rolled her eyes. “Don't you dare, Evie. This is not about you. I could have had a boyfriend if I wanted. Hell, Soren knocked on my door for a straight fourteen days when we were back in Joy Springs.” Her lips twisted. “He could have been a hell of a distraction.”
Soren was a physical specimen, for sure. Arrogant, like most of the Lords, but also viciously clever. I wasn't sure if I liked Soren or not. He felt impossible to get to know and kept his cards close to the vest. He was witty and funny and occasionally violent.
Most disturbing of all, he seemed a little obsessed with Moira. With Ethan hanging around Rowan's territory far more than he ever had, and Moira obviously pining over him, I fully expected whatever was happening between her and the other two Lords to come to a swift and violent conclusion.
I’d managed to take out two Lords without even trying that hard. Wasn’t sure I wanted to know the damage Moira might do if someone pushed her hard enough.
“He did something to you.” For a while, Moira seemed interested in Soren, too. Until one day, she wasn’t. Since that day, she has refused to talk about it.
Moira sighed. “Soren is a collector. I was not interested in becoming part of his display. He’s gone unchecked for too long. Women allow him to play with them and end up crying, discarded like a broken toy.”
Moira did not have to say she was no one’s toy.
“He wanted a temporary dalliance.” Sounded about right.
Moira surprised me by shaking her head. “He wanted to make me his mistress.”
My jaw dropped.
A thin smile didn’t reach her eyes. “His parents are pushing him to marry and create heirs. Soren has no interest in settling down. He thought I’d be amenable to moving into his territory, living at his Keep, warming his bed, and running his lands.”
“With zero commitment on his part,” I murmured.
What a stunning display of assholishness. Wow.
“Exactly. He’d pay me a generous stipend like a well-kept whore. His parents would be off his back, and I’d have all the appearances of power and wealth with a handsome Lord on my arm.”
“Many women would jump at his offer.”
Our eyes met. Moira’s lips twitched, and soon we were cackling like old hens at the absurdity of thinking Moira would ever agree to such a one-sided agreement.
When Moira met someone worthy, she would die for them.
Her loyalty took deep roots. Neither wind, nor hail, nor violent storm could shake her from her cause.
I’d been the ever-lucky recipient of Moira’s loyalty, and I tried never to take it for granted.
“I wondered why you were so pissed at him,” I said when I finally got myself together.