Chapter 17 #2
Moira smiled down at the baby. “Did you hear that? You’re going to have so many friends in a few months.”
I slipped away from Rowan and unbuckled Misty from the carrier, cooing to her as I picked her up. She gave me a gummy grin and waved her chubby hands at me.
My heart melted. “Aren’t you the sweetest thing?”
“No news?” Moira asked.
“Not a peep.” I straightened the baby’s cap and touched her cheek. “No one has stepped up to claim her or asked any questions. Whoever dropped her here did so in complete secrecy.”
Moira frowned. “What will you do?”
Rowan made a silly face at the baby who let out a loud belly laugh. “We’ll keep her here,” he said. “Everyone here loves babies. She’ll have all the love she’ll ever need.” He glanced at me. “And we have a Chimera who will help her control her magic.”
I winced. “Once your Chimera learns to control her own.”
Rowan waved away my reservations. “You’re already controlling your shifts and transformations. The rest is a matter of practice.”
Too bad the practice wasn’t going well, fae or Chimera.
I’d been practicing every day, trying to master the art of moving from one spot to another instantaneously.
All I felt was a slight tingle and absolutely nothing else.
“We can’t bring Barrett back,” I said. “He’ll scent the baby.
His senses are more finely honed than mine. ” Yet another thing I was working on.
“Your mother or father could help,” Rowan said.
“We can ask. Barrett isn’t due back for a day or two.
We can delay him until we figure something out.
Or we could move training somewhere else.
We’re already having a baby boom.” A sly grin made the edges of his eyes crinkle.
“We could tell him my people are tired from all the sex you’re encouraging them to have. ”
Moira chuckled then sighed. “Man. I need a boyfriend.” She blinked and grimaced. “No. Scratch that. I need a silent man who knows how to shut up and use his penis. Preferably at the same time.”
I barked a laugh and covered the baby’s ears. “You shouldn’t say penis around the baby.”
Moira rolled her eyes. “Please don’t tell me you’re the kind of mom who gives private parts weird names like nur nur or tooter.”
Ash groaned. Tess had floated off to investigate something within the trees.
“Uh no. I’m way more sophisticated than that. A vagina is a va jay jay and a penis is a peen.”
“Dear gods,” Moira muttered. “I like nur nur better.”
I grinned and waved her away. “She has plenty of time before we talk about any of that stuff.”
I buried my nose in the baby’s downy hair. Misty smelled like sugar and baby shampoo. I adjusted her so she could see over my shoulder. Her big blue eyes took in everything, and she cooed happily with every new thing that appeared.
“We need to go,” Rowan said. “Thorvin just texted me.”
“Aww.” I rubbed my cheek against Misty’s and handed her back to Moira, already missing her sweet warmth. What would it be like to have a baby with Rowan? To have a sweet little thing made from both of us?
Rowan’s hand swept down my back. “We’ll find out one day,” he murmured.
I blinked and glanced up at him in concern.
“Don’t worry,” he said, eyes sparkling with amusement. “We can’t read each other’s minds. That one was kind of obvious.” Rowan winked and turned to my friends. “We’ll return shortly.”
“How about dinner tonight?” It’d been a while since we had been together.
“As long as you two crazy kids can keep your hands off each other long enough to eat,” Moira said with a grin.
Color heated my cheeks. “I can’t wait until you find your silent penis,” I grumbled.
“Me either,” Moira said with a laugh. “How about seven tonight?”
I looked at Rowan, who nodded.
“Good with us.” I pulled out the potions from my jacket pocket. “How’s your supply looking?”
“Excellent.” Moira nodded to Rowan. “Your territory is wonderfully abundant with most of the things I need for my work, and I haven’t walked more than ten percent.”
“With Evie here, I’m sure that will only get better.”
Moira winked at me. “Have fun you two. And if Thorvin acts up, tell him he’s overdue for another glittering.”
“Will do.” I gave her and Ash another quick hug.
They wandered away to find Tess while Rowan and I continued on to a safe space far away from the prying eyes of the Keep.
We both trusted Rowan’s people—my people now, too, but shifters didn’t always love magic.
They seemed fine with my particular flavor—earth magic—though growing flowers and making people randy was vastly different than disappearing into thin air.
Rowan suggested easing them into power like this. They’ve never had a fae living on Keep grounds and things had been a welcome but big adjustment for everyone.
When we were out of sight, Rowan snagged me around the waist and kissed me senseless. I sagged against him, hands clutching the soft fabric of his sweater.
“Mm. What was that for?”
Rowan kissed me once more. “Because I can and because I want to.”
He never held anything over my head, never teased or cajoled me without following through. Rowan never made me feel weak. My breath caught.
Concern flashed in his eyes. He tilted my chin up. “What’s wrong?”
“I’m sorry it took me so long to find you.” I swallowed hard and looked away.
Rowan’s arms gathered around me. “It took exactly as long as it was meant to take.”
He always knew the right thing to say.
“Seeing me with Caelan must have been difficult for you.”
Rowan nuzzled my hair. “I didn’t know you were my mate back then.
I knew there was something between us, more than an easy friendship.
There were moments of jealousy, but those were tamped down by your feelings for him.
” His sigh was deep. “As time went on, my feelings grew, and there were a few times I had to stop myself from beating that idiot to a pulp when he was casually cruel to you.”
Rowan shook his head. “These things are all in the past. We’ve gotten to where we need to be.” He clasped our fingers together. “You never have to apologize to me for your feelings, no matter what they were.”
I lifted our joined hands and pressed a kiss to the back of his hand. “I’m glad I found you.”
He squeezed my hand. “I’m glad we found each other.”
I handed him a potion. “To Thorvin’s?”
“Hopefully this goes quickly,” Rowan said. “The Lords are a buzzing annoyance right now.”
I grinned. “Maybe we’ll get there and everything is fine.”
Rowan laughed and tilted back the potion, swallowing the contents in one go. I did the same.
“One can wish,” he responded.
A tingle of magic washed over us. I closed my eyes and thought of Thorvin’s Keep.
Not ten seconds after, I opened my eyes to a barren wasteland.