Chapter 24
Chapter
Twenty-Four
ROWAN
Declan burst out laughing when he walked into the house and saw the scattered remnants of broken dishes and breakfast scattered all over the table and floor, and the destroyed chair.
“Looks like the mating is going well,” he mused, eyes sparkling with mirth.
Gods. I know I’m mussed, and I caught a glimpse of my shirt earlier and hadn’t fixed it before Declan interrupted me. It’s buttoned wrong.
I ran a hand through my hair. “We’re fae bonded, too.”
Declan’s eyes went comically wide. “Shit.” He sank onto an unscathed chair and swept a hand out. “Is that what all this is? A normal shifter mating isn’t quite so…volatile after the first twenty-four hours.”
I grinned. “Yep. It’s fucking amazing.”
Declan’s low chuckle made me laugh. “Good for you, man. Evie is exactly what we hoped you’d find. More than we ever expected, actually.” He eyed me. “You sure you can handle her?”
I eyed my friend and Second. “Why, you in the market for a wife?”
Declan grinned. “Most of the shifters in the Keep are vacillating between jealousy and euphoria. Evie is a powerhouse.”
My mate was so much more than that, but I understood what he was saying. “We’re getting married.”
Declan blinked before a wide grin settled over his face. “Sonofabitch. That’s awesome.” He scrubbed a hand over his chin. “The Keep hasn’t had a big celebration in a long time.”
He nodded and slapped his hands on his thighs. “Is Hope planning the shindig?”
I got up and made us both a cup of coffee. “No idea. I just asked her to marry me.”
Declan’s wicked chuckle dragged an embarrassed grin up.
“So that’s the real reason for all of this,” he said, gesturing to the debris all over the floor. “You did well, brother.”
I had. “Touch and go there for a while,” I admitted.
The smile slid from Declan’s face. “I know seeing her with another man must have been devastating, even if you didn’t realize what she was to you yet.”
More than devastating. I struggled the entire time, trying to be what she needed while not trampling all over my own needs.
All I could do was nod. “I knew she’d come around in regard to Caelan.”
Declan watched me. “But you weren’t sure if she’d come around to you.”
I shrugged. “Turns out she has great taste, too.”
Declan snorted. “We couldn’t be happier for you. There’s a sense of…happiness in the air.” A sharp shake of his head. “No. That’s not the right word. Evie brought a sense of contentment to our home. She’s blessed our lands and our women.”
“We’re probably going to have to build more houses,” I said ruefully.
“You might have to build an entire subdivision if Evie keeps pumping the air with that fertility juju.”
A happy laugh burst from me. “A blessing none of us expected, for sure.”
“And you?” Declan asked quietly.
I knew what he wanted to know without directly asking. “I would be blessed beyond all I deserve if we had children.”
“Are you taking precautions?”
I clamped down my anger. The question, asked by a Second, was valid.
By virtue of his position, he had the right to ask.
A Second was responsible for ensuring the safety of a Keep’s Lord, and if that Lord mated, that protection flowed to the mate, and, eventually, any children born of the union.
Him asking the question was not the problem, but Evie was asleep a few rooms over, and I knew her well enough to know she would not be comfortable with Declan having that level of knowledge about our sex life.
“Whoa,” Declan said. “Easy, Rowan.” He leaned away, his eyes wide. A silvery blue light reflected over his face. “Your…” His voice trailed off. “Have you gotten a gander at your eyes lately?”
I let out a slow breath, allowing the fury to drain away. “Sorry.” My voice is rougher than usual, my bear riding on the edges of this new bond, and the touches of Evie’s magic I seemed to be inheriting. “Bonding with a fae has altered some things.”
Declan pressed his lips together for a moment. “Yeah,” he said after a long moment of silence. “No shit.”
My eyes shifted back to their normal color, allowing Declan to relax a hair, though his eyes still held a wary look I didn’t love.
Even now, in a place where I was loved beyond all I thought I deserved and after Evie had given us more than we could dream of, my people were still wary of her power.
The thought both enraged and exhausted me.
When would it be enough? When would the world stop draining Evie, taking and taking, and rarely giving her anything but heartache in return?
Would Evie have to give every bit of herself before anyone gave her any credit?
She would, I knew it. I’d do anything to stop her, but Evie had always been a giver, far more than many people deserved.
The look bled away a second later. My shoulders slumped. Declan was one of my oldest and dearest friends, and he’d known how long I’d wanted what I had with Evie, so for him to look at me like that crushed something inside of me.
Declan’s lips twisted. He shook his head, as if arguing with himself over something, and finally spread his hands out.
“Hey, man. You don’t have to answer that.
I understand that Evie is not a shifter, not the same way we are.
There will be different boundaries.” He dipped his head in apology.
“I didn’t mean to violate those boundaries.
I wasn’t thinking, and it won’t happen again. ”
“You’re scared of her.” The words came out hard and flat.
Declan met my eyes. There was no amusement or mischief in his gaze. “She is a fae goddess, Rowan. Her power is tremendous. We should all be a little afraid of her, I think.”
But I shook my head and rose. “She saved us all, Declan. And not only that, she gifted us with children. So many children.” My hands trembled. “She saved me. You know how long I wandered this world searching for something like this.”
Declan looked stricken. “Gods, Rowan. I know. Of course, I know. It’s just—”
“What?” I demanded. “You can’t see past her fae parts into her heart?”
“I am not her mate,” Declan said softly. “We all feel her.” He touched his chest. “We know her power and her love for you. But we don’t know her.”
My Second sighed and rose.
“You do know her,” I said quietly. “The moment we bonded, all of you knew her. You may not know her likes and dislikes or her family or her history, but you know her heart.”
Declan opened his mouth and thought better of speaking. His gaze flicked to the hall.
The door creaked open. Evie stood there, blue eyes brimming with grief. She tied her robe closed and slid a pair of slippers on. “I just wanted some coffee,” she said quietly as she glided into the kitchen.
We watched, dead silent, as she poured herself a cup of coffee from the pot, but Evie didn’t go back to our bedroom.
She walked outside and headed to her cottage, her head bowed in defeat.
I hadn’t seen her look like that since the night I carried her out of Joy Springs.
My heart cracked at that moment, and I turned to my Second.
“Get out.”
Declan took a step forward. “Rowan, I—”
“GET. OUT.” The full force of Lord power boomed through the kitchen.
Declan winced and turned on his heel, unable to resist the command. The door slammed shut leaving me in bereft silence.
“GODSDAMMIT,” I roared, swiping my hand across the table. Ceramic shattered, the metal candle holders slamming into the opposite wall, damaging the sheetrock. The tablecloth lay half on, half off the table, dripping with spilled maple syrup and half melted chocolate.
I needed to go to her. The mating bond tugged at me, Evie’s grief roaring through our link.
She’d heard everything.
I started toward the door, only for it to open.
Garrett stepped inside, a telltale hint of gold ringing his irises.
“Don’t,” he said, holding a hand up.
I stopped in my tracks. “What did you say to me?” My words were low and deadly, and completely out of character for me, but Evie’s grief compelled me to go to her, to comfort her.
How much more would she have to give before the world finally gave back to her?
I’d known Garrett for years in his capacity as Caelan’s Second. He was a good man, quietly violent when necessary, but loyal and intelligent.
“You are in no shape to see her right now.”
“You are standing in the way of a Lord!”
Garrett’s eyes were calm and steady. “Not my Lord.”
Thick claws slid from my fingertips. “Get out of my way.” My voice was an almost indecipherable snarl.
Garrett didn’t move an inch. The bastard crossed his arms over his chest and stared, still not angry. “My loyalty is to your mate, Rowan. Not you. Not right now. I am oathsworn to her and feel her grief. She is not angry at you, only the situation. Give her some time. She will seek you out.”
My anger drained. I sank into an unbroken chair and let out a heavy sigh. “Fuck,” I muttered. “Apologies, Garrett.”
He leaned against the wall, arms still crossed. “No worries. I can’t say I know what a mating bond feels like, but I imagine the urge to comfort one when they’re hurt is close to overwhelming.”
I closed my eyes for a moment. “Understatement.”
When I opened them, I took in the surrounding carnage and shook my head. “You said your loyalty wasn’t to me. Not right now.”
Garrett nodded.
“What do you mean by that?”
Garrett poured himself a cup of coffee and rummaged through the cabinets for a second mug. Mine lay broken in several pieces on the ground.
He set a cup in front of me and pulled a chair over to sit.
“Simone and I felt the new bond, but it does not compel us.” A rueful smile.
“Her oath is open-ended. Evie is not one who wishes to control anyone. I’ve cautioned her against giving us so much leeway, but she refuses to adjust her wording. ”
I hadn’t heard this story. “Mind sharing the oath?”
Garrett rolled his eyes. “Protect the people I love, or some such romantic nonsense.”
I winced. “Far too lenient and open to interpretation.”
Garrett’s eyes lit. “Yes! Simone wanted to strangle her.”
The laugh was a release. The rest of my anger drained away, and with it came a realization.
The man before me had walked a rough path.
Splitting from his Lord, and losing his pack, to becoming the guardian of a reluctant fae queen, the wolf before me had risked it all to do what was right.
“Garrett, would you consider becoming my Third?”
Surprise lit his face, followed by immediate wariness. “Is this how you earn my loyalty, Lord?”
I shook my head ruefully. “The decision is yours. Having you as my Third would be an honor, Garrett. You’ve served Evie well, and Caelan before her.”
At the mention of his former Lord’s name, Garrett grimaced.
“It’s no easy decision leaving a Pack, but I could not serve a man who would treat someone he supposedly loved so horrifically.
There were other factors, and I certainly had no love lost for Evie in the beginning, but there comes a time when a man must do right by himself and his honor or face his lack of courage in the mirror. ”
I’d made the right choice. The position of Third had never been filled inside my Keep. Plenty wanted the role, but I was looking for someone who offered more than the minimum. The man sitting before me possessed all the qualities I wanted and needed in a Third.
“Serving a fae queen is interesting, but I do not know if any oath you offer me is binding since I’m already sworn to her.”
“You swore to protect the people she loves, correct?”
A small smile played over his lips. “I did.”
“Evie loves me. She loves this land. She loves my people. Our people now. Any binding you have with me would require the same.”
A ring of gold outlined his eyes. I nodded to myself. “You could be Lord one day, Garrett. Is that something you’d want?”
Garrett’s eyebrows flicked up. “I’ve never been offered the opportunity.”
“They offered it to that shit Dario.”
Garrett’s bark of laughter made me grin. “He was far too pretty to make it as a Lord.”
I leaned forward. “What if there was an opportunity to run a Keep. Would you want it?”
A silence fell over the room. “I don’t know that I would. A comfortable prison is still a prison.”
I wasn’t surprised by his words. “You’ve spent far too long in Caelan’s company. Speak to Evie. See what she thinks of my proposal. Get her blessing if need be. If she agrees, I’d like you to spend some time with Declan. He will show you what it means to be in a truly free Keep.”
Garrett inclined his head in a nod and rose. “I’ll bring your cup back later. Evie will find you when she’s ready, Lord. Don’t make me find you again.”
I snorted and waved him away.
As difficult as it was to admit, Garrett was right. Evie needed time to process.
I wasn’t Caelan. She’d have all the time she needed.
My phone rang with a video call. I swore under my breath when I saw who was calling.
“Ethan,” I growled. “What do you want?”
“Permission to enter your territory.”
I did not want to deal with Ethan tonight. “State your case,” I barked.
At least this would keep my mind off of Evie for a while.