Chapter 2
Chapter
Two
Cheese and crackers littered the floor and tub of Caelan’s bathroom, but I couldn’t be bothered to care. We’d lasted ten minutes before his fingers started wandering, and I was helpless against him.
The bed was about a foot away. Caelan and I were tangled together on the floor halfway between the tub and the bed.
“Devil woman,” Caelan murmured against my ear.
I grinned. “I wasn’t the one who got handsy first.”
“Liar. You were handsy before my clothes were off.”
“Yes,” I said demurely, “but I controlled myself once we got into the tub.”
His wicked chuckle vibrated my chest. I gently bit down on his pec muscle. Caelan’s hands tightened on my hips. “Careful, unless you want another round.”
I popped my head up and peered at him. “Your land needs tending to,” I blurted.
Caelan blinked. “Um. Okay. Can we wait until I’m finished here?”
I nuzzled noses with him. “Yes, but I can feel its need. Fee and Poe help a little, but I’m tied to your land now. Wintertime leaves most of the land in slumber, but it still needs care.”
Caelan brushed a kiss over my lips. “And you would know best. Alright. We’ll go out later tonight and walk the property. Fee is missing you.”
Regret panged inside me. “I missed her, too.”
He took a deep inhale. “No matter what happens to us, you are always welcome on my land to see them and to care for the property.”
I blinked at him. “Caelan. That’s…extremely generous.”
He cupped my chin. “No matter what happens, it will not be because I do not love you.”
I sighed and let my head rest on his chest. “My father isn’t answering my calls. He knows I’m onto him.”
“Mine neither,” he confirmed.
“Mom is trying to stay out of it, but she’s furious with him.”
“I don’t think she’s my biggest fan, either, but I’m glad to hear she doesn’t like his meddling.”
“Mom is no saint, but she’s never gotten involved with my relationships. For all her faults, she believes I need to make my own mistakes in love and life.”
“As any good parent would do.” He rolled, trapping me under him. His eyes had grown serious. “There’s something we should discuss.”
“I’d rather be doing something else,” I said.
His lips quirked. “We’ll get to that in a minute.”
Caelan nuzzled my neck and gently put his teeth on my collarbone, biting down enough to make me squirm. “Do you want children?”
I froze. “Um.”
He licked my collarbone and bit down on my shoulder. “I’m asking because we haven’t been careful.”
My back arched. Caelan’s hand slid up the side of my waist and cupped my breast before he toyed with my nipple. When his mouth replaced his fingers, a moan tore from my throat.
“Fae have trouble reproducing,” I said breathlessly.
“So do shifters,” he murmured.
His hand drifted down, nudging apart my thighs. “Do we continue on the path we’re on, or should we take more care?”
“Birth control doesn’t work on me.” It made me crazy, but it didn’t prevent me from ovulating. Fae were always hesitant to use any form of birth control because of low birth rates.
His fingers slid between my folds. I let out a gasp.
“I would find a child a blessing, Evie. But I would not presume to think you are of the same mind.” He slid down my body, his thick hair brushing against my thighs.
“This decision is yours. There might never be a child between us, but there is a chance, and you should be the one to say if you do not want one as much as I do.”
My thoughts were scattered as Caelan played my body like a fine instrument. I’d never wanted children because of my childhood, but finding out the entire thing was a lie, and I was loved had changed some things.
Maybe I’d never have one. Maybe fae and shifters couldn’t procreate, but the thought of having a child wasn’t as terrifying as it once was.
He stilled at the apex of my thighs and waited.
“I like the path we’re on,” I said after a taut silence.
The wicked smile that curved his lips made me smile in return, but when his head dipped, and he put his mouth on me, my hands gripped the sheets tight, and a scream tore from my throat.
Two hours later, I was bundled up in one of Caelan’s coats and a pair of sturdy boots Simone had loaned me.
Joy Springs was experiencing a colder than normal winter, but we still had no snow on the ground.
We had walked most of the property, Caelan waiting beside me as I tended to his land, lending bits and pieces of my power to the earth.
A dark, purplish form high in the sky beelined for me, letting out a loud quark.
Behind it came an orange and purple flash.
Fee and Poe. I held up my arms for both birds, waiting until they alighted on my forearms before I kissed both their feathery heads.
“Poe miss Evie,” the raven said.
Fee hopped onto my shoulder and nuzzled my cheek.
“I missed both of you.”
“Happy land,” Poe said.
“Almost,” I agreed. “There are a few more spots I need to check out.”
I stroked Fee with the backs of my fingers. “How’s Fee doing?”
The phoenix warbled happily in my ear.
“Happy, happy,” Poe said. “Fly high. Magic good.”
I blinked. “She’s accessing her magic?”
Poe dipped his head. “Heal claw.” He held up his small foot and waved it at me.
Caelan’s eyes widened.
“Fee! That’s awesome! You healed Poe?”
She bobbed her head up and down and warbled again.
“Good girl,” I said, but worry filled me. Fee was a phoenix, a legendary bird capable of great magic. Her strongest power was healing, but until now, she’d been unable to use any magic.
“Poe, it’s important that Fee stays within the boundaries of the Keep.” I glanced at Caelan.
“If the Lord has any injured wolves, maybe he will allow Fee to practice.”
Caelan nodded. “Of course. I will call for you if needed, Fee.”
Poe croaked. “Fee practice. Fee powerful.”
Exactly what I was afraid of. “Want to finish walking with me?”
Poe and Fee both bobbed their heads. “Alright then. Let’s go.”
We didn’t take much longer, and by the time we finished, Caelan’s land hummed, content in the back of my mind. I said my goodbyes to the raven and phoenix, watching in delight as they swooped across the skies.
“My mom still doesn’t know I have Fee,” I remarked on the way back to the house.
“I don’t think you should tell her. Not yet anyway. Things are still new, and with all this stuff with your father, maybe you should put both of them on an information diet.”
I glanced at him. “Information diet,” I repeated, having never heard the term before. “I like that.”
His idea was a good one. I’d been far too open with my father because he made me trust him. And I let him. I’d never known my father before recently, and he dazzled me with stories and his power. I saw similarities between us, and I let my guard down too soon.
This didn’t discount all the times he’d helped me out, nor did it alter the fact that I was still heir to the fae throne.
Or maybe not with Thalia in the mix. Huh. Interesting.
“Caelan?”
He slung an arm over my shoulders and tugged me close.
“What if I’m not the fae heir anymore?”
Without a pause, he snorted. “That’d be a huge weight off your shoulders, wouldn’t it?”
“Yeah,” I said in all seriousness. “It would be.”