Chapter 8
Chapter
Eight
CAELAN
Simone had shown Rachel to the guest quarters farthest away from my own quarters. Parts of the Keep were maze-like, so that should keep her busy for a while. When Simone returned, she collapsed into the seat across from my desk.
Seymour thumped over and launched himself into her lap. Simone snorted and stroked the top of his trap. “Never thought this monster could be more like a dog than a vicious, venomous pain in the ass, but he’s turned out to be pretty cute.”
Seymour bumped her with his head.
“Who needs a dog when you can poison your enemies via plants?”
She laughed but sobered. “Rachel is going to be nothing but trouble.”
“I’m more aware than you know,” I murmured. Getting her thorns out of me was one of the most difficult things I’d ever done.
“Evie won’t like this.”
“She understands political relations more than she wants to admit. Her father has been busy training her as well.”
Simone rolled her eyes. “Yes, but she’s still a woman and your fiancée. No matter how much she understands, she won’t like it.”
My jaw clenched. My Omega was right, but I was in a tricky situation. “I can’t risk alienating Europe. I’m already on thin ice with the other Lords and am walking a tightrope with fae relations as well.”
Simone gave me a look. “You chose wrong once before. If you keep putting politics above Evie, you’ll lose her.”
I threw my hands up. “I’m well aware. There has to be a balance, and so far, I’ve yet to find one. Evie keeps refusing her crown, but when she finally steps up to her heritage, she will be in the same boat I am.”
My Omega laughed. “I don’t think there’s a force in any of the worlds that can make Evie do something she doesn’t want to do.”
I rubbed my hands over my face. “Then what would you have me do?”
Simone shrugged. “Start by figuring out the real reason Rachel is here. Make sure Evie knows your hands are somewhat tied, at least for now. Do not meet with Rachel without someone else to bear witness. She can and will complicate your life more than you even realize if she gets her hooks into you.”
“I’ll call her father tomorrow.” The European Lord wasn’t an unreasonable man, but he’d never liked me all that much. Perhaps that would encourage Rachel to leave as soon as possible.
Simone’s phone chimed. She looked down and chuckled. “Speaking of Evie. She’s outside.”
My heart leapt in my chest for two reasons. First, because every time I saw her felt like the first time. Second, because she was absolutely going to chew my ass over Rachel staying here.
My Omega saw my expression and let out a merry laugh.
“Shut it,” I growled.
She stood and gently set Seymour down, giving him a final stroke over his traps. “This is what you get for loving an independent girl.”
I sighed and picked up Seymour before following behind her. “Evie has had enough of everyone’s shit to last her three lifetimes, but the hits just keep coming.”
Evie wore casual clothes—jeans and a puffy jacket. Her dark hair was loose around her shoulder, and her nose was pink with cold. She grinned when she saw me.
I snagged her around the waist and pulled her inside. Her breathy laugh made me want to hug her tighter.
Evie waved at Simone when I set her down. “Hey! I’m glad you’re both here. There’s something we need to chat about.”
Simone’s eyebrows rose. “You met Rachel earlier.”
Evie rolled her eyes. “I did. She said she was on her way to see Caelan.”
I winced.
One of her eyebrows rose. “I take it she was true to her word?”
At the worst moment, Rachel poked her head around the corner. “Oh, hello.” Her perfect brow wrinkled. “You’re the florist, right?”
She goddamned well knew Evie was far more than just a florist. But Evie didn’t even stutter. “Florist and Caelan’s fiancée.” A thin smile. “Since you’re still here, I assume you’re taking advantage of Caelan’s hospitality. The Keep really is a wonderful place. I spend lots of my free time here.”
Rachel blinked.
Pride filled me. That’s right. Your mean girl charms don’t work on real women.
I brought Evie in closer, holding her tight to my side. “Dinner is in a few minutes. Can you stay?”
Evie nodded. “We can talk after dinner.” She glanced at Rachel. “In private.”
Two high spots of color appeared on Rachel’s cheeks. Evie smiled and brushed past her, tugging my hand to follow.
And I did. Like a happy little puppy.
Dinner was an awkward affair. Rachel tried to snag the chair closest to me, only to receive a not-so-subtle hip check from Simone. Evie rolled her eyes and sat next to me, twisting the knife by scooting her chair a little closer.
Rachel’s nostrils flared as she took her seat on the opposite side of the table, next to Simone.
“Garrett is coming,” Simone said once we were all situated.
I hid my smile.
“Thalia will be with him,” she added with a twinkle in her eye.
Evie stiffened but relaxed a moment later. Thalia’s relationship to Evie threw a wrench in our relationship due to my keeping Cernunnos’s secret. The Fae King hadn’t wanted Evie to know for whatever reason, but she’d found out and was pissed I hadn’t told her.
We were both right, and we were both wrong. Fortunately, we’d worked it out.
Only for Rachel to abruptly show up out of the blue. I swear, it felt like I couldn’t win these days.
Evie reached over and took my hand under the table. My shoulders dropped from my ears.
We were still okay.
The first two courses were eaten in relative silence, Rachel casting odd glances Evie’s way every so often as if she couldn’t quite figure her out—the same way most people looked at Evie when they first met her.
Simone wore an amused expression, but her eyes glittered with ill-concealed violence.
She wanted a piece of Rachel, and the other shifter was completely clueless, too vain and entitled to realize she danced on the edge of violence.
Most shifters never attained the level of cluelessness Rachel currently exhibited, given that Packs were often savage and dangerous places if they had the wrong kind of Alpha leading them. If a shifter wanted to survive in a Pack like that, they never let their guard down.
A few still existed in the U.S., but most of the Lords put cruel Alphas down. But even if an Alpha was fair and just, it was never a good idea to get too relaxed. Dominance challenges happened every day.
By not being aware of the danger Simone presented, Rachel was edging toward a violent line. But Evie had no such compunctions. Simone would wait and act with the behavior expected from one of Caelan’s Pack members. Evie would throttle Rachel with a vine the first chance she got.
A smile played upon my lips.
The doors opened then, announcing the presence of my Enforcer.
Garrett was leanly muscled, his body a weapon—the better to hunt down our enemies—but his mind was even sharper.
Looking at him without knowing him, you might see the scars flecking his hands and arms, the way his eyes never missed a thing, but you might miss the gleam of intelligence in his amber eyes.
And those gleaming eyes had just landed on Rachel and narrowed with suspicion.
Simone must not have told him the reason why she’d summoned him to dinner.
His lips tightened for a brief second before he turned to me and dipped his head in acknowledgment. “Lord.”
“Second.” I gestured to the seat next to me. “Just in time.”
Garrett sat and acknowledged Simone with another nod. When he spotted Evie, his eyes lingered. “Thalia sends her regards. She’s working this evening and cannot attend.”
Rachel hadn’t taken her eyes off Garrett from the moment he walked in the door. “You’ve grown up,” she murmured.
Simone sighed.
Evie sipped her wine, her eyes resting on Rachel’s face.
A server appeared as if by thin air and filled Garrett’s glass. “I was immune to your charms then, just as I am now,” Garrett said.
Rachel’s nostrils flared.
“Strike two,” Evie murmured and smiled
Rachel’s nostrils flared, a thin golden sheen ringing the irises of her eyes.
“To what do we owe the pleasure of your visit?” Garrett asked after he’d taken a sip of his wine.
Rachel demurred. “My father wishes for me to explore the world more.”
“I wouldn’t think he would ship you to a Lord’s house knowing how busy their respective territories are. Caelan does not have time to babysit guests.”
Simone choked on a laugh.
Rachel sucked in a breath. “I do not require babysitting, Second. And you should mind your tongue.”
A slow, savage grin crossed Garrett’s face. “You are in the house of the Texas Lord. If anyone needs to watch their mouth, it’s you.” He set his wine glass down and leaned forward. “Now why don’t you tell us why you’re really here.”
An hour later and we were still no closer to finding out the real reason Rachel had randomly shown up at my door.
She had succeeded in annoying every single one of the servers, and Simone was glaring daggers.
Rachel would be lucky if she got out of the room without someone plunging a knife in her back.
Evie seemed completely at ease, which was unusual for her. I couldn’t sense a single thread of tension emanating from her. For all intents and purposes, she seemed completely unbothered by my new guest.
I wasn’t sure how I felt about this. Did she not see Rachel as a threat? If not, I’d be relieved. The only threat Rachel posed was to herself. She and I were over and had been for years. Rachel was a complication, but not one I couldn’t handle.
Simone toyed with the napkin in her life. “When are you scheduled to return home?”
Her voice was suspiciously sweet.
Rachel’s eyes glinted. “I don’t have a return date as of yet. Father wants me to take in the sights.”
“The sights?” Garrett snorted. “We’re in Joy Springs.
Our population is small and our goods are artisan, but this is not a world-class destination.
We have no amusement parks, no malls, and none of the big city charm people look for when they’re researching places to vacation.
We’re a one-day destination at most, a quaint, small town where you might get some of the best jam you’ve ever tasted, but with zero night life. ”
Simone nodded and tipped her glass in a salute. “Exactly. We really could use a few bars around here. Instead, everything closes by nine, most by eight. If you’re looking for fun, Rachel, you’re in the wrong place.”
Rachel rolled her eyes. “Once I leave Joy Springs, I’ll be on my way to Austin. But I have no plans to hurry through my visit here.” Her eyes landed on Caelan as a wicked smile tipped her lips up. “I’m sure I can find at least one thing here to distract me until I’m ready to leave.”
Evie stiffened. My hand tightened on her thigh. “It sounds easy for you,” she murmured.
Rachel smiled. “Oh? What’s easy?”
Evie’s azure eyes glittered. “Your willingness to open your legs for any male who gives you a hint of attention.”
Garrett barked a laugh and tried to turn it into a cough.
Rachel’s eyes blazed with fury. “Are you calling me a whore?”
Evie laughed, a sharp crack of sound. “There are two men here this evening and you’ve all but bared your chest to both of them in the space of half an hour. You’d think you’d be a little more circumspect in mixed company.”
Rachel bared her teeth. “And you’d think our Lord would have better taste than trying to wed a mongrel.”
Fury roared through me. “Enough!” I pointed at Rachel. “Leave the table. Now.”
Rachel pressed her victim button and reacted the same way she had every single time someone reprimanded her for her behavior. Her lower lip wobbled, and tears swam in her bright eyes. “Caelan, I meant no harm by my words. I was only responding to her insults.”
Evie snorted.
“Your response to my fiancée was to fire back and insult both of us. I am well equipped to choose my own bride, no matter what you might think of her blood.”
“Evie is royalty,” Simone said quietly.
Evie’s attention snapped to my Omega, her eyes burning with anger.
Simone gave her a sympathetic look and shrugged in apology. “She should know who you are so she knows how to behave around you.”
Evie shook her head. “Someone like her will never check her behavior because no one has ever held her accountable for a single thing in her life.”
Rachel opened her mouth.
“Do not say a word,” I commanded, sending Simone a withering glare.
“Evie is royalty and holds high standing in my home. Even if she did not hold the position she does in the fae court, she would still be welcome in my Keep. Who I date or do not date is none of your concern, and if you bring it up one more time, I will personally have you escorted off my land, your father be damned.”
Rachel dropped her eyes but not before I saw two pink spots of fury appear high on her cheekbones. “Of course. My apologies, Caelan.”
I waited for the other shoe to drop, but she kept her mouth shut, seemingly cowed.
If she really was, this was only temporary.
I squeezed Evie’s hand one more time and rose, tugging her up to stand beside me.
Rachel’s lips tightened when I slid my arm around her waist. “I trust you can find your own way back to your quarters,” I said to her.
“If not, Simone or Garrett can show you the way.”
Garrett bared his teeth, and Simone stared at Rachel, death glimmering in her eyes.
Evie huffed a laugh.
Rachel did not respond, only stared with a sullen expression.
“Good.” I nodded and led Evie away from the dining area.