Chapter Fifteen
Chapter
Fifteen
Meg
I carefully draw the comb through Cian’s long,
midnight-black hair. There are places where it’s tangled and matted. “Tell me
if I hurt you.”
“It’s all right. It’s nice to be warm,” Cian murmurs, a long
sigh making his chest move. “It’s a cold winter.”
It isn’t winter at all.
I glance back at Dante, who gives me a shrug.
“He doesn’t always know where he is or what year it is,”
Dante says softly.
Dante sits on a sofa that has seen better days. Everything
about the small cottage is threadbare and worn. Still, it’s warm and cozy. It
has far more character than my apartment in Fort Worth.
I’m so far from that place now. I can’t even comprehend how
far away I am. I’m worlds away from that life I led.
How long will it be before that is the life that seems like
a dream?
Cian feels real. His hair is silky smooth and beautiful.
Well, it will be silky smooth when I’m done.
“This is the calmest I’ve seen him in a long time.” Dante
sits back. “Just being near you is already helping.”
“I like her, Dante,” Cian says. He turns his head slightly,
and I can see a vibrant smile on his face.
Oh, that smile can light up a room. My heart does this weird
fluttery thing, but I have to remember that he has issues.
It’s odd to be in the room with a man who looks exactly like
Beck yet he’s completely different. Beck is solid, and Cian seems frighteningly
fluid. It took time to get him into the house. He wanted to show me things.
First, it was the garden. Apparently he thought he planted strawberries and he
wanted to share them with me. When he couldn’t find any strawberries, he tried
to take me to the palace so I could meet his mother and sister.
He’s so lost, and I’m not sure he can be found again.
“How are you feeling?” Dante asks.
Scared. Hopeful. Scared again. The fact that I haven’t seen
Beck in a while is definitely part of the scare factor. “I’m in between fooling
myself that this is still some weird dream I’m going to wake up from and
feeling like I oddly belong here.”
It’s nothing more than the truth. After the initial shock, I
slowed down and carefully studied the place. There’s a softness to the light
here that calls to me. I’m not sure how to explain it, but there’s warmth and
peace to be had here if I want it, if I open myself to the experience.
There might be love here if I’m brave enough.
To be honest, I’m not sure about the whole two men thing.
Especially now that I’ve met Beck’s brother. Cian seems more childlike than
anything. Perhaps I don’t understand the situation fully. Perhaps Cian is
merely a family member to take care of. The “marriage” thing might be just a
label when it comes to Cian.
“You do belong here.” Cian’s hand comes up, catching mine.
“You belong with us.”
Had Beck been the one saying it, his hand would have curled
over mine possessively and I would feel his need. There’s nothing dark about
Cian. He’s being kind. He’s a lovely, sweet reflection of the man I’m coming to
know.
“Of course I do.” I use my free hand to pat his shoulder and
he sighs again, a sound of contentment before he turns back to the fire and
lets me return to my task.
We’re quiet for a moment, the comforting crackle of the fire
the only sound between us. Cian seems perfectly content to let me pull and tug
on his hair until it’s smooth.
“There.” An unaccountable feeling of accomplishment flows
through me. “That’s much better.”
Cian turns and I have to catch my breath. He’s incredibly
beautiful, his face a mixture of sharp lines and sensual planes. The firelight
softens him, or perhaps it’s simply a function of Cian’s own personality.
“Thank you, lady. You are very generous. If there is any fashion in which I can
repay your kindness, you have but to let me know.”
The idea that Cian is child-like flees in the wake of the
look on his face. He reaches out and takes my hand in his, drawing it up to his
mouth. For a second, I think he’ll politely kiss the back of my hand, a genteel
gesture. Instead, Cian flips my hand over and kisses my palm, a deeply sensual
action I can feel all through my body.
Nope. Not a child.
His lips curve up, and his eyes are hotter than the fire. “I
can think of a few ways to express my appreciation.”
“Uhm, I’m good. I was happy to do it.” I feel caught by his
eyes.
“I will be happy to thank you. Why don’t we go back to my
room? It’s not far. I’ll have the servants bring wine and we can get to know
each other better,” Cian says with a heartbreakingly sexy smile.
“That should be interesting.” Dante’s sarcasm breaks the
spell, and I pull my hand away. “Can we all agree I will not be playing the
role of servant?”
Cian’s expression turns confused, and he looks at his
cousin. “What are you doing here? I thought you were on the Vampire plane.
Where’s Beck?”
And we’re right back to bonkers. “He’s getting ready to cook
dinner.”
Which I think means he’s actually murdering dinner. I’ve
been asking to help all day but was happy he turned me down for this particular
task.
Cian seems pleased with the idea. “Good. Then there’s time
for a nap. I find myself quite tired. I’ll just lay down for a while.”
He curls his body up and lays down right there on the floor,
his head nestled on my lap. He cuddles up like a big, gorgeous cat eager to
find warmth, and in seconds his breathing takes on the steady rhythm of sleep.
“It’s his superpower.” Dante crosses one leg over the other
and relaxes as though he’s settling in. “He always could sleep anywhere,
anytime. Although now that’s pretty much what he does. You’ll have to train
that out of him. He can be lazy. The good news is he also got all the obedient
genes. Not for anyone, of course. Both brothers are stubborn, but Cian can be
led by the right person in a way Beck can’t. He’s far more easygoing.”
I’m not sure anything about this can be classified as easy.
“He can be lazy because Beck probably won’t let him do anything.”
Dante chuckles. “No, sweetheart. That rule only applies to
you. I think you’ll find Beck expects Ci to work as hard as he does. He’ll
leave his brother explicit instructions on everything he’s supposed to do. Not
that he always follows through, hence the garden being in the shape it’s in. Ci
usually enjoys farming and working with plants. And kids. I hope the school
isn’t in the same shape as the garden.”
“Well, he seems very sick so he probably shouldn’t be
working.” He’s far thinner than his brother, though there’s still a lean
strength to his frame. I find myself stroking his hair. I can’t quite help
myself.
“Being up and about will help him,” Dante explains. “I think
it will be easier now that you’re here. Once you’ve bonded, it won’t be a
problem anymore. You’ll see.”
I still don’t understand the bonding thing, though I know I
have a connection with Beck. Will having a connection to Cian be twice the
frustration? “Sure.”
Dante sits up, leaning toward me. “That doesn’t sound good.
What happened to the woman who was excited about taking down her man?”
I shake my head. “She’s not gone. I’m just starting to
understand that the job might be harder than I thought.”
“You’re starting to worry about handling two men? Don’t.
Cian will be a breeze. I know he’s a mess right now, but you’ll adore him.
Everyone does, and that’s why Beck will be the hard case. Imagine always being
the bad guy. People walk in and are always attracted to Cian because he got all
the light.”
“And Beck got the darkness.” How isolating would that be? I
know how it feels to be the one not chosen, to feel like I’m not good enough.
What would it have been like to grow up with another me, one who was good
enough?
Yet Beck seems to love his brother. That says something
about him.
The door comes open and Beck is there, a big basket in his
hands. He steps inside the brugh, and it suddenly seems so much
smaller. “Sorry I took so long. I went into the village to check on a couple of
our elderly folk. Is he all right?”
He might have gotten the dark side of the soul he shares
with his brother, but there’s still kindness in him. “I combed out his hair and
he fell asleep.”
Beck’s eyes widen. “You…he…” He seems to force himself to
calm down. “Of course you did, love. That was kind of you. I’ll be in the
kitchen. We’ll eat in a bit.”
He strides out of the small room.
I’m confused again and look to the vampire. “What did I do
wrong now?”
Dante bites back a laugh. “The hair thing. It’s a very
intimate act for the Fae. It’s something that’s only performed between lovers.
Beck is jealous since he hasn’t had you brush his hair yet.”
“Well, Beck already got to fuck her so he’s still ahead,”
Cian murmurs and tightens his arms around me like he won’t ever let me go.
He falls silent again, and I wonder what kind of trouble I’m
in now.