Chapter 2 Saxon
I CLOSED THE lid to my laptop just as the bartender delivered a drink to my office. “Thank you,” I said.
“Anything else?” he asked. His eyes slid over my face and down my chest.
I ignored his gaze. Thanks to my Fae genetics, I was in peak physical condition. And also thanks to my Fae blood, other people found me attractive. That might be a conceited thing to say, but it was true. Fae were said to have an otherworldly look. I’d heard witches say it made us look ‘not quite real.’ We aged slowly as well. I was nearly one hundred, and I looked thirty, if that.
“No thank you.” I closed my eyes as I sipped the gin and tonic. The gin wouldn’t intoxicate me, but I liked the taste. He’d gone heavy on the lime, as requested. He got the hint and left. Pretty as he was, I wasn’t going to be fucking one of my employees.
I stared at the walls of my office. I wasn’t used to being at the club so much. I was proud of The Silver Moon Exchange, but I didn’t want to live there. Sure I owned it, but it wasn’t home.
I didn’t have a home anymore. I hadn’t for a long time. My original home, an island off the coast of Iceland, no longer existed, destroyed by a group of demons in 1942. Yes, demons. Most of the supernatural world wasn”t aware of their existence, but Fae had been guarding the Earth for thousands of years.
As a result of losing our home, my clan had developed a thirst for violence. The clan elders called us peacekeepers, but in truth we became paid soldiers, honed to fight at the slightest threat. My clan had protected Fae all over the world. But we’d completely banished the demons four years ago, and now there was no threat left, not for us.
After living in the Northwest Territories in Canada for a few decades, my clan had taken up residence just outside Crestfire Hill, New York, on a sprawling estate with an abandoned stone mansion at the center. They had claimed it for themselves, but my heart wasn’t in it. I no longer wanted to be their prize warrior. They didn’t take kindly to my refusal to fight other supernaturals for money.
For two years after defeating the demons, I drifted.
Then I bought the Silver Moon Exchange. It wasn’t my idea. My little brother Simon had seen it for sale, and forced me into it.
One day while I was brooding, Simon shoved his phone into my face.
I ducked away. “What do you want? Turn that brightness down.”
He pushed the phone into my hands. “It’s a gentleman’s club. It’s for sale.”
“Why would I want to buy a strip club?”
“It’s not a strip club. It’s for sugar daddies. It just needs some love and attention.” He pointed at the ad. “You can make it into anything you want.”
Was it seedy? Sure. Was it inappropriate and unbefitting of the heir to the Crestfire Hill Fae Clan? Yes.
Perfect.
My mother was currently the ruler of our clan. She’d been hounding me to take over and accept my rightful place as the heir of our clan. Leading a clan of Fae was the last thing I wanted. I could fight when it was a good cause, such as protecting the world from demons. But now we’d become mercenaries, answering calls to intervene in clan disputes.
The final straw had been two years ago, just before I bought the club. I’d been sent to Finland to break up a dispute between a clan of bear shifters and a pack of wolf shifters. Far too much blood had been spilled. Fae were more powerful than shifters. It wasn’t right for us to get involved.
But my protests fell on deaf ears.
I’d been fighting for so long. I just needed a break. But I couldn’t admit that to my mother. Fae warriors don’t need breaks. We don’t shirk our duties.
I bought the club and gave the Fae only a cursory amount of my attention.
The last two years had been the best in my life. Were they happy? No. I was estranged from most of my family. I was alone. I was surrounded by a sea of eager young men, but I had no desire to take advantage of their longing for a sugar daddy. It wasn’t right. Only Fae could resist the charm of a Fae, and I had no interest in dating another Fae.
But at least I wasn’t hurting those who had no hope of defending themselves from me.
I’d just taken the second sip of my drink when the door opened again. It was the main receptionist. “I’m sorry, sir,” she said. “I know you asked not to be disturbed, but there’s an omega on the main line, and he sounds like he’s in distress. Says his friend’s Alpha is in trouble.”
I sat up straight. “Who’s the Alpha in trouble?”
“Gatlin Hawk.”
Gatlin? Years ago, my father went to meet with Gatlin’s father about a dispute with mages from Nova Scotia. He dragged me along, as Gatlin and I were supposed to practice our diplomacy. Gatlin had been young, and I had wanted to feel young. Feeling rebellious, we’d snuck off and gone swimming in the lake. We’d kept in touch on and off through the years, although I hadn’t seen him since he’d moved to Ohio.
I knew that shifter was going to get himself into trouble. He’d been far too cavalier about taking over the pack, considering he’d had to kill the previous pack-Alpha.
I put my drink down. Fuck. “Get the caller’s number, then transfer the call to me.” I picked up the landline and waited. Once I heard the click that meant the call had been successfully transferred, I spoke quickly. “Who is this?”
“It”s Danny. I don’t know Gatlin, but the omega he’s seeing is my brother. He needs help. Please.”
Danny’s voice broke on the last word. I had no idea who he was, but for some reason his pleading voice tugged at my cold heart. And Gatlin was my friend, so I’d do whatever was necessary to help. “Tell me what you know.”
“Haven is my brother. Um. The omega. He’s been dating Gatlin, if that’s what you call it. Haven left me this text message. I’ll read it to you.”
Right. I knew who Haven was. He’d been to the club and caused quite a stir when he disappeared into the courtyard, hopped up on the fence, and then ran off with a territorial wolf shifter. One of my guards had been most annoyed by his cavalier attitude.
“Do you know where he is?” I asked.
“Yes. We share locations on our phone.”
Of course they did. The thought of anyone knowing my movements made my skin crawl. But if it saved Gatlin’s life, then maybe I”d be a convert.
I grabbed my drink and drained it, for once grateful that the alcohol wouldn”t affect my reflexes at all. “Give me your address. I’ll come pick you up.”
Taking an omega with me was risky. This was likely a pack dispute. I’d tried to talk to Gatlin after he moved back home, but he’d been uninterested in my opinion. After being asked to “mediate” the conflicts between shifters all over the globe, I knew a thing or two about how they operated.
Shifters were territorial – it was in their blood. And he’d rolled back into town after fucking off for years. Wolves didn’t always take kindly to one of their own leaving, even if it wasn’t their own pack member. And they sure as hell didn’t take kindly to a powerful new Alpha wolf returning out of the blue. I didn’t want to get involved as a Fae, but I wanted to offer my advice as a friend. Gatlin had slapped me on the back and laughed. So I gave up.
On the other end of the line, Danny hesitated for just a split second. I didn’t blame him.
Not many creatures in the world would fuck with Fae. We were not immortal. And we didn’t suck blood. But we were very hard to kill. And we had the ability to use basic magic, without spells, which pissed off the mages and witches. We were also able to sway others, with varying degrees of influence. Apparently I was quite good at it. It made most people want to avoid us at any cost.
We were also known to be ruthless, killing without regret.
“Danny. I give you my word. I will do whatever it takes to help Gatlin and your brother. Tell me where you are.”
He started talking.
***
Four hours later
Rescuing Gatlin and his omega, Haven, had been far more intense than I’d anticipated. After the dust settled, I took one look at Danny and knew I wouldn’t be leaving him alone. He was in shock. And it was no surprise.
We arrived just in time. He’d just watched Haven’s Alpha kill a few other shifters, then his brother came blazing out, and he’d nearly been shot by a sniper.
Then Haven told Danny he was pregnant.
By that point, Danny was swaying on his feet. But he insisted on staying at the hospital. As soon as his brother was declared healthy, I took Danny by the elbow. “You’re coming home with me,” I said.
He froze. “I can’t.”
“You don’t need to be alone right now.”
“My brothers are home. You can take me there.”
“At least let me take you to eat.” I needed to get his blood sugar up.
“Okay.”
Now that all the adrenaline was worn off, he was wary of me. Maybe even scared. As soon as we stepped out of the hospital, Danny stumbled. At least he’d agreed to let me take him to dinner.
“You’re shivering.” I didn’t need a coat. But I was used to blending in, so I wore a coat, because that’s what humans did. Plus, I liked the way my wool coat looked with my suits. I draped it over his shoulders as we walked away from the clinic. As I drove him to the restaurant, his eyes stayed glassy and unfocused. Once we arrived. I guided him to the booth. He went complacently, allowing me to hold onto him.
As soon as we were seated, I held out my hand. “Let me see your phone.”
“Why?”
“So I can give you my number. I want you to have it.”
One corner of his mouth quirked up. “In case more shifters try to attack my roommates?”
“For anything.” I put my hand over his. “Danny. If I can help, I will. I want to.” I was drawn to him. There was no real explanation for it, other than the fact that I admired his grit. He was human, but he’d waded into the den of a violent shifter, ready to save his brother. That took guts, and I couldn”t help but find it attractive.
Never mind that he was gorgeous. His dark tan skin glowed. His brown eyes were large and serious. His jaw and cheekbones were sharp, and his thick, shiny black hair framed his face and accentuated his narrow build. And his scent. God. He smelled of caramel apples. I’d never smelled anything so delicious. I could sit there and inhale it all night.
“Do you understand?” I asked. I didn’t want to patronize him, but I needed to make sure he understood. If he was hanging around with supernaturals, he was going to get caught in their crossfire.
I felt protective of him. It was a new sensation for me. Fae don’t need looking after, nor do they want it. And I’d had a few flings here and there, with vampires, shifters, mages, and even a few witches, but I’d never wanted to look out for them. I’d never felt this all-consuming need to keep them safe. So what the hell was going on with me?
I kept staring at Danny until he nodded.
The waiter brought out our food and he ate with quick, mechanical motions. He didn’t speak. I had the feeling he never planned to see me again. I didn’t intend to let that happen.