Chapter Thirty-Seven
Tristan
Tristan studied the bedroom as Austin napped against his chest. Immense windows dominated the wall facing the ocean, handles on one set indicating they opened onto a private porch overhanging the crater of their nest. Glow stones were everywhere, and lights like Tristan had studied from a distance in Austin’s world hung from the ceiling.
The furniture was solid, good-quality dark wood, likely procured by Char, and arranged around an open fireplace.
A luxurious bath large enough for two took up space in the corner.
The rising sun filled the room with daylight, catching on the glint of Austin’s body jewellery, carelessly tossed aside on the floor.
Tristan was filled with the urge to set it carefully hanging, so it didn’t tarnish in a pool of salt water.
Austin certainly wouldn’t wear it again if it wasn’t perfect, and that would be its own tragedy.
Too soon, a knock came at the door. Eli entered and startled at the sight of Tristan on the bed too. “Sir.” He recovered and bowed respectfully. Austin groaned awake, throwing his thigh over Tristan’s hip and grabbing a pillow to stuff over his ear.
“Not hungry,” Austin complained, half asleep.
“Sam’s here,” Eli said. “And Liam.”
Austin twisted to peer at Eli from beneath his pillow. He had moved to the dresser and was picking out an outfit.
“They came over together?”
“Looks like it. Sam’s boat is parked out in the water, and they took one of those smaller boats to the beach. I don’t know the word for them. They rumble?” Eli gave a disturbing imitation of the sound.
“Speedboat,” Austin supplied. He abandoned Tristan and strode naked to Eli. Eli caught Tristan’s warning look and closed his eyes.
“You’re being silly,” Austin informed Tristan matter-of-factly. He pulled on the shirt and shorts Eli had picked out. “Are you very tired? I’ll show you around if not.”
“I am not tired,” Tristan replied.
The estate had been entirely rebuilt, though its layout had changed.
The Troop’s housing had been expanded, and Austin showed Tristan that each member had their own bedroom equipped with large double beds, desks, dressers, weapon and armour stands.
Each had a private bathroom too. They had a number of dining and rec rooms, as well as indoor training spaces to go with a refurbished outdoor pit.
It contained the only sand Tristan was likely to see anywhere near this place again.
The main building with offices was spacious, the stables matching that of Hal’s palace, and beautiful stonework walls had replaced the wooden fencing that had been washed away during Austin’s storm.
Everything was well spaced out, pathways no longer small and dark but brightly lit. Everywhere was crowded with plant life, too. Everything from trees to flowers bloomed with tiny, white blossoms. A wall of unfamiliar trees separated Austin’s rooms and nest from the rest of the estate.
“These are native to your world?” Tristan asked.
“Hawthorn,” Austin said. “They do very well in the sun.”
They walked beneath the trees back into Austin’s space. Austin led them to a room perched on the edge of the water. Not overlooking their nest, but further down the beach, where it was out of sight behind the edge of the cliff. Seated together were Sam and Liam, heads bent as they spoke.
Austin, upon seeing them together, scowled and marched to their couch.
He wedged himself between them, pushing both men apart to sit squashed between them.
Sam looked amused. Liam seemed more interested in Tristan, watching him closely rather than noting Austin’s behaviour.
Tristan returned his flat stare for half a second but moved on quickly.
Tristan examined the furniture on offer, attention settling on a chaise lounge stuffed with pillows and silk blankets, perfectly positioned in a sunbeam. He sat on the end of it.
“Why are you two arriving together?” Austin asked, annoyed.
“Liam caught me just as I was leaving the dock,” Sam explained. “He asked if I could give him a lift. I thought maybe I’d check in on the status of my ‘forgiveness’ while I was here.” There was an amused note in Sam’s voice, and he met Austin’s irritated look with a raised brow.
Char slipped into the room, going straight to Tristan.
He pulled up a chair and murmured about the status of the city, the guards, and all the training they’d fallen behind on as Hal sent out missives in Tristan’s absence.
New hopeful recruits for Tristan to sift through and at least a hundred military aid requests that needed his decision.
“Goldilocks isn’t allowed in my territory,” Austin warned.
“I know.” Sam sighed. “I was hoping you’d think about forgiving him too.”
“He called me a mongrel.”
Tristan looked up from the sheet Char had just handed him. Liam’s impassive expression flickered as he, too, turned to Sam.
Sam winced. “He didn’t mean it, I promise, Austin.
He didn’t. He was just doing this merman thing.
Going out of his way to show me that he’s turning down other people aside from me?
We were new, weren’t technically together at the time, and he went overboard with it.
He never called you anything like that behind your back, only ever a siren. ”
Until now, Tristan had got along with Goldilocks. His socialised upbringing wasn’t too dissimilar to Tristan’s own, which meant their side-by-side existence went peacefully.
Austin stared into Sam’s face, brow furrowed.
It took a few moments, but the look eased.
“I think I understand,” Austin said. “Whenever I see Hal, I feel the urge to make sure he knows I don’t like him and would never consider him as a mate.
And,” he added, “I don’t mean half of the harsh things I say to him. ”
Tristan wondered abruptly about Hal and Austin’s meetings.
Hal had written—he loved writing—at length of Austin’s grace and beauty, and later letters had included a growing admiration for Austin’s wit and sharp political mind.
Tristan, usually exasperated at the mountain of correspondence Hal sent after him whenever he was away, had kept the letters with any mention of Austin very close, greedy for any insight into how his mate was faring.
Sam looked hopeful. “So you’ll forgive Goldilocks too?”
“I’ll consider considering it,” Austin replied.
He walked to the chaise lounge and reclined, feet pushing aside Char’s documents to claim Tristan’s lap.
Tristan cast Char a look, and Char neatly wrapped everything up.
Tristan redirected his entire focus to Austin, making sure he was happy with his visitors.
Liam, of course, would always be welcome, but toward Sam, there must have been a considerable softening in Tristan’s absence.
“Well, that’s something,” Sam said in good humour. “Did I see you bringing diggers through the Tear? And…builders?”
“They were all blindfolded and sedated for the trip, and I kept obvious monsters away from them while they were here,” Austin explained quickly. “I needed the equipment to build the tunnels. I made sure that no secrets were revealed.”
“They didn’t think that city in the distance was odd? Or the plants?”
“I had screens set up, so they didn’t see the city. As for the plants…” Austin shrugged. “They were debating whether they were in the Maldives or Brazil. Even so, Tammy’s monitoring them.”
“The gardener who planted all those hawthorn trees thought they were in the Maldives?” Sam raised a sceptical brow.
“They were an old Irish couple,” Austin said dismissively.
“They thought they’d been abducted by the Tuatha Dé Danann.
” He flicked his gaze to Tristan. “Irish fairies,” he added, and flipped his attention right back to Sam.
“I paid them very well for the trauma.” And he waited, seemingly for some sign of approval from Sam for his actions.
Sam looked amused. “I doubt there was much trauma involved. They’ll probably be delighted to have got to see a different world, and it’s hardly a story that would draw much attention. I bet they’ll pay extra attention to any fairy fort they come across.”
“They have a fairy fort in the woods by their house,” Austin said. “I left them in it so they’d wake up there when the sedatives wore off.”
Disbelief flashed across Sam’s face, followed by a bark of genuine laughter. “Austin!”
A pleased smile curved Austin’s mouth, silver eyes glimmering.
“That poor couple!”
“I paid them in gold bars,” Austin added. “Left in their pockets.”
Sam buried his face in his hands, groaning, laughing. “You may as well be an Irish fairy.”
Eli strode into the room with food and Lassie. He sat himself into the narrow spot Austin had created between Liam and Sam. With a sigh, Liam got up, wandering to the window. Eli grinned after him, earning a displeased stare from Liam.
Tristan was particularly pleased to see Austin eat three savoury pastries before moving on to the crackers and fruits. Austin caught his eye as he was taking a bite, and his heel dug in. Tristan reached for the tray set before him.
Sam, having recovered from his laughter, looked out the window.
“I’d better get going. It’s Goldilocks’s birthday, and I have to get the rest of his party put together.
See you guys later. Liam, I’ll be heading back in two days.
If you want a ride, just let me know and I’ll swing by for you.
Later, Austin.” His green eyes flicked briefly over Tristan, a modicum of wariness growing in his expression. “Tristan.” He inclined his head.
Austin’s heels dug in harder. It didn’t hurt in the slightest, but his mate was making his unhappiness known.
Tristan was not inclined to show Sam any friendliness, but Austin, clearly, took something positive from his presence. “Sam,” Tristan replied.
Sam left, and Austin fixed Tristan with a displeased look. “Don’t glare at him like that.”
“I was watching.”
That heel dug into his crotch. Tristan caught his feet and met Austin’s challenging look head-on.