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A FEW DAYS LATER, TEAGAN sat propped against all of Aidan’s pillows like a giant fluffy throne. He’d graciously afforded her the use of his bedroom. A first she’d found it huge and daunting, but little by little each day, she’d seen the subtle influences that matched Aidan’s personality as she got to know him more. He was stern when he needed to be, like when he was trying to keep order, but he was also playful and sensitive to her needs.
The sun flitted in the open windows, and the cool breeze reached her, tickling her face. She snuggled deeper under the thick comforter and smiled. The bed was huge. She actually felt like she might get lost in it, at first, but she supposed someone of Aidan’s size would have to have a bed that big.
“Oh, I thought you were still asleep. I was going to use the bathroom. Sorry, I’ll go downstairs,” Aidan’s masculine voice sent little thrills through Teagan’s body.
“No that’s okay,” she replied hastily, “it’s your bathroom. Plus,” she smiled and shrugged, “all your stuff is in there.”
Teagan couldn’t take her eyes off him. He stood there, in the doorway with his arm braced on the doorframe, shirtless and gorgeous.
Yum! Teagan thought.
His abs looked like rocks rippling under his skin. His huge arms that always seemed to bulge out of his shirt sleeves, were free for her to ogle this morning. His thick hair, slightly disheveled from his slumber, left Teagan wanting to run her fingers through it to straighten it. Teagan’s eyes continued their journey downward, and she relished the broadness of his bronzed chest. The top button of his dark Calvin Klein jeans was undone in a hassle-free manner framing a small patch of hair. She felt her cheeks heat up instantly, positive her face was red as a beet. Wow, she thought fanning herself, is it getting hot in here or what?
“Hmm hum,” Aidan cleared his throat and Teagan blushed even brighter as she looked up at his face.
She shrugged; there was nothing wrong with enjoying the scenery. A slightly cocky smile lit up his face and he inclined his head at Teagan as if to give her permission.
“Just let me brush my teeth, and I’ll wait for you downstairs,” Teagan said, her voice was husky, and she cringed hoping that he wouldn’t notice.
Teagan jumped out of the huge king-sized bed, very aware of her tight cut off shirt and very short sleeping shorts and raced barefooted into the bathroom. Her hair was a wreck. She grabbed the brush and whipped it through her hair self-consciously before she pulled it back into a messy bun. She hurriedly brushed her teeth and walked slowly to the bathroom door. Teagan peeked into the bedroom and sighed with relief when she realized Aidan was in his closet. She slipped out the door and headed towards the stairs without speaking to him.
Ignoring her burning cheeks, Teagan bounced happily down the stairs. She was on a mission now and coffee was the only thing on her mind. She hadn’t had any since Saturday morning and she was feening for it.
Okay, Teagan thought, as she stepped into the luxurious kitchen, if I were a coffee maker where would I be? Teagan tapped her fingers on her chin silently pondering her own question.
Normal people keep coffee makers on countertops but apparently, Aidan wasn’t normal. There was nothing on his countertops; they were completely spotless. Teagan had to admit that it did make his kitchen look cleaner than any she’d seen before without all the clutter on the counters. She shrugged, concentrating on the task at hand. Start near the fridge, she decided to look in all the cabinets and work her way around the room. A coffee maker had to be here somewhere. The option that there may not be one was too absurd for her to fathom.
When Aidan walked in ten minutes later, he found Teagan kneeling on the floor with the top half of her body completely emerged in a bottom cabinet giving him a good view of her booty, which was hanging out of her tiny, sleeping shorts.
“Are you looking for mice? I assure you; you won’t find any.” Aidan said jokingly and his seductively masculine laughter rolled through the kitchen.
Teagan jumped at the sound of his deep voice and whacked her head on the inside of the cabinet. Uncurling from her very unladylike position, she stood, rubbing her aching head. When Aidan saw her wince, he had the nerve to laugh at her again. Teagan glared at him, giving him what she hoped was the evil eye, and she sighed in frustration as he continued laughing completely unintimidated by the look.
With her hands on her hips, Teagan said huffily, “No, I wasn’t looking for mice. I was looking for a coffee maker, which I might add is nowhere to be found.” Teagan waved her hand in an agitated manner at the immense kitchen.
“I’ve looked through every single one of these cabinets and nothing.” She blew her bangs out of her face.
“Aidan,” she said seriously, “If I’m going to stay here, I have to have coffee. It’s been like a week. You’re not going to like me at all if I don’t get some.” Teagan was frustrated, her voice rising as she spoke, “I’m getting a serious headache, Aidan.”
“Okay. Okay,” he said holding up his hands in mock surrender.
He took a few steps away from Teagan and opened a pantry door, which she hadn’t noticed before, and walked in. When he walked back out, he was holding an espresso machine, a grinder, and a bag of fresh coffee beans. The grin on his face made Teagan want to smack him — playfully of course — but she kept her hands to herself. She did feel some of the tension leave her shoulders and neck as he set it all on the counter.
“Teagan if you want to go take a shower, uh, maybe go put some more clothes on, I can make you a latte while you’re upstairs,” His suggestion was almost too nice.
“Ha, ha, very funny.” Her voice dripped with sarcasm, but what she really wanted to do was cover herself. His words had made her feel very exposed.
“I don’t suppose you could make it iced for me, could you?”
Teagan gave him a wistful look. He owed her after that remark, after all it was his fault she was down here dressed like this anyway.
“I think I could manage that,” he said, and his grin grew wider.
“Thanks,” Teagan said, and she raced up the stairs in a hasty retreat. A shower sounded wonderful and decent clothes would be nice, too. Plus, she was having a blast trying each of the outfits Katie had picked out for her. The girl was good, like personal stylist good.
As she walked back downstairs, about twenty minutes later, Teagan felt refreshed. She truly believed there was nothing better than a nice long shower with a favorite bottle of scented soap. But she headed into the kitchen still feeling somewhat self-conscious. The towel wrapped turban-style around her head, might have had a smidge to do with that, but she hadn’t been able to find a blow dryer, and she didn’t want to get her new shirt wet.
Teagan was dressed in her new favorite outfit. A forest green tank, with crisscrossed, braided straps trimmed with darker green beads all along the neckline, and a short, but not mini, white skirt. The green and silver beads on her flip-flops matched her shirt and she wore a matching bracelet along with green and silver earrings dangling from her ears. The outfit made her feel sexy, knowing the shirt made her hair and skin tone look radiant. She wasn’t dressing up for Aidan, she told herself as she hurried into the kitchen, her mouthwatering at the prospect of coffee. Aidan was waiting for her. He was sitting on an island stool with her iced latte looking like a cool treat complete with whipped topping. And was that caramel drizzle? Oh my god, don’t swoon girl, she told herself.
When he heard her enter, he swiveled around to look at her. “Wow, you look refreshed! Nice hair,” Aidan teased, wiggling his eyebrows at her.
She rolled her eyes at him but took the towel off her head. Grabbing her latte, careful not to spill any nectar of the gods, she collapsed onto the seat across from him. Tan, creamy goodness with a hint of cinnamon filled her mouth. It tasted perfect, and she closed her eyes savoring the flavor.
“Do you want something to eat?” Aidan asked after watching her silently for a few moments obviously enjoying her pleasure over the coffee.
“Have any bagels?” Teagan asked.
“No but I’ll put it on my grocery list. Anything else you want while I’m at the store?” He asked casually.
How long does he think I’m going to be staying here? Teagan wondered.
“Just some fruit, any kind will work I’m not picky.” Teagan said nonchalantly, because she didn’t want to be a hindrance, and she felt uncomfortable asking for anything. She was relieved when he changed the subject.
“Okay, I was thinking about what you said the other night, about meeting the other warriors to see if one of them has seen your father.” Aidan said, turning serious, and paused.
“And,” Teagan prompted Aidan when he paused too long.
“And I think we should wait. It’s too dangerous right now. We don’t even know who’s after you.” He seemed genuinely concerned but as Teagan thought about his words a puzzled look crossed her face.
Seeing Teagan’s look, Aidan forgot the rest of what he was going to say.
“What?” He asked Teagan.
“I thought you knew, Aidan, or I would have told you. I think that Colin knows who’s after me. He told me in a dream the other night.” Teagan said.
Her stomach twisted in knots, and she wondered why Colin hadn’t told Aidan of his suspicions yet.
All of the sudden, the front door clicked open, causing Teagan to jump. She took a deep breath and relaxed when Colin and Ian sauntered into the kitchen followed closely by Katie.
“Colin knows what?” Katie asked taking the stool next to Teagan and helping herself to a muffin.
“This is delicious,” Katie said with her mouth full, “did Aunt Maggy make it?”
“Yes, Aunt Maggy made them. Please try to chew with your mouth closed,” Aidan said staring at the crumbs Katie had managed to get everywhere.
“You know there are plates in the cabinet, Katie.” Aidan said facetiously.
“Naw, I’m good.” Katie said as she popped the last bite into her mouth and grinned widely at him.
Teagan tried to hold her laughter in. The two of them reminded Teagan of brother and sister bickering like they did. I guess that seemed normal considering Aunt Maggy as they called her had taken in Aidan many years ago. Katie had told her his father was always busy with the family business, something about imports and exports, and his mother was Aira.
“What do I know?” Colin asked jarring her thoughts. He gave Teagan a pointed look. She hadn’t seen him in days and had to fight the urge to get up and hug him. He’d been to her dreaming, briefly, to let her know he couldn’t find the contract in his dad’s vaults, but he did think he’d identified the man at the bar.
“I was just telling Aidan that you think you know who’s after me.” Teagan told Colin. “But I thought you told him already?” There was a questioning tone to her voice.
Instead of answering her, Colin gave her an odd look and then turned to Aidan. He cocked his head slightly, examining Aidan before he spoke, and his eyebrows rose in silent question. Aidan faced Colin squarely in the silent standoff they seemed caught up in, as they both remained momentarily oblivious to the rest of them in the room.
“Well, you don’t waste any time do you, old boy?” Colin asked Aidan but received no answer in reply. “Couldn’t even wait till the scent was cold?”
Teagan studied the two of them, wondering what this pissing contest was. “Is this some sort of bro code?” she asked.
“No,” they both said in unison.
“Then, can we focus on the matter at hand and you guys go duke it out in the back yard later?”
Colin looked at her, like he was considering her words. “I don’t know for sure, Teagan.”
“He thinks it’s someone named Cian,” Teagan blurted out, before the subject could get changed again, and everyone turned to stare at her in astonishment.
“What?” Teagan asked wondering what she had said that would elicit such a simultaneous reaction.
Aidan was the first to respond.
“Cian was captain of the queen’s guard. He was banished from Tir na nÓg about three hundred years ago, when the queen forbid her daughter to marry him. He tried to dethrone the queen by spreading rumors that she was losing her powers to her sense of humanity. He claimed that she was being too lenient with the humans. It almost caused a civil war. A third of the royals sided with Cian, seeking to end her reign. When the Royal Council convened, however, the queen had already decreed that all fae must return to Tir na nÓg and no longer interact with the humans.
She made unions between fae and humans forbidden, which the council fully agreed with, and the guides were enabled as a means of communication between the realms. The Fae realm was, from that day forward, forbidden to humans. Her swift action and the edict were the only things that saved her reign. The Royal Council had been trying to get her to enforce the issue for years, and they quickly sided with her. They declared Cian a traitor and cast him out of Tir na nÓg. No one has seen or heard of him in hundreds years. We all assumed Cian was dead.”
“And he could be dead, Aidan. Dreams aren’t always truth.” Colin said flatly.
“Yes, but if it is true and he’s been dream walking Teagan...” Aidan didn’t finish his sentence.
“Bad news huh?” Teagan inquired of no one in particular.
“The worst,” Katie answered Teagan, nodding her head gravely.
Colin cleared his throat and spoke to Aidan, apparently over his earlier macho show. “I came back to tell you I am leaving for Tir na nÓg, to ask for an audience with the queen. I’ll try to find out what she knows about this threat to Teagan. Let her know she’s safe with us for the time being. I’ll be keeping my ears and eyes open at court for the traitor.”
“That’s a good idea but be careful my friend. When are you planning on leaving?” Aidan asked.
“Right now, I think the sooner I leave the better.” They grasped arms in farewell.
Then Colin turned.
“Teagan,” he said simply with a nod in her direction, and he turned and walked out.
She knew what was going to happen. Did he remember? Did she run after him, and let it happen, hoping that their dynamic had changed? Or, did she let him go with his dignity? After a brief glance in Aidan’s direction, Teagan realized she couldn’t leave it to chance and rushed after Colin. She caught him on the steps outside.
“Colin, wait.” Teagan said as the door slammed shut behind her. He stopped and turned towards her, rain beating down on both of them.
Standing on the top step, as she was, she still wasn’t as tall as him. His blonde hair moved with the wind, curling around the nape of his neck.
“Colin I...”
“Don’t say it Teagan.”
“But I need to. All these years, I’ve thought, no, I’ve wanted there to be something more between us than just a contract that our fathers signed with blood and magic.” She twisted her hands together. “In the dreaming, we got...”
He took a step up. He was close now, and her heart pounded faster.
“Don’t tell me what you think you should say. What do you really want, Teagan?” He looked hopeful. Her stomach flipped at his words. She’d never had choices; they’d always been made for her.
“I...”
She licked her lips subconsciously.
His eyes seemed to gaze into her soul, as he debated whether to follow through on what they’d both already seen, and then just as unexpectedly as in her vision, he pulled her roughly into his arms. His lips met hers in a savage claiming. She stood there. Stunned. Silent. Was he trying to prove the vision wrong. The kiss deepened, but Teagan didn’t pull back. Instead, she willed herself to feel something, anything, for him. Colin softened the kiss before he pulled back, ending it on an eerily silent note. His hand touched her cheek, his voice a hoarse whisper.
“All my life, I’ve been chasing a dream that was never meant to come to pass.”
“Colin?”
“Let me say this, Teagan. If you find your heart pulling you in another direction,” he looked to the house, “I won’t stand in your way. I can’t. It’s not in my protector nature. See, part of the bond between us makes me want you to be happy. I don’t think you’ve seen much happiness in your life. I wish I could be the one to give it to you, but I feel things moving in a different direction.”
“You’re giving up on us?”
“I can never give up on you.”
She closed her eyes against the anguish she saw in his, and when she opened them, he was gone. Vanished.
She wanted to cry. She felt numb. She felt like they’d lost something that they could never get back. Innocence maybe? Instead, she got up and headed back inside instead. No one said anything as Teagan sat back down at the island, but she did receive a few curious looks. Aidan cast several concerned glances in her direction, which she bravely ignored. When Teagan finally looked across the island at him, she lost it. A single silent tear traced its way down her cheek.
“He left me,” was all Teagan could muster the courage to say.
In that moment, she saw compassion in Aidan’s beautiful eyes, but she also saw something more. Teagan saw hope. Teagan shook her head not wanting to deal with what she saw there and decided to suck it up and change the subject. She’d deal with her guy problems tomorrow.
“So, Airic, you’ve never showed me your power.”
“Ah, it’s nothing really. I just dabble really.”
She laughed at his fake modesty.
“Do you want to see?” he asked, excitement in his voice.
“Definitely.”
“Okay,” he pulled her from her stool and placed her in the middle of the kitchen floor. Then he waved his hand, kind of like a magician, which she thought was just for show. “Right, Ian attack her.”
Ian glanced at Aidan, and the later gave a nod of approval. Teagan’s eyes went wide, but the intrigue made her stay where she was. Ian flew at her full speed ahead. She flinched but remained still. About two feet away from her, he slammed into something hard, like an invisible barer, and fell to the ground without touching her. Airic bowed and then helped his friend from the floor.
“I deal in barriers, the magic-proof kind. If you ever need protecting, I’m your man. My barriers can deflect knives, swords, gunshots, magic, and even flowers.”
Everyone laughed at the dig at Ian’s power, but he seemed to take it in good stride.
“You just wait, one of these days I’ll show you I’m more powerful than all of you.”
“Ha,” Katie laughed. “You’ll never be as powerful as Aidan.”
“Why? What’s Aidan’s power?” Teagan asked, not judging the silence in the room correctly. “Does Aidan not have a power?” She looked at him, the question in her eyes.
“Oh, he does. He just doesn’t use it,” Airic said.
Aidan pushed back his stool and move to the fridge.
“He has the power of persuasion. The Fae call it the “golden tongue.” He can speak and other will do as he commands.”
“Why wouldn’t you want to use that power? It’s awesome. You could have anything you wanted.”
Aidan turned to look at her. “But in return for the things I want, I must deprive someone of free will?”
“I’m just saying you could do a lot of good with that power.” She grumbled.
He moved back to her. “I could do a lot of bad things with that power too. I’ve seen the way my father used it and how it’s gotten him into trouble. I don’t want to be like him. I can’t be like him.”
Teagan thought she understood. Aidan was telling her he couldn’t utilize his powers without compromising his integrity. That was something special, most men would not agree with. This time when their eyes met, she found something there she wasn’t sure she was ready for.
“You try it,” Airic said breaking their gaze, like he knew something was happening between them.
“Try what?”
“Try and use your powers.” Ian chimed in.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea, guys.”
“Oh, come on,” Katie said. “The house is warded; you’ll be fine.”
She looked at Aidan, and he nodded his consent. He was probably wondering what she could do as well. There was a ceramic fruit bowl on the island. She focused on it, imaged moving it, and suddenly she had it off the countertop. She moved it with her mind, intent on transferring it the sink, but something went wrong. Her powers snapped back, and she watched in slow motion as the bowl crashed to the tile floor and shattered into a million tiny pieces.
“Teagan?” Aidan called after her as she ran from the room, but she didn’t stop. It wasn’t just the bowl. Without Colin, she felt empty. Broken. He’d pulled back from her to give her what she needed, but what had he taken in return?