| |
So, as usual, everything in my life was fucked up all at once. I didn't know quite what to do with Oisin. Hisashi was worried about his fox powers, and frankly so was I. I didn't know what to do about that either. And, oh yeah, there was a mage out there who should be my mate, but someone else fucking owned him. I had barely showered and put on clean clothes before someone was tapping at my bedroom door. Couldn't a woman get a minute to freak the fuck out in private around here?
At my growled invitation, Kai pushed the door open. She looked at me and her face crinkled with silent laughter. "You have the worst resting murder face I've ever seen," she informed me, crossing her arms under her breasts and leaning against the doorjamb to watch me drag a brush through my shoulder-length mess of blond waves.
"Thanks," I said dryly.
Kai kept grinning like the cat who caught the canary. Or...the kraken who caught the submarine? Whatever was making her so happy, it probably meant pain and suffering.
"You've got another visitor," she said calmly, but a smirk still twitched at the corner of her full lips. I contemplated giving her something better to do with that mouth of hers but didn't act on the thought. I was too antsy.
"What?" I said stupidly. "Who?"
Kai brushed her long black waves over her shoulder and adjusted her dress, making sure it enhanced all her curves just right. "I wonder if he goes for the more feminine type too, or if he's only into that whole muscle thing you've got going on? Will you share with the rest of us? Or is this one only for you, since you were keeping it a secret?"
I narrowed my eyes at her. "Did you hit your head?"
There was a thump and a masculine grumble from somewhere downstairs and she smirked again. "Would you wait at the door while some stubborn gryphon took forever to get dressed? Because you know, you two are exactly alike...."
I shoved her out of my way as I made for the stairs. She was right though, Halstad was every bit as impatient and grumpy as I was. He was already halfway up the staircase and he stopped to glare at me in his long leather duster and his all-black ensemble. At least he wasn't wearing the stupid steampunk goggles today. One purple eye and one gold eye locked on me and narrowed. "Fucking 'wait here,'" he muttered, in a mockery of Kai's sultry accent. "Y'all realize it's colder than a witch's titties out there, right?"
I crossed my arms and glared down at him from my higher vantage point, taking in the faded military-issue duffel bag he carried slung over his sturdy shoulders. "What are you doing here?"
He rolled his eyes and continued up the stairs until he stood a step above mine, putting the shorter man nearly at eye level with me. "Seriously?" he bitched. "Just stopping by for a visit, gryphon. Did your momma drop you on your head as a kid?"
He was trying to act like a gruff asshole, but I saw right through it. His eyes flicked away from my face and he dragged them back, firming up the line of his lips, which had softened for just that brief second there. "How many times do I have to tell you, I don't go anywhere unless the boss man says so?"
I heaved a sigh. "White sent you. Again. Why?" Probably just to torture me. Or to make sure I kept my word and started on his job, since I'd gotten what I wanted. Halstad cringed, pain crossing his features at my words.
The mage closed his eyes for a minute and let out a slow breath. When he opened them, the emotion was gone, replaced by indifference. Kai was right. Me and the mage were very similar. Neither one of us went in for that emotional bullshit. "I don't ask questions," he said flatly. "I follow orders. Like I was made to do."
He started up the stairs again. "White wants me to help you lot keep an eye on that kid he's stalking. Said my contract with him is almost up and he's sick of looking at my ugly face every day. Told me to come here and coordinate with you lot on guard duty until I got a new owner."
I took a deep breath and followed the magehole up the staircase. Once we reached the hallway, I grabbed his arm. "Halstad," I said, spinning him back to face me. "I'm trying. I...," I ran my other hand through my hair. This was so stupid. Sure, we'd kissed. I'd felt the pull of that potential mate bond with him. But he'd never said he wanted to be with me. "I'm trying to get your contract," I muttered.
He was silent, but his thickly muscled arm went rigid under my hand. I looked at him to find a murderous glare on his bearded face. "You what?"
I let go of him and waved a hand, feeling like a fool. "Your contract. White said he'd help me negotiate it with the guild. So you can stay."
His mismatched eyes burned into mine. "And I'm supposed to be happy about that? You'll buy me and put me here with the rest of your fucking lunatic harem, like a good little slave. Is that it?"
I gaped at him. What the hell? When you put it like that, it sounded awful. "But you...I...what the hell, Halstad? Would you rather go back to the mage guild and get...redistributed, or whatever the fuck you all call it?"
He stepped closer to me, getting into my space, pushing me back against the wall. Halstad might be shorter than me, but he had me in the mass department. His thick chest pressed against mine, shoving me into the wall. "Well?" He ground out in his gravelly, rock grinder voice. "You wanted your very own mage to add to your fuckslaves, girlie. Here I am. Use me. Everyone else does. Why should this be any different?"
He dropped his duffel bag and locked one hand behind my head, pulling me down to him as he kissed me.
Fuck, he might be mad as hell, but he still tasted like mine. Rough stubble from his beard scraped my skin as his lips met mine, his magic pulsing out over my body like it was trying to grab me and pull me inside him.
I should push him away and tell him to stop being such a fucking drama queen. But Gods, I'd missed the gruff asshole. I gripped his hip, pulling him closer against me, feeling his belt of vials, and charms, and who-the-fuck-knows-what dig into my hip.
More magic pulsed around us and I jerked my head back in surprise, slamming my skull against the wall behind me. "Fucking, fuck!" I growled rubbing my head and, looking for the source of outside magic.
Then my body registered that feeling. The touch of sunshine and growing things...and primal danger. Shit.
Oisin stood at the head of the staircase, one fae blade in his hand, and a murderous look in his emerald eyes.
I shoved Halstad away and kicked his duffel toward him, then inserted myself between the two men. "Oisin," I said in what I hoped was a calming tone. "Maybe put the sword away?"
He bared his teeth at me. "There is a mage in my home," he said in that light, soft voice that meant someone was about to bleed.
I held up my hands. "Just let me explain. He's a good mage. Helpful. We like him."
Oisin sneered at me. "Oh, I saw you liking the mangy bastard just fine, gryphon."
Fuck my life.
"Oisin," I pleaded. "Please just calm the fuck down. You don't remember Halstad, that's all. Once you do...."
"I'd rather slit my own throat than be in the presence of one of his kind," the fae seethed. "Leeches. Vultures. Fucking look at his eyes, Gesa!"
Halstad took it all with the sort of forbearance of someone who was used to being stereotyped and discriminated against all his life.
"Whatever." He turned and hauled his bag over his shoulder.
He didn't pause as he made his way to the end of the hall and up another flight of stairs, headed for his old borrowed room, just like he lived here.
I looked at the poor, pissed off fae. "Put the knife away, Oisin. You're not going to use it."
His glittering emerald eyes were like daggers. "Knife?" He glanced at his long, thin, deadly as fuck weapon.
I heaved a sigh. "You usually have two of those, you know? Where's the other one?"
He let go of the fae sword and it shimmered and blinked out of existence. His green eyes met mine again and he gave me a sad grimace. "I could only call the one." The power that had been rolling off him sucked back inside with an audible snap. His eyes rolled back in his head and his slender form crumpled to the floor like someone had just cut his strings.
"Oh, fucksticks!" I breathed, rushing to him and pulling him into my arms.
Oisin barely had enough magic left to heal himself, let alone pull powerful auras and yank magical blades out of thin air. I was such an asshole. I scooped him into a bridal carry and headed to the bedroom, wondering why he let us all stay here. Clearly, he should just stab my ass and be done with it.