Fairytale flicker, p.3
Fairytale Flicker, page 3
She smiled and kept kissing Thacker until he grabbed her and pulled her against him.
Issa sighed and gradually slowed the kiss. “A shower, and then I go. Just like we agreed.”
He sighed and growled. “Stay.”
“No. Not the agreement. I talked to Remon, and if one of you goes into rut, you can call me.”
His blue eyes got wary. “We might not be able to remember the important things.”
“I know. I will call a doctor and get an implant.”
Relief and disappointment were in his expression. “But you want to go home.”
“I think I need to. I don’t break agreements.”
He sighed. “Fine. Bathe, dress, and we will get some food into you before I take you home again.”
“Just show me where.”
He smiled and got to his feet, holding her against his chest. Remon trailed after them as they left the nest to enter his rooms and walked to a huge walk-in shower. He handed her to Remon and got undressed.
They held her between them and used a handheld sprayer to clean her off from head to toe.
She relaxed and pressed her forehead to Thacker’s chest. Remon took care of her hair with strange, worshipful movements. Thacker bent and made sure that the spot where he had spent so much time was scrupulously clean.
When the water cut off, she was wrapped in fluffy towels and carried into the bedroom.
They didn’t discuss things, just sandwiched her towel burrito between them and held onto her. It was cozy, it was warm, and it was nap time.
She woke up with a jolt. The low and steady breathing was from Thacker, and he was holding her close. The towel had opened, and her breasts mashed against his ribs. He was holding her like a teddy bear.
Issa pulled a hand up and touched his chest. “Thackery, it’s time to put your shoes on; we are at grandma’s house.”
His lips curled, and his eyes opened. “That wasn’t what I was expecting.”
She wiggled the fingers of the hand that was trapped between them. “It was that or starting a tickle fight. You have the reach on me.”
He pulled her higher until they were face to face. “How are you feeling?”
“Tired. Achy. Not in a bad way.” She blushed. “It is a little bit fuzzy. Things went well?”
He kissed her softly. “Very well.”
She nodded. “That is what Remon said, but I wasn’t sure you were both of the same opinion.”
“We are. Will you stay?”
Issa leaned back. “No. Remon told me we are fuck buddies. So, that is where we will settle until there is a need on either side.”
His expression settled into hard lines. “I don’t like that label.”
“Heat companions? Rut participants?” She smiled slightly. “Magic exchange?”
He chuckled. “That one, I like.”
Their kiss was sweet. He asked, “How was your first time?”
“First time with the unicorn or you, and I can’t even remember Remon.” She shrugged. “I will analyze it later. I don’t feel any bad emotions about it, so that’s a good sign.”
He kissed her again. “A very good sign. Now, let’s get you dressed so that we can go for breakfast.”
She sighed, and her stomach twinged. “Good plan.”
“Your bag is by the door. Your phone is on the dresser and fully charged. Someone named Wren is persistent.”
She nodded. “We have a check-in system for our first times with an alpha. They can get a little clingy. And bossy. And bondage-y.” She sighed. “And if it isn’t consensual, the book club steps in.”
“You take on alphas?”
“Oh, yeah. Some of the ladies have physical adaptations to their matches. Some are just scrappy, to begin with. Like Jess.”
He nodded. “Caber and Melbourne looked very happy with her. She’s a bit stocky but cute.”
Issa nodded. “She is cute and determined. And tiny.”
He chuckled. “I am rather glad you are not as petite. Are your ears pointed?”
She carefully covered the point that was peeking out of her hair. “No.”
He gave her a serious look. “I will investigate next time.”
She sighed. “Please don’t. They are sensitive.”
“If I don’t, Remon will. He likes fooling with your hair enough that the ears are going to come into it eventually.”
She shivered, and her nipples pebbled against his skin.
He smiled. “You like it when he plays with your hair.”
Issa groaned. “It isn’t hair. Well, not like it used to be.”
Understanding lit his eyes. “It’s more magic.”
“Yup. My last line of defense. I didn’t get one of the dangerous changes to my body. I just got shiny and glittering.” She snorted. “I look like a holiday glowstick.”
“You always wear makeup in public?”
“Unless I am at a club meeting. But anytime I leave the house on my own, I am wearing my uniform.”
“Do you think you could ever come out for brunch with us? Remon’s aunt loves brunch.”
She got nervous. “I don’t know. The magic exchange is very new.”
He nodded. “Got it. Well, eventually, we will want to integrate our lives with yours.”
She blinked. “Really? But... you might find someone who suits you more.”
The door opened, and Remon stuck his head in. “We knew perfection when we saw it. Food is ready.”
The scents of meat, cheese, and tomato sauce curled into the room. Lasagne.
Issa pecked Thacker on the cheek, then escaped him and headed for her clothing, pulling on her normal sweatsuit. She grabbed her hair and wrestled it into a ponytail before groping in her bag for a hairband. She got her hair under control and headed for the door. Remon moved aside, and she followed her nose downstairs to the kitchen alone. They were probably talking about her.
* * * *
Thacker sat up. “You made lasagne?” He sat up and went to pull some clothes on.
“Of course not. I told my sister two days ago. She made it. I reheated it.” He grinned. “Mine is much better.”
“So, we find a mate, and you feed her second-rate pasta?” Thacker pulled his shirt on over his head.
Remon was grinning. “You have had my sister’s lasagne; it isn’t second-rate.”
Thacker ran a hand over his hair and chuckled. “You are right. Very suitable for a first date. I hear you have done some negotiation.”
“Yeah, I told her we needed help with our ruts, and yours was coming up first.”
Thacker blinked. “Huh. Clever. No trip to the salon then.”
They headed downstairs. Remon asked, “Be honest. Would you really want another woman’s hands on you after this week?”
Thacker thought about it and shook his head. “Nope. The feeling of those cool, slim fingers wrapping around me. Gods!”
“I am focused on the heat that held me tight.” He chuckled. “Best fist ever.”
They walked down the steps, and when they arrived in the kitchen, the table was set, and Issa was sitting with her hand to her mouth and a frown between her shimmering brows.
Remon crouched at her side. “What happened?”
She grimaced and pulled her hand away from her mouth. “Hot.”
He nodded. “Want me to kiss it better?”
The frown line got deeper. He laughed and took her hand, pursing his lips and blowing across the red and blistered skin. Curls of glittering air laced with gold and silver caressed the injury.
Thacker put on oven mitts and divided up the dish, smiling. “He couldn’t use that on the field. The sparkles that he blows would have gotten him a nickname.”
Remon flicked him a look, and when the skin had returned to a healthy pearl and gold, he smiled. “I will take you home after lunch.”
Issa licked her lips, and Thacker wanted to haul her back to his bed. Remon sat down and grinned. “I didn’t make this. My sister did.”
“Your sister?” She blinked and nodded. “Right. Probably nice normal families.”
Thacker dished out the food. “Normal is a heavy word. Creative. We both have creative families.”
She nodded and eyed the slab warily. She put in her fork and then jolted. She nodded, took a slice, and blew on it.
Thacker and Remon were both watching her. She lowered her fork slightly. “I do remember this. A three-way is going to have to wait.”
Thacker chuckled, and Remon grinned. “Well, she remembers some parts.”
Her face got shimmering pink.
Thacker nodded. “She’s remembering our parts right now.”
She groaned and covered her eyes but kept eating. The appetite was encouraging. She had a fast recovery time. It was important.
* * * *
Remon got her bag from the trunk and unlocked her door to let her out. Issa walked with him to the door, and when she opened the door without the key, he stared.
“You didn’t lock up?”
“Uh, no. There isn’t anything to steal. Nothing that anyone can see, anyway.”
He frowned and walked inside, getting caught in her wards.
“Oh, and that. The magic comes out of me and stops at the door. Don’t worry. It will wear off.”
He looked at the strands on his body. “Cool. I can feel it holding me.”
She got her bag and eased past him. “Well, thanks for the lift home and the, uh, assistance.”
He tried to take a step toward her, and the magic held him.
She looked at all his golden prettiness held in her defensive bands and smiled. “You look nice all tied up.”
His eyes flared, and there was a surge of power as he pushed through her magic. Issa paused and stepped back as the magic stretched, and then he was through, and his arms grabbed her and lifted her.
She looked up at him. “How did you...” He pressed his lips to hers, and she melted in his arms.
When he lifted his head, he smiled. “Made of the same stuff as you.”
She stared. “Does that mean I get to be a pony?”
He stroked her cheek. “I will cover you anytime you want. Probably some times that you are on the fence about it.”
“You are not mounting me against a fence.” She knew her expression was dazed.
He grinned. “Well, not right away. We have to pace ourselves.”
To her astonishment, she felt a curl of wet heat running down her inner thigh. His nostrils flared, and he grinned. “Even I can smell that at this range.”
“Um,ihadalovelytimesorrythatyouhavetogbutyouaregoingtobelateforthecluborsomething.”
He blinked and grinned. “One more kiss?”
“No. Not dating. Just an agreement. Right?”
He nodded. “Right. That was the agreement. You say no, and it stops.”
She dragged in a deep breath. “No.”
He nodded and let her go. “Until we call, or you call us. Either way, I look forward to the next encounter.” He smiled. “Or should I call it date?”
He left, and she stared at the broad back as he left her home. She slowly drifted to the door and closed it nearly all the way, watching him pause to speak to the teen boy from down the lane and sign something. Remon leaned against the car and wiggled his fingers toward her as she hid in the shadows as a group of more teen boys gathered, and he spoke to them for twenty minutes before throwing a football to their cheers.
The sun was just setting when someone finally must have asked him why he was there, and he gestured to her house. The kids stared into the shadows where she hid, trying to see her.
She pulled her face away from the crack in the door and leaned against it. She heard heavy footfalls on her porch and then the soft request. “Issa. They would like to lose some fear.”
She blinked, and tears formed. She swallowed and pulled her hood up before opening her door and stomping out to the gathered boys, who got quiet when she stood at the edge of the sidewalk.
“Uh, miss? Are you the witch of that house?” One of the boys asked from a few feet away.
Her shoulders slumped. “No. Not a witch. Just a beta who had an accident at work.”
Remon came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her. “I was there, and it was my fault, but it was an accident.” He squeezed her. “But she did change, so now she doesn’t get out as much as she used to.”
She raised her hand and pulled the hood back. “Workers’ comp doesn’t cover this.”
The boys recoiled but then leaned in.
“Remon, you are giving them a formative fixation that might not be for the best. Two of the seven are alphas, and they are a little too fascinated right now.”
Remon squeezed her. “It’s fine. They will hold back.”
“Yeah, while you are here.”
He paused. “It will be fine.”
The young men asked her a few questions, and one of the older boys lifted his head. “There is another person.”
She froze.
Remon shrugged. “Thacker. Thacker Druius.”
The boys murmured, and she turned to look at Remon. “I have to go inside.”
He nodded, and she pulled her hood up again and slumped into her house. Once inside, she bolted the door. Remon had just kicked a hornet’s nest, and they were getting riled.
She prepped another bag and called Jess. “Hey, Jess, do you have room for me to crash for a few days?”
“Sure. Of course. Plenty of space. Why?”
“Uh, I have been outed in my neighbourhood, and I think that something bad is about to happen to my house. I don’t want to be in it when that happens.”
“Oh. Shit. Do you need a pickup?”
“No, I can get to you. Are you good with that?”
“I am. Caber’s out with the horses, and Melbourne is in town for meetings with his dad. We will be eating a seven. Can you be here for dinner?”
“I can. My bag is packed.”
“Great. Get safe. We will have your room ready.”
“Thanks. You are running a beta and breakfast.”
Jess chortled. “Just get here safely.”
“Fine. Setting tracking on.”
There was a ping, and Jess responded. “Got you.”
“See you in two hours.” Issa smiled.
She grabbed her bag and a few sets of tinted glasses before heading to the attached garage. The young alpha had enhanced senses, so she blanketed the inside of the garage with magic while she waited for Remon to leave the street. When his vehicle roared off, she watched the small group of young men milling around, and one went to her front door. Him. She got into her car as her doorbell cam recorded the knock, the frown, and then the hammering of his fist. When he started to claw and punch at the door screaming for her, she hit the garage door and just waited until it cleared her car. She rolled it out quietly, the entire area coated with magic for silence. She dropped the garage door back into place and rolled at an idle down the back lane. When she could finally see a cross street, she relaxed a little. The crash onto her hood showed her that the young male in question had very sharp teeth.
She hit the brakes, and he slid free, claws slowing his fall. When he rose, she hit him with raw magic, and as he staggered, she swerved around him and got onto the cross street before gunning her engine. He appeared tiny in her rearview mirror, and she needed a deep breath to settle her. Time to get somewhere safe.
Instinct for the win.
Chapter Four
Jess came out with a grin on her lips that faded when she saw Issa’s car. Issa got out with her bag and heard, “What the hell, Issa?”
“Told yah.”
“Was this one of yours?”
She laughed. “Gods, no. This was one of the neighbourhood teens that alpha’d out. He had been way too curious about the scents on me. He also had that unfocused look that said his concentration wasn’t on the world around him. I have recordings of him coming to and attacking my door the moment that my ride left. And then more footage of him jumping on my hood.” She looked to Jess. “Can I go lie down?”
“Oh, of course. Do you want me to call you for dinner?”
“I ate once today. I should be fine.” She swayed.
Jess caught her and supported her. She spoke quietly. “When did your heat end?”
“At a guess, I would say three in the morning.”
Caber ambled over from the barn, and Jess waved him off. Her pregnant self helped Issa into the house and up to the guestroom that had been prepared for her. It was quiet and cool. It was perfect.
Issa put on a sleeping gown and crawled between the sheets. Jess kissed her on the forehead and smiled.
“Jess, you are going to be a good mom.”
“I really hope so. I don’t have much choice at this point.” She grinned and patted her belly. “Are you...”
“No. There was protection that didn’t break.”
“I will get you some tests.” Jess chuckled. “Get some sleep. It would be better if one of them were here, but it is what it is. We will keep an eye on you. Do you have their contact info?”
“Yes. They are the most recent contacts in my phone.”
“Okay. Good. Get some rest. You look pale, even for you.”
Issa chuckled, and Jess closed the door and left her in quiet. First things first. She needed sleep. After that, she could freak out that the alpha was still trying to get into her house. Peacekeepers were arriving, and his parents were worried. Issa had seen it all in her phone as she drove. It was a good thing she had insurance.
* * * *
Jess looked at the phone in her hand, and she blinked. Huh. Unexpected.
She checked the videos from the doorbell and dash cam. Once she saw the footage, she sent it to herself and called Melbourne to see if he knew anyone in criminal law.
He sent back, What did you do?
She chuckled and replied, A friend is in trouble or is about to be.
Send me the footage.
There is a photo of her car hood as well.
