Selkie's Revenge (14 page)

“His mate? That can’t be right.” She shook her head and stared into her tea as if it were the fathomless sea Leda mentioned.

Leda shrugged, smiling. “Well, you’ll have to talk to Mack about that.” Her appraising gaze never left Beth’s face. “I can see how this all might be a little … intimidating, but Beth, there will come a time when you must trust your heart.” She peered into her eyes, somehow understanding everything. “As broken as it is.”

“Did Mack tell you about my
broken heart
?”

“Of course not, love. Your pain’s written all over your face.” Her smile turned down in empathy. “You know, there’s nothing like the love of a selkie man to ease old hurts. You might want to try it.”

Jealousy streaked through Beth’s insides, making her stomach clench. “And you’d know because you’ve sampled his love.”

Leda giggled, her dancing voice like an arpeggio. “What Mack and I shared was just physical. Selkies are sexual entities. We live for close touches and deep kisses. Sex is our nourishment and delight. But Mack never once looked at me the way he looks at you. Already, your bond with him is deeper.” She angled her head and looked at her out of the corner of her eyes. “I’m well-pleased he found you, Beth.”

Beth was too. And yet as excited as she felt, something else stirred inside her. Her nerves tingled and worry crawled along each and every one of her bones.

An hour later, Beth listened in wonder as the selkie gang recounted yet another embarrassing story about Mack. She already had to bite her lips to keep from laughing several times during the discussion but was having trouble. The laughter kept bubbling up inside her, and she kept letting out hysterical spurts. She was very much worried a snot bubble was next.

“You should have seen the poor lad,” Leda said, picking up the story. “Running from the baker’s wife as if his life depended on it. The woman had stolen his pelt, you see, and was rather determined to make old Mack her sex slave. I can still see her, even though it’s been decades. Skirts hiked up, a voice as delicate as a jackhammer, and a body that could only belong to a baker’s wife, poor dear. She hadn’t moved a muscle in years, no doubt, other than to feed herself another buttery pastry. However, when she saw Mack steal his skin back, she sprinted after him like a cougar aiming for a broken-legged gazelle.”

The brothers exploded in fits of laughter. Beth turned to Mack, who was red in the face. In fact, he’d been red since the others had arrived. He was currently occupied in chomping down on his bottom lip, lost in his recollections. Beth stifled a snort. “So you didn’t ravish the baker’s wife?”

He stared at her as if he wanted to turn her over his knee. She smiled back and his eyes narrowed on her. His gaze then dropped to her lips. “Alas, I didnae have the pleasure.”

Beth fought to sit upright as his delicious accent rolled over her. All of a sudden, his brogue had thickened. His r’s rolled with languor, almost as if caressing her body. Mack allowed his gaze to drop once more, this time to her breasts, and her body reacted. Her nipples hardened as he stared at her, and he seemed to notice. There was a sudden tick in the muscle at his jaw, a new sensual kind of tension. Of course, he’d seen her breasts. Perhaps he’d enjoyed the view.

Oh God, she wanted him. Maybe she should take Leda’s advice and grasp at any pleasure Mack could provide.

Leda, who must have felt like the proverbial fifth wheel in that moment, stood and spoke. “Well, I’ll be going. Now that I know our friend Mack is safe and sound and not coming to the Caribbean any time soon, I can stop looking for him and relax.”

Jamie took a long swig from his beer and piped up with a naughty grin. “I could join you in the Caribbean, love.”

Leda dismissed him with a haughty glance. “You wish, peedie man.”

Jamie feigned offense. “Who are you callin’
peedie
? Don’t make me prove my mighty length and girth, woman!”

Edan chortled. “She’d need binoculars to observe your length and girth, arsewipe.”

Beth covered her face as the snot bubble finally exploded from her. She hadn’t had so much fun in a long time. Mack’s brothers were a hoot, and altogether too gorgeous to be believed. If she weren’t so infatuated with Mack, she’d have a doozy of a time not falling for one or both of them. Jamie was stunning with his strawberry-blond hair and creamy complexion. To say nothing of the incredible muscles that each selkie seemed to possess. And Edan was no slouch. He had long, red locks tied back in a careless ponytail. His face was that of an angel. It belonged on a cathedral wall, he was so beautiful. They were both so humorous and fun, and she somehow knew they were doing their best to make things lighter for her.

Because Mack had asked them to. Mack, who was always looking out for her.

She glanced back at him, as she always needed to do, and found him staring at her still. His mouth was set and his eyes burning hot lust.

She was suddenly glad Leda was going. She felt desperate for some private time, not that she imagined they’d get it with the brothers near. Beth dragged her gaze away from Mack’s face, still feeling her heart race at his hungry expression. “Um, you don’t have to rush off, Leda.”

Leda darted a glance at Mack. They stared at one another for a few seconds as if having a silent conversation. “Oh,” Leda murmured, her eyes wide, “I think I must.”

Mack angled his head toward the door and stood. “I’ll walk you out.”

After Leda gave her a little hug, one that made Beth feel ever so inadequate upon feeling the gentle press of Leda’s lush curves, Beth watched them walk to the door. Jamie and Edan followed, laughing and telling jokes the whole way.

So she was his booty call
. Beth couldn’t help feeling less feminine when confronted by the selkie woman’s obvious charms, as friendly as Leda was. The selkie woman had a full bosom, something Beth had never had. Okay, they were similar in the hip department, but Leda just appeared more healthy and rounded. And she had all that magnificent, dark hair. For the first time in ages, Beth fingered the bare spots of scalp near her ear and then tugged her hair over them. She never thought about her alopecia much anymore, but in the presence of the selkie goddess, she was strikingly aware of all the tiny flaws that set her apart.

Okay, Beth might be a good woman with a kind heart, and maybe she wasn’t a complete troll, but compared to Leda … well, Mack would have to be insane to prefer her over his former lover.

And yet, the way he looked at Beth…

Maybe she just needed to let go and let him take her to bed. Maybe she needed to get that frustration out.

Perhaps it was time to
feel
again. To feel Mack’s arms about her. To taste that spot on his neck she was always staring at. To nibble on his full mouth. To run her hands over his taut muscles and release the cry that had been building up inside her ever since he saved her.

A quiet tapping at the back window startled her out of her sex-charged reverie. Beth turned to the window, the only one to escape the destructive wrath of the finman.

Luke was staring at her from behind the leaded pane. As all the blood rushed out of her head as she stared at the image of her son. He was dead; she knew it. But he looked so alive, his little knuckles rapping on the windowpane. His brown hair lifted in the wind, and he swatted it down with his plump hand. The hand she’d kissed a thousand times.

“Mummy,” he mouthed.

Beth buckled and put her hands on her knees. When she looked up again a second later, he was still there, beckoning to her to come outside. Her brain knew it must be the finman, but her heart demanded she run to her son.

If it really was Luke this time somehow, and she ignored him, she wouldn’t be able to live with herself.

On quiet feet, she rushed to the back door, knowing the others were still chatting with Leda out front. She gave the doorknob a silent turn and slipped outside. As she advanced, Luke retreated, hastening away to the water’s edge. She followed. How could she not follow? His little legs skipped to the shoreline as his arms swung around his body, like a child with no cares in the world.

The way she always wanted him to be.

She tried to cry out for him to slow down, but no sound came out of her mouth. It was all she could do to follow him to the water. And in a flash, Luke was on the water, as he had been last time. Suspended, waiting for her, moving deeper.

Only as she was about to race into the surf did she hear the noise. No, a shout.

She turned. Mack had seen them and was racing to the beach from the house, his feet pounding the ground. Jamie and Edan were right behind him.

“Beth, don’t!”

In that second, the sky turned black and the air cold. Beth shivered, torn, unsure what to do. What if Mack was somehow wrong? She just wanted to hold her baby once again and feel his soft skin on her cheek.

Mack was almost upon her. He launched a savage shout at Luke. “You can’t have her!”

The fearsome sound that erupted from her child, no, the wraithlike image of her child was one she’d never forget. He opened his mouth and screeched like a demon in hell. And with that earsplitting sound came a flash of lightning that tore up the sky. Beth watched in awe as the vicious golden streak aimed for Mack.

As he was struck by the unfeeling lightning, he jolted and then fell to the beach. Beth’s heart plummeted. Even as she ran to the fallen Mack, she turned and shrieked at the finman. Yes, it really was a finman, damn him. “I hate you. You will never have me!”

Once again, the horrible cry rent the air, and the image of Luke disappeared into the sea. On wobbling legs, Beth rushed over to Mack, who was already trying to sit up despite his brothers insisting he lie down. “No, don’t,” she pleaded. “Just rest. Mack, oh, I’m so sorry!”

He was as pale as death, but coherent. She didn’t know how he managed it, but he reached for her and she grabbed onto him. “Beth,” he said in a garbled voice, “my pelt. Help me inside.”

Fighting tears, she helped Mack to stand, as did Edan and Jamie. Somehow they stumbled to the house, and she locked it behind them. He tumbled to the couch with the brothers eyeing him in concern. She ran off to retrieve his pelt. Once back at his side, he peered at her through exhausted, red eyes.

“Cover me,” he murmured.

She did, making sure to tuck the luxurious skin all around his shaking frame. How was he not dead? She didn’t care. She was just grateful he wasn’t. Panic gripped her and shook her. She couldn’t lose him, not Mack. A curious pang in her heart told her she would not survive losing him, as absurd as it might be.

He closed his eyes and seemed to fall into a deep sleep. His breathing was regular, thank God, but his face was still so drained of color and liveliness. Beth stared as his body continued to tremble under the pelt. He looked so cold. An echoing chill, one that froze her to the bone, took hold of her being.

Mack might have died, might still die for all she knew.

She wouldn’t let it happen. If she had anything to do with the matter, he’d get the help he needed. She moved, intending to run to the phone.

Edan put a hand out and stopped her. “He’ll be fine.” He swore under his breath at the sight of his brother’s ashen pallor. “Hold him, Beth. He needs you more than anything right now.”

Even though she felt so far off her rocker she might have been in another room altogether, Beth did as Edan suggested. She wedged herself in next to Mack on the couch and reached her arms around him. With a teasing stealth, his arm snaked around her waist, and he pulled her to him. Okay, his strength wasn’t all gone.

“Closer,” Mack whispered. “Closer still.”

She nuzzled against his chest and buried her face in the crick of his neck. Even though his brothers were nearby, Beth wrapped her leg around Mack’s body. Her leg molded against him as if it was meant to be there. Every sinew and muscle in her seemed to want to grab hold of him. His halted breaths warmed her, and his scent reached into her. He smelled so good, all man with an underlying sweetness, even though he ought to reek of barbecue. Everything about him addressed needs in her she hadn’t known existed.

“Get better, Mack,” she murmured. “Please.”

Then, unable to resist temptation and so forlorn at the thought of losing him, Beth kissed his skin. She skimmed her lips over the length of his neck, praying her kisses would soothe him as his did her.

Mack’s answering sighs made her hope as she’d never hoped before.

* * * *

Within minutes, bodily equilibrium restored thanks to the healing qualities of his pelt and being next to his mate, Mack opened his eyes. As good a new man as he’d ever be, even though the finfuck had tried to fry him. That was a new one. He’d never been electrocuted before and wouldn’t recommend it by a long shot. It hurt like a bugger.

He sent out a telepathic message to his brothers and was gratified to learn they’d heeded his silent request and were standing guard outside on the beach. He’d already sent them a mental plea, letting them know that as much as he appreciated their help, they were not to disturb him and his mate for the next while.

Any pain he’d suffered was flying from his memory with the feel of Beth’s tender lips upon him. He moved his hand over the small of her back, caressing, sliding dangerously close to her tempting arse.

She must have heard the hitch in his breath. She removed her mouth from his neck. “Are you okay?”

The hint of a smile tickled his lips. “All better. With our skins, selkies can heal from almost anything.”

There was such an array of emotion clouding her eyes: relief, confusion. And so much temptation he could hear the erratic
pitter-patter
of her heart.

“Mack,” she said on a breath. “Oh, God. Please don’t do that again.”

“Don’t do what?”

She sighed. “Don’t almost die again.”

He chuckled against her face. She nuzzled him, and her hand slid down inside his jeans to cup his bare arse.
By the wood of St. Joseph!
“If you keep touching me there, you will kill me, Beth.”