Stalked (Rogues Shifter #2) (5 page)

Dozens of purple eyes turned in my direction.
I looked at Lord Caelen for permission to speak. He nodded somberly, but I could see the glint of anticipation in his eyes. Liam nudged me mentally. “
Stay very calm, Jacqueline
.”

“
Liam, I’ve got this.”
I could sense his mental groan so I took a deep breath to calm myself, narrowed my eyes in concentration and faced Kennet, keeping my voice steady and forcing my emotions to stabilize.

“Lord Kennet, it is a
pleasure
to see you again.” He nodded at me with a sly smile since his ego wouldn’t let him hear the sarcasm behind my words. “However, I do recall telling you at the battle three weeks ago that I was not interested in becoming your Lady. I am Garrett’s mate for life and that will never change. I don’t desire your sizeable wealth or your magical expertise or your proficient bedroom skills. I will never give you an heir. I appreciate that you feel you're honoring me with this offer, but I’m blissfully happy in the life I’ve chosen for myself. I must refuse you,
again
.”

The entire room was silent for a few moments as Kennet’s expression morphed from smug to angry. “You
will
come to me, Jacqueline.” Kennet turned to Lady Jorrenn. “Thank you for the opportunity to speak, Lords and Ladies of the Council.” His voice dripped with undisguised scorn as he turned around and left, his two men following silently behind. Samson was growling again.

My knees gave out and I sat down with a thump: shaking from the tension of keeping myself in control. Garrett was grinning as he put his arm around me and held me close to him.

“Most enjoyable.”
He sat and kissed my cheek. I melted against him and continued to tremble.

“Was it too much?”

“Perfect.”

I sent to Lia
m because his expression was serious. “
Did I screw up?”

“You’ve made a dangerous enemy. His comment that you will eventually co
me to him sounded very much like a threat. Because of his ego, he’s been humiliated in front of the council. Yet, he gave you no choice."
Liam smiled.
"You stood up to a powerful fae with great dignity and no hint of fear. You did not allow your anger to cloud your judgment. I am very proud of you. My father is impressed."

Lord Caelen and Aedus
were both grinning widely and looking from me to Garrett and back to me. Except for the hair, they could have been twins.

“Kennet has had that com
ing for a long time.” said Aedus, actually laughing. “Garrett, my friend, you have chosen a warrior, like yourself, for a mate. This cheetah has sharp claws and a strong bite, I suspect.”

Garrett
draped his arm over my shoulder and said dramatically. “I have the scars to prove it.” We all laughed and the black mood left behind by Kennet was broken.

Lord Caelen called
Farrell over. “Please deliver this message to Lord Kennet. Due to the events at tonight’s Council meeting, Jacqueline Crawford and Garrett Cuvier will not be attending the Midsummer Celebration with him tomorrow. Instead they’ll be joining me.” Farrell nodded formally and Caelen returned his gaze to us. “I hope that is acceptable to both of you?"

Garrett smiled. "Yes. Thank you, Caelen."

"May Aedus, Liam, Kaera and I escort you back to your rooms?”

“We’d be honored.
” Garrett took my free hand as I grabbed Samson's leash. We left after saying goodbye to the other Council members and to Lady Silvus and Lady Erin. Everyone felt that I had handled Lord Kennet well and that he’d deserved what he gotten.

The trip back to our room was full of visual and sensory wonders. I saw a ‘flock’ of tiny fae flying across a golden river, their teal green wings shimmering as they disappeared behind a ch
erry tree covered in blossoms. My mouth watered as scents of cinnamon and clove, cardamom and sage wafted through the air. Haunting music filled each corner of our short journey, making me yearn for something wonderful but unknown that was just beyond my reach, And always under everything was the smell and the rhythm of the fae magic: intoxicating and delicious.

I figured that Lord Caelen and his sons had something to discuss with us privately and that’s why they’d asked to escort us back, so we invited them in and had them make themselves comfortable. I didn’t understand why Kaera was there, but as Lord Caelen sat and gestured toward Aedus, I
knew we’d be enlightened soon.

Aedus spoke, saying,  “We need
help with a private matter. Kaera’s sister, Brina, has gone missing. She is Lord Argon’s daughter by his concubine, Lady Tereza. They are distraught. We believe that she has followed a werewolf named Drew who was an ambassador of the Brownlow Werewolf Pack at one of our recent meetings. We feel that she left of her own free will, but we have no idea where she is or if she is safe.“

Lord Caelen continued. “They may be in love and feared that Lord Argon wouldn’t approve the match. Whatever the reason, we ne
ed to know where she is. We cannot allow one of our young ones to disappear.” Young was relative in Faerie. She was probably over a hundred years old. Kaera grunted in annoyance so Lord Caelen nodded at her and she took a step away from the wall to speak.

“With all respect, Lord, my sister is a trained warrior and does not need a team of shifters and vampires searching for her. She does nothing without careful thought, and must have felt that her mission could have been jeopardized by letting anyone know her plans. I believe t
hat she knows exactly what she is doing and does not need our help. She is definitely not in love with the werewolf. She is only using him to get information.”

"Information about what?"

"She did not confide in me." She was speaking with a little more volume and emotion than the fae usually used, making Aedus frown at her and say, “Your father and Lady Tereza have approved this endeavor. You should respect their decision.”

“Then let me go
with their shifter team. They won’t be able to find her, and if the impossible happens, she won’t be pleased when they do.” She'd indicated Garrett and me with a derisive sweep of her hand.

Lord Caelen spoke softly but sternly. “Your presence will defeat the purpose of hiring Garrett’s team. His shifters will blend in, you will not.  Brina has a special ability to camouflage herself completely. She can hide, even from her father’s acute senses. I have complete trust in any team tha
t Garrett has put together. I will speak to you privately, Kaera." She nodded toward him, but then slumped against the wall, looking worried about her sister and frustrated at being denied a chance to join the search for her.

Garrett squeezed my hand. “Give us all the
information you have and we’ll do whatever we can to find her.”

“Thank you both
. Liam has suggested that we keep a close eye on Kennet, so don’t worry about the fool.” He smiled at me as I tried to stifle a yawn. “We should be going.” When Caelen stood, we all stood, and I was surprised when he took my hand in his. “Jacqueline, tonight has been most entertaining and enlightening. I look forward to seeing you again tomorrow.”

“Thank you
, Lord Caelen.” A touch of humor glinting in his rich purple eyes. I couldn’t help but smile back at him, feeling one hundred times more relaxed than I had when I first met him that evening. As intimidating as this powerful fae lord could be, he’d treated me with respect and courtesy and I was grateful. He nodded and left as did Aedus with Kaera trailing behind them.

Liam took a moment to speak quietly to Garrett then ca
me to me. His lovely violet gaze locked with mine as he lifted my hand to rest it over his heart. I felt its steady beat beneath his blue tunic.
“Thank you Jackie.”
He closed the door behind him.

“So what was that about?” Garrett was taking off his suit jacket and loosening his tie.

“He just appreciated what I said to them about why he gave me the blade.” I kicked off my heels.

“Or what you
didn’t
say.” We stared at each other for a moment. Liam was dear to both of us.

I changed the subject. “The meeting went well I guess, but I’m exhausted.”

“Since there’s no true sunlight here, I don’t have to rest in the day. I can just sleep when you do.”

“That’s a nice change."
I turned my back to him.” Unzip me?”

He whispered behind me,  “I’ve been waiting to hear those words all evening.” I laughed as he nuzzled my neck and slowly brought my zipper all the way down
, then helped me step out of the dress.

I turned back to him and ran my hand down his muscular chest to his flat stomach, coming to rest on a shirt button near his waist.  “Do you need
help unbuttoning your shirt?” My lighthearted offer led to other playful and loving moments and then eventually, to sleep.

Chapter Four

The next evening was the Solstice Celebration
, so we’d invited Liam to our room that afternoon and asked him what we should expect to see. Garrett and I were on the couch and Liam sat in the comfortable arm chair across from us, dressed in his usual tunic and dark pants, smiling mischievously at both of us. It always amazed me that my 1500 year old friend still looked to be no more than twenty, with his golden blonde hair gleaming and hanging down around his shoulders and his violet eyes sparkling with excitement as he described the evening’s events.

And yes, I did think
of him as a friend and not only my teacher or the friend of my mate. When he'd offered me his blade before the duel, he'd saved my life and endangered his own. We’d talked for hours on end about what it meant to be healers who had to fight against our own natures in order to kill, a quirk of our DNA that no one else shared or understood. Liam had become as important to me as the rest of my team of rogues.

“At the ceremony there a
re the usual rituals, delicious food and wine, a huge bonfire, lively dancing and singing. Sex is customary but optional. It’s all delightfully hedonistic.” He smiled playfully watching my reaction. Of course, my face heated up in its usual embarrassed blush. I kicked myself mentally.

“It sounds perfect,
“ said Garrett in his sultry way, kissing me on the cheek and looking a little wound up.

“You hedonist,“
I teased.

“Vampire in love,
” he teased back, pointing to his chest and making my heart warm.

Liam smiled
as he continued. “The men wear something yellow or gold as a tribute to the sun, the women something green or blue as a tribute to the earth. I’ll have some things brought over for you to choose from. The celebration is over a three day period. Tonight is the main event. You should be prepared for just about anything.” His large violet eyes turned serious as he looked at me directly. “It’s important that you bring Samson. Kennet is dangerous.”

“I’m sure we can handle K
ennet.” I shrugged.

He shook his head
in irritation. “Perhaps you think of my race as beautiful and gentle, but we are also cruel and terrifying, as bloodthirsty as any vampire. We carry in us the ancient Wild Magic. We are the Sidhe: banshee, goblin, selkie, slaugh, and so many more. Seelie and Unseelie.”

Liam’s eyes suddenly shone black with dark magic. His teeth sharpened to fine points and saliva dripp
ed down his pointier chin. His body grew bulkier and glowed with a dark power that sent waves of ice cold energy spearing through my chest, making the hair stand up on my arms. His hands turned to ugly stumps with sharp claws and scales covered his visible skin. As the air in the room cooled, my body temperature began to drop dramatically.

A moment later
the transformation reversed and Liam was himself again. I must have looked frightened because he said, “I’m sorry, Jacqueline, but you always seem to need a practical demonstration before you believe what I tell you.” He smiled a little sheepishly.

I looked from Liam to Garrett, who was doing his best not to break out laughing, and back agai
n to Liam. “What the fuck, Liam. I almost wet myself.”

That did it. They both started laughing, Garrett so hard he almost fell off the couch. I scowled at them and got up and walked over to where Samson was sprawled on the floor. “You’re supposed to protect me from these asshol
es, Samson. Go and bite them.” Instead, he rolled over onto his back, tongue lolling out, just begging for a belly scratch. “You’re a big help. You guys always stick together.” I sat down on the floor next to my canine traitor, leaned against the wall and crossed my arms over my chest.

“I will see you later.”
Liam ducked out the door before I could yell at him again, leaving Garrett to bear the brunt. I glared daggers at my mate who was rolling off the couch and crawling toward me in supplication.

"I'm on my hands and kne
es begging for your forgiveness." He moved with his usual animal grace, successfully distracting me. All part of his evil plan.

"Won't work." I was forced to bite my lip to keep
my mouth from twitching into a smile.