Something collided with me, knocking me sideways. The world spun a second before I crashed into the pool. Water went up my nose, and the burn of it snapped me back to reality. What had I almost done?
Pain, shame, and rage collided inside of me, and I screamed my frustration under the water.
A hand stroked over my hair, and I snapped my head around, my vision once again turning. Fenris’s concerned brown eyes collided with mine. His smile was missing as he gave my hair a gentle tug forward. He reeled me into his arms as we broke through to the surface.
I sniffled and leaned my head against his chest.
“Thank you,” I whispered.
If not for his quick thinking, I would have done something I would have never been able to forgive myself for.
“I’ve got you,” he said softly. “Always.”
His hand smoothed over my wet hair and down my back.
“Stealing my meal was nothing compared to the line you just crossed.”
Lifting my head, I followed the sound of Eras’s rage-filled voice and saw him where I’d left him. Only now, he was on his feet, his hands fisted, and shaking with anger.
The rumble of Fenris’s laughter vibrated against my chest.
“And you obviously didn’t learn anything from the experience if you’re back to provoking her. Run along, teenie little weenie. This is a predator pool party.”
A snort from Meg had Eras turning on his heel and storming out the door.
“The powder isn’t going to keep the mermaids under for long. You’re not going to want to be in the pool when they come to,” Anne said.
Fenris turned me toward the ledge and lifted me out of the pool. I quickly crossed my arms and wiped some of the water off my face as Fenris got out behind me.
When I stood, Lauv cocked a hip and studied me. Fenris’s hands settled on my shoulders. The touch lent me his support and his warmth. Why were we always ending up in the pool?
“Sweet Hades, Eliana. You weren’t even directing any of that at us, and I’m still tingling. Never mind the layered spells of protection that I’m wearing. And here, you had everyone fooled thinking you’re at the bottom of the food chain.”
One of the mermaids stirred.
“You’re all at the bottom of the food chain,” she slurred. “We’re going to—”
“Save your finned fannies by getting back into the water,” I said, losing my patience. “All this guppy gabbing is getting us nowhere. You hate the druids for wiping your minds and meddling with magic in your bathrooms. We get it already.”
River stood, and her second set of eyelids blinked while her first set narrowed at me.
“Someone’s finding her big girl pants. A little too late, though. You’ve started a war you can’t hope to win.”
“A war? Cuts and arguing over a bathroom is hardly a war.”
She flashed her sharp teeth at me.
“We both know it’s so much more than that. How’s your search for Ashlyn going? It’s been almost two weeks now, hasn’t it?”
“Got it!” a voice called from the pool behind us.
I glanced back at the mermaid holding my phone. She rapidly tapped at the screen and grinned.
“Message sent.”
She threw the phone at me, but Fenris deftly caught it and opened the message. We read it together.
Me: I’m the one responsible for Ashlyn’s disappearance. Come get me, fury.
The mermaid had seaweed for a brain if she thought for a moment that Megan would believe I’d sent that. But, the new message that came in before I could tell Megan what was going on made me pause.
Megan: You sound like you need a Fenris hug.
“I agree,” Fenris said, spinning me around.
I put my arm up to block him.
“Hugs later; business first.”
“I’ll hold you to that promise.”
I rolled my eyes at him and tugged free to look at River.
“Megan already knows about Ashlyn, which is why I’m here. And she also knows you’ve been harassing me in an attempt to bring her home.”
The phone in my hand rang, and seeing it was Megan, I answered on speaker.
“Well, that’s not a good sign. I was hoping you’d be too busy to answer me,” Megan said.
“There’s mermaids to the right of me, druids to my left, and I’m stuck in the middle with a hug happy werewolf. Your suggestion was poorly timed.”
“Mermaids?” Megan said, her voice losing its humor. “What are they doing now?”
“One of them sent that message. They’re still trying to bait you home. You’re on speaker, by the way.”
“Good. Listen up, bottom-feeders. Honeymoon’s almost over, and I’m ready for round two of whack-a-mermaid. Get the boat ready. I’ll pop in on Snake Island to let the Oracle know.”
River hissed at me, her face contorting with her hate.
“Seriously, Eliana. Three seconds, and I can be there,” Megan said.
River and the other mermaids glared and walked for the door. The mermaid in the pool hopped out, her legs forming in a blink. She hurried after the rest.
“I don’t think that’s necessary,” I said. “The mermaids left.”
“And the druids?” Megan asked. “Have they figured out where Ashlyn went yet?”
“We’re still trying to figure out what went wrong,” Lauv said. “We’re casting location spells and can’t find Ashlyn. But we also know she’s not dead. That means someone or something is blocking her.”
“Any ideas what or who?”
The three exchanged glances.
“No,” Anne admitted. “Does this mean you’re going to get the Council involved now?”
Megan gave a derisive laugh.
“They already know Ashlyn is missing and are doing nothing productive about it. I doubt letting them know the three of you are responsible for casting the spell that caused her to disappear will help Ashlyn. I’d prefer to go a different route and will need you three available for questions. Eliana can send me your information so I can contact you.”
The three druids exchanged quick glances.
“Don’t even think about disappearing outside the barrier,” I added. “You don’t want Megan hunting you down for answers.”
“No, you do not,” Megan agreed. “And, no more spells while you wait for me to contact you. You three obviously don’t know what you’re doing, and I don’t want you to make it any worse.”
“Agreed,” Meg said. “Thank you, fury.”
“Is business done now?” Fenris asked from behind me.
“Business?” Megan asked.
“I told him no hugs until we took care of business first. You can’t send hug texts, Megan. He gets too excited.”
She started laughing.
“Business is done. Have fun, Fenris.”
The phone disconnected, and I gave Fenris a quick, panicked look.
“Not while I’m wet.”
He arched a brow, a slow smile creeping onto his lips.
My eyes went black in response.
“Cut it out.”
“I’m not the one talking about—”
I clapped a hand over his mouth.
“Don’t,” I warned.
The mongrel had the audacity to lick my palm.
“Zero self-preservation,” I said, removing my hand and crossing my arms. “Unless we’re interested in running into Adira and waiting to see what additional trouble Eras and the mermaids can cause, I think we should leave.”
“Agreed.”
He tugged one of my arms away from my chest to hold my hand and led me from the pool room. People stared, and I couldn’t blame them. How many times had I squelched my way down these halls in recent weeks? Too many times to recall.
A few minutes later, we were in my car, a blanket once again protecting the seats.
“I really don’t want to go to the Quills’ for another pool change. Seeing us like this again would raise more questions than I want to answer. But, Mrs. Quill would be more than willing to let Adira know we’d like to talk if you want to get this girlfriend thing out in the open.”
“Girlfriend thing?” he echoed with an arched brow. “I have a better idea. Trust me?”
“If I didn’t, I wouldn’t have agreed to your proposal this morning.”
“You make agreeing to be my girlfriend sound indecent. I like it.”
I snorted and turned up the heat. I was so busy trying to warm my fingers that I didn’t notice where he was headed until it was too late.
“Absolutely not, Fenris,” I said when he turned onto the road that led north out of the town. The road that would ultimately take us to my parents.
“What happened to the trust?”
“It has nothing to do with trust and everything to do with self-preservation. My mom smelled you her first night in Uttira.”
“You mean that night at The Happy Table when she asked you if you were still a virgin?”
I narrowed my eyes at him.
“You know what? Fine. Meet my mom. I hope she turns you into a drooler. You deserve it.”
“Ouch.”
I crossed my arms stubbornly, but my annoyance faded and panic bloomed the closer we drew to their house.
“Seriously, Fenris. I don’t want to go there. Please.”
His fingers twitched on the steering wheel, and he glanced at me.
“Nothing bad will happen. I swear, Eliana. Meeting your parents is exactly what we both need. Your mom will see you with a boy. She’ll tell Adira. It’s far better letting Adira hear about us by word-of-mouth than trying to convince her ourselves. It will be more believable. And when we’re done here, we’ll go to my house.”
My chest tightened when I saw Mom’s house ahead.
“Your dad can be the one to tell Adira. He’s part of the Council. That’s good enough. Do not pull into their driveway.” My hands started to shake, and it got harder to breathe.
Fenris completely ignored me and parked the car. Panic didn’t begin to describe what I was feeling when he reached across the seat and unbuckled me. He was going to meet my parents. My mom, who thought anyone and everyone was fair game to her hunger, and my dad, who still hadn’t come to terms with what he’d married, never mind all the other creatures that lived in Uttira.
“Shh. It’ll be okay, Eliana,” Fenris soothed as he pulled me into his lap. His scent and warmth wrapped around me, and I shuddered when he ran a hand over my back.
“Talk to me. Why are you so afraid of this?”
“You weren’t with her, Fenris. You didn’t see what she did to the people she fed from or how she walked away without a backward glance. I did look back. I did see. I don’t want that for you.” I lifted my head. “I won’t have that for you.”
He shivered lightly under me.
“Please, can’t we just go to your dad’s? There’s dry clothes there.”
“He’d ask just as many questions as the Quills.”
Then I understood.
Mom wouldn’t ask why we were wet. She’d think it was due to some kind of sexual play.
I dropped my head to Fenris’s shoulder.
“Maybe she isn’t here. Maybe we’ll get lucky, and she’ll be at the club, and it’ll just be Dad.”
“Yeah, I don’t think that’s the case.”
Lifting my head, I followed his gaze to the front door where Mom stood, beaming at us. At least, she wasn’t wearing something see-through.
Fenris opened the car door and got out with me in his arms.
“Sorry to arrive unannounced, but Eliana and I are looking for a place to change without too many questions involved.”
“Oh, my darling boy, of course. Come in.”
He had us in the living room before I could say a word.
“The guest room is down the hall. First door on the left. The bathroom is stocked. Shower and warm up. If you leave your clothes in the hall, I’ll wash and dry them for you.”
My eyes went wide.
“No, that—”
“That’s perfect. Thank you, Mrs. Howland.” Fenris strode down the hall with me in his arms, not giving me a chance to protest.
I glanced over his shoulder and saw Dad standing a few steps behind Mom.
“We’re not having sex, Dad,” I yelled as Fenris closed the bedroom door.
Fenris made a choked sound and continued to the bathroom.
“Do you want to shower first or would you rather hand our clothes to your mom?” he asked, finally putting me down.
“Neither. The only reason she suggested a shower was so we could do things we are not doing. Boundaries, Fenris, remember?” I grabbed two towels from the warmer and shoved one at him. “Change into that and don’t come out until I say it’s okay.”
Not waiting for him to answer, I marched out of the bathroom and shut the door behind me.
Peeling layers of cold, wet clothes off took longer than I anticipated.
“I can hear you struggling,” Fenris said through the door. “Want some help?”
“No. But I swear I’m going shopping for jeans that aren’t skintight. This is stupid.” With a grunt, I pulled my foot free and tossed the jeans on top of the pile by the door. Dressed in my bralette and underwear, I wrapped the towel around my torso.
“You can come out if you’re appropriately covered,” I said.
The door swung open, and Fenris strode out with a towel riding low on his hips. Covering his boy bits hadn’t done a thing to mute his mouthwatering appeal. The expanse of his muscled chest drew more than my gaze.
I realized what I was doing on the third step I’d taken toward him.
The corner of his mouth tipped up when I stopped.
“I was thinking the same thing,” he said. “That towel is teasing me in all the right ways.”
My vision changed, and my hunger stirred.
Mom took that moment to open the door. I didn’t think, I reacted. My head swung in her direction.
“Leave now, Mother.”
Her eyes went wide, and she immediately backed out of the room.
Fenris moved closer, his radiating heat warming my skin without a single touch.
“You’re cold and hungry,” he said softly. “Any chance you’d consider feeding?”
I stared at the door, refusing to turn my head and look at him. If I did, I’d lose any remaining control I had.
“I’m cold and hungry,” I said, echoing his words to acknowledge the truth in them. “Now might not be the time to push me, or you’ll find yourself alone in my mom’s house.”
Moving around him, I grabbed his clothes then mine. I didn’t try to tell him to stay, already knowing he wouldn’t listen. We’d come here for a reason, and he’d see it through. Hopefully, my sanity would remain intact until we were done.
Dad paused in the hallway when I opened the bedroom door. We both stared at each other for a few seconds before he held out his arms for the clothes.
“Your mom is in the kitchen. She would like to speak with you if you’re willing.”
Fenris cleared his throat lightly behind me. I barely refrained from rolling my eyes at his blatant demand for an introduction.
“Dad, this is Fenris. My boyfriend.” Those last two words were so hard to say. But, I hoped it would help speed along our visit.
Fenris’s hand extended around me, and Dad briefly clasped it.
“It’s nice to finally meet you, Mr. Howland. I apologize for showing up unannounced.”
“Nonsense. Any friend of Eliana’s is welcome here.” Dad’s gaze shifted to me. “Fenris can stay with me if that will make you more comfortable while you talk to your mother.”
Given my reaction to her when she’d opened the door, I nodded in agreement.
“Let’s see if we can find you something more than a towel to wear,” Dad said, motioning to Fenris.
I made my way to the kitchen, my stomach twisting with my nerves and guilt. Mom waited at the table. She didn’t stand and hug me like she usually did. Instead, she looked at the table while she spoke to me.
“Baby, I’m so sorry. I never meant to interrupt you. I only…” She sniffled ominously, and I hurried to hug her.
“No, Mom, I’m sorry. I have no excuse for how rude I was just now other than it’s been a very stressful morning.”
Mom hugged me back hard.
“You weren’t rude, baby. You were glorious in your protection of what is yours.”
I flinched, and she felt it because she released me to look me in the eyes.
“I admit, I’m not sure what you need right now. Your reaction is a very typical reaction any succubus about to feed would give. While I don’t think you want to hear that or think about it, I can’t let you believe for a moment that I’m upset by that very natural display. But it does tell me that you’re very serious about Fenris, and I swear to you that I recognize your claim on the boy and that you have nothing to fear from me. Because he’s yours, I’ll view him as a son.”
“Thanks, Mom.”
“Unless he hurts you. Then, I’ll view him from the top of his grave.”
I couldn’t stop the surge of anger that erupted.
“You are glorious, Eliana,” Mom said, immediately looking at the table again. “I’m so proud of the woman you’re becoming and for finding your own way to become her.”
Her words calmed me enough that I could retreat a few steps.
“We shouldn’t have come here,” I said.
“Of course you should have. Your father is ecstatic to meet Fenris. Sit down. Tell me that he makes you happy and dislikes Adira as much as we do.”
The tension inside of me melted away, and I grinned at Mom.
“I don’t think anyone dislikes Adira as much as you.”
“I don’t know about that. Your father would tell you he is equally matched. Speaking of, he’s keeping Fenris away from me until you’re comfortable with them joining us.” She paused, her motherly concern peeking through. “Are you comfortable?”
“I would be more comfortable if we were both dressed.”
“Will this work?” Fenris asked from behind me.
I startled when a shirt appeared before me. I could feel Mom watching as I stared at Fenris’s exposed forearm. He wore one of my dad’s shirts with the sleeves rolled up.
When I slowly turned to look at all of him, I saw that he was wearing slacks, too. But, he was barefoot. And the top two buttons of his shirt were undone.
“Not sure that’s an improvement,” I whispered.
Fenris’s usually boyish grin remained firmly in place while I flushed.
Thankfully, the sight of my dad just behind him helped distract me.
“I can find another shirt if you’d like,” Dad said. “I’d offer a pair of my boxers, but your mother doesn’t allow me to wear any.”
I looked at Fenris, horrified by the open comment.
“That’s right,” he mouthed. “Commando.”
I should have known he wouldn’t care.
“Jason, darling, you know Eliana doesn’t want to hear those details about her father. Why don’t you and Fenris make us some breakfast?”
Fenris quirked a brow at me, which made me flush further.
“Mom, Fenris doesn’t need to—”
“Lavish you with signs of my affection? I believe I do,” Fenris said, his humor lighting his eyes. I realized that had been something I hadn’t witnessed in a while. And it kind of made me nervous that he was letting his mischief show now. Here. In my parents’ home.
I wanted to ask him what he was up to but was too afraid of the answer.
“Behave, Fenris.”
“I’m always well-behaved.”
I swallowed down my disbelief, took the shirt from him, and watched Dad lead him to the kitchen. While they quietly discussed how much batter to make, I shrugged into the shirt and joined Mom with the towel still firmly under my extra covering.
“He’s good for you,” she said, watching me.
“How so?”
“His playfulness helps balance your seriousness.”
“He’s a little too playful sometimes.”
“And aren’t you a little too serious sometimes?”
I shrugged and glanced at Fenris as he moved around in the kitchen with Dad.
“I don’t like making him cook breakfast for us. He’s not a slave.”
“Of course he isn’t. Use your senses, though, Eliana. Is he happier now that he’s doing something for you?”
I gave her a startled look. I spent so much time trying to ignore the emotions of others that they became background noise, easy to overlook. Now that she’d brought it to my attention, though, I could feel Fenris’s happiness. It was greater than Dad’s. Panic speared through me, and I scrambled to figure out what had happened. Had I accidentally fed from him? Was it the hugs? Too much touching?
Fenris laughed at something Dad said and nodded. The reason why Fenris was nearly bursting with joy clicked into place in my head.
His plan was working.
His elation wasn’t because he was “serving” me but rather that he was convincing my parents that we were together as a couple. And that was the point of all of this. Getting the parents to believe we were real so he wouldn’t need to keep going on the forced mate runs.
Calm flooded me.
“So good for you,” Mom said softly, not missing a thing.
“But will I be good for him?” I asked.
“What an odd question. Of course you will be. Just look at how happy he is.”
I was looking and had noted the way he’d tensed at my question. Knowing that his ears were far too keen, I grabbed my phone from my purse and typed out a quick message that I showed to my mom.
Me: Raging out on you wasn’t my first sign of possessiveness. What happens when he finds his mate? I don’t want to hurt anyone.
Mom read the message and gave me a look filled with affection and sorrow.
“Baby, you didn’t even come close to raging out. You gave me a warning look and politely asked me to leave. You showed far more restraint to an intruder than I would have.”
“You’ve never acted like that to me.”
“That’s because you’re my daughter. It’s different. But to address your question—”
I frantically shook my head at her and shoved my phone into her hands.
She gave an impatient sigh but typed out her reply.
Mom: You won’t need to worry about him scenting his mate and going on a run while he’s with you. You’ll be the only thing he smells and sees. When you’re done with him, he’ll likely find his mate and do his best to forget about you.
I frowned at her after reading that and replied.
Me: Do his best? I thought his kind was immune to the side effect of our kind feeding on them.
“I would much rather have this conversation out loud,” Mom said.
“So would I,” Fenris agreed from the kitchen, which earned Mom a look from me.
“Jason, darling, will you take Fenris outside to play for a bit? Eliana and I need some mother-daughter time.”
“I’d rather not,” Fenris said. “I can hear the way her pulse is racing and smell her growing panic. Whatever you two are discussing has her two seconds from running. It took a lot of planning and some trickery to get her here, and I still want to visit my dad after this. I’d rather just calm things down before they get any worse.”
Mom waved her hand at me. “By all means. Eliana is worried about your immunity to the mindless infatuation that often results after we feed.”
Instead of letting my panic rule my thoughts and feed my fears, I paid attention to everyone else’s emotions. Fenris, despite his calm words, was feeling almost as much panic as I was. Worry filled both Mom and Dad.
I slouched back into my seat.
“I don’t want to talk about this. I’ll be fine. Nothing’s changed,” I said, meeting Fenris’s gaze.
“Prove it. Come here and hug me.”
My gaze shifted to my dad, who stood in uncertainty beside Fenris.
“Jason, she’s looking at you because your beliefs about public displays of affection have stifled her true nature.”
Dad took a long, slow breath before speaking.
“Hugs provide comfort and show concern. They can be completely appropriate in public. Some cultures even approve of a kiss on the cheek for public displays of affection for friends and loved ones. Empathy, sympathy, and affection are healthy emotions that need not be hidden away.”
Mom beamed at him like he’d just made a breakthrough, but I knew better. He had a way of saying just the right words to make her believe he was seeing things her way, all the while conveying a deeper, hidden meaning. His true message was clear: those emotions are fine for public, but don’t cross the line.
That same trapped feeling enveloped me but on a new level. Before I’d only felt pulled between Mom and Dad’s beliefs. But now Fenris was watching me, the light missing from his eyes as if I’d somehow already disappointed him by not running into his arms.
I stood, ignoring the fact that I was still in a towel, and went to give Fenris a quick hug. I should have known better. Fenris didn’t make things easy. As soon as he had me in his arms, he tipped me back, eliciting a startled “eep” from me.
My weak hold around his neck became a desperate cling for support.
“Unconditional honesty,” he said, his hand anchoring my back. “What are you thinking?”
“That my dad is just as good at misleading others as you are.”
“Explain,” Fenris and Mom said simultaneously as he righted me.
“It’s how you both word things, Fenris. It’s never a yes or no. A person has to hear what you aren’t saying to know what you are saying.”
Mom’s eyes flickered to black when she looked at Dad.
“And what were you saying just now, Jason?”
“A hug can be more than a simple hug. Simple hugs are appropriate for public; the other kinds are not.”
I could feel Mom’s anger.
“Children, I think it’s time for you to visit with Fenris’s father. Jason and I need to have a long discussion, and I won’t upset Eliana on such an important day.”
“Important day?” I echoed, confused.
“Baby, you finally trusted us enough to introduce one of your friends. I see how important today is even if you don’t. Your father does, too. That’s part of why he and I need to have a frank discussion. But I really want you to bring Fenris back. Maybe we could have dinner tonight?”
“Maybe,” I hedged.
“Nicolette, love, their clothes aren’t finished washing. Our conversation can wait until after we visit with Eliana and Fenris.”
They locked eyes, and I was surprised at the amount of determination I saw in Dad’s gaze before Mom reluctantly nodded.
“Good,” Fenris said, rubbing his hands. “Your dad and I are going to see who can eat the most pancakes.”
Mom laughed.
“Jason, the boy’s a werewolf. He will out-eat you any day.”
“Which is precisely what I want to witness.”
