Her Secret (37 page)

Damn it, Danial. You had no right to
promise her that.
“He’s going to do his best, as will your
father,” I said, trying to sound certain.

Elle went silent.

“Elle, what is it?”

She didn’t answer.

Damn you, Theo
. “Elle, I’ll see you
later, okay? I’ll bring you some cookies I baked.”

“Bye, Mom,” she said flatly, then hung
up.

I thought about calling Theo and asking him
what he’d told her. But what was the point? I’d find all that out
soon enough.

Angered, I put the phone back in its cradle
and went back to work, bringing up a full rack of wood. Afterwards
my muscles ached, having grown unused to heavy lifting. But they
would grow strong again, provided I lived that long...

I closed down that morbid thought, and
renewed my efforts. Within an hour, the house was clean, all the
laundry was done and put away, and I was in the shower. When I
emerged, it was quarter to twelve.

I’d never make it in time to Elle via
driving. I might as well try to teleport.

I got dressed, coiled up my wet hair, grabbed
my purse, and concentrated hard on the great room at Danial’s home.
The next moment, I was standing in snow to my knees on Danial’s
lawn.

My sneakers wet, I gingerly walked out of the
snow, and onto the shoveled path.
Oh well. I’d get better with
practice, right?

Elle opened the door. “Mom, where did you
come from? I didn’t hear a car.”

“I can teleport, but I’m just learning,” I
said proudly. “I’ll have to practice.”

Elle gave me a look of awe, handing me her
bag. “Can you teleport us to the mall?”

“Remember, you aren’t to tell your
grandparents anything but that Danial, Theo, and I are attending a
convention.” I hefted the bag with difficulty. “What do you have in
here, rocks?”

“No, I—”

“Sar?” Terian called from inside the house.
“Elle?”

I grabbed Elle’s hand, and concentrated hard,
desperately imagining the mall parking lot.

Chapter
Sixteen

We arrived instantly
halfway up one car aisle. The sky was clear, the sun shining
brightly.

“Pretty good,” Elle said, letting my hand go.
“We didn’t get hit.”

“Thanks for your faith,” I said grumpily.
“Come on, we don’t have more than a few hours. Let’s make the most
of them.”

* * * *

Over our dessert at lunch, she dropped the
bombshell.

“Mom, Dad explained to me that you needed
Uncle Devlin to make you better. He said that you had Oathed to him
again, and to Devlin, too.”

Part of me was annoyed at not getting to
announce my own news, and the other was pleased that Danial had
smoothed the way yet again. “How do you feel about that?”

“I’m worried,” she said hesitantly. “Dad said
that you weren’t cured. That you would need his help and Devlin’s
for the rest of your life.”

“That’s true, Elle,” I said carefully. Having
no idea how much Danial had told her, it was safer not to
elaborate.

She looked at me out of the corner of her
eye. “Will you come back and live with us?” she said hesitantly.
“Dad misses you. I see it in his eyes sometimes when he’s
alone.”

“Elle, there’s a lot that I have to work out
first. Theo—”

Elle slammed down her spoon. “I hate him! He
left you when you were sick! He’s jealous of Dad. I used to smell
it on him.”

The diners nearest us were staring at us.

“Elle—”

“I want him to stay with her, and I don’t
want to go live with him!” she screeched.

The manager was coming toward us. We had to
get out of here.

“Elle, let’s go. We can talk about this
outside the restaurant.”

After quickly throwing down some cash, I
walked out with Elle, and sat on a wooden bench. “What did Theo
tell you about why he left?” I asked.

“I know about that other woman,” she replied,
her tone livid. “He called me that night after he left, apologizing
about what happened. He said he was coming back. Then he showed up
this morning with that woman—”

“She’s here?” I said weakly.

“She’s at the fox compound,” Elle said
scathingly. “He introduced us and I growled at her. She got scared
and he got angry.”

“Next time be polite,” I admonished her. “No
matter how bad his behavior, yours should always be good, Elle.
Danial would tell you this, if he were here. Come on,” I added,
offering her my hand. “We need to get you to Grandma’s house.”

* * * *

After dropping Elle off at my parents’ house,
I headed home.

The moment I’d seen my mom, I desperately
wanted to go inside and spend one last golden hour with my parents,
to hear the same stories I’d heard so many times before that I knew
them by heart. But it was too risky and there wasn’t time. I had
too much to do as it was.

After packing an overnight bag, and putting
Devlin’s choker on my ankle, I took Ghost and Darkness for an hour
walk. Unlike my usual purposeful foray, I let them smell everything
they wanted to, hunt for mice, and dig in the earth, flinging mud
everywhere. By the time we got home, they were filthy but
happy.

I cleaned their feet, cut their nails, and
then brushed them as they writhed in happiness, wriggling all over.
Then I gave them some lunch meat, parceling out a few pieces. After
that, I handed them each two Cheweez. “You are the best dogs ever,”
I said emotionally. “I love you both very much.”

I left them chewing, sat down in front of the
wood stove, and pulled Jessica into my lap. We hadn’t sat here in a
long time. When I’d been sick, the floor had been too cold, despite
the fire. I stroked his coat repeatedly, murmuring “Little sweet
cat laying there.” Soon he was a limp warm dishrag in my arms,
purring softly. As he dropped off to sleep, Cavity came over. I
moved Jess over so there was room enough for him, then lifted him
onto my lap, too. “You’re a monster cat,” I said lovingly, petting
him. “You’re my monster cat, Cavity.”

I sat there for an hour holding them, then
reluctantly moved them and got up. After building up the fire, I
let the dogs out one last time, and then taped a note on the front
door that said “Downstairs.” Going into the bedroom, I changed back
into the clean ivory gown, fastened Danial’s choker around my neck,
and went below into the basement to wait.

It wasn’t long before the dogs barked
upstairs, then the front door opened. Their barks became happy
whining, then their feet moved away. A second later, Danial
descended the cellar stairs calling, “Sar?”

“In here.” I stood for him on the floor at
the bottom of the bed, waiting.

He opened the door, glancing at the cracked
frame. Then his eyes found me.

I opened my arms to him. “Come to me.”

He crossed in two strides, then grabbed me
roughly, kissing me hungrily. I put my arms around him, pressing my
body to his. He threw off his jacket, pulled off his pants, and
then stripped my gown over my head and tossed it aside. Then he
pushed me backwards. I went sprawling on the bed, my eyes wide.

Danial unbuttoned his shirt. “Down on your
knees, Oathed One.”

I gaped at him. He finished undressing, then
glared at me with red eyes. Suddenly afraid, I got up from the bed
and ran towards the door. Before I could open the door, Danial
grabbed me by the back of my neck. I went still and let out a
whimper.

“I told you to get on your knees. Get back on
the bed, now.”

I did as he asked. Danial took up a position
behind me. His erection brushed my backside, then teased me, the
tip just outside my vagina. I pushed back hard. Danial clenched his
muscles, our combined actions thrusting him deeply into me. My head
went back as I let out an eager moan. He groaned loudly, pulling my
lower body back hard against his, one hand on my hip to move me,
the other reaching up to massage my breasts as he kissed my
neck.

He leaned forward, bearing me down onto the
bed with his weight, moving fast, grunting with effort and need.
Then it was over, as Danial came, his spasms frantic. He moved off
me, breathing hard. I moved to face him, apprehensive.

“Why,” he growled. “Tell me why.”

“Why what?” I ventured.

Danial moved supernaturally fast, grabbing
hold of me, his eyes tinged red.

“I gave you everything I had to give. I did
everything you asked of me, and more. I listened to you when you
needed me to, held you when you wept, covered up what happened
between you and Devlin. I cared for our child, when you abandoned
him and me to be with Theo. I let you go when you asked me to, and
came to you when you asked me to.”

He shook me furiously, making me cry out in
fear. “Stop it!”

“You knew that I wanted you to swear to me!
You knew I’d have done anything to have you promise to be mine!
After all the shit you and I have been through, how could you give
your Oath to Devlin after being with him only a few days?”

“Dev didn’t give me much of a choice.” I
touched his hands gently, easing them off me. Danial shook with
fury under my fingers. “In any case, we needed his help. Everything
was falling apart, no matter how you and I were trying to hold
things together.” I clasped his hand. “But we have a good chance
now. I’m marked, we’re Oathed, and I’m strong enough now to stand
with you tomorrow to face the other Rulers without worrying about
losing control.”

Danial hugged me tightly, as if we’d been
separated decades instead of days. “I’m sorry I frightened you,
Darling. Forgive me.”

“I’m sorry you found out about everything
like you did,” I replied, hugging him back. “And I have more to
tell you. Devlin has some plan he is orchestrating. Lash said—”

“You met Lash?” Danial said in shock. “I
thought I scented snake upstairs—”

“He came here to talk strategy with Devlin.
Titus was with him. I didn’t overhear any details. All I know was
that Lash succeeded in whatever his mission was.”

“Interesting. When did Devlin leave?”

“Dev left early this morning.”

“This morning?” Danial said, doing a double
take.

“Yes, he was riding his Harley dressed in
leather. We went for a ride one night. It was cold.”

“He knows better than that,” Danial grumbled.
“It’s too cold this time of year. We lose heat too quickly.” He
held me tight in his arms, stroking my hair. “I’m sorry again for
my anger.”

“Good,” I said approvingly. “As Devlin said,
this is a time for celebration.”

“What of Theo?” Danial said, his eyes
searching mine. “Have you spoken to him?”

“No,” I said, angry instantly. “Elle let slip
that he had asked her to come and live with him and Tasha. I think
it’s safe to say he hasn’t come back to try to work things out with
me.”

“Over my dead body,” Danial growled. “She is
more my daughter than his. She is more your daughter than any other
woman’s.” He looked at me. “My question to you is can you handle
seeing him if he decides to continue working for me?”

“That depends on if I have to see his
jailbait.”

“I don’t want to see her either, so don’t
worry about it,” Danial said disdainfully. “But we have more
important things to talk about. I hadn’t known Theo offered Elle
another home. What did she seem to think of his offer?”

I snuggled against him. “You don’t have to
worry. Elle refused. Theo said he would let her stay with you.”

“That’s good,” Danial said, relieved. “I do
not want to fight with Theo if it can be avoided. We have enough
problems.”

“What is the plan, by the way?” I said,
kissing him gently on his neck.

“Terian will pick us up here at eleven. We’ll
get to the airport by midnight, and should arrive in Toronto by one
or one thirty. We’ll order room service for you and Theoron, while
Theo, Terian, and I plan strategy for various scenarios. After,
we’ll sleep the day away, showing up promptly at seven for the
Gathering.”

“
I’m afraid,” I whispered.

“So am I,” he said heavily, hugging me tight.
“So am I.”

* * * *

Close to ten, we got up and began
dressing.

“Do you need me to put on your choker?”
Danial asked, buttoning his shirt.

“I’m not sure,” I answered. “Devlin’s will
open for me, but—”

“I should have suspected, after seeing your
hip,” Danial answered. “That was one of the items you hid in my
safe, wasn’t it?”

“Yes,” I admitted. “I knew you’d destroy it
if you knew.”

“My jealousy is over,” Danial assured me, his
smile easy.

“I spoke to Dev about this,” I began
hesitantly. “He said he was fine with this arrangement, too. But
agreeing to it and living it are two different things.”

“I’m happy with the arrangement,” Danial
assured.

I put my finger to his lips. “Are you sure?
Because for all you and he say that, you both seem to need to
possess what it yours utterly. And sharing means recognizing
another had a right to what you call your own.”

“Sar, we are men, and men never willingly
share, if they think there is even a chance they will not have to.
That said, Dev was good enough to include me, when he could have
cut me out. I’ll not cause a rift over including him, especially as
you say you love him now.” He fastened the choker about my neck. “I
want you to be happy.”

“I’ll be happy to make it back home alive,” I
said with a ghost of a smile. “Even with all of our preparations,
I’m worried. My sense of foreboding increases with every passing
minute.”

“No despair,” Danial said sternly. “Come, I
hear Terian in the driveway.”

* * * *

When we arrived in Canada, Theo was on the
macadam waiting. He smiled when he saw me. I gave him one in return
before I remembered myself, and looked away.