Loving Ean (The Fae Guard Book 2) (21 page)

I mentally give my body a shake, trying to rid myself of any and all thoughts of Ean that will cause me to get hot and bothered. You know, we make such jokes about guys thinking with the wrong head, but let’s be honest—my lady parts have a slutty mind of their own.

“Laila!” Kendrix’s voice pulls me away from the tug of war between my mind and body. I drag my attention away from Ean and over to Kendrix, determined not to let my hormones win. However, I can feel Ean’s hot stare burning through my skin and a shiver runs from my head to my toes, only pausing when it reaches my core, to deposit a ball of hunger, before moving along.
Shit. Body 1, brain 0.

“As I was saying,” The disapproving glare Kendrix is aiming my way makes me feel a little guilty and more than a little self-conscious, wondering if they can see how desperately turned on I am. “Fate is only handing over a couple halfs to you because there is more and more need for your ability to connect with them and help get them to choose the right path. The amount of leath leanbh being discovered early is getting way too high. She’s bringing in some retired trainers to help pick up the slack so that you’re available when needed.”

My head bobs in agreement. I figured this was where things were going, so the news doesn’t faze me much. The fact that the balance between pure and evil is leveling out (cliché, I know. At least I haven’t pulled out a light saber), is freaking me the hell out. I can’t let it get to me though, so I focus on what needs to be done. The distraction is definitely welcome, even if the circumstances around it are pretty shitty.

Kendrix, Brannon, and Ean start talking about strategies for finding the asshat stalking Shaylee, and I feel my phone buzz in my lap. It’s a text from Aden, asking me to stop by. I break into the conversation to let them know I’m taking off, make plans to meet up with Hayleigh later, and head to Aden and Shaylee’s place.

Once there, I knock and then stagger back when the door is thrown open and Aden steps into the hall, grabbing me around the waist and hoisting me into a big bear hug. “Hey, little sister!” I squeeze him in return and am planted back on my feet.

I look him over thoroughly, “You don’t appear to be injured,” I state. I am, in fact, quite surprised that he looks so happy, considering the level of Shaylee’s anger at him when I last saw her. Aden throws his head back in laughter, then drops his arm around my shoulders and walks us both into the apartment.

Shaylee is sitting on the couch, munching on a bag of apple slices and she looks up with a big smile when I enter. I scowl at her playfully, “What the hell, Shaylee? I expected to see him sitting on the couch with a bucket of ice on his balls. At the very least, a black eye.”

She chuckles and Aden digs his fingers into my ribs, causing me to yelp and jump from the tickle. I flip around and punch him in the shoulder hard enough that I know it will leave a slight bruise, and hightail it into the living room before he retaliates. I sit next to Shaylee because I know she’ll keep him from coming after me.
Coward.
No, smart.

Aden drops into an overstuffed chair by Shaylee’s end of the couch, rubbing his injured shoulder and glaring at me. I give him a smug grin and snatch an apple from Shaylee’s stash. “So, what’s up?” I ask nonchalantly as I sink back into the couch, propping my feet up on the low table in front of me.

Aden and Shaylee exchange a secret look and that’s when I notice that she is practically glowing. Not the radiance of sunshine, but of pure happiness, and Aden is sporting the same look. Guilt suffuses me when a thread of jealousy slithers through, but I quickly shake off both feelings. Shaylee leans forward to set the bag on the table, and when she sits back, I get a look at her t-shirt. I almost spit out my apple when I start chortling at the picture and words on the front,
I wish I were a unicorn, so I could stab idiots with my head.
She looks down at her top and starts laughing with me.

“Didn’t Aden tell you that we don’t have unicorns here?” I ask, my voice full of sympathy. Shaylee’s cheeks get a little pink at my question and she throws Aden a dirty look. When she first arrived in Rien, she had the most hilarious expectations, somewhere along the lines of Disney movies. Her t-shirt collection is diverse, but a huge portion of it are dedicated to fairies and unicorns. The day Aden told her that the magical creatures were fiction, she walked around dejectedly for a couple of hours. When I asked Aden about her mood and he told me the story, I laughed so hard, I cried. Apparently, Shaylee didn’t know Aden had told me.

“Anyway,” Shaylee draws out the vowels indicating that this subject is closed and we are moving on. I can’t help one last snicker and Shaylee whacks me in the arm, glowering at me. She isn’t able to hold the expression for long though and she breaks into giggles as well.

Aden rolls his eyes at our display, but they light up every time Shaylee laughs, or even smiles. The bond between them is so strong, not just because they are fated, but because they love each other so deeply. I feel a pang of sorrow in my heart, and it leaves an ache that I am determined to be rid of. In an attempt to push it away, I set all of my focus on my brother and the love of his existence.

We settle down, and I go back to the reason they asked me to drop by. “Not that I wouldn’t have come to see you guys anyway, but Ean said you needed to see me,” I start, “Is this about the Fallen we’re dealing with? I just got done talking with everyone and they filled me in.” My eyes toggle between them curiously, sensing that this is about something completely different.

Aden’s chest puffs up a little (I swear, it literally puffed up. This ought to be good) and he beams at me. “Shaylee is pregnant.”
Aaaaand, cue shock, enter speechless, and send dizzy confusion up to dance on the stage.

I have no words, mostly because I’m not sure if this is a good or bad thing. Aden is clearly over the moon, but Shaylee has had her world turned upside down so much lately, that I’m wondering if this new development will be too much for her. When I turn to her, she nods, shining with a wide smile, and I’m relieved to see that this is positive news. I throw my arms around her and give her a tight hug that she returns just as enthusiastically. “This is incredible news. I’m so happy for you.” Excitement barrels through me as I think about becoming an aunt. Aden and I are the eldest of the children in our family, by thirty years. And, though most of our siblings are old enough to settle down, Aden will be the first. It would have been me but . . . well, whatever.

As I let her go, it suddenly occurs to me, “Wait. Was this planned?” Shaylee throws a dirty look at Aden, who has sense enough to look sheepish, but then her cheeks get rosy with embarrassment.

“No. It’s mostly Aden’s fault.” He rolls his eyes but says nothing. “But, neither of us were being very smart about it. I don’t know if we are ready, but we will be,” she adds.

I just avoid a snort at that. Ready? “There’s no such thing as ready. You just jump on a moving train and you try not to die,” I quip. Shaylee chuckles but she’s looking at me curiously. “Seriously?” I ask. “You’ve never seen that movie?” She shakes her head and I laugh. “I’ll bring it by, trust me, you want to watch it. Especially now.”

Moving on, I look between both her and Aden, before asking, “What did Fate say about training?”

Aden is reclining lazily in his chair with arms folded over his chest. Now, his body tenses a little at my question and he gazes at Shaylee with the slightest bit of apprehension. “She said to keep up with it as much as she can during the pregnancy and then to get back to it as quickly as possible after. She implied that we will be needed as things get darker.”

I nod in understanding. It makes a lot of sense, considering that Aden and Shaylee are both unusually powerful as a fated couple. “No problem.” I look to Shaylee, “We’ll have to adjust your training as we go, to accommodate, but, this isn’t a very big wrench in the plan. Besides, you pick things up crazy fast, so I’m not worried about it.” I throw Aden a mock frown. “She’ll have to spend more time training with me than you. Think you can handle that without pouting, big brother?” Shaylee and I start laughing at that and Aden gives us both a scowl. He isn’t laughing at my joke because he knows it will actually be a struggle for him, he rarely lets Shaylee out of his sight when he isn’t forced to be on assignment. The reason Shaylee and I are so amused is that he really does pout; big, bad Aden sulks like a petulant child.

My laughter eases off, and I feel exhausted. All I want is to go to bed, so I stand to take my leave. I congratulate them again, and give each of them my love with a kiss on the cheek. I walk to the door and glance over my shoulder to see Shaylee sitting in Aden’s lap, giving him a sweet kiss. Joy and love radiates from them, and that little green monster tries to rear its ugly head once again. I feel like I’m playing an internal game of
Whack-a-mole.
It keeps trying to find a hole to come up and I keep clomping it with my mental club. Finally, I cheat, and stomp on it with a six inch studded stiletto. The hole in its head should put it out of commission for a while.

I step into the hall and am startled to see Ean waiting there for me. He takes my breath away with how sexy he is, the way he always does. I want to drag him into the nearest dark corner and lose myself in his touch.
Rein it in, girl.

I take the initiative and start talking before things can get awkward, and uncomfortable.
You mean, any
more
awkward and uncomfortable.

I’ve shut the door, but I keep my voice low, “Look, I know you wanted to talk, but really, what is there to say? I don’t need any more explanation as to why you can’t accept us. Your reasons are your own and if the outcome is set, what’s the point? You won’t convince me that I should walk away and I won’t convince you to stay. We’re at an impasse, Ean. And,” I break off for a moment, wishing away the lump in my throat, “we’re done. I accept it and I’m ready to move on.”

Ean looks as though he might say something, but then he simply nods without comment. We stand and stare at each other for who knows how long, but I break the connection first. I don’t feel strong enough to touch him, and I’d rather the last memory of his touch on my skin, be one of passion. With a strength I didn’t know I possessed, I trudge down the hallway and don’t look back.

I ALMOST COULDN’T DO
it this morning. I don’t know how I found the ability to leave her. I knew it was for good, that it was the end, and I waivered in my convictions. She looked so fucking gorgeous wrapped in nothing but a sheet, her blonde hair tousled, her eyes sleepy but satisfied, her lips rosy and swollen from mine. That vision of her will be what gets me through until I can find a way to let her go. If
you find a way to let her go.

I had to walk down to Aden’s apartment slowly, to get rid of the bulge in my pants. When I got there, he told me what he and Shaylee had learned from Fate, about dark dreams they’d been having, and learning this evil stalking Shaylee has been in their home, affecting their dreams, and almost choking Shaylee to death. Aden was freaking out about how this Fallen had been able to go unnoticed by him.

“I slept with the fucking light on last night, Ean. I should have felt him, especially when I’m with Shaylee. Everything is magnified between the two of us, so how the hell did this guy get away with this?” Aden’s eyes were a little frantic and I was shocked to see my friend, who has always been so sure and so confident, now unsure and vulnerable. It’s that weakness that scares the shit out of me, just one more reason not to be in a relationship.

I was leaning back against the couch with my arms crossed over my chest, a grimace on my face. “There’s nothing special about the locks on our doors and this person could be as capable as anyone at picking it. It’s not like we have some kind of magic protective spells that we cast.” I roll my eyes. These idea humans get . . . They are ridiculous.

I can’t fathom as to why Aden wasn’t aware of this asshole creeping around. Fate certainly hadn’t been a lot of help, and when I mentioned this to Aden, I almost slipped and revealed that she spent most of our meeting talking to me about Laila.
Smooth move, Exlax.