Protecting Shaylee (The Fae Guard Book 1) (10 page)

Out of nowhere, I hear Aden’s voice behind me. I whirl around, startled to find him there.

“You left me.” The moment the words leave my mouth, I want to call them back. I don’t want him to recognize that, beneath my resentment of his departure two years ago, I’m vulnerable and wary that I’ll be left alone again. I’m terrified that I’ll let him back into my heart and he’ll irreparably break it when he decides to move on again.

The smile drops from his face and is replaced with worry and regret. Or, maybe that’s what I want to see.

“I was right behind you, baby. I just wanted to see if you could do it on your own.”

I’m somewhat mollified by his words, and wanting to avoid getting into anything from the past, I latch on to the last part of his explanation.

“On my own?”

Aden peers at me, clearly trying to decide whether to let me skirt around the deeper issue. He scrubs his hand along his chin, bringing my attention to the scruff that has developed there. It’s so damn sexy. I want to reach out and feel it, see if it’s prickly or soft. What would that feel like, brushing along my naked skin? My cheeks heat a little at the thought.
Get your mind out of the gutter, girl.
I squirm a little, as butterflies converge in my stomach and try to listen to the logical voice in my head.
Off limits. Off limits. Off limits.
Maybe if I keep telling myself that, my body will get the memo.

And maybe the Cubs will win the World Series.

Stifling a sigh, I return my attention to the matter at hand: where the hell we are and what we are doing here. I wrap my arms around my middle, trying to contain my apprehension.

He crosses his arms, enhancing the rippling muscles in them and the solid expanse of his chest. I turn back to the landscape, avoiding any more distractions from his ridiculously sexy body.

“I’ve never seen someone so new to their magic be able to do the things you have done. Crossing realms on your own requires control over your power. Control you shouldn’t possess yet.” His tone doesn’t give me any hint as to whether or not this is a good thing or not. “I’m not sure what to think about it, baby, other than the fact that it’s not something to be concerned over. We need to understand the situation, but you don’t need to be afraid of it.”

I’m slightly comforted, but everything is so full of questions that I can’t help feeling the stress weighing me down. “Where are we?”

“Rien.”

“No shit, Sherlock,” I snide. Aden’s face breaks into a smile, his delicious dimple appearing, and I’m momentarily sidetracked by the beauty of his face. Why does he have to be so freaking hot? I reign in my thoughts and get back to my question. Gesturing to what’s around us, I ask, “What is this place?”

“It’s our training facility. Well, one of them.”

“I don’t understand. Everything looks so normal.”

Aden seems to pick up on the hint of disappointment in my tone and looks at me curiously. “What were you expecting?”

“I don’t know.” I fight a blush when I realize that my expectations were along the lines of a Disney movie.

Don’t try to pretend yours weren’t either.

I don’t know what to say. In cases like this, the truth is the hardest for a human to believe. If I told them what I was truly looking for, they’d laugh it off. But, Aden knows that the words that come out of my mouth are my reality.
Oh, screw it.

“I, um, you know, majestic hills, waterfalls, some castles, maybe a unicorn or two.” I look him straight in the eye, pretending I’m not feeling dumb for thinking I would find myself in fantastical fairytale.
Yes, I’m aware of the irony in that statement.

To my surprise, Aden lets out a small chuckle, but he doesn’t keel over in hysterical laughter and make me feel like a child. He just uncrosses his arms and tugs on my hand, beginning to walk toward the large building. I tug my hand to get it free, but he tightens his grip and winks at me. I let out a loud sigh of frustration. He just looks ahead of him with a grin. Something inside me warms at the sight of his confident smile.
Stupid dimple.
I quickly stomp it down.
Arrogant ass.

“We are not so different from humans. We’ve adapted with the times like any other generation; modern styles of clothing, and the same technologies of the human realm. The difference is—we have magic. But, magic drains you and its better saved for when it’s truly needed. So, things like using electricity, rather than magic, to light a room because it’s effortless.” His grin turns mischievous. “That doesn’t mean I don’t get lazy and use my magic to flip a light switch from time to time. But, you get the point. We’ll talk about the unicorns later.”

He throws the last sentence in so nonchalantly that I almost miss it. “Wait—we’ll talk about—” I’m cut off because we’ve reached the large glass doors of the structure and he pulls me inside. We’re in what I suppose is the lobby, of sorts, but it looks like a giant living room. The center of the room is sunken down about three steps and is lined by brown, leather couches and a couple of recliners. Even from the door, I can see that the leather is soft and comfortable. The décor is all muted tones: creams and rich shades of brown. The walls are covered with landscapes. I stifle a laugh when I see that the portraits all depict the kind of world I’d imagined we would step into. Sparkly sunshine, green hills, and mountains with waterfalls, peppered with creatures of fairy folklore. The back wall is entirely floor to ceiling window, only broken apart by a giant stone fireplace with a massive flat screen TV, mounted above it. The whole room is welcoming and peaceful.

Aden has stepped to my left where the room breaks off into an alcove that feeds into a long hallway. Nestled in the alcove is a desk, behind which sits a perky, young woman with shoulder-length, white-blonde hair, and beautiful green eyes.
Shocker.
Aden lets go of my hand and strides over to her. She jumps up from her seat and runs around the desk to throw herself into his arms. She’s petite and Aden easily lifts her up in a big bear hug. A low burn churns my stomach and my fists clench at my side. I stay back, not wanting to interrupt their moment, and tell myself that I don’t want to get close enough to pull her off of my man by her hair
.
No. Not my man! Ugh.

When Aden finally puts her down, he whispers something in her ear and she turns curious, but friendly, eyes on me. He motions me forward and I start in their direction, watching as her smile widens the closer I get. I finally come to a stop in front of them, and stand awkwardly, not sure what to do now. A million questions run through my head, things I have given up the right to ask, but find myself desperate to know, none-the-less. Has he dated her? Slept with her? Is she the one he replaced me with?

My musings are interrupted when she grabs my hand and pulls me in for a hug. Surprised, I am thrown off balance and tumble into the embrace. She smells like cinnamon, and her arms are warm and comforting. I feel myself softening toward her, struggling to remember why I’d been upset.

“Shaylee, it’s so great to finally meet you! Aden has talked about you so much over the years, I feel like I already know you.” My eyes fly to Aden, gauging his reaction. His face is sporting a lazy grin, and he winks at me. His wink makes my toes curl. The pixie releases me and steps back, keeping my hands in hers. “I’m Laila, Aden’s sister.” The rest of my anxiety melts away, replaced by profound relief.
Sister. His freaking sister.

“Alright, Laila, give her some breathing room.” Aden ruffles her hair and Laila throws him a dirty look, but her eyes twinkle, full of love for her brother. He pulls my hands from hers, tucking me into his side, but before I can melt into him, I stiffen and try to step away. Once again, he tightens his hold and keeps me anchored. I’m so tired of fighting him; my body is aching from the tension. I give in and cuddle into his side, telling myself I’ll pull away in a minute.
Maybe . . .

“I’m going to get her settled and show her around, we’ll meet you at Mom and Dad’s for dinner tonight.”

Laila nods and pulls me in for another quick hug. “We’ll have lunch one of these days and get to know each other. You’re already a sister to me.” Just like that, the tension is back and I hastily step away from him.

“Laila,” Aden warns. Her eyes bounce back and forth between us, taking in the chasm I’ve created.

“I thought she was—“

“She is.”

Laila’s face clouds with confusion, but with a small shake of Aden’s head, she lets go of whatever she was going to say. “I’ll see you later, Shaylee.” She gives me a bright smile and heads back to the desk.

Aden grabs my hand again and I let out an exasperated sigh. He squeezes my hand to let me know he heard me, and gives me another damn wink. He guides me slightly in front of him, and places his hand softly on the small of my back, showing me the way with slight pressure. An electric current flows from the spot where we are connected.

We head down a long hallway with more fantasy paintings hung on the right side, while the left is a wall of windows. The sun streams in and warms me, and I feel the rays building strength in me. We reach a break and the hallway splits, going in either direction to our left and right. Just before it turns, there is a set of wide, tall double doors on the right. They are carved wood with small symbols, scenes, and creatures. But, in the center, they each have a large set of wings. It’s incredibly beautiful and I’m mesmerized by the intricacies of the art. My hand reaches out and I run my fingers softy over the carving, reverently tracing the wings. There is something about them that tugs at my curiosity, but the full thought eludes me. “These are incredible.”

“Exquisite.” I turn my head to agree and see that Aden’s eyes are on me, not the door. His face is serious as he studies me, naked desire emanating from his eyes, deepening the color to a dark emerald. A flush washes over me and I feel the pink of my cheeks, reddening when he reaches out and runs a finger down the side of my face. Involuntarily, my eyes close and I revel in the sweet touch. When I open them again, the intensity of his gaze has waned, but it’s replaced by a softness and a smile plays at the corners of his mouth.

I seem to be lost in a fog because I’m startled when he taps the end of my nose, opens one of the large doors and gives me a chin lift, encouraging me to enter the room. I drag my gaze away from his and walk ahead of him into a gigantic, open space. The ceiling is, at least, twenty feet high. Mats cover three quarters of the floor. The rest is hardwood. Mirrors line three sides of the room, broken up by solid walls, about three feet across, with racks of weapons anchored on them. The other wall, directly across from the doors, is made of large windows.
I sense a pattern here.

“What is this place?” I take in the sight with awe, keeping my arms hanging at my sides, but my fingers are itching to explore. There is something about this room; it’s charged with power.

Aden is leaning against the wall next to the door, his arms, once again, folded across his broad chest, watching me with a knowing smile. “This is the main training room. I’ll teach you to use your magic here, to protect yourself physically and with your power.”

Excitement fills me and I clasp my hands in front, fighting the instinct to bounce with anticipation. “Am I going to learn to use all of those?” I ask, gesturing to the walls of weapons.

“I can give you a basic knowledge of all of them, but we’ll determine where your strengths lie and give you expert skill in those. To be honest, your most important skills will be your magic and fighting without any weapons.”

I can’t help it; I daydream, for a second, about kicking Aden’s ass . . . his very
fine
ass.
Oh, for crying out loud, can’t you keep your mind off of his body?
Apparently, I also need to work on my self-control. The images of fighting with him morph into pictures of us rolling around on the mats, sans clothes.
When did I become so obsessed with sex?
I shake off my thoughts before I give in to my hunger and attack him.

Aden steps off of the wall and returns his hand to my lower back. Reluctantly, I let him lead me from the fascinating chamber. “I’ll show you your room and you can get unpacked.”

Once we exit, we turn down the right hallway and walk until we reach, what looks like, another common area. Although, this one sports game tables and other things to keep people entertained. There are three people, two men and a woman, sitting on the plush couches, deep in discussion. The room sits off to the left of us, and straight ahead is a wide staircase. Aden puts a little more pressure, hurrying me towards the stairs and I move a little faster, but continually sneak peeks at the group. Suddenly, one of the men look up and his stunning, blue eyes meet mine. A broad smile breaks out onto his face and he jumps up, swiftly moving in our direction. Aden halts and I hear a long suffering sigh behind me, his breath tickling the back of my neck, exposed under my ponytail. The man is tall and muscular, with wavy hair that naturally achieves that sexy, messy look. His eyes are a piercing blue with laugh lines creasing the side, and deep dimples appear with his infectious smile, softening the hard lines of his jaw. Holy cow, he is yummy. But honestly, he doesn’t really compare to Aden. He reaches us in no time and grabs me up in a giant hug, twirling me around.

“I’m Brannon. I’ve been waiting a lifetime for you, beautiful!” Despite my cautious nature, I find myself laughing at his antics. When Brannon leans back and plants a kiss right on my mouth, Aden abruptly snatches me out of his arms, tucking me back into his side with a low growl. He’s glaring fiercely at Brannon who has doubled over in raucous laughter.

“Shaylee, this is Brannon,” he bites out. “My
former
best friend.” Aden’s words cause Brannon to laugh even harder.

The other two have caught up to him now and are watching the scene with indulgent smiles. I get the feeling that they are used to Brannon’s boisterous personality. The woman stands slightly apart and rolls her eyes at him. The other man is smiling, his eyes on Aden, clearly enjoying his possessive attitude. Brannon finally catches his breath and his twinkling eyes land on Aden before he steps over and pulls him in for a back pounding, man-hug. Aden doesn’t let go of me as he returns Brannon’s embrace and hard pat between the shoulders.