The Fae Ring (12 page)

In her.

Unmanly shivers crept over his unsated body and he started to shake. His wings twitched, so he flexed, then extended them. Xander wanted to take off. Fly away. High above the falls, feel the wind in his ears and flowing over his body as he sliced through the sky. He could soar on a thermal, close his eyes, and gather his thoughts.

Make a plan.

Which he needed to, especially since questioning Mikhias had gotten him nowhere.

Looking up at the full moon, he flapped his wings again. Moving air swirled around his face.

“Nay.” His voice startled him and he locked his jaw.

Janet.

Xander couldn’t leave her again, no matter the chaos in his mind. Besides, he didn’t know what his father and the Fae Warriors were up to. Mikhias hadn’t known.

Had they discovered where he and Janet were?

He doubted it.

They would’ve stormed the falls if they had, wouldn’t they? Xander and Alana might have discovered the cavern and the hot springs, but it wasn’t that difficult to find.

Should he and Janet move on?

There wasn’t another place to go, really.

Safety was an illusion no mattered
where
they chose to hide.

Mikhias and Ruark had angered his father and the king when Xander had escaped with his wife. He’d compelled Mikhias to tell him what Ruark knew, as well. They weren’t privy to any pertinent information. Not the guard schedule, not why his captain father had called the battalion away from the Stones.

Both warriors had lost ranking when they’d lost him.

“Bollocks.”

Xander had cleared Mikhias’s mind after he’d questioned him, ordering the warrior to forget their encounter, but he couldn’t do the same for the unconscious Ruark. He’d said a disorientation spell over Roark’s still form, but there was no guarantee it would work. Either spell could be reversed by a mage. If their minds were probed, Xander would be discovered anyway.

When he’d returned to the cavern, he’d intended on sharing an abbreviated version of what had happened with his wife. He hadn’t planned on what happened between them, but Xander wouldn’t have changed anything.

Well, except his loss of control.

Even if—when—they consummated their bond, he needed to keep a clear head. Despite how much he burned for Janet.

He’d promised he’d get her home.

And he would.

Using all the magic he could muster.

The Human Realm.

He’d live there. With Janet. At the MacLeod stronghold. At the expense of a piece of himself.

Again.

Tremors racked his frame.

Xander sucked in a breath and pumped his wings. He spread his arms and tilted his head, diving off the ledge.

His body plummeted, then he spread his wings and righted himself, flying close enough to the river to skim his fingers over the water. Unlike the pool, the water here was frigid, shocking his limb all the way to his elbow.

Perhaps he should plunge into it. The cold might cool his ardor, sweep his mind clean.

Cursing, Xander whipped upward, flying toward the moon. He passed the entrance to the cave, muttering his invisibility spell. He tried to avoid looking at the falls.

Flashes of Janet in his arms, naked against his skin danced into his mind. She was supple, soft, and fit his form as if she’d been made for him.

She
was
made for me.

After all, that was why they were fated, was it not?

Xander sighed, closing his eyes as he soared higher.

He wanted her.

Nay.

Needed
her.

He also needed all the advantage he could muster to get them home. Consummating their mating bond made sense. Neither of them could afford the sickness of denial, and he didn’t know how much time they had.

Janet wanted him, too. That was plain.

Even if he went back to the Stones and stunned—or killed—whatever guards were there, it would take him precious time to open the portal. What Alana could do in several minutes had always been harder for Xander, since his cousin had more magic.

Concentrating, gathering the magic around him and focusing on the Faery Stones would take time and most of his energy. He couldn’t risk Janet’s life unless he was sure they would get to the Realm of the Humans on the
first
attempt.

Opening the portal would
have
to be a certainty.

Then again, joining with his fated mate might increase his magic, even though she was a human with none.

Xander should march back into the cavern, slip into bed with her and make her his.

Balance
was the key.

Right?

Something he’d never struggled with in his long life.

Alana had many times accused him of being too logical, never thinking with his heart. His cousin was driven by hers. He’d always blamed it on her empathic magic as well as her gender, but perhaps
she
had the way of it.

His cousin was no stranger to taking a leap of faith.

Xander had never closed his eyes and jumped without looking. He strategized. Thought things out before acting. He was a soldier. It was in his blood.

He’d seen the tears in Janet’s sapphire eyes when he’d muttered his excuse. Felt her hurt and disappointment through their infant bond. Xander had wanted to whip around, rip his clothes back off and join her on the mattress he’d secured for her comfort.

Apologize and wipe that look off her face. Worship her body.

Instead, he’d sucked in a breath and put some distance between them. Because
he’d
needed it.

Selfish brute.

His reluctant mate wasn’t so
reluctant
anymore. At least she hadn’t been in the pool. Xander should be rejoicing that she was no longer rejecting him. Their encounter in the small hot spring was the first of that kind for her.

He botched how it’d ended. Xander should’ve reassured her. Told her how perfect it’d been. How much he wanted more—wanted her. He’d burned for her from that first kiss on the beach, and now that ache was worse.

Fate had been kind to him in that regard; no doubt he’d always desire Janet in his bed.

Xander flipped in the air. Flew upside down so the blood rushed to his head until his temples pounded. His cock was still aching. Still half-hard, but there was no relief in sight. He’d no desire to bury his hand in his trews and take care of matters. Release would have no real meaning until it was inside his wife.

A shudder racked his frame at the images in his head with that thought.

How long could he resist her?

He had no real desire to do so.

Taking her was
right;
driven by fate.

Xander was going to have to reach for balance in any way he could. For the first time in his adult life, his vows were to a woman that
wasn’t
his cousin.

He couldn’t fail Janet MacLeod.

“You. Will. Not.” Xander lowered his voice and spit the words.

His blood boiled. It wasn’t often he lost his temper, but his lass was firing him in more than one way.

As she had over the past three days, so many times he’d lost count.

He’d been waiting, on edge to see which one of them would snap first. Being cooped up had stressed her, he’d felt it in their bond as well as seen it. She’d taken to pacing in their hiding place.

Janet’s sapphire eyes flashed; he didn’t need the artificial light in the wide cavern to see her ire. “You’ve no righ’ ta tell me what to do.”

Through their mating bond, he felt her anger, but his own rebounded back. No doubt she could feel it. He still couldn’t read her mind, but her feelings were becoming more and more transparent the longer they were together.

Especially sleeping side by side on the mattress he’d magically stolen. The past three nights, he’d only joined her because he hadn’t been able to endure watching her sleep and not be with her. He’d crawled under the soft blankets, trying to blame it on the bond tugging at him, but it was more than that.

Her sleep-warmed body had turned toward him as if by instinct, but Xander had restrained himself from reaching for her. Holding her. He’d not even kissed her since the first night—the night she’d shattered in his arms in the heated pool.

Awkwardness had settled over them. Touching, even by accident, had slipped into
uncomfortable,
although they both craved it.

Since he’d pulled back, being trapped with Janet at Grànnda Falls had only served to make him yearn for her. Flying at night had done nothing to clear his head. Even jumping into the frigid river had failed to cool his ardor. Afterward, he’d been more agitated than before.

Xander felt her hurt every time she met his eyes. Janet thought he was rejecting her when he was just trying to keep them both safe. He’d masked his own thoughts and feelings as best he could, and hadn’t explained how wrong she was.

He didn’t merely
want
her. Xander burned for her. He was torn between desire and the drive to get her home safely. Yet, in the back of his mind, he worried if they didn’t consummate their union, magic from the ring would start to affect them.

Xander would get weak, sick.

Since Janet’s Fae blood was minute, it could go either way for her. She could become the more ill of the two, or perhaps the magic wouldn’t have something to latch on and drain, so she wouldn’t get sick at all.

He teetered back and forth between what he wanted and what he’d vowed.

For her
.

To protect her.

Xander
couldn’t
lose control.

“I’ve every right. As your mate. Your husband.”

Her jaw flexed and she narrowed her eyes. “We’ve not wed.”

“Perhaps in the Human Realm, but we’re bonded, as you well know. You’re my mate—my wife. You’re mine.”

Her breasts heaved and he tried not to stare. Color spread across her high cheekbones and her glare alone could have flayed him open, had it the power. The mating bond pulsed red. So did her ring, as it too sensed her emotions.

“You will
not
tell me what to do.” Janet threw her dark hair over one shoulder and made a move to slide past him, on her way out of the cave as she’d threatened.

Xander had made the mistake of taking her out to the ledge the night before, so Janet knew she didn’t have to get doused by the falls to leave the cavern. However, she’d get hurt if she tried to scale the face of the cliffside.

He moved fast. Xander hopped into the air, pumping his wings once, then twice more. His muscles and magic alike burned—maybe now from
overuse
since he’d been back in the Realm of the Fae. He snaked an arm around Janet’s waist and lifted her from the rocky cave floor.

She yelped, then struggled against his hold.

He ignored her, holding firmly but trying not to crush her. After gliding to the back of the massive cavern, he landed a foot or so from the wall.

Xander pressed his mate into the smoothest part of the natural surface and blocked her in. He put his palms to the stone on either side of Janet.

Their bodies were close, but no longer touching, and he had to stop himself from leaning into her lush breasts. Flashes of her bare in his arms shot through his mind. Her scent tickled his nose and made his cock twitch. He tried to tamp down his ardor.

The globes he’s summoned to brighten their shelter made her beautiful face radiant. Janet didn’t shirk away when their gazes collided. Anger skittered across her expression, sparked in those deep blue eyes. Reverberated in their bond, too.

His admiration of her rose even higher. Xander’s MacLeod lass was strong. That he’d already known. However, he was tall and broad, intentionally intimidating her.

She wasn’t afraid of him, even trapped against a cave wall with no space between their bodies.

By the gods, she’s gorgeous.

“Just because we’re—”

“As difficult as it may be, I need you to mind me.”

Janet scowled. “
Mind
you?”

“If we do not stick together, we’re not going to get back the Human Realm. Capture by Fae Warriors means death. I’m a banished traitor. You’re human. We’ve gone over this many times now, Janie.”

Fear he hadn’t seen in three days flickered in her eyes and she nodded. Her full mouth parted and it took all he was made of not to kiss her. Claim her like he’d wanted to in the pool, like he’d been resisting since that night.

His promise to Alana that he wouldn’t fight the mating bond burst into his mind, but he ignored it.

That’s not what this is about.

Right?

Xander cleared his throat. “I’m sorry I grabbed you. But you cannot leave this cave. King Fillan knows we’re here. Worse, he knows
I
am here. I can’t risk taking you back to the Faery Stones just yet.”

“When, then?”

“I don’t know.” He’d told her of his talk with Mikhias and what was involved with opening the Stones. She’d said she wanted to help. Janet didn’t like feeling helpless. Magic, as well as knowledge from getting to know her over the past few days told him that.

“I still trust you…” Her whisper was pained, despite her words.

“Good.”

Silence fell, but Xander didn’t move away from her. He couldn’t.

They stared at each other.

Janet swallowed and he wanted to kiss her throat. “Wha’ happened?”

“What do you mean?”

“You…and…me?” Hurt skipped across her face, as well as pulsed in the bond. “The other nigh’…”

“This was forced upon us.” Xander gentled his voice.

“I…thought tha’ stopped matterin’. At least, it did for me.” Janet closed her eyes.

The vulnerability he saw when their gazes met again made his heart jump. He felt her nerves through the mating bond.

She was reaching out to him.

For
him.

The rest would be up to Xander.

He wished he could read her mind at that moment more than any before. Xander had always thought she was beautiful. Had always watched her—even before the ring had revealed they were mates. He’d been intrigued with Janet MacLeod since he’d learned he couldn’t read her mind. Never would he have figured it was because she was supposed to be his.