Shadows of Fire (The Shadow Realms, Book 1) by Brenda Davies (free e books to read .TXT) 📕

Sending a guard to watch over would put anend to that. Word would rapidly spread amongst the immortals thathe’d taken a special interest in someone.

“I mean it, Lexi,” he said as he squeezed herass. “If you need me for anything, or if Malakai steps foot on thisproperty again, then send that crow.”

“I will,” she promised.

He wanted to do so much more for her, but itwas the best he could do for now.

CHAPTER 54

Lexi blinked back the tears burning her eyes as shewatched Cole and Brokk leave later that morning. In the tree aboveher head, the crow Cole left behind cawed loudly and ruffled itsfeathers but didn’t take flight.

Cole assured her that even if this crowbecame surrounded by a murder of others, it would return to her thesecond she raised her arm. She was tempted to test this but decidedagainst commanding the beautiful creature when it wasn’tnecessary.

When the brothers vanished from view, sheturned away and trudged back to the manor. As she walked, she feltlike the weight of the world was bearing down on her shoulders.

He’d said he would return, and she wanted tobelieve him, but as she walked, she prepared herself never to seehim again.

He’s a dark fae; she reminded herselffor the umpteenth time.

But she had to keep doing it because sheneeded it to sink in, or she might end up with a shatteredheart.

If he never returned, it might take her yearsto recover from the blow, but she would recover if she wereexpecting it. But if she had her hopes up and he never returned, itwould make things so much worse.

He’s also lycan. That niggling thoughtrefused to die no matter how many times she tried to kill it. Suchan idea was dangerous as it would only lead to her getting herhopes up.

The lycan could be the most loyal immortalswhen it came to their family and their mates, but she wasn’tfamily, and he’d never mentioned mates to her.

Dark fae or not, his father loved his motherdeeply.

But there was no mention of love betweenus!

She realized she was spiraling into a darkwell of despair and hope that needed to end. She didn’t know why hewas so adamant about returning to her, but she wouldn’t allowherself to believe it was for anything more than what they’d sharedthese past few days.

He liked her; she didn’t doubt that. And sheliked him, probably too much, but that didn’t mean it was anythingmore.

He could quite possibly become completelydistracted in the Gloaming and forget she existed.

She refused to get her hopes up too muchabout his return, but she wasn’t going to turn into a moping,melancholy mess because he’d returned home… as she’d always knownhe would.

Even if he never returned, she had a life tolive and things to do. One of those things might still be in hertunnels and most likely seething because she hadn’t returnedin days.

Lexi slipped back into the manor and headedfor the kitchen. She’d fed well on Cole this morning, but shehadn’t satisfied her human appetite yet.

Sahira was standing at the stove, stirring apot as she worked to replenish the rest of her healing salves nowthat Brokk was gone. Sitting beside her, Shade was working to cleanhis paw, which he lowered to study Lexi when she entered theroom.

“Have they left?” Sahira asked.

Lexi opened and closed a couple of cabinets,but most were empty. Thankfully, their garden would start yieldingsome produce soon, and the goats would provide milk and cheesewhile the chickens produced eggs.

They wouldn’t have as much now that themarket was gone, but they were better off than most, and they wouldget through this. If push came to shove, they could travel toanother marketplace, but the closest one was now an hour away.

She didn’t want to think about making thatjourney as she closed the cabinets and went to the fridge. Sheopened the refrigerator and removed a piece of cheese.

“Yes,” she said as she took a knife from thedrawer and sliced off a couple of pieces from the block.

“What happened to your neck?”

Lexi sighed. She’d dreaded this conversationand had hoped that Sahira wouldn’t notice or question her on it,but now that she had…

“Cole,” Lexi admitted, and Sahira’s eyesdarkened as her hand tightened on the knife. “It wasn’t onpurpose!”

Lexi told her what happened, and though shedidn’t think Cole would like her revealing his nightmares to heraunt, she couldn’t hide them from Sahira. If her aunt didn’t knowthe whole truth, she would hate Cole, and Lexi couldn’t havethat.

When she finished, Sahira’s hand relaxed alittle on the blade, but she still looked murderous.

“He’s dangerous,” Sahira said.

“Not to me.”

“Your neck says differently.”

“He’s not dangerous to me. This was anaccident. It won’t happen again.”

“If it does, I’ll castrate him.”

Lexi gulped. “He doesn’t sleep when I’mthere. He stays up the entire time instead because he wants me tostay with him.”

Sahira’s brow furrowed, and her mouth pursed.“That’s… odd.”

Lexi didn’t respond.

“I still don’t like it,” Sahira said.

“I know.”

Her aunt sighed and set down her knife.“Here.” Sahira reached into her apron pocket and set a bottle ofblue liquid on the counter near her.

“What’s that?” Lexi asked around a mouthfulof cheese.

“Birth control. Use it.”

Lexi almost choked on her cheese but managedto swallow it. “Sahira—”

“Take a sip every night, and it will keep youfrom getting pregnant now and in the future.”

Lexi cursed the blush creeping up her cheeksas she studied the liquid and her hand fell involuntarily to herbelly. She knew it wasn’t possible, but the idea of Cole’s babycaused a small thrill of excitement to course through her.

“Cole is on birth control,” she said.

“Hmm,” Sahira grunted. “It won’t hurt to haveyou both on it. Besides, he might have used it wrong or messedsomething up or forgotten to take it, so there is always thatpossibility. And….”

“And what?” Lexi prodded when Sahira’s voicetrailed off.

Sahira lifted her head, and their eyes met.Then she tossed some herbs into the pot. “And you’ll be preparedfor the next man.”

Lexi felt like Sahira had slapped her, butshe managed to keep herself from recoiling. She kept tellingherself she was prepared for Cole not to return, but hearing Sahirasay it slammed the reality of it