I shrugged helplessly. "I did the only thing I could. A vampire cornered me and told me he was not going to kill me, but wanted to talk. I was terrified, and he behaved so well before I knew it I was agreeing to hide him."
Apart from a tightening of the eyes he was calm. "There is more." It was a simple statement of fact. "He did not feed from you the first time you met. I would have known it."
My face pinched in preparation and my eyes welled with repressed worry. "You'll be mad."
His were impatient. "I need to know, to decide how to act." His finger tapped my chin up. "Tell me."
"He needs my help."
He held my eyes, disapproval stamped across his features. "This relationship you have with him, it cannot last. Our kinds do not mix."
"How did you know?"
He looked away and sighed. "It was obvious that he cared for you. Such a creature of darkness could not feel such a thing without it being returned." His face became blank and his eyes blazed. "I will kill him if he dares to touch you ever again." His eyes gentled. "Come, we can go now to the Grove. You wanted to go."
"Breandan"
He remained silent but his grip on my chin tightened.
My foolishness pricked like thorns. "Have you never done anything stupid for someone you-"
He chuckled. "What? Love?" With a snort, he released my chin to brush his fingers along my collarbone. His mood swings didn't surprise me anymore, so I smiled up at him tentatively. "You should know something. Devlin was right about you being part of the Tribe. In the eyes of fairy law, my claim on you does not have to be honored unless you swear fealty to my brother. Because our union is not lawful our bond is weak. What you feel for the vampire is the result of this. When our bond is sealed any feeling for him will be overwhelmed by your love for me." He grimaced. "Will you swear fealty to my brother? Was he kind to you?"
My mouth dropped as I remembered the proud face so familiar yet strange to me. If Breandan's raw energy and beauty were refined, and hardened the result would be Lochlann, Breandan's older brother and leader of the rebels had returned. And what did he come back to? His brother in company with a vampire and the silly fairy he'd bonded to practicing dangerous magic, after nearly destroying his rebellion. And I had wondered what his problem with me was.
Breandan shifted and looked apologetic. "He can be over protective at times."
The air in my throat caught. "He came back. I- I have to be honest, I didn't expect him to, did you?"
"Oh yes." He covered my hand, holding it to his face and a dark smile played on his lips. "He was not happy when he learned of our connection, but do not worry, he will accept us. I will make it so. We have the amulet of wisdom and that will please him, even if he does not show it."
I laid my hand over my pendant and grimaced. Breandan thought I was going to be handing it over. He thought wrong.
A rash excitement was lighting Breandan's eyes up. "Are you ready to begin your new life? I have so much to show you."
I sucked in a deep breath, my chest puffing out. "Don't you dare think because you're all gorgeous and perfect I'll start following you around and doing everything you say because I'm mated to you. I won't hide behind you like a love struck fool every time there's a fight. I want to learn magic, how other fairies fight and how to defend what's mine. And don't think I won't question you and Lochlann's logic because, I got news for you-"
His hand tugged my chin forward. "Stop talking."
I became still as he closed the distance between us. "Breandan," I said his name as his lips silenced mine.
He kissed me, slow and gentle. Then he was grabbing at my hips and biting my lip. When he pulled away my lids were cast to half-mast and my lips bruised.
"Oh," I said and whimpered as he smirked, tugged on my arm.
We ran again, and I could not stop smiling. Then when I stopped I was in the Grove and I positively beamed.
