Page 34 of Shifting Winds
Evie’s mouth curved. “We can say they escaped. Give the Council something else to focus on.”
“I like the way you think.”
We talked for a little while longer to ensure our stories were straight. She yawned and stretched, her eyes growing heavy. I walked over and tipped her chin up, brushing a light kiss over her lips. “Get some rest. I’ll send a car for you tomorrow.”
“Not necessary.”
No matter what I tried to do, she refused to let me take care of her. “The Council understands a show of strength. You and I are in this together. It’s a small concession. A car. Nothing more.”
She held my gaze for a moment before nodding. “I’ll be ready at one.”
“Good night, Evangeline.” One more kiss, and I left her on the couch watching me leave.
I wanted to stay, but I was beginning to understand her, far more than she probably wanted me to. If giving her space, even though it went against every ingrained instinct, brought her to me in the end, I was willing to play the game.
In the meantime, I had a visitor at the Keep.
One I didn’t want to keep waiting.
Seymour sat in the Fae King’s lap, soaking up his attention. His pot tipped sideways as he reached up to rub his traps against Cernunnos’s chest. Simone stood at the far back wall,her eyes wide as she stared at the king, then at me. The usually unflappable Omega could not have turned him away without offering a grievous insult, but the Keep had never hosted a fae visitor of his ilk before.
My Omega was out of her element and not pleased about it.
“Traitor,” I muttered to the flytrap.
Seymour ignored me.
“My daughter’s creation?” Cernunnos asked.
“Do you even need to ask?” I went straight to the bar and poured myself and the king a double of whiskey.
“No.” His voice was amused. “Though I’m surprised by how sentient this creature is.”
“Let me just say Evie was extremely pissed at me when she made him.”
A delighted laugh. “Oh? Does he have any special abilities?”
“His bite is poisonous, and he stays angry at just about everyone.”
Cernunnos brought the flytrap up to eye level. “You share similar traits with my daughter.”
I hid my smile and added a large ice cube to each glass before carrying both over. I took the high-backed reclining chair opposite the king, who sprawled on the generous loveseat Simone added against my wishes.
Now I wouldn’t part with the thing, much to Simone’s amusement. It gave the sometimes-austere study a homey air. And now with Evie’s botanical influence, I had Seymour and Hannah who were thick as thieves, and the loving turtle vine. She’d also given me a pothos vine with thorns, adding a cryptic warning not to forget to feed it, and that it would protect me if need be.
So far, the vine hadn’t done anything except grow.
The king sipped the whiskey, nodding his approval. “You have good taste, wolf.”
I barely restrained myself from baring my teeth. Demanding he call me Lord would begin a pissing contest I knew I wouldn’t win.
“To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?” I asked.
Simone had called me in a panic while I was waiting for Evie to arrive home, but I’d refused to return until I delivered the Council’s missive.
“Trouble comes to your doorstep,” Cernunnos said.
“Trouble never leaves my doorstep.”
