“She’s upset about the house all over again. Meriel and Dominic have moved into an enclave. Simon doesn’t want to, but he wants Lark safe so they’re in one for the time being. Your name may have come up in a ‘Faine did it for Helena and so you should do it for Lark’ way. Not by me. I think it might have been my dad.”
He cringed and then laughed. “That’s what it’s like having a father-in-law, I guess. He wants you both safe and he has every right to expect me and Simon to make that happen. Though I do plan to ask him if he has a lawn mower and some Bermuda shorts the next time I see him.”
She snickered. “You two.” But then she put her head on his shoulder. “I’m so tired. I’m afraid of fucking up, but I’m so tired of being afraid to mess up that I’m sort of feeling punk rock about it. Like, bring it, I’m a cranky-ass bitch now so watch yourself.”
“I have no idea what you mean by that, but it sounds defiant and good and you said it with such viciousness I’m okay with it. There’s so much happening right now.”
“St. Louis is on fire. A little girl was turned away at a hospital. Who does that? She may die and all the person could think of was that she was a shifter? What is wrong with the world? Who raised such a creature? I can try to report a possible bombing, but I can’t stop that. It’s totally out of my control.”
“I know how much you hate being out of control,
“I do.” She frowned and he nudged her to keep eating. “Grump and eat. Now that I know you get depleted after magick and need protein, I’m going to make sure you take care of yourself. That’s how I deal with my fear that something will happen to you.”
She looked up as she forked eggs into her mouth.
“What? Did you think I was beyond worries? I worry about you every waking moment. It’s part and parcel of loving a warrior isn’t it?”
“You’re very reasonable for someone who looks as good as you do.”
“I do try.” He paused a moment. “It’s okay to be afraid. I know you were raised to feel differently. But the world now is full of things to be afraid of. You’d be a fool not to fear for the future. You’d be irresponsible not to understand the gravity of what you do and how much people rely on you and not to be worried about letting them down. Fear doesn’t make you weak, Helena. It makes you strong. Because you do it anyway. You know the stakes and you get up every damned morning and you do your best.”
On the screen, the cameras shifted to Birmingham. On fire.
IT was still dark when Faine woke up. About two hours before the sun would rise. He lay still because he didn’t want to wake her. And because when it was quiet and she was sleeping in his arms, the world was perfect.
Things were going to happen that day. He could feel it. The buildup and anticipation in his bones. He waited until her breathing slid into the slow and deep of heavy sleep and got up.
He’d work out. Get some of the stress out of his muscles. He headed to the garage where the treadmill was. Now that she lived there with him, he’d need to clear out that part of the garage so she could park there. Since they’d both need exercise equipment, he could easily convert one of the bedrooms into a workout space.
By the first mile his muscles began to loosen up and he felt better, more alert. That day would see the House debating the Domestic Safety Act on the floor. He’d keep her busy so she wouldn’t obsess.
He smiled when he remembered her preferred end to their training session the day before. If he could keep her in bed all day it would be wonderful. But he knew his female, she’d want to be out and about and it was her job, after all. He was just grateful they weren’t in DC or she’d want to be at the House to watch the floor debate in person. And given how many times people seemed to want to kill her in DC, he was just fine with being across the country right then.
He’d had enough. Enough of this stupid crap with the PURITY people. More than enough of them trying to harm his woman. He had something more precious than anything he’d ever dreamed.
Being bound to her was . . . astonishing. Her strength lived in him now. He’d appreciated that before. Had watched her in action and admired her for it. But this was a different sort of experience. It wasn’t like he heard her thoughts or anything like that. But it was as if he were tuned into her. Intimately so.
If he concentrated, he knew she was still sleeping. Calm and relaxed. His beast approved and he was sure that should anyone try to disturb that, he would have bared his teeth and stopped it.
He also understood how hard she was working to let him in to share her life. To make it
One of these days he hoped she’d simply accept all the things he did and said as her due.
He turned on NPR as he rounded into the third mile and listened to news of the country falling apart.
HELENA woke feeling physically better than she had in a while. She’d only gotten five hours of sleep, but her body felt like it had been nine.
Tila, her . . . mother-in-law? Yeah, she guessed that was it, had told Helena that with the binding she’d have some of Faine’s strengths. If she only needed three or four hours’ sleep like Faine she could get so much more done.
Or at the very least, they could spend an hour or two every day in bed doing other things.
She deliberately didn’t think about work as she got out of bed. She needed to do some kickboxing and do a few miles on the treadmill. After she sweated a lot and showered, then she’d switch to work mode.
Faine was in the house. She knew it, felt his presence. That piece of him that lay in her belly shifted a little, as if it knew she was thinking of him.
He came around the corner as she headed to the garage to work out. “Good morning,
“Mmm, morning.” She tipped her face up and he kissed her lips, his taste settling into her senses.
“What are you up to?”
“I’m going to run a bit. Work out with the bag.”
“Want a partner with the bag? I already did five miles but I’m always happy to stand around and watch you glisten with sweat as you beat the bag into submission.”
“I’m pretty sure you’d be able to make any subject whatsoever sound dirty.”
“I have many talents.”
She laughed and he kissed her again. His joy at doing so flooded the connection between them. She threw her arms around his neck and hung on, making that quick kiss a longer one.
“You taste good.” She grinned and he swatted her butt.
“Keep that up and you won’t get outside for some time.”
“It occurs to me that we haven’t even had shower sex yet.” She went out into the garage and began her stretches.
He poked his head out. “I’m going to start the coffee and then I’ll be out in a bit. But don’t think I’m going to forget about the shower sex comment.”
She moved to the treadmill. “Counting on it.”
The scent of coffee rose and woke her up nearly as well as the miles she ran, and when he came out some time later without his shirt and wearing his snug running shorts, she was plenty awake.
“Suddenly I really don’t care about the bag.” She stepped to him and took a lick over his right nipple. “But I’m really, really dirty. Think you can help with that?”
Laughing, he bent, caught her at the waist and heaved her up and over his shoulder and jogged to the master bath where he gave her a workout and got her all clean. Physically anyway.
FORTY-FIVE minutes later they came out to the kitchen. “You totally deserve to have me make breakfast after that performance. If I had scorecards you’d have all tens.”
“You’re in a mood this morning. I like it.” He poured them both a cup of coffee.
“Calm before the storm, I think.”
“Are we defining sleep as the calm?”
“Five hours without injury or conspiracy is a win. I’ll take what I can get.” She began to pull the makings for
