Dare to Believe

“I love you too. How the hell did it happen so fast?”

“Does it matter how fast it happened? To me all that matters is that you do.” Leo took her left hand in his and held it out in front of them. Gold sparkles coalesced around their ring fingers until two plain wedding bands appeared. “What design should we make?”

Ruby looked up into his glowing, otherworldly eyes and bit her lip, trying not to laugh. “Horseshoes?”

“Oh, hell.” Leo’s head thumped the back of the chair as the sparkles dissipated.

“With a blue diamond?”

He closed his eyes on a groan. “Ruby.”

“Well, I think ruby balloons would be a bit much, but if that’s what you want…”

He cut her off with a kiss that curled her toes. “I was thinking Celtic knot-work myself.”

“What, not even a green clover?”

Leo nipped her throat. “Look at our hands,” he growled.

Looking down, Ruby gasped. Intricate knot-work rings of white gold sprinkled with white diamonds graced both of their fingers.

“The Celtic knot symbolizes eternity, as does the ring itself.”

“So do the diamonds.” She blinked tears from her eyes as she stared at the beautiful rings his imagination had wrought. “Diamonds are forever.”

“You like them?”

Ruby looked up into Leo’s shining eyes and felt her heart turn over. “Oh, yes. I like them. But, there’s one other ring I’d like made.”

“Which one would that be? Your engagement ring?”

Ruby shook her head. “Read my fantasy, your lordship.”

And Leo’s face filled with tenderness as a second ring landed on his hand. This one was yellow gold, with an oval shaped black stone. The initials RH were carved into the surface of the stone.

Ruby was hardly surprised when she felt the weight of his collar around her neck. Their lips touched, brushed against each other lovingly.

“Mine.”

And ever after, neither was quite certain which one of them said it first.

Leo and Ruby dragged themselves to dinner, both drained and ravenous, a sketch of the wedding bands, ring, and collar in Leo’s hand. He wanted to talk to his father about finding an earth sprite to do the work for them.

Dinner that evening was both a pleasure and a pain, his family adjusting to his mating and welcoming Ruby with open arms. Always present, however, was the spirit of the missing Shane, and more than once Leo had to pull back his own happiness and deal with the pain and loss they were all still experiencing.

Moira tried her best to lighten the mood with her wisecracks, but wasn’t able to get more than a half-hearted smile from his mother, and none at all from his father.

“Well, now, don’t you all look gloomy,” a light tenor voice spoke from the doorway. Turning, Ruby saw a strange man standing in the early twilight, his long red hair bound back with a leather tie, his deep blue eyes gleaming with merriment. He was dressed in black velvet pants and a white poet’s shirt, with black leather boots on his feet. He leaned nonchalantly against the doorjamb watching the Dunne family finish their dinner.

Ruby waved hello to the newcomer. “Hi. Are you a friend of the family?”

She felt Leo tense next to her and wondered what she’d done wrong. The man had come in and was obviously at home here. Wasn’t he a friend?

The man smiled at her sweetly. “Aye, I am. And you’d be the lovely Ruby, I presume?”

Ruby nodded and watched the red-haired man saunter around the table. In his odd getup, with his long red hair, she’d thought him effeminate. Until he moved. He didn’t walk, he prowled, his movements sleek and powerful. He reminded her of a jungle cat.

He reached for her hand, placing a delicate kiss on her knuckles. She noticed that his nails had been painted black. “Charmed, my dear, and congratulations on your mating.” Laughing blue eyes moved to Leo as the man held her hand. “Brightest blessings on your mating, Leo! And congratulations on defeating the Malmaynes!”

“We haven’t defeated the Malmaynes. They still have Shane.” Leo’s eyes never left the red-haired man’s, and Ruby could have sworn she saw fear in them.

“I’m sorry, we haven’t been introduced. You are…?”

“My apologies, my dear. You may call me Robin.”

“Robin?”

“Yes. Robin. Robin Goodfellow, actually.” His expression was pure mischief, his bluer than blue eyes twinkling at her as he waited for her response.

Ruby blinked.

“Dear gods, don’t say it, Ruby.”

She ignored Leo’s whispered command as her lip began to twitch. “Um. I see Shakespeare was wrong. What’s knurly-limbed mean, anyway?”

Robin’s eyes widened for a moment, the twinkle in them deepening. “Want to find out?”

“If it has the same results as liposuction? Maybe.”

Robin’s lips twitched. “Hardly.”

“Oh. Well, then.” Ruby sighed, the twinkle in her eyes matching Robin’s. “So, have you been friends with Leo for long?”

One red brow rose as she waved him to a chair. Without thinking, Ruby got up and poured him and Leo a cup of coffee. “Not for long, no.” Ruby noticed his voice was thoughtful as she handed him the cup.

He nodded his thanks in a curiously formal gesture.

“Oh, well, we’re planning on formalizing our binding with a ceremony once the problem with the Malmaynes is resolved. You’ll come, right?”

She ignored Leo’s choking and the Dunne’s silence as she waited for Robin’s answer.

His eyes dancing with unholy amusement, Robin replied, “I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

 “I like your bondmate.” Leo headed out onto the front porch, the Hob following closely behind. “Few there are that aren’t terrified of me.”

Leo turned his head long enough to see Robin’s face. Though his expression was relaxed, Robin’s eyes were serious. “You’re welcome to come.”

Robin’s gaze sharpened, softening when he realized Leo meant it. “My thanks, Dunne.” Wicked merriment filled the Hob’s face. “I’m sure I’ll be able to come up with a suitable wedding present.”

Leo groaned.

“But that isn’t why I came.” Robin perched on the railing, balancing on the balls of his feet as he crouched, his head cocked to the side as he stared at Leo. “First, the Malmaynes are not taking your truebond lightly. I fear they may make a move against your Ruby.”

Leo’s eyes glowed green, his glamour forgotten. “I see. I’ll take care of that. And the other?”

Robin looked delighted. “Rumor has it that the Malmayne’s caged bird has flown, but where he’s flown to is a mystery.”

“Shane’s free?” Leo couldn’t quite believe it, but if the Hob said it was so then he’d have to.

“Aye, which is why I believe they will make a move on your woman. They will need new leverage to get you to agree to their terms.” Robin looked down at his black nails. “So, what did you think of Kaitlynn and Cullen?”

Leo sighed. “Cullen is indulging Kaitlynn in this, I think. He would be willing, if not happy, to have Shane or Moira fulfill the contract, but Kaitlynn seems fixed on me.”

“It’s that pretty face of yours. She covets it.”

“She can’t have it.” Leo stared out at the night sky. “Why did you agree to help us?”

Robin chuckled, the first genuine expression Leo had seen on that pretty face. “I owed your mother a favor for something she’s not even certain she did.” Robin looked up at Leo, his eyes glowing green. “The Hob always pays his debts. Always.”

And with that, quick as he’d come, the Hob was gone, his voice floating back on the evening breeze.

“Remember: there is another Malmayne.”

 Jaden blinked, feeling totally put upon. Where the fuck are you, Duncan? “You want me to what?”