"If no pain, then no love. If no darkness, no light. If no risk, then no reward. It's all or nothing. In this damn world, it's all or nothing."
Glennon Doyle Melton
Sunset had fallen while he was visiting with the queen and his eldest brother. He smiled as he strode through the trees, knowing what he would find when he got back to the house. Isabelle would be busy in the kitchen, putting together another concoction. She was determined to improve her cooking skills in spite of several set backs. Each failure had been met with a frustrated groan and a declaration of "our daughter is not growing up on take out." Alasdair would take whatever disaster she was lamenting over and dispose of it while trying not to chuckle. He knew perfection was not created overnight. Some of her attempts were great successes and he was enjoying exploring modern human cuisine.
In the month and a half since his return to the human realm the house had gradually started to fill up with baby books, baby clothes, and furniture for the nursery. They'd cleared out the bedroom across the hall from the master and painted the walls in greens and yellows. She had told him she was nesting and he thought it was adorable how she had thrown herself into making sure the baby's room had everything she could possibly think of for their little princess.
If nothing else, her preparations kept her busy while he visited his family in the faerie realm and worked with Bernie on creating an identity for himself so he marry her in this realm. While he was content to have taken her as his mate in the private faerie way he knew it was important to her that they be married in the human ritual as well. Nothing big, she had told him. He wasn't sure what that meant so he just smiled when she suggested just a few friends as witnesses and a small party to celebrate.
He would need an identity to fulfill her desire for a honeymoon. It would have been easier to spend a few weeks in his realm but she wanted to show him her favourite places in somewhere called Hawaii and he was intrigued. He had every intention of taking her to his realm for at least a few weeks before the baby came and they started their new roles as parents.
His steps picked up speed as he exited the trees. He was curious to see what she had come up with today and, more importantly, he didn't like to be away from her longer than necessary. After seeing how she had suffered with morning sickness he was carrying more guilt than he was expecting. She'd tried to placate him by insisting that the discomfort was worth it but it was upsetting to see his mate in such distress.
Lights in the driveway drew his attention. She hadn't mentioned anyone coming by for dinner. His hand immediately went to the amulet and he murmured the incantation quickly. His wings slid through the clever slits she had cut into his shirt and he leapt into the air. He arrived at the house within minutes landing softly on the deck. The incantation to hide his wings fell from his lips as he made his way around the house.
Isabelle was hurrying down the stairs to greet the guests as he rounded the corner. He could just barely make out her cries of surprise when he caught a familiar scent. Well honed warrior instincts raged to the surface of his brain. He sprinted the rest of the way, snatching a stake out of the flower garden as he passed it, and grabbed the amulet with a quick cry of the incantation.
"Lass! Get inside!" She turned from hugging the woman who'd gotten out of the car to watch in amazement as her mate's wings exploded into sight and he grabbed the man standing near the trunk of the car.
"What the hell are you doing?" The man he had pinned cried out. Both women stood stunned for a moment and then pandemonium broke out.
The women shouted at Alasdair, Isabelle grabbed at his left arm trying to pull his hand away from the man's throat. The other woman pulled at his right arm trying to keep him from stabbing the man with the stake. The man had his hands out trying to find Alasdair's throat. Alasdair was trying to shake everyone off without injuring the women and drive the stake into the man's chest. He turned his attention to Isabelle.
"Get inside. I'll take care of this demon. You must protect the babe."
"Demon?" The woman on his right cried. "He's not a demon."
"She's right," the man grunted.
"Wait." The woman looked past Alasdair at Isabelle. "Did he say baby? Belle, are you pregnant?"
"She is," Alasdair answered.
"Honey." Isabelle yanked at his arm again. "Can you please stop trying to kill our guest so I can say hi to my cousin?"
"This thing is your cousin?" He moved to stab the man again.
"No. I am," the woman on his right said loudly. "And this is my friend. He's not a demon I promise."
"But he is a vampire." Alasdair looked at her.
"A vampire?" Isabelle looked at the man. "How can you tell?"
"I can smell death on him," Alasdair growled.
"Hey. You wouldn't smell too great either after what we've been through," the woman said loudly.
"What's going on?" Isabelle asked.
"If your boyfriend would stop trying to kill my friend for a minute I can explain," the woman answered.
"I'm her mate," Alasdair grunted and pulled at his arms again. Neither woman let go.
"What?" The woman finally got a good look at Alasdair and noticed the wings flared out from his back. "Belle. I think you have some explaining to do too."
"Alasdair will you please let him go so we can go inside and talk?" Isabelle entreated. He eyed the man for a moment and then with one final shove he let him go.
"Don't—" Alasdair started.
"You two come in." Isabelle looked up at Alasdair's frustrated glare. "What? Dinner's almost ready. I can't stay outside while my lasagna burns."
"Do you not know anything about these creatures?" Alasdair threw his hands up. "You just invited him in to our home."
She stared at him for a moment then smiled at the man Alasdair had been trying to stake. "Do you promise not to kill us?" she asked. The man swallowed a laugh and nodded. "There you go," she said to Alasdair. He glared at the man and tightened his grip on the stake. The woman took the man's hand and pulled him toward the house, making sure to give the faerie a wide berth.
YOU ARE READING
Within (Walk Through Shadows Book One)
Fantasy"Is this safe?" She whispered. He pulled her against him tightly. "I'll never let you go." He dipped his head to capture her lips, a few more beats of his powerful wings and they rose above the treetops. They turned slowly in the moonlight. Alasda...
