Crossing Boundaries

Chapter 15

Luin

After dinner was done, we all lingered at the table, just relaxing. Glenna got the stew recipe from Arrowan while Safiya, Magnus, and Lachlan chatted. I sat back and took it all in. The feeling of family and togetherness I got from these gatherings had been all that kept me going sometimes over the past couple of years. Having Arrowan here fulfilled so many of my daydreams.

I used to always try to sit next to an empty chair, mentally reserving that seat for my bond mate, and having him finally filling that seat... well, it was kind of surreal.

Then I heard Magnus choke and snapped back to attention. Lachlan patted his back, but he was laughing softly. Safiya, on the other hand, was positively cackling. What had I missed?

"Magnus? Are you okay?" Glenna asked.

He nodded furiously and chugged some water.

"What's all this about?" I asked.

Safiya rolled her eyes. "I just asked when they were going to have kids."

I couldn't stop a little giggling laugh from escaping, and I snapped a hand over my mouth. Safiya's eyes met mine and she started a whole new round of hysterics.

"So? Have you two talked about it at all?" Glenna asked. I was surprised she did, since usually she was the last person to press people to talk about something that would clearly make them uncomfortable.

Lachlan wrapped an arm over Magnus' shoulder and kissed him on the cheek. "We've talked about it a bit, but there's no rush."

I glanced at Arrowan. Where would he land on the kids issue? I hadn't ever really thought about whether I would have kids one day. It had been a big enough struggle just meeting my bond mate, and no way was I going to have kids without him. Children deserve a stable home with two parents. Now that Arrowan was here... well, maybe someday it would be possible.

He caught me staring and lifted a brow, but I shook my head and turned back to the rest of the table, desperately hoping my cheeks would cool soon. Arrowan gently took hold of my hand under the table and wove our fingers together, ensuring my cheeks would stay pink for the remainder of our time here.

--

We left a couple of hours after eating. After a round of goodbyes, I hugged the empty stew pot to my chest – Safiya had insisted on keeping the leftovers – and led Arrowan the short distance to the house we were staying in. Almost as soon as we stepped off Safiya and Glenna's property, the shadows around us moved and hands roughly grabbed me, yanking me away from Arrowan.

The street around us shimmered and disappeared, then was replaced with a dark forest. We weren't in California anymore. I panicked until Arrowan appeared at my side seconds later, and I still struggled with the shock while I struggled reflexively. My body registered the threat and responded while my mind was still trying to process the situation. I caught sight of Arrowan swinging a punch at a dark, indistinct figure and I started to understand.

Shadow magic – Arrowan had told me it was something the Unseelie could do, but I never did ask about what it meant. The person who held me in a tight grip no matter how hard I fought to get away, he was ensconced in shadows and his form seemed to waver when I landed a kick on his leg, like my foot was sort of passing through him. How could I fight an enemy I could barely see, who'd ambushed me, and who could soften my blows against him?

The arms around me tightened and it started getting harder to draw in air. I hadn't taken Arrowan seriously enough when he told me about the danger the Unseelie posed to us. I had never been very afraid of attack, since I could teleport away from any attacker, but that only worked if I got a moment alone.