
# Immortal Blood

An immortal Heart Novel

By

Magen McMinimy

Copyright 2012 by Magen McMinimy

Smashwords Edition

# Copyright

© 2012 by Magen McMinimy

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the author except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

# Dedication

For my sister, Sarah.

Sometimes we have to fight for what we want. Rarely, when things come easy, are they truly worth much. Keep your head up and relish in the life you've fought for. It's a blessed one.

# Acknowledgements

A special thank you to Cynthia Shepp for her outstanding re-editing of this book in February of 2014. I can now be proud of Bain and Izzy story.

Also a special thanks to Martina Dalton at www.TheAuthorsRedRoom.com

For a beautiful Cover!

# Table of Contents

Immortal Blood

Copyright

Dedication

Acknowledgements

Table of Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Five

Chapter Twenty-Six

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Chapter Thirty

Chapter Thirty-One

Chapter Thirty-Two

Chapter Thirty-Three

Chapter Thirty-Four

Chapter Thirty-Five

Chapter Thirty-Six

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Chapter Forty

Epilogue

Also By the Author

About the Author

About the Author

# Chapter One

––––––––

The need for a little sweet luck was itching under the surface of Zander's taut skin. He'd been at this for weeks now and yet his need was still as strong as ever; a deep itch under his skin that called for just a little more.

His date tonight would satisfy his body's call for the sweet luck humans so easily took advantage of. Isabelle was one young, successful human; he could smell the satisfaction she would bring. She had caught his eye the second he stepped into the club. The younger version of herself, probably her sister, told her something that had her laughing out loud. She was a stunning example of what good fortune provided. She was beautiful and elegant, with a quick wit, a fearless nature, and a charm to her smile that could draw any man to her will.

He'd had to work to get her to agree to let him take her to dinner. He could have called her luck to him last night at the club, but he wanted this date. This sweet little human was worth the triple-digit dinner bill.

She was smart too, refusing to let him pick her up. She carried the caution every woman should when living alone and going out with a man for the first time.

Zander pulled his rented Lexus up to the valet desk and tossed the keys at the pimple-faced teenager; the kid looked like he wanted to piss his pants. Zander found the human race's obsession with the material items in their world distasteful. What was inside humans was what excited him.

He caught sight of the curvy female silhouette that was his mark. She sat on the high bar stool with her luscious, though not all that long, legs hugged by formfitting, dark indigo denim. She had one draped suggestively over the other. A pair of sexy, black leather boots reached to mid-calf, and a black, long-sleeved, V-neck sweater hugged the rich curve of her breasts.

Zander felt his cock twitch as he took a long, lust-filled perusal over the body of his mark. Lust for a mark's body didn't usually accompany his lust for the feed, but this beautiful human was sparking both inside of him.

He was looking forward to this feed.

"You look luscious," he purred as he took her hand in his and lifted it to his lips, pressing a small kiss to her knuckles.

Isabelle—his mark—smiled at him, arching one of her perfect, dark brows.

"And here I thought I might have been underdressed."

"No, my beautiful, you look good enough to eat," he murmured, a pun only he caught, but it made him smile all the same.

"Let's start with dinner," she said coyly. The little human was teasing and flirting with him.

It really was going to be a good night.

"So Zander, what do you do for a living?" Isabelle asked as she raised her crystal wineglass to her glossed lips.

Zander smiled, taking a swig from his own glass. "I play the stock market. I like to test my luck."

Isabelle smiled. "Sounds more like a poker player."

"I do enjoy a good card game from time to time."

Isabelle nodded. She was intrigued. Of course, had this man not intrigued her last night at the club, she wouldn't have found herself here tonight. Marie—her baby sister—had pushed Isabelle to take this date, to get herself out there. Marie had pointed out time and time again that Iz—as she called her—needed to step back from her busy schedule and find time to enjoy the last year of her twenties.

Zander was an impressive-looking man. He was tall and slender, with sharp features and thick, sandy-colored hair. His deep emerald eyes seemed to sparkle as they narrowed in on her lips.

The waiter drew his attention, giving Isabelle a break from the intensity of his stare.

They had a comfortable conversation as they ate their meal, talking about her work and family. Zander was more interested in listening to her talk than sharing very much about himself. Isabelle didn't mind; it was nice to have a handsome man interested in what she had to say.

"Where did you park, Isabelle?" Zander asked as they exited the restaurant.

Isabelle smiled and gestured towards her silver Audi. It, along with her modest suburban home, was her pride. They were the perks of her hard work.

"Nice," Zander smiled and followed her to her baby. "How does a nightcap sound?" he asked.

Isabelle smiled, a sultry twist to her pouty lips. A nightcap sounded good to her.

"What'd you have in mind?" Her voice had a sultry edge as she asked.

Zander ran a finger along her jawline. "Follow me."

Izzy slid into the smooth leather of her seat. She pulled her lip gloss from her purse and lathered a thick layer on her lips, while she waited for Zander to pull around so she could follow him. It was a little brazen for her, seeing as how she had no idea where he was leading her, but she wasn't ready for the night to be over. It was Friday and, for the first time in a long time, she didn't have to work on Saturday.

# Chapter Two

––––––––

"He was here." Uriah could taste Zander's magic in the air.

He and Bain scanned the parking lot of the posh, expensive restaurant.

"Well, he's gone now." Bain grunted. "I don't see any victims this time."

"Maybe he figured out he was taking too much? He had to know we would be after him after the last one didn't survive."

Somehow, Bain didn't think much would stop Zander. He didn't care about his victims and when his feedings came back around, he lost control a little more.

Bain spotted a skinny kid—kid by his standards—wearing black pants, a white, button-up shirt, and a red vest, making his way through the sea of expensive vehicles.

"Hey," Bain called out to the kid.

The guy stopped, his eyes becoming a little wide as he looked at Bain. He was intimidating when you measured somewhere around five-foot-seven and weighed about a buck thirty to Bain's six-foot-four and nearly twice the kid's weight.

"Uh yeah, you aren't supposed to be over here."

Bain smirked. "Yes, I'm sure I'm not. Tell me, have you seen this guy?" Bain pulled a small surveillance picture from his pocket; it showed Zander smiling with his hand resting on the small of his last victim's back.

The kid eyed Bain suspiciously before checking out the picture.

"Oh, sure, he left about an hour ago. He had a wicked Lexus, but that's not the same chick I saw him leaving with."

Bain nodded. "Did you see which way he went?"

"Uhh," the kid pondered for a second. "Yeah, he went north on Main, the chick following in her little Audi."

"What kind of Audi and what kind of Lexus?"

"It was a four-door Audi, silver, maybe an A6, pretty sweet looking too. Now the Lexus, that was an amazingly wicked car. I love cars." The kid smirked as he started to rattle off the details of the Lexus. "It was an LFA. Can you believe that? I mean, we're talking like a three hundred and seventy thousand some odd dollar car. Man, I never thought I would get behind the wheel of something that wicked."

Bain cleared his throat. Wicked? Did the kid have any other words in his vocabulary? "What color was it?"

"Aw, it was a sweet, bright red."

Bain snorted. Of course Zander would be riding around in a bright red, outrageously expensive car. Compensating much?

"Thanks." Bain handed the kid a fifty for his troubles and ran for Uriah.

"They went north about an hour ago. She's in a silver Audi. He's in a red Lexus."

Uriah nodded and they took off, searching the parking lots for the pair of standout cars.

Fifteen minutes later, they found them, not just the cars, but Zander and his latest mark.

The female, who was dwarfed by Zander's height, was pressed against the door of her car. His fingers snaked through her dark hair, forcing her head back, so his mouth could consume hers. That wasn't all he was consuming though. Uriah could feel the exchange of energy below them; his telekinesis allowed him to feel it as it moved from the small female to Zander.

Their lips were locked, one of Zander's hands moving from her hair down her neck, brushing against her full breast, and then sliding to the small of her back, where he pulled her possessively closer to him.

Bain couldn't help but feel bad for the female. She had fallen prey to Zander's charms, and even from his and Uriah's vantage point, he could sense her arousal. She was enjoying every minute, falling into desire as Zander connived and stole from her.

Bain shook his head and descended upon them. He'd seen enough.

With massive speed, and probably a little too much force, Bain ripped the female from Zander's groping hands and shoved her aside.

Isabelle shook her head at the impact as she hit the cement.

Wings... those were massive, beautiful, whitish gold wings. They'd descended on her. It was crazy, Isabelle knew that. She watched in awe as her seemingly nice, perfectly hot, and normal date fought the massive man with the wings. Again, she shook her head, wondering what the hell was going on.

Isabelle began replaying the evening, trying to dissect everything. It started with a fantastic dinner and pleasant conversation. Zander was someone her father would have approved of—that was always the first thing she tried to determine when she went out with a new guy. It wasn't easy for her to find men her father would approve of her dating. He was a former detective who always scrutinized her dates. Zander would have passed the test. He was intelligent and interesting, if a little lacking in the details, but he easily carried on a conversation.

He was handsome with a good job. Based on his clothing, and the car she had followed over here, he was well enough off to support a family someday. That was important to both of her parents; family was everything.

Her mother would have doted on him, forcing the man to eat one of her five-course meals. Her mother was a firm believer that the way to a man's heart was through his stomach, and she firmly believed a family meal was the ending every day required. Again, it was about the connection of a family.

That would never work for Izzy—she didn't cook. For twenty-nine years, the women of her family had tried to force her to pick up the skill, but Izzy just didn't get the gene. Her grandmother tried passing all the family recipes down. Her sisters had picked it up. Eppie had cooked her way into the perfect marriage complete with two little ones, and Marie was headed in that very same direction. But Isabelle would never reel in a man with her water-burning skills.

Wait. What was wrong with her? How hard had she hit her damn head? This was hardly the time to worry about her cooking skills or lack thereof. There was a fucking winged man attacking her date.

Her mind was having trouble wrapping itself around the fact that the man had wings, and he was winning, throwing blows and forcing her date back... her perfectly adequate date. Izzy went for her purse to call someone, but who?

Um yeah, there's a man with large, kind of beautiful white wings attacking my date. He might be an angel. Yeah, that would land her on a twenty-four hour psych eval.

"You should have stayed out of here, Zander," the winged man growled.

Were those fangs? Did he have wings and fangs? Ok, so not an angel.

"Bain," Zander cooed; it sounded almost sinister. "This does not concern you."

Bain growled. "It does now; you crossed the line with the last one. Jenny Dale did not survive."

"She was just one human. Let it go."

"One woman, of how many over the past six weeks? You suck at covering your tracks."

"Awe, the misfortune of bad luck." Zander sneered.

"It's not bad luck, Zander. It is loss of luck all together."

"Pssh, so what? One didn't survive? This one may not either if you keep worrying about me and not her."

Bain chanced a glance at where the woman had landed. He may have tossed her a little harder than necessary when he pulled her from Zander's grip. He'd help her with her injuries later, if she required any healing.

"Uriah!" Bain called out. "The female."

Uriah dropped from the sky, pulling his mahogany wings back into his shoulder blades, and hit the ground running. He'd stayed above as Bain took on Zander. The big guy needed the release after chasing after Zander for the past couple of weeks.

Uriah dodged one car just in time to grab Isabelle before the oncoming truck would have taken her down, adding another poor soul to Zander's list.

What the hell was going on with her? Isabelle was losing it. She couldn't call anyone and hearing the two fighting men speak of her and whoever Jenny was as human and females, made her skin tingle with a shiver that told her she needed to get away. The un-giving steel of an arm crashing around her waist, as that half-ton Dodge nearly took her out, had her fighting for her life. She needed to get to calmer surroundings, where she could take a breath and figure out what the hell was going on. Had she been drugged? Was she hallucinating?

Isabelle thrashed in Uriah's arms. He didn't blame the poor thing. Bain and Zander were going at it, fighting viciously with a scornful lashing of words. Uriah watched the exchange and felt for the shivering woman in his arms. Bain may be the looks of their clan, but anything with his size and presence descending on and beating the hell out of your date would be frightening. Once you added in his ash blond wings and the fangs, the poor woman must have thought herself crazy.

Uriah pulled the poor, struggling woman back towards the darkened parking lot. He was sure that didn't give her a warm, fuzzy feeling. He released his full-body hold on her and replaced it with a gentle, but firm grasp on her upper arm.

"It's going to be fine; you're safe," he said softly.

Safe? Isabelle wasn't even going to respond to that... not that she had any form of response.

"My name is Uriah. I'm here to help you. What's your name?"

Isabelle shook her head "Isabelle... people call me Izzy."

What was she thinking? He didn't need to know her name.

"It's going to be ok, Izzy."

Yeah it was, because as soon as she had her opening, she was going to get the hell away from him.

"What happened?" Uriah asked as he and Izzy approached Bain, and he saw Zander was nowhere in sight.

Bain's eyes glowed with anger and frustration. They fell a little harshly on Izzy, and she felt herself shrink away from the angered angel? No, wait, angels don't have fangs.

"The tricky bastard used some of his stolen luck and bolted," Bain spat.

Uriah raised a brow and gave Bain a fanged grin. "You let him get away?"

Bain growled. He'd always hated Zander, and with all the luck he'd been stealing lately, he had just bested him in a fight. Bain would be ready next time.

Isabelle took that opportunity to yank her arm free of Uriah's grip, and start off through the parking lot towards the club. She didn't get far as the snap of the heel of her boot put her on very uneven ground, and she headed face first towards the pavement.

She closed her eyes and gritted her teeth. Son of a... this won't be good, Izzy thought

In fact, it was going to be costly in more than one way. She wasn't going to get away from the two creatures, and she was likely going to end up with a pretty good rip in her favorite jeans, and probably in her palms as well. She held her arms out in front of her, thankful she was wearing a fitted, long-sleeved top; it would save some of her skin. Izzy squeezed her eyes closed even tighter and braced for the impact.

She hit something hard, but it wasn't pavement. It surrounded her, and then a rush of air wrapped around her. Izzy opened her eyes to see the pavement moving further away from her, and the cars and lights of the street becoming smaller. Her innate reaction was to try and get away, but her survival instincts told her to stay still and if need be... hold on tight.

Bain set Izzy down gently a few miles away from the club parking lot. The frightened woman scrambled from him, brushing back her dark espresso locks. Her eyes were equally dark, though a stunning shade of navy, and glared with a snap of fire at him.

Izzy had gone from fear to anger, a bit of the Spanish fire of her ancestors lighting up inside of her.

What the hell was happening to her? What were these things? It was as if Steven King and the Greek Gods got together to make a stunning and terrifying creation. They were all sexy, male hardness, god-like good looks, piercing eyes, and so help her, whitish-gold, feathered angel wings on the one man and deep mahogany on the other.

The one smirking at her, the one Zander had called Bain, was gorgeous. He was, by far, the most stunning example of a man she'd ever seen, but he wasn't a man. As evidence, there were those two sharp, white tips pressing gently against his full bottom lip.

Izzy tried to reason with herself, tried to keep her mind from running to the depths and corner of impossibility as she eyed him.

The man standing next to him, the one who introduced himself as Uriah, the one who had saved her from being a hood ornament, watched her carefully. He was stunning too, and something about him screamed you can trust me. He lacked the arrogance of the blond-haired, violet-eyed man standing next to him. His grey eyes were softer, so she chose to focus on him. With her head spinning and mind wondering to the deep corners that made her feel crazy, she murmured one word.

"Vampires?"

The grey-eyed man... no creature, maybe vampire, flinched slightly and dropped his head, the faint glow of the streetlights highlighting his mahogany hair, allowing the deep auburn base of the color to shine through.

"Bain," he said softly, as if warning the other to hold something back. Izzy's eyes widened a fraction as they drifted to catch Bain's gaze; the violet glow of them almost hypnotizing her, that was, until he spoke.

"Fuck." The brightness of his eyes intensified as he started a string of cursing at her. "Why is it always fucking vampires? You humans need to expand your horizons. I'm fucking tired of being called a God damned vampire."

Izzy arched her brows at that, her spine straightening from its semi-huddled position that fear had frozen it in. Anger was quickly taking its place and was suddenly heating her veins. He didn't need to curse at her—what the hell was she supposed to think? He had freaking wings and fangs.

"Well, excuse the hell out of me," she shot out at him. "You have fucking fangs and wings, and you are clearly not human. My mind is a little muddled after you threw me a good twenty feet, attacked my date, and flew me God only knows how far from the club and my car! Where I'd had a nice time, and was enjoying the perks of my date."

Uriah's head lifted, an amused grin on his face. This pissed-off, fierce little thing was on uncharted territory; no one ever talked to Bain like that... especially a female. They usually just nodded, listened, and followed.

Bain actually laughed. It was a bark of beautiful, deep chords. "Time to go. Uriah, you can fly with her this time."

Bain smiled to himself that woman probably would have jacked his jaw—or would have put one hell of an effort to try—if he had even moved towards her, let alone tried to pull her to him to fly her back to Ro.

Bain's wings shot out of his shoulders, and he lifted into the air without another word, but with a pretty big smile.

Izzy stared wide-eyed as she watched the violet-eyed man disappear in the night sky. Once she could no longer see his silhouette against the stars, she turned to stare at Uriah.

"I'm sorry. He isn't all that... Well, anyhow, you really need to come with me. If you haven't figured this out yet, we're not going to hurt you, we really are the good guys, and no, we're not vampires."

Izzy shook her head. "I want to go home."

Uriah nodded, he bet she did. "I know, but... you can't. It's not safe." He said it so sympathetically; his voice was soft, yet deep and warm. "You need to come with us while we figure out how to get Zander."

"You don't need me to get him; it was our first date," Izzy said hopefully.

"I know, but now you're in danger, you almost ran into a truck, and nearly landed face first on the pavement. We need to see how much of your luck he was able to steal, and Rowan will be able to tell us."

"My luck?" Izzy questioned.

What kind of rabbit hole did she fall through? Gorgeous winged and fanged men had attacked her date and were now talking about her luck? She didn't believe in luck. She wasn't sure she believed in anything that had happened tonight, even if she had seen it with her own eyes.

"Welcome to the world of the Fae... you just met two Immortals and a Leprechaun."

# Chapter Three

––––––––

Now Izzy knew she'd completely lost it... Immortals and Leprechaun's? Or maybe he'd lost it. Either way, one or maybe both of them were not playing with a full deck of cards.

"I'm really not going anywhere with you," she told Uriah and turned. With a crucial sense of survival and an accelerated rush to her steps, Izzy moved quickly away from him.

Uriah watched her go with a cautious eye. He wasn't going to force her to come with him, but he would follow and make sure she made it home while they figured out what to do.

Izzy felt the steel grey of Uriah's eyes watching her walk away. She was fortunate to have grown up here; she knew her hometown so well she could make her way to a main road and hail a taxi. Though walking was a bit difficult with one four-inch heel and one flat-to-the-ground, broken heel. Damn, she loved these boots too.

****

"Rowan? It's Uriah."

"Hello Uriah, are you and Bain all right?"

"Yeah we're fine, but our mark is not being very cooperative. She doesn't want to come with me, and I don't have the heart to force her."

"Ah, I take it you didn't get to Zander in time?"

"No, I'm afraid not. I don't think he drained her, but she's had two near misses already. So I'm following her."

"I can tell, the wind is echoing through your phone. Where's Bain?"

Uriah chuckled

"Uriah?" Rowan questioned. Her voice soft, but concerned. Uriah could picture her face as she asked about Bain. He imagined her lilac eyes shimmering with curiosity. She knew all too well how he was, and as their Monarch and their Clan leaders' wife, she dealt with the warriors on a regular basis. She knew the insolence of her little brother.

"In Bain's defense, Isabelle—Zander's latest victim—did call us vampires, or rather, asked if we were vampires."

Rowan sighed, but it was a sigh of mirth not ire. "I'm sure he handled that with much grace and poise as he loves the vampires so much."

Now Uriah chuckled. "Yes, his curses came out very smooth and gracefully."

Rowan shook her head. She knew why Bain hated the vampires so much, they had affected their whole family, but she didn't feel the same vehement hatred for the species. And this was an honest mistake for a human to make. She could only imagine how that poor female must have felt. Bain was intimidating and even Uriah, with his soft and compassionate gray eyes, was a large, fierce force to be reckoned with. She was sure he was gentle with Isabelle, but that didn't change what his fangs and wings would mean to her.

"He shouldn't be cursing at a frightened female, no matter how much he hates being compared to vampires."

Uriah agreed, but vampires created a hot head in Bain. Given the opportunity, he would likely apologize to Isabelle.

"She also... well, for lack of a better description... she talked back to him."

Rowan smiled. She liked this female already. She often thought Bain made woman weak, and not in the good way he liked to make them weak.

"Really?" Uriah could hear the smile in Rowan's voice. "And what did he do?"

"He told me to fly her back and left."

"Oh, I see. I would very much like to meet this female, but it sounds like she's had a rough night, so follow her and stand guard. I'll send someone to relieve you shortly."

"Will do. Will you update Cree for me?"

"Of course. I look forward to telling him that a woman didn't fall prey to Bain upon sight." She laughed. "Many blessings, Uriah."

"To you as well."

Uriah laughed as he hung the phone up. He'd get a world of hurt from Bain once he found out Uriah had told Rowan about Isabelle's reaction to him. But he wished he could be there to see Cree's face as his wife told him about Isabelle and Bain.

Uriah watched Isabelle closely as she hailed a cab. He was relieved to see the cab was not headed back towards where she had left her car; she was in no shape to be driving. She wasn't doing too badly, but Uriah knew it would get worse with time.

Luck was a funny thing. Some people lived with a constant flow of good luck. Some were dealt the bad. Others ignored it and forged ahead, regardless as to what was dealt them because they didn't believe in it. He knew better; you didn't have to believe in something for it to be real.

****

Isabelle made it home mostly unharmed; that damn Immortal had jinxed her, she was sure of it. She'd had an interesting ride home. She'd slammed her finger in the door, spilt the contents of her purse on the cab floor, (though she supposed she was fortunate to still have her purse), and had knocked her knee into the back of the seat when some jackass had cut them off and she'd flown forward because she had no seat belt.

Izzy slammed her front door behind her and locked it. She was ready for a long, hot shower, pajamas, and a good night's rest, to hopefully wake up and find this was all a bizarre dream.

Izzy knew she wouldn't be that lucky though. She still felt like she was carrying around a large, winged shadow, but refused to look to the night sky.

# Chapter Four

––––––––

Bain stalked through the stone halls of his home. He needed a drink. Zander had escaped, and based on the few exchanges he'd had with him, the female was in danger. That feisty, little human who had called him a vampire. Bain shook his head. He hated the vampires, always had and always would. From his experience, there was nothing remotely moral or redeemable about any of the damn bloodsuckers. Yet, he could forgive her for making the comparison.

Bain pushed open the thick, lacquered door to the hole, as he and his brothers liked to call it. It was their retreat for down time. The room was paneled with dark wood and a giant fireplace. It was reminiscent of the pubs he'd seen in Ireland from centuries ago, but with a modern twist. The room was completed with a dark bar, billiard table, and sixty-inch flat-screen TV with an impressive movie library. It was where they un-wound.

"What's up, big guy? You look like you might need one of these."

Kale, the youngest of the warriors, held a double shot glass filled to the brim towards Bain before pulling back and shooting the liquid down his throat.

Bain smirked.

"I could. So, are you going to pour me one?"

Kale's dark eyes sparkled with humor. Kale was the youngest, and he tried like hell to not be seen as the little brother. A dark shadow of facial hair grubbed up his baby face in the form of a goatee. A tribal tattoo enveloped his neck, ran along one shoulder, and reached down his arm to meet his wrist. His chest, other arm, and shoulder were decorated by a blue and green dragon breathing fire over his heart and surrounding the beast with smoke.

Kale was Bain's best friend. They'd grown up together, Bain claiming only a few years on Kale. They were partners in crime.

Kale handed Bain a shot glass and raised his own.

Bain didn't share Kale's vice. Tequila was not his first choice, but it was all Kale ever had. Bain took his shot and moved behind the bar to pour himself a tumbler of some well-aged whiskey.

"So what happened?" Kale asked, leaning his elbows on the bar.

"Zander got to another one, who ran from us and nearly splattered herself on a fuckin' truck. Then the son of bitch used that luck and got away."

Kale smirked. "So not a good night, but that's not what's eating you."

"She was a feisty little thing..."

"Oh, I got it." Kale laughed. "So why are you here drinking with me and not in her bed?"

Bain gave his own smirk then. Good question, why wasn't he? She was feisty, but she had a softness to her features that made her beautiful and absolutely the kind of female he enjoyed having underneath him.

"Good question, my brother," Bain muttered. "Good question indeed."

"The night is still young," Kale said supportively.

"Not for him, it's not," a gentle voice said, entering the room.

Bain smiled as he lifted his head towards Rowan, his gaze curious.

"Why is that, Ro?"

"You are headed back to the Human World to finish up this job."

"The job is done. Uriah is bringing the female to you."

Rowan smiled and shook her head. "Afraid not. She refused to leave with Uriah, seems someone cursed at her and scared her enough to keep her sense and refuse."

"You're telling me that Uriah couldn't just bring her here?" Bain asked with sarcasm bleeding from his words.

"No, little brother. She was frightened, so he followed her to her home and is awaiting your arrival so you can relieve him."

Bain felt the left side of his lips rise in a half-cocked smile. "I have to relieve him and do what exactly, Ro?"

"You will protect her in her world until she is willing to come back with you."

"You almost sound as if you doubt me, Ro," Bain said smugly.

Rowan laughed softly. "Remember, little brother, I spoke to Uriah. Seems Isabelle stood up to your charms."

Bain finished his drink, smirked at a smiling Kale, and kissed his sister's cheek as he walked out of the room.

He'd have Isabelle here before tomorrow's end, and possibly in his bed by no later.

****

"You're a real bastard sometimes, you know that?" Bain grumbled as he landed behind Uriah.

Uriah smiled as he stood in the well-maintained backyard of Isabelle's chic suburban home. She had long ago turned in for the night. Uriah only heard a few mumbled grunts of frustration and probably pain. He heard a curse that implied the shower had done something out of character to her and a stubbed toe or two, as well as a million apologies to a cat named Garcia, after she cursed the poor feline for tripping her as she made her way up her stairs.

"And why is that?" Uriah asked still smiling as he watched the window that held Isabelle's room behind it.

"You told Ro that the female got to me," Bain said as he came to stand next to Uriah and shoved him none to gently to the side. Uriah returned the gesture with his own shoulder bump.

"She asked where you were. So, yes, I told her."

"Yeah, well, Ro thought it was too amusing. She told me to come guard the human and relieve you of your sentry guard."

"She said she would send someone. I had a feeling it might be you."

"So what was the big issue? Why couldn't you just throw the human over your shoulder and bring her to Ro like I asked?"

"Because, Bain, she is a female, regardless of her species, and she was frightened. I wasn't going to make it worse by going all caveman on her."

Bain grunted. "I wasn't implying she was lesser then us, but she is a human. You are far stronger then her. She would have gotten over her fear. You know Ro has a calming effect on everybody, human or Fae."

"This is true. I just felt bad after your cursing string and her misfortune. I didn't want to force her."

"Yeah well, now I have to be the bad guy and do it."

Uriah raised a brow. "What exactly did Rowan tell you to do?"

Bain smirked, one corner of his mouth reaching higher than the other. "To convince her to come home with me."

Uriah shook his head as he spread his wings. "Have fun with that," he quipped.

"I'll see you in a few hours," Bain said smugly.

Uriah didn't normally doubt Bain's abilities with females, but he kind of wished he could stick around to see if it was going to be that easy with this particular female. She had a stubborn nature that Uriah picked up on instantly. You didn't have to be an empath like Lothar or omniscient like Cree to know this one might actually give Bain a taste of his own medicine.

# Chapter Five

––––––––

Isabelle was thankful it was the weekend. She had slept the whole night through, the exhaustion of the evening before weighing heavily on her.

How could so many things have gone wrong?

She probed the back of her head and sure enough, she had a quarter-sized bump on it, all thanks to a falling showerhead. And to think she used to love the detachable massaging head; now, she was leery of it.

Izzy patted the bed, searching for Garcia. His heavy tail slapped the bed and a loud purr met her ears as she found him and stroked his side. She only prayed he wasn't limping today; she had kicked him pretty hard last night.

"You hungry, Garcia?" she cooed at the twenty-three pound grey and black tabby. Silly question, of course he was hungry.

Izzy slipped from her covers, grabbed a thin robe that hung from her bathroom door, and headed down the stairs, with Garcia hot on her heels. She held tight to the banister this time, not wanting a repeat in the reverse from last night. At least falling up the stairs merely bruised her knees... falling down would do a lot more damage.

Izzy hated the smell of Garcia's canned food. She, as always, held her breath as the can opener broke through the tin seal. Garcia meowed and weaved his way through her legs. Izzy lifted the top and flinched as the sharp edge ran over her finger, slicing it deep and causing the crimson of her blood to pool.

"Jesus," she huffed under her breath and grabbed a napkin. Garcia continued to meow as the doorbell rang. Izzy was almost at her wit's end and seriously considering going back upstairs and crawling under the covers. She plopped the stinky concoction of food into Garcia's bowl and stomped to the front door, flinging it open when she reached it.

"No!" she said fiercely, looking up into the unnatural shade of purple eyes. She started to shut the door in Bain's face.

Bain was struck then. He saw that this particular human was attractive last night, but she was beautiful in the light of day. She had a petite, but curvy frame, full, pouty lips, and deep blue eyes. She was definitely Bain's type. Then again, any beautiful woman was, but this one had a fire in her—she was feisty. It intrigued him. Bain smiled and put his black-booted foot in the doorframe.

Izzy was frustrated. This was not happening! Her anger flew in the form of the door crashing against the boot in its way. Bain wrapped his long, calloused fingers around the metal of the door and pushed it back open, stepping inside the foyer and closing it gently behind him.

Isabelle's eyes were heated as she stared at Bain, and he continued to smile down at her. He wouldn't mind seeing how that fire translated to the bedroom.

"Go get dressed and pack a bag; it's time to go see Rowan," he said, an assertive set to his muscles, as he moved past her and settled onto her plush, micro-suede couch.

Izzy's hand rested on her hips and one perfectly manicured brown brow arched at him. "No," she said stubbornly.

Now Bain was the one with the raised brow. "Yes," he responded.

"Get out." Izzy pointed back to the front door.

"I'm afraid I can't do that. Either you come with me, or I make myself comfortable on your couch. Either way, I'm not allowed to leave your side, not until we get your luck back from Zander."

"I don't need a sitter, and I don't believe in luck," she said, opening the front door and expectantly awaiting his removal from her house.

"Really? Do you run out into oncoming traffic often? Do you trip on a regular basis? Does your showerhead come flying off the wall and knock your head? Do you usually fall going up the stairs and cut yourself on canned cat food?"

Uriah had filled him in on the night's events, but Izzy looked pissed as he recited her misfortunes. She wasn't generally a clumsy individual, but it had been a rough twelve hours.

"How do you know any of that?" she asked sharply.

"Uriah spent the night watching over you. He filled me in."

"He was spying on me?" she yelled at Bain.

Bain lifted a shoulder in response. Izzy was irritated. She wasn't a hostile person, but this immortal was an accelerant to her anger. Every time he spoke or even looked at her, she felt her temper grow. He was arrogant, demanding, and so hot, it fit him perfectly. He was a languid, sexy creature stretched out on her couch, the cream suede a perfect backdrop to his all-black attire—a black, fitted t-shirt hugged a set of chiseled muscles, and a pair of black cargo pants that hinted to the perfection they hid from her sight. The fact that she noticed these things just added fuel to her irritation.

Izzy slammed the front door, knowing he wasn't going anywhere, and headed back to the kitchen. Pulling the first aid kit out from under the sink, she flipped it open. Riffling through its contents, she pulled out some antiseptic and a Band-Aid.

"So sweetheart, how about I fix up that cut for you, and you get that bag packed so we can go."

Izzy didn't lift her head, but still answered. "I already told you no. Just like I told your friend... Uriah, wasn't it?"

Bain nodded.

Izzy lifted her gaze to see the smooth nod of Bain's head, which caused the silky tresses of his blond hair to wisp over his forehead. He pulled off a masculine air while still being way to pretty for anyone's own good. His hair was a little long and messy, but she guessed he spent hours making it look that way, and with the rising sun streaming into her kitchen, he looked more like a fallen angel than anything else.

"Well, like I told Uriah last night, I'm not going anywhere with you guys."

Bain studied her; yeah, she really wasn't planning on going anywhere. The stubborn set of her jaw proved that. But Bain was sure he'd have her convinced here shortly. A smug smile pulled his lips as he thought of all the things he'd convince this beautiful human to do, but first, he needed to stop the bleeding.

Bain walked over to Izzy and took her hand in his. He lifted it to his mouth, blowing softly on the cut, as he kept his eyes locked on hers. The skin knitted back together, sealing it and eventually fading, leaving her olive skin unmarred, perfect, and smooth. Izzy pulled her hand back and inspected her flesh. She hadn't watched it heal. She'd felt it tingle and the pain reside, but she had been too mesmerized by the glowing violet eyes that belonged to the creature that had invaded her space, and life, and had some obviously very cool and useful tricks up his sleeve.

"What are you?" she breathed.

"Didn't Uriah tell you?" Bain asked as he folded his muscled arms across his chest and leaned against the counter.

Izzy took a minute to look over the mass of a man in her kitchen; he made it feel small. She'd never felt so claustrophobic in her own home, but this man was huge, towering at a good six-foot-three to her five-foot-five and outweighing her by at least ninety-five pounds, probably coming in somewhere around two hundred and thirty.

The all-black ensemble made him look like he was all business, but the lounging position just added to the confident air that welled around him. His t-shirt was snug and pulled at his biceps. She thought she saw the hint of a tattoo, but she couldn't be completely sure. She guessed there was some kind of tribal masterpiece decorating his equally masterful muscles and tanned skin.

"I knew you'd come around," Bain mused.

"Excuse me?" Izzy asked, irritated by his smug tone, but she had been totally checking him out.

"You see something you like, sweetheart. I can tell." He smirked.

"You are incredibly arrogant," she accused.

"True," he agreed. "But that's not the point. The point is you can trust me, and you need to come with me."

"And the answer is still no," she said, stomping from the kitchen and back up the stairs.

Bain groaned and followed her.

"Okay, let's start over," he called after her, following her up the stairs and then down the hall to her room.

Izzy swiveled and put a hand up. "You probably don't hear this much, but you're not coming into my room with me."

"You're right. I don't hear that often. I'm not sure I like it either, but the truth is, sweetheart, I am done playing with you. You're in danger, so I really need you to come with me."

Izzy shook her head, feeling some exasperation working through her body. Sweetheart? Yeah, because that was going to convince her. "I don't know who you are. I don't even know what you are."

Bain stuck his hand out towards her. "I'm Bain, and I'm an Immortal warrior, a species of Fae, just like your date from last night, except he was an evil leprechaun who stole your luck. And all these little things that keep happening will continue to happen until we catch him and give it back to you. Now it would help if you would be so kind as to come with me, so I can take you to Rowan."

Izzy took his hand and shook it. "I'm Isabelle, my friends call me Izzy, and I still don't want to leave with you." She dropped his hand and stepped in her room, smiling at him as she closed the door in his face.

"Does that mean I get to call you Izzy too?" Bain asked through the door. "If you won't leave with me, then I have to stay here with you. We might as well be friendly, right?"

Izzy rolled her eyes and headed for her closet. The man was insane if he really thought she was going anywhere with him. His looks probably made most women drool and comply with his every whim and the truth was, she wasn't too far from that either, but she was not going to let a pretty face convince her to do anything.

# Chapter Six

––––––––

Izzy slipped silently from her room. She could hear the television downstairs. It was low, but she could make out Paula Dean's unmistakable voice flowing from her living room. Paula was making some sort of peanut butter chocolate pudding, and Izzy had to admit it sounded good.

Was there anything better then peanut butter and chocolate? She certainly didn't think so.

"Ah, she emerges," Bain said sarcastically. He bit back the rest of his sarcasm as his eyes drifted over Izzy. Her feminine curves were being caressed by a dark, fitted pair of jeans while the cotton of her white V-neck shirt tugged tightly over her breast. It was a casual outfit, but still sexy in its simplicity. Bain was used to women in short dresses flashing their skin at him, but this... this was better somehow.

"You really aren't going to leave, are you?" Izzy asked as she walked past him.

Two hours hiding in her room, and Paula talking about peanut butter and chocolate, had her stomach growling.

Bain didn't say anything as he followed closely on her heels.

Izzy opened the fridge and sighed. She should have known she'd find nothing in it. She ordered in most of the time, occasionally went out to eat, and Sundays she did family dinners with her parents, sisters, and of course, grandmother.

"You have no food in this house," Bain said, stating what she already knew.

Izzy narrowed her eyes at him. "Did you go through my kitchen?"

"Yep, it's proper to offer a guest a drink at least, and then I got hungry waiting for you to come out of hiding," Bain said close to her ear as he leaned over her shoulder to peer into the fridge.

Izzy fought a shiver and bristled. "You are not a guest. I told you to get out."

"True, and I told you I can't. Rowan won't let me come home without you. She's being very persistent about me protecting you."

She. Izzy did not like the sting that flew through her body when Bain said she. It was ridiculous and made no sense. That could not be jealously she felt...

"Who is Rowan?" Izzy asked, the heat in her voice evident.

"Rowan is our clan's Mistress."

"Clan Mistress?" There was a distasteful tone to her voice.

Bain laughed. "Yes, she is the ruler of the Light Fae and the mistress of the Immortal warriors." Bain put his right fist to his chest over his heart. "My four brothers, though not biological brothers, and I are the warriors of the Light Fae and protectors of the human race."

"So you and your brothers protect the human race from what exactly?" She hadn't forgotten the Mistress part, but her curiosity was peaked.

"From Darion, the leader of the Dark Fae, and his minions."

"Like Zander the evil leprechaun?"

"Exactly." Bain smiled a wicked, sexy smirk at her.

"So tell me more about your brothers." Izzy sat at the table, grabbing her iPad as she did.

Bain raised a brow at her. "Why? Are you going to try to look them up?"

"No," she said impatiently. "I'm going to order some food while you—the intruder in my house—answers all of my questions."

Bain sighed and took a seat at the table across from her. "Fine, but what are you ordering?"

Izzy scowled at him. Was he really going to question her food choices? At least she planned to order enough for him to have some too. "Pizza. Is that to your liking?"

Bain nodded "Pizza is good, but I like extra cheese."

"Any other requests?" Izzy asked sharply.

"Yep, mushrooms, olives, Canadian bacon, and pineapple."

Izzy shook her head. Man, he was pushy and domineering, pretty much all around forceful. Not to mention he was big. He stifled the moderate space in her kitchen with his overwhelming presence, but she didn't mind this kind of stifling. Izzy smiled; she was entertaining dangerous thoughts. She shook it off and started building their pizza.

"Okay, tell me about your brothers."

Bain sighed. "Fine, Uriah, who you met, is the middle brother—biologically—between Lothar, who is the oldest, and Kale, who is the youngest. Then there's Cree, who is our leader."

"So your army consists of five? That doesn't sound like a very impressive army."

Bain grunted. Was she trying to insult him? "Well, not all Fae can move between worlds. There really aren't very many in your world. We are more than enough to keep your race safe. In the Middle World, where the Fae live, we have an army that protects Rowan and the Light Fae. My brothers and I are simply the elite."

Smug... every word out of his mouth was arrogant.

"Can your brothers heal people like you did me?"

Bain smiled and sat forward in his seat, folding his muscled arms across the table in front of him. "No, that's reserved for me."

"So what can they do?" Izzy asked as she continued placing their food order. "Chicken wings?"

Bain furrowed his brow. "Excuse me?"

"Do you want chicken wings too?" She lifted her gaze to meet his expectantly.

He smiled, his violet eyes holding her gaze. She had finally looked him in the eyes again, and he drank them in. They were beautiful... big, round, and blue like water at night. Deep, endless orbs of midnight. "Sure, spicy."

Izzy nodded and waved her hand, encouraging him to answer her question.

"Uriah is telekinetic, Lothar is an empath, Kale is pyrokinetic, and Cree is omniscient. He's also my leader and brother-in-law."

Izzy smiled; he had a sister. Two of her favorite people in the world were her sisters. Marie being her baby sister, and Eppie being the middle sister. She was the oldest of the three of them, and they'd been her best friends since the day they were born twenty-seven and twenty-three years ago.

"You have a sister?"

"Yep... Rowan."

Izzy couldn't or didn't try to hide her shock. "The leader of the Light Fae is your sister?"

Bain nodded. "Makes me royalty."

Izzy smirked and sent in their order. "Um hmm, that explains a lot."

"Really?" Bain raised a brow at her.

"Yes, you're arrogant enough to be royal, and I'd certainly say you're a royal pain in the ass." She smiled wide and winked at him.

Bain smirked at her, but said nothing. He was enjoying this feisty little female. Perhaps Rowan had done him a favor by forcing him to relieve Uriah and protect her.

# Chapter Seven

––––––––

Sitting against the back of her plush couch, Izzy zoned out on the television screen. She was tired now that she had a full stomach. Bain had watched her eat, smiling as she kept up with him. The Immortal had a healthy appetite, but she hadn't eaten since last night, and she was starved.

"So," she hedged. She had a question she wanted to ask, but wasn't sure she wanted the answer to.

Bain eyed her from his lounging position on the other end of the couch. He grabbed the remote and paused Izzy's choice in entertainment. He was thankful to get a break from the gaggle of woman who had too much money and not enough brains. He doubted they were really all that Real of Housewives.

"How do you watch this shit?" he asked before she could ask her own question.

Izzy raised a shoulder. "It helps me to be smart with my money and senses."

Bain shook his head; he had a feeling Izzy did well enough for herself. She seemed smart with her money; she had a nice car, a nice home, and nice things inside of it. He doubted she wanted for much. He didn't want for anything either. He had more than what he needed for himself, a mate, and a few kids, but money worked differently where he came from. He and his brothers also had bank accounts and strongholds in the Human World, though they rarely needed to use them.

"All right, what's your question?"

"Umm... what are the fangs for?" she asked almost shyly.

Bain smiled, the white tips of his canines peeking through. She'd noticed that he'd done a good job hiding them most of the time, but they occasionally peeked out when he smiled that sexy, wicked smirk of his.

"What do you think I use them for?" Bain asked, a husky heat lacing his words.

Izzy smiled. It was a cute, seductive curve of her full lips. "Well, when I first saw you... I assumed they were for drinking blood, but after you cursed at me for even entertaining the idea that you were a vampire... I really have no idea what they're for."

Bain chuckled. "I didn't curse at you... not exactly."

Izzy snorted. "Yes you did."

Bain waved her off. "They serve multiple purposes."

"Go on." Izzy smiled.

"Fine, they are useful in a fight, and we use them for..." Bain trailed off, not sure he wanted to explain the details of his and his brothers particular species of Fae.

"For what?" Izzy asked, narrowing her eyes at him.

Bain narrowed his eyes. "To feed off of Fae blood."

"Wait, you do drink blood?" She showed no fear, only vindication as she smiled at him questioningly.

"We drink from the Immortal Three, but only once a month or so for healing."

"But can't you heal your brothers?"

"Yes of course, but who do you think will heal me if I'm severely wounded?"

"Hmm." She didn't like to think of him ever being severely wounded. Izzy would never admit it out loud, and certainly not to Bain, but she kind of liked the guy. He was sexy, smart, and fascinating. She never bought into the paranormal stuff, but she always loved the thought of it.

"What's the hmm about?" Bain pushed.

"You drink blood... kind of like a vampire." She snickered, loving the look on his face.

"Fucking vampires and fucking humans with their damn obsessions," he muttered under his breath.

Izzy laughed. "Ok, I'll stop with the vampire digs... for now anyway. So, who are the Immortal Three?"

Bain let out a loud, audible sigh. He wasn't sure how to make her understand who the Immortal Three were. They were dark, beautiful sisters who ruled the Underworld. One would automatically equate them to evil, but just like his world, the Middle World, there was light and there was dark. The sisters ruled the light part of the Underworld, and their brothers ruled the dark part. However, they weren't dark themselves. It was confusing to even his people. So how would a human understand any of this?

"Bain? Who are the Immortal Three?"

"They rule the light part of the Underworld."

"The Underworld?" Izzy asked.

"Yes. There is your world—the Human World, my world—the Middle World, and the Underworld. The Immortal Three sisters who rule the light, and the Immortal Four brothers who rule the dark."

Izzy chewed her bottom lip as she processed the information. "So you feed from the Immortal Three sisters. Does that mean Darion's warriors feed from the Immortal Four brothers?"

"No, the brothers rule the dark of the Underworld, but they aren't evil." Bain sighed; he wasn't explaining this right.

"Don't get frustrated." Izzy smiled at his aggravation. "I think I get it... Rowan leads the light and is light or good, Darion leads the dark and he's dark or bad, evil whatever. The Immortal Three sisters are good and rule the light of the Underworld, and the Immortal Four brothers rule the dark of the Underworld, but are good. So my next question is, what exactly is the Underworld? Is it like in mythology where the dead go?"

Bain nodded, "It's where the fallen Fae go."

Izzy nodded. "Wow... your world is complicated. So do you feed from the Immortal Three Sisters to stay immortal yourselves?"

"Not exactly, the first few years of feeding makes us immortal, but their blood keeps us strong."

"So what do the brothers do?" Izzy asked.

"The Immortal Brothers?"

Izzy nodded.

"When one of the Immortal Warriors has a child, should it be a female, the brothers would feed that child when she reaches maturity, making her an Immortal Fae and eventually a warrior."

"But you don't have females in your elite warrior class?"

Bain smiled. "We did, but she's our ruler now."

"Rowan? She feeds from the Immortal Four?"

"Yes, she needs to stay strong to protect her land and people."

Izzy was a little overwhelmed by all of this—Immortals, Fae, the Underworld—but it was all admittedly very intriguing.

"Okay, last two questions. Are the Immortal Three Sisters and The Immortal Four Brothers siblings? And how old are you exactly?"

Bain grimaced. "Yes, they are all siblings, septuplets to be exact, and... time works differently in the Middle World."

Izzy raised a brow. "How old, Bain?"

"How old do I look, Isabelle?" That heat was back in his voice, causing her own body to heat up and a warm tingle to pool low in her belly.

Izzy scrutinized Bain, using the opportunity to take in every chiseled feature and the muscled curves of his body. He was a fine specimen. She didn't have more than Uriah to compare him too, and Uriah was attractive too, but Bain's violet eyes and blond hair made him drop-dead, male model gorgeous, far better looking than any of the men she had ever known. So in comparing him to humans, he was higher than a ten.

"Izzy?" Bain pulled her gaze back to his and grinned, a crooked twist of his perfect mouth. "You're making me feel like a piece of meat."

Izzy flushed, only a slight pinking of her cheeks. She didn't embarrass easily, but she really had been ogling him.

"I'm sure you've never done that to a woman, but fine. I'd say you look like you're in your early thirties."

"That sounds good to me. We'll just say I'm thirty-two." Bain reached for the remote he'd tossed between them on the couch.

Izzy moved quickly, scooping up the remote and shaking a finger at him.

"No, no, no answer the question."

Bain lifted a brow at her, "You know... I've been the only one answering questions today."

"Fine I'll answer your questions, but once I do, you have to tell me how old you are. Deal?"

"Deal. First question—how old are you, Izzy?"

Izzy groaned. Seriously, didn't he know it was rude to ask a woman her age?

"Don't want to answer the question?"

"Not really," she muttered.

"Fine, we'll come back to it. What do you do?"

"That one I will answer. I'm an event planner. I handle mostly weddings and corporate parties, but I get called in for all kinds of events."

Bain was interested. "Like what?"

"Um... I did a restaurant opening a few weeks ago, a bridal shower last weekend, and I've done a few sweet sixteen parties and graduation parties. But weddings really are my bread and butter."

Bain actually looked impressed and, dare she say it, interested in her work.

"That actually sounds like a fun job."

"It is, but it's stressful. Thankfully, we're coming into the slower time of year. I have a few holiday parties coming up in December, but not much else."

Bain's brows furrowed. "Do you have any events coming up in the next couple of weeks?"

Izzy tilted her head, thinking of her work schedule. "I have a Halloween event at a local bar on the 31st."

Bain pulled out his phone, tapping the screen and scrutinizing the calendar. He had thirty days to get her luck back to her.

"What? What is it?" she asked, not liking the look on his face. His jaw was tight and a frown marred his perfect lips.

"If you want to make it to your event, we have thirty days to get your luck back. You don't want to do your clients event without your luck."

Izzy rolled her eyes. She would make her own luck if that was what it took to please her client.

"I answered your questions. Now... how old are you, Bain?"

"No, no." This time he shook his finger at her. "You first, Izzy."

"Fine, I'm twenty-nine," she grumbled.

"Ok. I'm five hundred and thirty-seven years old."

Izzy couldn't help it. Her mouth fell open and her eyes widened, but Bain merely reached for the remote, plucking it from her loose fingers, and hit the play button, muttering something rude about the fighting women on the screen.

# Chapter Eight

––––––––

Bain pulled out two plates and two forks. He'd ordered in Chinese food for dinner. He was still laughing on the inside from their after-lunch conversation. She had sat there wide-eyed and speechless for a good fifteen minutes after he told her he was over five hundred years old.

She had a look of awe, horror, and pity in her eyes. He wasn't sure why those were the emotions she had felt, but it still made him laugh. She had no need to pity him; she would understand that soon. Horror was to be expected; it was always the response he got when humans found out the truth about his age. And the awe in her eyes... Well, that just sparked something inappropriate in him.

"Can I help?" Izzy asked from the entryway.

Bain smiled, enjoying the opportunity to mess with her. He hunched over slightly and with a shaking hand, he handed her the plates. "Thank you, child," he croaked out in his best impression of an old man.

"Shut up. I'm sorry; it's just weird that you're that old." Izzy grimaced as the words flew from her lips, and Bain raised a brow at her.

"Isabelle, I understand it's difficult to grasp, but I assure you I am very much in my prime and young by the standards of my people."

Izzy smiled and took the plates from him. "I'm sure that's true, but for me, all I can think is what you must have seen and that you should be dust in the ground by now," she said teasingly.

Bain lifted the corner of his mouth and winked at her. "I promise you, Izzy. I am far from being brittle or dust in the ground. I'm quite solid and hard."

Bain had been throwing innuendoes at her all day, and she couldn't help but throw a few back. She was flirting with this other worldly creature, and she was having fun. Izzy felt the familiar heat Bain's sharp, insinuating tongue caused. It coursed through her veins and worked its way low in her body. He had a sinful way of making everything sound sexy. And yes, she knew he was far from brittle or soft.

"So after we eat, will you let me take you to Rowan?"

"This again?" Izzy rolled her eyes and took the plates to the table.

"Well, yes. She can help you. You're not afraid to leave with me, are you?"

Izzy sat down and started serving up her dinner. "No, but I don't want to go to your Middle World. I'm still wrapping my head around you, your wings, fangs, and your five hundred and thirty-seven year existence. I'm not ready for a world of... well, you." She gestured towards him with her cheap, throw away chopsticks.

Bain laughed. "I'm one of kind, I assure you."

Izzy grunted. "I'm sure that's what all the girls tell you, but regardless, I have plans tomorrow."

Bain narrowed his eyes at her as he started loading his own plate with food. "Another date?" he asked.

Izzy thought she heard a little irritation in Bain's voice. She wasn't sure what to make of it, but she went on.

"In a sense. I have a standing Sunday night date... with my family."

Bain's smile screamed trouble as he looked at her. "We're going to a family dinner tomorrow night?"

"Uh... we?" Izzy asked before taking a bite of Lemon Chicken.

"I'm your shadow, Izzy. So if you go to dinner with your family, you have to take me with you."

"And who am I supposed to tell them you are?" she asked, exasperation taking hold of her.

"I play a very convincing suitor." Bain chewed his food, while still managing a mischievous smile.

Izzy nearly choked on her iced tea. "You want to pretend to be my boyfriend? I don't think so." She dabbed at her mouth before returning her napkin to her lap, finding it an excuse to keep her eyes downcast rather then look into Bain's bright eyes.

"Don't think your family would approve of me?" Bain asked simply between bites of food.

"Oh, I'm sure my sisters will fall all over themselves when they see you, and my mother and grandmother will love forcing food upon you, especially when they get a peek at your appetite. My father, on the other hand, will grill you like there is no tomorrow."

"So what are you worried about?" Bain asked.

Izzy chuckled. "What will you tell my father? That you're an Immortal Fae, with wings and fangs, who drinks the blood of the guards of the Underworld, and that you're old enough to be my great, great, great, great, great grandfather?"

Bain grunted. "I think you forgot a great in there."

"Oh, come on, Bain, the point is that you don't really want to spend the evening with my family... do you?"

Bain shrugged. "I can't imagine it would be that bad. Give me some credit, Izzy. Believe it or not, some people see past my looks and actually enjoy my company."

"That's not fair, Bain," she said defensively.

She'd enjoyed his company, but maybe she had been reading too much into his gorgeous appearance.

"No?" he questioned her.

Bain couldn't help the small pang he felt. He rarely got to the meet-the-family part, and here he was, actually excited at the notion. He would get to see further into Izzy's world, and where she came from. He wanted to meet her family because he wanted to know more about her. A woman he wasn't even involved with... well, not the kind of involvement he was used to with a woman.

Izzy saw something vulnerable pass over Bain's features. The smug, sexy man who had invaded her home, who was infuriating at times, pushy, a man who took up most of her couch and lounged around all day with her, was showing something she had yet to see.

"I have no trouble looking past your good looks, and I've actually enjoyed your company. I'm just not sure taking you to meet my family is a good idea."

Bain simply shrugged and continued eating.

"Bain?" Izzy said his name softly; she'd hurt him. Such a strong and smug man, yet somehow her rejection to take him to meet her family had hurt him. It was hard to wrap her head around. Part of her wanted to get up, hug the man, and say she was sorry... Yeah, she felt about an inch tall.

Bain wasn't sure what his face was telling Izzy, but he was sure his mask had slipped. He tried to hide it with a laconic smile, but it wasn't fooling her.

"Ok," she said softly, hoping he would lift his gaze back to her. "We'll go."

Bain raised a brow and smiled at her. "Really?"

Izzy nodded. She liked this smile much better. "But you have to promise to behave yourself, and no hitting on my sisters."

Bain's confidence was back in place.

"Have a little faith in me, Izzy. There's only one female I plan to hit on, and I wouldn't make a very good boyfriend if I hit on your sisters."

Izzy rolled her eyes, but couldn't hide her smile.

"No, you have to promise to behave."

Bain shook his head at her. "I promise."

# Chapter Nine

––––––––

Izzy had to admit that the more time Bain spent in her home, the more she felt like he belonged there. He was still an overwhelming presence, but she easily moved around him now. She couldn't help but flush as she thought about their conversation at dinner. She wished he would really flirt with her. They had a playful banter so far, but she would love to truly test her skills against Bain.

She chewed her bottom lip as she thought about all the things she wouldn't mind testing out on Bain. The man made her knees weak when he locked that violet gaze on her and cocked his lips in that sinful smile. And his body, well, she wouldn't mind running her tongue down his hard chest to much lower and more sensitive parts.

Izzy shook her head; what the hell was she thinking? He was here to keep her safe, not to take an active part in her fantasies.

Izzy jumped as a very masculine throat cleared from behind her. She swiveled like a child caught with their hand in the cookie jar, pulling the fresh sheet she'd just put on the guest bed off.

"Hey." She smiled and tried to push the lusty pictures in her mind away.

Bain naked and sprawled out on her bed... shit... Izzy shook her head again and smiled weirdly at him.

"What are you doing, Izzy?" Bain smirked. He had a knowing look in his violet eyes that irritated her. It also made her wonder if he had more tricks then he was letting on.

"Putting fresh sheets on the guest bed, no one has stayed in it for months. I thought you might appreciate fresh linens."

"Really?" Izzy nodded at him. "That's thoughtful, but what were you thinking about when I walked in here?"

Izzy shrugged her shoulder. "I don't know what you mean," she said, turning back to the bed and fluffing the sheet over the mattress.

Bain walked to the opposite side of the bed and grabbed the sheet, laying it flat and tucking in the corners.

"You were thinking something that changed your scent; it was sort of spicy." Bain smiled as he gazed up at her from his bent position while he continued to make his side of the bed.

"So you have super smell too?" Izzy asked with a small, elegant hand on her hip.

"I have super everything, Izzy. Smell, hearing, sight, touch."

Izzy shook her head and grabbed the pillows from a sage-colored chair and ottoman in the corner of the guest room. She had decorated this room with a light and airy feel. It reminded her of tall grass along the eastern coast; tans, sage green, and pops of light blue were a far cry from the darker, more modern colors of her own bedroom. She fluffed one pillow and placed it on the bed.

"Izzy." Bain called her name like a fire calling a moth to its flame. Izzy lifted her gaze as she fluffed the second pillow. "Was it me, Izzy? What little secrets were you imagining?"

She felt her jaw clench in time with other lower parts of her body.

"Cheeky Immortal," Izzy said as she threw the pillow at him.

Bain snatched it out of the air and grinned at her.

"You can finish making your own bed." She turned on her heel and headed out the door.

"Or I could leave this bed to itself and warm yours, Izzy," he called after her.

"I've got Garcia, thanks for the offer though." She sauntered out of his line of sight, glad her back was to him.

She smiled at the warm chuckle that came from Bain. He had a beautiful, smooth laugh. "Goodnight, sweet Izzy."

Izzy shook her head. "Goodnight, Bain."

# Chapter Ten

––––––––

Bain woke to the bitter scent of coffee; it was a good kind of bitter. He was surprised he hadn't woken when Izzy got up, or chagrined at himself more like it. He should not be lulled to a false sense of safety. He and Izzy had a good day, but he needed to remind himself that she was in potential danger, and he needed to keep his head on straight. Oh, but she made him want to forget everything else.

While she was very attractive, was beautiful even, for him, it was deeper than that. Bain knew he was a chauvinist, a playboy, and rarely gave any woman more than one night of pure ecstasy, but there was something about this feisty human that made him want to know more about her. He wanted more than one sweaty night between the sheets. Bain never felt humans were less than Fae, that line of thinking was left to the Dark Fae, but he never thought a human woman would wield any sort of pull over him. This one definitely shouldn't, but he couldn't help but want to get closer and deeper into her.

Bain pulled his pants on and grabbed his shirt as he exited the cozy little guest room.

The house was quiet and empty as Bain pulled his shirt on and entered the kitchen. There were no signs Izzy had emerged from her room... so he wasn't losing his touch. He eyed the coffeemaker with the blue light signaling the auto brew function had engaged.

Bain went to the fridge, knowing he wouldn't find anything to fix for breakfast. If Izzy was going to continue to refuse to accompany him to see Rowan, they were going to have to go to the market. He was already hungry at seven-thirty in the morning; he was coming close to his monthly visit with the sisters as well.

He had to get Izzy to do what he needed from her. He didn't mind hiding out at her home, but he would rather her let him get back to working on finding Zander and restoring her luck. Bain sighed, grabbed a coffee mug from the cabinet above the maker, and poured a hot, steamy cup of the energizing liquid.

"Good morning." Izzy padded into the kitchen, making a b-line to the coffee pot.

Bain pulled another cup down and poured her a cup. "Good morning."

He grinned as he took in her appearance. She was softened from sleep, her long ponytail a bit mussed, and wisps of hair falling around her sweet face with its striking cheekbones. The night's rest left her eyes hooded, giving them a more almond shape as opposed to the bigger, rounder shape they usually were. Her bare legs had him wanting to run his hands up the smooth, lightly toned muscled and under the thin, soft material of her pajama shorts.

"It's too early, Bain. Don't look at me like that."

Bain chuckled. "And you called me cheeky." He handed her the mug of coffee he'd poured for her. Izzy pulled the half-and-half from the fridge and sat at the table, settling her legs under her.

"That I did. So, I need to go to the market and get a few things. Garcia's almost out of food."

Bain sat across from her. "And you're all out of food."

Izzy shrugged. "I know, so I'm going to finish this cup, get cleaned up, and we can go. I assume you'll be coming with me?"

"You assume correctly."

*****

Izzy loved her little corner market. It was a little expensive, but they had great produce and the butcher had been there for years. He always special cut bacon and had fresh chorizo for her.

Izzy grabbed a couple of weeks' worth of Garcia's food, and then they headed to the butcher counter. She thought Bain looked out of place pushing a grocery cart. She tried to tell herself that was why all the woman who passed them kept staring at him, but she knew better.

Izzy got some meat from Louie the butcher, Bain got some sliced deli meat, and she grabbed a few staples and headed for the wine.

"I need to grab some wine for tonight, and then we'll be done."

Bain nodded and followed her. Izzy studied the reds; she wanted something different. Her mom liked her wine dry; she and her sisters all preferred it a little sweeter, so she settled on a nice Merlot and a sweet red for after dinner.

"Iz?"

Izzy's back straightened. She turned from Bain and the cart to see all five-foot-four of her baby sister, Marie, standing behind her, a mischievous glint in her eye and a smile as wide as the state of Texas spanning across her pretty face.

"Marie, what are you doing here?" Izzy smiled back and hugged her baby sister.

"I stayed at Marko's last night. We came to get coffee and scones this morning."

Izzy grabbed a plain, brown paper bag and shook it. "Me too, they have an amazing bakery here."

"That they do... You going to introduce me to your friend?" Marie asked, not hiding any of the pleasure she was finding in Izzy's discomfort.

"Oh... Uh, this is..."

Bain stuck his hand out to Marie, picking up where Izzy had stumbled. "Bain."

Marie took his hand with a strong, yet feminine shake. "Nice to meet you, Bain. I'm Marie."

"Likewise, Marie." Bain flashed a knock-any-woman-over smile.

Marie dragged her hungry gaze from Bain back to a slightly glaring Izzy. Marie smiled and shrugged at her sister. "Sorry," she whispered.

Izzy shook her head.

"Anyway, is that the wine for tonight? You are still coming, right?" Marie asked.

"We'll be there," Bain butted in, causing Izzy to glare at him.

"Really? Well, I look forward to tonight then. Bye Iz, and I'll see you later, Bain." Marie smiled and sauntered off.

"I swear to god, Bain, if you're staring at my sister's ass, I will hit you."

Bain chuckled. "Then walk ahead, so I can stare at yours, Izzy."

Izzy shook her head, but so help her, she walked away, giving him a perfect shot of her ass in a well-fitting pair of light blue jeans.

# Chapter Eleven

––––––––

"Explain!" The single word flew from Marie's red-painted lips the second she had Izzy alone.

Izzy had cringed when her father's eyes scrutinized Bain, and when he asked Bain to follow him to grab the leaves for the table. Izzy almost insisted on going with them, but Bain shook his head, dropping his head to whisper to her not to worry and that he would behave. Izzy rolled her eyes, and then sent a serious warning through them.

Izzy chewed her lip, her gaze drifting between Marie and down the hall to her father's study.

"Iz, what the heck is going on? It took that guy Zander and me twenty minutes to convince you to go out with him. Then I see you rather early at the market two days later with this new guy. I mean, he is a definite upgrade. The Zander guy was hot, but holy shit, Bain is... whoa." Marie started to fan herself.

Marie was young and dramatic, but she wasn't wrong.

"Iz, focus, we only have a few seconds. What the heck happened the past two days?"

"Um..." What was she supposed to say? "It didn't work out with Zander."

Marie scoffed and shook her head. "Yeah, I gathered. Where does Bain come into the story?"

"I met him the other day"

Marie was getting frustrated with the simple, no-detail answers.

"I don't know what to tell you. We met the other day, we're getting to know each other, he stayed in my guest room last night, and now we're here for dinner." Izzy smiled.

"Why did you let that man sleep in the guest room? What is wrong with you, Iz?"

Izzy smiled and shook her head.

"So Bain, what do you do for a living?" Izzy's father, Martin, asked as he began to dig into her grandmother's famous enchiladas.

Izzy stiffened; they had not gotten their stories straight. She had no idea what line he was going to attempt to feed her father.

"I work in private security," Bain told him.

"For what company?" Martin asked.

"Dad, please don't give him the third degree," Izzy pleaded.

"Isabelle, it is not the third degree. It's a simple question. If he intends to date my daughter, he needs to prove to me that he can take care of you."

Izzy groaned while Bain flashed a brilliant smile at her. His fangs were thankfully hidden.

Her father's gaze fell back upon Bain expectantly.

"Hawk's Eye Security," Bain answered him.

Izzy's eyes widened; she'd heard of Hawk's Eye Security before.

"You know Lucas?" her father asked.

"Of course I do, I hired him. My brothers' and I founded Hawk's Eye Security."

"How old are you, Bain?" Izzy's mother, Elizabeth, asked. Her mother didn't look Spanish; she was where Izzy got her lighter coloring. Her mom had golden blonde hair and deep blue eyes, nearly the same color as Izzy's.

Bain smiled at her mother, charming her with that brilliant show of teeth. "Thirty-two," he told her.

"That's young to have such an established business. Hawk's Eye Security has been around for what, about ten years?" she asked.

Bain nodded. "Yes ma'am. Though I am the second youngest of the five of us."

"There are five of you?" Marie asked, surprised, and then maybe a little embarrassed as Marko studied her. "Sorry," she muttered to him.

"I should clarify. We grew up together, but they are not my biological brothers."

"Family doesn't have to be biological; you just have to love them as if they were," Izzy's Grandma Isabelle, her namesake, told him with a wink of her wrinkled, crow feet-ridden eye.

Bain smiled at the monarch of Izzy's family. "I couldn't agree more."

"So what is it you do there?" her mother asked, carrying on the line of questioning.

"I'm a jack of all trades, but I stick mostly with security."

"Mostly?" her father grunted.

"So..." Izzy broke in. She knew her father was about to start in on Bain. Focus was important in his opinion and, if you were working to protect people just as he once had, there should have been nothing else on your plate as far as work was concerned. "Where's Eppie, Samuel, and the kids at?" she asked. She really was curious where her middle sister and her family were. They rarely ever missed Sunday dinner. No matter what was going on, they made time for the family.

"Bell is sick; Sam said he'd stay so she and Mathew could come, but she felt bad leaving her."

"Oh, I hate when that sweet little girl is sick."

Bell had been a sick baby; it had gotten better since she entered the terrible twos, which really wasn't all that terrible. She was a good kid, smart too.

All the women at the table had new sadder sets to their features. They'd nearly lost Bell and thinking of her sick made them all remember the fear and pain that had come from that near loss.

Izzy knew her father felt it too; he just didn't show it. Izzy met Bain's gaze. He had a softer set to his lips and compassion in his bright eyes that had her melting into them.

Dinner picked back up, but the need to interrogate Bain had fled the table and the conversation focused on simpler things. They talked about Izzy's work, the fast approaching holiday, and about Marko and Marie's next trip for his photography.

"Are you ok?" Bain asked as he opened the passenger door of Izzy's Audi so she could slide in.

"Yeah, you didn't tell me about Hawk's Eye Security."

"I told you I had strongholds in the Human World. We use Hawk's Eye Security as a front to keep tabs on Fae activity in the Human World. Now that's not to say we don't employ a few men who do provide security," Bain told her as he started the car and pulled away from her parents' home.

"I know. I've used them for events in the past."

"Really? So our paths could have crossed before?"

"I suppose, yes." Izzy was sure she would have remembered seeing Bain. "We probably should have discussed what you were going to tell them."

"Probably, but I enjoyed keeping you on your toes."

Izzy scoffed. "My lack of coordination kept me on my toes plenty. I'm ready to get home and out of this dress."

Bain smirked. He would like to get her out of the dress, too. Although, she did look good hugged in its soft fabric, but he kept his thoughts to himself.

Izzy's loss of luck hadn't given her a break this night. Fortunately, it only raised its ugly head in the form of a spilt glass of red wine on her cream-colored, sweater-style dress. She looked amazing. Her hair was pulled off her shoulders, teasing him with the length of her elegant neck. Her legs were bare to her knees where her soft dress ended, giving him all kind of ideas about running his hand up those slender legs and under the material of her dress.

Bain shook his head. She was staring at him questioningly. "I don't know Izzy... I like the dress, but if you need help peeling it off, I'm always willing to help."

"I bet you are."

Izzy licked her bottom lip and sunk deeper into her seat, crossing her legs as she did. She knew now that her scent became spicy when he was turning her on, and she was sure that spice would reach him soon.

# Chapter Twelve

––––––––

"Ughhh." Izzy dropped into her seat on the couch, her hair wrapped in a towel from her shower. "That was one heck of a day."

Bain nodded his head. Yeah, he was sure it had been. He had shadowed Izzy as she met with her clients for her Halloween event. She ran all over the city, finalizing orders, rentals, securing costumes for the staff, and having menus finalized.

"It was a busy day," he agreed.

Bain had been playing chauffeur all week for Izzy. Now that Friday was here, they both needed a break.

"It usually isn't this bad. I don't know if it's the type of event or the client, but man, I'm so glad the weekend is here."

"Me too, so go get dressed up. We're getting out of here tonight."

Izzy arched a brow at him. "Oh really, and where are we going?"

Bain chuckled. "Don't worry, I'm not going to kidnap you and take you to the Middle World."

Izzy studied him with narrowed eyes. Bain just laughed at her. "If I was going to kidnap and force you to the Middle World, I would have done it after playing chauffeur that first day."

"Fair enough." Izzy didn't really think he would force her anywhere she didn't want to go. "You still have to tell me where were going, so I know what to wear."

Bain's gaze raked her body before he spoke. "A dress, short and tight will do."

Izzy's brow arched at him.

"Do not look at me like that. We're going out and having a good time—dress for a night out."

Izzy knew just the dress she would wear.

Two hours later, they were waiting in line at a local club. The bouncer cocked a finger at them. Bain ushered Izzy forward, his hand resting on the small of her back. Bain nodded at the bouncer as they moved inside. They passed the dance floor and bar, moving towards an empty corner table.

Izzy slid across the velvet of the booth, the bare skin of the backs of her thighs making contact with the soft, crushed fabric.

The dress she had chosen for the night was a black mini dress, tight like Bain had requested, and short, with a plunging neckline and shirred tank straps. She fit in perfectly at Club Zion.

The perky cocktail waitress stared at Bain the entire time when she came to take their order, her gaze barely picked up Izzy's presence.

"What'll be your pleasure?" she purred at Bain.

Izzy felt her irritation rise. Was this woman blind or simply rude and stupid? She was blatantly flirting with Bain, right in front of her.

"I'll take a vodka tonic," Izzy snapped, raising her voice to get the waitress' attention. The girl's eyes flew to Izzy, and a sneer marred her face.

"Sure, I'll be right back with that."

Bain chuckled. "What was that about?"

He'd picked up on her irritation as he spoke with the waitress. If he hadn't known better, he'd say Izzy was bordering on jealous.

"What, her taking your order and flirting with you while I sat here and waited for her to actually acknowledge me?"

Bain shook his head.

"I'll be right back. Don't move, okay?"

Izzy nodded and watched him make his way to the bar. When he turned back around, he held a whiskey in one hand and a vodka tonic in the other. He smiled as he slid back into his seat and handed her the drink he'd brought back.

"Why'd you go get us drinks? Are you afraid your little chippy is going to take too long?" she asked in a catty tone.

"No," Bain said in a deadpan voice. "I just wouldn't recommend drinking whatever she brings you."

"What?" Izzy asked, confused. "What are you talking about?"

"I think you pissed her off. My guess is she might spit in your drink."

"Pssh, whatever. You don't really think she would do that... do you?"

Bain chuckled and lifted a shoulder.

They received a suspicious look from their perky little waitress as she set their drinks down. Izzy pushed her drink aside while Bain ordered them a few rounds of shots.

Izzy took the shot Bain slid to her. She shook her head slightly as the burn ran down her throat and settled in her stomach.

Bain laughed at her as he took his own shot. By her third shot and one vodka tonic, Izzy was feeling the warmth, tingle, and a slight shift in inhabitations.

"Are you glad we got out of the house?" Bain asked.

"Hell yes." Izzy laughed.

"Good, you deserve to have a little fun"

Izzy had been having fun. This past week she'd been able to end her work days with him. Dinner and movies or trashy TV, she liked having someone to talk to at the end of the day.

"Will you tell me more about the Middle World and your home?" she asked.

Bain arched a brow at her. "Are you considering a trip there with me?"

Izzy shrugged. "Maybe."

He'd stayed away from his home to keep her safe. She was sure he was missing it by now.

"All right, it's not so different to what you might expect—"

"Wait, are you telling me this is not a situation where I need to broaden my horizons?" Izzy quipped.

Bain gave her a deadpan stare. "Do you want me to continue or not?"

Izzy smiled sheepishly at him and waved her hand for him to continue. "Sorry, go on."

"My brothers and I live in Rowan's castle. We call it her compound. There is a small village inside the fortress walls. Rowan rules over a huge expanse of land. Most of it is still in its raw form: forest, lakes, meadows, and rivers. There are also many other villages nestled in the lands that are home to many different species of Fae."

"How many different species?" Izzy asked.

"Hundreds," Bain said simply.

"Hundreds?" Izzy repeated.

Izzy took the last shot that sat in front of her and slid from her seat.

"Where are you going?" Bain asked.

Izzy smiled wide. "The dance floor," she announced and took off.

The floor was packed with writhing bodies and a lightshow that seemed in time with the beat of the music. The music was typical dance music, not Izzy's first choice, but her body was swaying to the beat.

It didn't take long for Izzy to get noticed. Her eyes locked briefly with an attractive man a few feet away. He took the brief contact as an invitation. The man moved in jerky steps towards her, a lusty smile on his face.

"Andy," the guy introduced himself as he stepped close to her, swaying his hips with hers.

"Izzy." She smiled, introducing herself while never missing a beat as she continued to dance.

Andy's arms wrapped around Izzy waist, pulling her close to him. It wasn't like Izzy to let a stranger get so close, but she was having too good a time to care. It had been ages since she'd let loose and enjoyed herself. Sure, she went out with Marie from time to time, but they usually hit up a lounge and didn't stray too far from their table. Right now, she was uncharacteristically allowing a stranger to grind against her.

Andy dropped his mouth to Izzy's ear. "Maybe you want to go somewhere a little more private?"

Izzy pulled her head back and shook it at him. "I don't think my friend would like that much."

"Your friend doesn't have to know," Andy whispered, dropping a kiss to her neck.

Bain watched the scrawny human put his hands on Izzy. It wasn't until he dropped his head to Izzy's ear that Bain moved from their table and to the dance floor. It had bothered him to see someone with their hands on her, but he bit back his growl and kept himself somehow planted in his seat. But when the guy's lips moved close to Izzy's ear and he saw her shake her head at him, he couldn't stay put any longer.

"Oh, her friend would know," Bain warned from behind Izzy.

Izzy smiled and arched her brow.

Andy's eyes narrowed as they drifted between Izzy and Bain.

"Time to scamper off," Bain growled.

Izzy watched as Andy considered Bain, but didn't move.

"Take your fucking hands off her and move along," Bain said, smiling the whole time.

Once the damn human's arms were removed from Izzy's waist, she continued dancing, saying nothing through the whole exchange. Bain pulled her against him, his hands resting on her hips, her back pressed firmly against his chest.

Izzy lifted her arms to wrap them around Bain's neck and pulled his head down. "You didn't have to do that," she purred, letting her lips graze his ear.

"No?" Bain asked, his own lips just a breath away from her ear.

"I wasn't going to go anywhere with him," she said coyly, as she rocked her hips and pushed her body harder against him.

Bain grunted, his hands moving over her flat, firm stomach, rolling his hips against her. "Good, I don't think that would have gone over well, Izzy." Bain dropped his lips to her neck, but just let them hover against her skin.

Izzy shivered when Bain's lips touched the sensitive skin of her neck. Once the shiver passed, she turned in Bain's arms, her hands landing on his chest, her eyes heavy lidded with what Bain now knew was the scent of arousal on her. "No?" she echoed his question.

"No," Bain stated in a deep voice, a wolfish smile playing across his lips.

Izzy had to look away. Bain's eyes were boring into her, a deep hunger in them. Izzy's eyes darted to the side and, instantly, the smile, the buzz, and the fun she was having slipped away as the blood in her face drained.

Bain saw the change in Izzy and instantly followed her gaze. "Motherfucker," Bain gritted out. "Stay here."

# Chapter Thirteen

––––––––

Zander stood at the edge of Club Zion's dance floor—what were the odds? That the one who got away, the one he would have kept, would have let her luck rebuild so he could feed again was in the arms of that playboy Light Fae Immortal. What a shame she was letting that one-minded Immortal taint her. His hands were roving over her body as if she were his pet.

Sickening.

Zander smiled as Isabelle's eyes found him; he took joy in the pallor of her skin when she realized he was mere feet away and watching her.

Hello Isabelle, he mouthed, waving at her.

Zander got even more joy when Bain followed her gaze and found he had snuck up on the two of them, the rutting animal that was the Light Fae leader's brother had let down his guard. He should have sensed Zander's presence.

Zander turned and made a dash for the back entrance. If he and Bain were going to have a confrontation, it needed to be in private. The one thing the Dark and the Light agreed upon was the necessity of keeping themselves hidden from the humans.

Zander hit the back exit door with force and halted in the back alley once he was half between the door and the main road. He swiveled at the sound of Bain entering the alley.

"Do you find her as sweet as I did?" Zander mocked. "Those lips are sinful, are they not?"

Bain growled; the thought of Zander's sneering mouth having been anywhere near Izzy's sweet lips had anger heating Bain's body, causing his breath to come in heavy, heated pants.

"Do you disagree? I found that moist little tongue of hers to be quite talented. I had other plans for her mouth too, but you had to interrupt. Perhaps I'll still have the opportunity to see how much of me can fit in that beautiful mouth and, of course, her lusciously curved body."

Bain roared. "You do not fucking talk about her like that. You'll never get to touch her again."

Zander chuckled. "Oh, we'll see about that. So tell me, how is she doing?"

"She is not your concern," Bain growled. "But since you're here, why don't I kick your ass and force you to return what you have stolen from her?"

Zander laughed. "Oh, but you don't want me to touch her again."

Bain's eyes narrowed.

"Regardless, I have no intentions of giving back that sweet luck."

Bain was done talking; this was not about what Zander did or did not intend to do. If Bain could catch him and secure Izzy's safety, he would. Bain's feet beat the ground as he sprang after Zander. He must have seen the coil of Bain's muscles as he prepared to attack, because he took off at the same time Bain did.

Bain followed Zander to the end of the alley and across the busy, four-lane road Club Zion sat on. Cars honked and brakes squealed, but Bain avoided the cars. Leaping over the hood of one car, he cursed himself for the careless use of his inhuman abilities; no human could have executed that leap. He followed Zander as the luck eater chuckled and put a new bump of speed to his gait; he was fast. Bain warred with his desire to wrap his hands around Zanders neck and the nagging feeling that he should get back to Izzy.

Bain came to a slow halt and watched as Zander pulled away from him. Bain growled and turned to go back to the club and Izzy.

Izzy sat at hers and Bain's table, a pop in hand. Her eyes scanned the room constantly. She was anxiously looking for Bain, waiting for him to come back so they could just go home. Her buzz was gone. Seeing Zander had reminded her how real all this Fae stuff was and how deeply she was wrapped into it.

Izzy let out a heavy breath as her eyes found Bain, who was pushing through the crowd.

"Are you okay? What happened?" she asked, getting out of her seat to stand in front of him.

Bain smirked; she sounded like she was worried about him. "I'm fine, but we need to go."

"Ok... so what happened?"

"I chased him, he shot off that relentless mouth of his, I chased him some more, and then came back here to get you," Bain said, anger flashing as he thought about everything Zander had just said about Izzy.

"You seem mad. What did he say to you?"

Bain shook his head, put his arm around the back of her waist, and ushered her forward. "Don't worry about it; he's just trying to prod me to the point that I'll make a mistake in protecting you."

"How?" Izzy asked softly. What on earth did Zander have to say that would truly knock Bain off his game?

"Please don't worry about it, sweetheart."

Izzy nodded, but her gaze kept drifting to him. He was upset, and he called her sweetheart without his normal, playful bravado when he said it. Whatever Zander said had upset him.

# Chapter Fourteen

––––––––

"Son of a bitch," Izzy cursed from the back porch.

"What happened now?" Bain asked as he came in from the living room. He'd been healing and thwarting accidents left and right for Izzy today. He was surprised the house was still standing around them at this point. And he had thought things couldn't get worse than last night.

"Nothing... It's fine," she called out.

"Either nothing happened or something happened, but it's fine. So what happened?"

Izzy sighed. She couldn't even clip a few flowers to brighten up her house. This time it was a stupid bee, earlier it had been cuts, a burn from lunch, walking into things, and the challenge of her stairs, not to mention just the flat-out irritating things—a dropped glass, pitcher of water, a backed-up sink, a burned belt on her vacuum, and a broken sliding glass door.

She had to give Bain some major points; he was so very unexpected. He was quite handy and, even more than that, he was helpful. He'd healed her a couple times today, each time sending shivers dancing down her spine, a reaction that had intensified since their time on Club Zion's dance floor. Part of her knew it wasn't good, but she couldn't wait to feel those shivers again. Still, she did her best to shake off the lust his cool breath caused in her.

All the healing and the need for his help around her house had the independent, successful woman in her hating that she needed the help at all. She was being forced to admit there was something to this whole luck thing.

"Izzy, are you okay?" Bain asked, stepping out on to the porch.

Izzy pulled the stinger from her finger and handed the fresh-cut yellow and orange lilies to Bain.

"I'm fine. Just a little bee stin—" Izzy cleared her throat, and tried again, "Stin..." Izzy coughed and hurried to the sink, where she filled a glass with water and tried to swallow some of the liquid.

"What's the matter with you?" Bain asked, following her inside and laying the flowers on the counter next to the sink.

Izzy turned to Bain as she struggled to swallow some air into her burning lungs. Her eyes went wide as she couldn't get the air past her esophagus. She tapped at her throat frantically.

"Are you allergic to bees?" Bain asked, trying to keep his cool, but feeling a small amount of panic.

He grabbed her hand and viewed the swollen prick on her finger; Izzy shook her head as she began to feel lightheaded. She'd never been allergic before. Hives began to pop up around the sting on her hand and up her arm. Bain blew a strong, steady breath over her finger and hand, the swelling receded and the hives disappeared from her soft, smooth skin.

The healing in her hand and arm was quick, but Izzy felt her panic rise as the swelling in her throat remained. She was still able to pull in small, short bursts of air, but not nearly enough. She stared at Bain, her eyes wide and shining with near tears, silently begging him to help her.

"You're going to have to trust me, sweetheart," Bain said as he pushed Izzy head back and exposed her neck.

Bain's lips settled softly on her neck and blew lightly against her sensitive skin. He then moved his mouth to her slightly parted lips. Izzy jerked from the shock of his satin lips against hers. Part of her wanted to sink into him, while the other part of her knew this was not a sexual move; he was trying to help her breathe.

"Stop fighting me," Bain whispered against her lips, "and open your mouth."

Izzy let her lips fall open and closed her eyes. Bain's breath was cool and sweet as it flowed through her mouth. She could feel her tongue tingle at the contact with Bain's healing breath. It flowed over her tongue and against the back of her throat, finally making it down her throat and into her lungs.

She could breathe again, but Bain made no move to pull back, and she made no attempt to force him back. Izzy fought to keep from slipping her tongue into his mouth and exploring every inch of what lay behind that wickedly sinful smile.

Bain left his lips unmoving against Izzy's. This was insane on more than one level. Things were getting worse, and now he knew Zander was lurking somewhere too close for his comfort. Not to mention he was having trouble fighting this need he was feeling for her. He wanted to run his lips over every inch of her body, to know her intimately, and after feeling her soft body rub against him last night, he was losing the fight to act professional. He wanted her, like he had never wanted anything else before in his long existence.

"Bain?" Izzy whispered his name against his lips, sending a shiver of need through him.

He closed his eyes and sighed as he pulled his lips from hers, the loss of her softness against him registering instantly. Bain laid his forehead against hers and simply breathed her in.

"Maybe we should go see Rowan now," she said softly.

Bain nodded. "Yeah, we probably should. Do you want to go see your family tomorrow night first or leave now?"

"Now, I think now is good." She smiled, but there was a shakiness to her voice.

*****

A smooth chuckle greeted Bain's ears as Uriah picked up his cell.

"Hello, Bain."

"Hello, Uriah."

"What's going on, brother? Thought you said you'd be back with one Isabelle Moreno in hand over a week ago."

Bain grunted. "Shut up... Did you know how stubborn she was when you left me here?" he asked in a deadpan voice.

It had been over a week since Uriah had left him there.

Uriah laughed. "That I did, and it's what I like about her."

"Yeah, same here. Where's Ro? I can't get a hold of her or Cree."

"They left the compound early this morning, headed out to check on one of the villages on the border."

"Is everything all right?"

"I think so, just some small-time minions causing some disturbances, nothing all that threatening."

"All right. Izzy had a close call this afternoon. We're going to head to the compound now."

"Is she all right?"

Bain grunted, but it sounded more like a growl. "She is now, but she got a good scare. Plus, we ran into Zander last night."

"What happened with Zander last night?" Worry was written all over Uriah's tone.

"Same shit as always. He tried to knock me off my game, hoping I would let my guard down and he could get back to Izzy. From what he told me last night, he wasn't quite finished with her."

Uriah mulled that over. It wasn't encouraging information. "That doesn't sound good. Is he actively trying to kill his marks now?"

"No, I think he had other intentions with Izzy."

"Oh I see," Uriah said steely.

"Yeah, so we're heading out in a few. We should be there in a couple hours."

"Sounds good, I'll let the others know." Uriah's voice took on a snarky tone. "Should I have Darnell set up one of the guest rooms, or will she be staying with you?"

Bain did growl this time. "I'm not in the mood, Uriah, and you shouldn't give me any ideas. Have Darnell set up the room next to my own."

Uriah laughed and smiled to himself. "You got it, brother. I look forward to having you home."

Bain slid his phone back in his pocket and headed up the stairs to help Izzy. She was on the phone so Bain scooped up Garcia and put him in the carrying case that sat on a mahogany chest at the foot of her bed.

"Marie, stop it... well yes... oh my god no... no... Marie, I can't make it tomorrow because I need to head out of town... yes... Please stop. I'll be fine... Marie! I love you, but I gotta go. If I have service, I'll call you. Okay... I promise. Goodbye."

"Little sister worried about you?" Bain asked.

Izzy sighed. "Yes, but she's more worried about me leaving with you."

"Ah, and here I thought she liked me. I guess I didn't make as good of an impression last weekend as I had thought."

"It's not that; she does like you."

Bain smiled. "She doesn't really know me all that well; I can't blame her for worrying. Can you?"

"No, not really and I feel bad. I can't make her feel better about the situation, and I certainly can't explain all of this to her."

"Nope," Bain agreed, "but you'll be able to call her."

"AT&T has towers in the Middle World?" she asked sarcastically.

The corner of Bain's mouth twitched. "No, but we're not going to the Middle World exactly."

"What do you mean?" Izzy's eyes narrowed.

"You'll see when we get there."

Izzy sighed. She'd never been good with surprises.

# Chapter Fifteen

––––––––

Bain watched Izzy. She'd fallen asleep nearly an hour ago. She tried to stay awake, her lids falling slowly over her pretty blue eyes. She had blinked back the sleep a few times, but had finally given into it. He didn't want to wake her, but they had finally arrived. She was going to need to see this to understand it.

"Izzy." Bain said her name and gently nudged her shoulder. "Time to wake up, sweetheart."

"I wasn't sleeping, just resting my eyes," she mumbled softly.

Bain let out a bark of laughter. "You sound like my grandmother."

Izzy's eyes flew open then. "Your grandmother? She's still alive?"

"Indeed she is. I'll take you to meet her."

"Really?" That would be kind of amazing. Izzy wanted to ask how old she was, but wasn't sure if that would be rude.

Izzy blinked the sleep from her eyes as they got out of the car. "Where are we, Bain?"

There was a slight nervousness in her voice; they were literally in a large field surrounded by trees. She could barely make out the road that had led them here.

"Do you know what tree that is?" Bain pointed out a small tree being dwarfed by the taller ponderosa pines; it was thick with yellow leaves and full of bright red clusters of berries.

"Uh, no, can't say that I do. I'm not a botanist."

"No, but you are a smart ass," Bain muttered.

Izzy raised a brow at him. "Okay, I deserved that. What kind of tree is it?"

"It's a Rowan." Bain stood behind Izzy and turned her in a full circle. The perfectly rounded meadow's circumference was lined with the bright trees.

"Okay, that's actually really cool, and they're very pretty, but why did we stop here? Is this how we get to Rowan's compound?"

"This is her compound." Bain smiled as Izzy's brows knitted together. "Trust me and don't hold your breath."

Bain pulled her against his chest and wrapped her in his wings as he spun them in a full circle. Izzy watched the ring of Rowans pass by. She felt a shift in the air. It warmed and, as Bain stopped them, she was greeted by a wide bridge that led over a small brook, and into a large, stone-built castle. The color was fascinating, in a soft terracotta with towers and turrets. There was a large, ornate shield over the tall, wooden doors, featuring an eagle perched on a man's arm and a snake wrapped around the other.

"Welcome to the Middle World and Rowan's compound," Bain said as he let Izzy go and stood tall and proud next to her.

"What was that? How'd you do that?"

Bain smiled as he lightly took her elbow in one hand and grabbed her bag and a hissing, yowling Garcia with the other. She hadn't even seen him pull her poor cat or her bag from the car. The thought had her turning to see if the car was still there. It wasn't.

"Rowan's compound sits between our two worlds. That's why we have cell service here. We won this land many, many years ago, when Rowan took her role as leader to the Light Fae. She had her compound built on this spot. This is the strongest passage between our worlds. As it is our goal and responsibility to protect humans from the Fae, Rowan cut off one of the main hubs by building her fortress upon it."

Izzy walked with him, shaking her head. It was unreal and fantastic at the same time. Two men stood guard at the large, ornate wooden doors, both nodding as she and Bain approached. Bain nodded back as they opened the doors.

"What were they?" Izzy asked, looking over her shoulder to get one more peek at the two men who stood in full armor at the entrance to this medieval fortress.

It wasn't at all what she expected the doors opened to a large, open courtyard with stables, a large, open gorge tower, and a conical spine to her left. Izzy smiled cautiously at the few people milling around. She noticed a chapel in the distance as Bain steered her through a stone wall with a large, open archway to her right. This area opened into a spectacular garden area with a mosaic pathway to the castle's main keep. The building was square and simple in its design, but rose high above the castle's curtain walls. It had a long wing of what Izzy guessed was the main living area jutting off to the right, at half the height of the keep's walls. It was hard for Izzy to wrap her head around the pure size of this fortress, or compound as Bain had called it.

It was massive and beautiful, especially the gardens. They were filled with fall colors, a large Rowan tree sat center stage of the shrub, and a flower-filled garden. Vines grew on both sides of the main door to the castle's keep. Bright red roses adorned the deep green vines. It was magical.

Ah... the events she could hold here.

"Rowan's guards." Bain's voice pulled her back to him and away from her work-related musings.

"What?"

"You asked what they were... They're Rowan's guards."

"Well yeah, I gathered that, but what are they?"

"Ah, you mean what kind of Fae are they?"

"Yeah... is that inappropriate to ask?"

Bain chuckled. "Not really, they're sirens."

"Like the beautiful sea creatures that send sailors to their deaths?"

Bain sighed. "You carry some major stereotypes, sweetheart. They are obviously male and I guess maybe they'd be considered beautiful, but they aren't sea creatures. They live on land and breathe air, and they are an excellent warning systems, as well as fighters, both using their ability to burst eardrums and hand to hand."

Izzy smiled sheepishly at him. "Sorry, I can't help but try to understand all of this by equating it to what I've learned about mythology and stories I've heard."

"I know, and I understand. Now come on, I'll introduce you to my brothers."

Izzy nodded and followed Bain into the open foyer of the main keep. She watched as people bustled by, most stopping to greet Bain briefly, and then moving on.

"It's about time you got back. I've been stuck handling Cree on my own. He's not happy, brother, not at all," a relieved voice boomed from above them.

Izzy's eyes shot up where a tall man stepped from a balcony a good forty feet above them. Izzy gasped and stifled a scream as the black-haired man came free falling down. Halfway to the ground, a pair of onyx wings sprouted from his back and glided him down the rest of the way safely.

Bain shot Izzy a quick, sideways glance before approaching the man. Izzy's heart calmed, giving her the opportunity to look at the guy. He was a few inches shorter then Bain was and sported a goatee. It did very little to hide the baby face that sat behind the scribble of facial hair. He looked young, maybe twenty-five, but Izzy knew better. She tried to remember what Bain had told her about his brother. She thought he had said the youngest name was Kale.

Bain pulled his brother into a half hug. "What's wrong with Cree?" he asked.

"He's a pain in the ass," the brown-eyed Immortal teased. "Nah, I just miss having my partner in crime around."

Bain nudged the man with a hard fist. Izzy grimaced, it looked like it would hurt, but he didn't even seem to notice.

"All right, Kale. This is Isabelle." Bain introduced his brother. She was proud she had the name right.

She stuck her hand out. "Izzy, you can call me Izzy."

"Hey! I thought only your friends were allowed to call you Izzy?" Bain said with mock outrage.

Izzy shrugged. "No, in fact, everyone calls me Izzy. I just wasn't sure I wanted you to."

"Why not?" Bain feigned hurt.

"Because you were an arrogant, bossy, smug intruder in my home."

Kale let out a soft chuckle. "I like her already. It's nice to meet you, Izzy."

"You too." She grinned.

"I'll walk with you guys to your room. As soon as we get you settled, Bain and I have to meet with Lothar and Uriah. Darnell will be by shortly to see if you need anything. But we shouldn't be long. Then someone can show you around."

Bain narrowed his eyes at Kale, but didn't say anything.

Izzy smiled as she, Bain, and Kale made their way up the wide staircase, to the right and into the building off the main keep. She didn't hear much of Bain and Kale's conversation; she was busy taking in the sights. The walls were covered in tapestries and paintings, some depicting people or Fae as it were, others showing battles and some of landscapes that looked too perfect to be anything you would see in the Human World.

"Here ya go, I'll leave you two to it and I'll see you in Cree's chambers in a few. Again, it was nice to meet you, Izzy."

"You too. Thanks Kale."

"I won't be gone long. When I get done, I'll show you around and introduce you to my other brothers."

"Okay, sounds good."

"All right." Bain turned and headed out the door.

"Hey, Bain?"

"Yep."

"Thanks for... everything."

He winked at her. "My pleasure. Now hang out till I get back. Don't stray too far; it's easy to get lost in here."

"I think I'll wait right here till you get done."

Bain nodded and closed Izzy's door behind him. Now he needed to find out where Ro and Cree were, and why Lothar was calling a meeting.

# Chapter Sixteen

––––––––

Lothar was second in command of the Immortal warriors, but it wasn't like Cree to leave in the middle of the rise in Dark Fae activity in the Human World. Bain had told Izzy that there weren't many Fae in her world and six months ago, that would have been the truth, but there were more and more reports coming in from Hawk's Eye Security.

They had been expecting Zander's return. Every hundred years or so he made his way to the human realm, feeding off the luck of successful woman.

It was Zanders' MO. He had a thing about well-to-do and hard-working women. Bain had heard him say their luck was sweeter, stronger, and longer lasting. Bain hated the delicate balance of peace they held with the Dark. It was understood that luck-eating leprechauns would feed from humans. It wasn't right, but it was how it worked. Bain and his brothers were only allowed to interfere if a Fae went so far as to detrimentally harm a human. Most luck eaters didn't over indulge on one specimen. He growled lightly to himself—Izzy was no one's specimen.

The blond-streaked mahogany hair belonging to Lothar greeted Bain as he entered Cree's office. Whatever Lothar was studying, it kept him from lifting his head to greet his brothers.

Bain cleared his throat; he wanted to get this over with so he could get back to Izzy. She had a curious mind, and he wasn't sure how far that would lead her from her room. There was nothing that would hurt her here, but there was plenty to frighten her.

"Always the impatient one. Glad to have you home, Bain."

Bain smirked. "Nice to see you too. What's going on?"

Lothar sat in Cree's big, oversized leather desk chair. For being in a medieval castle, the office was very modern to human standards.

A large, glass-topped desk sat in front of big, picture-style windows, and bookshelves covered the far wall and held thousands of tomes; chronicling Fae history. There were a few novels for pleasure on one shelf. Cree liked to read human classics. A massive fireplace took up most of the opposite wall, where five chairs sat as a seating area angled towards Cree's desk.

"How is Miss Moreno adjusting to her loss of luck?"

"She's become quite accident prone." Bain lifted the corner of his lips, thoughts of her earlier healing flashing in his mind. Oh, how he had nearly taken advantage there.

Lothar pinched his brows together. "Why do I feel pleasure at that, brother?"

Damn empath.

Bain waved him off. "Don't worry about it."

"So she's given you a reason to stretch your abilities?" Lothar asked.

Bain nodded. Yes, she had. "So what's going on?"

Kale and Uriah came in then, arguing about something, pushing and joking around.

"You're late," Lothar told his two younger brothers with a smile.

"You do far too good of a Cree impression, Lothar," Kale drawled.

"And you almost do a good impression of an adult Kale," Lothar quipped.

Kale rolled his eyes and flopped into the seat next to Bain.

Uriah gave a nod in Bain's direction, and Bain returned the greeting.

"Okay, since we're all here, let's get started. Rowan has contacted Darion about Zander. Turns out the Dark Fae leader isn't overly concerned about a few humans, but Zander hasn't passed back into the human realm long enough for us to catch up with him, so we can't get to him without Darion's help."

Bain groaned; that was not what he was hoping to hear.

Lothar gave him a sympathetic nod. "Rowan isn't ready to let us go into Darion's territory and take Zander by force yet. But Zander isn't our only issue. I'm not sure how, but the Dark are flooding the Human World. I have a few reports of what sound like Fae attacks there."

"Where are Ro and Cree?" Bain ask suspiciously. This new information enforced his feelings that Cree and Ro should not have gone anywhere.

"They've gone to Lark. They left before I got the reports from the Human World."

Lark was a border village. They had problems with the Dark over the years in this particular village. Bain didn't like Rowan going there, but with Cree at her side, she'd be fine.

"What's happening in Lark?" Bain asked.

"The same old issues. Rowan went to enforce the magic at the border. They've had some petty thefts and fighting mainly. There was an uproar with one family; it seems their daughter disappeared with a brownie, but it looks like the two have been meeting secretly for a while now."

"Did the brownie influence her?" Uriah asked.

Brownie's were trouble-making Fae. They were good at twisting things and influencing others, but they were mostly harmless.

"No, she's a brownie as well. She knows all the tricks. She apparently loves him and wishes to leave the Light for the Dark—that's my impression anyway—so she can be with him."

"That's not good," Kale grunted. "We can't be losing our people to the Dark. That's why we pick sides; that's why were aligned." There was heat in Kale's voice, a reprimand born of something deeply embedded in him. For all his give-a-shit bravado and attitude, the alignment of the Fae was something he stood forcefully behind. Bain knew it was built of pain and betrayal, something he wondered if Kale would ever get over.

"True," Lothar agreed, "but this is one young individual. I'm not worried about the Light jumping ship. What I am worried about is all the Fae activity in the Human World."

Lothar looked to Uriah. "I want you and Kale to do a sweep of downtown Los Angeles. There have been reports of what sounds like vampire activity."

Bain sighed, and Uriah smiled wide. "Isabelle would get a kick out of that. How long did it take for you to convince her you weren't a vampire?"

Bain threw a decorative pillow at Uriah; Cree's office hadn't escaped his sister's touch.

"Ha," Kale bellowed. "She called you a vampire?" His brown eyes were sparkling.

"I'm surprised you didn't already know... and no, she asked if we were vampires."

"Did you tell her vampires are real?" Kale wiped at his eye. He loved Bain's reaction when he was called or even associated with vamps.

Granted all vamps to this day had aligned themselves with the Dark, but they were Fae and he really wasn't sure where Bain's hatred for the bloodsuckers had come from. But he enjoyed the fire that sparked in Bain's personality when any conversation turned to the vamps. Of course, Kale loved anything that had to do with fire.

"No," Bain grunted. "She was freaked out enough."

"I can't believe you didn't lull her with your boyish good looks. What happened?" Kale mocked.

Bain gave him the one-finger salute. "Have fun patrolling, brothers."

"Before you go, Bain, Rowan and Cree will be back tomorrow afternoon to meet with Isabelle, and Meriah will be here in a couple hours for your feeding."

Bain raised a brow. "I'm good for a least another week."

"I asked her to come early. You've been in the Human World longer than usual and even you admitted you've been doing a lot of healing."

Bain nodded. "Fine."

# Chapter Seventeen

––––––––

Izzy lay flat on her back, hugged in the soft material of the large bed that took center stage in the room Kale and Bain had left her in.

Her instincts to stay put had warred with her overwhelming curiosity; she wanted to explore the castle.

She'd spent the last half hour longingly gazing out her window. It was a beautiful piece of arched glass with a stunning pink, green, yellow, and blue stained glass, turning the arch into a separate piece of stunning artwork—a Celtic sun shining against a blue sky with a single blooming pink rose. Below the piece of artwork stood a large window that looked out onto the gardens, a large, rolling grassy area, a few small homes, and beyond that was another curtain wall to the fortress. It was a small, well-guarded village of sorts.

Izzy watched the people below. They were so very normal. A few small children played in a field, while couples walked hand and hand, and others carried goods towards the center of the castle's fortress. She had watched them while she waited for Bain's return.

Garcia had grumbled until she let him loose in the room. He had made his way to the windowsill to stare out at the sights with her, his tail twitching. She had eventually given in and opened the door that led to a small balcony off her room. Garcia had found his way down to the ground and went bouncing off in the grass. He'd stopped a few feet away from the building, not straying too far.

She met the sweet, older man named Darnell. He was short and a little stout with rosy cheeks, grey hair, and a very sweet disposition. He had brought her some refreshments and then insisted on unpacking for her. She smiled and worked alongside of him, until he'd bid her good-bye to see to arrangements for the evening's dinner.

Now she lay on the bed, twiddling her thumbs, staring at the exquisite ceiling over her bed. It was a large skylight that let the dimming light of late afternoon into her room. The sun was fading, and the deep orange and pink of the setting sun bathed her room in a magical light. She couldn't wait to see the stars tonight as she lay in her bed in this magical world.

"Am I interrupting?"

Izzy lifted her head to the deep bass of Bain's voice. He stood with his hip pressed against the doorframe and his muscled arms crossed over his chest, with a twinkle of mischief in his violet eyes.

"I'd say it's polite to knock, you never know what I could be doing in here, but this is your home."

Bain smirked at her. "What could you possibly be doing that you would need to hide from me?"

Izzy narrowed her eyes and sighed. "I could have been changing or something."

Bain chuckled, a deep, sensual noise that wrapped around her. "Ah, that would have been my good fortune."

Izzy shook her head and sat up. "Is everything ok with your brothers?"

Bain nodded. "Everything's good. Uriah and Kale are headed to Los Angeles; there's been some Fae activity there that they need to check out. I was also informed that Cree and Rowan are headed back this way, but have a bit of a journey ahead of them."

"Ok, so that leaves... Lothar, right?" Bain nodded and smiled; she'd remembered his brothers' names. "Do I get to meet him?"

Bain's smile widened. "You sure do, at dinner, so get changed and we'll head that way."

Izzy looked down at her attire. Her jeans were a good pair, dark and form fitting, and her top was simple, but looked good.

"Um, what should I wear?"

Bain did a quick check over her body. A lot less as far as he was concerned, but that would be for only his eyes.

"Check your closet. I'm sure Darnell put a dress in there for you"

She had seen a swath of deep champagne-colored fabric. The color kind of reminded her of Bain's hair, a rich, complex color. Izzy pulled the dress from the closet and raised a brow at him. Were they going to a ball?

"Seriously?" she asked.

Was this going to be like a bad movie where he played a joke on her, and she ended up completely over dressed for the evening?

Bain cocked a brow at her. "I think it will do nicely."

"What kind of dinner are we going to?" she asked as she held the dress up against her body. It was beautiful. A little renaissance in style, drop-waist corseted front, long and elegant as the silk material dropped to the floor. The real difference from a true renaissance dress was its lack of sleeves. It was lovely with light, soft beading along the bust.

"A dinner at the castle of the Light Fae leader," he said almost sarcastically.

She glared at him. She hadn't thought about it like that. She was well versed in human etiquette, but not Fae. A small flutter in her stomach had her suddenly feeling nauseous.

"I don't think so. I'm not that hungry."

Bain scoffed. "Izzy, come on. I've seen the way you eat. You have an impressive appetite."

"Hey!" she snapped, insulted.

Bain laughed. "It's not an insult"

Not at all... Bain's gaze slid over her. Her body was perfect with its feminine curves; it was soft and supple. Perfect breast, a thin waist, and curved hips created a flawless, elegant hourglass.

"Besides, its tradition for those staying at the castle to come together for dinner. Think of it like your family's Sunday night dinners."

Izzy rested a hand on her hip. "How many people come to your family dinners, Bain?"

"I believe there are around twenty others joining us tonight."

"Twenty? Are any of them human?"

She knew the answer, but hope had her asking anyway.

Bain winked at her. "Just one."

"Bain." She sounded whiny, even to her own ears.

What was wrong with her? She wasn't a nervous person. Where had the strong, independent woman gone? Oh, right, she was in completely uncharted territory. She trust Bain to no end at this point, but that didn't mean she could trust everyone she met here. Just like she couldn't trust everyone from her own world. However, they didn't have magic they could use against her.

"Izzy..." He mocked her tone playfully. "None of these people are going to bite, not you anyway." He smirked. "We're going to have dinner. You'll get to meet Lothar and a few others who reside here. The dress is just a formality. Even I don't get to wear jeans to Rowan's dinners."

Bain held a hand up. He saw Izzy preparing to argue. "Yes, I realize Rowan isn't here, but this is just tradition. You'll get used to it."

Izzy's brows furrowed... She'd get used to it? How long did Bain plan to keep her here?

Bain sighed. "You're not a prisoner here, Izzy. I will take you back whenever you want. All I ask is that you stay and meet with Rowan so she can help you."

How did he seem to always know what she was thinking?

"How do you keep doing that?"

"Doing what?" he asked.

"Twice, in just this conversation, you've seemed to know what I was thinking or what I was about to say. How do you keep doing that?"

Bain tapped the side of his nose "Your scent gives you away, especially when you're about to argue."

"Oh, okay... but wait, how can Rowan help me?"

"She's part leprechaun," he said seriously.

"Wait... what? So are you part leprechaun?"

"No." Bain smiled. "Fae genetics work differently than humans. Our great grandfather carried leprechaun blood, and it's active in Rowan's blood, though it's not luck-eater blood. Mine is all healer and Immortal Fae."

"What kind of leprechaun is she?"

"Our grandfather carried the blood of a Talanton Leprechaun."

Izzy stared at him expectantly.

"It a sub-species of leprechaun that promotes and helps to balance the good and bad luck each of us carries."

"Got it." She smiled. "So does that mean if you have children, they could have the leprechaun gene?"

Bain nodded.

"So, what exactly is Rowan going to do for me?"

"She can't give you back your luck, but she can help balance what you have left. Just being in the Middle World should help a little. Have you had any mishaps since we got here?"

Come to think of it... No, she'd been fine since they'd arrived. She shook her head.

"Good, that's a start. Now change for dinner, please. I'll be right next door getting ready if you need me."

"Fine, I'll get dressed up, but I want that tour after dinner."

"You got it, sweetheart."

Izzy smiled and turned to head into the bathroom. She liked it when he called her sweetheart, even though it had started out as a smug pet name. She liked to think of it as endearing now.

# Chapter Eighteen

––––––––

The man was sex appeal in a suit. She'd been sneaking as many peeks at him as possible over the past week. She'd finally gotten a good look at his tattoo; it was the same as the shield over the entrance to the castle, with some tribal surrounding it. It had added an extra layer to the gorgeous package that was Bain... The man was too good looking; he wreaked havoc on her senses. Then he showed up at her door in a suit.

Izzy smiled as she held Bain's arm, and they walked through the main keep to a large dining hall. She had caught him staring at her profile a few times, and she couldn't hide the flutter it caused.

She had a feeling he liked the dress when he showed up at her door to escort her to dinner. He had stared, slack jawed, at her in her champagne dress. While she had much the same response to him, she wondered if there might have been drool escaping her glossed lips. Bain wore black slacks and a white, button-up shirt. He'd left the top few buttons undone, allowing her to peek at the skin beneath. He had a black sport coat slung over his shoulder, the perfect 007 stance, and gleam in his eye. The man was dangerously sexy.

"Deep breath, Izzy. It's time to enter the lion's den," Bain joked as they approached the large, double doors that separated them from the dining hall.

"Be quiet. It's not fair to freak me out or make fun of me. I know nothing of your world or your traditions."

Bain tucked a loose curl behind her ear. "We aren't all that different from you and your customs, and this is merely a family dining situation. We are a little formal, but only because of where we are. You look beautiful, so be yourself, eat some food, drink some wine, and enjoy my people. They'll adore you."

She looked up at him with a full smile that plumped her lips in a very sexy way. "How do you know?"

"Know what?" he asked.

"That they'll adore me?" she joked through hooded lashes.

Bain lifted her chin with his knuckles so he could look her full in the eyes. "Because I adore you."

The doors opened to the dining hall before Izzy could respond. She wasn't sure she could speak to respond anyway... He adored her? And she thought he found her frustrating most the time. So, Izzy simply smiled as Bain escorted her into the "lion's den".

The dining hall had large windows, tapestry-covered stone walls, a large fireplace, and a table large enough to comfortable seat the twenty or so Fae that filled the room. Izzy had to admit she thought the room would be larger. A candle and crystal chandelier lit the room in a very soft light, setting a comfortable ambiance. The room was still beautiful, just not what she had pictured.

"Not what you were expecting?" Bain whispered.

"Honestly... I thought it would be bigger," she admitted.

"You women and your obsession with size; you're always wanting more."

Izzy arched a brow at him. Cheeky... so freaking cheeky.

"How would you know about our obsessions with size?" she asked boldly. "Is there something you'd like to share with me?"

"Mmm." Bain let out a soft, low growl that sounded more like a moan. "There is plenty I would like to share with you, but trust me, sweetheart... size is not something you'd have to complain about."

Izzy moistened her lip, before pulling her bottom lip between her teeth.

Bain chuckled softly. "This is the smallest of the three dining halls."

"Got it, I think we've been spotted," she whispered as she caught a tall Fae woman eyeing them.

Bain lifted his gaze and smiled. He stepped from Izzy's side to embrace the woman as she approached them. The woman cupped Bain's cheeks, a brilliant smile on her face.

"It's about time you came home and actually joined us for dinner. I don't like you spending that much time in the Human World." The woman had affection in her voice as she spoke to him.

She gazed at Bain with love, causing a pit to form in Izzy's stomach. Who was this woman? Did Bain have a wife or a Fae equivalent? The woman appeared to be a bit older than Bain, streaks of shimmering white weaved through her blonde hair. She had stunning, almond-shaped, reddish purple eyes and was lean and gorgeous.

Izzy couldn't deny the truth of it... she was magnificent. Everything about her from the smooth, silvery tone of her voice to the beautiful purple and gold gown she wore, screamed high society or possibly even royalty.

The woman let go of Bain's face to wrap him tight in her arms, Bain returned the gesture with fervor. If he wasn't careful, he might break her in half.

Izzy watched them closely. She had no right to feel the sting of jealousy that was coursing through her. She had no claim on this Immortal and, really, how much did she know about him? Or the Fae for that matter... For all she knew, they didn't believe in monogamy. This stunning woman could be one of many women who Bain enjoyed. Or they could be like the Sister Wives and he could be married to multiple women.

She really knew very little about this world. Bain had answered all her questions, but she really hadn't posed many. She had willingly stepped into this world with this man, without getting much in the way of facts. She could be standing in a room full of creatures that would eat her for all she knew—all because she had been blindsided by a pretty face.

Izzy suddenly felt very exposed and unsure of the situation she now found herself in.

When Bain finally let the woman go and focused back on Izzy, he gave her a quizzical look, his brows forming a V as he tried to assess her sudden change in mood.

Shit. What parts of her musings were written on her face?

"Isabelle, this is Lady Esperanza, but I call her Mother."

"Mother?" Izzy's eyes shot between the two of them. Crap, she saw it now. Bain had the same face shape as the stunning woman.

"Yes, I admit I am responsible for this one. And you must be the human I've heard so much about."

Izzy wasn't sure what the difference in her tone when she said the words human meant. Somehow, it didn't seem like a compliment.

She continued, "Your kind... well, they fascinate me, they always have."

Fascinate did not sound like a compliment at all either. In fact, it sounded like a dig.

"Oh... really, and how is that?" Izzy held the woman's mysterious gaze.

"Mom." Bain's voice sounded in a warning tone.

"Oh Bain, relax, I meant nothing by it. I find her species interesting—is that a crime?"

"No," Izzy answered, but wondered if she found them interesting like a scientist finds a new bug species interesting, like something to dissect. Izzy kept a smile on her face as she continued, "I'm curious about your world and your people as well."

Lady Esperanza smiled. "Perhaps my son will allow me a little of your time during your stay with us, so we can learn from one another."

"Sounds lovely," Izzy continued with a smile plastered on her face.

Esperanza turned her sights back on Bain. "She is charming, Bain." She patted his cheek and walked off to a small group of Fae woman.

Izzy arched a brow at him. "Should I be insulted? She didn't make charming sound like a compliment."

Bain shook his head with a forced smile on his face. "It's nothing to be concerned about, I assure you. Come, I'll introduce you to Lothar."

––––––––

Dinner was amazing, and the company was pretty good too. They folded Izzy into their world easily, making her feel welcomed. She laughed as Esperanza told stories of Bain's childhood, she sat mesmerized as Lothar and Bain reminisced about battles from their past, and shook her head at some of the stories of the five brothers.

She was intrigued and couldn't wait to meet Rowan, as everyone spoke so highly of her. She learned of Bain's father, who had passed nearly a century ago, but she could still see the pain in both Bain and his mothers' eyes. They had inquired about Izzy's family, and she was, as always, proud and willing to talk about them. They were an important part of her life; hell, if she was honest, they were her life.

When dinner was over and the others began to disperse, Bain pulled her chair out for her and took her hand.

"It was lovely to meet you," she told Lothar as they exited the room

"I was thinking much the same, Isabelle," Lothar said, smiling at her. His smile was reflected in the grayish-blue of his eyes.

He seemed very honest and real. She wondered if that had something to do with his gift. An empath would be empathetic, feeling what others felt would make you hard pressed to be anything but raw and real with them, right? Regardless, she instantly liked him. He reminded her of Uriah, gentle and trustworthy, which made sense, seeing as how they were actually biologically related.

# Chapter Nineteen

––––––––

"You still up for a tour? Or did my family suck the last of your energy?"

Izzy bumped her shoulder against him. "Not hardly, they were fascinating and very welcoming."

She didn't mention her previous bug and scientist analogy that she had originally thought about his mother. Lady Esperanza had scrutinized every move, every word, and every glance her son made. Izzy had a feeling she was walking away with mommy's little boy.

Bain looked down at her, seriousness to his tone when he spoke. "So, no fear of the Fae?"

Izzy chewed on her cheek. "No, not really. I will confess... it's still surreal and amazing the different things your people can do."

Bain had to admit everyone was very forthcoming; Izzy didn't have to ask anyone what they could do. As the stories flowed, most everyone's abilities were revealed.

"So, I got the impression that you and Kale were troublemakers as children."

"Kale and I, we were... free spirits," Bain amended her troublemaker comment.

"Ah, so that's what you call it here? Well, sounds like you're really close with your family that's important. My family is everything to me."

"I know. I could see the twinkle in your eye when you spoke of them, plus I've seen you with them."

They walked quietly as they made their way through the castle's keep and the main living quarters. Bain pointed out a few things as they meandered through the stone walls of his home.

"This is the main living area, the hole, that myself and my brother's share, though Cree rarely uses it. He and Rowan have their own separate apartment—if you will—on the top floor of the keep."

The living room—as she would call it—was large, with polished marble floors and a few intricate wool rugs. Izzy ran a manicured finger over the felt of a billiards table and raised a brow at Bain. "Pool? Didn't expect that."

"Do you play?"

"I can, I'm not that good, though I do enjoy the challenge."

"We'll have to practice; I'm a good teacher."

Izzy smiled, heat rising in her veins. "I bet you are."

She did a turn to take in the rest of the room: bookshelves, a large, plasma TV, a bar, couch, another massive fireplace, and a round table with a deck of cards.

A bachelor pad.

"What's out there?" she asked, gesturing to a set of glass doors.

"The gardens and a pool. Come on, I'll show you."

Izzy followed him out into the crisp, but comfortable fall evening. The stars were bright, and looked the same as they did at home—in the Human World. She even saw the Big Dipper; it was the one constellation she knew and could almost always find.

"You have the same constellations," she said it more to herself than to Bain, but he nodded.

Bain led her deeper into the gardens through a hedge maze that led out into a large, grassy area. Bain set his jacket down on the grass and sat next to it. He patted the material for Izzy to sit next to him. She smiled and sat.

Bain lay back in the grass, and Izzy followed suit. Bain took her hand and slid his head close to hers in an effort to gain the same line of sight that she had. He wrapped his hand around hers and traced the Big Dipper with her finger in the air.

"The Big Dipper, as humans tend to call it."

"That's the one and only one I can ever find." She smiled and laughed softly.

"We call it Ursa Major or the Big Bear, but yeah it's the Big Dipper and there's the Little Dipper." He gestured to the smaller set of stars creating the same shape.

Bain then moved her hand to the right and traced out a triangle with two bright stars at its base. He drew a line down from each of them, to two other bright stars, with another, slightly dimmer one between the two, and then followed down to two other stars.

"That's The Hunter," Bain whispered.

"Orion?" Izzy asked softly. She was pretty sure people referred to Orion as The Hunter.

Bain nodded and continued to point out constellations and tell Izzy the stories behind them. Most of them were of Greek origin.

"They're the same stories I remember from Mythology back in seventh grade." She was surprised they would share the same legends.

"They are the same stories; we share the same skies. The Fae grew alongside your Human World and at one point in time, we grew with the humans."

"So what happened? Why don't we know about your people now?"

"Because humans evolved and western religion, fear, and hate began to taint your species against anything different from its own. Wars broke out, and my people made the choice to return to our world and protect our people. Some felt humans should become slaves to our will and needs, while other preferred to come back to our lands and leave the humans to find their way to acceptance again."

Izzy could feel Bain's eyes on her as she mulled over his words. It sounded just like human nature; fearing what they don't understand, and fighting because of that fear, but she continued to stare at the stars instead of saying anything. One star in particular caught her eye; it was bright, out shining all the twinkling spots around it.

Finding that particular star as a good of an excuse as any to veer away from the poor decisions mankind was notorious for making, she asked, "Is that the Northern star?"

"Ah... the one thing we see differently. Yes, it is the same as your Northern star, but we call it the Immortal Heart here." Bain's gaze was locked on the star, and now Izzy was drinking in his profile.

"Tell me about it," she said softly, staring at the bright star again.

Bain smiled. "The Immortal Heart belonged to a very special Fae—our god of sorts. The story is of his love. She died in the first major war between the Dark and the Light. When Ekon found her dying and, Jelena—one of the three Immortal sisters—came for her, Ekon begged that she give Estrena back to him. Jelena could not, but rather than take her to the Underworld, where Ekon could not gaze upon her beauty any longer, she turned her into our brightest star, to always watch over him. Over the centuries he spent without Estrena, he never took another woman. He had loved Estrena far too deeply to ever hold another. When Ekon was on his death bed, Estrena came down, a star floating from the skies to our land, and took him home with her."

Bain turned his head then to look at Izzy. She had a twinkle in her own eyes. "That's beautiful."

Ah hell, Bain couldn't take it. He wanted to hold her, to touch her, to finally kiss her. It had taken every bit of strength he had today not to slip his tongue past her parted lips and kiss her until he was dizzy, drunk off her spicy scent and taste. He reached out to cup Izzy's cheek, anchoring his fingers on her neck. He dropped his lips to hers. Izzy's lips parted, as she offered no resistance to his move.

With her soft lips parted, Bain slid his tongue beyond the plump, subtle curve of her mouth. With each little twist, he deepened the kiss and Izzy met his hunger. She moaned softly as he pulled her tongue into his mouth and sucked gently. Izzy ran her fingers through the silk strands of Bain's blond locks and pressed her breast hard against his chest.

Finally, she thought as she gave up every inhibition she had and melted into his touch.

Bain rolled them over so he lay half on top of her. His hand gathered the silk fabric of her dress, slowly pulling it up to her hip. He ran his rough, battle-ready hand up and down her thigh, her softness a welcome feeling to his fingers. He wanted to feel more of her. Bain slid his hand under her bottom and pulled her hard against him. When she moaned into his mouth, he knew she'd felt his erection; he was hard as stone for her.

Every inch of him wanted to be covered by her skin, and every inch of his hard flesh wanted to slide into her slow and steady. He could make love to Izzy for hours, no rush. He would keep her in his bed as long as she would let him and when she thought she would want to move, he'd make love to her again just to keep her with him a little longer... Such new thoughts to him. He had never cared to keep a woman, but this sweet, stubborn human had pushed her way into his heart and caused a deep need his body readied itself to satisfy.

Izzy rocked her hips gently against his harden flesh. My God, she wanted him, every broad, sexy piece of him. She wanted the wicked promise of satisfaction Bain offered, but she also wanted the slow, passionate man that hid behind all the arrogant, bold, confidence that washed around him. She knew it was there; she'd glimpsed it multiple times in the past few days. She was falling for everything about this man.

A throat cleared, silencing Izzy's thoughts and moans, while pulling a growl from Bain as he tucked her face into the crook of his neck, hiding her from the intruder's view and pulling her dress back down her leg.

"My apologies, Master Bain, but Meriah is here."

Bain sighed, lowering his mouth to Izzy's ear. "I'm sorry; I have to go see her. Niles will escort you to your room. I can't keep her waiting."

Izzy's heart froze. Her eyes were sad and thankfully hooded as Bain stood and gently pulled her up with him. Was he seriously going to walk away from her right now? To go see another woman? Meriah was definitely a woman's name.

"Niles, escort Miss Moreno back to her room, please."

The intruder nodded and smiled sympathetically at her. Izzy forced a smile, hoping to hide her hurt and disappointment.

"I'll come see you when I'm done. I'm sorry, Izzy."

She didn't meet his eyes. "Don't worry about it. I'll see you tomorrow. I've had enough excitement for one day. I think I'll turn in for the evening."

Bain watched as Izzy walked off with Niles. Was she angry? Yeah, couldn't say that he blamed her. Niles had shitty timing. He was certainly going to be feeling an ache because of it.

Bain spread his wings and flew off to meet with Meriah. She always waited in the chapel. It seemed she felt most comfortable in the place others went to accept and mourn those who were now residing in her realm.

# Chapter Twenty

––––––––

Izzy snuck past Bain's door, fighting the urge to fling it open and give him an earful. She'd spent the past couple hours fantasizing about where their grassy romp could have led and steaming over why he had left her, with Niles to escort her back to her room.

Who the hell was Meriah?

Had she been throwing herself on a man who belonged to someone else? Talk about a bastard if that was the case. She didn't believe in falling into these kinds of situations with someone else's man. Cheating was unacceptable, no matter the circumstances, and if the Fae had an open policy when it came to lovers, she definitely couldn't get on board with that.

She had thought she heard someone at her door about an hour ago, but when she peeked out into the hall, there was no one there.

Wishful thinking maybe.

Izzy remembered how to get back to the living room. At least there, she could put in a movie or something. There was little to entertain her in her opulent room, other than a giant bed.

Izzy sighed.

It seemed relatively quiet as she made her way down the hall, so she didn't think she'd be disturbing anyone. Bain had said Uriah and Kale were gone, which meant there was only Bain and Lothar who might possibly be using the living room. She smiled as Garcia followed behind her. He'd stayed close, but was still the curious cat she'd always known. He had explored, only returning to her room about an hour before she and Bain had left for dinner. Garcia had made himself comfortable on the raised bed Darnell had brought in for him. The sweet man had even brought in beautiful, carved crystal bowls for Garcia's food and water dishes.

"Here we go, Garcia. This is their living room, behave yourself."

Garcia sat at her feet, his green eyes shrewd as he meowed at her.

Izzy smiled and opened the door to the cracking of a hard break on the billiards table. She stopped in the doorway, contemplating turning around, but Uriah's gentle eyes caught sight of her before she could change her mind and turn away.

"Isabelle, come in."

Izzy inched into the room, closing the door behind her, Garcia watched the men briefly before making his way to a fluffy rug that sat in front of the fireplace.

"You wanna join us? You can play winner. It won't take me long to beat Uriah." Kale grinned, allowing his fangs to peak out.

He wagged his brows at her as he slammed the cue ball, hitting the purple and yellow ball, sending them slamming into opposite corner pockets.

Izzy laughed. "I don't think so. It will take you mere seconds to beat me, but if it's all right, I wouldn't mind hanging out."

Uriah dipped his chin. "Of course, make yourself comfortable. There is a fully stocked bar and plenty of books and movies."

"Sounds good, thanks."

"Are you having trouble sleeping?" Kale asked as he took his next shot.

Izzy shrugged. "Yeah, I guess."

Uriah was up. Kale made a quick trip to the bar, pouring two shot glasses full of a clear liquid. He set one next to Izzy where she had perched herself on a bar stool next to a tall table, where she could watch them battle it out.

She eyed the liquid, and then lifted her narrowed gaze to Kale. "What is it?"

Kale smiled. "Patron, it might help make you sleepy."

She grabbed the shot glass, taking the smooth tequila like a champ. "Or get me drunk." She smiled.

Kale laughed. "You like tequila?"

"I think it runs in my veins. I have family from Mexico."

Kale laughed and lifted his shot glass to take his drink, before retrieving the bottle of Patron and a tumbler with ice, and what Izzy guessed was brandy for Uriah.

"So I thought you guys were in Los Angeles tonight?" she asked as the two sat with her, their game forgotten.

"We were; the problem has been neutralized," Uriah explained.

"Wow, that sounds like a very political way of saying something like we 'killed the issue'."

Uriah smiled at her. "We did not kill them, but they are back in Darion's land."

"So what kind of Fae was it you were after tonight? More luck eaters?" she joked.

Kale snickered. "No and you will either enjoy this or hate it, but we were after vampires tonight."

Izzy's eyes went to the side, catching Uriah's sheepish grin, and she couldn't help but push his shoulder. "Vampires are real!"

Uriah laughed. "Yes, they are, and that is why Bain hates being confused with them. He despises the creatures."

Izzy snorted. Whatever, he could get over himself.

"Hmm... I can't believe they're real. Bain made such a fuss about humans needing to broaden their horizons, but vampires are real."

Kale filled her shot glass again. "Most people would be frightened by the idea of vampires being real."

"If I was frightened by everything I didn't understand, I certainly wouldn't be sitting here drinking with the two of you. Just because something or someone is different then you, doesn't mean your first instinct should be to fear them."

"That is very wise," Uriah agreed, setting his glass down and taking aim on the billiards table again.

Izzy spent a couple hours hanging out with Uriah and Kale. They even convinced her to play a round of pool on Kale's team. She didn't do too badly, but he cleared the table for their team. She had slowed down on the Patron. She knew it was a good call when all her thoughts kept straying to one Immortal in particular, who was going to be sleeping in the room next to hers.

She and Garcia padded off, leaving Kale and Uriah to continue their battle over who was better at slamming balls... She giggled to herself. Okay, maybe she should have declined that last shot.

"Izzy? What are you doing?"

Izzy turned to see Bain coming up fast behind her.

Izzy raised a brow at him. What was he doing? Was he just getting back?

"I was visiting with Uriah and Kale, and now I'm off to bed. What are you doing?"

"I was with Lothar." He took a step closer to her. "Damn Kale," he muttered.

"What?" she asked, resting her hands on her hips.

Bain lips twitched. "He shared his vice with you."

"Yeah, I had a few drinks with them. I wasn't tired, so I went to the living room, and he and Uriah were in there playing pool."

"I know, I was with Lothar when they returned. I thought you said you were going to bed?"

Izzy narrowed her eyes at him. "I did, but I was restless. I thought it was fine if I walked around here."

"It is fine, but I would have come back if I'd known you weren't sleeping." He took another step towards her, wrapping his arm around her waist.

Izzy wanted to step back, wanted to push him away, wanted to be pissed that he was even touching her, but her traitorous libido flared to life with his proximity.

Bain dropped his lips to hers, but Izzy turned her head before they made contact and whispered, "Who is Meriah?"

Bain stiffened against her, and for Izzy, that was answer enough. She pulled out of his embrace.

"Come on, Garcia," she called, hurrying the last few steps to her sanctuary. Izzy forced herself not to look back as she shut her and Garcia in her room.

"What did you say to her?" a sarcastic voice asked from behind Bain. He whirled on Kale, a frustrated growl escaping his throat.

"Whoa there, big guy, calm down."

"I am calm, but I don't know what I did," Bain said, dragging his hand through his hair.

"She's upset and confused," Lothar said as he rounded the corner.

"No shit," Bain said sarcastically.

Lothar grinned. "What happened?"

Bain shrugged.

"You must have some clue."

"Everything was good... really good, until Niles interrupted us." Bain had that wicked smirk, cocking one side of his mouth up a little higher than the other.

Kale rolled his eyes.

"What did Niles say when he interrupted you?" Lothar asked.

"That Meriah was waiting for me."

Kale let out a howl of laughter. "You can be so fucking thick sometimes." He patted Bain's shoulder and moved on past him and Lothar. "Good night, brothers."

Bain glared, and then turned to Lothar.

"Bain, I realize that actually caring for a female, as I can sense you do for Isabelle, is new to you, but think about it. You two were having a good time—as you put it—and you leave because someone tells you another woman is waiting on you. How do you imagine she felt? What if it had been reversed and she left you because another man was waiting on her?"

Bain sighed, and closed his eye. Damn it, Kale was right... he really was thick. He never considered that Izzy had no clue who Meriah was. Damn, he was an idiot.

"Well?" Lothar pushed.

"He'd probably be in the field, searching for his family jewels right about now."

Lothar chuckled. "Go talk to her, and I do mean talk to her. This is confusing for her; I sense her wariness in this situation. I don't know if it's because you're not human, or if it is just that she hasn't cared this much for someone. Regardless, you need to explain to her who Meriah is."

# Chapter Twenty-One

––––––––

"You really don't believe in knocking, do you?" Izzy mumbled around her toothbrush as Bain let himself into her room.

She watched his gaze drop to her ass from his reflection in the bathroom mirror. She couldn't help but smirk.

Izzy washed her mouth out and turned to face Bain. He stood in the middle of her room, simply watching her. Izzy popped her hip to rest on the frame of the bathroom door. She wasn't in her sexiest of pajamas, but he seemed to appreciate the view nonetheless. Her midnight blue, boy-short panties and her white and blue jersey tee with its giant double zeroes stretched tightly across her chest were sexy in their own way.

Bain cocked a grin at her as his gaze slowly devoured her; she felt like prey to this perfect predator.

"We should talk," he finally said as his gaze met her eyes again.

"Your eyes are glowing," she whispered.

Bain strode towards her. "That happens when I'm hungry," he murmured in her ear as he pressed up against her. "And you, sweetheart, spark a deep hunger in me."

He dropped his lips to her neck, laying gentle kisses between nips and licks of her sensitive skin. Bain wrapped his arms behind her, taking hold of her ass and lifting her up. On reflex and desire, Izzy wrapped her legs around Bain's waist, a small moan slipping past her lips as she rocked her hips and rubbed against him. She was acting like an animal in heat. Bain's lips moved up her neck and followed her elegant jawline until their lips met in a dizzying kiss.

Izzy turned her head, only after enjoying his lips for a short while.

"Who is Meriah?" she asked in a much stronger voice then she had before.

Damn it, Bain had gone about this wrong. Lothar would be shaking his head right now. He was supposed to explain all of this to her, before acting like a rutting animal and all but forcing himself on her.

Bain sighed, and let Izzy's feet touch the ground again. However, he pressed her against the wall because he was not willing to let go of her. Not now... he wasn't going to be interrupted this time.

"Meriah is one of the Immortal Three. It was time for my feeding."

Something passed over Izzy's face, a darkening of her eyes, and then a sexy twist took hold of her lips. "So, not a girlfriend or a former lover?"

It was a statement, not a question, but Bain nodded. "No, certainly not."

Izzy's tongue slipped past her lips, moistening them before she lifted up onto her toes and led her mouth back to Bain's.

"Good, I don't make out or sleep with someone else's man." She pushed her hips forward and nipped his bottom lip. Bain let out a deep, throaty groan as he carried her to the bed.

He laid Izzy on her back, never removing himself from between her thighs.

"Since we're being honest," he said as he gathered the hem of her shirt and moved it up her stomach, kissing the flat plane as he pushed it up and over her head to drop it on the floor next to them. A small growl rumbled from deep in his throat as she arched her exposed breast to him. "While normally a little alcohol makes for an exciting night, but not the first time. I will pleasure you all night long, Izzy, but I won't take advantage. We won't be having sex tonight."

"What?" She breathed out the word on a heated moan as Bain took one nipple in his mouth and worried the other between his rough fingers.

Bain chuckled against her hardened nipple. "No sex, Izzy."

"What?" She nearly squealed the question as Bain ran his hand lower, running his knuckles along the slit to her core.

"Don't worry, sweet Izzy," he said, slipping one finger past her folds. "I plan to take care of you tonight."

Izzy didn't have the urge to argue. Why would she? She'd let this man do anything to her.

Bain continued to pleasure her nipples, occasionally nipping at the hardened peaks, as he slipped a finger inside of her. Izzy rocked her hips, and Bain slid another finger deep inside of her.

She was tight and wet, giving Bain pause at his no-sex statement. He increased her pleasure with his thumb, pressing it hard against the swollen, pink, flesh-covered ball of nerves, following the pressure with a smooth, circular motion. Bain moved his mouth down Izzy's stomach to her navel, and then dipped lower. Anticipation slammed Izzy as Bain ran his tongue over her inner thigh.

"Please, Bain," she whispered as her hips jerked. She was near begging, but she didn't care how it sounded. It had been too long since she'd had a man take the time to sate her needs.

A soft chuckle tickled her skin as Bain pulled his fingers from her. Izzy was instantly hit with the loss of the pressure, but quickly recovered as a long, steady, moist stroke replaced it. Bain's tongue teased her and his teeth nibbled her clit, before pushing his fingers inside of her again.

Izzy cried out as her muscle tightened, and Bain's tongue stroked her with a new fervor. When the sweeping fire of her orgasm hit, Bain held her thighs apart so she couldn't close them and cut him off from his gift of her orgasm.

Izzy was slammed with a heat that she hadn't felt in years. The man had barely begun and she was a writhing, moaning mess on the bed beneath him. She tried to close her legs and squirm away. She wasn't sure her body could handle another touch from him without her heart racing to a dangerous level. She was sure with one more touch from his skilled hands or sinful tongue, Ventricular tachycardia would soon follow. Still, Bain held her thighs open, his fingers lightly biting into her soft flesh. He nuzzled her thigh before returning to her core and starting his sweet assault again.

"Bain... I can't... I can't take anymore."

Bain lifted his head, his masculine smile bordering on self-satisfied and arrogant.

"I think you can. You taste too good, sweetheart. I'm not nearly done with you," he whispered before dropping his head again.

Izzy's own head fell back on the pillow as her back arched with the next wave of pleasure and a fast coming, knock-you-down orgasm.

Izzy lay motionless in bed, curled up against Bain's side. No matter how hard she'd tried, and no matter how many times she tried to convince him she was sober enough to make the decision to have sex, he wouldn't give in. Even though she could see he wanted to.

He was a talented man. He spent hours pleasuring her, taking nothing for himself. Well, she wasn't sure that was entirely true... he seemed to enjoy the effects of her orgasms, but that wasn't the same, so Izzy promised herself she would rectify that this morning.

"I need a shower," she whispered against his chest.

They'd been laying there in silence for the past half hour at least. She pressed small kisses to his muscled chest while he played with a lock of her hair. She got the impression that Bain wasn't the type to stay the night, but he had with her. He had even held her tight against him while she fell into the best night of sleep she'd had in a long while.

"I'll go run the water for you."

Izzy lifted her head to look at him. "Thank you, then you can get naked and wait for me in there."

Bain smiled, a twinkle of heat in his eyes as they started to glow. "Whatever you say, sweetheart."

Izzy pulled the sheet to her chest as Bain slipped from bed and started the shower.

Izzy followed not long after Bain, sliding the glass door aside to climb into the tile shower. It was a large square of neutral colors with a high showerhead. Izzy licked her lip as she watched the beads of hot, steamy water slide down Bain's back and over the hard, perfectly shaped muscles of his ass.

"I can feel your eyes on me, Izzy. Get over here." Bain reached back, grabbed her arm, and pulled her to him.

Izzy laughed as the water rained down on them. Bain ran his fingers through her hair, pushing the soaked locks from her face. She lifted up on tiptoes and placed a light kiss on his lips. He reached out to pull her close, but she pulled back, shaking her head at him, with a wicked smile on her lips.

"What are you up too?" Bain narrowed his eyes at her, though still smiling.

Izzy kept their eyes locked as she slid the length of his body to her knees.

Bain's brows lifted as a soft sigh parted his lips.

Izzy ran her tongue from the base of his hard length to the tip of his head, before taking him deep and hard into her mouth. It was a bit of a struggle to take him all in, but she used her hand to make up for what her mouth couldn't handle.

Bain's head fell back, resting on the warmed tile of the shower wall. His finger tunneled into Izzy's hair, gently guiding and moving with the slow, deep, rhythmic pace she had set, running her tongue teasingly over the tip of his hard flesh before taking him deep into her throat again. She let her teeth graze his flesh and felt warmth pool low in her belly as Bain moaned her name.

Izzy kept her rhythm slow and methodical. She was turned on beyond belief. He filled her mouth in ways she wanted him to fill her sex. She felt his cock twitch and his fingers dug a little deeper into her hair, pushing her to move faster. He was close.

Bain groaned as he came close to spilling himself in her mouth. He reached down with a preternatural speed and strength, pulling her up from her knees and lifting her to his chest. Izzy wrapped her legs around his waist, settling mere inches from his swollen length as he let his orgasm flow and covered her mouth with his.

# Chapter Twenty-Two

––––––––

Bain lay, still a little damp, in Izzy's bed with her half on top of him. She was a talented little human. Bain ran his fingers through her dark, wet locks, and then down her cheek to run his fingers along her long, elegant neck. She was beautiful, soft and supple. He ached to get inside of her and knew she would have let him this morning, but for the first time in his long life, he wanted to enjoy this part. Enjoy getting to know the things his Izzy liked. He wanted to do things right.

Bain knew he could be wading into dangerous water. The fact that he had no idea how long Izzy would be a part of his life nagged at him.

She seemed comfortable here and apparently with his brothers too, damn Kale. But she had so many important ties to her world. Bain sighed and let the thought flow far away from him.

A soft knock sounded at her door, a good excuse to leave the doubts in his mind. Bain smiled at Izzy, pulling the covers over her. No one else was going to get a peek at her body.

She smiled. "Someone in this castle understands the importance of knocking," she teased.

"Would you have let me in last night?" Bain asked.

Izzy's brow's furrowed. "Probably not," she admitted.

"Then I refuse to feel bad about my poor manners."

Izzy shook her head and smiled up at him. So did she.

Bain kissed her forehead, grabbing his towel to wrap it around his hips and going to the door.

Izzy rolled over to simply drink in the view. Bain moved with a smooth, languid confidence. It was a very attractive swagger of sorts, but he had earned the right to it. He had the build of a fighter, of a protector. His body was like a statue, solid, strong, and molded to male perfection.

"Good morning, Darnell," Bain said brightly.

Izzy cringed. She didn't want the sweet man seeing her like this. She slipped from the bed, sneaking back into the bathroom to get dressed.

She pulled her brush through her hair before pulling it back into a ponytail, a few wisps of hair falling loose of the tie. She tucked those behind her ear and brushed her bangs off to the side. With a dusting of powder, a little black eyeliner, lip gloss, and a brush of mascara, her face was at least ready to take on the day.

She reluctantly pulled on a pair of fitted jeans, put on a baby blue tank top, and topped it with a scoop-neck black shirt. She slipped her feet into a pair of flip-flops, gave one last glance in the mirror, and left to find Bain getting dressed.

"What did Darnell want?" she asked.

Bain gestured to a plump Garcia hovering over a fresh bowl of food. "He brought Garcia his breakfast and wanted to let us know breakfast was being served for us in the dining hall."

"Oh... do I need to change?"

Bain gave her one long, smoldering once over before shaking his head. "Breakfast isn't as formal as dinner."

"Okay, I'm starved. Let's go."

Bain chuckled as he laced their fingers and headed for her door.

"You're thinking something dirty, aren't you?" she accused.

Bain kissed her knuckles. Yes, he was.

*****

A stunning woman sat at the table next to Uriah. She had long, black hair that Izzy was sure would reach to her waist, if not past it. She had lovely, soft features, with very light green eyes and pink, pouty lips.

"Hello, Bain," the stunning woman greeted them as they took their seats.

"Hello Jelena, I didn't expect to see you here this morning. How are you?"

"I am well, thank you. I came for Uriah's feeding."

"Ah." There was something to Uriah and Jelena's relationship. It was complicated, but Jelena only ever fed Uriah. Bain was certain the Immortal sister loved his brother and they all knew Uriah cared deeply for Jelena, but they weren't supposed to fall in love with the Immortal rulers of the Underworld. It was an unspoken rule.

"Are you going to spend some time here? Rowan will be back later."

Jelena smiled. "I wish I could, but my sisters require my presence. Perhaps next time."

"Perhaps," Bain agreed.

Jelena looked to Izzy, a bright smile on her face. "You must be the human, Isabelle?"

Izzy stiffened a little, taking a sip of water to wash down the bite of food she'd just taken.

"Uh, yes." Izzy shifted in her seat as the stunning woman stared at her.

"Jelena... you're staring." Uriah smiled sympathetically at Izzy.

"Oh... my, I'm sorry I've never actually met a human. I'm not allowed in your world. I'm Jelena, one of the Immortal Three."

"It's nice to meet you. I'm Isabelle the... human."

Jelena laughed lightly. It sounded like bells tinkling in the wind. It didn't fit the ruler of the Underworld mold. "It's very nice to meet you. Did you get a chance to meet my sister, Meriah, last night?"

Izzy forced a smile. No, she didn't get to meet Meriah... She wondered if Meriah was as stunning as Jelena. Perhaps it was a good thing she didn't get to meet her. She might have had an issue with Bain's lips going anywhere near her. She'd hate to have an issue with an Immortal ruler of the Underworld ... but Izzy was pretty sure there would have been an issue. She didn't like the thought of Bain's very talented mouth on another woman. Yet, she wasn't sure she really had right to these feelings.

Lothar cleared his throat, causing Izzy to grimace.

Wait... crap! He was the empath... Shit, did he catch all of that?

Lothar chuckled next to her and shook his head softly.

Izzy dared a glance at him and felt a small flush warm her cheeks.

"No, I'm sorry. I didn't get the pleasure of meeting her." Izzy tried for demure and pleasant; she thought she pulled it off.

Jelena nodded. "That's a shame. I know she would have loved to talk to you. In fact, she likely would have talked your ear off, or questioned you with no end in sight."

Izzy smiled and took another bite of food. She caught Kale's mischievous eyes flicker between her and Bain, a shit-eating grin tugging at his baby face.

"So... Izzy," Kale started. "How ya feeling this morning? You didn't get sick last night, did you?"

Izzy smiled and shook her head.

"Oh dear, were you ill last night?" Jelena asked.

Izzy shook her head. "No, but Kale tried."

Jelena looked to Kale and narrowed her eyes. "Did you feed her that swill you call tequila?"

The whole table chuckled this time, and Izzy had to wonder if Jelena had actually tried tequila before.

"He fed that horrid liquid to me once."

"Yeah!" Kale broke through the laughter. "Izzy likes it."

Izzy shrugged as Jelena looked at her questioningly.

"Patron is actually considered to be high quality liquor where I come from."

Jelena shook her head. "If you say so."

Uriah wiped his mouth and stood, pulling Jelena's chair out for her.

"I'll catch up with you later, brothers," Uriah told them.

"It was good to see you all, and it was nice to meet you, Isabelle." Jelena smiled wide at her.

"Call me Izzy."

"Okay, I hope to see you again, Izzy."

# Chapter Twenty-Three

––––––––

"Hello, Mother," Rowan said as she and Cree entered the parlor. Esperanza lifted her gaze from her book and smiled. Esperanza studied her daughter as she set her book aside and got up from her chair nestled next to the fireplace. Rowan looked tired, small, purple bags hanging under her usually bright lavender eyes.

Esperanza smiled and wrapped her arms around her daughter. "I'm glad you're home. We have much to discuss, but you look like perhaps you could use a visit from your brother first."

"Is it that obvious?" Rowan sighed.

"You are beautiful as always, but you look tired and run down. He can help with that."

Esperanza let go of Rowan and moved to Cree, giving a solid, but brief embrace to the warrior leader.

"I take it everything is under control at the border?"

"Yes, everything is fine, Mother."

Rowan sighed, tucking her nearly white, overworked wings back into her shoulder blades. She and Cree had been in flight for hours, spending most of the night in travel to get back.

"So what was so urgent that you had to rush out?" Esperanza started her inquisition, but Rowan had been expecting this as her welcome home.

Cree smiled at Rowan, who waved a hand at him. Her mother was always over concerned about their people. It often left Rowan exhausted and frustrated that her mother didn't seem to believe in her ability to rule. How many centuries did she have to rule over a prospering and happy kingdom before her mother would accept her as the strong and compassionate ruler she was?

"The village was having theft problems and a young female brownie went missing. Turns out she and her boyfriend were the ones stealing in an effort to secure enough funds to buy their way out of our world," Cree explained.

"Nonsense," Esperanza scoffed. "Few brownies have the strength to pass between worlds."

Cree shot an uneasy glance at Rowan, who massaged the bridge of her nose.

"No, but there has been an uprising of Fae activity in the Human World, and rumors are flying about a new portal that will allow any Fae, regardless of power, to pass."

"That's ridiculous. We know of all portals, and we control most of them. Darion only has two portals in his land, and most of the Dark aren't strong enough to pass through them."

"There are stories of a group of drifters who have found a portal that anyone can walk through."

Esperanza's eyes narrowed.

"So what are you going to do?"

"Mother, stop. We're working on it."

"What if humans begin using this portal? What will you do then, Rowan?" Esperanza demanded.

"I don't know," she admitted.

If the portal worked as the two brownies believed it did, then it was a real possibility that humans could stumble into the Fae world.

"I have a few of our men searching for the drifters. Once we find them, we'll have more answers."

"What did the brownies tell you?" Esperanza pushed.

Rowan looked to Cree. "Can you please find Bain for me? Just Bain, let me get settled, and then I'll talk to the others."

"Of course, love." Cree settled a soft kiss on Rowan's lips, before dropping his forehead against hers.

Don't let her get to you. I'll be back as soon as I can.

Rowan smiled. She loved the telepathy she and Cree shared; it made moments like this bearable.

I'll survive; she just worries too much.

Cree smiled, pressed a kiss to her lips again, and headed for the door.

Esperanza stood with her hands upon her hips, her perfect brows arched. "Don't think I don't know what was just going on, Rowan. What did he say about me?"

"You're paranoid, Mother," Rowan joked.

"No, I just know you two very well."

Rowan laughed. "Can we let this go? I promise you, I am working on finding the drifters, and the brownies really didn't know anything. They were stealing things to sell on their journey to seek out the drifters."

Esperanza nodded and left it at that.

Not long after the conversation had ended, Bain and Cree returned.

"Hello Ro," Bain called as he entered the room. "Wow, you do look drained. This may be more of a job for the Immortal brothers."

"You are an Immortal brother," she teased as she stood to hug him.

"You know what I mean."

"You'll do just fine." She smiled, and Bain raised his palms to cup her cheeks.

Rowan felt the cool breath of Bain's healing power and smiled as a new burst of energy flowed through her.

"So tell me... How is Isabelle? I assume you convinced her to come home with you." Rowan asked, her eyes still closed as Bain infused her with new energy.

Bain's chuckle came out deep and smug. "Are you surprised?"

Rowan shook her head as much as it would move in Bain's hands. "Not really, but I had hoped it would take longer."

"Rowan!" Lady Esperanza said her name in chiding. "The less time any of you spend in the Human World, the better."

Bain and Rowan both ignored Esperanza's reprimand.

"A near-death experience helped my cause," Bain admitted.

Rowan's eyes flew open. "What happened?" she demanded. "Did Zander come back for her?"

Bain shook his head.

Not exactly... if Zander had truly come after Izzy again, Bain would have killed the bastard.

"We did run into him, but that's not what made her decision. She was stung by a bee and went into anaphylactic shock."

Rowan's face went from concern to surprise. "Did she not know she was allergic?"

Bain's lips curled in a small smirk that held no humor. "She never had been."

He let go of Rowans face, placing a finger on her chin. He moved her head from left to right, inspecting his handy work.

"Much better," he declared. "How do you feel?"

"Better, thank you, but I would like to meet this Isabelle soon. It's not a good sign if her body chemistry itself is changing. Zander may have taken more then I realized."

Bain nodded. Yeah, that was something he had worried about too. She'd been okay since she got here, but he had no clue how long it would last.

"Bain, why don't you go get her? I can meet with Isabelle while Cree fills you and the brothers in on what we found out."

"Sure thing," Bain agreed and left with Cree. He had no fears about leaving Izzy with Rowan, not like he worried about leaving her with his mother.

# Chapter Twenty-Four

––––––––

"You look nervous, please take a seat."

Izzy was a little nervous. Bain had left her alone with the Light Fae queen, his sister. Did Rowan actually expect her not to be nervous? But Izzy took a deep breath and moved to sit in the silky, cream-colored armchair that sat across from the matching one Rowan currently occupied.

Rowan smiled, dipping her chin when Izzy finally sat.

"I suppose I should start by asking how you're feeling? Aside from the nerves." Her eyes were soft and gentle, even compassionate, in their ethereal shade of lilac.

"I'm confused, nervous as you pointed out, and overwhelmed."

Rowan smiled. She was beautiful and looked a bit like Bain, same color hair and similar eyes, only hers were light to his more vibrant.

"Well, let's address the nerves first, shall we?"

Izzy nodded.

"Good, it's simple... you have nothing to be nervous about. You're safe here, and you have every Immortal warrior watching out for you. Zander cannot get to you here. As far as for me, I pose no threat to you. I liked you from the moment Uriah called to tell me that you had refused to come with him, and that you had put Bain in his place the night Zander had attacked you."

Izzy laughed. "It wasn't exactly an attack, but then again, I didn't know he was stealing anything from me."

Rowan nodded. "Yes, from what Uriah told me, you were more afraid of my brother at the time."

Izzy felt a small flush heat the back of her neck; she wasn't afraid of Bain now. Not physically, but she was worried about her heart.

"Yes, he's an intimidating force," Izzy said simply.

"Yes, but I heard you found nerves of steel. I liked that about you. Not many women stand up to Bain. It's ridiculous, but he seems to spell them with his looks."

"I can see why." Izzy smirked.

"Yes well, anyhow, Uriah told me about the back and forth between you two. It, among other things, made me want to meet you."

Izzy studied Rowan, wondering how much she wanted to know and how much she was like her mother. Was she becoming the specimen in the Petri dish again?

"What are the other things?" Izzy asked, while focusing on keeping her tone friendly.

"Zander is one of the reasons, of course. All the others relate back to my brother, and they aren't important right now."

"What do you want to know about Zander?"

Izzy would rather talk about him right now than talk about whatever Rowan had to say about her and Bain.

"Okay, down to business. Did Bain mention anything about me and what my gifts... my Fae blood, gives me?"

"Sort of, he said you were part leprechaun, and that you could help with the luck Zander stole from me."

"That's right. I can't give you back what he stole, but I can balance what you have left."

"Okay." Izzy didn't know what else to say.

"So how bad has it been?" Rowan asked.

Izzy shrugged. "Not too bad, well at least not until I had the reaction to the bee sting."

"Have you had any problems since you came here?"

Izzy's brows pinched together as she thought about her past few days in the Middle World... Now that she truly considered it, no, she hadn't.

She shook her head.

Rowan smiled. "Good, I figured the magic here would help. Yet, let's still see what I can do to help you."

"Okay, how does it work?"

Rowan smiled and moved to stand next to Izzy's chair.

"I know Bain healed you; it will be a bit like that. He always says his healing has nothing to do with our leprechaun blood, but our gifts work so similar, I think he has a bit of our grandfather's magic in him."

Rowan placed a gentle hand on Izzy's shoulder. Izzy felt warmth spread from Rowan's fingers. It lasted only a few brief seconds. Once Rowan removed her hand, she took her seat again.

"He took a lot. I'm glad you agreed to come here."

"What do we do now?" Izzy asked.

"I'm trying to get Darion to agree to give us Zander so he can restore your luck, but I want to be clear that even if he agrees, Zander will not give it all back."

"I've never believed in luck," Izzy admitted, "but I would never have believed in any of the things I've seen the past few days, if it weren't for actually seeing them. With that being said, what does it mean if I don't get all of my luck back?"

Rowan smiled; it was a soft and gentle reassurance of the words she spoke. "It means that your life will be safe again, though it may not be as easy as it once was."

Izzy grunted. What did Rowan know of her life? It had never been easy. She had worked for everything she had.

"I've offended you." Rowan sighed.

Izzy arched a brow at her. Was she a mind reader or empath too?

"I've worked hard my entire life. Things haven't always been easy for me," Izzy explained.

"I didn't mean to imply that you hadn't worked hard for what you have. What I meant is the things that once came simply for you may no longer work out that way, but with time, your luck will replenish."

Izzy nodded, it might have been a little curtly, but she wasn't going to dwell on it.

"I need to get back to work soon. How long until you hear from Darion?"

Rowan shook her head. "I can't say for sure, there are a lot of things happening right now, but I promise I am working on it."

"What happens if you can't get Darion to give over Zander? What happens if I don't get at least some of my luck back?"

Rowan's brows squeezed together; the first signs Izzy saw of any sort of distress in the Light Fae leader.

"That look isn't inspiring happy warm feelings for me, Rowan."

"I suppose it wouldn't. The truth of the matter is that if we can't get at least a quarter of the luck that was stolen from you back, we may need to make more permanent living arrangements for you."

"How permanent?" Izzy asked, her eyes narrowing with worry.

Rowan smiled sympathetically. "Probably somewhere around a year or two. It all depends on how fast your luck replenishes."

Izzy shook her head. "No, that won't work. I have a home, a mortgage, a family, and a job. I have a life I need to get back to."

Rowan nodded. "I know, and I'm doing everything I can. We needn't stress over this right now. You don't have to get back to it today or even tomorrow and, as far as your work goes, I'll have Kale set you up with everything you need so you can do whatever work you can from here."

Izzy wasn't sure about that, but she could at least, hopefully, check her emails and place any important calls. Eventually, she was going to have to meet with her clients, but that wasn't something she needed to do today or even tomorrow.

"All right, I'll need internet access."

"That won't be a problem; you can work out of the library. There's internet in there."

Izzy smiled. "Thank you."

Rowan smiled back. "You're welcome. Is there anything else you need for right now?"

Izzy shook her head. "Not that I can think of... oh wait, where is the library?"

# Chapter Twenty-Five

––––––––

"I saw her coming," Cree noted as he and Bain walked towards his office.

Bain gave him a sidelong glance; he knew better then to take Cree's visions for granted. His brother's vision came in different forms, sometimes feeling the outcome as it played out in front of him, sometimes dreams of the future and an uncanny knowledge of everyone's thoughts.

"Oh yeah, and what did you see?"

Cree shook his head. "I can't tell you that, just know she has a role among us."

That was the thing Bain hated about Cree's omniscience. He was cryptic when it affected one of his brothers directly.

"Right, I know the party line and the rules of your future peeking," Bain joked.

Cree raised a brow, and gave him a half-cocked smirk.

The other brothers were already seated in Cree's office, waiting for the two of them.

"All right, guys, let's get down to business," Cree said, taking his seat behind his desk, shuffling through some reports from Hawk's Eye.

"It's so nice to have you back," Kale said mockingly.

Cree lifted a brow. "I bet it is, now fill me in."

Kale and Uriah gave him a run down on the vampires they had tracked in Los Angeles. They would be healing in Darion's lands for the next couple of days.

Bain had told Izzy their fangs were used to feed and were good in a fight; what he didn't tell her was that they also secreted a venom that weakened Fae of all kind. It wouldn't kill the vampires Uriah and Kale had attacked, but it would slow their ability to heal themselves.

Cree nodded and listened to his two brothers as he checked his e-mail.

"And what of Isabelle, did she have any insight into Zander?" Cree looked to Bain when Kale and Uriah were done with their report.

Bain grunted. "Not much." He hesitated briefly before continuing, "Though she did in fact meet him the night before we found him feeding from her. He asked her out on a dinner date instead of just trying his stolen luck right then."

"Really?" Cree was as surprised as Bain had been when Izzy told him about how she had ended up in that dark parking lot with Zander, but after their exchange at Club Zion, he had pushed her for some details.

Cree's eyes narrowed as he finished reading whatever was on the screen of his laptop.

"Have you been keeping in touch with Lucas?" Cree asked Lothar, gesturing with two fingers for him to come see what he was looking at.

"I spoke with him earlier," Lothar said, moving around Cree's desk to view whatever had peaked Cree's interest.

The two men made quick eye contact before both their stares lifted to Bain.

Kale and Uriah decided then to stare at him too.

"What?" Bain demanded.

"You and Uriah go gear up. We've got a lead on Zander," Cree told them. "Lothar, you go with them."

"What about me?" Kale asked, wondering why he was going to miss out on all the fun.

"You said it was nice to see me," Cree said, a sarcastic twist to his tone, "I assume that meant you'd like to stay here and catch up." Cree smiled as the others took off.

Kale watched longingly as his brothers left the office.

"Think you'll learn someday?" Cree laughed from behind Kale.

Kale turned, a Cheshire smirk playing across his lips. "Probably not." He chuckled. "So tell me what fun future facts you've seen lately."

Cree laughed. "You'd be amazed, brother. We're in for some major changes around this castle, though most of them I can't understand why they're going to happen."

Kale was serious now as he sat down in a chair on the opposite side of Cree's desk. "Good or bad?" he asked.

Cree leaned back in his chair, his long legs stretching out under the desk as he pushed back. "Time will tell. Mostly what I see is just different, but whatever is coming, I see it affecting Rowan and Bain the hardest, though as you know, when something upsets or hurts one of us, we all feel it."

"That's the way family works. Do you know anything about it?" Kale asked.

"The only thing I can say is that it feels like it has more to do with Bain than anyone else, but it directly affects Rowan."

"Is something going to happen to Izzy?" Kale asked. Of all the things around them right now, she was the most pivotal piece in Bain's world.

"No, I think Izzy will be fine, but as of right now, I don't know if she will be around for all of this."

Kale nodded. That didn't sound promising; he saw what his best friend felt for her. Hell, he liked her too. She seemed to blend into their world so easily. Her understanding personality made her easy to open up to about who and what they were, as well as what they could do, and not at any point did she seem frightened or judgmental towards him when he'd had the pleasure of getting to know her. She'd joked and laughed with him and Uriah. For Christ's sakes, the woman had reined Bain in and knocked him down off his womanizing pedestal. What was there not to like?

"I will also tell you that I think Lady Esperanza has a hand in it as well."

That had Kale's eyes pinching as his brow knitted together; that wasn't good. There was something about Lady Esperanza that kept her just beyond trustworthy, which made her all the more dangerous in his opinion. He knew where he stood with her... she didn't like him. But mostly that was based on her crappy judgmental personality and his give-a-shit attitude. Not liking someone was not reason enough to not trust them. However, he couldn't shake the feeling that if it came down to getting what she wanted, she would pull the rug from under anyone in her way.

"That could be very bad, brother," Kale commented, a worried set to his young features.

# Chapter Twenty-Six

––––––––

Izzy rolled her eyes; she would have to deal with one of her more difficult clients right now.

"Sally, the theme is Halloween. It doesn't need to be narrowed down any further."

Izzy listened to the bar manager argue with her and suppressed a sigh. She knew the client was always supposed to be right, but this was ridiculous.

"Sally, have you talked to Ben about this?"

Ben was the owner and, last she knew, they were on track to create a pretty fantastic Halloween event. She had all the props reserved; she and Ben had put together a simple menu for the night, with specialty drinks and food for the event.

Sally was irritated that Izzy even asked, her curt response that she was in charge of the event now, putting Izzy in her so-called place.

"I can work up a few themes for you... yes... okay, but we don't have much time. I'll work on it today, and get some ideas e-mailed out to you tomorrow. Then you'll need to decide by the end of the week, and Ben will have to approve the changes."

Izzy hung up and sighed. She rested her face in her palms, her elbow supporting her head on the tabletop.

"Rough day?" a deep voice asked.

Izzy lifted her gaze, and lifted, and lifted, for it to finally settle on the face that belonged to the voice, where it remained. She stared, at a loss for words. The man standing in front of her was tall. Her head seemed to lift until it hit the back of her neck. He had to be around six-foot-seven, with the darkest shade of black hair she'd ever seen. His skin was tan, and his eyes were the most stunning shade of glacial blue. If not for the eyes, she would have said he looked Native American and goddamn if he wasn't a stunning mix of all things masculine and gorgeous.

He smiled at her, a beautiful lift of the corners of his lips, with no teeth, and the left side lifting just a fraction higher than the right. There was something telling in the smile.

"Shoot," Izzy whispered.

The man's jaw twitched as his muscled arms crossed over his chiseled, tightly t-shirt wrapped chest.

"Are you Cree? I've met the other brothers, so I'm guessing that makes you Cree, and if I remember right, Bain warned me that you were omniscient."

Cree's smile widened as he extended his hand towards Izzy.

"It's nice to meet you."

Izzy smiled and stood to take his hand. "You too."

She was embarrassed. She wasn't used to others just picking up on the things she was feeling, but she knew Lothar had picked up a few things she would have rather kept to herself. And now she had just sat slack jawed and ogled the only other Immortal who could read her.

"I'm sorry," she blurted.

Cree laughed, letting out a deep rumble as he let go of her hand. "Don't be, I do my best not to read too much when I met new people, but you project, Isabelle."

"I project?" she questioned.

"Yes, you project what you're thinking and feeling."

She shook her head and smiled sheepishly at him. "Then I guess I really do need to be sorry."

He waved a hand at her, dismissing her concerns. "No, I just thought I would warn you."

She smiled. "So, I'll be more careful around you and Lothar."

He just smiled and dipped his chin.

"I came in here for one, to introduce myself and two, to let you know that I sent Bain off on a job. He didn't have time to come find you first so I told him I would let you know, but he should be back by dinner."

"Oh, okay, well thanks for letting me know."

"You're welcome."

Cree's attention was cast down then to the floor, where a happy Garcia purred and weaved through his legs.

"He is yours?" Cree asked as he picked Garcia up and scratched under the purring feline's jaw.

Izzy smiled. "Yes, is it a problem for him to be loose in the castle?"

"Not at all. Has Rowan seen him yet?"

"No, I don't think so."

"She will fall in love when she does; she loves animals. Anyhow, I will let you get back to work."

"Okay, thanks... hey Cree, can I ask you a question?"

"Of course." He set Garcia down to focus on Izzy.

"How often does this kind of stuff happen?"

Cree raised a brow. "You mean Fae attacks on humans?"

Izzy nodded. Cree studied her for a moment. Fae business was just that... Fae business, but he trusted his judgment and he already trusted her.

"As far as Zander is concerned, it happens every hundred years. As far as the rest of the Fae creatures... it just depends. Not all Fae need things from humans, but there are species out there that need humans to survive."

"Like vampires?" she noted.

"Yes." He nodded. "And succubi; they actually need human life forces to survive. Where others just enjoy causing chaos, there are some who feed off fear, and others who feed off joy. Some Fae are good, and some are just prone to be bad."

Izzy nodded. She got the impression there was more, but wasn't going to push him to tell her. She was actually thinking he might know better than she did about what she could handle. There was, however, one more question she needed to ask.

"Do you think Rowan will be able to get Zander to return some of my luck?"

Cree smiled as he thought of Rowan's ability to lead, and her passion to help those whenever possible. "If anyone can convince him, she is the one who can do it."

Izzy smiled and nodded. She had gotten that impression.

Izzy spent the rest of that day trying to come up with a good theme that would satisfy Sally, until it was nearly time for dinner.

She left the library with Garcia hot on her heels; he was ready for his dinner too. She still hadn't seen Bain and she had to be honest with herself, she was missing him and she wasn't sure she wanted to go to dinner without him. Still, she messed with her hair and put on some makeup. When she had returned to her room, there was another beautiful dress laid out for her. This one was a deep burgundy color; it had rhinestone-embellished straps with a very fitted bodice that ran to her hips before it draped at an angle to the floor.

Izzy slid on a pair of matching heels as a knock sounded at her door. Her brows lifted as she made her way to open it; Bain didn't usually knock.

Izzy opened the door to a crisply dressed Kale, who had a troublemaker smile twisting his lips.

"I know... not the Immortal you were hoping for, but Bain, Uriah, and Lothar aren't back yet, so Rowan and Cree asked me to come escort you to dinner."

Izzy smiled, he was right... He was not the Immortal she was hoping to see, but he was a good substitute. She liked Kale. Izzy slid her arm through his and nodded as she shut the door.

"Kale, you are a perfect escort," Izzy told him as they walked towards the dining hall. "Thanks for not making me enter that room alone."

Kale chuckled. "I wouldn't even do that to my worst enemy."

Izzy gave him a sidelong glance. "Really?"

"Yes, I know what it can feel like entering that room. I don't always get along with everyone. I get the stares from time to time, so I can only imagine how it feels to be a human among them."

"You don't get along with people?" Izzy really didn't believe that. She had liked Kale from the first time she met him.

He chuckled again. "Not always, I am apparently the troublemaker." He winked as they neared the dining hall.

This time Izzy laughed. She had mentioned that to Bain, and he had corrected her by saying they were free spirited. "I was told you were a free spirit. So now you're a free spirit with Patron as your sidekick."

Kale dropped his chin in a short nod, a smile gracing his face.

It was a different dining hall this time—a much larger one with a much larger crowd. There were way too many people mingling in the beautiful marble room. Multiple crystal chandeliers suspended from the high ceilings bathed the room in a soft, yellow glow. Rectangle tables filled the room, adorned with crisp white tablecloths, floral arrangements with multiple fall-colored roses, and candles giving the room a romantic and soft feel.

Izzy's instincts had her squeezing Kale's arm. This was not a place she wanted to be. The various sets of shrewd eyes following her made her feel exposed and uncomfortable.

"Are you trying to test my muscles, Izzy, or are you nervous?" Kale grinned.

"Now is not the time to make fun of me. Why are there so many people here this time?" she whispered.

"Because Rowan and Cree just returned. Lady Esperanza made it a big deal."

"I feel like everyone is staring at me," Izzy said, trying to keep a polite smile on her face.

"They are," he stated simply. "There are probably a few reasons. Part of it is because you're walking in on the arm of a free spirit, the other part is that everyone has been hearing about the human among us. Plus, people are curious about the woman who caught and kept Bain's eye. Finally, you look beautiful, and people are bound to stare."

Izzy smiled up at him. He was sweet, and he had made her feel better.

"Which part of that made you smile?" Kale asked.

"All of it," she admitted.

"Ah, so you aren't afraid of me escorting you?"

"Not hardly. I was always a bit of a free spirit myself. I never fit into the perfect Latino female role. I don't usually care what others think. So, free spirit or not, I'm relieved to be on your arm."

Kale smiled. "It's like you trust me. I'm flattered."

Izzy let out a soft laugh. "I do trust you. I trust most of the people I've met here."

Kale narrowed his deep eyes on her. "Let me guess, you're on the fence about Lady Esperanza."

Izzy didn't answer, but she didn't need to. Kale knew all too well how Lady Esperanza was.

# Chapter Twenty-Seven

––––––––

Izzy was seated between Kale and Cree, a nice buffer from Lady Esperanza, who sat to her left and across the table from Cree. By the end of dinner, Izzy's eyes were nearly glued to the door, anxiously awaiting Bain's arrival. Cree had said he should be back by dinner, but dinner had long passed and there was still no sign of him.

Izzy knew something was up when Cree took a call after dinner while everyone was mingling, and soon came to get Rowan and Kale. They had a hushed conversation that ended with Kale and Cree heading out of the dining hall, both pulling out their cell phones again and placing hurried calls.

"Rowan?" Izzy moved over to the leader, who was anxiously watching the two men leave.

Rowan smiled, a forced calm in her features. "Yes, Izzy?"

"Where is Bain?" Izzy asked.

Rowan's smile faltered slightly. "He's on his way back."

"Is he all right?" Izzy asked, worry and panic rising in her. She had a feeling the answer wouldn't be the one she wanted to hear.

"He'll be fine; he was injured and is on his way to see Meriah."

Izzy's brows knitted together. "How bad is he?"

"He'll be fine." Rowan motioned Darnell to them. "Darnell, please escort Izzy back to her room."

"Of course." Darnell dipped his chin to Rowan and smiled wide at Izzy.

Izzy's eyes darted between Rowan and the sweet older man.

"Rowan, wait—" Izzy began, but Rowan cut her off.

"Isabelle, please, he will be fine. Someone will come to fill you in once we know more."

Izzy wanted to argue, wanted to demand to see him, but in this place, she had no right to. She had no standing with these people and truly, she had no idea where she stood with Bain. She forced a smile and followed Darnell back to her room.

Hours had passed by, leaving Izzy restless and anxious. She felt almost sequestered in her room, not feeling the freedom she had felt prior to tonight.

Was Bain ok?

All her thoughts swirled around that one very important piece of information. Rowan had said he would be fine, which implied he was not ok at the time. Izzy couldn't stop her mind from drifting and creating horrible scenarios, ones where Bain was either severely injured, bleeding and in pain, unconscious, or worst, he hadn't made it to Meriah after whatever mission Cree had sent him out on.

Izzy knew she was in trouble. She shouldn't be feeling this helpless and scared over a man she had met only a few days ago.

She scoffed. "Probably shouldn't have done any of the other stuff with him either," she said, softly chiding herself.

She nearly jumped out of her skin when a knock sounded on her door. Izzy let out a deep breath before opening it.

Relief flooded her as she looked up into Bain's bright eyes, a small smirk playing on his lips. He was okay. Nothing was visibly wrong with him. The relief she felt at seeing him nearly made her cry; she had been out of her mind worried about him.

"Were you talking to yourself?" he asked.

"You stood me up for dinner," Izzy responded, stepping to the side to let him in the room.

Bain shook his head, declining the invitation into her room. Izzy lifted her brows at him in question.

"I need to go take a shower, and I need to sleep."

Izzy forced a smile. "I should have known something was up when you actually knocked on my door."

"Yes, well, I stood you up for dinner—as you put it. I thought knocking was the right way to go."

Izzy continued to smile at him. It was a little more natural now, not quite as forced. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine... better now," he murmured as he stared down at her.

Izzy was well aware of where Bain's eyes were drifting. The deep V-of her nightshirt left little of her cleavage to the imagination.

"But you don't want to come in?" she asked in a low, sultry whisper.

"No... but I think you should come with me," Bain said.

Bain wrapped Izzy in his arms. He then tossed her over his shoulder, smiling while she laughed and didn't struggle as he carried her off to his room.

With little effort, Bain tossed Izzy onto the soft, red velvet covers of his bed. Izzy struggled to prop herself up on her elbows, still laughing as Bain caged her with his arms. Her breath caught as he lowered his head for his lips to capture hers in a deeply possessive kiss. He reached to his bedside table, grabbed the remote for his flat screen, and handed it to her.

"You better be right here when I get back," he told her in deep voice.

He wanted to hold her after the night he'd had. He wanted the warmth and softness that was Izzy.

Izzy nodded, smiling as she took the remote, wiggled to the top of the bed, and moved under the covers.

Bain stripped his black clothing from his body, parts of his shirt sticking to his skin from the dried blood. That son of bitch Zander was using not only Izzy's luck, but all the others, against him.

It had been a close call. He'd wanted to get Zander so badly that when Cree said they got news that Zander was back in the Human World, he'd lost all sense of the training that came so naturally to him and jumped at the opportunity to kick his ass. He, Uriah, and Lothar had all nearly paid for it.

Had Kale and Cree not shown up and helped them get him back here and to Meriah... well, this night would have turned out quite a bit differently.

Bain stepped into the shower, allowing the heated water to rain down on him. He scrubbed at his heated skin as the crimson of his blood mixed with the water and swirled down the drain. Nearly twenty minutes later, when the water finally ran clear to the shower floor, Bain tuned the faucet off and stepped out to stand in front of the mirror.

He caught sight of the marred skin on his stomach. Meriah had healed him, but his skin was still angry from the wounds. It would heal the rest of the way in a few hours. Until then, he would keep a shirt on to cover the reminder of the night's events. It was why he hadn't dragged Izzy into the shower with him. She didn't need to see the remnants of the fight.

Bain dragged his hands through his thick tresses, his form of brushing his hair. He sighed and stepped from the bathroom. A smile pulled his lips and created small dimples in his cheeks. Izzy was snuggled, sound asleep, in his bed.

Bain crawled in next to Izzy, pulling her close to him and laying his head on the pillow next her. Bain burrowed his face into her hair and took a long breath, pulling her scent deep into his lungs. A smile spread over his face as he let the sleep he so desperately needed take hold of the night.

# Chapter Twenty-Eight

––––––––

Izzy rolled over as the morning's sun took over night's darkness. She smiled as Bain tightened his hold on her.

"Good morning," she murmured.

"Not yet," he whispered as he cracked his eyelids, the glow of his eyes lighting Izzy's face. "Now it's a good morning."

Izzy laughed softly. "A good morning is what you need after last night." She raised a brow at him. "Right?" she asked.

"I knew you'd ask about it eventually. Had you been awake when I came to bed last night, I imagine we would have had this conversation then."

"It's funny how you know me so well already," Izzy quipped. "So what happened last night?"

"You were worried," Bain said playfully.

Izzy's face was soft and innocent. "Are you surprised that I would be worried about you? Especially when the only answer I could get was 'he was injured but he'll be fine' and I watched Cree and Kale take off like bats out of hell."

"We prefer to be compared to masculine birds such as hawks or eagles," Bain joked.

"This isn't a joke, Bain. What happened to you last night?"

"I got in a fight, and it didn't go exactly as I had planned, or hoped, for that matter."

Izzy stared at him expectantly.

Bain sighed, letting the joking bleed from his mood.

"We got a lead on Zander. Lothar, Uriah, and I went after him. He's pretty strong, using all that stolen luck."

Izzy's eyes had gone wide... This had happened to Bain because of her.

"No Izzy, don't do that. This is not your fault."

"Are you a mind reader now too, or did my scent change?" she asked.

"I can see it your eyes." He pulled her tighter to him and lowered his lips just a breath above hers. "This. Is. Not. Your. Fault." He emphasized the words before lowering his mouth the rest of the way to capture hers in a bruising kiss.

"Sure feels like it is," she admitted against his lips. The warm breath from his sigh tickled her face. "I mean, I know it's your job to go after him..."

"But you think that because he hurt you, I'm not thinking straight, and that it was probably a bit reckless of me to split off from my brothers last night."

Izzy closed her eyes... Man, it sounded conceited when he put it that way.

Bain kissed her softly this time. "Because you are probably right. I want his balls on a platter, because he hurt you."

Izzy smiled and shook her head. Kissing was better than this conversation, so she let her lips do their own version of talking, her tongue joining in the conversation.

****

Izzy and Bain joined the others for breakfast. It was far less overwhelming than the dinner before.

Good morning's greeted them as Bain pulled Izzy's chair out for her, seating her between him and Kale.

Kale, of course, greeted her with a wide smile, if not a little rueful in nature.

She shook her head. "What is it, Kale?" She was coming to understand his facial expressions. He had something on his mind.

"Sorry," he said simply as he took a sip of coffee.

Izzy arched her brows at him. "For what?"

"Yes Kale, why are you sorry? What did you do?" Bain broke in, leaning forward to see Kale past Izzy.

Kale smirked at Bain. Possessive ass. It was completely out of character for Bain.

Kale directed his gaze back to Izzy. "I'm sorry I left you alone last night," he whispered.

"She wasn't alone last night," Bain said, a deep set to his voice.

Izzy turned to look at Bain, an exasperated look on her face.

"He's talking about the dinner you stood me up for."

Bain grunted and sat back to eat his food.

"It's fine, Kale. I was escorted to my room, mere minutes after you had to leave."

Kale's eyes drifted to Rowan, whose eyes narrowed on him. It was weird, but Izzy wasn't willing to waste her time contemplating it.

Breakfast went by with a small amount of tension rising every time last night's events crept into the conversation. Rowan made a point of changing the subject every time and scowling at whoever brought the conversation to the night's activity.

# Chapter Twenty-Nine

––––––––

Izzy and Bain headed away from the castle as soon as breakfast was over. Cree told him to take the day off, and if they needed him, they would call.

They headed out past the houses that Izzy's room looked out upon. The village inside the fortress really did remind her of something out of the Knights of the Round Table. It was very fanciful in nature, but unlike twelfth century Europe, it lacked the economic and social issues. These people looked happy and healthy as they moved around the fortress grounds.

An excited shriek pulled both their attention to a small, maybe five-year-old little girl, running as fast as her little legs would carry her. Once within striking distance, she threw herself into Bain's arms.

Bain lifted the little girl with the ease one uses to lift a piece of paper, hugging her tight to his chest for a minute.

"Kyra, what are you up to, little one?" Bain smiled as he continued to walk with Izzy at his side and the beautiful little blonde girl in his arms.

"Just playin'." She giggled. "Who is that?" she asked, eyeing Izzy.

Izzy smiled at the little girl and stuck her hand out towards her. "I'm Izzy."

The little girl looked at her hand suspiciously, while Izzy continued to hold it out to her.

Bain chuckled. "She doesn't know to shake it, Izzy."

"Why not? You and the others shook my hand." Izzy smiled questioningly.

Bain smiled back at her. "We spend time in the Human World. We've taken on some of your traditions."

Izzy's brows lifted in understanding. "Oh, okay. Then how do you introduce yourselves?" she asked the little girl.

The little girl giggled. "With our names, silly. I'm Kyra."

Izzy laughed. "It's nice to meet you, Kyra."

Bain set the little girl down near the front entrance to a small, wood-sided home. The front door opened, and a beautiful brunette woman stepped into the sun, a brilliant smile stretching her face.

"Hello, Bain."

Bain dipped his chin. "How are you, Kathleen?"

"We're good, haven't seen you in a while. Who's your friend?" she asked, eyeing Izzy.

Bain smiled, placing his hand on the small of Izzy's back. "This is Isabelle. Isabelle, this is Kathleen."

Izzy didn't make the mistake of sticking her hand out this time, but she smiled. "It's nice to meet you."

Kathleen smiled, with a twist of her lips that said she didn't believe it was nice to meet her.

Izzy was looking at one of Bain's former lovers, that much she was sure of. Being a normal red-blooded woman, she couldn't help but scrutinize her. She was lean, to the point of almost being too skinny, her pale eyes were almond shaped with large lids, and her cheekbones were high and prominent. She had at least three inches on Izzy, and she looked runway ready. She was prettier then Izzy had originally noticed, but she smiled nonetheless. She would get the story later.

"Where are you two off to?" Kathleen asked. Kyra hadn't left Bain's side, even though he had put her down. Her little hand was firmly placed in his free one, drowning in the size of his calloused hand.

"I was planning to show Izzy a bit of the surrounding area."

Kathleen smiled. "It's beautiful here. You should ask him to take you to the lake. It's breathtaking."

"I want to go to the lake." Kyra looked up at Bain, big, indigo eyes begging him to take her.

Before Bain had a chance to even consider, Kathleen told her daughter, "No, Kyra, not today." She watched stone faced as the devastation washed over the little girl's features.

Izzy saw the shimmer of tears in her eyes, and while she felt bad for the tears, they seemed to magnify the intense color of her eyes. They were indigo, but they had small flecks of violet. She was a beautiful little girl, soft features and full little lips, with big, bright eyes and very wavy, thick blond hair.

"Kyra, you know better. We don't cry just because we don't get our way," Kathleen chided.

Bain removed his hand from Izzy's back and knelt down to pick Kyra up.

"I'm sorry, baby girl, but your momma's right." He whispered in her ear, "I'll take you next time. I promise."

He squeezed her tight for a second, then held her back a little and winked at her.

"Okay?" he asked.

Kyra nodded and squeezed his neck tight again, whispering something in his ear Izzy didn't pick up. She hadn't really picked up any of the conversation and, somehow, it felt like it really wasn't meant for her ears. She had a pretty good idea why.

Izzy smiled down at Kyra and said goodbye. Kyra waved from the porch, disappointment ripe in her features, but the tears were gone.

Izzy followed a rather quiet Bain for a few minutes, before she broke the silence.

"She's a beautiful little girl," Izzy noted.

Bain lifted his gaze from the road to Izzy's profile.

"She seems very sweet too," she added.

"She is both those things," Bain agreed.

"So, how long were you and Kathleen together, before Kyra was born?"

Bain's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"

"Kyra's your daughter, right?" Izzy said, meeting Bain's surprised gaze.

"Why... I mean, how—"

Izzy laughed. "Seriously? Come on, Bain. I've spent the last few days staring into your eyes, drinking in your features. She looks like you... same hair, her eyes are darker, but they have flecks of violet, the same color as yours. She even has your cheekbones. Why didn't you tell me you had a daughter?"

Bain studied Izzy's face. She was curious, but there was no anger. His daughter was something he kept close to him and someone he always kept protected from the new people in his life. Izzy was different—he knew that. Hell, he knew he'd fallen in love with her, but Kyra was too important to him to let anyone get close to her too soon. Most women he knew would use Kyra to keep him. Hell, her own mother had done just that. They had moved past it and were in a good place in their relationship now, but she had thought Kyra was her ticket to keeping him tied to her.

"What would you have said if I had told you right away?" Bain posed his own question to her.

"I would have asked to see pictures, for you tell me about her. What did you think I would do?"

Bain shook his head. "I don't know, Izzy. It's always been my policy to protect Kyra from..." He cut himself off before he said something he'd regret.

Izzy picked up where he left off though, forcing him to face what he was about to say. "From the women you've slept with?"

Bain groaned with frustration. "Can we drop this for now? So I can show you around? I figured you would be anxious to leave the castle by now."

Izzy smiled and acquiesced. "Sure... but don't think we're done talking about that beautiful little girl."

Bain smiled and pulled her to him. He cupped her bottom and lifted her up, forcing her legs around his waist. Izzy let out a small burst of laughter. Bain kissed her gently as his wings spread out wide behind him, and he lifted them into the air.

# Chapter Thirty

––––––––

Izzy felt free at the weightless feel while in flight with Bain. She had her legs wrapped firmly around his waist. He kept a tight grip on her back, needing her muscles as they flew over the castle's curtain wall.

Izzy had her arms wrapped around Bain's neck with her head tucked in the crook between his shoulder and his neck. She felt free, wild, and maybe even a little reckless in Bain's arms as they traveled over the Light Fae lands. Forests, meadows, mountain, and rivers laid out beneath them. Izzy couldn't keep her lips from exploring the taut skin of Bain's neck. She figured distracting him could be a little dangerous, but the sky was eerily clear of everything but the two of them.

One of Bain's hands slid down her back and between her legs. When he had picked her up earlier, he had held the skirt of her calf-length dress down to keep her covered. Now he pulled it up to her waist, leaving only the lace of her panties to cover her.

"What are you doing?" she whispered in his ear, before taking the lobe between her teeth and raking them over the sensitive flesh.

Bain growled and pressed his hip towards her, rubbing the strained fabric where his erection pulsed to get free against her.

"What do you think, sweet Izzy?" He kissed her neck.

"Up here?" she breathed, excited by the prospect. Yep, free, reckless, and not feeling an ounce of remorse for it.

She didn't care how or where, all she cared about was now... she wanted him now. Her nerves were aching, her panties were wet, and she was primed and ready to take in every hard, long, delicious inch of him. She wanted him inside of her, stretching her in ways no one else ever had. It was more than physical though... her heart wanted him.

She was in love.

The thought that she had actually fallen in love had her muscles pulsing to feel him slide in and out of her, slowly taking his time while she explored his body in return.

Izzy's breath caught when Bain reached between them, sliding his zipper down, freeing his hard flesh to press against her.

Bain teased Izzy's wet, sensitive folds, rocking his erection between them with only the lace of her panties separating their flesh. She was wet, and the little moans she let out in the ear of the lobe she held between her perfect little lips had Bain struggling not to rip the lace away and bury himself inside of her. Izzy squeezed her legs tighter around him, while trying to push her panties down.

Bain raked his teeth down her neck and whispered, "You can't have it both ways, sweetheart. Either you hold on tighter or you let go, and I rip those panties out of my way."

The heat in Bain's voice called to something primal in Izzy. She swallowed hard against the tightening in her throat, words becoming hard to get out

"Rip them," she was finally able to demand.

She didn't have to make that request twice, but Bain was going to enjoy the job. He slid his hand down her stomach and ran his knuckles over the wet lace. A low, guttural growl rumbled from somewhere deep inside of him. He was done playing.

Bain grabbed the lace and tore it free of her body. He pushed one finger deep inside of her, pressing and raking her walls, circling and pushing deeper inside of her. He found that small spot that he knew would have her trembling in his arms and pressed a little harder. Bain kissed her softly, capturing her moans, before pulling his finger back out and bringing its slickened form to his lips.

Izzy's eyes fluttered as she watched Bain's finger slip past the sinful curve of his lips. His eyes closed as he suckled the finger, taking in the sweet silk that was Izzy. When his eyes opened and met hers, they glowed brighter than she'd ever seen.

Bain felt drugged as he tasted Izzy on his finger. "You are so delectable, my sweet Izzy."

"Oh God, Bain." She was already breathless, and she needed him... needed him deep inside of her.

He needed her too. It wasn't just what his body wanted... it was what it needed. He wanted to taste more of her, he wanted to drop his mouth to her slick lips and push his tongue past their folds. She was so sweet. But as much as he wanted to stroke his tongue over her bundle of nerves, his cock wanted to sink deep inside of her even more.

Bain's feet hit the soft earth of the forest floor that had been laid out beneath them. Izzy hadn't even felt the decent to the moss-covered ground. Bain's wings wrapped around her, protecting her, as he propped her up against a tree. He pulled her dress over her head and pushed his pants to the ground, kicking off his shoes and stepping free of the pesky clothing. Izzy ripped at the buttons of his shirt, revealing his broad shoulders and muscular chest to her hungry gaze.

Bain lifted Izzy, adjusting himself so when he brought her back down, he glided inside her, inch by inch, until he filled her to the hilt. Izzy's lips parted on a sweet moan, Bain struggled to stay still, allowing Izzy to adjust to the pressure of taking all of him in. He was big, but Izzy had already known that. Her mouth had been intimately introduced to his hardened flesh. Her head fell back, the soft caress of feathers capturing her hair and softly tickling her bare flesh.

Izzy threaded her fingers through Bain's hair as he dropped his head and captured one of her nipples in his deliciously talented mouth. He pleasured her while his teeth seared her heated flesh. Izzy wanted closer. Wanted more. She rocked against him, her fingers in his hair tugging at him, then pulling him closer. His lips moved from one breast to the other before climbing up her collarbone to her neck. He bit her softly, careful not to break her skin with his fangs.

Izzy had a delicious and unfamiliar yearning for him to bite her harder. Was she finding a kinky side to making love to Bain? Maybe, but she wanted it nonetheless. This perfect man, this man that filled her, loved her, protected her, was different. He was different in the most delectable way, but he wasn't human, and she loved that about him. He was almost ethereal in her eyes, and he was sexy and maybe a little dangerous. She wanted that dangerous side to love. With it came passion, something she hadn't felt in so long. She wanted him to use his fangs, to slip them past her skin, to mark her, to claim her.

"Harder," she whispered, bracing his head tight to her neck.

Bain knew what she was asking for; he felt Izzy shiver with anticipation. He'd bitten others before, and he hated the part of him that enjoyed it, but he couldn't tell her no. He would never be able to tell her no. With soft pressure, he let his fangs break her smooth, silky skin.

Izzy cried out, but not in pain. It was a deep pleasure she wasn't used to.

Bain didn't drink blood, not like the vamps he hated so much did, but it was a form of life force that could sustain him if he needed it. However, this wasn't about life force, it was about Izzy. He ran his tongue over the small wounds before blowing softly on them to heal the tiny punctures.

Izzy rocked harder against him, a new sense of need pushing her to take every bit of Bain deeper and harder into her.

Bain ran his hand down her stomach to the slick sweetness between her legs. His fingers found her pink ball of swollen flesh and teased it, slow, agonizingly perfect swirls, and little pinches to her hardened bud.

"Mmm... that's my sweet Izzy," he murmured against her breast as he took her nipple back in his mouth.

Hearing him moan and say her name had Izzy ready to fall over the edge, to succumb to the heat and pleasure that was wracking her body. She felt her muscles beginning to clench, starting low in her belly.

"Bain... oh... God," she cried out as her walls began to contract on his hardened flesh. Bain didn't want to stop, didn't want to pull out of Izzy, but he was too close to losing it. When he tried to pull out, she held on tighter, locking her ankles under his ass as her muscles started to milk him. Her head fell back and she pushed hard against him, burying his flesh deep inside of her, impaling herself on him.

Izzy's heels dug into the muscles of Bain's ass. "I have to pull out, Izzy," he groaned.

"No, you don't," she screamed as her orgasm continued to rock her to her very soul. Every nerve in her body was on fire. Every sense she had was on overdrive. She could smell him, taste him, and oh God, she could feel him.

"Sweetheart, I'm going to spill myself inside of you."

Her head fell forward, her forehead pressed against his, her hips still rocking against him a little jerkily. "It's okay; I'm on the pill, if that's what you're worried about."

That was all Bain needed to hear. He could impregnate her, but he didn't carry human diseases. Bain roared as he gave into his orgasm, letting Izzy's perfect and talented body take him over the edge as her walls continued to squeeze out every drop he had to spill.

# Chapter Thirty-One

––––––––

"You've gone and done it, haven't you, son?"

Bain stopped as he passed his mother's study. He had only left Izzy because she had to get some work done and had told him he was too big of a distraction, shooing him from the library.

They'd come back from the flight, never making it to the lake. The thought brought a satisfied smile to his face. He'd made love to her twice in the forest and once in the shower when they returned to his room.

Bain entered his mother's study, dropping gracefully into the chair opposite her. "Done what, Mother?"

"Don't play coy with me, Bain. You know I speak of the human."

"She has a name—it's Isabelle, in case you've forgotten."

"I don't need to remember her name. She won't be with us much longer. Your sister and Cree are meeting with Darion as we speak."

Bain's eyes narrowed.

He hadn't heard anything about Darion contacting Ro. Cree said he'd let Bain know if anything came up. He wasn't sure he was ready to come face to face with Zander just yet. Physically, he could handle Zander, if he kept his wits about him. But while he wanted Izzy safe and getting her luck back would do that, he just wasn't ready to let her leave here. Not after today.

"That means nothing. Izzy will leave here when she's ready to go, and no sooner."

"Once her luck's restored, she will have no need to stay, and with Rowan meeting with Darion, it is nearly guaranteed he will turn Zander over. Then she will need to go."

"That doesn't mean anything, Mother. Who I choose to spend my life with is my choice."

Lady Esperanza's eye narrowed, taking on a glacial sheen. "Spend your life with?"

Bain's own eyes narrowed with the tone she used. "Maybe... I care about her... It's more than that, I love her."

Lady Esperanza scoffed, "Please, Bain, don't be ridiculous. You don't love any of the women you bed. Your looks do you little service in that area. I'm your mother, and even I know you don't love anyone but yourself, and certainly not this human."

Bain sat slack jawed, shocked and hurt by her words. His mother had never spoken so distastefully about him before.

Was that really what she thought of the son she'd raised?

"Don't look so surprised. It doesn't mean I love you any less. You're my son."

"I'm done here," Bain growled, and started towards the door.

"Let me ask you one question first."

Bain looked over his shoulder at his mother.

"What of her mortality? Will it hurt less if you let her go now, or if you stand by and watch her die the slow death of her race?"

Bain didn't answer. He had tried desperately not to think about it. There was no way for him to increase her longevity. Izzy would likely die somewhere in the next fifty to seventy years, if he was lucky. Of course, Bain hadn't expected to fall in love with her, and worse, he hadn't expected her to fall in love with him. And he was fairly certain what he felt wasn't one sided.

"That's what I thought." Esperanza's eyes took on a cold stare. "I saw my granddaughter today. She said Daddy was spending the day with a pretty girl, but he promised she could go with him to the lake next time."

Bain's eyes flashed. "Where are you going with this, Mother?"

"How do you think it would affect Kyra if you allow this human into her life and she finds she loves her too, but has to watch her die?" she asked, spite all over her tone.

Bain still had no answer. His mother was pulling out the one person who would always affect the decisions he made.

"It's better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all... Isn't that what your precious humans say? I suggest you let loss come now rather than later."

There was hate in his mother's words, and he couldn't handle hearing another word from her mouth.

"We really are done with this conversation, Mother. I'll see you at dinner."

Bain was out the door and a few feet down the hall when he heard his mother's parting words.

"This conversation is far from over, Bain," she called after him. "She is not the one for you."

****

"Are you okay? You're uncharacteristically quiet," Izzy said as she walked with Bain to the dining hall. She was dolled up in a black dress tonight, with a halter and a back slit in the floor-length skirt.

"Yes." He forced a smile as he looked down into her beautiful, dark eyes.

Izzy frowned at him. "You don't seem fine. You seem distant, and I got to tell ya, that worries me a little."

Bain dropped a kiss to her forehead. "Not distant, sweetheart, just distracted. But I think I have a solution, come on."

Bain steered her past the doors to the dining hall and past a few busy staff members. They moved through a large, arched door framed with bricks and entered the kitchen. Bain skimmed over the busy cooks and waiters, his eyes finally settling on Darnell.

"Master Bain?" Darnell gave him a curious look.

Bain let go of Izzy's arm. "I'll be right back."

Ten minutes later, Bain had a basket with enough food for the two of them, two wineglasses, and a nice bottle of Merlot to accompany their dinner.

"What are we doing?" Izzy asked.

Bain smiled at her. They were going to have dinner with just the two of them. They passed a large window with deep green velvet draperies. Bain stopped and, with one hard yank, had the material falling into his arm.

Izzy gasped. "What are you doing?"

"Trust me, sweet Izzy, you're going to thank me later."

Once outside of the castle's main keep, Bain handed Izzy the bottle of wine and the two glasses. He held the basket of food in one hand and tossed the velvet drapery over his arm. He pulled her against him as his wings opened and lifted them into the cooled night air.

Bain set Izzy down on the hard, flat roof of the castle's main keep. He set the basket down and laid the drapery out. With a smile and flourish of his hand, he gestured for her to sit. She shook her head and smiled as she sat down, hiking her dress skirt up a little and settling more on her hip than her bottom.

"Aren't you glad I grabbed it now?" Bain asked teasingly.

Izzy smirked. "I suppose I am."

Bain sat next to her and laid dinner out for them.

The night had the chill of fall in the air and, by the time dinner was done and the wine was nearly gone, Izzy was feeling that chill. Wine didn't heat her body like most other alcohol did.

"You're cold," Bain noted.

She nodded, admitting, "A little."

Bain started to get up, but Izzy grabbed his hand to keep him sitting with her. She was cold, but she didn't want to leave this evening to memories. This was the closest they'd come to having an actual date. It was romantic, and her mind kept re-playing the stories of the stars he'd shared with her.

"I don't want to go in yet," she said softly.

Bain smiled and pulled her to him, with her back pressed to his chest and his arms settling around her waist. He let his wings extend back out from his shoulders and wrapped them around her, cutting out the chill of the night's cool breeze.

Izzy had to admit that she found this part of Bain to be far beyond the beauty of his good looks. He was gorgeous, always, but something about his wings, their lightest shade of gold weaved into the white feathers... Well, there was something extraordinarily beautiful about them. There was something virtually angelic about him.

Izzy ran a delicate finger over the soft down feathers. Each feather was velvety to the touch and not a single one looked the same; each was unique and mesmerizing.

She felt Bain shiver behind her. She strained her neck to get a good look at his face. It wasn't easy; her back was pressed tightly against his chest.

"Did you just shiver?" she asked him.

She noticed his eyes were glowing then, but he closed them and took a very audible, deep breath. When he opened his eyes again, he'd staunched the glow. Izzy studied him for a brief second. Something was up, but she couldn't place it.

Did it really surprise her that her touch would cause a shiver of pure lust to dance through his body? She looked utterly innocent as she asked, which just made her all the more alluring.

"It feels good," he whispered. "I'm unsure why the wings don't bother you."

Izzy continued to stroke his feathers. "Because they're beautiful and a part of you. In case you hadn't noticed, I've taken quite the liking to you."

Bain chuckled. "Yes, I had noticed."

"So then it shouldn't surprise you," she said seriously. "I love that you're different. You are unlike anyone I've ever known."

Bain nodded. She loved that he was different; she loved the part of him that was otherworldly. She accepted the part of him he feared would frighten her. He dropped a small kiss to her cheek.

"I will admit that they raise a few questions for me," she said, absently stroking his feathers.

"Like what?" he asked.

"Like why they don't rip your shirt? And if it hurts you when you spread them free of your shoulder blades?"

"Ah, two very good questions, one of which I don't have a good answer for. I don't know why they don't rip the shirt off my back every time. All I can say is that while they're part of me, they're the magical part of me."

Izzy nodded. "Not all things have to be explained. We lose too much of the mystery in life if we try to understand and explain everything. So does it hurt?"

"No." Bain shook his head softly. "No, sweet Izzy, it does not hurt."

"Good, I'd be mad at you if you had hurt yourself because I was cold."

Izzy turned back to look out over the view. The vantage point the roof provided was enchanting. Izzy let out a deep breath and settled comfortably against Bain's chest.

# Chapter Thirty-Two

––––––––

"Where's your brother, Rowan?" Lady Esperanza asked in a hushed voice as she leaned towards her daughter.

Rowan smiled. There were a lot of people at dinner, and she hoped her mother wasn't going to cause some sort of scene.

"I believe he's having a private meal with Izzy."

Esperanza scoffed. "With the human? Who told you that?"

"Her name is Isabelle, Mother. Darnell said Bain came by the kitchen and got some food, Izzy was with him. So I made the leap and I'm guessing they're off having dinner together."

"This is unacceptable. He needs to look at the big picture, not to mention that you—his leader and sister—just returned from meeting with Darion. He should be here showing his support."

"Let it go, Mother. I know Bain supports me. He deserves some time alone with Izzy, if that's what he wants."

"What he wants may not be the best thing for him. That boy is out of his mind."

"That boy is over five hundred. I happen to think it's sweet he finally cares about a woman," Rowan said, her smile never faltering as her eyes drifted from her mother's aggravated face to those of her guest.

"Don't be ridiculous, Rowan. Do you honestly believe that Bain cares for her any more then he has for any of his other conquests? Besides, even if he does, this is by far the worst woman for him to decide to finally fall for. She is human. A mortal."

"This is not proper dinner conversation. This is Bain's choice, and he'll have to decide what he wants to do."

"No, Rowan. If you care at all about your brother, you will help put an end to this nonsense. He's asking to be hurt, and you, as his leader and his sister, should not allow it."

"We're done discussing this, Mother. Darion is bringing Zander here tomorrow. Once Izzy is safe, we'll deal with what Bain wants to do, but I happen to believe we should support him."

Lady Esperanza wasn't going to leave Bain to make this decision—it was too important. He'd caused enough embarrassment over the years. She wasn't going to allow him to put the final nail in the coffin so to speak. A human was not a suitable mate.

"I believe I will take my leave of you all for the evening," Lady Esperanza told them. They all stood, and Cree pulled her chair back for her. With steely goodbyes, she made haste from the dining hall, with one destination in mind.

****

"Grandma!" Kyra squealed as she rose from the floor, leaving her crayons and paper to run to Lady Esperanza.

Lady Esperanza loved her granddaughter, as much as she loved her own children. That was why she couldn't let Bain make this mistake. She was his mother and, as such, she knew best.

"Hello, darling." Esperanza hugged Kyra briefly. "What masterpiece are you creating?"

"It's Daddy," Kyra said proudly, grabbing up her picture and handing it to her grandmother to admire.

"Why yes it is, and you've done a very lovely job. Is that you with him?"

Kyra nodded. "Yep, we're going to the lake, just like Daddy said. I couldn't go today, but he promised next time I could go with him and his friend."

"That's nice, darling. Perhaps it will be just you and Daddy."

Kyra smiled, and Esperanza smiled back at her before setting her gaze upon Kathleen.

"We need to talk," she told her.

Kathleen knew that tone and while she owed Esperanza nothing, she was not naïve enough to try and tell her no.

"All right, give me a minute," Kathleen told Esperanza. "Kyra, it's time to take a bath and get ready for bed, so I can talk to your grandmother."

Kyra sighed, but shuffled down the hall to the bathroom, with Kathleen on her heels. Esperanza moved into the kitchen, turning on the stove to heat a kettle of water.

Kathleen returned a few minutes later. Once Esperanza heard the familiar sounds of her granddaughter playing in her bath water, she set her steely eyes on Kathleen and started in.

"You met the human today?"

Kathleen's eyes narrowed slightly. "Yes, Bain was with her earlier. Kyra ran into them while out playing."

"Well, my son is under the delusion that he loves this female, and that simply won't do."

Kathleen moved to the cupboard and pulled out two mugs. She then grabbed two tea bags and poured the heated water into them. This conversation was going to take on a very uncomfortable edge. She placed one of the mugs in front of Esperanza and took her seat across from the cold-eyed Fae woman.

Kathleen sat silently for a second, sipping on her tea. She hated the thought of Bain loving someone else, but she had accepted their relationship long ago. They were friends, and that was it.

"I'm not sure what that has to do with me," Kathleen finally said.

"I can't allow this to go any further, and you, my dear, are going to help me put a stop to it."

Kathleen was actually frightened. Whatever Esperanza had in mind, was concocted with a touch mania.

# Chapter Thirty-Three

––––––––

Bain was stiff as he escorted Izzy to Rowan's study. Darnell had woken them early this morning, letting them know that Rowan needed to see them immediately.

"Do you think it's Zander?" Izzy asked as she struggled to keep up with Bain.

Bain answered with a grunt.

Izzy stopped and waited for Bain to finally stop and look at her.

"What are you doing?" Bain asked.

"I'm not moving until you talk to me," Izzy said stubbornly. "There has been something wrong with you since yesterday. Talk to me."

Bain's face melted, the stern man on a mission look fading and a small smile taking place of it. He walked back to her and pulled her to him.

"I'm sorry, Izzy. I'm just distracted and, trust me, I realize what a dick move it is after yesterday. My mother is a difficult woman, and she has her hooks in me. And yes, I believe Darion and Zander have graced us with their presence."

"What did your mother do?" Izzy asked.

"Nothing you need to worry about, sweet Izzy. Now let's go see what we can do to help you."

Bain laced his fingers with hers and walked at a much slower pace, allowing her to keep up with him.

****

Bain held Izzy's hand tightly as he scanned the room. Cree was there of course, standing close to Rowan. Darion sat smug as ever. His crown covered most of his brown hair, but his eyes were that same startling silver color they always were, lending an air of evil to his appearance. Bain's gaze landed on the tall, irksome man who lurked in the shadows at the far corner of the room.

Zander smiled at Bain. "Hello, Bain, I see you survived our little scuffle the other night."

Bain glared at him.

"Ah beautiful Isabelle, I had hoped you would survive. It's a shame you won't be around in a hundred years. You were a sweet one to feed from. So much pure, undiluted luck... it was like ambrosia."

"Shut up," Bain growled low and dangerous. "You don't get to talk to her."

"Darion," Rowan warned the Dark Fae leader.

He scoffed and raised a silencing hand towards Zander. "That's enough, don't prod him. Give the girl what we agreed upon. I'm ready to return to my lands."

Zander pushed off the wall and looked to Cree. "Hold on to him."

"Why?" Bain asked.

"Because I have to give it back the same way I took it. I plan to at least enjoy myself while giving up my luck."

Bain growled louder this time. "It was never your luck."

"Come on, big guy," Cree said. "You don't need to watch this. I believe your mother wants to see you."

Bain glared at Cree. "I'm not leaving her alone with him."

Izzy was completely with Cree on this one. She didn't want Bain watching her kiss another man, but she understood what was going to happen here. She was going to have to let Zander kiss her in order to get her life back.

"Bain, it's all right. Go see your mother."

His eyes narrowed on her, but she smiled.

"Not until you get Kale and Uriah or Lothar in here. I won't leave either of them alone with these two."

"You got it," Kale spoke up from behind them, Lothar at his side.

Bain pulled Izzy to him, slamming his lips to hers in a passionate, bruising kiss. He kept his eyes locked on Zander, making the kiss a statement of possession. Izzy knew what Bain was doing, but she didn't mind him claiming her. Although she felt a little exposed kissing him like this in the presence of his sister and brothers, not to mention the Dark Fae leader. Izzy dropped her face, pulling her lips from Bain's before the kiss turned into something more and she tried to jump him right there.

"It'll be fine," Izzy whispered, resting her hands on his chest.

Once Bain had left the room, Zander stepped close to Izzy, a satisfied smile on his face and a suggestive brow wag as he pulled her to him.

"I've been waiting to do this ever since we were interrupted after dinner."

There was a rumbling growl coming from both Kale and Lothar

"Get on with it," Kale warned.

Zander lifted his head to sneer at both Immortal brothers.

"You're an evil prick," Izzy said as Zander lowered his lips to hers.

"I'm just trying to survive," Zander said, just before he sealed his mouth over hers.

****

Bain started to turn and head back into Rowan's study. He couldn't leave Izzy alone in there. Not with that bastard Zander and that smug son of bitch Darion.

"No, no." Cree grabbed Bain's arm and twisted him back around. "I can't have you going in there and ripping Zander apart."

Bain glared at Cree. "Why not? That prick has been a thorn in our sides for far too long."

"You don't want Izzy or Rowan to see you lose it, and you definitely don't want either of them to get hurt if you do. We both know based off the way you're acting over Izzy that watching what is going on in there is not a good idea." Cree continued to escort Bain to his mother's study.

Bain pulled in a deep breath. "You're right," he confessed. "I don't like it, but you're right."

Cree's lip quirked.

Bain hesitated when they reached his mother's door. Cree was right. He'd just admitted that; it wouldn't be safe for anybody if he were in that room. Watching Zander put his hands anywhere on Izzy, it would eat away at him. He didn't even want to think of Zander's lips caressing the soft curve of Izzy's mouth. Not wanting to witness any of that, yet knowing it was happening, made him want to deal with his mom even less.

Cree swung the door open, smiled at Bain, and patted his back. "I'll come get you when Zander and Darion have taken their leave of us."

Esperanza's cool gaze studied Bain. "Take a seat, Bain, we need to talk."

Bain sat across from his mother, this scene all too familiar. Flashes of the last time he sat with her stung him deeply. He would never forget her words, her disdain for him.

"What is it, Mother?" Bain asked, clasping his hands in his lap.

"We need to finish our conversation from yesterday."

"I happen to think you said enough yesterday, and I told you I'm not discussing Isabelle with you."

"You are right, there will be no discussion. There will simply be you listening to me and answering my questions."

Bain raised a brow. "This should be good, please continue."

"I want to be clear that this human—"

"Isabelle, her name is Isabelle," Bain interjected.

"Fine, Isabelle is not a suitable addition to this family, and certainly not a suitable mate for you. Rowan has brought Zander here, and has insured her safety. Thus, it is time to take her home and cut the ties."

Bain continued to watch his mother talk, using a massive amount of control to keep from simply getting up and walking out.

"You will take her home tonight, and you will leave and not go back again."

Bain's silence broke then.

"I love you, Mother, but you have no right to place demands of me, especially not of this nature."

Esperanza smiled softly. Something about it felt wrong; there was trouble brewing behind it.

"I thought you might say something like that, so here is where you get the ultimatum that will likely leave you very angry with me, so before I say it... I want to emphasize that I am doing this for you."

That did not sound good. Bain kept a level stare on his mother as she continued.

"You have a choice to make your human... or your daughter."

Bain's blood instantly boiled, and he shot out of his seat.

"You are about to make a very costly mistake, Mother. I suggest you drop whatever you have planned and keep whatever else you have to say to yourself."

"Sit. Down. Bain," she emphasized the order, "and listen closely. Kyra and Kathleen are already gone. If you want to see them again, you will take that human back to her world and leave her there."

Bain didn't sit. His feet hit the floor, pounding in thunderous steps as he fled from the castle to Kathleen and Kyra's home.

Bain felt murderous. His blood boiled. He feared that his mother was more than serious and had taken his daughter away from him. That feeling that made him want to crush anything and anyone who got in his way was soon replaced with dread. When he pushed open Kathleen's door and made his way through the dark home, calling out for both her and Kyra, he was met with silence. It was an ominous lack of sound for a house that was usually bright with the laughter of his little girl. The house was cold and empty. The only thing that indicated his daughter had ever been there was a sweet drawing scribbled in crayon, a depiction of him and her with a lake behind them and her scratchy writing that read 'me and daddy'.

"I told you they were gone already," Lady Esperanza said coolly from behind him.

"What have you done?" Bain roared, Kyra's drawing held tight in his hand.

"I told you, this is not the right choice for you. You can choose to keep the human and, in fifty to sixty years when she perishes from her mortality, you will see your daughter again. Or you can take the human home and leave her to her life, while you live out the proper one for yourself and your daughter. I suggest you choose the latter."

"You have crossed the line. Hell, Mother, you've lost all sight of it."

He was beyond furious, past hurt and fear, and simply resting on disgust and contempt for the woman he had once revered and loved.

"I don't know how you could do this to me. How you could betray me."

"I can understand why you feel this way, but make no mistake, I am the only one who knows what's best for our family and, more importantly, I'm the only one who knows where they are."

Bain had never wanted to hurt his mother, but right now, he could rip her to shreds with his bare hands.

"Take the human home, Bain, and do not speak a word of this to anyone."

Bain narrowed his eyes at her. Esperanza knew the fury roaring through Bain, but this was what had to be done. No matter what anyone else thought of it, she was right.

"I imagine Zander is done with the human by now. It's time to make your choice and say goodbye."

Bain's fist hit the wall. "At least have the decency to use her name," he seethed through heated breaths.

"If that will make it easier for you then—I suggest you take Isabelle home and get back here, then after I am convinced you won't be going back after her, I will bring Kyra and Kathleen back and you can focus on your daughter."

Bain moved past his mother, stopping next to her, but refusing to look at her face. "I will never forgive you for this."

"Time changes everything, Bain. Eventually you will forget about Isabelle, and someday you will understand that I did what I had to do... for you."

"Do not for one second attempt to delude yourself into thinking this was for me. I always tried to ignore your faults, hell, I used to deny that they were even there, because you are my mother and I loved you, but this... this is about appearance and your fear of others not approving of me and by extension you."

# Chapter Thirty-Four

––––––––

They dropped into Izzy's backyard. Bain found her after leaving Kathleen's home. Rowan had checked to make sure Zander had actually given Izzy back some of her luck and not taken more. Izzy had been given back more than enough of her luck to insure she would be safe... alone in her own home, in her own world... without him.

His heart had broken when he saw her after his conversation with his mother. Her smile had shone with the revitalization of her luck, though her eyes showed a little worry when they met his. She saw the anger and pain they held. He smiled softly back at her and shook his head when she would have asked him what was wrong. His shake was a silent reassurance that the anger and pain she saw was not about what had happened with Zander.

He pulled her to him and kissed her softly, knowing it would be the last for them. Because if he kissed her again, if he left himself hold her, caress her even one more time, he would truly lose his mind. He was about to leave the only woman he had ever truly loved.

Bain didn't say a word of what had happened with his mother at Kathleen's home. He simply pulled Kale aside, asked him for a favor, and then helped Izzy to get her things together. She had looked at him questioningly, but he merely smiled and told her he was going to take her home.

Izzy hadn't said a word since they had left, Bain was thankful. He wasn't sure he could handle any words from her right now. Holding her in his arms as they flew through the night had used up most of his resolve. He still wanted her. He had fallen hard for this beautiful, perfect, understanding, and accepting woman. He hated his mother right then, hated her with thick venom that ran acidic through his veins. Ah hell, he hated himself too, for the position he and Izzy were now in, but most of all, he hated himself for letting her fall for him.

Bain wasn't blind or stupid. He knew he probably couldn't give her what she deserved, but he would have loved trying. It was, however, apparent that he was too weak to fight for her. He was a coward, forced to compliance by one of the two women he had always loved and had always thought he could rely on.

He didn't know how he was going to walk away from Izzy. Part of him prayed she would accept what he was about to do, what he had to do, and let him walk out of her life, while the other part of him ached at the thought of her not fighting to keep him with her.

Izzy pushed her long hair out of her face and smiled up at him. "I'll have to remember to tie my hair back next time."

Bain tried to smile at her, but there wouldn't be a next time.

"Come on, let's get you inside. Kale already checked the house and brought Garcia, your stuff, and your car back. I also had Hawk's Eye install a security system," Bain told her as he showed her how to arm and disarm the system.

Something was off. Izzy's smile fell a little, but she turned and headed through the back door. The house had a chill in it. Apparently, Kale hadn't thought to turn on the heater. She immediately made her way to the thermostat to get the furnace up and roaring.

"Are you hungry?" she asked. "I can order in some food."

Bain shook his head. "No, I—I have to go."

Izzy forced a slight smile. "Oh, okay. Is Cree sending you on a super-secret Fae mission?"

Bain shook his head.

Izzy frowned. "Okay, when will I get to see you again?"

Bain took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Preparing himself to say goodbye to Izzy was heartbreaking and far more difficult than he could ever have prepared himself for.

"Bain?" Izzy's voice was strained as she said his name.

Izzy was picking up on the fact that there was something very wrong here. He was taking too long to say the unavoidable.

"You won't, Isabelle. This is where we say goodbye." Bain's answer came out in a shaky whisper.

Izzy felt a small burst of panic that gave way to a deep sting of pain. She had not heard him correctly. He had not said that... he had not just said she wouldn't see him again.

"What are you talking about?" Izzy finally asked.

"You're safe now. You don't need my protection anymore."

It wasn't his protection she wanted; she hadn't wanted it from the beginning. "It's not about my protection, Bain. What's going on with you?"

"I'm sorry, Isabelle. I have to go."

Izzy reached for him, stopping him as she wrapped her small, elegant fingers around his arm and tugged him to a stop. He could have shook her off... he probably should have.

"No," she said fiercely. "You don't get to just leave like this; you don't get to just walk away from me. What the hell is happening here?"

"We're done, Isabelle. I did my duty, I did what was asked of me, and now I need to go."

Izzy let out a disheartened laugh. "I think you did more than what was asked of you." Her anger was starting to seep through.

Anger was good—Bain could handle anger. It was better than pain. He knew deep down that her anger was fueled by pain, but he tried to ignore that fact. Leaving with her mad was easier then leaving with her hurt.

"Maybe," he agreed. He had done far more then was asked of him. "But it doesn't matter."

"It doesn't matter? Are you kidding me? None of it mattered to you?"

It was killing Bain, but lying was better than telling her he loved her, loved her like he'd never loved another, but that wouldn't change the fact that they couldn't be together. Telling her he loved her would just make things harder on the both of them.

"Goodbye, Isabelle."

"Why are you calling me Isabelle?" she screamed at him.

Bain's eyes narrowed slightly. "It's your name."

Izzy scoffed. "No shit, but it feels a little formal after everything that's happened between us."

"At this point, I'm guessing you and I aren't friends anymore. Considering only your friends call you Izzy, I figured it was only right I call you Isabelle."

"Are you for real? You're a jackass."

"It was fun, Isabelle, but now you need to go back to your life... and I need to go back to mine."

"Fun?" Disbelief was running rampant in her features. "That's how you're categorizing making love to me? That's what making me fall in love you was about? It was all fun, huh?"

Bain shook his head and turned to leave. She just said it, and he couldn't stand there any longer and not admit that he loved her too. Izzy was quick though, blocking the front door.

"No! We're not done here—" she yelled.

"We are done, Izzy!" Bain roared at her.

He needed to get out of there, away from her now. She was infusing him with her scent and her home was reminding him of their first few days together. Those fun easy days when they had gotten to know one another.

He slammed his hands against the door on either side of her head, caging her in his arms, her back pressed flat against the paneled steel. He glared at her, causing her to wrap her arms around herself protectively.

"Nothing you say now... no matter how much you read into what happened with us, no matter how much you question and hound me, nothing will change this situation. This. Is. Over."

Izzy's eyes started to glisten, making them look like liquid navy.

She hated the weakness those unshed tears threatened to show.

Bain hated that she was about to cry, he hated that it was possible he had actually scared her on top of hurting her, and he would never forgive himself for any of this.

"You're a real son of a bitch," she said, as she ducked under his arm and hurried away.

"Don't I know it," Bain whispered, dropping his head for a second before exiting her front door. Bain switched the lock on the doorknob, and then shut the door behind him, locking himself out of Izzy's life.

# Chapter Thirty-Five

––––––––

"Izzy, what is the matter with you?" Marie asked as she settled down on the couch next to her sister.

Izzy was trying, she really was, but it had been over two weeks since she'd last seen Bain. Part of her had held out these past days, hoping, wanting, and as much as she hated to admit it to herself—wishing, he would come back.

She had been angry and hurt, and she had spent too much time crying over him. She had dreamed he would show back up at her door, so she could feel the warmth and strength of his embrace, so he could kiss her. That he would say he was sorry and that he didn't know why he said the things he had. That he loved her as much as she loved him... but he never showed. Each day ended with no Bain. At some point, she stopped looking to the sky, stopped searching for him... It had been somewhere around day three. She also gave up gazing at the stars at night, though every once in a while, she swore she had a shadow somewhere up there.

"Nothing's wrong, Marie. I'm just tired. I've been really busy."

"Is that why I had to just show up here, and why you haven't been to Sunday night dinner in three weeks?" Marie poured Izzy a glass of wine while she asked.

Izzy gave Marie a wry smile, taking the glass of wine from her.

"I just haven't felt like going," Izzy admitted.

She felt bad about that fact, but she couldn't handle the happy couples that would surround her at those dinners. She didn't envy what her sister or her parents had, she was thankful they had people to love and share their lives with, but she just couldn't handle seeing it right now.

"Does it have something to do with that guy, Bain?"

"Bain," Izzy said his name softly. It was hard to even let his name pass over her lips.

Marie nodded. "Should I take that as a yes? Does it have something to do with Bain?"

"Maybe a little." Izzy nodded her head gently.

Marie smiled, and Izzy had to look away. Marie was beautiful, a younger version of herself, with shorter hair and hazel eyes, who was no stranger to heartache. Marie loved fast and recklessly, letting her heart rule over all her senses. She had a good man now, but she had gone through a lot of boyfriends in her twenty-five years.

Neither Izzy nor Marie had been as lucky as Eppie. She had fallen in love, married her high school sweetheart, and had two kids now. Izzy couldn't talk to Eppie about any of this, but Marie understood.

"So what happened, Iz?" Marie asked, settling back with her own glass of wine.

"I don't know," Izzy whispered, biting her lip as she tried not to cry. "I thought he loved me. I know it was fast, but I really thought he loved me. The hardest thing—" Izzy choked a little as she tried to continue through the tears. "The hardest thing is that I love him. I tried not to, but I let myself be vulnerable, and now he's gone."

Marie set her glass down and pulled her sister to her as Izzy let her tears flow fast and hard, her shoulders shaking as she gasped for air.

"It's going to be okay, Iz. I know it may not feel that way right now, but it will."

Izzy nodded, but she didn't believe it. This was a deep, drowning kind of pain... a pain she wasn't sure she could resurface from.

****

"Bain?" Rowan said his name softly.

Something hadn't been right with her brother for a while now, ever since he had taken Izzy home. Rowan didn't know what had changed. She was sure her brother had found someone who he cared about, who he even loved. A woman who was perfect for him. Izzy wasn't fooled by his bravado, but Bain hadn't spoken one word of her, and he hadn't been back to the Human World to see her.

Bain had been sulking around the castle, had been reckless, even a little vicious out on missions, and there was a stifling tension every time their mother came around.

"Bain?" Rowan said his name again, a little sterner this time, and let herself into his room. He was lying on his bed, eyes cast to the ceiling.

"What do you need, Rowan?" Bain asked as she came and sat on the bed next to him.

"My brother," she said simply.

Bain's gaze drifted from the ceiling to his sister's face.

"What's wrong?" she asked, her eyes soft and concerned as they took in his face.

He forced a nonchalant air to his words. "Nothing you need to worry about, Ro."

"No, I do need to worry. I hear how your missions have been going, I know every time the Sisters have had to heal you—five times in two weeks. So tell me what's happening with you."

Bain looked back to the ceiling. "Things are pretty fucked up for me right now. It's been hard lately, but you don't need to worry."

Rowan shook her head, "Fine, then tell me what's going on with you and Mother?"

Bain's eyes narrowed, but didn't stray from the ceiling. The disgust he felt towards his mother was thick, as was the tension. It was tangible in the air whenever they were around each other. The worst part was that she still wouldn't tell him where Kyra and Kathleen were. She didn't believe he was done with Izzy, so the woman had taken everything he had to live for from him. Bain couldn't tell Rowan what was happening, that was one of his Mother's stipulations.

"There is nothing to tell," Bain said.

"Bain, I've had enough of this. I'm worried. Either you tell me what's going on with you, or you can tell Cree and Lothar."

That wouldn't work. Cree and Lothar would know, they would read everything going on, and he wouldn't be able to lie his way out of it. He'd avoided talking to his brothers for just that reason.

Bain was near pleading when he finally looked to Rowan and spoke. "Ro, do not ask this of me. I cannot tell you, and I certainly cannot tell them."

"You mean you cannot lie to them," Rowan corrected.

"No." Bain sighed, struggling now, knowing he was coming dangerously close to saying more then he should. "I mean, if I tell any of you, I risk everything."

Rowan's eyes narrowed as her brow pinched together. "What does that mean? What did Mother do to you?"

Bain couldn't lie, and he couldn't avoid Rowan's questions. "It's not what she did, Ro... it is what she took from me."

# Chapter Thirty-Six

––––––––

Rowan was furious. Their mother had gone too far this time, and Rowan was damn well going to fix it.

She should have noticed. She was utterly disappointed in herself. She should have noticed Kyra's absence, she should have seen Bain's pain, and, furthermore, she should have realized her mother was up to something. But all this drama with the Dark Fae swarming the Human World—which Darion said he knew nothing about—and the search for the drifters, had occupied too much of her time. Her family suffered right in front of her, and it somehow missed her attention.

Rowan reached out to Cree as she stomped her way to her mother's study, telling him to grab Lothar and meet her there. She threw open Esperanza's door, her eyes lit with fury, anger fusing and seething within her body.

"Where are they, Mother?" Rowan demanded, cold anger and power whipping and snapping off her words.

Esperanza lifted her gaze to meet Rowan's "So he told you? He held out longer than I thought him capable of."

"Where are they?" Rowan demanded again.

Esperanza nearly rolled her eyes, but they narrowed instead at her daughter's tone. She was unnecessarily outraged.

"Relax and watch your tone with me, Rowan. I have already sent Niles to retrieve them. They should be back any time now."

"What were you thinking?" Rowan shook her head in disbelief. "Have you completely lost your mind? You used his daughter, your granddaughter, against him."

Rowan was silent for a second as she studied her mother's face. There wasn't even an ounce of remorse in her steely eyes. She really felt she had done nothing wrong. It was outrageous and unfathomable for Rowan. Who was this woman? What had happened to her mother?

"Kyra is not a bargaining chip, Mother." Rowan spoke softer this time as she thought of her niece. That little girl lived for and loved her father. This was wrong. It was hurtful to Bain, but it would have devastated Kyra if she had, at any point, understood what was happening. "And she certainly should never have been used as an ultimatum so you could control Bain. Did you stop to think of how this might have hurt her? She loves her father."

"I did this for them," Esperanza said matter-of-factly.

"No, you did this for you, because of your fear of how others perceive your family. You crossed a major line, and you have irrevocably changed your relationship with your son. It will never be the same, all because of your shortsighted superiority."

"You're being dramatic, Rowan. Time will see us through this. He may hate me now, and he may not see it, but this had to be done. A human does not belong in the royal family."

"No, Mother." Rowan spoke with a deceptive calm, but she was sad and trying with all her strength to remain clear headed and act like the leader she was. "You don't belong in the royal family, or this castle for that matter."

Esperanza's eyes remained narrowed. "Don't be ridiculous, Rowan. I am your mother."

"But you are no longer part of my council."

Cree and Lothar had made it to Esperanza room by then, both staying silent as they attempted to read the situation.

Rowan turned to the two warriors. "Lady Esperanza will be taking her leave of us. Help her pack her things and move her out of our castle. I believe mine and Bain's childhood home has been vacant for many years now, but that should be adequate housing for her."

"Rowan." Lady Esperanza's voice was high with outrage.

Rowan turned to her mother. "You don't get to be outraged, Mother. You did this. Perhaps being where you raised your son will help you to remember who he is and understand how deeply you've hurt him."

Rowan felt like crying. Bain deserved better then what his own mother thought him worthy of. He deserved to have someone love him for him, and she believed Izzy was the person who truly did, aside from her and the brothers.

"Rowan, what's going on?" Lothar asked quietly.

"Lady Esperanza is no longer going to be staying with us."

"You cannot do this, Rowan." Esperanza finally stood, as if it had just dawned on her that she was no longer in control of the situation.

"I can, and I have," Rowan said simply.

"Rowan." Esperanza's voice held a warning tone.

"I can no longer trust you," Rowan told her. She had to admit the confession hurt her, but only because of the truth behind it. "You not only betrayed and damaged your relationship with your son, you've changed your relationship with your daughter as well."

Rowan left the room, sending a silent message to Cree to get her moved out of the castle, but to be sure she had everything she needed.

# Chapter Thirty-Seven

––––––––

Kale landed in Izzy's backyard, his head spinning from his conversation with Rowan. He'd been keeping an eye on Izzy for Bain. Every night he let him know she was at least safe. However, he didn't tell Bain of her endless crying. The big guy didn't need those bits of information. He saw the pain and remorse in Bain's eyes every time he asked Kale about her.

The guy loved that girl and the girl loved him, but Bain had walked away and wouldn't explain why not, even to him. Kale understood now. Esperanza was one egg short of her crazy dozen.

He was watching Izzy tonight for both Bain and Rowan. He was happy to do it, and was glad to be free of the castle at the moment. It sounded as if all hell had broken loose there.

Rowan was on a warpath, fighting for her brother, and had made it very clear that if Kale chose to speak to Izzy tonight, he was to keep a lid on the information he'd been given.

Kale was fine with that. He didn't want to step into the shit storm Esperanza had created.

Lady Esperanza was a fucking piece of work. The pretentious bitch had always looked down her nose at him. Granted, he was a wild child and he didn't give two shits about what others thought, which led him to do what he wanted and never consider the consequences. But Kale was who he was, and he made no excuses for it.

Lady Esperanza had made her opinions verbally known when Kale came back from a short time in the Human World, where he had visited a tattoo parlor. He personally loved the full-sleeve tribal art and dragon he had tatted on his arms and chest, but apparently, she didn't think it was appropriate for a warrior of his class. She probably wouldn't like the nipple rings either. Kale chuckled at the idea of her seeing those.

Izzy swore she saw a shadow swoop through her backyard, and like she had thought from the day Bain left, she was sure she'd been carrying around a winged shadow. She also believed it wasn't Bain. She couldn't even let her heart hope it was. Tonight she felt strong enough to walk out there and see who was watching her. She'd cried her last tear on Marie's shoulder.

Izzy wrapped a blanket around her shoulders and headed out the back door, after disarming the security system Hawk's Eye had installed. She hit the light switch, which didn't light up all of her yard, but it was enough.

"I know you're out there," she said in a singsong voice. "I'm not sure who it is, but I know you're there."

A familiar frame stepped out from behind the giant maple tree in the back corner of her yard by her privacy fence.

Dark hair and amused, dark eyes came into the light cast by the soft bulb.

Kale's face held a grin she had missed. Funny how she spent very little time in the Middle World, yet had come to care and value those she had met. She had missed Kale.

"I'm not the Immortal you were hoping for, right?" Kale quipped, but it didn't hold his usual spark.

Izzy smiled as he repeated the words he'd said the night he took her to dinner.

"You're a good escort." She repeated her previous words back to him, earning her a new grin.

"I wish I had somewhere to escort you too, Izzy. You need to get out of the house."

Izzy nodded at that. So she wasn't crazy, she did have a shadow.

"How many nights have you hidden behind my tree?" she asked with an arched brow and wide smile.

"A few," he admitted.

"Why didn't you come see me? Say hi? I swore I felt like I was being watched."

Kale's face softened, seriousness taking over as his grin fell. "I didn't know if you would want to be bothered by... well, one of us."

Izzy smiled genuinely at him and nodded. "Well, if I told you that I had missed you, would that make you feel better? And make you maybe want to come inside instead of lurking in the shadows like a free-spirited stalker?"

Kale chuckled and made his way up on the porch to follow Izzy inside.

"I think I have some tequila in the liquor cabinet," Izzy said brightly.

Kale laughed. Tequila would be good after the night he'd had. He'd taken a break from following Izzy for about an hour to take care of a bit of his own business, but when Rowan had called him, he had made a bee-line back to Izzy.

"Tequila sounds good to me."

Izzy poured them each a shot as they stood in her kitchen. "So, you been keeping busy with other Fae business or just following me?" she asked him.

Kale took his shot. "We've been busy, but I've been checking up on you a lot of the time."

Izzy smiled as Kale's gaze flicked away from her.

"You're keeping something from me."

Kale took the bottle, pouring them each another shot. "We've been busy. Hawk's Eye has been tracking a lot of Fae activity in your world."

"Vampires?" Izzy said jokingly.

"Yes, in fact there have been some vampire attacks among some others."

Izzy bit her lip. "Ok, joking aside, how bad is it?"

"It's not something you need to worry about. We're on top of it, and there have been no deaths."

Izzy shook her head. "Can I ask one question that's completely unrelated to the subject, but that I have to ask for my own sanity?"

Kale dipped his chin; he had a feeling he knew where this was going. "Sure."

"Is he okay?" she nearly whispered, finding it hard to look at Kale as she asked. Did she sound desperate? Did she sound like a stupid, lovesick puppy asking about a man who had never admitted he loved her, who had walked away and never looked back?

Kale smiled at her. "I don't know how to answer that. I don't know what will make you feel better."

"The truth would be helpful," Izzy admitted, finally holding his gaze.

"He's still Bain. He's not an open book and he's quiet, even with me. I don't know what happened, Izzy. He hasn't said a word to me about it, but who do you think has had me following you?"

Izzy smiled. She couldn't hide the fact that she felt a small amount of pleasure from Kale's admission. It was a sad smile, but she tried for jokes to cover her true emotions. "And here I thought you were following me because you missed my smiling face, and you were waiting for the right time to try and get me drunk again."

Kale let out a soft bark of laughter. Surprising both him and Izzy, he pulled her to him, giving her the last bit of support she needed.

# Chapter Thirty-Eight

––––––––

Izzy hustled through the bar, her costume making the work difficult. The skirt of her costume was much shorter than she liked, but people were hard pressed to find costumes nowadays that covered more than a skimpy piece of lingerie would.

Sally and Ben had decided to go with a Victorian gothic theme. Izzy was thankful. The new theme made her set up go smoothly. It wasn't far from the haunted mansion theme they had originally talked about.

The cocktail waitresses were in red dresses and black aprons, all sporting vampire bites on their necks. It had made Izzy grimace slightly after talking with Kale. She'd never feel the same about vampires now. The male bartenders were in Dracula costumes, fangs and all, and Sally, the one female bartender for the evening, was in a vampire queen costume. It was fitting.

"Izzy, you're like the anti-us," Mark, one of the Dracula's, laughed as Izzy rushed around, putting the final touches on the room.

She laughed and smiled. "I'm no angel, Mark."

Mark smirked, a very sexy twist of his full lips. He was a good-looking guy, not to tall, but tall enough she had to look up at him, with dark hair and eyes, and rich, dark skin. He made a delicious-looking Dracula.

"If you're no angel, then you won't mind if a vampire buys you a drink later."

Izzy forced a smile. Actually, she would mind, but he didn't know about the otherworldly creatures and how real their presence was.

"We'll see. If I survive the night, I'm sure I'll need one."

Mark laughed, a deep sound coming from somewhere low in his abdomen. "You and me both," he agreed.

The night was going to be crazy. The line forming outside the bar lent credence to that fact, but that was how Izzy needed it. She needed to keep busy, but still needed things to be smooth.

After finally talking to Marie about Bain and losing it, crying for a good hour on her sister's shoulder, she was feeling a little better. Then seeing Kale, actually laughing and having a good time, well, that put her one step further into better territory. Not good by any means, but she was firmly set in better. As long as she was keeping busy, she wasn't thinking too much about Bain and that helped to pass the lonely hours.

Marie and Marko were coming tonight. Even Eppie and Samuel had a sitter so they could come support her. She had a feeling Marie had told Eppie about Bain and her heartache over him, but Eppie hadn't said anything. She just seemed eager to come support Izzy.

Ben found Izzy just before it was time to open the doors, a Devil costume covering his frame, and red face paint covering his square face.

Izzy looked over to Mark. "I think we found the anti-me." She smiled, and Mark nodded.

Izzy hadn't wanted to be an angel for the night. In fact, the thought of putting on wings had her wanting to cry again, but when you wait till the last minute to get a costume and you wear the most popular size, you take what you can get. She hadn't been able to find anything in fact, so Marie came to the rescue with the angel costume.

She felt ridiculous in the white corset top and white, petticoat-style short skirt, but it was the white thigh highs and white platforms that really had her feeling uncomfortable. At least the wings were easily forgotten. They were small, white feather wings that barely spanned the width of her shoulders.

Izzy smiled as her sisters and the men who made them so happy came through the line. Eppie and Samuel were in togas. Marie and Marko's costumes got them a shake of Izzy's head. Marie was dressed in a skimpy lioness costume, while Marko dressed as a lion tamer.

Izzy led them to a table Ben had let her reserve for them. Ana, one of the waitresses, took their orders as Izzy sat down with her family. She was mostly done with her part of the evening. The decorating was done, the bartenders were on fire, the servers looked great as they made their way through the crowd with the dollar Jell-O shots, and the menu was altered and ready for the night, Ben was mingling in the crowd, and the band was live.

"It looks great in here, Iz," Eppie told her as she surveyed the decorations and the crowd.

"Thanks, I'm glad you guys could make it."

"Well, we've missed you. Are you planning to start coming to family dinners again?"

"I think so." Izzy smiled at her sister. "I just needed some time. The last month has been really complicated."

"We're pretty smart," Eppie said, her hand gesturing between herself and Marie. "You can tell us about it."

"You wouldn't believe me if I did tell you, and mostly what went on isn't my secret to tell."

"Wait, there are secrets now?" Marie piped in after taking a long draw on the straw of her Long Island.

Marko laughed. "Let's go get some more drinks," he said to Samuel. "Looks like the sisters might need a minute."

Samuel nodded, dropped a kiss to Eppie's temple, and the two men sauntered off.

"I shouldn't have said anything," Izzy said, trying to wave the comment off.

"Well, I want to know what happened. You didn't give many details, so tell us what happened with Bain."

Marie and Eppie both leaned in closer to Izzy so they could hear her over the band.

Izzy sighed. She was going to have to give up a few details, or they weren't going to leave her alone.

"It feels complicated to me, but I guess it's actually pretty simple. I met this amazing, though arrogant man, things got hot and heavy too quickly, we came back from the trip we took—the one when I missed the first family dinner night—he dropped me off, and he left. The truth is, I don't have any details to give. I don't have any answers to what happened."

"So, what did he say?" Eppie asked. "I mean, really, from what I heard, he stood his ground with Dad, and he couldn't take his eyes off you that night at dinner."

"And how hot and heavy was it?" Marie asked. Izzy glared at her. "Right, sorry, open wound." Marie waved the question off, returning her lips to the pink straw in her drink.

"He said it was over, that I wouldn't get to see him again, and that it was fun."

Pity shone from both Marie and Eppie's eyes.

"Fun was a poor choice of words on his part."

Izzy felt cold fear run down her spine as she spun to the voice behind her. Her eyes widened as they fell upon the Light Fae leader and a very handsome man who stood beside her, not one of the brothers, but an intimidatingly gorgeous man, whose long, black hair and stunning diamond eyes seemed to scrutinize every inch of her.

"Rowan, what are you doing here?" Izzy asked. Her sisters were finally silent as they watched the two intruders carefully.

That cold fear Izzy felt wasn't because of seeing Rowan; it was the why of her presence that scared Izzy. Was Bain okay?

"We need to talk," Rowan said simply.

"Is he okay? I just saw Kale the other night. He said he was... fine." She stumbled over the word a little. Kale hadn't actually used the word fine, but he was physically fine as far as what Kale had told her.

"Ah, again, I believe Kale has made the same mistake Bain did. Fine is a poor choice in words."

"Uh, Iz, you gonna introduce us?" Marie asked.

"What? Oh yeah sure, um... Rowan, these are my sisters, Marie and Eppie. Ladies, this is Rowan."

"And who is Kale?" Eppie asked. She looked to the man standing next to Rowan. "Or more importantly, who is this?"

Izzy shook her head and turned back to Rowan with an expectant look on her face. She had no idea who this guy was.

"Izzy, this is Makyle. He's here to speak with you about Bain. Is there somewhere we can talk privately?"

Izzy took one more look at the man standing next to Rowan, and then turned to her sisters. "I'll be back in a few."

"Izzy, what's going on?" Eppie's eyes were a little wide, a testament to the discomfort she was suddenly feeling over the situation.

"I don't know exactly, but Rowan is Bain's sister and I trust her, so I'm going to go talk with them."

"You barely know her," Eppie whispered.

"And dude looks a little scary," Marie added in her own whisper.

Izzy shook her head. "It'll be fine."

She walked off, leaving her sisters to glare at her back as she moved to the back of the bar. She passed Sally and asked if she could use her office real quick. Sally nodded, and Izzy led Rowan and Makyle into the small, plain square of an office.

She had no idea what she was walking into, but that was how everything that involved the Fae worked. She had to go off faith and instinct, and her instinct was telling her she was going to want to hear them out.

# Chapter Thirty-Nine

––––––––

"So what's going on?" Izzy asked as soon as she shut the office door.

"We've come to talk to you about Bain." Rowan smiled softly.

Izzy nodded and smiled back. Yes, she knew that much.

"I want to help fix what happened between the two of you. Makyle is one of the Immortal Four, and he has come to make you an offer."

Makyle sized up Izzy. He gazed, studying her. "You've fallen in love with an Immortal, and one of the Immortal warriors has fallen in love with you—a mortal human."

Okay, first, weren't all human's mortal? she thought fleetingly, and second, this guy didn't waste any time getting to the point, but he was not entirely correct.

"Not exactly," Izzy corrected. "I fell in love. He had fun."

"Izzy, I know what happened. Bain told me what he said to you, and that just isn't the truth. He misses you; he's been either sulking around or reckless when he's not holed up in his room. Kale can barely get him to come out."

Izzy's eyes locked on Rowan. "Reckless how?" she asked.

"The influx of Fae activity in your world has kept the brothers very busy." She waved a hand. "It's not important, what is important is that he misses and loves you."

"He never said he loved me, never even said he cared about me. He said I had needed protection and now that I don't need that protection anymore, I wouldn't be seeing him again."

"But you knew better, you knew he didn't really see your time together as merely fun." Rowan needed Izzy to acknowledge the truth of what she and Bain had shared.

"What do you want from me, Rowan? Do I love your brother? Absolutely, I fell hard and fast for that arrogant jerk, but I kind of started to see him as my arrogant jerk. Did I think he loved me or at least cared about me? Of course I did. If I had thought it was just about having a little fun, I wouldn't have let my heart or body into any of those situations."

"There's so much you don't know, but I know he wants to tell you," Rowan said, her eyes asking Izzy to just believe this, to take it on faith and if need be, to really search her heart.

"I'm sorry, Rowan, I don't have the patience for this, and my family is waiting on me, so what is it you two want from me?"

Makyle smiled. "I like her, she's feisty. No wonder Bain... well, moving on. I'm here to make you an offer. The needs of the warriors are always a high priority for Rowan, myself, my brothers, and my sisters. But as you can imagine, it's not easy to have a Fae—an Immortal Fae for that matter—to fall for a human."

Izzy was listening, but she didn't want someone else attempting to convince her of Bain's intentions and reasons for turning his back on her. However, this was one of the leaders of the Underworld speaking to her, so she bit her tongue and continued to listen.

"It has some to do with your lack of magic, but in this case, your mortality is the bigger issue. It's messy and devastating. So it is, of course, frowned upon. And because of your mortality, lack of magic, and the appearance of the Light Fae leading family, the night Bain brought you back home ended in a distasteful outcome."

Distasteful? Izzy had narrowed eyes pinned on Makyle. What was he saying exactly? Did Bain think less of her because she was a human, non-magical mortal?

"So, I'm here to try and fix at least one of those problems, while Rowan has already dealt with the others."

Izzy's gaze darted to Rowan.

"What's he talking about? Bain has an issue with my mortality and me not being magical, and your family has an issue with me being human? Is that what you're here to tell me?"

"No," Rowan said softly. "I am here to explain that Bain didn't care that you were human, mortal, or non-magical. He left things the way he did that night because someone else cared about those things. He was given an ultimatum that really gave him no choice at all but to walk away from you. I have since dealt with that issue, and Makyle is here to help with the mortality issue."

"Mortality issue?" Izzy asked softly.

"You must understand, Izzy, that while Bain doesn't care that you are mortal right now, he will eventually and so will you... if you want a future with each other."

"I don't understand," Izzy admitted, her patience wavering.

"I'm here to offer you Immortality, Isabelle Moreno," Makyle stated.

# Chapter Forty

––––––––

Izzy stared at Makyle. Immortality? Did she really want immortality? She wasn't sure. Rowan and Makyle had laid a lot on her.

Segregation, superiority, racism, and sexism were all in human history. Unfortunately, they all weren't ancient history; they were still valid issues in her world. So she supposed from what she knew of the Fae and how much they seemed to have in common with the human race, it made sense that they could suffer from the same short sightedness that brought these issues on.

"Who was it?" she asked Rowan.

"Excuse me?" Rowan tilted her head with confusion.

"Who was it that had all these issues with who, or more precisely, what I am?"

Rowan's head dropped slightly. "Lady Esperanza."

Just as Izzy had figured. Bain seemed to have a very close relationship with his mother. How would it work if she didn't approve of Izzy?

"What was the ultimatum?" Izzy asked.

Rowan shook her head. "That will be for Bain to tell you. If you choose to take Makyle up on his offer, Bain will have all the time in the world to tell you."

"I don't know," Izzy said honestly "I don't know if I want immortality... I want to talk to Bain."

Rowan nodded. Her eyes drifted up to the left, she was quiet for a few minutes, and then smiled. "He'll be here shortly."

"What did you just do?" Izzy questioned.

"I asked Cree to bring him here. They're out patrolling tonight not too far from here. I asked Cree to explain what was happening."

"I don't even know what's happening. What does it mean if I say yes? What about my family?"

"Your family cannot know about this," Makyle said simply.

"So what, in a few years when they notice I'm not aging, I have to just... disappear?"

Izzy couldn't even fathom the idea of leaving her family. Her parents still had a lot of years left in them. A lot of years she wanted to be there to share with them. Then there was her grandmother, who was on the downward slope of her life. She was strong and healthy, but the woman was eighty-two years old. And what about her sisters and her niece and nephew? She only had two as of right now, but Marie was born to be a mom and someday she would be. Would Izzy even get the chance to meet them?

She had too many ties that bound her to this life—ties she loved and would never sacrifice. Her heart would never forgive her for giving up a chance to be with Bain. She wasn't sure she would ever love someone else, but she would never forgive herself if she lost precious years with her family.

"No," Izzy finally whispered. "Tell him not to come. I love him, I do. But I can't give up my family." Her voice cracked with pain.

The words stung as Izzy said them. All she had wanted these past weeks was to see him, but if she saw that gorgeous face, she wouldn't be strong enough to do what had to be done. If she spoke to him, she wouldn't be able to say no to Makyle's offer and she would eventually come to resent herself and possibly Bain, because she had willingly given up her family for him.

Rowan let out a satisfied sigh that cut off Izzy's rambling, aching, and confused thoughts.

Why was she smiling? This was not a happy moment.

"You don't have to," Rowan assured her. "I have a plan for that. They can't know about your immortality, but you can live out the next fifty years with them as a part of your life."

"How?" Izzy questioned.

It would be a little obvious that something wasn't right if she continued to look twenty-nine when she was supposed to be seventy-nine.

"Darnell is a unique kind of Fae, and he has agreed to cast glamours every few years on you and Bain. So that when you come to the Human World to see your family, it will look like you two are aging at a normal human rate. So you see, you can be with your family too. All you have to do is agree to let Makyle make you immortal."

So far, it was all sounding too good to be true. "How would you make me immortal?" Izzy asked Makyle.

"The same way I made Rowan immortal, or how my sisters made the brothers immortal."

Izzy tilted her head. "With your blood?"

"Yes, I'm afraid so. You and I will become very close. The first few years you will need to feed every week, but slowly, as time goes on, you will need less and less of my blood. All you have to do is say yes, and I will give you this."

"Why, just to keep Bain happy?"

"I will do this because Rowan has asked me to, and it is important now more than ever that we do all we can to keep the Immortal brother's focused and content."

Content, they wanted her to immortalize herself to keep Bain... content?

"And what would be expected of me?" She posed this question to Rowan.

"To love my brother. There are no strings attached to this offer, Isabelle."

Izzy was quiet as she pondered the offer.

"Does Bain want me forever?" Izzy finally asked Rowan, a crack in her voice as she did.

Rowan smiled. "You can ask him yourself. He and Cree just arrived."

Izzy wasted no time bolting from the office, passing the bar and scanning the crowd. It didn't take long to locate the tall, handsome, blond with the violet eyes who'd stolen her heart, standing next to the even taller, glacial-eyed, man with the one unruly strand of black hair falling in his face. They had the best costumes in the bar. Both of their wings were still out, but tucked in nicely, whitish-gold next to midnight black.

Izzy had stopped once she saw him. She held the back of probably the one empty chair in the whole place, her knees threatening to give out on her.

The room was crowded, and Bain couldn't locate Izzy right away. Of course, he had no idea what she would be wearing. In this crowd of costumes, she could have been anyone. Her scent was what found him first, and he swore he could single out her heartbeat then.

He caught sight of his angel near the bar, a chair seeming to hold her up. Her eyes were glued on him and even from the forty some odd feet away, he could see the sheen to her eyes. They sparkled, and not just because they were those fiery, beautiful blue eyes, they held tears. Bain strode forward, nearly knocking people over as he did.

Izzy found the strength in her legs to move towards Bain as he started towards her. Izzy didn't care about the people around her, not even her sisters, whose table she hurried right past. Her arms flung out and wrapped around Bain's neck as he wrapped his arms around her waist and wasted no time dropping his lips to hers.

They were like two high school students kissing in the middle of a party, but Izzy really didn't care and it seemed neither did Bain.

"I'm so sorry, sweetheart. I'm so sorry," he murmured against her lips.

Izzy was crying now, unashamed of her tears, of the weakness other may have seen in them.

"Sweetheart, please don't cry. I'm so sorry."

"I'm not crying because of what happened. I'm crying because I didn't think I would ever get to see you again, and now you're here."

Bain kissed Izzy again. It was soft, deep, and longer then was probably appropriate. His tongue twisted and teased hers. She shivered thinking of all the wickedly pleasurable things his tongue could do to her. He knew how to kiss her thoughts and worries away.

When they finally came back up for air, Izzy had to ask. She needed to know what pain Esperanza had caused him, because of her. "What did she threaten you with?"

Bain pulled back and shook his head. "We can talk about it later... Rowan said you needed to talk to me before you would give Makyle an answer."

Izzy pulled him back to her, burying her face in the crook of his neck just below his ear and whispered, "You have to promise you will tell me what happened. What she did to you."

Bain nodded, his hair tickling the side of her face. Izzy smiled and pulled back so she could get a good look at him.

Bain shook his head as he took in all her features. She was so beautiful, his perfect little Izzy. She was an angel tonight, and she looked like temptation in white aside from the tears. Bain cupped her cheeks and used his thumbs to wipe away the slow-moving stream that ran down her pink cheeks.

"Just answer me one question..." Izzy started, holding his gaze while she asked. "Do you want me forever?"

Bain smiled down at her. "More than I've ever wanted anything. I love you, Isabelle."

Izzy let out a deep breath. She turned to look at Makyle, who stood a few feet away with Cree and Rowan.

"Yes." She smiled.

Bain's lips slammed down on Izzy's, taking one of what would probably be many inappropriate kisses in their long life together.

# Epilogue

––––––––

Bain watched Kyra as she cannonballed into the lake, Izzy waiting a few feet away to catch her when she swam a little further out into her arms.

He had everything he ever needed. One thing he always knew he needed,—his daughter happy and spending more time living with him. And the second was something he never knew he was missing—the love of the perfect woman. Izzy was everything he could ever ask for. She loved him, and she loved Kyra.

His relationship with his mother was nonexistent at this point in time, though the one person aside from him who should never forgive her was on the fence over his shattered relationship with his mother... Izzy.

She hated that she had started this issue, even though Bain had told her time and time again that it wasn't her fault. Yet she wouldn't or couldn't let it go. She wanted him to talk to his mother. Izzy continued to point out that her plan had almost succeeded, but in the end, they had won. They were together, and they were happy.

Bain smiled and pushed his mother out of his mind. There would be time in their very long future to deal with her. Bain took a step back from the rock jutting out over the water, planting his feet he pushed off in a quick sprint, pulling his legs to his chest as he leapt over the edge of the rock.

"That's gonna be a big splash, Daddy!" Kyra shrieked and giggled as Izzy turned away from the spray of water that bound over them from Bain's body entering the once-smooth water.

Izzy turned back around when Bain resurfaced, a sweet smile on her face as she let Kyra go so she could swim to her father.

Izzy had to admit Bain looked damn sexy in father form. He was amazingly sweet with Kyra and her. They were the two females in his life who got to see that amazing side of him. He was raw, protective, attentive, and loving with them. And when they were alone, he was the smug jackass she loved. This was better than any family she could have dreamt up for herself.

Kyra swam to the shore, ready to jump off the rock and see if she could make as big of a wave as her daddy had. Bain took the opportunity to pull Izzy to him.

Izzy gazed up into Bain's face, a sexy smirk playing over her lips. She brushed his wet hair from his forehead

"I love you, Bain," she told him.

He smiled as he lowered his lips to hers. "I love you too, Izzy," he murmured before capturing her lips for a quick, but deep and passionate kiss.

Izzy and Bain broke apart at the sound of a sweet little giggle.

# Also By the Author

I hope you enjoyed this book! If so please consider posting a review, it's a great way to help others find a good book to enjoy!

YA SERIES

Twins of Aurora

Sacred Fire- A Twins of Aurora Novella (book 2)

PARANORMAL ROMANCE SERIES

Half-Blood Princess

Blood Claim: Book 1

Resurrection Stone: Book2

Shadowed Memories: Book3

Dark Soul: Book 4

Echo's of Silence—Abel's Slayers: Half-Blood Princess Book 5

A Witch's Mark—The Guardians: Half-Blood Princess Book 6

Bound By Destiny—the Guardians Part 2: Half-Blood Princess Book 7

Last Surrender: Book 8

Immortal Heart

Immortal Blood: Book 1

Keep an eye out for the rest of the Brothers stories!

# About the Author

Magen loves creating worlds for her readers to get lost in and characters to fall in love with. She loves to read and spends as much of her free time with her husband, family and friends as possible. She lives in the beautiful state of Idaho and loves everything about it, the summers where she enjoys camping, BBQ's with friends, and the farmers markets. She especially loves the winters finding them to be magical when they blanket the mountains and trees with snow. Believing life is what you make of it she follows her dreams with the support of her family and friends.

WEBSITE: <http://MagenMcMinimy.weebly.com>

FACEBOOK: <http://www.facebook.com/AuthorMagenMcMinimy>
