Audra has been working for the family business forever. Having it sold to an elf partnership is surprising, but she has met one of them before.

Audra is working on spring prep for the greenhouse her family owns when one of the boxes contained something that was definitely not seeds. The ceramic sends her to another dimension in less time than it takes to blink an eye.

She is told to find the storm king to send her home, and she does, but he won’t. She asks him to return her to the mortal realm, and he offers her a tour of Underhill instead.

The tour brings them closer, and with neither of them agreeing to a time to part, Puck has to step in and draw a curtain over their frolics.

Back at home, Audra learns that not only have her parents put the greenhouse up for sale, it is a done deal. Her life begins to spin away from her, and the only thing that is steady is the hand of one of the purchasers who seems terribly familiar.

When her memories come back in a rush, she is mortified and fascinated. He is offering her an extensive future and her hopes and dreams. Should she jump at the chance or risk more than her heart in the embrace of the storm?

The characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

Heart’s Storm

Copyright © 2021 by Viola Grace

ISBN: 978-1-989892-69-5

©Cover art by Angela Waters

All rights reserved. With the exception of review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the express permission of the publisher.

Published by Viola Grace

Look for me online at violagrace.com.

Heart’s Storm

Falling Underhill Book 4

By

Viola Grace

Chapter One

Audra went through the numbers a third time, and she grimaced. There was no way she could make the payments for what appeared to be the fifth mortgage on the property. She had gone over and over her parents’ documentation, and her heart sank every time.

They had started a dozen projects—large projects—on the property and then failed at the simple things like new gravel for the parking lot.

Every profit they had turned had gone back into the greenhouse and simply been absorbed.

She groaned and went over to the new boxes of seeds from the supplier. Her parents had jumped on the heirloom bandwagon, and the boxes were supposed to hold industrial packets of seeds. The first two boxes were flowers and herbs. The third felt different. Heavier. She opened the box with her knife and pulled out shredded brown paper strips away from the object she had been sent by mistake. She reached in to lift it out, and the world spun wildly.

* * * *

She was a little cool, and when she finished with her lightheaded spinning, her hands shot to cover her as she realized that she was wearing some black ribbon and nothing else. Even the wedge shoes were made of ribbons.

“What was that?”

She got on her feet, steadied, and took in the heady scent of gingerbread. She walked to a wall and touched it. “Holy crap. It’s a cookie.”

A shimmering sound like someone stroking a cymbal with a brush sounded behind her. Audra turned, and there was a message being etched with a glowing glitter.

Dear Miss Audra,

You have fallen Underhill. If you wish to return home, please locate the storm king and ask him to return you to your realm. If he is obliging, you can return home in a few hours. If not, you will be automatically returned in a few days.

Good luck, and you are not in any danger. Oh, and the gingerbread house will self-destruct in five minutes.

Audra blinked. It was a scavenger hunt with only one clue, and that clue had a disturbing name. Working in a greenhouse meant that storms made her nervous. Snow could destroy a hoop house, as could high winds. They both made her uneasy, and now, she had to find a guy with storm in his name. Lovely.

She grumbled and heard the ticking on the roof. She blinked as a downpour started, and she understood how the house would be destroyed in five minutes. Water started to leak in through the crown of the roof in a cascade of melted sugar. Audra headed to the doorway and pulled on it. The door came off in her hand. She growled and stepped into the deluge and looked around at the melting sugar and soggy cookie that was beginning to collapse on itself.

She stepped and slipped away from it, down the candy walk. The moment that she cleared the localized storm, she paused with her skin dripping and her hair in her eyes. She looked for a signal, and there was a sign that said Storm, this way, so she took the hint and stomped to the path through the woods. She had no idea how this was going to play out, but looking for a strange man while dripping wet had never led any woman into a tricky situation. Right?

Audra stalked down the path, and she knew that she was on the right track when a dust devil wrapped around her and took her breath for a moment. It moved on, and she blinked and touched her hair. It was dry. Probably wild, at its short length, but it was dry.

“So... that was odd.” She continued on the path, and then, there was a wide-open expanse that led up to a rocky wall face. There was a castle crowded against the wall, and the open spaces around had dust devils, small squalls, and sun showers all at the same time.

She looked at the minefield of weather anomalies and tried to think of a way through them.

“What are you looking at?” The voice was right next to her ear, and warm breath moved across her cheek.

She shrieked and jumped back, forgetting the stupid shoes. He reached out to grab her, and he held her hand to support her.

She stabilized and looked up, and up. “What the hell do they feed you, and how do they reach that high?”

He smiled. “I have been feeding myself for a while now. Are you lost?”

She looked him up and down. He was an elf. His waist-length hair was black with silvery streaks that didn’t look like they were age-related. He had a belted wrap tunic, an ankle-length skirt, and boots with a long sleeveless robe over it all. Everything on him looked designed to catch the wind. It was the crown of lightning with thunderclouds at the edge of his brow that allowed her insight into his identity.

“I am looking for the storm king.”

He smiled. “You have found him.” He bowed low, and it was like having a horse be polite.

She exhaled slowly, and his gaze flicked to her chest. “Hmm. I have a question to ask you, but since my boobs aren’t doing the asking, I would rather you met my gaze for it.”

He jerked his gaze up, and there was a slight smile on his lips. “Yes, what would you like to ask me?”

“Will you send me home?”

He cocked his head and hummed lightly. “Let me think about it.”

He still had possession of her hand and pulled her against him. There was a flash of lightning, and they were no longer standing at the edge of the woods. She was standing in a comfortable room with a fire, a throw at the edge, and some large overstuffed chairs.

He summoned—there was no other word for it—a tray with tea and two cups.

“Take a seat, and I will explain things to you. This is part of a plan that is working out differently for different kings, but the long and short of it is...” He explained about Puck and about the magic and about the women being found and brought to the fey kings. “His plan is to anchor us to the mortal world with families and children to allow the lesser fey to have more magic to draw on.”

“Right. So, where do I fit into that grand plan?”

He gave her a look like she was a little dim. “Well, you are a female, you have an aura that will mesh well with mine, and you are adorable.”

She grimaced. “I am definitely not. Any of my friends will confirm that.”

He grinned. “Perhaps they are not looking at you from my perspective.”

She suddenly blinked. “Oh, I am Audra, by the way.”

He poured her a cup of tea with one spoon of honey. “Raiden. Though no woman has said the name for a long time.”

That locked her up. Normally she would have wanted to repeat it to make sure she had it right, but she grinned. “Can I call you Nik?”

He handed her the saucer with the teacup. “No.”

She grimaced and said, “Thank you, Raiden.”

He smiled. “You are welcome, Audra.”

He walked over to the other chair and took a seat with his own cup of tea. “So, you find yourself in a land that your folk used to dream of. Is there anything that you would like to see?”

She blinked. “Um, while I know what an elf is, thanks to modern media, I am not quite sure what Underhill is.”

He smiled. “May I show you?”

Audra sighed and sipped at her cup. “After the tea.”

He nodded. “Very well. Are you comfortable?”

She shivered and sipped at the tea again. “It’s a little chilly.”

His gaze flicked, and she casually moved a hand across her chest while she held her teacup in the other hand.

Raiden shrugged. “Sorry, I had forgotten the benefits of a cool room.”

“I am not a toy, Raiden.”

He sighed. “I have not had a female in my home for centuries. I apologize if I was letting my impulses hold sway.”

“Okay. Apology accepted.” She smiled and finished her tea. She set her teacup in the saucer and slowly lowered her arm to set the cup and saucer on a nearby table.

He kept his gaze on her face, but she could tell that the effort cost him. She laughed. “What is the deal with the ribbons?”

“Ribbon, singular. It keeps us from trying to seduce you without your consent or participation. Apparently, that is very big in the modern era, so Puck built it into the enchantment.”

“Yeah, now that women aren’t chattel, we have a lot more freewill as to what we can and will do with our bodies. Force still happens, but we don’t have to pretend that it was romantic anymore to save our sanity.” She smiled tightly.

“Ah. Well, it seems the evolution of the mortal realm has proceeded apace.” He set his cup in the saucer, and it floated back to the tray. Hers did the same.

She nodded. “We are not there yet, but progress has been made.”

“So, you live on your own?” He cocked his head.

“Mostly. I live in a house on my parents’ property. I guess I am not the flagship for female independence.” She grimaced.

He grinned. “None of us are perfect examples. I am not a very good fey. I am slow to anger but nearly impossible to calm down.”

“So, why doesn’t that make you a good fey?”

“We are known for quick tempers and instant change in mood. When my mood changes, I stay there.”

“Ah. Got it.” She nodded and clasped her hands around her knees.

“Are you ready to go and see the map of the worlds?”

“Worlds?”

He quirked a smile, extending his hand to her as he stood. She stood up, balanced on the damned shoes, and took his hand.

He held her hand as they walked out the door of his parlour and into a wide hall of carved stone.

She blinked. From the outside, it had seemed to be brick, but the entire living space and hallways were made of carved stone. One piece of carved stone. She was walking through the mountain.

She moved a little closer to Raiden as the weight of the mountain was over her head, and it wasn’t the most comfortable feeling. She liked the feeling of wind and rain on her skin.

Chapter Two

Audra was nearly plastered against the elf’s side as the temperature grew lower. “If you are going for the nipples, they can cut diamond by now.”

He looked at her in surprise. “I apologize; I don’t feel the temperature.”

The air around her got warmer, and she was able to move so that there was some space between them. Stealing body heat wasn’t something that she did often.

She shivered, and he turned to show her a room that had a ceiling made of a starry sky and a huge projection of a tree in the centre of it.

“Oh, wow.” She walked forward and let go of his hand. The tree was gorgeous and not a species she could identify. The leaves were a strange shape, and the bark looked smooth in some spots and jagged in others. Her fingers curled as she wanted to stroke the bark.

“This is the world tree. It has dozens of names, perhaps hundreds in different languages, some of which have been forgotten.” He stood behind her, and as he reached out, disks appeared, stacking horizontally from below the roots. “We are here.”

He pointed at one of the disks that was green and bright. “These are generalized representations. The mortal realm is a globe, the realm of light is a diamond, but here, we represent them as disks.”

She nodded. “Got it. So, where is the mortal realm?”

He pointed to the blue-green disk above Underhill. “Here. What Puck is trying to do, is to pin the two realms together.” He moved his hand, and the two realms were pierced in one spot then another, and after a few more, they were connected as if they were riveted in that one place. The glow from Underhill began spreading across the mortal realm.

“Oh. Wow. So, it will really leech out like that?”

“It builds on ancient sites, and the echoes of power get stronger.”

She nodded and watched the spillover crossing the mortal realm. The swirling colours were hypnotic. “Wow. That’s lovely.”

He chuckled. “I am glad you think so. It is the women from your realm that are making this happen. We are boring and lazy without something to focus on, so having Puck seek out compatible females has definitely drawn attention. The last of the fey ladies left this area for the realm of light ages ago.”

“Why are you stuck here?”

“The kings control the weather, the seasons, and the flow of magic. We do our work in the mortal realm and Underhill, and there is spillover into the realm of light or the bright lands.”

“What is that level under the bright one?”

“The shadow lands or dark lands depending on your historical context.”

“Oh. What’s there?”

“Shadow elves. They survive on the trickle of magic that escapes the shadow lands.” He touched the lower level, and the image zoomed in. It wasn’t black; it was all the colours of shadow—blues, greens, greys.

“It’s lovely.”

He chuckled. “You think so?”

“I know pretty when I see it. The tree is amazing. It makes me want to climb into it to look for seeds or nuts.”

He looked at her with surprise in his expression. “Why?”

She faced him head-on. “Because I like trees.”

“Ah. That would do it.”

He reached past her and tapped the level of Underhill. The tree disappeared, and the map expanded to show her mountains, valleys, lakes, rivers, castles, and areas that looked like ruins. She was fascinated by the forests and the green spaces.

“Would you like to visit any portion of Underhill?”

She nodded. “The ruins look sad, but the forest near them looks new and vibrant. Could I see that?”

“Certainly. I will have to be in contact with you, though.”

“What?”

“I have to hold you.”

She blushed. “Oh, uh. Fine.”

He chuckled and stepped in close, and then, he wrapped his arms around her. There was the rumble of thunder and then a flash of light.

Audra squinted and looked around. It had gone from night to day in a second. “Wow. Bright.”

The light dimmed to a more bearable level, and she looked up to see light clouds overhead. “Oh. Um. Thank you.”

He chuckled. “You are very welcome. Now, what are you looking for in the trees?”

She looked to her left and looked at the magnificent and healthy specimens. She walked to the trees and touched the trunks, feeling the energy inside them. “Wow. They are amazing.” She leaned against one of the maples, and she sighed.

Raiden followed her and paused. “You look really happy. I admit to being surprised.”

She chuckled. “My family owns a greenhouse. I never get to see anything that is more than seven years old. Lots of seedlings, lots of plants, but nothing with this strength and energy.”

He smiled. “You like power?”

She glanced at him, and his dark eyes were smouldering. “Uh, in trees.”

He stepped toward her, and he seemed to shrink to a more manageable size. Something in the human range. Six foot six at least.

He bent his head, and he brushed his lips across hers.

Audra’s blinked and tried to debate the pros and cons of continuing. Her skin was tingling, and their lips were the only point of contact, so what was the harm?

His hands gripped her waist, and his fingers tightened.

She put her hands on his shoulders and pushed. He didn’t budge, so she pulled her head away and dug her nails into his shoulders. At her job, she clawed through the dirt like a mole. Her nails were strong.

He blinked and raised his head. “Too fast?”

She glanced down at the grip he had on her waist. “Little bit.”

He shuddered and let her go. “Right. Would you like to examine the woods more?”

She shook her head. “No, but I do want to see more of the countryside. Can we do that?”

“Of course, but I will have to touch you again.”

“Uh, why?”

“Because we can’t walk it all on our own feet. You would get tired and see nothing.”

“Oh. Okay. How are we going to travel then?”

He grinned. “I need to get out of the trees for this.”

He walked out of the trees and held a hand up, his sleeve falling back and exposing his graceful and muscular forearm. The clouds above them moved down into a twisting funnel, and the cloud formed into a horse, or rather, a unicorn.

He smiled at her. “Your steed awaits, my lady.”

She walked out of the woods and looked at the swirling water confined in horse form. “Oh, you are a beauty.”

The creature looked at her with white eyes. The horn was a little awkward as she reached her hand out to him. If the unicorn needed a human virgin, he wasn’t going to find much luck with her.

The unicorn lifted his head and placed it on her shoulder, snuffling down her back. She was closer to it than she had been to the elf. She smiled and hugged the neck, inhaling the smell of summer rain as she rubbed her cheek against the hide.

“So, we can get going, or you can just hug the steed for the rest of the day.” Raiden laughed.

She tried to move away, and the long equine nose pressed her back against the beast. She hugged it again and sighed happily. “Thank you. I needed that.”

The unicorn lifted its head, and she stepped away from it, looking back at the fey who had a bemused expression on his face. “Shall we?”

He put his hands on her waist and lifted her up and onto the creature. He was up and behind her, settling in a moment later. He tugged his robe out and wrapped it around her. “It is going to get cold.”

The unicorn shook its mane, and they set off. They began with a slow walk that took them past the trees, and as Audra stared, she could swear that there were eyes in the trunks looking at them. The trees rustled as they passed.

He chuckled. “It seems that I am not the only one fixed on you. The ancient forest is fascinated, and my steed has never cuddled up to a mortal before.”

They exited the area with the forest and were wandering through a meadow where strange creatures took to the air as they passed. “What are those?”

He chuckled. “Dragonflies. They hang around with Summer and Wind.”

She stared as one came toward her, looked her in the eyes, and then buzzed away. The tiny dragons with dragonfly wings fluttered away. “They are dragons.”

“No, they are dragonflies. Dragons are much larger, and I don’t want you anywhere near one. They are rather grabby when it comes to mortal women.”

“What?”

He leaned down and whispered into her ear. “Nothing that you need to concern yourself with. I am not going to allow one near you.”

She chuckled. “Fair enough. So, where are we going?”

“We are touring some of the area, some of the best views, and most stunning vistas, but we will have to move a little faster to see them all.”

Audra twisted and looked at him. “Why are you grinning?”

“I will have to hold onto you while we increase speed. I don’t want you falling off.”

She sighed. “Fine. But no straying.”

He murmured, “Agreed.”

He wrapped one arm around her waist and ribs and leaned forward to grasp the flowing silky mane of their ride. He spoke in a heavy whisper, and the animal began to move forward with heavy thuds of its hooves, moving faster with every step.

“What did you say to him?” She started being jolted against him, so he held her more firmly.

“I asked him to pick up the pace.” He held her, and the beat increased into an even rocking as they rode through the meadow and toward a gentle hill.

The pounding of hooves jolted through her, and her point of contact with the beast’s back was distracting. Horseback riding wasn’t something she indulged in, but she had friends who rode, and they never mentioned the effect of having her bits rubbed. Maybe it was the lack of saddle, the snugness of the ribbon, or even the horse being made of water, but the friction was starting to become all-consuming.

She tried to keep her head averted from his so that her situation wasn’t so obvious, but when her body twitched in a short, hard orgasm, she bit her lip until she tasted blood. She inhaled through her nose and tried to take in the landscape that was moving past, but the after pulses were moving through her, and there didn’t seem to be an end to them.

Raiden spoke to the unicorn, and the horse slowed to a walk as they crested the hill and overlooked a stunning lake in a valley with a wall of stone behind it. “You are very tense.”

She tried to speak, but her voice came out all husky. “I am not used to riding.”

He leaned forward and looked at her face. “You are flushed.”

She growled. “Can we just drop it, please?”

He put his hand on her forehead. “You are not hot.”

She snorted and grabbed his wrist. “That’s enough. I am fine.”

Her fingers were wrapped around his wrist, and another pulse made her fingers clench.

He blinked. “What was that?”

She wanted to yell, but she looked away. “The steed, the beat, and the damned tight ribbon.”

The unicorn let out a horsey laugh and shook his head. He looked smug.

She grimaced and felt Raiden’s chest shaking against her back. “Stop laughing. It isn’t funny.”

He nodded, and she felt the motion against her back. “You are right. Are you sure that it was the cause?”

She shrugged. “No idea.”

He made a small noise and spoke to their ride again. “Let’s find out.”

The unicorn took off at the same pace, and Audra wanted to scream. Four minutes later, she did.

Chapter Three

Audra was sweating and swearing. They were now moving at a more sedate pace, but Raiden was chuckling as she calmed down. He pressed a kiss to her shoulder, and she could feel the smile on his lips.

“Stop laughing, you pointy-eared asshole.” She inhaled slowly and shuddered as her body kept twitching and clenching without her permission.

“Sorry. It is just so intriguing to bring a woman to pleasure without having to lift a finger.” He chuckled. “Would you like to walk?”

“Not right now. I need a few minutes.” She shivered again.

The unicorn laughed again. There was no mistaking it; that was laughter.

“Right. Good point. I am going to walk.”

She pulled her right leg over and slid out of Raiden’s grip, landing with a thud and staggering a few feet away.

He sighed and dismounted in a graceful slide, his clothing settling into perfect lines.

Audra scowled and started to walk slowly on stiff legs. She took one step after another, wishing that she could get rid of the stupid shoes. As she thought about it, the ribbons loosened and slithered away from her ankles, and she stepped out of her shoes. “Huh. That was easier than I thought.”

She ditched the shoes and started walking, the grass soft and prickly at the same time. Raiden was next to her, and her shoes were dangling from his fingers. “I have never heard of walking off an orgasm before. I usually cuddle.”

She snorted and ignored the shiver that the thought of him wrapped around her caused.

“Of course, the cuddling leads to touching, and the touching leads to more tangled limbs, so that leads to more cuddling... eventually.” He sighed. “It is an endless cycle, but then, I do have time on my hands.”

She chuckled and groaned. “Right, which way next?”

“You don’t want to talk about sex? I find it a fascinating subject, but then, I am a fan of unpredictable humidity.”

Audra looked at him, and he had a charming smile on his lips. There were clouds gathering and the rumble of thunder. She moved toward him, her lizard brain seeking shelter with the nearest, tallest thing.

“Are you afraid of thunder?” He wrapped his robe around her, and she was instantly warmer and relaxed.

His smell was that of petrichor, and she loved that smell. It was the scent of plants rising and streaking toward the light with plenty of water to assist their efforts and soil to feed them.

“I am not afraid of thunder. If I am home and warm and dry, a nice storm with thunder and lightning is great. The whipping wind, driving rain, it’s all good. If I am outside, I just want some shelter.”

He pulled her in close. “The rain won’t touch you.”

She snorted. “I thought you were going to say I wouldn’t get wet.”

“Ah, I believe it is too late for that.”

Audra made a face. He wasn’t wrong, but then... “You can seek comfort in the fact that you weren’t the cause.”

He chuckled. “Are you sure about that?” He extended his hand, and the unicorn dissolved into mist and disappeared.

“You are a sneaky bastard.”

He chuckled. “I am not a bastard. My parents tried very ardently to gain my presence before I came into the world.”

“Fine. Jackass.”

“Ah, that one I can claim.”

Audra grunted. “So, are we continuing with the farce of the tour, or are you going to release a rainstorm so I hide under your clothing?”

He chuckled. “I believe that we can compromise and enter another arena.”

“What?”

He held out his hand, and the unicorn reformed, but this time, there were wings involved.

She wanted to pet it, but she acknowledged that it was a manifestation of Raiden.

“I actually do want to show you the expanse of Underhill. This is the fastest way to do it. Do you have a head for heights?” His concern seemed genuine.

“I am fine with heights.”

He grinned. “Good.” He simply picked her up and walked her the few steps to the steed and put her on the back before climbing up after her. He was sitting over the centre of the wings, and she was perched over the muscles that flexed and flapped as the wings extended.

The beast took a run, and then, the wings began flapping. They slowly lifted off, and the creature jumped off the slope of a hill; wind caught them and carried them upward. Audra gasped as they climbed, and Raiden gripped the mane of the beast so that he could keep her in the cage of his arms.

The heaving beat of the wings made them rise and fall with every flex and was a much less erotic rhythm than the canter had been.

Raiden was leaning forward as they climbed, and she swore that he was inhaling against her hair.

The steed was running and flying at the same time, and they climbed high before they evened out, and Raiden murmured, “Look down.”

She looked down, and a fairy tale landscape unfolded under her. “Oh, wow.”

Her eyes and mind tried to memorize the expanses of green growing spaces full of bright life, small ranges of mountains, and wide lakes. She fixated on the green belts of trees, and her avaricious arborist rose and wanted to take seeds and cuttings.

“What do you think?”

“I think it is amazing. Do the trees really have faces?”

He paused. “You saw that?”

“Sure. They were watching me while I was moving around in the woods. What are they?”

“Ancient fey who didn’t want to die or go to the bright lands. They decided to become part of Underhill and simply spend their existences in quiet contemplation.”

“Oh, so instead of dying...”

“They root to the ground. It is a choice.”

“Right. Sure. I can see that. Well, they are lovely trees.”

He chuckled. “They are. Nosey, too, but they make windbreaks that even the king of the wind has trouble getting through.”

“So, there is wind as well?”

“Certainly, and all four seasons. We have the strongest ties to your world, and our power leaks onto your plane constantly.” He chuckled.

She looked down, and his robe was covering her now as they flew through the sky. She hadn’t even realized when he pulled it forward. The silk of his shirt clung to her back, and he kept his arms around her to keep her from slipping from side to side.

When they climbed and evened out again, she leaned against one arm and looked directly down below.

His voice was husky when he whispered, “Not that I mind your breasts on my arm, but you might not be aware of it.”

She looked down, and she was, indeed, resting her breasts on his forearm. She eased back, and they jolted lightly as they settled back into place. She had been using him as support without realizing it. “Sorry about that.”

“I enjoyed it, but I thought you might not when you realized it.”

“Thanks for the notification. I will keep them under control.”

He chuckled. “That is not a conversation I have ever had with a woman before. Unruly breasts is not generally a concern.”

“Ah, mine are usually well behaved, but then, I don’t make outfits out of ribbons.”

“Puck has a funny sense of humour. The ribbons are both to mark you so that if you get lost, you can be directed properly and to make sure that you consent to anything that happens next.”

“So, when I feel like having sex, the ribbon will unravel.”

He chuckled. “Precisely.”

“Interesting. So, Puck lives in the mortal realm?”

“He does. How did you know?”

“It is only the last few decades where consent is something that women have been made aware we could enforce. It was an eye-opener for a few generations of women.” She chuckled.

He made a confirming noise. “In the old days, there was one set of rules, then those rules evolved as folks settled, and new rules when villages sprang up then cities. Each time we dealt with mortals, we had to update what we knew and how we worked into their society. The first of the kings to have found a bride has begun his education and is running a strange little school to bring us up to speed on modern parlance.”

She glanced back. “Why?”

“Do you remember that image of the connections between our realms?”

“Yes.”

“How do you think they are formed?”

She paused and then blushed. “Oh, hence the sex talk.”

“Correct. If the connection is made and agreeable to both parties, our kind can adapt to the new world in the mortal realm. A bride waiting there is a very strong inducement to shake ourselves out of the past.”

She blinked. “A bride? I always heard that your kind was just after flings.”

“The initial attraction is fun, but seeking anchors in the world, finding things to look forward to, and the possibility of a line spreading through the human world is an intoxicating inducement.”

It took her a second, and then, she blinked. “Oh. Children.”

It was a surreal conversation to be had while they travelled through the sky above a fairy tale world that ran parallel to her own.

“Yes, children. My kind do not breed easily, but we do hunger for the next generation, so we try a lot.” He nipped her ear, and she yelped. “The trying can be a lot of fun.”

He had nipped the upper curve of her ear, and the effect had been light lightning straight to her groin. Her body clenched, and she shuddered. That was new. No one had ever touched the top of her ear before.

He chuckled. “I thought as much. Puck is a sneaky bastard. So, he has found brides that are descended from the fey.”

She was wary as she turned to look at him. “What now?”

“A few hundred years ago, one of your ancestors had a child with one of the fey. Not any of those who are left here now, but there is something familiar about the taste of your skin.”

She put her hand over her ear. “The fact that you are tasting my ear is disturbing.”

He grinned. “You were caught by surprise, and you are not happy with that.”

“That is very accurate.”

He nodded and looked like he was thinking something over, and then, he kissed her. He slid one hand into her hair, and he pressed his lips to hers as he nipped and caressed her until she leaned into him.

He chuckled against her mouth, and his tongue flicked against her lower lip. He sucked that lip gently, causing a strange throbbing to start deep in her belly.

He held her in his arms, and the slow and thorough kiss continued. She closed her eyes and kept them closed as her body woke up in his arms. When he lifted his head, he smiled slightly. “Still surprised?”

“Well, I can see what happened to get fey into my ancestry. You are a very good kisser.”

He chuckled. “Thank you. With a woman like you in my arms, I did want to get it right.”

He was holding her tight, but his hand was still decorously wrapped around her bare midriff.

He smiled. “So, what do you feel about going down?”

She blushed and then blinked. “Uh, okay.”

The steed wheeled and arrowed toward the place that Raiden called home. It was then that she realized he meant he wanted to drop altitude. That was good, too. She was wondering how he could manage that manoeuvre on the horse.

Chapter Four

The closer they got to the surface, the more she wondered about her decision-making skills. She was really doubting the wisdom of her agreement.

The unicorn landed lightly and walked toward the door of the stone home of the man behind her. The steed stopped, and she moved to land on the ground, but he kept hold of her, and the hooves, wings, and horn disappeared in a foggy cloud before dissipating completely.

Raiden was holding her against him, and he shifted his grip, swinging her into his arms completely. Audra squeaked and tried not to make eye contact, but he was looking down at her as he carried her into his home via the front door.

“Why are these buildings so empty?”

“The fey have either gone to the mortal realm or the bright lands. There is nothing for them here.” He walked quickly with her down a few dozen halls.

“Um, I could walk.” She held her arms across her abdomen.

“I have been trying to imagine you fully in my arms since I first saw you. The reality is so much better than the fantasy.” He smiled. “You are very soft.”

She blushed and then tensed as two large doors swung open and a huge four-poster bed, with twisted wood in a swirling wind and cloud pattern that formed a canopy, was at the end of the room.

Raiden didn’t head for the bed; he headed to the left, where a bathing room was waiting with a steaming foot bath and a small stool. She blushed and wiggled her toes. “Oh. Right. I forgot.”

He set her down on the stool and eased her feet into the water. “I didn’t.”

She chuckled as he knelt next to the bath and splashed her feet. “I run around barefoot a lot.”

“Really?” He smiled.

“Yeah.”

“Well, that is an inherited trait for a few branches of fey. You are probably related to a green man or woman. I am guessing that you feel stronger when in direct contact with the soil?”

“Yeah.” She looked at him curiously. “How did you know?”

“There was something in your eyes while you were in the forest. Part of you was completely at home there. Even the trees knew it.”

She chuckled. “That makes sense. I always feel best when I am with trees, not plants. Trees have a history; they are there to stay.”

He nodded and picked up a cloth from the water. She connected what he was doing a moment before he was scrubbing at her foot, and she shrieked, kicking and squirming to get her foot out of his grip. She was panting as she reached for the cloth. “I will do it.”

Audra blushed furiously; she had soaked him with her efforts to free her foot. “Sorry about that.”

He gestured, and the water left his clothing and was dropped back into the tub in a ball. “I am guessing that your feet are ticklish?”

“To put it mildly.” She held out her hand. “Can I have the cloth, please?”

“No. I want to do this. I will go slow.” He picked up the cloth and tried her other foot. This time he used small strokes that made her leg jerk but didn’t cause the frantic hysteria that the first contact had.

He even managed to stroke between her toes, which caused another reaction that had nothing to do with giggles. Apparently, her ticklishness had been hiding an erogenous zone all this time.

He carefully scrubbed her second foot with tiny little movements that didn’t set her off. She sighed when he wrapped her feet in a fluffy towel and dried them. She wiggled her toes happily. “Thank you.”

“My pleasure. Learning the sensitive spots a lover has is important. Also, a reason not to rush.”

She looked away from him.

He cocked his head. “Don’t people use the word lover anymore?”

She wrinkled her nose. “I suppose some do. Hook-ups is the newer version of the same thing.”

“Hm. I prefer the term lover. It denotes an attachment that goes beyond the moment. Hook-up sounds temporary.” He wrinkled his nose, which was incongruous in a face that pretty.

She wiggled her feet, and they made it out of the towel all pink and clean. “Any other parts of me that need a bath?”

He laughed. “None that are accessible with that ribbon on you.”

“Oh. Right. So, what are we going to do about that?” She lifted the edge of the ribbon.

“That will be up to you. I am planning to seduce you slowly so that you are comfortable enough to want me.”

“Interesting strategy. Do you think it will work?”

He smiled and picked her up again, walking with her into the bedroom. “I am willing to devote as much time as possible to this exploration.”

Audra didn’t know exactly what that entailed, but he settled her on the bed and removed all clothing from the waist up. Thank goodness. She might have had to hide her eyes again.

He looked her up and down, and then, he smiled and returned to her head where his detailed and arousing kiss began and involved each lip at a time.

She was shivering and panting when he slid his tongue between her lips. The taste of him was surprising. He tasted like the first drops of rain, and she sighed as she extended her own tongue to duel with his. She slid her fingers through his hair and held him as their kiss slowly grew more intense.

She gasped when he lifted his head, and she felt a slithering across her chest. He stroked her chest down the centre with two fingers and pulled the ribbon away. He didn’t change his direction, he kissed her again until she was twisting against him, and then, he slowly moved down her neck, taking time with her and making sure that she was responding fully to his lips and tongue before he moved on.

She had never been aroused by inches before. He took extreme pains with her to make sure that she was quivering before he moved on. She felt his shiver against her when he reached her left breast, and his breathing picked up tempo. So, it wasn’t just a guy thing; he really liked breasts.

He nuzzled her nipple with his lips, lapped at it, and then, he settled his lips over it and sucked slowly and then with growing ferocity. She moaned, and her body tensed as she got closer to orgasm. Her hands were still threaded through his hair, and she held him against her as her hips twisted, her thighs shifted, and her breath got caught in her lungs. She was a few sucks away from release, and he released her with a pop.

“No! You jackass.”

He laughed, and then, he moved to the other breast and sucked hard from the start. She shrieked and bucked against him. His hand pressed against her belly, and he held her down while she came undone.

When her breathing slowed from the frantic wheezing, he lifted his head and released her nipple from the gentle grip of his teeth. She shuddered as he looked at her with a storm in his eyes.

He removed the last of the ribbon from between her thighs with a slow slide, and she moaned. Audra blinked when his skirt simply dissolved and flowed off the bed. She swallowed slowly and expected him to press against her, but he moved between her thighs and continued his slow kissing and licking down her body. She couldn’t stop her hips from moving in a slow undulation against his torso.

She kept her grip on his hair but let it go when he moved his head to her sex and started running his tongue along her folds.

He reached up, took her hands, and placed them on his head again.

She stroked the edge of his ears, and he shuddered, the slow lapping of his tongue pausing. She kept her touch careful, and he returned to his licking. When he slid two fingers into her, she gripped the sheets to either side of her hips, and she shuddered as her body bucked against his mouth. She moaned and had to wait until her body stopped twitching before she could give him a dazed look.

He smiled. “That is an excellent expression.”

He moved up her body and kissed her. She tasted herself, and his storm overwhelmed her a moment later. His cock was nudging against her entrance, and he supported her neck and whispered, “Watch it go in.”

She looked at the thick, long cock pressing into her. She felt her body stretching and adapting to the size of him as he rocked into her. She could feel him going in; she didn’t need to see it. Seeing it brought another level of focus to what her body was feeling, and she groaned when he finally worked himself all the way in.

He kissed her again. “You feel like heaven.”

She wanted to ask what his belief system was, what heaven was for the fey, but he kept his lips on hers, and she lost all of her focus, and curiosity was focused only on what was happening next.

She wrapped her arms around his ribs and slid her feet along the sheet until she could brace herself when he stroked deep. He did. A slow and all-consuming thrust that was countered with an equally deliberate withdrawal. Raiden had all the time in the world, and it showed.

Their time together stretched into endless rounds of pleasure and a dizzying array of positions. Raiden favoured positions where he could cup her breasts, which was a surprising amount of them. Having them rubbing against him was his second favourite set of options. Keeping them out of his reach was not on his list of options, so no reverse cowgirl for her.

He came twice that she could count. She had no idea how many times she had shivered and moaned in his arms.

He finally rolled her to her side and remained inside her with a hand resting on her left breast—his favourite.

“How is it that I am not chafed to hell and back?” Her voice was a low croak.

“Ah, I am very good at monitoring moisture.” He pressed a kiss to her ear, and he ran his tongue along the curve.

Her body pulsed around him in return.

She sighed. “If you start up again, I am getting the hell out of here.” She chuckled. “Somehow.”

“You are safe. You are tired, and I want you in my arms.”

She nodded and exhaled slowly as she nodded off.

* * * *

Raiden looked down at her and wrapped her in a cocoon of air that would deflect sound. “What is it, Puck?”

“It seems that you and your bride are getting along.” The imp was sitting at the far end of the bed.

“She’s wonderful. Good choice.”

Puck nodded. “Thank you. Your brand of calm strength is hard to match. Now, to the reason I am here. Spring is an ass.”

Raiden waved his hand and covered him and Audra with a sheet. “He is known for that personality trait. What is the issue?”

“His bride is linked to your bride. He did something generous, and now, I have to alter Audra’s memory. I was hoping that you wouldn’t kill me if I did that now.”

“Fine, but don’t take her, or I will turn your bones to soup.”

Puck nodded and leaned forward carefully to brush his fingers across Audra’s forehead. “Got it. The change is done. So, how long are you going to keep her here?”

Raiden smiled. “I don’t know.”

“You know, you are the only one so far who hasn’t goofed by setting out criteria and then letting me pull their brides, sending them back to the mortal realm. So, when will you let her go so you can get ready to join the modern world?”

He held her close. “Soon. I will send her back soon. I just feel so at peace when she is near me.”

“She has people there. People that she is responsible for. You will have to work around that as well. May I make a few suggestions?” Puck smiled brightly.

Raiden nodded and listened as an outline of a plan to ease Audra’s responsibilities came into being. He also learned her last name. Ackley.

He would keep her with him for another twelve hours and then send her home. He would study quickly and get to her side as fast as he was able. He could not guarantee his mood if they were separated for too long.

Chapter Five

Audra blinked and set the gingerbread house on the table next to the seed packs. Her head was roaring, and she felt inexplicably hungry.

She ignored her hunger and finished the inventory of the incoming seeds, taking a list with her to compare with previous years’ sales. The basics were the basics, but the new and trendy plants had to be guessed at.

Audra finished her evening’s work, washed her hands, and her phone rang. She looked at the display. It was her mother.

“Hey, Mom!”

“Audra, you will never guess what just happened?”

She snorted and got her jacket. “That is a nice vague sentence, Mom. What is going on?”

“Come over. Oh, this is wonderful.”

Audra sighed, knowing that it was all she was getting out of her mother without thumbscrews or a face to face.

“I am on my way, Mom. Did you want me to pick up some Chinese?”

“Oh, that is a wonderful idea. Double the regular order, please, dear.”

“Double?”

“You will see when you get here.”

She hung up, and Audra looked at her phone. Right. Double it would be. She used the app and punched in the order.

She headed to her car, made her way to the restaurant, picked up the order, and headed for her family home.

There was a strange pickup truck in the driveway. She dropped the bag of food on the stoop and then drove her car over to her place before walking back. The food had been taken inside, and she knocked twice before stepping inside, and there were some large shoes to match the strange truck with the weird grey paint.

There were two men sitting at the dining room table with her father. Her mother was setting out plates and a bowl for Audra, along with forks for those who wanted them and chopsticks for the adventurous.

“Good evening. Sorry if I am a little grubby.” She got glasses and the ubiquitous iced tea from her parents’ fridge.

She set the pitcher on the table and sat down next to one of the guests. There was a weird heat coming from him, and she glanced at him and then had to crane her neck slightly. “Um, hello.”

He smiled; his dark hair and stormy grey eyes held her hypnotized. “Hello. You are Audra?”

She extended her hand to him. “Yes. And you are?”

“Raiden Freyr. Pleased to meet you.” His fingers closed carefully around hers, but he didn’t give her a limp handshake. His grip was firm and warm but not damp.

He glanced across the table. “That is Darius Omek. He is here to make your family an offer.”

Her father grinned. “And we are taking it.”

Audra blinked. “What is going on?”

Her mother blustered, “Business after dinner. Everyone, please eat.”

Audra was hungry, so she began the cascade of dishes from right to left clockwise around the table. She put rice in her bowl and then put all of the other items that she wanted on top. She leaped to her feet and went to the fridge to get the sauces, and she covered her bowl with a drizzle of chili sauce.

She picked up a set of chopsticks and set to work. The man at her right hand watched her for a moment, picked up the chopsticks, and mimicked her. “Have you used them before?”

He chuckled and shook his head. “No. Any tips?”

She reached over, corrected his grip, and when he picked up a shrimp, he grinned.

It was a slow meal for him, but he managed it.

Darius frowned. “How is the grip?”

She went around and showed him, but she didn’t lean against him like she had when it was Raiden. She put a few sample chicken balls on his plate, and he was off to the races.

Raiden asked her, “Why do you eat it from a bowl?”

“Food that is prepared a certain way is designed to be eaten a certain way. If you eat stew on a rock, you are going to lose a lot of the flavour.” She tried to think of another example. “If you drink hot tea out of a wooden teacup, the taste changes. I like to eat it the way it was initially supposed to be eaten, as much as possible given that that culture is half a world away.”

Her mother passed two bowls over, and Audra handed them to the guests. She walked them through the rice first and then the stuff with sauces and then all the North American-styled deep-fried stuff.

They went through their second meal, and the guys both nodded. Raiden said, “It does taste different. The rice catches everything and mixes it up.”

Darius cleaned his bowl with his newfound skills, and he looked hesitant. Audra chuckled. “We are done. You two can fight it out.”

In a rush, the leftovers disappeared. It was a good thing that she had ordered enough for seven. She got the feeling that she could have ordered enough for nine, and still, it would have disappeared.

She looked from her parents to the two strangers. “You are selling the greenhouse.”

Her parents grinned. “We are. We can’t do it anymore, and while you have been helping, it is too much for one person alone.”

She looked to the two men. The gorgeous golden one had an anticipatory gleam in his eyes.

“So, Darius, you want to run a greenhouse?”

He shrugged. “I like to grow things, but if you know of anyone who wants a job for the growing season, it would be appreciated.”

She frowned. “I have a friend with a severely green thumb. I will see if she is available.”

He inclined his head. “Give it a few weeks. I would like to get things up and running with the teashop and a few other plans I have for the property.”

“Oh, wow. So, you are just jumping in?”

Her parents grinned. “We are going on a cruise.”

They were talking together, which was adorable but annoying.

“Right. Uh, you are going to need the profit and loss statements, the projections for this year, and the tax filings for the company.”

She nodded and frowned, collecting the plates, bowls, and utensils while she thought about what needed to be provided to the new purchaser.

Raiden spoke, “You don’t need to do anything today. There is plenty of time to get things organized. We are also not rushing you out of the shop. You can have all the time you like to transition to another business.”

She nodded and swallowed. “Right. Well, gentlemen, this has been a pleasant dinner. Congratulations on your purchase. If you will excuse me, this has been quite the day.”

She kissed her parents on their cheeks and nodded to the two men who rose to their feet as she passed. She put on her boots and pulled on her jacket. Her mind was numb. So much to do, and then, she had to start her life over again.

Audra left her parents’ home and supposed that if they were going to start travelling, they might sell the houses as well. She was really going to have to start from nothing.

She heard the crunch of footfalls behind her, and she heard a calm voice. “Audra.”

She stopped and didn’t speak. Raiden stepped up to her, and he touched her arm. He leaned in to look at her, and he reflexively took her in his arms. “You are crying.”

She blinked. This felt very familiar. “I... why do I know what you smell like?”

“You and I have not met before tonight.”

She mumbled against his chest, her tears still streaking down her cheeks. “That’s right, but this is really familiar. Why are you hugging me?”

“You are crying.”

“I have just had a shock. I have to adapt to it.”

“May I walk you home?”

She chuckled. “It is the dower house. It isn’t home. I guess if Mom and Dad start running around the world, this will go as well.”

He growled, and then, she realized it was the sky above her, rumbling with the clouds coming in. She turned and started to walk toward her house, and he walked with her. She exhaled when she got onto her porch. “Thank you for your escort. It is appreciated. I hate getting caught out in the rain, though I think it should be snow tonight.”

He nodded, and she saw his hand reach out for her. He sighed and said, “Your parents have given me your number. I will contact you in the morning for some details.”

She nodded and swallowed. “I will get what is needed together tonight. I have no idea what the numbers are, but I want to make sure that he gets a fair price.”

“That is very honourable of you. I will talk to you in the morning. Get some sleep, Audra Ackley.”

She nodded to the man with the sad grey eyes, and she went into the house, pulling up the files and printing the profit and loss statements as well as the insurance valuations for the greenhouse and the buildings and property surrounding it.

Audra got a file together for the meeting with Raiden tomorrow. She had no idea why he was handling things instead of Darius, but she preferred brunettes any day of the week.

With the file prepared, she showered and then changed into her nightgown. She pulled her laptop onto her lap and sat up, looking for jobs in any industry that she was qualified for. If she had to start over, she was going to start now.

In the middle of the night, she sat up, gasping with her body humming at a memory that she didn’t have. She knew every inch of Raiden. She knew the slide of his cock inside her, his fixation on her breasts, and she had no idea how. What the hell was going on?

Her failed relationships had never led to a solo nocturnal orgy before, but her mind was urging her to return to sleep so that it could continue acting out the porn staring her and Raiden. Her brain was a perv.

Chapter Six

She ate toast and checked her phone for the dozenth time. No message. She sighed and decided to take the pile of documents with her. No sense waiting. She still had a job to do.

She headed for her car and drove to the greenhouse, letting herself through the gate and stopping her car in the middle of the rutted lot. There was a new building where no building had been just yesterday. Well, there had been a building, but it was an old shed-style coffee shop. This was an elegant teahouse. She swallowed and pulled her car into the parking lot.

She got out of the car and went to the office in the greenhouse, putting the file on the desk. There was a folder there, and inside it was a contract signed by her parents, and it was for six times more than the greenhouse and property were worth. It was millions.

She exhaled and sat on the tall stool next to the counter near the desk. Well, that was that then. Her parents were rolling in it, and she had to start over. No problem. She could do this. She had savings, and it would take a few years, but she could have the tree farm she always wanted. It had struck her last night that she just needed to start again, on her terms.

Her phone went off, and she lifted the screen. Unknown number. She answered, “Hello?”

“Hello, Audra. This is Raiden. I was wondering if we could speak.”

She paused and put her fingernail to her lips.

“Audra?”

“I am thinking. Sure. We can speak.”

“Good. I am just outside the greenhouse.” He pushed the door open and disconnected the call.

She lowered her phone. “Um. Good morning.”

“Good morning, Audra. I see you have seen the contract?”

“Yes, it is only in Darius’s name.”

He smiled. “I am a silent partner. How are you doing today? Sleep well?”

She frowned. “I kept waking up. It took a bit of effort to get some rest.”

He paused at the edge of the countertop. “Did you dream?”

She shivered, and his gaze went to her breasts. A memory struck her, and once that one had hit, all of them cascaded through her. She stared at him, and his eyes went wide. “You remember me?”

She walked up to him, grabbed his neck, and pulled him down to her. The kiss wasn’t slow, wasn’t careful, but she felt like it had been forever since he was in her arms, and she wanted to touch him.

Raiden groaned in her mouth and lifted her to the top of the high counter. He had to look up at her to kiss her, but when he pulled his mouth away, he was on a level with her breasts. Her shirt was pushed up and rucked under her arms, her bra was deactivated from behind and shoved under her shirt, and his lips were on her left nipple, driving her mad.

He moved to the right and cupped both of her breasts in his hands, moving from left to right as if he had been away from her for years.

Her arousal built, and she moved a hand to her jeans, unsnapping them and working a hand inside. He sucked, and she stroked her clit, and Audra let out a low guttural moan as her body jerked suddenly, and she went limp.

He sighed and pressed his forehead between her breasts. “You cheated.”

“As much fun as spending all day naked in your arms would be, there are things to get done.” She looked down at him from where he was nestled against her breasts. She pulled her hand out of her jeans.

He nuzzled her breasts in turn. “I would prefer a warm bed with you in it.”

Audra ran her hand down her thigh, and she sighed. “I would prefer a clear career path, but that isn’t happening.”

He looked up at her and grinned. “Can I offer you a business?”

“You mean a job?”

“No. A business. I want to open a tree farm a little bit north of the city, and I would like you to have the business.”

She frowned. “I don’t understand. You want me to manage it?”

“No, I would like to give it to you. We can start it together and work on it.”

She swallowed. “That sort of thing takes years to get going properly.”

He smiled. “I have time. I have a property up there, and there is plenty of room for a house, a yard, and a few hundred acres of trees.”

She looked around. “But, the greenhouse.”

“You can get it started and work on starting the tree seedlings. When Darius has his bride all secured, we can leave, and you can start a new life... with me.” His smile was hopeful.

“His bride. Petal?”

He chuckled. “It is a good name for his bride.”

“Oh. He’s Spring?”

“Correct. How did you guess?”

“He’s very bright and pretty.” She suddenly realized that she was having this conversation while her shirt and bra were wedged up under her arms. She started to pull the bra back into place, and he grabbed her hands.

“Just a minute or two longer. I have missed you.” He rubbed his cheeks against her breasts.

“Them. You have missed them.” She chuckled and threaded her fingers through his hair. “You look different.”

He chuckled. “This is a human glamour. You can see through it, but others aren’t as enamoured with me as you are.”

“I am not enamoured with you.”

He slowly ran his tongue across the underside of her breast. “And yet, here you are, topless, within a few minutes of meeting me again.”

She grumbled and shoved his head away. He laughed. The bra went back in place, and the shirt came down. “Thanks for reminding me about my bad judgment.”

He wrapped his arms around her, and he held her tight. “I missed you.”

“Raiden, how long were we apart?”

He mumbled against her neck. “Years. It felt like forever, but I had to come back with Damek to help him unravel his issue.”

“Issue?”

“He thought that Petal should be grateful to have him. He is such a great catch. She got mad, Puck pulled her out, and sent her home. Now Damek is here to grovel at her feet to get her to take him back. Well, once she remembers him.”

“He was just dismissive?”

He nodded against her shoulder.

“After he apologizes, she will forgive him. She has a really good heart. So, he’s going to let me know when I can call her?”

“He will.” His voice was grim. “He knew he was an idiot within minutes of her leaving.”

She nodded. “How long are you going to hold onto me?”

“Forever.” He pressed a kiss to her neck.

Audra sighed. “I knew you liked to take your time, but I never pegged you as clingy. You know you are going to have to let me run errands and be out of your sight for long periods of time.”

He lifted his head and grinned. “The clinginess will wear off. I am very happy to be with you and see recognition in your eyes.”

She kissed his cheek and then his lips. “Even last night, I didn’t forget you; I just didn’t know why I was so familiar with you.”

He grinned. “You dreamed of me?”

“Several times. I thought I was turning pervert. Everything was very specific.” She was blushing.

He straightened and kissed her again. “Would you like to take a tour of the property and see if it meets with your approval?”

“Um, I think I have work to do here.”

He plucked her off the high counter and set her on her feet. “We will have a chat with Damek... er... Darius.”

“Call him whatever you like.” She zipped and closed her jeans, snapping her fingers in front of his hypnotized face. “What?”

He shook his head. “Sorry. Just having a flashback.”

He took her hand, and they headed over to the brand-new building that had not been there the previous day. She shivered. “I need to grab my jacket.”

“We will just be with him for a minute. He needs to explain things to you from his perspective.”

“Uh-huh.”

“So that you know, your friend will be safe with him. He knows she has been pursued and attacked.”

She paused. “She wasn’t attacked... wait.”

Audra remembered visiting Petal in hospital, her pale skin even paler than normal, her leg in a cast, and police nearby. “Why do I remember that like it is wrapped in fog? Who injured her?”

“That is for her and Damek to work out, but she will be safe with him.”

They opened the door and stepped into the building that smelled like pristine wood and fresh paint. Darius emerged from a back office, and he blinked. He glanced to Raiden. “Just like that?”

Raiden grinned. “She has an excellent memory, and I am in it.”

She nudged him with her elbow. “Keep talking, and I think I will feel my memories fading.”

He pulled her in front of him and wrapped his arms around her. “You will remember me.”

She grimaced. “Yeah, I will.” She turned her attention to Darius. “So, you are after Petal?”

He blushed. “I may have spoken unfortunately and had a bit of an attitude when we were last together. I want nothing more than to apologize for my lack of education about the goings-on of the modern world. I confused her for a woman with a lack of personal agency, and I have to ask her to forgive that.”

He paused. “Do you think she will?”

Audra ran her hand over her face. “Petal is exceptionally good-natured with more empathy than anyone has a right to. If she sees that you mean it, she will forgive you.”

He slumped in relief. “Good. That is definitely a relief. Thank you.”

“Right, so now that you own the greenhouse, what do you plan on doing with it?”

He gestured for her to sit, and Audra moved toward the chair, wearing Raiden. “Sit down, Raiden.”

She slipped out of his arms and took a seat. Raiden grumbled but sat next to her.

Darius served them tea and some very flaky pastries, and then, he explained his plan to her. At first, she wasn’t quite sure that he was up to the task of taking on Petal, but then, he explained the specializations that he had engaged in to be able to change the focus of his life, and she smiled. “Wait? How long did that take?”

Darius shrugged. “Fifteen, twenty years. Could have been a hundred. I lost track, but Puck kept sending us tutors, so we are now legally qualified by modern standards for everything we are attempting. Raiden is an actual geologist, arborist, and climatologist with the documentation to prove it. He has also written several papers and communicated with others of his speciality from Underhill.”

“Wait. How does that work? I only... it was yesterday.” She looked at Raiden, and he sipped his tea.

Raiden murmured, “Time moves differently there. Seconds here become days there. I did tell you that it had been years, just not how many.”

She blinked. “So, you guys had to catch up to the modern age, not just in knowledge but in the paper trail. How did that work?”

Darius smiled. “We arrived before you left to put things in order. I have had the agreement with your family to sell for a few months, but they were sworn to secrecy until the timing had lined up.”

She glanced at Raiden. “How did you manage that?”

“Puck told me when he had sent you the house, and he notified me when you had made contact.”

“So, you have been here this whole time?”

He shrugged. “Nearby but not near you. I was arranging things to offer you an attractive future.”

She fought a smile. “Like a bribe?”

He coughed. “Something like that. Our kind is not easy to deal with, so while covering you in riches is not something that is currently acceptable, offering you a business, a purpose, and a charming husband is the modern equivalent.”

She chuckled. “So, that is all that you offer? Geez. I don’t know if that is a good deal.”

He seemed surprised. “What more can I offer you?”

She cocked her head. “Seeds of the trees of Underhill.”

Darius and Raiden both jerked in surprise.

“You can’t be serious.” Raiden was shocked.

“I am. Let me ask them.”

“You... want to go back?”

She snorted. “Don’t get yourself in a tizzy. I just want to talk to the forest and find out what they think.”

He cocked his head. “If you wish to return, we shall return.”

Darius looked at him. “You are going to take her back?”

“I am. If she wills it, she has an idea. She does not make decisions lightly.” He grinned.

Audra looked at him. “I try to live with as few regrets as possible.”

They held hands, and Darius looked at them and swallowed. “Can you contact Petal now? I thought to wait a few more days, but this is torturing me.”

Audra fished her phone out of her pocket. “She just texted me looking for a job. I really think that I should reply to her.”

Darius leaned forward. “How does she sound? Is she all right?”

Audra smiled. “Her typing is as blunt as it always is. For her to ask is a tremendous stride. Normally, she is a little timid. So, whatever you did to rile her up, well done.”

Darius swallowed. “Offer her a job at the greenhouse. Please.”

Audra sent the text immediately and mentioned making a call later to follow up. “Done. Now you have to wait for her to see it. Don’t worry. I should have an answer in a few minutes, and by that time, Raiden and I should be back from Underhill. Right?”

Raiden nodded. “I will have to hold you for the transfer.”

She finished her tea and got to her feet. She nodded to Darius. “See you in a bit.”

Raiden got to his feet, and she went into his arms. He wrapped his arms around her, and there was the flash of lightning and roar of thunder.

When the light was over, they were in the grove in Underhill.

Chapter Seven

She looked up at Raiden, and he was in his very tall form. He looked down at her with skin shimmering with energy and his very long hair being played with by a sweeping breeze.

She glanced down and was relieved that there was no ribbon in evidence. “Um, what am I wearing?”

“A gown. A style that I saw once an age ago that I thought would suit you.”

“And you were so eager that you missed your shirt?”

Wind was billowing around them, and she pressed her hands to his chest.

He chuckled. “This is my court attire. As you are going to speak to the faded, I thought it was best that we be polite in a manner they would understand.”

She eased back and looked at him. He was magnificent. There was power crackling all around him, and the long skirt that he wore fluttered and swelled with air currents. His black hair lifted and writhed as he stood and let her look. She twisted her lips and looked him up and down. “Do women faint when you approach?”

He chuckled. “Not yet; I usually sweep them off their feet.”

She looked down at her dress. It had some thin straps at the shoulders, long sleeves, and a wrap that was attached at the left shoulder, wrapped over and pinned at the right. It was like wearing a long silky towel that ended at her toes. She stepped forward, and the sleeves fluttered. Her feet had tiny slippers on. They barely covered her soles.

“Why do you get to be barefoot, and I don’t?”

Raiden smiled. “I am not actually standing on the ground.” He took her hand and turned her around in a controlled pirouette. The dress flared open, and she felt the cool air down her side. He grinned when he pulled her against his chest. “That is what I had hoped it would do.”

She tried to be irritated, but he just looked so damned pleased with himself. “You are up for a peep show?”

“To see any part of you, always.” He ran a hand down her back.

“There is a distinct lack of underwear in Underhill.”

“We control the mist and matter, we also have sex a lot, so underclothing just slows things down. The normal layer is just enticement.”

“I look like a column of fabric. How enticing can that be?”

He chuckled. “When you take a step, the fabric outlines your breasts and hips with every shift and sway.”

She made a face at him, and he kissed her forehead.

“Audra, I enjoy everything about you. With or without clothing.” He grinned as she swatted his arm.

She chuckled. “Fine, where are these trees I am to seduce.”

He squeezed her. “Very funny. We will speak to them respectfully, and you will at no time offer yourself to them. They might take you up on it, and unless we were pursuing children, we were not fussy about the gender of our lovers. The ladies are just as likely to want you as the men.”

He finally let her go and took her hand, leading her toward the forest. They had arrived twenty feet from the trees and now made their way into the forest. He led her deep into the woods, and then, he spoke, “So, ask them what you will.”

She nodded and stepped forward and away from Raiden. She stepped over a few roots and stood for a moment with faces emerging into view on the trunks of the trees. She curtsied for the first time in her life. “Good folk and excellent trees. I have been brought here to speak with you, and I have a question to ask you.”

She waited until the faces looked interested. “If you are content with your life here, as it is, please ignore me. If you are curious about the mortal realm, give me a seed, and I will take it to the mortal realm with me. I will plant it, nurture it, and when it grows into a tree, you can emerge, and arrangements will be made to introduce you into the human world to live in the wild and bright lights of humanity. It will be a step down for many of you, but it is still a step.”

She looked at the confused faces on the trees. “I am offering to plant you in the mortal realm, but you must remain here to give the seed enough energy to grow. You would be in two places at once and able to fade back to Underhill if you wish it. I am about to begin a tree farm with the storm king, and your seedlings would be well-tended. Please, give it consideration.”

Raiden stepped toward her. “We will return at regular intervals and collect any seeds. The intervals will be about fifty years apart.”

There was a thud in front of Audra, and she looked down. An acorn the size of her palm was sitting on the ground. She picked it up, and the face that formed to look at her winked. It was female, and it was eager.

“Lady Habina.” Raiden nodded to the face.

There was another thud and then another. Audra looked at them and then Raiden. “Can you make a basket?”

He grinned, and the first twenty volunteers were acquired. She looked at them and smiled. “Thank you for your adventurous spirit. I shall endeavour to bring you to strong and vigorous health.”

She looked around. “As for the rest of you, we will bring you news of how the planting is going. Please retain any seeds that you would consider until the new growth tells you how they are doing. From what I have been given to understand about the connections between realms, they will be able to speak to you. You just have to listen to them.”

She curtsied again and took Raiden’s arm. He led her out of the forest as a few branches snagged on her gown. When they were clear of the forest, he wrapped his arms around her, and in a rumble and flash, they were next to his bed.

Audra looked up at him. “Really?”

He grinned. “It will be only seconds in the mortal realm. We can take our time.”

She blinked, glanced at the bed, and then back at him. She walked to him and ran her hand up his chest to his neck. She muttered, “Two days here, cover the acorns; I don’t want them watching.”

He flicked a sheet over the wide-eyed acorns and lifted her up so that their heads were on the same level. She looped her arms around his neck, and she nipped at his lips. He chuckled, and she wrapped her legs around his hips.

He was larger than he had been but still within reason. He supported her with one arm and bent her back to unsnap the closures of her dress with his teeth. He nuzzled at her breasts, taunted her with his tongue, and sucked until she twisted against him.

His clothing came off eventually, but it was only when she was wrung out, and her skin was tingling from the delicate application of tiny lightning that he moved over her. Her skin was glowing with sweat, and his body slid over hers as he pressed into her.

Audra arched into him, and she groaned as he entered her. She gasped and stroked his ribs, digging her nails into his back and sliding her fingers down to grab his ass as he thrust into her.

Gasps, moans, and groans filled the room.

He whispered, “Look at me.”

She opened her eyes and found herself looking into the heart of the storm. His gaze locked with hers as he thrust into her, and she saw the moment that pleasure overtook him. It was a moment before lightning struck her soul as well.

She felt the light caress of his lips on her eyelids before he kissed her cheeks and her mouth. She opened her eyes. “You are a little bigger in this shape.”

He grinned. “I would apologize, but you have taken me with only a little trouble.”

She chuckled. “If you weren’t in control of the humidity around you, you never would have fit.”

“I only had to intervene a little. You took me like you were made for me.” He nuzzled her cheek.

Audra sighed and ran her hands up and down his back. “You seem content where you are.”

“Oh, I am. There is nowhere I would rather be except...” He put his hands under her, twisted to his back, sat up, and lifted her, turning her around and sliding back inside her. She faced a mirror that swam out of nowhere.

He met her gaze in the mirror, her breasts covered in his hands, and his lips at her neck. “You look lovely.”

He kneaded her breasts and sucked at her neck. She shivered and closed her eyes.

He bit her shoulder gently. “Watch.”

She gasped when he bent forward and caught them on one arm. She braced her hands on the floor, and he thrust into her. She looked up and caught his gaze in the mirror. He kept his gaze locked with hers as he gripped her hips and rocked inside her with deep plunges and slow retreats.

Raiden leaned forward and took his weight on one arm, pressing the other to her belly as he sought and found her clit. He slowly circled it, and she felt the slippery touch on her delicate skin. He brought his own lube.

She gasped and bucked against him as the pressure and contact worked with the friction of his cock inside her to set her on fire. She shrieked, there was no other word for it, and no one in the vicinity to hear her.

His hands slammed down next to her, and he shoved himself in deep. Shaking and straining as he sought to become part of her.

She grunted and held herself steady against him, bracing her arms while he slowly collapsed onto her. He was heavier than she could manage, and he flattened her against the floor.

When she could breathe again, she started laughing. Next to her ear, he muttered hotly, “Why are you laughing?”

“I always imagined elves as delicate and graceful things.”

He licked her ear, and she shuddered, clasping him inside her. “Are you saying I am not graceful?”

She squirmed to get away from his teasing tongue. “Fine, you are graceful but not delicate.”

He sucked at the upper curve of her ear, and she trembled. “Take it back.”

She squirmed away from him. “I am not calling you delicate.”

He laughed and flipped her back to the bed. “You will. Before we leave here, you will call me delicate, dainty, or anything else I wished to be addressed as.”

Audra looked up at him. “I thought storms were supposed to be surly.”

He grinned and lifted her leg, pressing kisses on her inner thigh. “No, they revel in bringing rain, clearing damage, and creating new pathways for water. Sure, they lose control now and again, but who can blame them?”

She laughed again, and the laughter turned to moans as he showed her how delicate he could be.

In the end, she called him anything he asked her to.

Chapter Eight

Audra blinked at the interior of the teashop while held in Raiden’s arms.

Darius looked at them and poured another pot of tea, bringing it over. “You were gone for quite a few minutes. What did you all get up to?”

She looked up at Raiden, and he looked down at her, smiling, “Hello, Princess.”

The missing time slammed into her brain, and her knees gave way. Raiden scooped her up, took a seat, and put the acorn basket on the table.

She was shaking in the aftermath of that memory storm. The crotch of her jeans had also gotten exceedingly damp.

Darius looked at her, and his eyes widened. “Her eyes are entirely pupil. What the hell, Raiden?”

Her breathing was fast and shallow. She turned her face to Raiden’s chest while she calmed down from reliving two days of debauchery that were now vividly clear in her mind.

He ran his hand through her hair and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “She had a rough few days.”

She punched him.

Darius chuckled. “Ah. The time compression.”

“And the thunder and the lightning.” Raiden was horribly smug.

“How do you use thunder during sex?”

The other elf was actually curious, so Raiden went through a detailed description of the sonic effects of close-quarters thunder and the lightest application of lightning over a large surface area.

She kept her face averted until her body was under her control. When Raiden tried to demonstrate on her arm, she extended her knuckles and punched him in the ribs. He winced and grunted. “My dearest lady protested, so I shall leave the demonstration.”

Audra took the soothing caress of his hand down her back to be an agreement to keeping his mouth shut and his hands to himself.

She finally exhaled and lifted her head. “Right. Tea?”

Darius smiled and inclined his head. “There is nothing to be embarrassed about. Sexual matters are often openly discussed. How else are we to improve?”

He poured her a cup of tea and handed it to her. With a great deal of focus, she kept the cup from rattling in the saucer and sipped at the tea.

“So, what’s in the basket?” Darius grinned.

She set the cup down. “Seeds from the faded. Twenty of them to plant in the mortal realm to strengthen the link between the planes.”

Darius’s mouth opened in shock. “You explained it to her?”

Raiden snorted. “Of course. She would learn of it sooner or later. I thought it best to get things out of the way immediately.”

Darius nodded. “I will make a note of that. Has Petal responded to you?”

Audra lifted her phone from the table. She smiled. “Yes. She has. When would you like her to start?”

He looked at her, and there was a nervous expression in his eyes. “Monday?”

She grinned. “Monday it is. She will get minimum wage plus five dollars an hour. She has the management skills to deal with things that will arise if I am no longer here. She also is excellent at making things sprout, though I am guessing you are aware of that already.”

He laughed. “Yes, I have noticed that effect. It kills me that she will not know me when she first sees me.” He sobered swiftly.

Audra chuckled. “Don’t worry. She will remember in a rush. Though, she will feel exactly as she did the last time you two were together. For Raiden and I, that was an extremely intimate parting. I am guessing it was less so for you.”

Darius sighed. “It was not a great final impression. I hope to make up for it with additional grovelling and a pledge to honour her wishes at all times.”

“Remain honest. It will be helpful, and I will keep her working until you two can make contact and we can arrange a smooth transfer of duties. She can take over, and I can figure out what I am doing next.”

Darius chuckled. “I finally found something that Raiden has not told you. His land purchase was a Christmas tree farm. There are still several lots up there to harvest, and this greenhouse is now in partnership with his farm. There is already a crop growing, so you need only decide what the next shall be.”

She chuckled. “So, soil correction is on the agenda, by additive or repairing plant crop. That is annoying.”

Raiden leaned down and whispered, “I will have to take you on a tour. What are you doing today?”

She blinked. “Continuing the inventory and making sure we have all the trays we need to start things. I was going to order a pallet or two of soil to get started.”

Darius smiled. “Leave me the numbers, and I will place orders for whatever you need. You and Raiden can take those seeds up to the farm and scope out an area for the grove.”

“In other words, get them out of the teashop.”

Darius was looking at them, and he flipped the covering over them. “I swear that two were flirting with me.”

She grinned. “That is likely. They kept uncovering themselves at Raiden’s place. I think they were peeping.”

Raiden chuckled. “Probably. Mortals used to have less stamina than we did. Once we got into practice, you kept up just fine.”

She really wanted to elbow him, but her arms were occupied with the tea set. She finished the tea, set the cup and saucer down, and then she said, “Well, that is that, I suppose.”

She looked at Raiden. “Are we just going to poof and appear there?”

He grinned. “I thought we would take the truck. I have been enjoying using modern conveyances.”

Audra laughed. “Fine. Let me get my coat and bag.”

She got out of his lap with a little bit of effort and headed across the lot back to the greenhouse. She set everything up, got the numbers, and wrote down the order. She put on her coat and headed back to the teashop. A five-minute briefing with Darius and she was ready to leave. She picked up the basket with the huge acorns and smiled at Raiden. “Ready when you are.”

He rose to his feet, and she chuckled. “You may want to shrink down to human size.”

He blinked and resumed his human glamour. “Thank you for reminding me.”

Darius chuckled. “You would have remembered when exiting the shop.”

Raiden offered his arm, and she chuckled, sliding her hand to the inside of his elbow. It was a short distance to be so formally escorted, but she enjoyed it. He opened the passenger side of the pickup truck and kissed her as he settled her in with the basket.

He closed the door and circled quickly to get into the driver’s side. The vehicle sprang to life with a muted roar; he buckled up and put it in gear.

“How far away is it?”

“If you drive from your home, about an hour and a half. From here, just over an hour. If I were to create a portal from your home to the property, it would be instant for you.”

She chuckled and watched the city fade to countryside. “I don’t know how much longer my house will be mine. My parents mentioned getting a condo today, and to do that, they need to sell the property that our homes sit on. With today’s social climate, a dower house is highly desirable on some land. The zoning for the extra house is a nightmare nowadays.”

He glanced at her. “You will have to find another place to live?”

She looked over at him and the feigned innocence in his expression. “Don’t look so smug.”

He sighed. “It was not important at the time, but when your parents mentioned selling during the negotiations, it became an idea in my mind. I don’t have a house, though, so I set about finding a property that was suitable to build on. The fact that it had a Christmas tree farm on it was secondary.”

“Conifers are brutal to the soil. They make everything slightly acidic. Compost can compensate, but it is arduous.”

“I believe that labour can also be arranged. The local immigrants from Underhill are eager to keep the ties between them and us. They will help when we need it.”

“You have a lot of faith in that.”

He laughed. “Our influence has been felt in this realm for thousands of years. Now that there is an exodus from Underhill to the mortal plane, they still crave the blessings and magic of home. The six of us are still strong enough to provide the blessings they seek.”

“What does a blessing entail?”

Raiden chuckled. “Usually a fertility blessing. While we do not possess the skills frequently, we can bestow them on others.”

Wanted kings in the mortal realm suddenly made sense. “So, they are trying to breed into the human population.”

“Yes. The lives are shorter, but they are brighter.”

“So, what will the kings do when their mates fade away?”

He smiled. “We have discussed it at length, and we decided to treat Underhill as a retirement scheme. The children will be born and raised, and then, the bride and her king will retreat to Underhill, living hundreds of lifetimes together and returning to the human world for weddings, babies, and sadly, funerals. We will live on together until we grow tired and either return to the mortal realm or become trees in Underhill.”

“Wait. Why is it always we? You are going to outlive me by a considerable amount.”

He grinned. “And now I will introduce the concept of the handfasting.”

“The what?”

“The handfasting. You and I stand together in nature, declare ourselves to each other, and a ribbon is wound around our hands and wrists to symbolize the connection. In our case, the ribbons will be worn around our wrists and visible only to other fey.”

She frowned. “What do they do?”

“They bind two lives and energies together. If you die, I die, and I can only do that if I have passed my powers along to an heir.”

“An heir?”

“Yes, a person who starts off small and grows strangely rapidly. I believe they are called children.”

She blushed. “Yes, but as the biological delivery system, I had just never given it much thought. I guess we didn’t use protection.”

“Nope. Not once. The intent of this project was to try and start the next generation. The anchor that I mentioned earlier.”

“Oh. Wow. So, that is the anchor that binds the layers together.”

“It is. Blood between the layers is what does it. What holds the connection.”

“So, if I was pregnant, I would only be a few days along.”

“Correct. So, you do not even need to worry about the signs. There won’t be any yet.”

She gave him a side glance. “So, the time in Underhill doesn’t count?”

He grinned. “It might. I haven’t done this before.”

She started googling symptoms of pregnancy, and she looked at what may or may not occur. “You will like this one. My boobs will get bigger.”

He snickered. “That is interesting, but I am delighted with your body just the way it is.”

She had a flashback and fought hard to keep her shiver from manifesting. About eighty-five percent of their intimate moments had involved his hands on her breasts. Yeah, that didn’t seem like someone who was looking for something else. She smiled and looked out the window as the countryside blurred past.

He reached out and put his hand out, palm up, on the seat between them. She placed her hand in his, and their drive continued in a warm silence. It was time to see what he expected her to work with.

Chapter Nine

He unlocked the gate off the highway with a remote, and they drove down the snowy road that led into the farm.

They were out of sight of the highway when he pulled up next to an old set of buildings that looked like they had seen better days. That wasn’t what Audra was looking at. She was looking at the trees.

She left the seeds on the hood of the truck and walked to the four-year-old pine trees. “Oh, aren’t you just the cutest?”

She walked through the rows and looked back to where Raiden was standing. She grinned. “They are adorable.”

“Do you want to see the other fields? There are twelve in total.”

She ran back to him and squealed, jumping into his arms and kissing him. “This place is perfect, aside from the lack of housing.”

He smiled. “Anything that puts that expression on your face fills me with delight. And you can jump at me whenever you wish. I will always catch you.”

She had her legs locked around his waist, and she brushed her lips against his. “So, where do you folk get the money?”

“Making and finding gold and gems is something that we are very good at. Matter manipulation is our primary skill.”

He held the backs of her thighs and spun around with her. She squealed and hung onto him with her arms around his neck. He laughed and held her tight.

“There is nothing I would like better than a handfasting with you right now.” He rumbled it in her ear.

She chuckled. “Somehow, you made that sound dirty.”

He shifted his hands to her butt and rocked her against him. “It definitely could be.”

She leaned back in his arms. “So, what is needed for the handfasting?”

“You, me, a ribbon, and an open area. My preferred environment is inside a compressed storm.”

Audra looked at him. “Seriously?”

“Seriously. That is my environment.”

“How would I get inside it?” She cocked her head.

“It would form around us.” He grinned. “You are really willing to do this now?”

She chuckled. “Why not? No one else will notice, and my parents are busy trying to plan tours on their cruise.”

“We will have a civil ceremony when they return.” He pressed his forehead to hers.

“Or after six weeks. Whichever comes first.”

“Why six weeks?”

She tutted. “It will be considered normal for a dating couple in a rush to do that if they find out they are pregnant.”

“Oh. Right. Hey, I get to be pregnant, too?” He spun her around again.

“Of course. Modern phrasing for the modern age.”

He kissed her quickly. “Good, then I will try extra hard.”

She blushed. “Please, don’t try harder. I don’t think I will be able to walk if you try harder.”

He grinned. “I am not sorry. You respond so perfectly to me that I want to try everything at once.”

“And you have tried that twice.”

“Well, I had to make sure that you would not protest, so I spaced out the attempts.” He smiled. “So, shall we go to be handfasted?”

She glanced up at the sun nearing a noon position. “I think it would be a good idea. Since you mentioned it, I am guessing that the handfasting is something that goes along with the gingerbread house, the time in Underhill, and the fact that I don’t want to let you out of my sight. I think that ritual might alleviate some angst.”

“It will certainly have that effect.” He grinned. “So, that is a yes?”

She nodded. “It’s a yes.”

He smiled and walked with her into the woods that weren’t a field of pine. She was still clinging to him like a monkey, so there was a bit of rubbing going on between them. They travelled only a few hundred yards before they were in a clearing.

He set her on her feet and stepped back. “Pardon me, but I am a stickler for formalities.”

She didn’t know what he meant until the air around her grew cool, and she felt the lack of underwire on her skin a moment before silk was pressing against her breasts. She glanced down and was wearing the same overlapping gown that she had been wearing before.

His own clothes dissolved until he was wearing the long skirt, the long flowing vest, and his crown of clouds and lightning. Power was rippling along his skin. If she had seen him all kitted out like this at his full height the first time, she might not have agreed to ride his unicorn.

She was grinning at that thought as they stood in the centre of the space, and he held out his hands. She slid her fingers along his, and the clearing around them began to suffer the effects of a very localized storm.

Black ribbon appeared above them and wrapped around their wrists, tying them together.

“Audra, since Puck told me and the others that he could find us brides, I have been skeptical. No woman could understand us or even begin to become proper partners. Not only was I very wrong, but I am enthralled with the thought of you at my side for the remainder of my existence.

“I offer you all that I am and all that I have. I wish to wake with you in the mornings and hold you through the night. I want to offer you a future that lives up to your potential. So, if you will accept that I will stumble and make errors, but if you help me through the storm, I promise a life of minimal regrets.”

He smiled, and she knew it was her turn.

“Raiden, you were not what I expected for my future. You make me laugh, you make me groan, and you know very well what else you make me do.” He grinned.

“The transfer to Underhill was a surprise, meeting you was a shock, and getting to know you has been a pleasure. For a long-lived species, you are in a remarkable hurry, but I can roll with that. My life has revolved around the family business, but now, it will transfer to another family business. Our family, I suppose. Yikes. Okay. So, in conclusion, I am not going to let any other guy offer me a ride on his unicorn.”

He laughed and kissed her. The ribbon dissolved into four bracelets, two on each of them.

The storm around them got wild, and she clung to him as he pressed his hands to her hips. She gripped his shoulders as they were wrapped in writhing clouds and streaks of lightning. The kiss got deeper, and Audra felt the weather getting more violent around them.

She kept herself pressed to him as the storm raged, and when she felt her clothing moving, she fought her grin. He encouraged her legs up around his hips, and she felt him nudging at her folds. He moved his mouth away from hers and trailed kisses down her neck. Her dress opened completely, and his lips found her breasts as he thrust into her. She moaned, and the wind swept her cries away. The wrap of clouds and lightning concealed them, which was probably a good thing because with the lack of a surface to brace her against, Raiden had to hold her hips as he thrust into her while moving his mouth from one breast to the other.

Her senses were overloaded, and then, lightning played across their skin. They writhed against each other, and soon, they shuddered in unison, slowly drifting back to earth.

Audra looked at her hands and watched tiny arcs of lightning skating along her skin. She tried to speak and had to make another attempt. “I would say that my legs still work, but I am not sure that they do.”

He grinned and pressed his forehead to hers. “I think that it is entirely likely that mine don’t work either.”

She giggled, and he laughed, and they remained locked together until she was able to unlock her ankles, and he held her as her legs gradually remembered what they were supposed to do.

They walked back to the truck with their arms around each other’s waist. It wasn’t fast, but they didn’t want to let go.

She saw the basket on the hood of the truck and chuckled, closing the front of her dress. “I had forgotten about those little critters. Right. I saw a spot on the way to the grove that will suit them. We will get them settled, and in the spring, you can give them a solid rain and wake them up.”

“They won’t need it. The moment that they touch soil, they will lock in. Make sure you plant them as you would adult trees, not seedlings.”

“I have to do this?” she raised her brows.

“You are the storm queen. It is your duty to finish what you start.”

“Wait. Having sex with you comes with a title? It isn’t really that impressive.” She blurted it out before she could stop herself.

He snorted. “Is that a challenge?”

“No, I just didn’t think I needed a prize for it.” She smiled. “All I do is react.”

He grinned. “When I am less impatient, you will have more time to explore before I overwhelm your poor mortal senses. Well, not mortal anymore.”

She had just taken the basket, and she turned to look at him. “Wait, what?”

Raiden put his arm around her waist and started to walk her back toward the forest. “I gave you half of all I am and all I have. That is power and my very extended lifespan. You gave me detailed knowledge of the modern world and the promise of a future link to this plane.”

“Link... oh. Right.” She looked down at her flat stomach. “That.”

“Yes. That. Wars have been fought over the right to start the next generation. While I am not going to start a war, no one will have an opportunity to threaten you or our children when they arrive.”

They were walking slowly back through the forest until they reached the glade where they had handfasted.

“That is really sweet. Creepy as hell but sweet.”

She put the first acorn down and nestled it into the snow. She paced out twelve feet and put the next one down. She continued around the grove until she had created a circle around the space that still crackled with energy. By the time she finished, the first acorn had sprouted and was on its way to becoming a sapling.

She looked at Raiden. “I am assuming they are going to be fine.”

He laughed. “They have the soil and the energy of a heavily populated world to draw on now. They are going to do fine. Now come with me. We will get back to the city and have dinner. Then, we will debate where we are going to live until the house is built here.”

She looked down at the gown. “You are going to change me back to my normal clothing before we leave, right?”

He grinned. “You look lovely this way and are so very accessible.”

“In the privacy of our own space, I promise to wear Minoan formalwear at least once a month.”

He cocked his head. “I don’t understand.”

“When I have my phone back, I can show you.” She chuckled. “I can guarantee your interest on some level.”

“Guarantee?”

She smiled, and there was a blush on her cheeks as they returned to the truck in their finery. “I am fairly sure that it will spark some interest.”

“Yes, so you have said. I am not familiar with those fashions, but I suppose I can return you to yours.” He sighed, and her winter coat, jeans, and boots wrapped around her. Her shirt was in place, but there was something missing.

“Where is the underwear?”

He sighed. “You won’t need it.”

“Dude, there is cum running down my inner thigh... for some reason.”

He chuckled. “I am sure I have no idea.”

She fished in her pocket for her phone and searched the clothing she had mentioned. He tucked her into the truck and climbed into the driver’s seat. “So, what is so special about this outfit?”

She showed him the image, and he blinked. He swallowed. He carefully enlarged the image.

Audra asked, “Can you make something like that for me?”

“I will have to do some research, but you are right. This definitely sparks interest.” He gave her a slow smile and returned her phone to her.

“How much am I going to regret showing you that?”

He put the truck in gear and shifted to his own normal clothing as they drove down the road and got back to the gate. He closed the gate behind them and lifted her left hand to his lips. “Oh, I should think that if it turns out as I imagine, it will definitely cause you to regret mentioning it.”

“Oh, balls.”

He chuckled and kissed her hand again before they started the discussion of where to live while they began the process of building a house on that property. He wanted to do things the mortal way so that anyone inheriting the building would get a legal residence. He was perversely happy to be doing things the human way, and she was happy to have a familiar process to fall back on. It was strange to find comfort in bureaucracy, but she did.

Chapter Ten

He gave her his address, and they returned to the greenhouse to collect her car. Takeout was on the agenda. She was starving.

Audra shook her head in surprise at the house being two blocks away from the greenhouse. She pulled up behind the truck in the rotunda and parked, heading inside. Her clothing would be transferred to his place discretely, and after a few weeks, she would tell her parents about their relationship. They didn’t really watch her comings and goings that closely, so it shouldn’t be a problem.

She approached his front door and raised her hand to knock. The door swung open, and he pulled her inside. He hugged her tight, and then, he breathed a little easier as she wrapped her arms around him.

She murmured against his chest. “Dude, it has been five minutes.”

He chuckled. “It has been an eternity for me. So, when do you want to move in?”

She laughed and looked up at him, only to see that he was serious. “Um... Why didn’t we cover this on the way home?”

He grinned. “Because then I would not have had the chance to be persuasive.”

Her stomach rumbled, and because they were pressed together, he could feel as well as hear it.

“I suppose that since I tired you out, it is my duty to provide for you.” He winked.

She patted his chest. “Even a thousand years ago, that would have been the case.”

“I would have been responsible for bringing it home. You would have had to prepare it. Well, if we didn’t have servants to do it.”

Audra laughed. “I can cook if that is what you are getting at, but I need to be able to move around. You have quite a grip.”

“I don’t want to let go.” He leaned down to nuzzle her neck.

She huffed. “At least close the door and let me get my jacket off. And my boots.”

He sighed reluctantly and closed the door. She heard the bolt settle into place, and he released her to unzip her coat and ease it from her shoulders. He hung it up in the entryway closet and offered her his arm.

“I don’t think I need an escort into your home.”

He murmured, “But I really want you touching me.”

She cuddled up to him, wearing her t-shirt and jeans. “So, what are we going to have for dinner? Or a snack or nachos?”

He sighed and pulled out his phone. He scrolled through some options, and they discussed what they were craving. At some point, Audra ended up leaning against the counter, and he was behind her, scrolling as she made up her mind. She picked ribs and all the trimmings.

“That can be a bit messy.”

She shrugged and sighed. “I suppose I will just have to wash up, and since I have nothing here to change into...”

“Right. Extra sauce.” He flicked his fingers and sent off the order.

She giggled and turned in his arms. “So, how long until this feeling of being on a honeymoon wears off?”

He lifted her and set her on the counter. “It might wear off into a general hum of wellbeing in a decade or so.”

She grinned. “A decade?”

He nuzzled her neck, and his tongue flicked against her skin. “Maybe longer.”

“How long until the food shows up?” She tilted her head, and he took full advantage of the curve of her neck.

“Forty minutes.”

“Well, I wonder what we can get accomplished in forty minutes?” She reached out to unsnap his jeans. Her fingers grazed his belly, and the muscles flexed under her touch.

He bit her neck gently as she eased his zipper open and coaxed his erection into her hand. She stroked him slowly, breathing in deep as he moved to the other side of her neck. Her hand stroked up and down, enjoying the velvety feeling of him in her hand.

He murmured against her neck, “One of us is wearing too many clothes for this.”

She chuckled. “I get to undress myself?”

“Please.”

He leaned back, and she whipped her t-shirt off over her head, unsnapped and unzipped her jeans, and wiggled out of them where she sat. It took a bit of rocking and wiggling, but when the jeans hit the floor and she reached for him, she muttered, “You are not going to be fussy about the socks, are you?”

He laughed and pressed against her, rubbing the head of his cock in the slick welcome. She met his gaze as he pushed into her and tried to relax to take him as deep as she could. Audra stared into the heart of the storm, and the storm stared back as he settled inside and began a slow undulation that lifted her off the counter at the inward thrust.

It started slow and picked up the pace until the slapping sound of skin against skin took up the silence in the room and the small guttural utterances of breath forced from their lungs on impact. She felt the crackle of lightning on her skin, and she wrapped an arm around his neck, bringing him closer and sharing the power. When she gasped and shuddered, he thrust quickly and followed her into release while holding himself deep inside.

He dropped on top of her, shaking slightly.

She stroked the dark hair away from his forehead and cheek. “Aw, poor baby, have I worn you out?”

He looked at her, and there was an amused expression in his eyes. “Is that a challenge, my lady? My queen? My love?” Each affectionate name was given with a kiss.

She chuckled. “Just an observation. I have demanded much of you today.”

“Definitely worthy demands.” He smiled. He glanced over and touched his phone. “Twenty-five minutes before dinner arrives. I have to say, this is a far better pursuit than worrying about burning food.”

She gasped as he put an arm under her and held her as he walked to the bedroom. With the friction against her clit as he walked combined with the slide of him inside her with every step, by the time he straddled the chaise lounge in his room, she was one hard shove from orgasm. Thankfully, she was able to do it herself. She arched back as she shuddered and twitched, panting as wave after wave of pleasure ripped through her.

She let out a soft and low howl as she draped herself across his chest. He stroked his fingers through the length of her hair. It wasn’t nearly as long as his was in his elf form, but it stayed out of the dirt when she was working.

She breathed slowly and felt the burn of muscle and tendon from the unaccustomed exercise. “I apologize for mocking your stamina.”

“Apology not accepted.” He seemed serious.

She tilted her head to look up at him, and she shivered at the expression in his eyes. “So, I threw down a gauntlet, huh?”

“Indeed. I feel honour-bound to prove my worthiness to you.”

“If worthiness translates into sex, I will be more than content to have my needs met with a dinner instead.”

He grinned slowly. “Back pedalling?”

“Like a duck in reverse.”

He laughed and cupped her hips, slowly moving her on him with a deliberate purpose. Her breath had just begun to catch when he stopped and withdrew, conjuring her a robe. She struggled into it as he righted his clothing. The doorbell sounded a moment later. She groaned and headed to wash her hands. This was going to get messy.

She couldn’t tell if he was appalled or enthralled when she finished her ribs, corn, sides, and three wet wipes. “You look surprised.”

“I have to admit, I knew you were a woman with tremendous appetites; I just hadn’t realized they extended to food.”

She sipped at her soda and chuckled. “I only had toast for breakfast, no lunch, and a lot of unusual exercise in between. I can guarantee that it takes a lot of effort for me to get this hungry.”

Audra didn’t mention that she was upset that she had forgotten dessert. She really could have continued to stuff her face, but she supposed it was better for them both that she didn’t.

An endless hunger had started inside her, but it could be sated with food or sex. She bundled up the detritus of her meal and his, tucking it inside each other until it was a tiny wad.

“Is something wrong, Audra?”

She continued crushing the garbage until it was about an inch square and weighed close to a pound. “No. Yes. I want... more. Of something.”

He followed her into the kitchen and turned her toward him. “Oh, damn.”

“What? What is it?”

“There are storms in your eyes.” He stroked her cheek. “Do you feel different?”

“It feels like I am hungry but obviously not. There is a hollow swirling, right here.” She pressed her hand under her ribs.

He nodded. “Yes, that is the urge to destroy. It will flare and fade. You just have to learn to control it. I can give you some suggestions if you are amenable.”

She smiled tightly. “Well, I am guessing this is one of those shared things that you offered?”

He took her hand and drew her back into the bedroom, sliding her robe off her shoulders. “It was not my intent, but it seems to be the effect.”

She sighed. “What do I do?”

“Give it to me.”

“How?”

He smiled. “Let me demonstrate.”

He stepped back, and a gentle summer rain fell over her. She blinked and looked at him, but he just let the rain fall. She chuckled and raised her hands skyward, the gnawing feeling inside her faded as she laughed, and joy took over the hollow feeling.

Her skin was humming where the rain touched it, and she turned in a full circle before facing him again.

He had disposed of his own clothing and was watching her with a smile on his face.

She stepped toward him, and he turned off the rain. The water disappeared with the exception of the gleaming drops on her skin and lashes.

She smiled, stroking his cheek. “Thank you for that. I feel better.”

He nodded. “I am glad. Now, will you make me feel better?”

“If I can.”

“Oh, this is well within your powers as mortal or wife.”

She shivered at the word wife. “What can I do?”

He backed her up until the bed hit the back of her knees. “I just need every moan, whimper, and groan that comes to you, so to speak.”

He dropped to his knees, even with her breasts. She knew where this was going. “I don’t know; it seems like I am paying a far steeper price than you are.”

He laughed. “You are, but I promise to pay you back in kind whenever needed.”

That was the last of the chatter as he devotedly and pleasurably mauled her breasts with his mouth.

It was the beginning of a very long night.

Chapter Eleven

Darius stared at her the following day as they went over supplier lists and other documentation.

“Why are you staring, Damek?” She glanced over at him and smiled at the wreath of leaves and flowers that was now visible. It seemed that the handfasting assisted with her sight.

“Um, you look a lot different than you did yesterday.”

“Yes, well. It was an eventful day.” She muttered, “And night. And morning.”

Darius snickered. “I would not have thought that Raiden had it in him.”

“So, you are just going to hold hands with Petal and consider it good enough?”

“I never said that. I just have a certain amount of self-control that the storm king is not known for.”

She chuckled. “I am fairly sure that you have more control over yourself, but how are you going to rise to her needs if you are only keeping yourself in mind.”

His mouth opened and then snapped closed. “You get right to the heart of it.”

“We have three days until Petal arrives, and you need to be up to speed on what to get and where to get it. If you want to expand, I can give you suppliers. You will need to learn who to talk to and what to say. This lot gets a lot of water and rain, so make sure to have it topped up and scraped twice a year. You can wait until just before you start getting all the temp staff in.”

She continued on, and he made them lunch from the menu he was working on. She had the lists of the old, tried, and true plants to grow and a list of the new ones. The tomatoes never failed. Every new varietal would sell out. There was no doubt.

“So, where is Raiden today?”

“He’s meeting with the architect. He wants a big-ass house on that property.”

Darius smiled. “What is he planning on doing with it?”

“I am guessing that he is going to aim for a large family. Nature abhors a vacuum, and an empty bedroom is too much of a temptation.”

“So, you are all in on the large family?”

She chuckled. “I always regretted being an only child, and considering what we are trying to pass along here, more is better.”

“You don’t mind the thought of a child? I know many women here do.”

Audra looked at him. “I had my time alone, and I think that is one of the things that Puck was looking for. We have had our fun, are single, and all of Underhill descent. There are probably more concerns yet.”

Raiden chuckled from behind them. “And are all susceptible to pregnancy during their time in Underhill. The timing had to be precise.”

Audra looked up and smiled. “Hey, sweetie.”

He came in with a roll of very large paper.

She got to her feet, and he kissed her hello, bending her back. For endless seconds, she was lost in his kiss, and then, he straightened, and she blinked at him, dazed.

Raiden grinned. “Hello, my queen. Are you ready?”

She nodded. “I am. Let’s go see if Puck is as good as he says he is.”

Darius sat up. “What is going on?”

She grinned. “Raiden asked Puck to talk to my parents. So, now, as far as they are concerned, we have been dating for six months and are moving in together. We met last summer and have been to dinner with them several times. When you said you wanted to buy a greenhouse, Raiden mentioned it to them, and they jumped at the chance to keep it in the family, more or less.”

Darius blinked. “He planted the idea in their thoughts.”

She nodded at his slow uptake. “Correct. It is the same way that I know I saw Petal get her leg broken by a stalker, but at the same time, I know I took her to the hospital for a sprain. What happened to the stalker, by the way?”

Darius grimaced. “With her injury healed, he was never charged. With him never charged, he was free to try again. I will keep her safe. The moment that she remembers me, I will be free to keep her safe. Until that moment, I have to be content with putting wards around her yard that will last for a few days.”

“Why only a few days?” Audra leaned back in Raiden’s arms.

Raiden murmured, “Lawnmowers. Darius’s magic takes the form of new plants. His wards only last a few days if it is a place with regular yard maintenance.”

Darius gave Raiden a black look. “Why did I ask for your help again?”

Raiden snorted. “Because you antagonized both your bride and Puck. I was your only hope.”

“Right. Well, this place is ready for business. The inspections are in place and will be happening in the next two or three days, so it looks like this place will be legal as far as the mortals are concerned.” He sighed.

Audra put her hand on his and met his gaze. “Petal has had it rough. Respect that she has survived and come out of it a sweet and empathetic woman. Her generous spirit is something to treasure. Remember that, and I won’t have to drown you on dry land.” She smiled brightly.

Darius looked from her to Raiden and back again. “She can’t actually call storms, can she?”

Raiden pulled her back into his arms. “She will. Give her a week.”

“Take your storm queen out of here, Raiden. She’s giving me an evil look.”

She let herself be led out. “Just remember, Damek, next week it won’t be just a look.”

A flicker of lightning shot from her finger and exploded the teacup that she had been drinking out of. He jumped and then scowled at her. “You owe me a teacup.”

She laughed and left the teashop.

Raiden chuckled. “So, lightning is your first mastery. Mine was thunder.”

“I liked the feel of lightning on my skin that first time, so it was the thing I wanted to reproduce.” She chuckled. “Speaking of reproduction, is that why Puck picked us? Because we were ovulating?”

“No, but that is why you touched the figure when you did. He sent it to you at the most optimal time, and the difference in time between our planes did the rest.”

She laughed. “So, it is more likely than not?”

“That is what I am hoping for.”

“Another one of those anchor points for the realms?”

He laughed. “And then another and another until we fill the house and then watch our grandchildren grow.”

“Grandchildren. Wow. Well, before we plan for that, let me pee on a stick in a week or so.” She linked arms with him and laughed as they got into his truck.

Dinner at her family’s home was strange. Her parents were enthralled with Raiden as if they had seen him a dozen times or more.

When dessert was served, Audra smiled and said, “Well, as to the reason we came over tonight. I didn’t want to tell you that we are moving in together over text.”

Her mother smiled. “It is about time, dear. You two have been testing the limits of the soundproofing on your house long enough.”

Audra blushed, and Raiden kissed her hand.

He asked her father, “When does your cruise begin?”

“Next week. Everything is booked, and we sprang for the room with the balcony.” Her father grinned and talked at length about the trip while Audra ate her dessert.

Her mother was bustling about with the plates, more energy in her than Audra had seen in a few years. She laughed at her husband’s jokes, and Audra noted that both of them seemed to have acquired a bit more energy. If she met Puck again, she would have to ask him.

At the end of the night, she kissed her parents on the cheeks and left to return to Raiden’s place, where half of his closet had been surrendered to her.

“And now, I can finally show you the house design. It has been in the works for months, and we have gotten planning permission from the municipality.”

She laughed. “You are that sure that I want to live in the house built for a zillion children?”

“There are those of my kind who love to become nannies. Royal children would have an extra attraction for them.” He smiled as he unrolled the paperwork and peeled the upper layer away to show the frontal view of the house.

She blinked. “Wow. That is quite the country house.”

He grinned and flipped to the aerial view. The huge two-level farmhouse hand wings that left an open courtyard that looked over the forest.

“Wow. All that and a wraparound deck, too.”

“I know. It is all kinds of fun. I am confident that we can have sex in all of the bedrooms before our first child arrives.”

She laughed. “That is a very weird goal.”

He shrugged. “Sex has been on my mind of late. Now, in that vein, I have something for you.”

Audra blinked as he left the room and returned with a wooden box. He set it down on the table and stepped back. “Open it.”

She could see by the look in his eyes that it was a present for him. The wood was smooth and satiny under her hands, and she opened the box to find a heavily embroidered gown in the Minoan style. Thousands of years had passed since it was appropriate as a court dress, but here one was.

The embroideries were storms and lightning, churning seas, and bending trees. It was spectacular.

“You know, since you showed me the image, it has been foremost in my mind to see how such a dress would actually be worn. The statuary doesn’t really do it justice. Would you put it on?”

She looked at it and said, “I wouldn’t know where to begin.”

“Oh, I can help you with that. Come with me.” He lifted the dress in both arms and led the way to his privacy-fenced back yard.

“Please remove your clothing. Socks, too, in this case.”

She started with her socks, shimmied out of her jeans and panties, and then stood for a moment watching him arrange the skirts that went with the gown. She took off her shirt and unhooked her bra. When her clothing was in a neat pile, she walked toward him, wearing nothing but the handfasting bands that only his kind and now her kind could see.

The pleated underskirt went on, then the overskirt, the sleeves tied behind her neck, and that kept them on. The bustier that was shaped to cup and elevate her breasts was buckled behind her and very tight.

Raiden brushed her hair, and he put a coronet on her to hold her hair. Heavy necklaces were draped around her neck and hung between her breasts. When he was done, he stepped back to look at her, and he shuddered. “I will be your lady’s maid any day of the week that you want to wear this. I would take a picture, but I think you would kill me.”

She chuckled. “You are correct there. I said it was only once per month. If I do end up pregnant, this corset is not waist friendly.”

“But it does look spectacular.”

She turned slowly. “But I can’t bend or flex. It would be like fucking a doll. Even the sleeves are too snug. That sculptor was an asshole.”

He laughed and stepped behind her. “Perhaps we should alter things a little. Do you have an alternative in mind?”

She smiled and whispered her options to Raiden. He tailored the clothing to her, and when she was dressed in a light grey silk with a high-waisted stomacher with all the embroidery, she smiled.

He traced his fingers over her nipples and whispered, “Almost as good.”

She chuckled and placed her hands over his. “Bring the rain.”

He blinked. “What?”

“You heard me. Bring the rain.”

His smile was bemused as she stepped back and raised her head to the warm, falling drops. She spun slowly with her arms out, and as her clothing got wet, she was the next thing to naked. She slowly stopped spinning and looked at him with rain on her lashes. “So, better or worse?”

He growled and picked her up, burying his face in her cleavage. The silk was no impediment at all. She grinned, and it was an hour before she got an answer.

He muttered against her neck, “Better. Definitely better.”

“Right. So, this outfit is a keeper.”

“I will make it in a few colours for you.” He stroked her hip.

“I am rather partial to the grey.”

He lifted his head and grinned. “So am I.”

She ran her hands through his hair and stroked the pointed tip of his ear. When they went to bed, his glamour dropped like a rock. It was the nicest compliment he could pay her. Himself.

Chapter Twelve

After a crash course on holding a glamour that even Darius couldn’t see through, she was ready when Petal showed up for work.

The rattling thud of Petal’s car made Audra wince, but she greeted her old friend in the doorway of the greenhouse. She explained about the purchase and the new owner, the teashop and the plans for the expansion that had been mentioned in passing.

After Petal’s briefing, they got to work.

Petal went out for soil, and when she didn’t come back right away, Audra felt that something was up.

She glanced out and saw a grimy Petal being helped up by Darius and shepherded into the teahouse.

Audra crossed her fingers, but when Petal came out, shut down and blank, she knew it hadn’t gone well. Damn it.

Raiden cuddled with her on the couch as they watched a movie. She sighed. “I think that Darius is going to have to grovel a lot. I have never seen Petal so shut down, and I have seen her after she was attacked.”

“He can do it. He has to. He has already committed to her, and if he has irritated her as much as you say, she has some attachment to him. They just have to make peace with him being a moron.” He kissed her cheek.

“So, this is a pattern of behaviour?”

“Oh, every female wants spring. Endless stamina, golden good looks, and despite current information, he is usually quite charming.”

“I am not interested in him. So, where does that leave me?” She looked up at Raiden.

“The sole owner of good taste and sensibilities.” He kissed her slowly. “And my precious and gorgeous bride.”

She sighed. “I thank you for the compliment.”

“But you do not believe it.” He sighed and shifted their positions until he was on top of her. “I suppose I will just have to reinforce my perceptions and demonstrate them to you often and frequently.”

She grinned. “Yeah, I think you might have to. Let me know if it gets too fatiguing.”

He didn’t answer her with words, but she felt gorgeous a few times before they left the couch.

The next morning she had to pretend she had no idea who Darius was and what he meant to Petal. She kept her fully human glamour on tight and commiserated with Petal before leaving her alone so that Darius could apologize. He did a pretty good job, and soon, Audra was at work with her friend’s normal cheer.

Things progressed, and in a few days, Petal returned from her handfasting, and even Audra’s efforts couldn’t stop her from seeing through the glamour.

They compared notes, and Audra explained who she was handfasted to. They laughed and chatted, which was fine until a strange car drove into the lot. Audra heard the thud of a car door, and she saw the man with a pipe in his hand. Acting out of reflex, she grabbed the zip ties they used for trees and ran toward Petal. She needn’t have hurried. Petal had the man on the ground, and Darius was pulling his bride away from her attacker.

Audra flipped the guy to his belly and tied his hands up, and then, she tied his ankles together. She zapped him with enough lightning to short him out.

The police arrived, Darius and Petal spoke with them, and Audra cleared up the work that they had been doing that morning.

Audra wiped tears from her eyes with relief coursing through her. Petal now had a name for her stalker, and he was in custody, or he would be after he was released from hospital. She had unleashed a lot of fury on him.

She felt a familiar presence, and Raiden kissed her cheek. “What do you need me to do?”

He was serious.

“Um, we need to water everything that we planted today.” She blinked as the seed trays were treated to a gentle rain. She was a little jealous, but she knew that feeling the rain on her skin was possible anytime she was with him. Or, she could just lay on the seedling beds, and she was sure that she would get wet with his attention, and the rain would be over her as well.

She chuckled at the thought and finished the last planting for him to water.

When everything was tidied up and the following day’s stuff was prepared, they washed up and headed home.

She showered when she got home, and when she emerged in clean clothes, he was dressed in jeans and a button-down shirt. Raiden smiled. “Would you like to go on a date? Dinner, a movie, maybe a bar?”

“Please tell me that all three are not at the same place.” She chuckled and headed back to change. “And no bars, considering the ongoing project.”

“Where are you going? You look lovely.”

She grinned and glanced back at him. “Humour me.”

It took her five minutes to change and put on some above-the-knee boots. When she walked back into the living room, he did a double-take. The dress was a series of wrapped bits of fabric that made her already ample breasts look slightly larger. The neckline was a deep vee, and the rest of the dress hugged her body before swinging into a flirty skirt that ended at midthigh.

“So, what do you think? It has been a while since I wore a date outfit.” She looked down. “I picked it up on my lunch yesterday.”

“I like it. I like it a lot. Perhaps we should just stay in.” He looked at her in a way that convinced her that he was sincere.

“I would like to go out. I haven’t gone on a date in a while, and I want to remember what it feels like.”

Raiden smiled. “Then you shall. Our reservation is in half an hour.”

He offered her his hand, and they were off.

The destination was the VIP theatre. They were seated, got menus, and cuddled on a plush couch before she could even order.

She wasn’t wearing her glamour anymore, so she was surprised when they started to get attention. Audra whispered to Raiden, “Why are people staring?”

“The fey like to watch movies.”

She blinked. “Oh.” She sat up and looked around. “Oh.”

She looked at some of the faces who were looking at her, and there were a rainbow of colours and configurations from delicate and translucent to rough and almost stone planes. All of them were staring back at her, and as she met their gazes, smiles broke out, and they inclined their heads.

Raiden reached up and pulled her back against him. “This is a popular theatre for the descendants of Underhill.”

She cuddled up to him and opened the menu again. “You could have warned me.”

He looked over her shoulder. “Fine, I will warn you. As soon as the movie starts, my hand is going right down your neckline.”

She laughed and picked some of the items on the menu, using the screen to transfer their order to the restaurant.

When the food arrived, it came with a table that was set for them and the small plates and some warm handwipes to start things off. Audra fought her way to an upright position, and she started to pick bits and pieces that she liked from the variety of finger foods on the table. She took the small plate and leaned back against Raiden. She nibbled at one and then put the rest in front of Raiden’s mouth. His teeth neatly grazed her fingers, and they settled in as the lights slowly lowered over the next ten minutes.

She recharged her snack plate, and they finished as the opening trailers were beginning.

She settled against him, and true to his word, his hand went right into the low neckline. It was distracting, but she enjoyed the movie though she couldn’t remember what it was about. Raiden’s other hand had slid up her skirt, and when he found out that she had skipped her underwear for date night, things became very distracting.

As a first outing in front of other folk from Underhill, it was a success, but they were still going to have to stream that movie at home. She couldn’t remember if it was a drama, comedy, or romance.

Six months later, the home in the country was reaching the finishing stage, and the tree nursery was doing well. Audra finished her walk through the new rows of Underhill seedlings and stopped in her grove on the way home. The trees of the faded looked like they would be fully grown the following summer. What they did after that was anyone’s guess, but they were happy and whispered and giggled to each other when she walked through. They were enjoying the idea of a baby. She could tell. The lower branches of the trees would reach out to pat her belly.

There were now four other groves of the faded on the property. Whatever the first grove was reporting was favourable as there were always another twenty giant acorns lined up for her when she arrived.

The heat was intense, and the sky was overcast, so she summoned some rain for the grove and all of her trees on the several hundred acres that she was the custodian of going around the house with the irrigation.

She giggled as the rain soaked her sundress, and then she walked back toward the building site. Raiden was standing near the shipment of lighting that had come in, and she called out, “Okay, bye, sweetie. I am heading back to the city.”

He nodded absently, and she saw the moment when he took in her wet self. “Hold it. Where do you think you are going?”

“Uh, home? I have to give Petal some tips on what she needs for the autumn and winter wreaths.”

He stalked over to her and wrapped his arms around her. “Were you playing in the grove?”

“It has been rather dry around here. They needed a good dousing, and I needed practice.”

“You still aren’t good at keeping yourself out of the weather patterns.”

She wrinkled her nose. “Not really. No. Unfortunately, I like the rain.”

He sighed. “Lucky for me, bad for your wardrobe. What about the little one?”

She put her hand over his on her belly. “She’s fine. She doesn’t mind the rain.”

Raiden smiled at the house. “It will be ready before she arrives. The kitchen and bathrooms are being worked on this week. Then, it is furnishings and decoration work. In by Halloween.”

She chuckled. “I will be happy for in by Christmas. She will be here by Halloween, and I don’t want to rush things after that. I am going to need a few weeks to settle into a routine.”

“It will be fine, Audra. Everything will happen when it should and not before.”

She laughed. “And that is how I can tell you haven’t had kids before. You are so optimistic. Don’t worry, she will beat it out of you.”

Epilogue

Sneaking through the portal to get some of the willow branches she had collected for door wreaths was not the best idea considering that she was about ready to pop, and her back had been aching for hours.

She grabbed the bundle of red branches from the utility building, and then, she grunted as something squeezed her abdomen.

She whispered, “Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.”

The urge to make another wreath had driven her here, but the last two weeks, Raiden had been hovering and watching her constantly, so the moment Darius needed to discuss something, she had used her growing skill with portals and bolted.

Her water broke, and she sobbed. Things were going too fast.

She pulled herself to her feet and tried to walk back to the house where the stationary portal was. She would take a few steps, stop. Wait through the contraction. Walk again.

There was a roaring in her ears, but she thought she heard her name. She breathed through the hard clutch around her stomach, and then, Raiden’s hands were lifting her, and she was panting against her husband’s neck.

He walked quickly back to the house, and she grunted and dug her hand into his neck. When he tried to use the portal, it wouldn’t open for them. “What is going on?”

She chuckled. “I can’t go through. I can feel it pushing at me.”

He grunted. “Right. The magic isn’t stable because you aren’t. I am surprised that there isn’t a blizzard outside.”

She chuckled. “Don’t think I won’t. Can you put me down somewhere?”

“Right. I will bring the bed early.”

She wasn’t sure how he would manage that, but he carried her to the largest bedroom and felt the surge of magic before he opened the door and carried her in. She blinked. “Oh. That bed.”

The carved storm made of wood that the baby had probably got started in was there with billowing sheets and welcoming pillows. She muttered, “Put me down next to the footboard. I need that pillar.”

He did as she asked and supported her while she grabbed the carved wood. He reached between her thighs and gasped.

She chuckled. “Right. You get ready to catch. This is gonna be quick.”

Raiden caught their daughter four minutes later. There was a moment of silence, and then a light sucking sound started, and Audra laughed. Her legs buckled, and her grip on the bed was holding her up.

“Give me the baby, and then, get us to the bed while we wait for the rest of this to finish.”

Raiden was silent, but he followed her directions. He got her onto the bed with a towel under her. When the afterbirth made its appearance, he confirmed that it was complete, and then, it was time to cut the cord.

They worked in silence to tie off the cord with thread, and Audra eased one breast out of her wrapped dress and winced as the little one clamped onto it. “I didn’t think she would be so hungry.”

He laughed and kept one hand on the baby. “She takes after both of us then.”

She caught onto the reference and chuckled.

They sat together until the baby’s first meal had concluded. He put the little one in a diaper and a cute little onesie, kissed her little nose, and then looked at Audra. “You went through a portal in labour?”

She grimaced. “In my defense, I was only having a nesting urge with a lot of back pain at the time. I have been physically miserable for the last few weeks, so finding a project that got me out of the house seemed like a good idea. Why didn’t the portal let us through?”

“It reacted the same way it would have if a half-shifted shapeshifter tried to get through. It didn’t recognize you. You were also putting out a lot of energy. It wouldn’t open the door to a storm.”

She snorted and took her little one back. “Well, she is the first child born here, so perhaps we should name her here.”

He chuckled. “Our midwife is going to freak.”

“Probably. Tough. We did her job for her.” She stroked the baby’s cheek and smiled at the midnight puff of hair.

Raiden pressed his forehead to hers. “You took centuries off my life when I noticed you were gone.”

She sighed. “Sorry. I was following instincts I hadn’t dealt with before.”

“It’s fine. We are all fine.” He wiped a tear from his cheek. “So, do we want to try and bury the placenta?”

“Can we do that?”

“Yes. Where would you like it?”

She smiled. “You know what I am going to say.”

“You carry the baby; I will carry the rest.”

She nodded and slowly got to her feet. She was healing fast, but a person had just lunged out of her. Raiden kissed her forehead, and she felt the cool wash over her skin. The aches began to fade, and she walked with him. The baby was asleep in her arms, and the grove welcomed them when they arrived. Raiden walked to the centre of the space, and he pulled the soil apart with his hands, making a hole about two feet under the surface. He settled the cotton-wrapped bundle in the hole and covered it up again.

Audra stepped to his side and carried the baby with her. “Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to introduce you to our daughter, Amaya.”

Raiden smiled. “You settled on that one?”

“I did. Home city, the end, and night rain. It is a fun name. She can be Amy or Maya. I like names with options. Audra isn’t great. I was called oddball for most of my life.”

He sighed. “Well, let us do this.”

Audra held the baby out, and they each put their hands on the little squirmer. Together they said, “Welcome Amaya, princess of storms.”

The wind wrapped around them, and the rain began to fall. Thunder and lightning crackled around them, and the baby opened her eyes wide. She wasn’t scared, but she was definitely awake.

Audra watched the storm roll around them, and when it eased up, she cuddled her baby back to her chest and started walking back to the house. Raiden took her hand and wrapped his arm around her, supporting her as they got back to the portal and their home in the city. They would be in the new house in a few more weeks, but for now, Audra wanted to get into a routine with the little miss and discover how she reacted when she had her toes blown on.

Raiden ushered her through the new routine and tucked her in after her inspection by the midwife.

The bassinet was next to the bed, Audra was tucked in, and Raiden was next to her, spooning her. Audra smiled. “She’s going to wake us up a lot.”

“I don’t mind. I will just prop you up and hold her on you.”

She looked at him wryly. “Really?”

“Dearest, you sleep like you have been sedated.”

“Right. Well, this is our first night as parents. I am sure we will figure it out.”

He chuckled. “I am sure she is going to run us ragged. But, she can play with Darius and Petal’s little one.”

“Tiny little rivets between worlds. Cute though. Good night.”

They settled in for sleep, and the light snuffling kept Audra up for a while. The banshee-like wail got through even to her, and once the diaper was attended to and the feeding had been taken care of, she looked over to Raiden and smiled. He could take the day shift.

They had a big house nearly finished, and she had no objection to a huge family. All the little storms that were going to go off in their home were going to make her life very exciting. It might be a bit of a riot, but she looked forward to exciting. She was already off to a good start.

The mortal realm was tied to Underhill by her bloodline and his. She was going to make that tie as strong as possible. The world needed more magic.

Author’s Note

I wrote the last of this book with a killer headache, but I think it came out okay. Only two books left to go. Summer and Wind. And then... a reader gave me an idea via a typo on Facebook, so we might be seeing the shadow realm and what lives in it.

Thanks for reading (and sorry for using your name, Audra... it was an accident, but it does mean storm.)

Viola Grace

About the Author

Viola Grace (aka Zenina Masters) is a Canadian sci-fi/paranormal romance writer with ambitions to keep writing for the rest of her life. She specializes in short stories because the thrill of discovery, of all those firsts, is what keeps her writing.

An artist who enjoys a story that catches you up, whirls you around, and sets you down with a smile on your face is all she endeavours to be. She prefers to leave the drama to those who are better suited to it, she always goes for the cheap laugh.

In real life, she is now engaged in beekeeping, and her adventures can be found on the YouTube channel, Mystery Bees Apiary. Just look for the cartoon kittens.