“Halt, Mera!”
The command had me snatching my hand away, my heart thundering in my chest. Fuck, I’d lost my head there for a minute and had almost done exactly what I’d promised I wouldn’t.Don’t touch, eat, or interact with Faerie.That was the old urban legend and I’d had every plan to adhere to it, until the flowers had drawn me in.
Len, my warning system, strolled closer, dressed more casual than I’d ever seen from him before. His silver cloak was gone, revealing quite the impressive set of broad shoulders encased in a simple long-sleeved black shirt. I’d never seen him wearing an outfit so dark, and the contrast was quite striking to his silver coloring.
He was slender compared to Shadow, but most men were, and now that he had his sleeves rolled up to the top of his forearms, I could see the lithe corded muscle there. The tight black pants did nothing to hide the rest of his physique, and it was startlingly obvious how he’d developed into such a flirt. Women would throw themselves at someone like this. Most women… but not me.
As soon as Len was in striking distance, I strode forward, hauled my arm back, and slammed my fist into his face. Confusion drifted across his features as his head jerked. “Shit, Mera.” He groaned, rubbing his cheek. “What the hell was that for?”
I growled, a wild wolf sound. “How dare you drag me here without my permission?”
Len tilted his head, still seeming confused by how upset I was.
Jabbing my finger against his chest while fighting the urge to hit him again, I raged. “If one more of you fucking assholes thinks you have the right to take my will away, I will find out how to ensure you breathe your final breath.”
“Technically, we don’t need to breathe,” Len murmured.
Ignoring him, I glared with total effort. “All of you have seen the last compliant version of me.”
I jabbed him again, even though the tip of my finger was starting to ache from being pressed so firmly against his chest muscles. Len reached out and grasped my hand, stopping me from moving it again. “I’m saving your damn life.” It was his turn to growl, and it was impressive for a non-shifter. “Shadow said there were creatures from his world running loose, many of whom would be looking for you. He wanted you protected while he rounds them up before the next fucking apocalypse starts.”
I sagged forward. “Shadow is alive?”
I might not have admitted it to myself, but a part of me had mourned that bastard from the moment I’d seen the fireplace cold and empty.
Len laughed. “Of course he is. Nothing will kill Shadow.”
Rubbing at my temples, I let out a sigh. “Why didn’t you just tell me this at the library? Would have been a lot easier than whatever it was you did.”
He shrugged. “Would it have been, though? You’re pretty well known for being a touch argumentative and I literally didn’t have the time to waste. If anything had happened to his little shadow magnet, my friend would not have been happy with me.”
Len wasn’t scared of Shadow—their friendship was obviously long and true—but he was respectful of the beast’s power, and that was always a safe place to stand.
“No matter the situation, you never have the right to take my will away from me,” I said, my voice calmer.
Part of me was still pissed off, ready to throw down, but in truth, Len had let me get a decent hit in and hadn’t returned the favor. And if he was literally trying to save me, then I no doubt owed him an apology. Which was in the mail. With the rest of my fucks to give.
“I understand,” Len said. “It won’t happen again.”
Right. Sure. Very reassuring.
“So, what now?” I sighed. “I just hang out here in your garden that I can’t touch, waiting for Shadow to call on me, like it’s the 1900s on Earth?”
“You didn’t miss that thing about not touching the flowers, eh?” Len grinned. “Humans are smarter than they’re given credit for.”
I didn’t bother to inform him I was probably as human as him, according to Angel anyway. “Your bellow of ‘halt’ wasn’t exactly subtle. And I know the fables of this land. Just lost my head for a moment with that particular flower.”
Len’s grin grew broader. “Oh, yes, she’s my most enticing little sweetheart. But also not good at playing with strangers.” He turned abruptly, strolling toward the vibrant pink flowers, and when he reached out to touch them, they morphed completely into a single entity, with a huge open mouth and razor-sharp teeth formed by thorns. Thorns that hadn’t been visible at all in their other form.
“They like to lull their prey into a false sense of serenity,” Len said, continuing to pet the damn plant monster like it was a cute kitten. “Never trust anything this beautiful.”
I lifted an eyebrow. “Already ahead of you. Why the fuck do you think I fight so hard against Shadow and his band of merry psychos?”
Len abandoned the creepy flowers and I stared fascinated as they returned to their sweet and innocent state. No one would expect that under that perfect façade was a plant that ate people for breakfast.
“You think we’re Shadow’s band? How do you knowI’mnot the lead singer?”
All of them had a surprisingly strong grasp on the English language, and I had a sneaking suspicion that like Angel, they’d all spent more than a little time Earthside.
