Mera, who was at my side just as fast as she jumped between the raging males, let out a “what the fuck” as we stared at our girls.
They were sitting together on the couch.
Sitting. On. The. Couch.
The glow of Tabitha’s skin was near blinding, and it didn’t escape my notice that again she looked older.
“Did Aurora do that?” Mera asked, her hand grasping mine as if she needed support. As she turned to me, she must have noticed the tattered state of my dress, not to mention the liberal amount of vomit covering me. Before I could explain, the fire of her energy surrounded me, and when I looked down again I was clean and clothed in a simple white shirt and jeans.
“Thank you,” I whispered.
She just grinned. “I’ve been practicing some new tricks.”
She certainly had.
“Now, back to my question.” She turned toward the babies once more. “Did Aurora help Tabitha sit on her own?”
It was possible, but I had an inkling it was someone else.
“Aurora looks older too,” Shadow said huskily, his beast still riding him. “Since Len entered the room.”
Hence the reason for my inkling. This wasn’t about Aurora or Tabitha’s power.
It was about Len’s.
Len who was fae and part of the world I was terrified would steal my daughter from me. Shadow had promised that wouldn’t happen, but apparently no one controlled the powerful fae in the room.
Turning, I found him standing mere inches away. “What in the hell—?” My words choked off as he took another step closer, until we were almost touching.
“You all have a lot of explaining to do,” he said softly, with a feral undertone.
Mera turned then and made a move to touch Len, but Shadow snatched her up in his arms before she could make contact. In a beat, he’d hauled her away behind him, making sure he stood closest to Len.
Mera’s snarl was loud. “Holy fucking fuck. I know you didn’t just do that, mate.”
Shadow let out a smoky huff. “Len just froze me on the spot, Sunshine,” he growled. “He’s ancient, out of control, and gunning for blood. This is not the fae you know and love.”
“Yes it fucking is!” Mera insisted. “Besides, if I can handle your ancient ass, I can handle his.”
The look on Shadow’s face would have been comical if we weren’t in this situation—he was desperately searching for what to say to keep his mate safely behind him, all the while knowing he’d already lost the battle.
For a beat, I swore that Len’s lips twitched. “I would never harm Mera or your child,” the fae bit out, no other sign of humor. “You can handle my energy, so I wasn’t worried about using it against you.”
This logic appeared to calm Shadow, and I found myself relaxing as some of the tension faded. Reaching back for Tabitha, I pulled her up into my arms, noticing how much more solid she felt against me. She was still tiny but clearly growing. A flicker of hope surged in my chest.
Len tilted his head, eyeing the tiny child in my arms. “This is my daughter, Tabitha,” I said softly. “We believe she’s part fae.” There was no point in lying to him, especially when we needed his help.
His expression didn’t shift, but the chill in the air grew a little more prominent. “She’s definitely fae,” he bit out, pushing even closer.
Tilting my head back, I realized how badly I’d underestimated his height. He was a fucking giant, and as I stared at the soft, silvery glow of his skin, I was struck by a sense of familiarity. Not because I could remember him, but because…
Tabitha held her arms out then as if she’d just come to the same realization as I did.
“She looks like Len,” Mera whispered, no longer behind her mate. “What the hell is happening, Shadow? How is this possible?”
Len’s hand came up slowly, as if he didn’t want to spook me. He brushed a hand across the soft curls of Tabby’s head, so gently that it was almost an art. His grace was second to none.
“I feel her energy,” he said slowly. Only the second to be able to do that. “She’s mine.”
