Rowan’s brows lifted. “Why would I do that?”
“You now have a conflict of interest. A Lord cannot be beholden to another people other than his own.”
“True,” Rowan mused. “Evie’s people are now my own. By your own account, if this is true, you should resign as well. There are numerous fae living in your territory, including Evie at one time.”
“We are meeting soon,” Caelan said in response. “At that time, I will ask for a vote.”
He clicked off the call without another word.
Rowan shook his head and tucked his phone back into his pocket. “That went better than I expected.”
A surprised laugh bubbled from my lips. “Yes, he seems enthusiastic about the future.”
Rowan chuckled and rubbed his chin. “This will get worse before it gets better. He’s pissed off enough to force a vote. There’s no way to tell which way Ethan will go. Ben might side with me. Thorvin should. Soren is always a wild card. Caelan will obviously vote against me. It’s possible they could force me out.”
I leaned against him, my hand touching his heart. “Do you still want to be Lord?”
“I never wanted it in the first place.” His fingers toyed with my hair. “Power doesn’t discriminate. Magic like ours becomes a beacon. I had no choice. Once that first ring of gold appeared around my iris, I couldn’t hide it, and the other Lords eventually found me.”
Rowan pressed a kiss against my hair. “I’ve gotten everything I wanted, Evie. If they force me out, I won’t mind too much for myself, but this would affect my people. They are the ones who would suffer.”
I thought about his predicament and how I might be able to help. A slow smile curved my lips. “Well,” I said slowly, “I might have a plan for that one.”
Rowan’s brow furrowed. I gave him a quick kiss. “We can talk about it later. I’ll need your people’s permission before we do anything. In the meantime, I want to go smell the baby’s head before we go to Thorvin’s, so chop chop.”
I slid off the couch and headed out the door.
Moira, Ash, and Tess were almost to the house when I walked out. Moira carried Misty’s car seat and handed it off to Ash when she spotted me. She took off at a run and stopped a foot before me, dark eyes searching my face.
“You really did it,” she breathed. Tears swelled in her eyes, and she jerked me in for a tight hug. “Holy shit, Evie.”
Moira was overwhelmed. Her almost too slender frame trembled as she held me. “I was so afraid for you,” she whispered. “I’m so happy you let yourself have this.”
My throat clogged with tears. “Me too.” It was all I could say in the moment. “I mean, how could I say no to that guy, right?”
Moira sniffed. “Yeah. Hot. Kind. Turns into a fucking bear?” She pulled back and shook her head. “You’d be crazy not to grab that with both hands and hold on tight.”
We grinned at each other until Ash passed the baby to Tess and shoved his way in. “My turn!” He grabbed me around the waist and swung me around, planting a smacking kiss on my cheek before setting me down. “Congrats. Rowan for the win.”
Rowan had come up behind me a second ago. Odd feeling him through the bond, but he felt good, all warm and calming. Tess floated over and handed the baby back to Moira. She wasn’t a big hugger, so I was surprised when she reached in and enveloped me in a cool embrace.
“You deserve the most love,” she said in her tremulous voice. “We are happy here and can see you are, too.” Tess turned toRowan. “Thank you again for allowing us to stay here. Ash loves it so much he finally took my virginity. Apparently, Joy Springs wasn’t green enough for him, but ever since we got here, he hasn’t been able to keep his hands off me.”
Ash choked. “Tess.Gods.”
Rowan burst out laughing, his amusement a bright and sparkling thing through our bond. Moira gaped at Tess. I put my hand over my mouth, hopeless to contain my snicker.
“What?” Tess demanded. “It’s true.”
Ash’s face had turned crimson. “Yes, but talking about your sex life isn’t really done.”
Rowan brushed his words away. “You are in a Keep full of shifters. Do not be surprised if you occasionally run into some couples enjoying their outdoor time, if you know what I mean. Especially with Evie’s presence.”
Moira grinned. “You might want to contact the record keepers. I’ve never seen so many knocked up shifters in one place.”
It was my turn to blush.
Rowan put his arm around my waist and tugged me closer. “Her presence makes the land content, but her magic encourages life. Of all kinds. In a few months, our Keep will be overrun with children, an auspicious blessing for the future.”
