Fierce Enchantment (6 page)

Of course, he wanted to put all of that behind him and start fresh. Things were starting to get muddled in his brain, and he didn’t know where the real woman who was forever attached to him ended and the fragments of memories from her friends began.

He lifted his hand to knock on the door, and Faith opened it before he could touch the wood.

“I shouldn’t be surprised that you’re the one here, but oddly enough, I am.” She shook her head, her black hair falling into her face as she sighed.

His fingers ached to push those strands behind her ear, but he knew he didn’t have that right.

“May I come in?”

She tilted her head and studied him. “Why ask? You seem to make your presence known wherever you go. I mean, you know where I live and I’ve never invited you here. What does that tell you? How many times were you here when I was asleep and helpless? How many times did you watch over me when I couldn’t push you away? Hmm?”

He held back a wince at that.  “I’ve only been here once before and never inside. I dropped off Amara so she could pick up your mail and dust or something like that. I had yet to hear your voice or introduce myself to you. I wasn’t about to walk into your home uninvited.”

“Yet you bound yourself to my soul uninvited.”

He didn’t let the hurt sting longer than it needed to. “You know why I did that, and whining about it is unbecoming.” He didn’t meant to sound like an asshole, but damn it, this woman seemed to bring out the worst in him.

She smiled then, her eyes brightening.

He would never understand women.

His poor daughters.

“That’s true. And I don’t like that I sound like a brat.” She stepped back. “Come on in. We need to talk it seems, and you standing out on the porch probably isn’t sending the best message to my neighbors.” She glanced over his shoulder and waved. He turned around to see a woman standing in her window, staring at them before quickly closing the blinds. Faith snorted. “They all seem to think I was on vacation for a year, and now they want to know where I’ve been. Fun times. Come in.”

He stepped inside, the smell of coffee hitting him first. He inhaled, letting the delicious smell mix with the spicy, sweet scent that was Faith. He
liked
Faith from what he could see and thought she was fucking hot as hell. So maybe if he treated this like a new beginning rather than an awkward mating, he could actually be himself, rather than a stoic asshole.

“Thank you,” he said politely.

“I was just making some coffee. You want some?” She didn’t bother to wait for him to answer. Instead, she moved toward the kitchen, and he followed. He didn’t mind. It gave him time to look around her house…and stare at her ass.

He couldn’t help it.

She
was
his mate after all.

She poured two cups and handed him one. He merely raised a brow and took a mug from her hand.

“I didn’t ask if you wanted cream or sugar. You want some?” She added four lumps of sugar and filled the rest of her cup to the rim with cream. Who would have thought she’d like it so sweet and creamy?

His mind went to something he shouldn’t think about, and he immediately pushed that thought aside.

So not the time.

“I’m good with it black. Besides, I don’t want to take anything from your hoard. You might stab me with your spoon.”

She glared at him over her cup then winked. Strange woman. “True. I don’t like the taste of coffee, but I like the buzz. Want to tell me why you’re here?”

“You know why I’m here.”

“Enlighten me anyway.”

“You like to be in control, don’t you?” he asked, unsure where that question came from.

She set her cup down, her mouth thinning to a straight line. “Yes. I do. I’m not going to lie about that. I live my life on my terms, so if you’re going to be an ass about it, you can walk right back outside and leave. I don’t actually need you anymore. Thank you for saving my life, but we don’t need to talk after that.”

He blinked slowly. If he hadn’t had the cup of coffee in his hand, he’d have given her a slow clap for her performance.

“Are you done randomly lashing out?” he asked, his voice cool, composed.

She narrowed her eyes. “Are you done acting like lord of the manor?”

He smiled then, setting his cup down. “I
am
lord of the manor actually.”

“Excuse me? You think because I’m now apparently your mate you’re going to walk in here and claim my home? Fuck you, buddy.”

He closed his eyes and prayed for patience. It seemed he would be forever doing that with Faith. No worries, he liked it when she went off. Her body relaxed a bit more each time so subtly he wasn’t sure anyone else would notice it. It was as though she didn’t know what to do with her pent up aggression. If he had to put a reason on it, he figured it was because of whatever supernatural DNA she had. Humans didn’t know it, but their mannerisms and actions were somewhat controlled by the most dominant paranormal DNA they held. In Faith’s case, she seemed to lash out when she felt cornered, yet protected those she cared for. It would be interesting to see what she turned into once they made love. He was part of the Conclave, but even he didn’t know what she’d turn into. It wasn’t as if she gave off a certain presence. Even if she had
some
of the personality traits of particular paranormals, it didn’t mean she’d turn into one she resembled. It all depended on the person in most cases.

His cock filled, but he ignored the damn thing.

He’d been ignoring it for over a year, so this was nothing new.

“I’m the lord of
my
manor, Faith. I am Levi Hughes, Prince of the Wizards. So yes, I’m a lord. But no, Faith, I am not the lord of
this
manor. This is your home and my first time taking a step inside.”

Faith blinked quickly. “Prince? You’re a fucking
prince
?”

He had no idea why he told her that, considering he wanted to go slowly and not just drop her feet first into the deep end of the life he’d lived, but now that cat was out of the bag. He had a few other big things in his life that he’d need to share, but first, he needed to get her to calm down—if that was possible.

“Yes, but that’s not all I am. The same as you aren’t only the woman who was in a coma for a year.”

She snorted. “Nice way to bring the conversation back into focus.”

“I’ll tell you anything you want to know about me, Faith, but first, can I ask you a question?”

“What makes you think I want to know anything about you?”

“Don’t lie to me, Faith. Don’t lie to yourself.”

“You sure are arrogant,” she replied, her eyes sparkling.

“No, well, yes. It comes from years of practice,” he said truthfully. “But from what I can tell about you, you need to have all the facts, all the answers. And since the world crashed and your life is now irrevocably changed, I’m here to answer the questions you have. But please, answer me this: Why did you leave the bar so early?”

Her face went blank, and she let out a shaky breath. “Why? Because…”

“You can tell me,” he whispered when her voice trailed off. “I’m not going to judge you for leaving. I only want to know your reason.” He had a feeling he knew why, but he needed to hear it from her. After all, he was a fixer. He wanted to help her and, at the same time, help himself. He was forever tied to her, and now, he wanted to know her.

He just plain wanted her.

She ran a hand through her hair and cursed. “You know what? Fine. I left because I don’t feel like I belong there anymore.”

He knew it was something like that, so he nodded, not wanting to interrupt.

“I hate the fact that I feel this way. I hate that I can’t be happy to just be alive. To just
be.
But how can I? How can I when I missed so much? They let me go, Levi. They moved on. I know it’s not rational, but I don’t know them anymore. And I feel like shit for even thinking that. You saved me.
Saved
me. And yet, all I can feel is that I’m a selfish bitch for wanting that year back.” She closed her eyes tight, her hands fisted at her sides. “I don’t know why I’m telling you all of this. I don’t know why I’m feeling all of this. I
hate
it.”

He took a deep breath, forcing himself not to touch her. “You have a right to all those feelings, Faith.”

She opened her eyes and her mouth dropped open.

He continued. “You can’t hold yourself back. You shouldn’t have to.”

She licked her lips, looking so lost that all he wanted to do was make it better for her, but he knew this was something she would have to do for herself.

“But what am I going to do, huh? I don’t know if I can just slide into my place because that place doesn’t exist anymore. I lost it all, and now I don’t know where I stand.”

“Then stand with me,” he blurted out.

Her eyes widened. “What?”

He let out a breath. There was no backing down now. “Then stand with me. I know it’s crazy, but you didn’t know me beforehand, so you don’t have to find your old place. You can find a new place.”

“I...I have no idea what to say to that.”

“Then don’t think. Not yet. Just be. Like you said. You and I can’t ignore what happened on the battlefield, and you can’t ignore what happened when you weren’t there to live it. So get to know me and let me get to know you. One thing at a time, and when you feel like you’re ready, you know your friends will be there for you. They understand, Faith, even if it hurts them to let you go. They understand.” That much he knew was true. “They want you to be whole and safe again.”

“What if I can’t be whole again?” she whispered, and he knew she’d just told him the truth behind her pain and the front she put on.

He took a risk and gripped her chin, gently forcing her gaze to his. “Then be who you are now. They’ll always be there for you, Faith.”
As will I.

He didn’t say that last part, didn’t know why he even thought it.

“What if I say yes? What if I say I want to get to know you?”

“Then get to know me.”

Faith tilted her head, her eyes narrowing. “Okay then.”

Okay then.

Not the most romantic way to start a new life, a new mating, but he’d take it. Levi would have accepted just about anything right then.

He just prayed she didn’t run away from him once she knew everything about him.

Faith honestly had no idea what the heck she was doing. One minute she was pouting over her life like some teenage girl, and the next, she was gazing into a wizard’s eyes, his fingers gripping her chin.

What the hell?

“Okay then,” he said, repeating her words back to her. He cleared his throat and pulled away from her.

She felt annoyed at the cold from the loss of his touch. It must have been that damn mating bond because Faith Sanders did
not
want a man in her life, despite what she’d just agreed to not two minutes ago.

“So, what do you want to do?” she asked, trying to push back the doubts creeping in. She’d said she’d find out more about him and try to figure out what she wanted in life now that she, once again, had one to live. She couldn’t turn back on her word, even if it scared the hell out of her to think about what she could be getting herself into.

Levi brushed her hair back from her face, sending shivers down her back. They were doing this backwards, mating, getting to know one another, finding out each other’s last names, but she would do this…because she had to.

Because, if she was honest, she wanted to.

“Would you like to visit the wizard realm?” he asked, his voice that low, husky tone that made her body ache in all the right places.

Wrong places, Faith. Those are all the wrong places.

She licked her lips. “I’ve only been to a couple other realms besides the human one,” she said. “Ambrose and everyone else said it would be too dangerous for those of us who hadn’t changed yet.”

Levi nodded. “That makes sense. Most realms do not like outsiders, let alone someone they don’t understand.”

“You mean me being human or lightning-struck?”

“The latter.” His mouth thinned as though he was holding himself back from saying something. She’d get it out of him later, though. It was enough that they were starting over, and she didn’t want to be her typical self and overreact.

“So, let me get this straight. Most realms don’t like people like me, but you want to go to the wizard realm with me by your side.”

He snorted then brushed her cheek with his thumb. Again, she shivered, and his eyes darkened. Well, it seemed they had chemistry after all. A lock of chestnut hair fell over his forehead and she had to hold herself back from pushing it away.

“You’re my mate, Faith. The bond we share will protect you from that. Though most wizards like humans just fine. Actually, many humans live in our realm. We don’t truly look much different than humans except during times of great magic.”

“Will you explain that to me sometime? Show me?”

“Of course. Does that mean you want to see my realm?”

She nodded. One step at a time. She ran her hands through her hair, still surprised the black strands were so long. “I’d like that.”

He smiled then, which changed his entire face. Where before he was merely handsome, now he was fucking gorgeous with striking cheekbones and stunning blue eyes.

And he was all hers.

If she let herself, she’d have rubbed her hands together in manic glee, but Faith had some standards at least.

“So…is it like with the angels and you have to fly through a pocket? Or the wolves where their realm is technically inside the human one, just hidden?”

Levi shook his head that smile still on his face. “It’s more like Becca and the leprechauns, if I had to compare it. Or even Nadie with the succubi. You need to open a portal or have someone do it for you. As a wizard, I can get us through.” He frowned for a moment.

“What is it?”

“I’m thinking of what I’ll have to do in order to get you a way to open a portal on your own. In case you want to come to the wizard realm without me by your side.”