Stalked (Rogues Shifter #2) (2 page)

“P
lease follow me.”  Keara’s tone was all business, as usual. Still holding hands, Garrett and I tagged along right behind her, not wanting to slow her down.

I felt like I was walking through some kind of strange dream.
There didn’t seem to be a floor beneath my feet and yet they touched down on something solid with every step. There were no walls beside us, only muted swirling colors, constantly in motion and emitting a pleasant warmth which gently kissed my skin. I would catch a fleeting scent of flowers or pungent spices in the air or the noise of someone walking nearby, but in my small reality there was only a fae, a vampire, a shifter and a dog moving through a warm colorful fog. I felt disoriented and moved closer to Garrett, managing to awkwardly bump his shoulder, drawing a reassuring smile.

"It's strange, I know,
but you're safe."

I took in a calming breath and realized that Liam hadn’t lied. The smell of magic was everywhere and I was breathing it into my lungs with each inhalation. I noticed that Garrett wasn’t breathing at all and I wondered if he was purposely avoiding taking in the magic. I looked down at Samson who was trotting along with a spring in his step, obviously enjoying his experience, tongue out and stubby tail wagging
steadily.

We came to a door whic
h Kaera opened by pushing down on an ornately carved wooden handle. It opened into a suite of rooms, decorated in lovely shades of greens and blues. There was a large common area, a bedroom with a king sized bed and two baths, one attached to the bedroom and the other off the common area. The furnishings were all hand carved in exquisite detail in a light toned wood that shimmered with a golden hue. There were flower arrangements and live plants in both rooms which filled the room with a lovely bouquet. A table in the main room was laden with fruit, cheeses, cold meats, breads and various other spreads and jams. My mouth watered and my stomach growled loudly, embarrassing me and announcing to my two companions that I was famished.

“You will be dining with Liam’s family in three
hours. Someone will be back to get you at that time. I will be present at the meeting tonight, sitting with my family. Is there anything else that I can do for you?” Her face was expressionless, just an official envoy doing her job, yet I could see tiny threads of gold spinning inside her large violet eyes. Perhaps Kaera hadn’t enjoyed her assignment? I figured I'd keep a wary eye on this one. Something was up.

Garrett nodded
formally. “Thank you, Lady Kaera, for your excellent assistance. Jacqueline and I look forward to seeing you again later.”

She nodded her head slightly to Garrett and then left the room
, not acknowledging me at all. I hoped that this wouldn’t be typical of my reception here.

“
Lady
Kaera?” I plopped myself down on the couch.

“She is Lord Argon’s oldest daughter. He’s an Elder along with Liam’s father, Lord Caelen, and two others, both female. There are always two women and two men on the
Fae Council.”

“So she and Liam are equals?”

“Yes, absolutely. She’s younger, though.”

“What
, like only 1200?” I giggled. Liam was 1500 years old, give or take 50 years.

He grinned. “Closer to 300, I believe.”

“Wow, a baby. Why would she be given a crappy job like escorting us here?”

Garrett laughed. “Escorting us here would be con
sidered an important task. The council would send one of their best warriors, familiar with shifter and vampire customs. Remember also, that she was escorting Liam, another council member’s son. If anything had happened to us on the way here, there could be political repercussions. She was probably proud to have been chosen for the task.”

“Oh yeah, she loo
ked really proud.” Garrett took my hand and led me to the table, indicating that I should sit. When I did, he playfully shook out the silk napkin and laid it in my lap like a waiter in an upscale restaurant.

He grinned at me. “Eat, my love. It will
improve your mood and restore your energy. Tonight you will need to be your usual charming self.”

Garrett prepared a plate for Samson which he put down on the floor next to the wall, while I dished some food out for myself. After pouring himself a glass of red wine, Garrett sat across from me, stretching out his long legs and leaning back in the chair to watch me eat. The food was delicious, and I savored every single bite, yet
I was careful not to fill myself up. We were eating again in a few hours. Samson was finished in three gulps and then made himself comfortable, stretching out next to my feet with a satisfied rumble.

There was a knock on the door so Garrett motioned for me
to continue eating while he got up to open it. A lovely young female shifter stood in the doorway dressed in a long flowing yellow print skirt and a white button down blouse, ruffled at the cuffs and collar. To my surprise Garrett smiled warmly at her and she smiled back.

“It’s wonderful to see you, Serena. Please come in.” He gestured for her to enter and she did, looking extremely relaxed and happy. He turned to me, “Jackie this is Serena, Serena this is Jackie, my mate.”

“It’s so nice to meet you Jackie.” She sent her warm expression over to me and so I did my best, but only managed to force out a thin smile.

“It’s nice to meet you too.” I said to Serena
through a slightly clenched jaw. “
Who’s this?”
I sent to Garrett.

Garrett sent,
“Let’s talk in the bedroom.”
He turned back to Serena. “Could you excuse us for a moment? Please make yourself comfortable. Grab something to eat if you’d like. Samson, come with us, boy.”

“Sure, take your time.” Serena smiled and sat down on the couch while Samson and I followed Garrett into the bedroom. He shut the door behind us and took my hand, leading me to the bed and sitting next to me.

“
I need to feed, Jackie. Serena is one of the shifters that I feed from when I’m staying here “

“Feed from me.”

“No. It will weaken you. It's important that you're able to think clearly at dinner and during the meeting. I need to take a little more than usual, so that I’m at my best.”
I stared at him and said nothing, afraid that I might blurt out something angry. “
I feed from shifters several times a week when we’re at home.”

I forced myself
to sound calm.
“Not in front of me. I don't know them personally.
He said nothing.
Where are you planning on enjoying your meal?”

“I could bring her in here.”

I looked at the bed with its luxurious sheets and comforter and pictured them curled up together on it.
“That’s so not going to happen.”

He shrugged, still trying to be reasonable.
“I could go to her room.”

I looked at him in disbelief. “
You must want me to kill her.”

Several dots of silver popped to life in his azure eyes.
“You’re being ridiculous and unreasonable.”

H
e was seriously upset with me, and I couldn't really blame him. His skin had felt cold when he'd led me to the table, so he’d waited too long already. He might even be in pain. It was just that I’d never actually
met
one of his donors and Serena was, well, she was very pretty. I looked at him as he tried to hide his irritation and I felt a flash of guilt. He needed to be in top form tonight and I was being a bitch and not showing him that I trusted him.

I sighed.
“Okay, I’m sorry. I am being unreasonable. Go ahead and feed from her on the couch and I’ll take a very slow shower. When I get out, I’d better not hear any heavy breathing.”
I grabbed his shirt and pulled him toward me to kiss him deeply, giving him a reason to think of
me
while he fed. When we pulled apart he was smiling again and his eyes were clear of silver. “
Have fun
,” I sent a little sarcastically, pushing him gently toward the door. He grinned a sexy grin and shook his head, chuckling, as I headed off toward the bathroom.

When I finished my shower, Garrett was sitting o
n the bed reading. His skin had a pinkish glow and his eyes sparkled with energy, so the feeding must have gone well. I still felt guilty about how I’d acted, so I crawled over to him, still covered in a large towel, and wrapped my arms around his now warm chest. “I’m sorry that I’m a jealous idiot.”

“I’d
probably feel the same way if things were reversed. But if you saw how it was when I fed from them, you wouldn’t be upset at all.” He ran his fingers over my arm and I cuddled closer.

“Hmm. S
omehow I don’t think that would be the case. I’d see how much
they
were enjoying it and it would make me crazy. Has she left?”

“Yes, she’s sleeping
. I had someone carry her back to her room.”

I giggled, reaching out with my hand to run my fingers th
rough his hair. “Greedy vampire.” He was just leaning over to kiss me when we heard another knock on the door.

Garrett gave me a peck on the cheek, not what I’d been hoping for, and got up to answer it
. I heard Liam’s voice and decided that I should think about getting dressed for tonight’s meeting.

My clothes were already laid out so I got into them quickly and then ran a comb through my damp hair. I’d already been warned that electric outlets were rare in faerie because everything that the fae needed ran on magical energy.
Cell phones only worked if the council gave their permission, which was usually in an emergency situation where someone outside of Faerie needed to be contacted. We had permission to use ours as long as it was in our room and wasn’t more than a few times a day. Apparently the fae were sensitive to the waves sent out and received by the phones. Only the very youngest of the fae had ever used a computer.

Liam had suggested that I wear a dress to the first me
eting, explaining that fae females dressed in a feminine way at meetings of this kind, but that I should also try to look powerful. I took that to mean edgy-chic, so I chose a form fitting silk-dress in my favorite shade of emerald green with a moderate v neck and a slight slit on the side. It wasn’t too short, the hem was just above my knee, but the slit gave it a sexy touch. I added a pair of black heels and a simple silver and emerald necklace and earring set that Garrett had given me to go with the dress.  I shook my blonde hair out to let the air dry it into its natural thick waves, applied some lipstick and mascara and walked out into the common room.

The two men turned to look at me when I entered. Judging by their expressions, the outfit was a success.

Garrett moved toward me. “Jacqueline, you look amazing, tres belle.
Very beautiful
. The Fae Elders will not be expecting such a powerful vision.“

“I've heard
that fae women are the most beautiful of all the supernaturals. But I have something they don't."
I took hold of his wrist. On it was etched a sapphire colored cheetah's eye with a black tear stripe running down to his index finger. I had a matching mark on my wrist, although mine was tinted with the green of my eyes.

H
e lifted my hand and kissed my mark very sweetly.
“They are not more beautiful than other
females. They are perhaps, more magical
.
You'll outshine them all tonight, my love
." Out loud he said, "I’d better get ready, so we don’t keep Lord Caelen waiting.”

As Garrett left the room,
I turned to Liam and smiled. “Would you like to sit down?” Liam was wearing a tunic in a vibrant shade of blue, black pants and a wide leather belt with a familiar knife attached in its sheath. He'd lent me this same blade for my battle with Antoine, a powerful vampire from Eleanor’s nest. I'd defeated him, thanks partly to this amazing fae blade. I wondered if it was just ceremonial to wear a weapon to a council meeting or if he thought there might be some kind of trouble.

Liam nodded and sat on the couch as I sat in the chair across from him. His golden hair fell down to his shoulders in lovely waves and his
intense violet eyes looked worried. “How are you this evening, Liam? Was it nice to see your family?”

“Yes, it’s always wonderful to spend time with my
father, brother and mothers. I’m looking forward to introducing you.”

“How often do you get to see them?”

“I'm home most evenings, but don't often get to spend time with them all together in one place, as my father and mothers are extremely busy with official business. Every cycle of the moon, we make a point of sharing a meal. I see my brother more often."

He changed the subject
smoothly. “I thought that perhaps we could go over some of the standard rules for a meeting like this, just to refresh your memory.”

“Yes of course.” I sighed and gritted my teeth. We’d done this before we left, but I knew better than to argue about it.

“You must address the Elders as Lord or Lady. If anyone else is introduced to you as a Lord or Lady then you must address them as such. You should not speak in anger. You must remain calm even if what is being said is irritating you. Some discussions can go on for awhile and I know how—impatient you are. Don't let your anger run away with your common sense.”