Through Time-Frankie (16 page)

The female who had morphed into human form, stood tall, much taller than she. She was a graceful dark haired woman in a leather halter, matching pants and sandals. She wore an interesting pendant of bronze, and there was no doubt that she shared leadership of this pack with her mate, still in wolfen form beside her.

The woman/wolf didn’t speak for a moment as she regarded Frankie with keen interest and Frankie thought it best to wait, besides which, she was momentarily bereft of speech.

“I am Alta, Rudlo’s mate and Darmon’s mother. We are the alphas and guardians of our pack and lands.”

“Right then,” Frankie said. “Forgive me if I stare, but I’ve never come across a Shapeshifter before. It is way cool. M’name is Frankie and I’m that pleased to meet ye, Alta. I have to tell ye, it isn’t me trespassing, well… I am now, yes, I can see that, but it is the Blue Demons that went through the portal and took me with them. This is where we landed, though I can’t prove it, as the portal is now gone.”

“It left a residue. We have been worried and discussing it at our meeting which we were holding here, where the portal had been, when you suddenly arrived,” Alta said softly. “Are you telling me that the Blue Demons used a portal to travel to and from your Realm, uninvited? Do I understand you clearly?”

“Aye, uninvited and with killing in mind. They used two bombs, one my very dear Prince Graely was able to…contain, the other killed and maimed so many people—too many innocent people. When we tracked them to the portal, a Daoine Prince, who is a blackguard and I suspect a traitor, pushed me into the portal. I got caught up, and whoosh, through it I went and then found myself here. I bumped into Graely’s evil brother, Pestale who then imprisoned me. I escaped, and have to get home to warn…”

Alta held up her hand, “This is most grievous, and a serious accusation. Are you saying that Prince Pestale is behind all of this, but that his brother, Graely, is not?”

“Ye are in the right of it. That is exactly what I’m saying,” Frankie huffed up.

“It is something we can believe of Pestale, but the accusation against the Blue Demons is not something we can take lightly. We do not know you, and cannot blindly take your word. We have lived with the Blue Demons in peace for hundreds of years.”

“That was before Pestale came to your realm,” Frankie said on a deadly serious note.

Alta regarded her, “Indeed, that is quite correct, and though we had thought he was content here, our son…has never thought so, and there is a faction of Blue Demon that has gone off on their own…”Alta said thoughtfully.

“Your son?” Frankie asked looking around.

However, there wasn’t time to go into this as a newcomer had loped into the pack’s circle and was greeted warmly by many before she came to sit at a distance from Frankie and regarded her with keen amber eyes.

Frankie studied the honey colored wolf. She was not quite as large as the others in the pack, and Frankie assumed this was because she was not a Beta/soldier wolf.

Alta greeted her, “Eslym. I am glad you have come. Have you had occasion to speak with Sventer?”

“Not in a couple of days,” Eslym said telepathically, but Frankie was able to hear it and wondered at it. The voice was soft and gentle, and reminded her of something or someone.

Alta turned to her mate, who had morphed and was now standing beside his mate in human form. He, like Alta was also quite tall, with a shock of long dark hair and sharp features. He reminded Frankie of an American Indian she had befriended at college.  

Frankie felt an immediate liking of the alphas. They appeared what she would call; ‘steady’ and her father would call sage.

She was recalled out of her musings as she listened to the conversation of thoughts being passed before her. Did they know she heard them in her head?

“I believe, as I have tried to tell you, Alta that Darmon is quite correct and that Sventer and Pestale have joined forces,” Rudlo, Alta’s mate said on a hard angry note.

The pack at their backs broke the circle and some took on human form, others remained in wolfen, but all began making unintelligible sounds to one another. This time Frankie had no idea what they were saying. Her Fae mind was able to digest and translate many languages from many realms, so she began the process of working on her ‘wolf speak.’

Then another wolf arrived, the one she had seen leave the pack early on. He was a beautiful wolf, black with silver markings.

Frankie watched as the newcomer and Eslym exchanged glances. A great deal could be learned by holding one’s peace and watching as others carried the conversation. It was what she did now. She was in no immediate danger. She didn’t need to shift off, talk her way out of trouble, or defend herself. It was best to simply take it all in while her body healed.

“Eslym,” Alta said again after conferring with her mate, “Have you noticed any movement between the Blue Demons and Pestale?”

“No,” Eslym answered but Frankie was certain that the pretty wolf was lying. Something in her body language told her that Eslym had not been honest and was extremely uncomfortable with the lie.

Frankie inched closer to hear the wolf explain, “I went to the village looking for Darmon, and was told that the alphas led a Beta Scout group against an unwanted invasion. I came to help.”

Alta’s laugh was soft and Frankie thought warm and inviting. She said gently, as her hand moved toward Frankie, “Not exactly an invasion, as it turns out.”

Eslym started to move away and Alta looked from her to the silver streaked black wolf who was ‘dogging’ every move Eslym made. “Do you leave us?”

“If you do not need me,” Eslym answered.

The large black and silver wolf loped into the circle and bounced to a stop in front of Eslym. Their eyes met and Frankie was mesmerized as she watched. Something was going on here—but what?

The large black wolf morphed into a man, a tall good looking man, even better looking than his striking father. She guessed him to look what would be in the equivalent of human years somewhere in his twenties. The honey colored wolf remained in wolf form and he frowned as he said her name, “Eslym?”

However, another arrival caught everyone’s attention.

A beautiful blond long haired woman in the House of Lugh’s dark blue warrior leathers came to a sharp standstill. She held a Death Sword in her hands and a glint of steel in her eyes as she approached the circle of wolves and humans.

“Frankie?” she said softly.

Frankie broke through the wolves and ran to her.

Jazz’s Death Sword vanished as the two put out their arms to one another.

But no sooner had they embraced when Jazz screamed out, “Frankie, oh no…”

“What?
What is happening?” Frankie demanded.

“Hold my hand…Frankie,
quick
.” Jazz cried and clutched Frankie’s left bicep with her free hand in something Frankie was sure was a death grip.

“I’m being pulled back and you are coming with me!”

Frankie’s bicep was in Jazz’s hand, and both her hands were in Jazz’s free hand, gripped so tightly that Frankie winced.  Jazz was not taking chances.

The winds picked up in a sudden rush of swirling force, and Frankie could hear the wolves in the background howling, distressed, startled, and then the next thing she knew, she and Jazz were careening through space and time and for a moment everything went quietly black.

Frankie’s eyes were opened wide but couldn’t see through the darkness until she hit the ground with Jazz, who bumped into her hard before they rolled and came to an abrupt stop.

Frankie opened her eyes to find that they were back in Dublin near the River Liffey and thankfully on terra firma.

Frankie got up, bent over her knees which moved like jello and reached for Jazz to help her up, but she was too late, as Trevor and her father were there, making wild noises and lifting them both up into a family bear hug.

Through the crush of bodies, Frankie could see Graely hanging back, looking as though he was about to shift off.

His face was a mixture of relief and deep sadness and Frankie ever impulsive, found the strength and immediately shifted out of her family hold and stood before Graely, leaning against him for support, enjoying his hands holding her upper arms to steady her.

His eyes told her he was leaving and she grabbed hold and commanded, each word edged with a plea in her voice, “Ye are not going anywhere--not without me. Do ye her me, Dark Prince?”

“Could you not choke my fingers Frankie?” he asked looking at her with a tenderness that made her want to swoon.

“Graely,” she answered and realized how much she loved saying his name. She couldn’t say more at that moment as her heart filled with emotion.

It was as though saying his name would convey to him everything she genuinely felt, would always feel for him.

“Frankie, your da does not want this. You can’t go against him by showing me a friendship he has forbidden you.”

“Oh, but I can, and will.
I choose
who I am,
I choose
who I see, what I see, what I do. It is time he respects the woman who is no longer a child.”

“But don’t you see, Frankie
, I must
respect his wishes.  A true prince must do the right thing by…by the father of the woman who is the most important thing in his life. If that woman is too young to see what she would lose by aligning herself with him, he must take charge and make certain…she doesn’t lose a thing.” his words were matched by a look in his eyes that displayed his struggling emotions.

Frankie had to find a way to make this clearer to him, make it easier for him to accept. She had to make him see.  She stroked his arm and out of the corner of her eye, she saw her father clenching and unclenching his fists. She dropped her hand as she said, “If I forbid m’da from seeing his Daoine friends
, any
of his Daoine friends, because
I
thought them unworthy—he would tell me to mind m’manners. Why? Because he is an
adult
and it isn’t
m’place
to decide who he should associate with
. I am an adult,
Graely, and whether he is right or wrong about ye, doesn’t matter, does it?
Nooo
, because the time has come for me to take m’life in m’hands, to make m’own decisions and m’own mistakes.
That is not
disrespecting him… that is respecting
me.
”

Graely sighed heavily, “Let it go for now then. Go to your da. Tell him what you discovered in Conglam. Tell him he needs to confer with Queen Mab. Seelie and Daoine Fae have to be ready. Pestale is plotting something very big—bigger than what just happened here with the Blue Demons.”

“Not till ye promise to meet me on
our
mountain top,” she said softly.

“I promise, but it will only be to say good-bye,” he said solemnly.

“Ye don’t really believe that, do ye?” she grinned suddenly, “Ye aren’t thinking Dark Prince of mine, ye just are not thinking.” She raised a brow before she allowed him to have control of his hand once more. “One hour then, and if ye aren’t there, Graely, I shall hunt ye down and find ye, and don’t be thinking I can’t do it,
because I can.”

“Precious brat,” he whispered on the air as he shifted off.

“Aye, but
not a child
, but I’ll give ye that,” she shouted after him. “Ye can count on it, but I would say, not precious,
determined.”

Chapter Nineteen

FRANKIE EYED HER father and put up a hand that said it all.

No
, it said, don’t say a word against him.
No
, it said, Graely helped us, helped heal the humans at his own expense. No, it said, ye don’t understand. Ye just don’t understand, because ye have forgotten what it is to be in love, and know that it is right, so very right. She then looked into his eyes and heard her words flow freely, “Da, don’t be telling me I can’t see Graely.” She shook her head. “I won’t obey ye like a dog, and because I love ye, it will be a sadness for me to go against yer wishes, but go against them I will.”

“Frankie…you are too young,” her father answered.

“We have other matters now to deal with,” Jazz stuck in. “This is an emotional moment and not the time, Deimne…Frankie?”

Trevor inclined his head and put a hand on Deimne’s shoulder, “She is right.” He turned to Frankie, “What happened in Conglam? Where did the portal take you?”

Frankie related in quick succession everything that had occurred to her from the moment she had entered the portal to the moment Jazz had come for her. She turned to Jazz every now and then, and then made the point of telling her father,
“It was Graely
who reminded me to become all Fios, to use my Fios magic to escape the Fae trap Pestale has designed.”

Deimne looked away and Frankie grimaced but went on to recount her experience with the Shapeshifters and the fact that she believed they had known nothing about what the pack of Blue Demons led by Sventer had done.

Jazz took over what she saw, and encountered and Frankie stood back to watch and listen. Soon after, Trevor and Deimne began discussing what their next move would be.

“Do you come with us or your da? We are for Dravos and Queen Aaibhe, your da is for Daoine and Queen Mab,” Jazz asked her.

“Neither. I think I’ll go home and get some rest. I really do need an old fashioned soak in the tub and a chance to recoup. I’ll be meeting up with ye later, then,” Frankie said evasively.

Jazz stopped short and their eyes met, before Jazz said, “
I see
, of course, Frankie. We’ll catch up,
later.
”

“Aye then,” Frankie said, nodded to her father and Trevor and shifted off.

She did in fact, give the truth to her lie by going to the cottage, showering, and donning a sexy little black tank top and cut-off shorts, and sandals. A quick brush to her long black hair and she stood breathing anxiously for a moment. She was not yet back to full strength, but she would do.

She shifted off to the spot she and Graely had always thought of as their own.

Graely stood, naked to the waist, his black hair loose flying about his handsome face in the wind. He stood flexing his muscles unconsciously as he grappled with his thoughts and stared out onto the majestic green patchwork valley below. He stood looking like a hero, her hero and her heart melted for him as did her body.

She took a step toward him and he turned.
Right then, Frankie
, she told herself
, time
to make yer move and make it stick!

She didn’t say a word as she rushed him, wrapped her legs around his trim waist and held onto his shoulders to say, “Graely.”

He grinned in spite of himself. She could see he didn’t want to show his pleasure, but couldn’t help himself and he said, “
Monkey
, precious monkey.”

“Now what is it to be, monkey—brat—child or woman? Here, let me show ye what
I think
I am,” she said and moved in for the kill.

Her lips touched his and she felt the love of her life tremble.
He
trembled. This experienced male who had had females of all kinds in all ways trembled for
her kiss.

She tickled his mouth open with her tongue, for although she was a novice, she knew enough, had experienced a kiss or two or three in her time.

He couldn’t help himself as her tongue found his and she felt the rumble of feral passion infuse him. His hold on her tightened. He returned her kiss, and when that connection was made, she felt her entire body respond to his.

The world vanished. There was only the two of them in a sky of blue, no it wasn’t just blue—it was lit up with sparkles and fireworks.

He was spinning slowly with her holding on. He groaned with the obvious effort it cost him to hold back. She knew he was trying to keep himself from responding to her.
He was going to lose this battle, oh; he was so going to lose this battle.

Frankie pulled out of the kiss to whisper, “Graely, don’t fight me lad, don’t fight
this.
Ye know we are meant,
ye know it.”

“No, oh no, Frankie love. I don’t. You deserve so much better than what I am,” he answered on an anguished cry.

“
Stop it
. I don’t care what ye were in the Dark Realm. Ye were left there to rot, and it is a wonder ye didn’t go mad being what ye are, and what ye are, is so very solid, so very steady and good. That is who I see, and the little bit of dark ye are forever suppressing, well, my prince, it matches m’own darkness. Now kiss me, Graely and stop yer fussing.”

“No, Frankie. Don’t you see? I need you to save me. Frankie if I do this it will be the worst evil I have ever done. You are the only pure thing in my life.
I won’t ruin you.”

“Ruin me
? Ye aren’t seeing the big picture. Ye will be the
making
of me. This connection we have, always had, has been…in the past, all that I needed to make me whole.” She peeped at him, “
Now I need a little bit more
.” She dove into the side of his neck while her legs were still wrapped tightly around his middle and she nibbled at his ear and whispered, “Don’t give me away to another, Graely. Don’t try and be honorable and cast me aside for some other so much less worthy man to take.
I want ye
…only ye…so kiss me Dark Prince,
kiss me now.”

His floodgates opened.

She felt those gates crack and split and crumble. Everything he felt came pouring out and she embraced it.

Raw and heady passion forever held back, now suddenly released. It was a sky that widened and engulfed, as rockets and stars, meteors and moons pulsated all around them. It was primal and yet strangely tender. It was wild, and somehow gentle.
It was love.

Graely could no longer hold back and gave in to her call.

Their kiss was electrified with the intensity of their emotions—a love in its purest form, each caring more about the other than oneself, giving their essence in a declaration of their commitment to one another.

His tongue danced with joy as it met with hers and taught her passion’s song. They floated in one another’s embrace as kiss after kiss consumed them.

Frankie blinked off her clothes, and tucked in her wings, as he laid her gently on the rough grass, whispering her name over and over as though he couldn’t believe she was there in his arms.

He tried one last time when he held her face and stared at her as though he couldn’t believe she was with him, she was actually with him, and he whispered, “I should stop, Frankie. You are too young to know what you want.” He ran his finger over her lips and groaned, “
By Danu
, I should stop!”

“
No,
ye should not. What are ye thinking ye silly prince? Are ye thinking that this is some passing fancy of mine?
Fine,
then, who would get hurt by such a thing?
Me
—no?
Ye then?
Is that it m’own sweet love? Well Graely, I don’t mean to hurt ye, for doing so would kill me.”

“Getting hurt would be worth it as long as you are never the one to suffer. I will cherish this forever, but you…you are too young for this,” he murmured.

She heard the husky need in his voice. She knew what effort he was making to try and stop himself from taking her—making her his.

She had to make him see, this was a forever thing. She said, “I grew up that day six years ago when I learned how to
mass kill
. I am much older than ye think, Dark Prince. I am much
darker
than any other knows, but ye know,
don’t ye?”

“You are wrong. You are everything that is good and pure and I am the beast, just a beast, and so far beneath you…”

“Is it beneath me ye want to be?” Frankie said and used her Fae strength to topple him over and onto his back and then climbed on board. He had not removed his leather pants so she grinned at him and blinked him as naked as she was. She saw his eyes travel over her full dangling breasts. She saw him lick his lips, and close his eyes, as he fought for the strength to stop himself.

“Ye love me, Graely? That is all I want to know for now. What woman could want more?” she said softly and did a tour with her eyes of his magnificent body, stopping to stare at his manhood and murmured. “Ye know I am of age to be wanting a mate. I am a Fae and Fae mate even younger than I am today.  Graely, I choose ye to be m’mate, do ye not choose me? Don’t ye want me—don’t ye, Graely? Or do ye plan to send me off to find another, be like this with another?” she taunted, sure this would drive him over the edge. “Can ye live with that? Can ye think of me in the arms of another, Graely?”

He groaned and hugged her hard, pressing himself against her body, and she felt a rush of desire that began to take over all other thoughts. Her voice was husky as she continued to try and convince him, “I can promise ye eternity—and if ye can promise me the same, then this is our moment—
our beginning
.” She began making a trail of kisses from his chin, to his chest, to his belly, before he made a valiant attempt to stop her.

She spread her black wings around them and bent to nibble at him as she took his hand and put it to her breast.

He sucked in air and then softly said her name, “Frankie…”

She answered him by saying, “I’m not sure what I should do next, Dark Prince…
won’t ye show me
?”

* * *

He was lost to the sound of her voice, sweet and inviting, sure and determined. She was all those things and more. She had been all those things for so long, but he had always only allowed himself to see the child—never the woman she had become, and then in the last year, everything changed.

Frankie had always occupied his mind, but as a child that needed his protection, even from herself. Before this last year, it had been almost an obsession to protect her from all evil.  She had been a child, only a child, precious and special, but with her transformation these past few months, had come sure and sudden dawning as he found himself in love with the woman.

He wanted her to the point where the wanting felt depraved, perverted and he had cursed himself and kept himself apart. He had been restraining his thoughts, his needs for months. When she was near there were times where he felt actual pain thrash him as he tried to look away from her. He had been hurting all the time.

Her wanting him in return was both a joyful knowledge and a sickening fear inside of him. How could he make himself worthy?

And now, he had lost control, but even as he asked himself, how could he touch her, he found himself touching her…

“Don’t ye want me, Graely?” she had whispered. “Or do ye plan to send me off to find another? Can ye live with that? Can ye think of me in the arms of another, Graely?” She wouldn’t let it go. She made him think of what that ordeal would be like and it nearly drove him mad.

Her question drove him to distraction and it was a searing anguish he could not think about and the answer tore through him as he growled, feeling more like an animal every minute she was on top of him, touching him, driving him wild and he shouted out the answer, “Noooo! I can’t give you to another.”

“Then love me, Graely, teach me, I want you, all of you…” she urged him sweetly.

Frankie was the meaning of life for him. She gave him hope where none had existed before. She made him better than he ever thought he could be, but if this was a young woman’s crush, it would end, not with
her
being hurt, for he loved her beyond any love that any man or Fae had ever experienced for a woman before. It would end in his devastation if she left him.

Could he handle it if she stopped loving him?

Suddenly she was making a trail of kisses down his abs and her voice was primal as she asked him over and over, “Show me, Graely, what do ye want me to do?”

The dark hungers he had kept buried deep inside himself pushed for freedom and burst through all his shields.

Her breasts full and delectable hung with their pert nipples brushing against his chest and she teased him as she bent and dropped kisses on his face.

His hand reached up because he could no longer stop himself. He had to
touch touch
touch her!

He stopped midway and fought the hunger with every beat of his ragged breath. Noooo,  Frankie wasn’t having it. She took his hand and put it at her breast and from that moment on, he was lost.

Innocent.
She was his innocent.
You can’t unleash yourself on her
. He had to find a way of curbing his needs.