The Light of Shadoewynne: Book 2 of the Shadoewynne Series Read online

  Copyright @ 2019 Shelly Imholt

  All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work, in whole or in part, in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden with the written permission of the publisher.

  Published by Penelope Kein

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  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  Cover art by White Rabbit Creations

  Acknowledgements

  I have to thank my husband for putting up with me ignoring him, only half listening and the endless notifications on my phone. Also, my Alpha, Jessica, and my betas, Cindy, Sarah, Justin, Emma and Vivian that support me, encourage me, and help me drive my husband nuts with the endless notifications on my phone.

  Chapter 1

  Kait started to say something else, but the doorbell rang. We all looked at each other. The safe house was far enough out in the country that we shouldn’t have random visitors. I sighed. “Now what?”

  Kait darted in front of me and opened the door. He gasped. “What are you doing here?”

  The being in the doorway chuckled and said, “Am I not allowed to visit my great-granddaughter, Kaitsja? Are you going to let me in?”

  Oh, for fuck’s sake! Will this never end? Nope, I’ve had enough and was done with this shit. I turned on my heel and stomped away. Reaching the room that I had been using, I threw open the door, just barely catching it before it hit the wall. I slammed the door behind me and threw myself on the bed. I knew that Kait would get rid of this intruder and then we could go on with our lives. After the past week, I was tired of it. I had thought, for some reason, that we would get a respite and be able to go back to a semi-normal life.

  I rolled over onto my back and put a pillow over my face so I could scream into it. It didn’t help. The anger still coursed through me. I had just lost what was left of my family and couldn’t go on like this. The bed dipped next to me. I moved the pillow enough to see who it was. When I saw it was David, I practically threw myself at him. Deep in my heart, I knew I wasn’t going to be able to push these men away, and right now, I just couldn’t bring myself to turn my back on him.

  He wrapped his arms around me, holding me tight while I trembled. His earthy scent of fresh cut grass and new turned earth helped calm my nerves, bringing me back from the brink of panic. I laid my head on his chest while he stroked my back. I don’t know how long we were like that, but I was dozing off when I felt the bed move again. Travis's scent surrounded me, mingling with David’s to further calm my nerves. He rubbed my back as well. A few minutes later, I sighed and pushed away from David.

  I sat up on my knees and glanced between the two men. “So, did Kait run him off?”

  Travis looked away. “Not exactly. They are talking in the living room right now and Kait didn’t want you to wander out. He wants to talk to Alarr first to find out what he really wants.”

  I rubbed my face. “Is that his name? Alarr? Is he really my great-grandfather?”

  “Kait seems to think so.” Travis reached for me, and I leaned into his embrace, awkwardly half kneeling with my head on his shoulder. Now it was his turn to hold me. David rubbed my leg, which had curled up behind me when I shifted positions. My thoughts were in turmoil, not only from Alarr showing up, but also my confusion regarding the guys. Watching them now, they both seemed perfectly okay with all being bonded to me, but looking back, I had seen some indications of jealousy from David in the past week. What was I going to do? What would they do if I walked away from them? What would I do if I walked away?

  Travis spun, and slowly leaned back, pulling me with him so I was stretched out almost on top of him, and David nestled in close to the other side. My head was on Travis's chest, and my legs were tangled in David’s. Between their combined body heat and the soothing way they were rubbing my back, I was quickly fighting sleep. I glanced up at Travis's face, and he was staring down at me with the most tender expression I had ever seen. I blushed and glanced away, only to find David staring at me with an almost identical expression. My face felt like it was on fire as I tried to find somewhere else to look.

  David chuckled, and patted me on the back. “What’s the matter, Sugar?”

  “Nothing,” I mumbled, as I buried my face in Travis's shirt.

  Travis chuckled as well, the vibration traveling down my chest where I laid on him. That didn’t help at all! I scrambled to get up without putting my knee somewhere that would have one of them singing soprano. Once I managed to sit up, I turned my back on them, and took out my hair tie, intending to fix my braid, but Travis beat me to it. After my hair was free, he began to run his hands through it, finger combing the waves as he spoke. “Don’t fight it, Babe. We aren’t going to push you to do anything you aren’t comfortable with, and we don’t have to jump straight into a relationship just because we are bonded. Right now, all it means is that the three of us are devoted to keeping you safe, and that we would prefer it if you didn’t push us away.”

  He could say that all he wanted, but the more I was around them, the harder it was not to touch them. I couldn’t deny that they helped calm my racing mind, and I needed that right now. In truth, I wasn’t worried about them, I was worried about me. If I didn’t walk away now, I wasn’t sure I would have the strength to leave later. Travis's fingers running through my hair soothed a headache that had started to form, and the relief had me hanging my head. I didn’t answer him. I couldn’t.

  There was a knock on the door, and it slowly opened when David called out. Kait came in, closing the door softly behind himself. With a small grin, he pulled me up into his arms. I wasn’t blocking my thoughts, and both he and David had probably heard them all. Shit. He startled me by sweeping me up into his arms, then he sat down on the bed, settling me into his lap. I curled up just enough to put my head in the hollow of his neck. I breathed in his Christmassy scent and let go of the last of my apprehensions. I sighed. They had won. For now.

  “So, what did Alarr actually want?” David’s voice was hard.

  “He really did just want to meet Evalia. I told him I wasn’t comfortable with that right now, and he agreed to wait and meet with us later. He was attempting to appear open and didn’t erect any mental blocks that I could feel. He didn’t explain how he found us, though. I am not sure I completely trust him, but he didn’t seem to be working with the Svikari, and he was genuinely surprised at everything that has happened in the past week. It appears to be bad timing on his part.”

  I had to stop cowering here. I sat up. “Well, what’s the plan then?”

  Kait snorted. “We will meet with him next week, at a neutral location that I will pick. I am not going to tell him what the location is until right before we meet. In the meantime, you need to go to class. We will continue with the original plan, and I will accompany you to your classes. Just because Stefa is in custody does not mean the threat is gone.”

  “I’m not happy with that, Kait.” I pushed away from him and got up. I co
uldn’t think clearly with him that close.

  “I’m aware of that, Evalia. It doesn’t change it.” His voice was slightly amused, which just pissed me off more.

  “Kait…”

  He interrupted me. “Evalia, do not argue with me. You agreed to let us protect you, and regardless of your feelings on the bonding, we will continue to do that.” It wasn’t fair, he used his authoritative voice that I have a hard time ignoring. I pouted at him, and a smile softened his face. He reached for me, and I allowed him to pull me back. “No matter what happens with the bonding, it is very hard for us not to protect you. It will make us all feel better to know that you have one of us with you.”

  I couldn’t argue with that logic. I huffed, then finally conceded, “Fine.” He kissed my cheek and let me go. As my heart jumped and my body warmed, I tried to hide my reaction to him, but I don’t think I managed it.

  Travis patted the bed next to him. “Come on, babe, I drew the first night. Are you okay with me in the bed, or do you want me to sleep on the floor?”

  I sighed and started looking for some pajamas. While digging in the bag, I said, “I can’t make you sleep on the floor, Travis, you are still recovering.” Once I found the pajamas at the bottom of the bag, I stood up. “I’ll be right back.” I went to the bathroom, and quickly changed and took out my contacts. When I got back to the room, David and Kait were gone, and Travis was already under the covers, with them pulled up to his chin. He looked adorable, and the dark colors of the comforter just highlighted his beautiful blue eyes even more.

  This was going to end up killing me. I don’t know how I was going to be able to keep them at arm’s length if this continued. I climbed into the bed, and Travis rolled over to me. After a minute of indecision, I put my back to him, and scooted until my back was against his front. He froze for a minute, then hesitantly put his arm around me, placing his hand on my stomach. I took a deep breath and his scent wound through me, helping me relax. Within a few minutes, I was fast asleep.

  I woke in the morning, sweating. Warm arms held me to a warmer body. It took a minute for me to remember where I was and who was holding me. I started to stretch before I thought about it but froze when Travis groaned.

  “Babe, roll away before you do that, please. I’m having a bit of a morning problem.” His deep voice rumbled through me, doing funny things to my body. I wasn’t thinking about what I was rubbing against, but now that I was aware of it, I could feel his body’s reaction to me and the morning though the thin pajama pants he wore. I didn’t want to move, but I didn’t want to make him uncomfortable, either. While I was frozen, Travis took the decision from me, kissing my neck lightly and rolling away. The kiss sent a tingle all the way through my body, and my eyes flew open. I just barely kept myself from gasping with the sensation.

  He got out of bed, and headed out the door, throwing, “I’ll be right back, Babe,” over his shoulder as he did.

  I laid there, still frozen, unable to move or think. As his scent began to fade, my mind finally got moving, if not my body. It was going to be a test of my will to be so close to them without advancing our relationships. But I didn’t think I would be that upset when I failed. When I noticed the direction my thoughts were heading, I stomped on them firmly. We were going to be friends, and that was it.

  I sat up, and a second later, there was a knock on the door frame.When I looked over, Kait was standing there with a tray that was piled so high with food, I could see it even with my blurry vision. I snorted. “What’s that?”

  He smirked. “Your breakfast, of course. Princesses get breakfast in bed.”

  “Um, not this princess. I don’t eat in bed. I’m going to go change and I will meet you all in the kitchen.”

  He shrugged. “Alright.” He turned on his heel and walked away. Shit, I think I had just insulted him somehow.

  I gathered clean clothes for the day and headed to the bathroom. The door was still shut, so I headed to the other bathroom, farther down the hall. I quickly showered, put my contacts in and got ready for the day. Using my powers, I quickly dried my hair. Some parts of being Shadoewynne were pretty cool.

  I headed to the kitchen, and when I found Kait, I wrapped my arms around him from behind. He leaned down a bit as I went up on my tiptoes to place a small kiss on his cheek and said, “I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings.”

  He patted my arm. “I know. It didn’t hurt my feelings, exactly. It’s hard to explain. I want very much to take care of you in any way you need it.”

  His words had my body warming again as my mind drifted to ways he could take care of me. He cleared his throat and said huskily, “Princess, you need to work on your mental blocks.”

  Shit. Just shit. It felt like my face was on fire as I turned away and headed for the table. I hastily built that wall in my mind, hoping to gain some privacy back. “So, um, what’s for breakfast?”

  Kait didn’t turn around immediately. When he did, he had the tray again. “We made French toast, scrambled eggs and sausage links. There’s orange juice, coffee, milk or water to drink. What would you like?”

  His voice was still slightly husky, but it sounded much more normal. I looked at the table as I said, “Orange juice will be fine, thank you.”

  The tray slid into my field of vision, and a minute later, a glass was set in front of me as well. Kait put his finger under my chin and gently lifted my face. “Don’t be embarrassed, Princess.”

  I wasn’t exactly embarrassed. Maybe ashamed. Here I was pushing them away while at the same time wondering what it would be like if I just gave in. And I was wondering where they could hear me. It made me feel like I was leading them on, or a hypocrite. One arm wrapped around body as the other hand found the end of my braid and began to twirl it. I looked away again.

  He sighed. “Look, it’s been less than 24 hours since you found out we are bonded to you. Hell, since you found out that there is such a thing as bonding. It’s natural to be confused.” I snorted at that. Confused didn’t even begin to cover it. He waited for a second to make sure I wasn’t going to say anything. “Why don’t we just see how things go, okay? Nothing needs be decided right now, and we can focus on getting back to normal life. How’s that sound?”

  I nodded. I didn’t trust my voice right now. I pushed my food around on my plate for a minute before taking a bite. Once I did, my hunger surged. I was just finishing up when Travis came in the room.

  Kait had sat down next to me and was eating as well. He gestured toward the stove with his fork. “Breakfast is over there. Help yourself.”

  Travis ran his hand through his still damp hair as he nodded and headed for the food. He piled his plate high and got a giant cup of coffee. David came in right after, and Kait repeated himself. David helped himself too, and soon we were all at the table. I re-enforced my mental wall while I looked around at the guys. This early, Travis and David were moving slowly, and they still looked sleepy, but they were all adorable. I didn’t deserve this, or them. Stupid magic, making them love me. My eyes filled with tears, but I looked at the table to hide them from everyone. I got up slowly and took my dishes to the sink, rinsed them and put them in the dishwasher. They were still talking, so I quietly left the room. I needed to get my stuff together for class.

  A few minutes later, Kait came in, and shut the door. “What’s wrong, Princess?”

  I spun, putting my back to him. The wall was still in place in my mind. “Nothing. I just need to get stuff ready for class.”

  He came up behind me and rubbed my arms through my sweater. “Please look at me, Evalia.”

  My breath hitched. I couldn’t wipe my eyes without him realizing I was crying, but I couldn’t turn around either. “No. I need to get my stuff. We need to leave soon.”

  “Evalia, I already know you are crying. What’s wrong?”

  Fuck it. I spun to face him. “You all only care about me because of the magic. It’s not like you or Travis actually know me. Your magic is making you wan
t to protect me and stay with me.”

  He flinched. I knew it. I had hit the mark with that. “Come here, Princess.” He opened his arms.

  “No.”

  The hurt on his face made me regret my hasty word. “Okay.” He sighed and sat down on the bed. “You are right in some regards. Yes, our magic makes us want to protect you, but we have also seen how amazing you are this week. Not many people would have been able to handle what you have gone through. Also, I know you better than you think. You are forgetting that I have been watching you your whole life. I may not know all your likes and dislikes, but I have seen how you handle adversity and how you love being out in nature. I want to get to know you better. I want to know what your favorite color is, your favorite movie, and all that. Travis feels the same way. He was pissed at me for telling you about the bonding. He wanted things to progress naturally before we brought it up.”

  I spun my braid as I thought about it. Would it have been better if I hadn’t known? Probably not; I would have been pissed if I fell for them, then found out. I would have felt like the relationships were built on a lie. This way probably was better. I eyed Kait. I didn’t want to admit that to him, though. I also wondered what kind of discussions the guys had about me when behind my back. Were they making arrangements to pass me around?

  Chapter 2

  I stood there, glaring at Kait as thoughts of them deciding how to share me flitted through my head. Eventually, it occurred to me that thinking about this was just making me angrier and it wasn’t doing any good. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, forcing myself to focus on something else. After a minute, I was calmer, but it took another moment before I could continue the discussion in a rational manner.

  “Whatever, Kait. I’m not going to talk about this anymore.” Well, somewhat rational anyway.

  He eyed me. “Princess, sometimes, you have to talk about things you find painful. It’s not going to go away.” He said it carefully, and gently, but that just made it worse.