“Me too.”
Jaden threw up his hands. “Oh no, Tiger. I’m still recovering from the last time you kicked my ass.”
Moira snorted. “I don’t need to be able to take you out. I need to be able to take Charles out.”
Jaden snorted. “I’ve fought you, sweetheart, and that’s not a problem. You could do that now as long as he doesn’t get into your mind.”
“That is going to be a problem,” Duncan muttered. He began drumming his fingers on Moira’s thigh. “Charles is strong, even stronger than I am. He could roll my mind without breaking a sweat.” In fact, he wasn’t entirely certain he could take Charles’s.
“Then we need to figure out a way to protect you.” Jaden frowned. “Thing is, I don’t know what will work against a Sidhe bent on a serious mind fuck.”
The three lovers exchanged a look. “We need to avoid him.” Duncan patted Moira’s hip, urging her off of him. “We need help.”
“Who?”
Duncan smiled. “I think we should start with Shane Joloun. He knows something about what’s going on. I intend to find out all of it.” Even if it meant rolling his brother-in-law’s mind. “Let’s go back to bed. We have to be at your parent’s house some time tomorrow.” He took Moira’s hand and held the other out for Jaden. “Coming?”
Jaden grinned. “Nah. You two go ahead. I have something I want to take care of first.”
“Jaden.” Duncan’s muscles tightened in instant denial. He hadn’t finished Binding the vampire to him. Jaden could still leave them.
“Don’t worry, old man.” He pressed a soft kiss to Duncan’s lips. “I’ll be back.” Jaden walked back toward the bedroom. “I just need to find something out.”
“Can it wait?”
Jaden’s eyes flashed that eerie green again, there and gone so fast Duncan wondered if he’d imagined it. Was there a light in the yard reflecting through the trees or something? “Nope.” He entered the bedroom. “Moira? What happened to my briefs?”
Moira rolled her eyes and stomped into the bedroom. “On the floor, like everyone else’s.” Duncan could hear the worry in her voice, but what could he do?
Jaden was a Blade. There was nothing that could protect them from that.
Akane shivered and climbed back into her car. She felt numb. How had Jaden resisted them for so long? The love that flowed between the three of them was so strong she was surprised any of them survived the separation. Why hadn’t she known what Jaden was really like? He was extraordinarily good at hiding those white knight tendencies of his. That explained why he was one of Robin’s favorites. Robin had a real soft spot for the noble ones. She snorted. It was probably the Hob’s only soft spot.
Now that she realized what Jaden was facing, and who some of the players were, it was time to make herself known. But one thing remained unclear to her. A player she didn’t recognize. Something about the power there tempted her like nothing else ever had. The taste of it was earthy and exotic, calling to her dragon senses the way no other ever had. Not even the Hob.
Not even Oberon.
She had to meet whoever it was.
Akane was a dragon who trusted her instincts, and those instincts were screaming at her that the unknown, powerful entity would profoundly impact her life. She hopped back into her car and started it, smiling at the purr of the powerful engine. She put it in gear and roared into the night.
First order of business: find out who the hell Shane Dunne was.
Jaden slipped into the darkness surrounding the house. He lifted his head and scented the air, his mind sifting through the information gathered. He sensed nothing out of the ordinary. He scented no watchers, heard no human or fae heartbeats. So, Charlie-boy isn’t watching the homestead. Jaden grinned headed for the garage. “Duncan? Mind if I borrow the car?”
There was pause. Duncan had been half asleep. “That depends. Which car?”
“Aw, c’mon, old man. Let me have a little fun.”
“Can’t you drive your car?”
He opened the garage door and looked at the row of brightly colored toys. He rubbed his hands together. “My Mustang doesn’t purr like the M6.” The sweet cherry-red convertible was calling to him.
“My M6? No, Jaden. Remember what you did to my Boxster?”
He slipped the keys off the hook and slid behind the wheel. The scent of premium leather surrounded him. “That was not my fault. That dryad jumped right out in front of me.” He started the car, damn near purring himself at the sound of the engine. Fuck, Duncan had great taste in cars.
He could almost feel Duncan’s chuckles. “Don’t you mean her tree?”
He put the car in gear and pulled out of the garage, closing the door behind him. “Leave her tree out of this.”
“Be careful, Jaden. Get a scratch on that car and I’ll take it out of your hide.”
“Promises, promises.” He hit the gate remote and drove out into the night. “I’m heading toward Charles’s place. What time do you need to be at the Dunne’s?”
“No clue. Shane said he’d arrange things with his father and call us back. By the way, you’re under family orders to attend.”
Well. Shit. So much for working through the family fun-fest. He could just picture what Sean Dunne would do to him when he found out his baby girl was a vampire’s bondmate. “Can’t we just say I’m dead?”
“Jaden. You’ll be there and you’ll like it.” He winced at Moira’s tart tone. Apparently there were downsides to this whole bondmate thing, like long distance nagging. “Jaden. You know what? Just shut up. Get your ass back home before daybreak.”
“That doesn’t leave me a whole lot of time, sweetheart.” It was already three o’clock in the morning. Daybreak was in roughly three hours.
“Doesn’t matter. You need to be rested before you deal with my family.”
He rolled his eyes. “Yes, dear.”
She snorted. How the hell did you snort mentally? “Be careful, a ghra.”
His heart freaking melted right in his chest. He hoped he never took their love for granted. The gift they’d granted him was priceless, and he planned on treating it as such. “I will. Promise. Keep yourselves safe, got it?”
“Will do.” Moira sounded sleepy. “Love you, Jaden.”
“Love you, amoureaux. Get some rest.” Duncan sounded much more awake. “I’ll keep watch now. Moira, you can have the morning shift.”
Jaden couldn’t stop the smile from crossing his face. Duncan had been pissed at being stuck in the damsel-in-distress role, but Jaden knew Duncan was not prepared for what someone toying with the Black could throw at him. It was up to Jaden to keep them truly safe. “I’m not expecting a move from them tonight. They’ve laid down the gauntlet, now they’re going to watch how you react to it.”
“Which means they might be expecting you.”
“True. I’ve got plans for that, though.”
He felt Duncan’s surprise. “What plans?”
He smirked. “You’ll see. Don’t worry, this isn’t my first job.” And it wouldn’t be his last, bondmates or no. He helped people every day, people damaged by those who sought quick and dirty ways to power. As far as he was concerned he would be a Blade until the day he died whether he worked for Robin or not.