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I felt like my smile was so stupidly happy spread across my face, and I didn’t even care if we had an audience. I was ready for this, I realized. I was ready to finally do something profound that made me happy. And that was creating this crazy—but wonderful—life with Cian.
“I suggested Adryan come here tae go over everything,” Odhran said, and when I looked at him, his expression gave nothing away. There was no judgment that we were creating too much PDA for the likes of him. “But he said, and I quote, ‘I’m no’ hauling my shit and soldiers over there just tae put a couple of Lycans at ease because they have a weak human female in their midst.’”
Cian growled, low and menacing. “She’s no’ weak. I’ll kill him for saying that.” Cian looked at me and reached out to stroke his finger along my cheek.
“No killing necessary.” I shook my head and smiled that something as simple as Adryan calling me a weak human female could rile him up so much. I had a lot to learn about shifters in general, but I felt like learning everything that made my mate tick was at the top of that list, especially if he could easily kill someone for just insulting me.
This was proving to be a very interesting journey, to say the least.
20
Evelyn
Ilay on the couch with my head on Cian’s lap, my legs stretched out on the cushions and a book in my lap. I was having a hard time concentrating on the words though, not with the way Cian was playing with my hair. He ran his thick fingers through the strands slowly.
For the second time today, I thought this was a very domestic gesture, just a couple enjoying the quiet of being together.
Hours had passed since we’d eaten breakfast, and I’d made myself busy, occupied my mind by cleaning up the kitchen, much to Cian’s disapproval. I was quickly realizing he enjoyed spoiling and lavishing attention on me. I couldn’t help but feel pleasure at how he’d get worked up over something so small as me loading the dishwasher, wanting me to rest and “he’d handle things.”
I just never had anything like this before, someone wanting to wholly take care of me. It was as strange and wondrous as it was unusual and uncomfortable. I’d always relied on myself to make sure things got done, so having someone want to take care of me… was something I’d have to get used to.
After reading the same page five times, I gave up and closed the book, letting it drop to the carpet. I closed my eyes and focused on the feeling of Cian’s big fingers and blunt nails gently scraping across my scalp before he moved them through to the end of the long locks.
“Yer hair is so verra beautiful,” he murmured and brought strands to his nose, inhaling. “And smells incredible.”
I flushed at the compliment.
“Second sweetest thing I’ve ever smelled.”
I tipped my head back and looked at him. “What’s the first?”
His grin was slow and sexy. “Yer pussy, lass.”
My face felt like it was on fire, and he laughed deeply before leaning down and kissing the crown of my head. We stayed silent for another long moment as he went back to playing with my hair, but it was comfortable and not forced.
“What was it like?” I asked and tipped my head back to look at him again.
“What was what like, lass?” His voice was soft and almost lazy, as if he’d never felt so much contentment.
I didn’t think I’d ever seen him with his guard down, and although I knew without a doubt he’d be ready for action at the drop of a hat, right now the air around him was almost serene.
“Back then. What was it like… experiencing life throughout the last two and a half centuries?” I turned my attention away from him and looked at a picture that hung on the wall. It was of a man walking his dog, his back to me, his form in the distance. The dogs sat beside him as they stood in an empty field, a few sparse trees scattered around, just blotches of green and brown.
I noticed that about the pictures in this house. They all had this emptiness to them. A lone beach scene. A single house situated in the center of a lot, nothing else in sight. They were all like that, very… lonely. I wondered if they were a testament to Adryan and who he was, what he felt inside. A subconscious visual that showcased the lack in his life.
Or maybe I was just losing my mind and trying to find rationalization where there wasn’t one. Maybe the guy just liked random shit. He certainly seemed unhinged enough to do things that made zero sense.
I realized Cian hadn’t answered, and I drew my focus back to him, seeing that he still watched me. “You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.”
He smiled softly and shook his head. “There’s nothing I’d ever keep from ye.” He stared into my eyes, but I could see he was lost in thought. “Just figuring out how tae answer is all.”
I didn’t say anything, just nodded my understanding.
“It was a verra different time,” he finally said. “Harder, more violent.”
His voice didn’t change tempo or octave, but I was still able to pick up on a hard note in it, as if talking about it brought him back to that time and made him uncomfortable. I would have sat up, but he kept playing with my hair, and a part of me thought that maybe he drew a sense of calm from the mundane act.
“It was kill or be killed.” He looked at me then, his blue eyes so clear. “But do ye want tae kno’ the absolute worst thing about it all?”
