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Chapter Twelve
After we’ve eaten and cleared away the dishes, we move into the lounge with more drinks. This time everyone chooses what they want, and Linden mixes them up. I have a pretty well stocked liquor cabinet, but I rarely dip into it. Rowan’s color is fading fast; he now looks like he’s got a slight blue rinse—like old ladies have for their hair. Linden appears to be getting greener, he’s surpassed The Incredible Hulk and now resembles that green witch from Wicked.
“Maybe your stress level is affecting the pigmentation,” I suggest sweetly as Linden enters with the drinks. He scowls but doesn’t reply, so we sit and sip our drinks. It’s surprisingly not awkward, despite being the strangest double date I’ve ever been on. Hell, it’s the only double date I’ve been on!
Rowan sticks a film on and we settle back together on the sofa to watch. Linden grumbles from the armchair that he can’t see the screen properly and ends up coming to sit beside me on the sofa. It’s a pretty tight fit with the three of us on my small two-seater, and soon I'm squirming from the heat of their hard bodies being pressed up against me. I can’t concentrate on the film at all.
“Guys…do you normally run hot?” I ask. “I mean, is your body temperature hotter than normal?”
“Feeling the heat, darlin’?” Linden smirks.
“What’s normal?” Rowan asks.
“Well, humans,” I reply with a shrug.
“Yes, we run a little hotter than humans,” he tells me.
“Oh that explains it.” I laugh. “Can I ask another question?”
“Shoot, babe, that’s the point of these dates, right? To get to know one another.”
“Okay, so, can you tell me about your wings?”
“That’s not a question,” Linden points out. He finally looks a little less green.
“Well, obviously you were a little surprised that I could see them at the shop...why?”
They exchange glances in a way that has me thinking they might be about to lie to me.
“Well, most fae choose to keep their wings tucked away. We’re lucky to live in Silver Springs because the protective wards around the place stop us from being seen by humans if we do have our wings out.”
“And you thought I was just human, hence the surprise?” I finish for them.
“Exactly,” Linden says and Rowan shoots him a look, shaking his head.
“What?” I ask, picking up on the weird vibe between them.
“We didn’t have our wings out that day, Jas,” Rowan says softly.
“So…?” I frown, not getting it.
“So, our wings only release if we’re trying to attract someone, we’re attracted to someone, or if we’re around our fated mate.”
“Fated mate?”
“The one we’re meant to be with.”
“I know what it means...wait, what? The one you’re both meant to be with?”
“I did tell you we do everything together.” Linden grins.
“So when you arrived,” I say, turning to Rowan and ignoring Linden, “and your wings popped out…”
“You’re stunning, Jas. I couldn’t help myself.” He’s not embarrassed at all, even though Linden sniggers. I blush. I like his confidence and his honesty.
“So you weren’t expecting your wings to pop out at the shop, and you weren’t trying to attract me, so…you can’t be saying what I think you’re saying.”
“This is a conversation to have another day, with the others around. And definitely not on a first date.” Rowan gives me a reassuring smile and pulls me in for a hug.
