Chapter 12
Kate walked out into the cold but sunny late January morning. She watched her breath plume for a few exhales before scanning the property for Brody, shading her eyes with a hand to her brow. He was over by the donkey shelter with his broad back to her, giving Pepper some wanted attention. All of the dogs were nearby him; the donkeys had finally become tolerant of their presence after weeks of warding them off.
As Kate walked in Brody's direction, Sugar brayed a hello from a nearby paddock, alerting Brody of her approach. Bent and casually resting his forearms on Pepper's haunches, he looked over his shoulder at her with an inviting smile, and then turned his view back toward the lake.
Kate slowed in her strides to study the man who had given her his cherished home and his formerly wounded heart. Brody wore his new field coat and muck boots, as well as his stylish ivy cap. In that restful, reflective pose, he looked so relaxed, so at peace. The troubled or sad look that used to sometimes haunt his grey eyes had become increasingly rare, and his often-offered smiles to everyone seemed more genuine. Even with the supernatural events around them, Brody was truly happy. Kate wasn't narcissistic enough to think she was the only reason for that, but she hoped she was one of the main ones.
Just after they arrived home from dinner the night before, Kate rang Jane for a private chat. Her shaken sister described seeing the opaque outline of a backpacker, and occupying the same space was a purple, nine-foot tall monster in a toga.
Kate told Jane that what she saw was a troll - they were normally honorable fae - and it was she who actually shattered the glasses with her silent scream. It took a small while to further soothe the scared young lady, but Jane eventually sounded more of her normal self as she begged off the line to get some needed sleep. Cora rang soon after, wanting information, but Kate put her off until the three of them could have a proper chat in the morning.
From the wild event at the restaurant, she and Brody later found themselves finding humor in specific aspects of the encounter, and of things Jane said. Brody admitted his initial anger and defensiveness, but was mollified to finally find out where his own gifts came from.
Kate remembered snuggling against her fella's warm, muscular form in bed and worried that his ire at the Other Crowd might have been refreshed, but he was soon breathing deeply in a sound sleep. She remembered waking to his lips before he left for the morning chores. She fully woke a short time later, wanting more.
Leaning on Pepper, which the donkey was content to allow, Brody looked like a powerful and rugged noble in farmer's clothing. Kate put her arms around his waist from behind and felt the firmness of his physique. She waited for the noisy honking of ducks overhead to pass before she spoke. "Thank you for the morning kiss; it was a great way to wake."
Brody took one of her hands and kissed it before pulling her arms tighter around him. "Mm, this feels good; just stay up against me for a minute."
Kate rested her head against his back and said, "I'm glad you like hugs as much as I do."
"I sure as hell do, especially when you're not wearing a bra; I love feeling you against me."
Kate's fair complexion turned a deeper red than what the chilly temperature had caused. "You cannot feel... me, through my jumper and your coat! Stop it."
Brody chuckled and replied, "Oh yes I can; you're either very cold or very horny."
Kate let go of him and swatted his rear before he turned to face her. "Don't get ahead of yourself, you randy goat" she said with a smile, "there's quite a chill in the air, that's all."
Pulling her close for a proper embrace, Brody said with a smirk, "Darlin', don't worry if it's both; I think I can kill two birds with one stone."
Feeling more amorous than coy, Kate asked, "What, here? Out in a cold field?"
"No, nothing so romantic," Brody answered as he leaned down to taste her exposed neck, "but the shed has hay and blankets." He grabbed her curvy hips and pressed his body against hers insistently. His breath was hot and ardent on her skin. He stopped nipping at Kate's neck to lick her earlobe and then whispered in her ear, "God, I can't get enough of you. I had the urge all through dinner last night to pull you in the bathroom and attack you. And in bed last night you seemed tired, so I was happy to just hold you close. I'll always want you but... damn, I need you now, Kate - right now."
His last words were a lusty growl in Kate's ear, and she heard herself moan softly. Her short breaths were coming out in frosty puffs, but she only felt the gathering heat between them. Her lust for him matched her love, and she was heartened that he felt the same; Brody's frequent attentions kept Kate filled with desire, confidence, and a giddy joy.
After passionately pulling his coat and shirt open to graze her teeth on his firm chest, she panted, "Hurry... we need to hurry. Jane will be by sometime soon."
Brody pulled back. "Wait, what? I thought you were heading out in a while."
Gripping Brody lasciviously with one hand as she undid more of his shirt buttons with the other, Kate said with detachment, "Mam rang; change of plans." A few seconds after they continued their exploration of each other, Kate whispered huskily, "Brody... show me those blankets..."
Sometime later - they weren't sure how long - the couple was nearly caught in a compromising situation. Fortunately, they were both in a position to see Jane's little car come down the lane. As their visitor rolled onto the driveway, the lovers tugged up their trousers and stepped from behind the half-wall of the donkey shelter. From where they were, two paddocks away from the cottage, Brody and Kate had the opportunity to make sure their clothes weren't in disarray without being obvious.
As they went to greet Jane, Kate smoothed her long hair while Brody simply tucked his under his cap. Still warm from their lusty exertions, they strolled close to each other with satisfied smiles; the adventurous and erotic start to their day had them in great spirits.
They saw that Jane had a passenger in the front, and something large in the back of her small car. The doors opened; she hopped out energetically with her ponytail bouncing.
Brody and Kate were about to call out a greeting as they approached when all three of the dogs, who walked along with them, suddenly became more alert than normal. Pearl, always happy for company, tentatively wagged her tail at seeing Jane but kept her place. Honey bristled and moved in front of her master, remaining ready and cautious. Keller lowered his ears and growled from deep in his throat as he stepped in front of Kate. Their unexpected reactions caused Brody and Kate to stop short.
Brody muttered under his breath, "What the hell?" He and Kate shared a curious glance before he asked her, "Any insights on this, darlin'?"
They both caught the movement of Jane's passenger as he slowly got out of her car. The young man with long black hair gazed all around the property with an innocent aspect. Meanwhile, Jane opened the back hatch, and a very large and shaggy Newfoundland-breed dog lumbered out of the cramped space.
Speaking quietly, Kate said with a restrained tone, "There seems to be a sparkling man and his sparkling dog out and about with my little sister."
With a pluming sigh, Brody whispered, "Oh, great, another one." He took Kate's hand in his and asked, "How about a closer look? Do I shake his hand or kick his ass?"
Kate grinned up at him, and then quickly viewed the fae's nimbus. "Curious... cautious, and... hmm, that's odd; he's happy."
"Why is that odd?"
"I've never seen a fae displaying that color before; friends and townsfolk, yes, and plenty of it, but never one of the Other Crowd. I wonder why that is."
Brody shrugged. "Maybe it's because of me; I've been irritated or worse when I met most of 'em. Sorry about that, by the way; I'm working on it."
Kate squeezed his big hand. "I know you are, love, but that very well could be it. With this newcomer, though, I see no reason to be annoyed at all, do you?"
Smiling warmly, Brody replied, "No, I don't. Besides, I'm getting tired of being on my guard all the time. Let's go say
hi."
They both calmed the dogs as best they could before stepping in front of them. Brody and Kate slipped through a paddock gate and shut it to keep the dogs at bay. They turned to see Jane, her new fae friend, and his dog coming toward them. Jane had a beaming smile, the young man in blue and black walked next to her with an amiable expression on his handsome face, and the big, dark brown dog behind them simply looked happy to be out of the car.
"Here now," Kate said with a grin to her sister as they all gathered, "it looks as though the spring is back in your step, Jane; fair play."
Jane smiled and shivered, both from the cold and from exhilaration. Preoccupied with her own agenda, she was oblivious to Brody and Kate's flushed skin and slightly disheveled appearances. "You have no idea, sis. Em, Brody, Kate, this is my friend Mac." She turned to him and gestured first to her sister. "Mac, this is my older sister, Kate."
Macklin bowed to his female host and said, "A pleasure, Lady Kate; I see you and Jane share an uncommon beauty."
Kate nodded her head in return, and then asked, "Mac? Do you mean Macklin, as in, the Macklin who rescued my sister?"
"This is him!" Jane said with glee. She then calmed her tone to finish introductions. "Mac, this is Kate's big fella, Brody Lynch."
Macklin began to bow to him when Brody offered his hand in greeting. "Thank you for what you did." The poised fae looked him in the eye, nodded, and then grasped his wrist in the archaic style of meeting. Brody glanced at their unexpected mutual grip before he released it.
"My apologies," Macklin said, "I didn't mean to offend with my reception. The last man I shook with was Elliot Ramsay, an elderly Scotsman who kept to old traditions."
"No, no, it's fine; it's just that not many folks shake hands like that anymore." With a smile, Brody added, "I think I like Mr. Ramsay's way better." He looked down when he noticed the big, barrel-chested dog leaning in to sniff at his crotch; Brody's dogs subsequently growled and barked in defensive response. He ignored his own pets for a moment and asked, "And who do we have here?"
"Oh, sorry, that would be Mac's pet, Mix," Jane said. She reached out to pet him and hesitated, as if unsure where to touch. She slowly found a place behind his ears, which the big, happy dog leaned into.
Frowning, Kate asked, "Problem, Jane? You looked as if your hand would miss. Mix looks a big enough target, and friendly, too."
Jane managed to smile bashfully while she fumbled with her explanation. "It's not that; I just... The truth is that I... I sort of see both of him."
"Pardon?"
"Just like how I saw the, em, troll last night. I can see the real thing, although it isn't really real when fae are, em, what's the word... manifested, like. So I had trouble making sure I was petting the manifested Mix. I'll get better at it."
Scowling, Brody said, "Say what?"
"Yes," Kate said, sharing his confusion, "you'll need to go over that again."
Jane took a deep breath to try a better explanation. "Like how last night that troll looked nothing like the lad he was manifested as." Jane noticed that Brody and Kate still had uncertain stares. "I mean, like, the Mix you see is nothing like how he really looks back at his home. Here, Mac made him appear as a big dog. In reality... no, wait, that's not the right word at all; that's like the opposite of reality. I mean, back in the Lore, Mix is a huge bear, five times your size, Brody. But," she added quickly when their eyes widened, "he's just a big, mellow softy at home, the same as here. Who he is on the inside doesn't change. Don't worry; I was confused when Mac first explained it to me, too, while I was showing him around the village this morning."
Macklin seemed on a different train of thought, and changed the topic completely when he said, "It bothers me to see your own fine pets in a state of unease, especially on their own land." He looked at Brody. "As I'm told you have an understanding, I have a touch of the gift of fauna; I can offer simple messages or emotions to animals."
"Oh, right," Brody said, "like what Oriana can do." He noticed Mac's questioning expression and explained, "She's a sprite who lives around here somewhere."
"I see; for sprites, that gift comes much more naturally." Macklin glanced at the fretful dogs and then back to Brody. "As I said, I think it unfair for your pets to be distressed on their own land while guests walk about freely. They feel trespassed upon, and cannot protect you as they would wish. To settle any unsaid concerns of your own, I vow that Mix and I come here in peace and goodwill. With your consent, I would like to pass that sentiment along to your fine pets."
Brody became cautious. Kate saw both his reaction and his nimbus; she faced Mac directly and said, "In the past, the dogs have been manipulated with a fauna gift, more than once and without our permission. I ask for your word that you'd do as you requested and nothing more."
Macklin glanced at Kate, and then back up to Brody, hoping to make them understand the sincerity of his intention. "I vow to only soothe your pets' worries, letting them know that we are friends; Mix and I will react to them with the same respect that their masters would offer."
Brody looked at Kate; a moment later, she looked up at him and nodded, signaling that the fae was being honest. Brody then nodded once to Mac as a sign of permission.
Resting a hand on Mix's head, Macklin faced the dogs in silence. Within a few seconds, all of them relaxed, but were still anxious to be near their master and take in the new scents. Kate walked back and opened the gate, and the dogs sprinted out. While Pearl only wanted Jane's attention, Honey and Keller began trading sniffs with the big dog that made them look small.
Brody and Kate took quiet pleasure in seeing their pets in a calmer state. They glanced at Jane, who was kissing Pearl on the nose, and then over to Mac, who was gazing at them with a strange grin. Frowning, but with his own smile, Brody simply asked, "What?"
Macklin shook his head once and then answered. "It feels very strange to be completely open with humans. I am of course breaching the Enigma, but as I am to understand that you two are immune, in one way or another, to your memories being altered - as Aldritch has explained - then I am not sure if I am to be held accountable or not. In any matter, there is a wild freedom to it that I am unaccustomed to. I would suspect that most other fae would feel the same."
Slightly confused, Brody said, "Well, uh, good, I guess, right? Hey, let's all get out of the cold and we can all talk a bit more over breakfast before I have to take off later. I don't know about anyone else, but I'm starving."
"I've worked up quite an appetite as well," Kate said with a smile.
As a group, they all walked back to the cottage. After Kate opened the front door, she and Jane followed the dogs in. Brody held the door open for Mac, who abruptly stopped on the welcome mat. He looked up at Brody and formally asked, "Am I welcome in your home?"
Brody somehow knew that the question wasn't just said out of manners or etiquette; it had meaning. He replied with words that suddenly came to mind. "As long as you mean well here and would come to the defense of those offering sanctuary, you are welcome."
He had no idea where those words came from, but they felt ceremonial and proper. And, he thought as he followed Mac inside, it sounded sort of cool.