Lauren spoke up. “Don’t worry. I won’t leave for a couple of hours. We can sit around and gossip like old times for a little while. I’m sure you guys are tired after the long day, anyway, right?”
“I’m beat,” Anna agreed. She smiled. “Plus, I have to practice what I preach. If Tommy was here, I would want to do the same thing.”
As long as Lauren could remember, Anna always tried to keep the peace because she couldn’t stand confrontations. While grateful that Anna didn’t give her a hard time, Lauren also knew Anna wouldn’t put a guy before them—not even the love of her life.
And over it all, she was annoyed at Tristen for insisting. Maybe she should just stay home instead of jumping every time he called.
Lauren hurried into the black night, her ballet flats tapping gently on the concrete as she made her way to her car. She’d left only after making sure Anna and Keegan were sound asleep, sharing the bed in the guest room. It was already after midnight; Tristen wasn’t going to be happy.
As she’d been told, she whipped out her phone as soon as she was seated in the silence of her car and shot off a quick text: on my way. She flicked on her headlights and pulled out of her spot.
As she made her way down the highway, oblivious to the lights of the city as they flew past her, she lost herself in thoughts of what they had encountered in the other dimension. They had discussed it only briefly during dinner, and neither Keegan nor Anna had any answers as to what they had come up against.
Lauren couldn’t help but wonder how many other dimensions existed that they were unaware of. The image of that creepy alien, dead eyes staring inside a bloody circle…she couldn’t get it out of her mind. It was like something out of The X-Files.
The world gets freakier by the day, she thought with a laugh. But if fairies, elves, and witches existed, then it only made sense there were other life forms out there. Were there more of that kind of creature in that dimension? And why would someone want to kill it in such an evil manner?
A thought struck her. Maybe it was evil, too.
Lauren shuddered, thankful they had made it out alive. As far as she was concerned, she was done with that place. If Calvron wanted to go back, that was all on him, but, somehow, she doubted that he would. She’d seen the fear in his face when the mist came out—she’d never seen him look like that before.
Lauren almost missed her turn. Hitting her blinker, she jerked the wheel and hit the off-ramp at the last second, the adrenaline making her heart pound. Maybe she was more tired than she thought.
She pulled into the drive for Tristen’s neighborhood. The guard peered out of the gatehouse, giving her a bright smile and a tip of his hat as he opened the gate to admit her car.
As she navigated the streets, her body ached for Tristen’s. Just the thought of seeing him made her toes tingle. Mentally and emotionally, she was exhausted from the day and wanted nothing more than to collapse into her warm bed, but just imagining his lips on hers kept the nose of her car pointed to his house.
Anyway, it was easier to appease Tristen than make him angry. She really did want to see him. She felt…off when they didn’t see each other daily. Keegan and Anna hadn’t seemed to care too much after they got back to Lauren’s apartment and, even if they did, they’d get it over it.
She’d received a text from Tristen earlier that she shouldn’t bother to ring the bell, just to come in; he would leave the door open. She parked in her usual spot and leapt from the car, practically running up the stone pathway.
The rich, familiar scent of Alfonso’s pizza hit her as she walked through the front door, bringing a wide smile to her face. Tristen rose from the couch, a lock of his black hair falling over one eye as he strode across the room to greet her. He gave her the same devilish smile that she could never resist.
Her tension disappeared when he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her body to his. She savored the sweet taste of his warm kiss, his lips soft and his hands sliding over her back. She turned to liquid, melting into him, and everything that had happened that day evaporated.
Tristen took her hand, gently pulling her to the living room. The box of pizza sat unopened on the coffee table along with two glasses of soda. “I thought you might be hungry.” He flipped open the box, exposing the cheesy goodness.
She and the girls had eaten sandwiches and a bunch of junk food, but the smell alone returned her appetite. It wasn’t like she could resist pizza.
Lauren sank into the leather couch and grabbed a slice. She closed her eyes as the burst of flavors flooded her mouth. Just what she needed. Resting her head against Tristen’s shoulder, she didn’t speak until the first slice was gone.
“Thank you.” Lauren grabbed her soda and smiled.
Tristen grinned playfully. “I learned early on that the way to your heart is through your stomach.”
“That’s true with all faeries,” she agreed, reaching for another slice. She could seriously eat all day long.
“So. Fill me in on your time with your friends.” She could hear the disapproval in his voice.
Lauren groaned at the reminder of her crazy day. “You don’t want to know.”
“Of course I do.”
“Don’t start about Calvron, okay? I’m too tired to fight.”
His jaw clenched, a vein pulsing in his forehead, but he nodded his head once.
“Keegan and Anna wanted to see the guys, so we met up and went to what we thought was one of Calvron’s invented worlds.” She paused, wondering if she should tell him. She remembered her little white lie earlier, about being in Calvron’s world—but maybe Tristen wouldn’t.
“What do you mean ‘thought’?” he asked, his jaw tightening again.
“It wasn’t invented,” Lauren said quietly. “Calvron found a real dimension.”
He picked up his soda and took a drink before answering, his voice dangerous. “So when you told me on the phone that you were in Calvron’s world while I called, you lied to me?”
“No, I really thought it was Calvron’s at first,” she rushed to answer. “Honestly. And I knew I would tell you about it later, so it was just easier to wait than to try to tell you on the phone. This place was a real world.”
Tristen sat up straighter, his soda can perched on his knee. “What do you mean?”
“I know it’s sounds crazy, but it’s true. Calvron’s done all sorts of tests on the air quality. He says it’s livable for humans.”
“Where is it?” Tristen’s voice sounded strange, like he was trying to act casual but failing. His eyes bored deep into her; even his fingers were clenched on the can.
What is his deal?
Calvron’s warning echoed through Lauren’s mind; she knew without a doubt that she shouldn’t tell Tristen anything else. He was way too interested.
But she did anyway. She told him everything.
When she was done, his eyes turned distant and thoughtful. “It’s not safe,” Lauren repeated. “We won’t be going back.”
“What do you mean ‘it’s not safe’?”
“There was some kind of dead creature there that was killed by black magick. We got out of there as soon as we came across it. Tristen, it was really freaky.”
Tristen kept quiet for a moment, his eyes studying her face. “What kind of creature?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. It looked like an alien—green, with big eyes.”
“Could you tell how it died?” he asked urgently.
Lauren raised an eyebrow. He was really starting to freak her out. “Why do you care? I’m telling you, there is evil there, and it’s dangerous. I just want to forget about it.”
Tristen sprang up from the couch. He looked like a coiled animal ready to strike as he paced the room. He was trying to keep control—she’d seen it before, often, when something was upsetting him. She found it odd that he didn’t seem concerned about the fact she’d almost died. Usually, he would have cursed Calvron up and down for putting her in danger.
>
He whipped around to look at her, his hands clasped behind his back. “Can you show me where it is?”
Lauren thought about it for a moment. “Calvron’s the only one that can open and close it, as far as I know.”
His eyes bored into hers. He looked desperate, which scared her. So fast she barely saw it happen, Tristen came forward and grabbed her by the arms. “Yes, but do you know the exact location?”
“No!” she burst out, struggling to get away from his grasp. “Calvron found it through a dimension he made up. There is no way I could show it to you,” she lied, guilt filling her. She hated being dishonest with the man she loved, but something inside told her that Tristen couldn’t know the location.
“Calvron.” Tristen spat in disgust, letting go of her arms so that she fell back against the couch cushions. “Maybe I will start going with you to hang out with your friends.”
Great. Now he wanted to hang out with her friends. There was no way Calvron would ever show Tristen—or anyone else—the location after what had happened.
“Can we just drop it? Please?” Lauren begged, standing to reach for him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her lips to his.
His body tensed for a minute, but as she deepened the kiss, he relented. His arms encircled her waist, dragging her closer.
As she led him towards the bedroom, she gave thanks for the power of being a woman.
Chapter 14
“How much longer do we have till we go to Tristen’s?” Keegan yelled from the bathroom.
Lauren cradled her steaming coffee mug between both hands, blowing on the surface as she flicked her eyes to the clock on the microwave. “Twenty minutes. Plenty of time to make yourself gorgeous.”
“I don’t know if that’s enough time!” Keegan’s voice bordered on hysterical. “Half my hair is straight and the other curly. Can you come in and finish for me? Please?”
Anna, sitting across the table eating a peanut butter sandwich behind her laptop, smirked over the open lid. “You are the best with hair.”
Rolling her eyes, Lauren stood up, taking her coffee with her. “Keegan is just a drama queen.”
“True dat,” Anna said into her glass of milk. Lauren laughed at the ridiculous phrase. Anna could be so quirky.
Lauren smiled to herself as she made her way down the hall to the bathroom. Keegan had always been a mess, the last one ready no matter how much advance notice she had. Anyone else would be annoying, but somehow, Keegan made it charming.
Keegan’s citrusy perfume drifted from the open bathroom doorway, reminding Lauren of their high school days. Life was simpler back then, when they only worried about what accessories to wear with their school uniforms and where they could go on Saturday. Now she had to worry about a jealous boyfriend, black magick, and alien creatures.
Keegan stood forlornly in front of the mirror, the straightener in one hand and a lock of auburn hair in the other. She hadn’t been lying—half of her hair was literally stick-straight and the other half a curly mass.
“What am I going to do with you?” Lauren joked, taking the straightener from her best friend’s hand. As she slid the ceramic tiles over Keegan’s hair, Lauren glanced at her friend in the mirror.
She hadn’t changed much, even though she was a married woman. Lauren would have thought it was insane to get married at such a young age, but it was just the way the elves did things, and it definitely seemed to work out for them. Elven families were awesome—unlike Lauren’s own family, who were constantly at each other’s throats. Growing up, Lauren had always longed for a more stable home. Her parents fought all the time and she had four brothers and sisters, plus two cousins her parents raised. Never a dull moment in her household, that was for sure. She occasionally missed the chaos of home, but not very often.
“Where’s Anna?” Keegan asked.
“She’s talking to Tommy online. You know it doesn’t take her long to get ready.”
“Must be nice,” Keegan said with a harried sigh.
“She seems to be crazy about Tommy. I’m happy for her.” She sprayed heat protector on Keegan’s curly hair, then positioned the straightener again. “He’s not going to hurt her, is he? She’s so sensitive.”
“I don’t think so,” Keegan replied, applying shimmery pink lip gloss to her full lips as she spoke. “They’re cute together. Tommy thinks she walks on water, and Anna seems more relaxed and confident since she met him.”
Lauren wondered what it would be like to date someone who thought so highly of her. Tristen definitely didn’t think she walked on water. Most of the time, he seemed to consider her more a possession than a person.
She pushed the negative thought aside. Of course Tristen loved her. Calvron must be getting to me.
“I wish Rourk was here. It feels wrong that I’m going to a party, and he’s overseas doing who knows what.” Keegan leaned forward to swipe mascara on her eyelashes.
“You know he’s loving it. That’s what he does. He’s a warrior.” Lauren waited until Keegan leaned back before she continued. With the way her luck had been lately, she would have probably burned her.
As Lauren tugged the last of her hair through the hot ceramic, Keegan’s shoulders slumped. “I know. You’re right. Why couldn’t my chosen have been a healer or something?”
Lauren’s laugh filled the small room. “Sure, like you’d be happy with that. You love that your man is all sexy and dangerous.”
Keegan’s face twisted into a mischievous look, then dropped to a frown. “He is sexy. I just miss him so much.”
“Well, he would want you to have a good time,” Lauren told her, unplugging the straightener. “So just enjoy yourself tonight.”
Music greeted them as they climbed the steps to Tristen’s place. Lauren didn’t bother to ring the bell; no one would hear it. She pushed through the front door and stopped short, flabbergasted. Tristen had turned his home into a night club. In the corner of the large family room, a cooler of dry ice filled the room with a smoky haze. Strobe lights threw a rainbow of colors over the mass of half-naked bodies dancing across the living room floor. Beautiful girls swayed to the thumping of the music, sweat glistening off their skin as a slurry of attractive males stood by, lust in their eyes. Energy pulsed throughout the room as beautiful creatures of the light and dark partied together.
Scanning the room, Lauren searched for Tristen, but the place was too crowded. She tugged her phone from her pocket and texted him to let him know they were there. Moments later, he sauntered up to them, oozing confidence and bravado. She found that so attractive in him.
Tristen grabbed Lauren’s hand and led her through the pulsing crowd in the living room, up the stairs and into the kitchen, then out the back door into the brisk night. Keegan and Anna stayed close behind.
A full moon hung low in the sky, bright white and pocked with craters. The palm trees in Tristen’s backyard swayed in the breeze; it smelled of tropical flowers and the sea.
“It’s too loud in there to make a proper introduction,” Tristen explained. He held out his hand to Anna. “Lauren talks about you two all the time. It’s wonderful to finally put faces to the names.”
Lauren watched as Anna shook his hand, and he moved on to Keegan. The girls gave him a once-over, their eyes approving. Tonight, Tristen wore a white oxford shirt with the sleeves rolled up and opened at the chest, along with a pair of loose jeans. He looked confident and relaxed.
“We’ve heard a lot about you, too,” Keegan said, and Anna nodded in agreement.
“That’s quite the party you have going on,” Anna said, glancing over her shoulder into the house.
Tristen shrugged. “Just a few friends.”
“I can count my friends on two hands.” Keegan laughed. “You must be pretty popular.”
“They just like the free food.” Tristen winked. “Alright, let’s get back inside so you guys can enjoy the evening. Hopefully, we’ll get to spend more time together before you go ba
ck home.”
He turned to Lauren. “I need to speak to Galen for a moment. I’ll find you guys in a bit. I booked your favorite DJ.” He kissed her softly on the lips, and then made his way back inside.
“So…” Lauren said nervously. She realized just how important their opinions were to her. “What’d you think?”
Anna fanned herself playfully. “He’s even hotter in person.”
“He seems nice,” Keegan offered.
Lauren let out a breath and smiled. “I’m so glad you guys like him.”
“Calvron didn’t seem to be a fan.” Keegan looked at Lauren with a question in her eyes. “I’ve never seen Calvron openly dislike someone so much. What did Tristen do to him?”
Lauren crossed her arms firmly across her chest. “He didn’t do anything to him. They barely know each other. I really don’t know what his problem is, but I wish he’d knock it off.” Anger had risen into her throat, and she focused on taking a couple of quick breaths to level herself. “Let’s just get back inside.”
Lauren could tell they were thinking, Yeah, right, but they just looked at each other and shrugged, following her into the house.
The music vibrated through Lauren’s chest. They couldn’t fight the energy surrounding them once they stepped inside. They joined the rest of the party on the dance floor and smiled goofily at each other. It had been a long time since they had let loose like they used to. Lauren was glad they came to visit.
After a solid half hour of dancing and sweating, Keegan leaned over and yelled in Lauren’s ear, “I’ll be right back.” She took off into the crowd.
Knowing Keegan, she was looking for something to eat. Lauren shook her head at Anna, who just shrugged.
Turn around. The extremely loud thought was not her own. Lauren whipped around, startled to find herself face to face with Galen. His ruggedly handsome face was enough to make her knees weak, and she hated herself for it. Ignoring her wildly beating heart, she forced a laugh. “You were in my head?”