Glamoured (Shadow Beast Shifters Book 6)
Glamoured: Chapter 21

I moved faster than should be possible, like the human women who somehow lift cars off their children in times of panic and fear. In this second, I felt like I could lift this damn world to get to my daughter.

“Enough!” Len bellowed, and the lights ceased their glow. At this point I was all but pressed into him, wrapping my hands around Tabitha to examine her.

“Is she okay?” I cried, not seeing anything wrong. She had stopped crying the moment the lights faded, and was once again waving her hands, looking as content as anything.

Len captured my flailing hands. He held them both, his palm large enough to contain them. “She’s fine. Tyrin’s burst of energy triggered the crystals into reacting. They shine brighter for royals, but I usually stop them before they flare when I approach. The energy would have felt odd for Tabitha, stirring up her fae side. She only reacted in shock.”

Tyrin, who was still standing, blinking, stunned, shook his head. “I apologize. It was not my intentions, but brother, you must tell us how this happened!” Without waiting for an answer, he reached out and extracted one of my hands from Len, kissing it gently. “Mother of fae children. You are a gift from the gods.”

Len’s chest rumbled, which I only knew because I was semi-plastered to him still. As I removed myself from both of them, I wondered if my face was as red as the heat in my body suggested.

“Last. Fucking. Warning,” Len bit out. “Don’t test me.”

“She’s exquisite,” Tyrin said with a smile, but made no attempt to touch me again. “You cannot expect me to ignore such a precious gem.”

“I can and I do,” was the reply.

Tyrin held both hands up, his shit-eating smile returning once more. “Okay, so how about you tell me why there’s a shifter and a half-fae child here. Spill or I’ll fight for their honor.”

He produced a sword from somewhere, and I subconsciously found myself stepping between him and Tabitha. For all of three seconds before I was whirled behind the prince.

Tabby was in my arms in the next second, and I was once again witnessing all the fury that Len could bring. Meanwhile, Tyrin was still grinning, the sword relaxing in his hand, before it vanished just as quickly. “Come on, Len. You know I’d never strike at you. I just wanted to see how far the beast had come from its cage. Quite far by the looks.”

From what I could see, the silver prince relaxed, but a buzz of his energy remained across my skin. “Word of warning,” Len said, feral in his tone. “Until we sort out whatever sorcery has caused me to lose time with my child, and leave Tabitha and Samantha undefended, it’s best that no one comes too close to either of them.”

I’d be lying to myself if I didn’t admit to a tinge of disappointment that his protectiveness might just be about the mystery. It wouldn’t surprise me to replace my feelings were deeper. He was a fae prince after all, and I was just a shifter.

“They have my protection too,” Tyrin stated, standing taller again. “My sword is yours. You know that. I will stand between all harm and your family.”

Len reached out and Tyrin met him halfway. They clasped hands, or more like forearms, in a handshake of sorts. “I will let you know everything as soon as we have answers,” Len told him. “For now, can you advise the others that Fredrick is sending his guards out to ensure everyone is at a meeting three days from now. They’re readying to sever the Great Queen’s line faster than anticipated.”

In a blink, the relaxed Tyrin was gone, replaced by a fearsome warrior. It was a similar transformation to that of Len when he iced out, and it was both fascinating and terrifying to witness. These fae lulled you into a false sense of calm and security before they brought forth their beast and ripped you in two. And so quickly, that I wouldn’t be surprised if you were still smiling as you died, not even realizing what happened.

Not a race of beings to be underestimated.

“I will inform the queen,” Tyrin said. “Then we will call on our allies to form a strong front when we stand against them in three days”

Len nodded. “Thank you.”

Tyrin nodded decisively, before turning to me. “My lady, you take care, and we’ll catch up soon.”

Len smacked him hard across the back of the head, and Tyrin just howled with laughter. He went from jokester to scary bastard so effortlessly that I was impressed. He wandered off then and I focused on Len. “He’s an interesting character,” I said, hugging Tabitha closer, enjoying her in my arms once more.

He nodded. “Tyrin and I have been through a lot. Almost as much as I’ve been through with my other brothers. I’ve been lucky to replace such a strong family unit.”

“You have,” I acknowledged immediately. “As a shifter, all I’ve ever wanted is a strong pack, and it’s the same hope I have for Tabitha.”

Len’s stare was intense. “You both have a family now, no matter what the suppressed memories reveal to us.”

In one sentence he hit on a fear that I hadn’t even consciously allowed myself to acknowledge. The fear that when we figured out our secrets, and the reasons for the Faerie glamour, that it might destroy this fragile family unit we’d been building. Len’s words were reassuring, but at the same time there was no true way to predict what we’d discover and how it would impact us all.

“We should continue,” Len said softly, distracting me right when I needed it. “You look drained. It’s been a long day and I want to get you settled and rested before we attempt to break the glamour.”

As if he’d gave me permission to feel it, every iota of exhaustion crashed into me, and I held Tabitha a little tighter, to ensure I didn’t drop her. “I am rather tired,” I admitted, forcing myself to straighten. Len had this way about him that allowed me to express weaknesses without making me feel weak for them.

Before I could say another word, he leaned down and wrapped his arms around me, lifting me wedding-style. Tabitha let out a low squeal, clearly excited by the chance to ride in both her parents’ arms, but I was freaking the fuck out. “Put us down!” I demanded. “I can fucking walk.”

Just when I thought he would allow me my weakness without making me feel weak.

The arrogant bastard straight up ignored me, striding forward with the same ease and grace of his normal walk, and I was too scared to fight his hold in case Tabitha got hurt or dropped in the process. My mouth worked perfectly fine though. “Seriously. I’m not kidding. I don’t need to be carried. I’m only here so you can bond with your daughter and help with my fucking memory loss, not to be carried around like a baby.”

He didn’t slow, stepping us onto a particular large reven bridge. On the other side I caught sight of a giant mansion—Len’s home no doubt—but there was no time to examine it outside of noting that it was dark, with slate and stone accents. Not a lot of silver details for a silver prince.

“Put me down, you fucking asshole!” I snapped again.

His hold tightened and he moved faster. “Anyone ever tell you that you have a dirty mouth,” he smirked. “Tabitha’s first word is going to be fuck, just like Aurora’s.”

He wasn’t wrong, and I knew I should try to curb the language around my daughter, but seriously. “This is kidnapping, Winter!”

Heat caressed me briefly, and I wondered if it was a reaction to the nickname.

“Are you sure you consider this kidnapping?” he asked softly.

I had to swallow hard to speak around the lump in my throat. In truth, it probably couldn’t be considered kidnapping when one: you weren’t a kid, and two: you kinda wanted to be ‘napped by them. Which sounded so much dirtier than intended.

Unable to fight back, I just held my daughter, who was apparently still enjoying the ride if her little smile was any indication, and fumed internally. This fae bulldozed through my composure and knocked down my barriers—barriers that were in place for a damn good reason.

I’d already near lost myself to someone more powerful than me this week, and I had no intentions of doing it again, no matter how appealing the second someone was.

Len continued toward the large dwelling and I noted there were no gates or barriers. No doubt no one risked his wrath by trespassing on his territory. When we reached the front door, it did the usual and opened without his touch. There was a reason he was arrogant. Confident. Powerful as fuck. Whatever you wanted to call it.

Inside, the space was light and airy, without any of the darker aspects of the exterior styling. High ceilings, and a set of stairs in the center of white marble floors, indicated that there was at least another level above.

“You’ll have your own area,” Len assured me as he strode toward the stairs and ascended like he wasn’t carrying an extra hundred and fifty pounds of shifter and child. Bastard wasn’t even breathing heavily—Wait, was he breathing at all?

“I’d appreciate my own space, thank you,” I replied stiffly.

“When you’re done resting, there’ll be a royal dinner to attend,” he continued. “You must be introduced to the court. That way, everyone is aware of your status and will give you the support befitting your position. After, we’ll work on the memories.”

“Royal dinner?” I shot back. “Last minute addition?”

He just shot me a slow smile, and I shook my head. I’d worry about the dinner later. First came rest. Maybe after a nap I wouldn’t care that I’d be meeting the Silver Land’s royal court in jeans and plain shirt. I mean, it wasn’t as if they’d expect anything more from a shifter, so I might as well live up to it.

“Where have you gone?” Len asked, startling me from my thoughts.

Focusing again, I noticed that we’d arrived in a bedroom. A gorgeous bedroom, in a shade of green that was a lighter version of my eye color. The room was dominated by a large bed, with bedding in varying shades of green, silver, and gold. There wasn’t much else in here, outside of a set of double doors that appeared to lead to a balcony, and another door through which I caught a glimpse of a white bathroom.

“Sam,” Len said, “are you okay?”

Shit, right. I hadn’t answered his question from before.

“Yes. Yes, I’m totally fine. I was just mentally laughing about showing up to your royal dinner in my jeans—making my usual bad impression on the world.”

At the bed, Len lowered me gently to my feet. My legs were weaker than expected, so I mostly sat on the side of the bed, keeping Tabitha in my lap. The fae prince crouched down so he was near eye level with me, his expression bleeding sincerity. “Leave that worry to me. For now, get some rest. I won’t go far in case we trigger the glamour and lose this time as well, but I can give you privacy. I’ll return later with food.”

He always thought of everything, and I still had no idea how to deal with being cared for. “Thanks,” I said, a yawn cutting me off as my true exhaustion hit once more.

I owed Len a hell of a lot already, and it scared me to know how deep into his world I was falling. Even the demanding part of his personality was growing on me.

Secretly, deep down, it was probably the part I liked the most.