LIAM DOWNED HALF of his third cup of whiskey and tried to remain cordial as his second-in-command joined him, Cian, and Dúghlas, and they discussed what their next move should be. It was no easy task considering what Cian had shared with him. The connection he and Shannon undoubtedly had in their previous life. The immense sadness both had felt.
If that weren’t enough, it seemed Shannon had sent Riona to her death.
He wasn’t sure what upset him more. That Shannon had been capable of such or that Riona had been the victim of it. He might not have romantic feelings for Riona, but he cared a great deal for her. She had become a good friend in little time. Close enough, even, that he loved her like the sister he never had.
So it was safe to say he was more than a little unsettled now.
While he knew Shannon wasn’t to blame in this life, he could admit to feeling anger toward her. Confusion. A need to understand things she couldn’t answer yet. That didn't stop him from feeling more than mere attraction, though, when he caught sight of her coming downstairs with Madison.
Her hair fell below her shoulders in thick, silky waves, haloing her luminescent face and her dress accentuated her lush curves. To be expected, every hot-blooded man in the room noticed as well.
“Hell.” Dúghlas clasped him on the shoulder. “I know ye intend to sample her and move on but ‘twill be a mighty feat. Even for ye, laddie.”
“’Twill be easy enough,” he lied because he feared his friend was right. “’Tis only a matter of time before....”
“Before what?” Dúghlas prompted with amusement when Liam couldn’t quite push the words past his lips. He was going to say before he moved on to the next, but his magic, of all things, made the potential lie too hard to tell.
He narrowed his eyes at that. Why would his own magic block him from saying whatever he pleased? His magic was as much a part of him as his cock. Just as bloody integral, too.
“I’m leaving my sister in your capable hands, King Liam.” A small knowing smile curled Madison’s mouth when she and Shannon joined them. “I have to go, but Riona and likely King Declán will join you soon.” She gave him a look when she must have seen his expression darken. “Declán, who, as you well know, was never an enemy, to begin with. Declán, who is married to and loves my sister Riona dearly.”
He heard well the warning in her voice and offered a dry smile in response. “But, of course, Queen Madison.”
He knew Declán only ever acted on behalf of Ireland and Riona, but that didn’t lessen the sting of what he had done. Cian’s warriors, who died at the hands of Declán’s possessed warriors, had been his friends too. Though all had ended well, he still felt without closure. Still felt anger.
“’Tis to be expected,”Cian said telepathically, following his thoughts if not the look on his face. He gave him a warning look Liam couldn’t mistake.“But he is to be forgiven. ’Tis the only way we brothers can move forward together so we can rescue Aodh.”
“Ye mean so Shannon can rescue him,”he cut back, cursing his sudden dark mood.“For she seems more intent to save himthan accomplish anything else despite the fact he’s likely happy right where he is with Siobhán.”He disregarded the sketch Riona had done of his miserable dragon and took another swig of whiskey. Loathed for a flicker of a moment that Aodh was lucky enough to be by the enemy's side. That he’d won her affections in the end.“He no doubt turns traitor as we speak and wishes to remain right where he is”
He sensed rather than saw Cian’s building frustration. How he bit back what he wanted to say. Yet he said enough for Liam to take notice of where his mind had gone so easily when truly, he couldn't care less where the enemy's affections lay nowadays. Not after all the havoc she had caused.
“Ye’ll want to soon see clearly how much hold Siobhán still has over ye, little brother,”Cian finally said.“If ye do not, ye’ll lose what is standing right in front of ye.”
That said, Cian bid farewell to everyone and left with Madison to see her safely to the future. Meanwhile, Shannon seemed to have made herself right at home chatting—or was it flirting?—with Dúghlas and Conall. While tempted to let several lasses hovering nearby join him so he could flirt just as readily, gesturing them over seemed impossible. As difficult as saying he’d enjoy Shannon and move on had been minutes before.
“Hell,” he cursed under his breath, only to find his gaze had wandered to Shannon’s plump cleavage. Which might have been one thing if she was staring back at him knowingly because she caught him in the act but nay. She was flirting away with the other two. And mayhap even batting her lashes if he didn’t know better?
Enough was enough.
Fueled by unfamiliar jealousy, he pushed past whatever this was and welcomed the closest lass, Mór, over. Having bedded her often, he considered her a good friend, so she made the most sense. When she joined him, he put an arm around hershoulders and tucked her against his side. He cared naught how it looked to his people. As it were, it was not said that love needed to exist betwixt him, an unknown king, and the druidess who helped him.
In his opinion, it was better that it didn’t.
Where he thought Shannon might show discontent or even a flash of jealousy, she did no such thing. Rather she seemed nonplussed as she kept making eyes at a man more than twice her age and Liam’s damned second-in-command. It seemed no good deed went unpunished, or she’d be flirting with Liam, given he had protected her in another century for the greater part of a week.
He knew his thinking was astray and lacking direction, yet still. He couldn't seem to stop feeling how he did, whether it was an uncomfortable twinge of jealousy over Siobhán and Aodh or Shannon and every man who dared flirt with her.
“’Tis good to have ye home, m’lord,” Mór purred, bringing him back to the here and now. “I have missed ye.” As she tended to do, she wasted no time cutting to the chase. “Yet it seems ye’ve been keepin’ busy enough.” She expressed no jealousy. Only curiosity when she eyed Shannon. “She’s the one,ta? Our druidess is the one ye’ve talked to in yer sleep over the years? The one that—”
He didn’t let her finish her sentence for two reasons. First, he didn’t want Shannon overhearing. Second, Shannon continued showing no interest in how affectionate he was with Mór, so he pulled her into his arms more firmly and gave her a proper kiss hello.
A nicelongproper kiss hello.
“I am not so sure ye’re having the effect ye were hoping for, lad,” Dúghlas eventually said out of the corner of his mouth, chuckling. “But then, what do I know?”
Liam ended the kiss only to find Conall and Shannon making their way to the head table. As far as he could tell, she seemed oblivious to what he had done. Completely unaware as she offered Conall a far-too-stunning smile when he held out a chair for her across from Liam’s.
“I like her, m’lord.” Mór chuckled and winked. “We all do.”
