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Freya patted her hand. “These things have a way of working out, Ella. You can stay here as long as you need to. The fae are welcoming to humans who have special abilities. They will be able to help you with your magic.”
“And Mananan sure as shit isn’t going to let you go any time soon,” Chrissy chuckled. Freya shot her a warning look.
“What? What’s going on?” Ella asked.
“Nothingis going on except that Mananan is courting you, and the fae take that sort of thing seriously.”
Ella’s brow went up. “He is courting me?”
Both women burst out laughing.
“Definitely. The fae love to give presents, and Mananan gave you one that ensured that your magic doesn’t ruin the moment when he seduces the pants off of you,” Chrissy said. She leaned forward. “But has he? Seduced your pants off?”
“It was my top actually,” Ella replied, going bright red. She’d never had girlfriends to talk about such things with. They were both cackling. “We are taking it slow because I’m sensitive to touch.”
Freya grinned. “How delicious. If a man can make you come just by playing with your tits, it makes you wonder what he can do with the rest of you.”
Ella covered her face with her hands and groaned. “Don’t even start. He said he was going to go slow until I begged, and now, I want to do anything but go slow.”
Chrissy fanned herself with a napkin. “These fae boys sure know how to get the heart racing, even the grumpy ones.”
“Mananan’s not really grumpy, not with me,” Ella said, needing the subject change. “He’s sweet.”
That made them laugh really hard. “I’m sure he’s sharing his particular brand of sweetness with the nearest nest of horde creatures he can find,” Freya replied, wiping her eyes.
24
Ella sat in a hot pool deep under the castle. Freya had showed her where the sauna and pool were and had instructed her to use them for as long as she needed. She had left her with a robe, a pamper pack, and a bottle of wine. Freya and Chrissy had assured her that was exactly what she needed after such a stressful day.
Ella already felt better about the lighthouse, just from talking it out with them. They understood in a way she hadn’t expected. Neither one of them had tried to tell her she had an obligation to her family to go back.
She had so many good memories being at the lighthouse, but it was surrounded by all the horrible ones from trying to grow up in such an intolerant small town. Amongst the fae, her abilities didn’t make her a freak. It might end up being the best thing that had ever happened to her.
Ella rested her head against the lip of the hot pool and realized she was wrong. Sitting in the steaming waterwasthe best thing that had ever happened to her. She traced her fingers over the pearl and silver pendant. Touching it reassured and soothed her.
Mananan said he would be back tonight. You just need to be patient.
She knew he could handle himself, especially when he was using Fragarach, but it didn’t stop the pit of worry growing within herself. She had lost everything that day; she couldn’t lose him as well.
“Don’t think about it,” she groaned, staring at the roof.
“Think about what?" a deep voice asked. Mananan was standing on the other side of the room, watching her.
“Fuck! You scared the hell out of me,” she complained and then laughed. “I was thinking about where you were, and I was worrying about you.”
Mananan was wet, his clothes sticking to him in exciting ways. He had black horde creature blood all over him and had a wild look in his eyes. Ella froze in the water. Mananan was still hunting.
“Are you hurt?" she asked, her mouth going dry.
“Not a scratch. How are you feeling about everything?”
Ella wiped some steam from her face. “Better. I had a talk with Chrissy and Freya, and it helped a lot.”
“Glad to hear it. Do you want some company in there?” he asked, his smile turning predatory.
Ella hastily took another mouthful of her wine, pushing down her nerves. “Yes, I want your company.”
Mananan stalked out of the shadows. He took off his swords and knives, placing them down on one of the stone benches. Ella didn’t look away as he pulled of his wet shirt, and she got a full view of his scarred, tattooed body. A scattering of dark hair covered his muscled chest and trailed deliciously to the band of his jeans.
