Bramble Burn Page 23

  His gaze turned fierce. “I won’t do that. I want an equal, a partner who wants to be with me because it’s what she chose. I’m patient; I can wait.”

  She pulled away. “You did seduce me.”

  “But everything that happened was your choice. Believe me, I’m very, very happy about it. I love making love to you.”

  “That wasn’t…technically, we didn’t.” Her face was hot, and he was making other things heat, too.

  “Depends on your definition,” he said, drawing her close. “But I’m willing to discuss it. Why don’t you tell me what you’d like to call it when I do this?”

  Chapter 13

  Juniper woke slowly. She felt unusually good, warm and relaxed. She must have slept very well, she decided. That was good, because yesterday had been…

  She sat up with a jolt and winced. Her body was tender, and she was naked under the sheets. Kjetil’s hair was wet and he was pulling on his shirt.

  “Good morning, baby,” he said in approval, his eyes caressing. “Your daddy will be here in an hour to pick up Gilly. You might want to shower; I don’t think he’s ready to smell me on you yet.”

  She gasped and bolted for the shower. If Indris smelled Kjetil and sex, he’d murder him. He wouldn’t even think; just splat!

  Kjetil laughed. He leaned in the doorway, sipping coffee. He must have started it before he had his shower. Had he walked around her house naked? Good thing Gilly was sealed in her room.

  As she started her second shampoo, her hands froze. “How do you know when my father will get here?”

  “I talked to him.”

  “When?”

  “Early. Gilly called and told him we mated. Naturally, he wanted to chat.”

  Her short hairs rose in horror. “What did you tell him?”

  “I told him it was your choice, of course. I want to marry you, but you have the right to refuse.”

  “Holy crap!” This was bad, bad. Her daddy knew she’d slept with a man (or whatever) and the man offered to marry her. Now if she refused, she’d look like a…

  She groaned, then swore as soap dripped in her eyes. “I’m going to kill you! No, wait. I’m going to kill Gilly. How could she?”

  “It’s not like she could help hearing. You’re a screamer, sweetheart.”

  She jerked open the shower door and snatched a towel, rubbing fiercely. “Laugh it up! Of course you’re calm. It’s not your father coming here. As far as he’s concerned, we’re mated now. Married! Do you get that? He’s going to treat you like my husband no matter what I say. How is that a choice?”

  He blocked her when she would have stormed into her room. He thrust the coffee cup into her hands. “I’m going to support you no matter what you want, Juniper. Do you want me to leave?”

  “No! I just…” Frustrated, she took a sip. “You used the good stuff.” The coffee she’d picked and roasted was precious, and she could hardly bring herself to brew any, guarding it like fifty year old Scotch.

  “The situation called for the good stuff. I knew you’d be stressed.” He stepped aside and let her get to her clothes. “You’re not trapped, Jun. I want you, I want to be your husband, but I’m not going to beat you or lock you up. I’m not even going to nag you. The only question here is, do you want me?”

  Her hands slowed as she tugged a shirt over her head. Grateful for the shield of clothes, she sat on her bed, socks dangling. “I don’t know. Maybe. I was imagining it, but I haven’t thought it through.”

  He nodded. “You’re rattled. I get it. Even if you’d been excited about the idea, this is sudden for you. Would a week be long enough to make up your mind?”

  “A week? You know some people take years to decide these things?”

  He rolled his eyes. “My parents dated for a month before they knew they were in love. Dad proposed, but they had to wait a year to marry, because she was seventeen. He was nineteen and had to get a good job and an apartment so they’d have a place to live. They’ve been married over fifty years and never regretted it. I grew up watching a good marriage, baby. I know how to make one work.”

  “Your parents are over fifty?” she asked, distracted. Neither looked over thirty. It was good to be a werewolf.

  He shook his head. “Focus, Jun. A week. I’m going to make breakfast.” He kissed her. “I worked up an appetite.”

  She dragged her eyes off his retreating backside, confused and tender in all the right places. A week? At this rate, he’d have her caving in a day. Blowing out a breath, she went in search of her brush and tamed her hair, throwing on dragon appropriate jewelry and a whisper of makeup. When she was presentable, she went to Gilly’s room and knocked before opening the door.

  Gilly had been sitting on her bed. Now she stood and crossed her arms. “Tired of playing jailer?”

  “You called Indris.”

  “And? You’re going to be showing in a few months anyway. Trust me, it’s better if he has warning.”

  “Actually, I won’t.” Juniper crossed her arms. “We didn’t do anything that will get me pregnant.”

  “I don’t care. You locked me up like a criminal. What, are you my mommy now?”

  “You’re right. You’re clearly up to Breaker’s weight. What was he going to do, smack you around like a puppy? Or did you think it would be you and me against him?”

  Gilly’s eyes glittered with temper. “You were right there with me until I objected to going to school.”

  “You crossed the line. I’m trained to defend that line. I won’t let our family be dragged into a feud because you got mouthy with an elder.”

  “Whatever.” Gilly walked toward the door, so Juniper turned and left first, robbing Gilly of the satisfaction of walking out.

  It wasn’t as if she wanted to keep Gilly trapped, anyway. There was no point.

  Kjetil made scrambled eggs with ham and biscuits, and the table was set. Juniper thanked him and grumpily loaded her plate.

  Gilly glared at her food as she devoured it, as if she wished it were something live she could disembowel. She was about half through when she smirked. “So, you two had a good time last night.”

  Juniper opened her mouth to say it was none of her business, but her wolf beat her to it.

  “Eat your breakfast. You have a long flight ahead of you today,” Kjetil said calmly as he sipped his coffee. He looked at Juniper. “I noticed you weren’t using crutches this morning.”

  Juniper blinked. She couldn’t see her knee through the table, so she rubbed it absently. It was a bit sore, but otherwise fine. “You’re right! I was so distracted, I didn’t notice. I guess the pool worked.”

  “Or something,” he murmured. He stood to get a refill and gave her a very satisfied kiss. It also drove home the point that he wasn’t ashamed of seducing her.

  “Ew,” Gilly muttered, stabbing her ham. “Get a room.”

  Slightly uncomfortable with the public display of affection, Juniper managed a smug smile. Yeah, she was an adult. She could make out with a guy if she wanted.

  A tingling at the gate wiped it away. Daddy was here.

  Kjetil glanced at her. “They’re here?”

  She swallowed even as she hastily cleared the table. “They’ll knock in a minute.”

  He stopped her as she turned away from the sink. “Easy, sweetheart. This is your home.”

  She sent him a desperate look. “You don’t understand.”

  He kissed her. “I do. I’m not going to abandon you.”

  The stylized Iron Oak knocker, a gift from Grigori’s family, rapped three times. Gilly got to her feet. She didn’t stand as close as usual, but she was by Juniper’s side when the door opened to admit three dragons.

  Indris looked grim as he entered, flanked by two unknown males. He looked at Kjetil, his gaze flat. “Guardian Turi, Guardian Sharz, I present my daughter Juniper and her mate, Lieutenant Kjetil Bjorn, son of the Northwest Pack leader.” He locked eyes with Juniper. This was her chance to correct him. If she let
this stand, she would be married in the eyes of all dragons. It was no accident that he’d brought two witnesses.

  She met the eyes of the man who was a second father to her and found she couldn’t hurt him. He’d sacrificed so much to see that Gilly grew up with all of the power and protection of his name. Even though she wasn’t pregnant, she knew he would expect the same honor for his grandchildren.

  She inclined her head.

  The pause lasted only seconds. Most likely, the strangers thought it was a rebuke to Gilly. When his heavy gaze landed on her, she stiffened, her chin going up, unconsciously baring her throat. “Gilly. You have five minutes to gather your things.”

  “May I offer you coffee? Tea? You have a long flight ahead of you.” Juniper didn’t think her father was in the mood to chat, but he surprised her. “Yes, thank you. Guardians, please wait outside. I need to speak with my daughter.”

  Indris waited until he had a hot beverage before speaking. “Are you happy with your choice, daughter?”

  Juniper shot a look at Kjetil. “You’re asking now?”

  “I can fix it if you aren’t.” He looked at Kjetil with the deadly countenance made famous by angry fathers.

  Juniper set her jaw. “It’s not like he forced me, Dad.”

  “Seduction is not force,” Indris agreed, “but it can get him just as dead.”

  “Don’t kill him! I could do that if I needed to,” she protested. “I’m not helpless, and I can make up my own mind. I’m old enough to marry if I want to.” She crossed her arms, aware she was sulking. She was feeling emotional, and with good reason, but she couldn’t put her finger on what was wrong. “I like him,” she admitted reluctantly. Aware it wasn’t enough, she added grudgingly, “A lot.”

  Kjetil stifled a snort.

  Even Indris looked amused. “Indeed. I suppose I could let him live, then.” He rose and kissed her temple. “You have my blessing.” He shook hands with Kjetil, his expression hard. “Take care of her or I will crush you.”

  “I would expect nothing less,” Kjetil agreed.

  “Tree mage here,” Juniper muttered. “But thanks, Dad.” She noticed Gilly stood nearby, her bag in hand.

  Indris took the bag. His daughter might be strong enough to carry a full grown man, but women didn’t carry things when he was around. He kissed her temple. “Are you ready?”

  Gilly looked surprised. “You’re not mad?”

  “I’m furious. However, this is a situation of my own making, and long overdue. You’ll do well at your new school.” He looked at Juniper. “I will visit in a few weeks and see how you’re getting on. Don’t forget to call.”

  Gilly hesitated, and then sighed. She hugged her sister. “I forgive you.”

  Juniper snorted and squeezed her back. “Try not to burn the place down, right? I’m not sure the Academy is ready for you.”

  Gilly smirked with a ghost of her old smile. “No one ever is.”

  Juniper waited until the dragons flew off and grabbed another cup of coffee. “I need to grow more trees by the walnut today. What about you?” She needed to work and forget about her family.

  “I’ll be on your security detail today. I’ve reduced the hours I’m working with F&R, so I can focus more on business, and that’s what I’ll do when you finish. After that, would you like to do something fun? There’s a Mad Hatter Festival at River Park today. We can stuff ourselves with junk food and watch the fire and light show.”

  She raised her brows. Elvish fireworks were always fun. “That sounds interesting.”

  “Great. I’ll get your escort ready. Mind packing a lunch for me, too?”

  “Sure.” She accepted his kiss and frowned as she assembled something to eat. Was she supposed to fall into a routine and accept the fact that he’d worked his way into her bed? She’d accepted him in front of Indris, but she felt unsettled. They’d done things out of order and clearly needed to talk, but not right now. She needed time to get her thoughts in order, and she needed to plant trees as fast as she could. Her deadline wasn’t going away, and she wouldn’t give the council an excuse to repossess the park.

  Except for some curious giant butterflies, the crystal-drop trees went up without a hitch. Hundreds of pretty crystals hung from the silvery-leaved tree, contrasting nicely with the pale bark. She admired the sparkling rainbows and gathered a few crystals to take home, along with more pens and brooms for the storage shed. Grigori’s family was still selling goods for her, so she’d send them home with him.

  The walnut was healthy and a packed dirt path led into the hollow, showing that it was a popular water source. Satisfied, she returned home and sought out Grigori.

  It was easy to find him. He was alone today, and three junker trucks, plus Grunt, were in his garage. He looked up when she came in, but kept working on his current project. She sat on a rolling stool and looked it over. “Looks like a big job. How’s business?”

  “It’s going all right. Heard you did a tree today?” He twisted a wrench and swore when he banged his knuckles.

  “Yep. Brought some stuff for your mom to sell. How are the girls?”

  “Okay. They like the new place. It’s not as exciting, but boring is safe, I guess.” He was silent a moment. “I’m going to tech school this fall, and I got a part time job doing oil changes at a dealership. I thought I needed more technical know-how if I’m going to run a business.”

  She smiled, pleased. “Congratulations! That’s a great idea.”

  He looked at her, brow furrowed. “You’re not upset? I won’t be around as much.”

  “Why should I be?”

  He sighed. “For one thing, I’m going to have to bust my butt to pay for classes. I’m thinking you should rent the shop to someone else.”

  “You don’t want it?”

  “I do, but I won’t be able to afford it. I’ve been trying to figure it out, but…there’s no reason for you to lose money.”

  She thought about it. “Maybe you could rent one bay and I could rent the rest? Although I’m not sure who would be willing to set up shop in Bramble Burn.”

  “The wolves might, or a dragon. Not much scares them, and there seems to be a lot of them around here lately.”

  He didn’t see her wince. “About that…” She gave him a quick rundown of recent events. It was awkward, but she didn’t want him to hear it from someone else.

  “Married?” he asked, bewildered. “That was fast.” He looked at her bare left hand. “Are you…happy?”

  She curled her hand and rubbed her thigh. “It was sudden. I’m still getting used to it, but I like Kjetil. It’s going to work out fine.”

  “Huh.”

  She frowned. “I know what I’m doing.”

  He raised his hands and went back to work, but didn’t look happy.

  It was still on her mind when she met Kjetil later. He was driving, so she stared out the window, lost in thought as the city went by.

  “What’s on your mind?” he asked as he pulled into a parking lot a couple of blocks from the park.

  “Nothing.” She got out and started walking to the park, but her gaze caught on a heavily pregnant woman in front of them. She was crossing the street with her husband, his hand protectively on her lower back while he pushed a double stroller.

  “I was thinking we’d wait four or five years,” Kjetil said as they waited for the crossing light to change. He nodded to the family across the street. “I love kids, but the Bramble’s not safe enough yet. I’d go crazy trying to protect you, and you’d probably end up hitting me.”

  She looked at him in wonder. “You really don’t mind?”

  “I’m not in a hurry, honey. Besides, it gives us time to honeymoon. I like the idea of having you to myself for a few years.”

  She felt so good, so relieved, she didn’t mind holding his hand as they crossed the street. “But what about, um…” She waved her hand. “How do you intend to manage waiting?”

  He bent and breathed in her ear, “Lots
and lots of oral sex.”

  “What!” She swatted him, scandalized. They were in public!

  He raised his voice. “I said lots of…”

  She clamped her hand over his mouth. “Okay! Settle down, Romeo.”

  He kissed her palm and then her lips. “Never.”

  They bought gyros and she had a caramel apple. She was having fun, goofing around with Kjetil like she was a kid. They rode the Ferris wheel to a backdrop of fireworks, kissing and teasing, and she cheered him on as he threw baseballs at a dunking booth.

  She fell in love to the tune of the carousel, the lights glittering off the shiny painted horses. She looked at him and knew what that happy, beautiful feeling was. She was in love.

  “Do you want to go home?” he asked a few minutes later. They’d wandered around for a couple of hours. His hand was on her lower back, his thumb teasing the soft skin under her hem.

  She sent him a flirtatious look. She was past ready, primed to feel his mouth doing delicious things. “I…” She frowned, her attention snagged by a ripple in the ground. She probed the root network, curious, and stiffened in alarm. “Something’s happening.”

  “Something?” he prodded, trying to identify the threat.

  She pointed across the river. “Over there. I need to cross the bridge.”

  He took her elbow. “Not until we’ve identified the threat.”

  “I know what the threat is: it’s Justin.” There was no mistaking the massive flow of tree mage energy, and unless her grandfather decided to terrorize the River Park, it had to be Justin. She didn’t know what he was up to, but it couldn’t be good. She pulled against Kjetil, impatient to get to work, but he tightened his grip as he whipped out his phone and hit speed dial.

  “Cool it,” he ordered Juniper. “You used a lot of energy today, and I’ll bet he knows it. You can’t charge in without a plan. We need backup.” He talked rapidly on the phone, updating the F&R dispatcher. “I have Juniper with me, but she burned a lot of energy today. We need backup.”

  “Not dragons!” Juniper said urgently, gripping his arm. “He’ll slaughter them.”