Page 13 of Fae Devoted (Fae Touched #3)

J ohnnie cut through the Harbor Complex’s well-equipped gym and entered the humid room housing the competition-sized pool.

A set of oversized towels folded neatly at the foot of a lounge chair was the sole sign the building wasn’t deserted.

If the Guards members stationed outside didn’t confirm her quest to find Abby was over, the splash and subsequent gasp would have.

Her friend was treading water in the center of the pool, sucking in air like her lungs were starving. She hadn’t noticed Johnnie’s presence yet, fixated on something underneath the water. A dark head broke the surface, ascent slow, her startling green eyes wide-open and beautiful face composed.

“Five minutes and fifty-seconds flat,” the queen said, not even winded. Vampires didn’t need to breathe as often as the other races. “You beat the last attempt by four seconds.”

“Only four? It felt like at least ten.” Disappointment laced Abby’s soft Southern lilt.

Almost six minutes—underwater?

“Abby,” she called, not sounding nearly as calm as the queen. Johnnie had experienced a split second of panic on seeing Abby alone and struggling to breathe. But she should have known Samuel would never leave his mate unprotected after learning the Na’fhuil lived in constant fear of abduction.

Her arms swishing back and forth to keep her tiny body afloat, Abby spun around in surprise. “Johnnie, oh…hey.”

“Hey,” she replied, walking to the edge of the pool.

“Were you looking for Abigail or me?” There was no surprise in the queen’s voice. Any Dádhe would have heard the door opening despite being submerged. Johnnie’s appearance hadn’t caught the queen unawares.

“I wanted to talk to Abby if you’re done with…whatever y’all were doing.”

“I believe we are finished.” She tilted her head and stilled in that bird-like way Johnnie associated with vampires. “Abigail?”

“I know I’ve had enough for one day.” Abby made her way toward Johnnie. “Thank you for your time, milady.”

“It was my pleasure.” The queen swam to the side in quick, easy strokes, then vaulted from the pool, landing on her feet in a show of incredible strength and coordination.

Water sluiced from her sleek wetsuit, the thin rubber adhering to her slender curves like a glove.

She didn’t bother grabbing a towel, delaying long enough to wring the water from her ebony hair before leaving the two of them alone.

Johnnie knelt on the ceramic tiles, butt to heels. “Trying to break the world record for holding your breath?”

Abby snorted; the sound still somehow feminine when coming from her soft-spoken friend. “The record is over twenty-two minutes and was accomplished by a renowned free diver. I don’t think the people from Guinness will be calling soon.”

“Did pruned skin come into fashion, and you failed to inform one of your very best friends? Selfish bitch.” She flicked her fingers in the water, splashing Abby in the face. “Does Penny know? You better not have told her and not me.”

“Nope, and nope.” Abby hung onto the marble edge near Johnnie’s knees, dropping her volume to a conspiratorial whisper. “Between you and me, Eau de Chlorine is currently all the rage.”

Johnnie pinched her forefinger and thumb, sliding them across her clamped lips in a zipping motion.

“Can’t have everyone knowing my top beauty tips.”

“No, you can’t,” she agreed with a straight face, motioning to the empty lap pool. “Imagine the crowds. All that extra pee will mess with the pH balance of the formula.”

“Irrevocably,” Abby said solemnly, ruining the effect with a dazzling smile. Her blond hair darkened by the water to rich platinum glinted a silvery hue and formed a shining halo around her heart-shaped face, accentuating eyes so pale they barely contained any color at all.

“Your eyes…” Johnnie did a double take, struggling to process what she was seeing.

Abby dropped her chin to her chest, fair skin ashen.

Ordinarily a light baby blue, Abby’s irises were unique and extremely pretty, but not in an unnatural way. Today they were crystalline clouds rimmed in a circle of navy. Not black like her pupils, but a deep indigo. The term ethereal came to mind.

“They’re beautiful, but how?”

“I normally wear tinted contacts but the chemicals in the water irritate my eyes, so I took the lenses out,” she said, hesitant and unsure. “Privacy isn’t usually an issue at this time of night, but I—”

“Wasn’t expecting me to hunt you down?”

“No, I wasn’t.”

“The colorless eyes and missing gold in your hair are linked to you being a Na’fhuil, aren’t they?

And these breathing exercises with the queen,” she said in sudden understanding, “they’re somehow related to a halfblood’s skillset.

You’re training your magic the same way you’ve been training your body with Evelyn’s advanced self-defense classes. ”

Abby bit her bottom lip and nodded.

“Okay, then.”

“Okay? That’s it?” Her chin popped up.

“Yup.”

“No questions?”

“Nope.” When Abby was ready to explain the mechanics of her magic and why it alone wasn’t enough to protect her, she would. Johnnie could wait. She could .

“Thank you.” The abject relief in Abby’s eyes made curtailing her raging curiosity well worth the effort.

“You’re welcome.” Grin wide, she hooked her friend underneath the arms then stood with ease.

“Not you too?” Abby squealed, then laughed after Johnnie set her on her feet. “What is it with shifters wanting to carry me around all the time?”

“Technically, I didn’t carry you anywhere. I lifted.”

“Potato, potahto,” she grumbled good-naturedly, retrieving the towel left on the wicker chaise to scrub at her wet hair. “So, you wanted to talk to me? I’m sorry we got side-tracked after Penny showed up at the apartment.”

“What you had to say was way more important than my relationship status.” Johnnie sighed and rubbed at her itchy eyes with the heels of her hands. “Or lack thereof.”

“Have you been crying?” Abby tossed the towel aside, her dripping mane forgotten.

“Maybe a little.” Or a lot. “Jacob lied to me. Sort of. I mean, he didn’t lie lie.

Unless you count lying by omission a lie.

” Johnnie realized she was cupping the spot on her shoulder where a bitemark once rested, and her stomach balled into a knot.

The Mark may have faded years ago, but the lingering memory was proof the truth could hurt more than any bald-faced lie.

“Then yeah, he did. I found out tonight he kept some important details concerning his former pack from me.” The sting of tears behind Johnnie’s lids began the instant she met her friend’s guilt-filled gaze—she already knew. “Well, shit.”

“I’m sorry.” She grasped Johnnie’s hand.

“So you know about his…” Regardless of the extent of the rejection she felt, breaking Jacob’s trust by assuming how much or how little Abby knew was out of the question.

“His twin, Jeremiah Grayson.” She squeezed Johnnie’s fingers, her expression earnest. “But I swear I only found out a couple of weeks ago. And I still wouldn’t have a clue if something hadn’t happened that affected my current situation .”

“As a Fae halfblood?” More secrets.

“I’m truly sorry, Johnnie.”

“Did you know his brother was declared an outcast and is missing?”

“I heard.” Abby sat on the end of the lounger, her long-sleeve, two-piece swimsuit sopping wet. “Samuel plans to offer him the Clan bond after he’s found.”

“I never doubted it. He loves Jacob.”

“Do you ?”

“Do I what?” Johnnie glanced toward the exit.

“Love Tucker.”

“Of course, I do. He’s a close friend and my pack beta.” And no way in this world was Abby gonna accept that cock and bull story.

“Johnnie…”

“Okay, okay.” She plopped on the cushion next to Abby, ignoring the dampness seeping into her jeans. “I don’t know. Possibly.” She threw her hands up. “Probably. I don’t think Jacob feels the same way I do, though. I mean, I thought he did, but if he did, wouldn’t he have made a move by now?”

“You’re afraid you’ve been friend-zoned because he sent you that smoothie?”

“It’s not just the smoothie…incident. What if Jacob’s wolf doesn’t consider me a prospective truemate?” Johnnie twisted her hands in her lap, denying the urge to touch the phantom Mark on her shoulder again. But the ghosts of the past refused to remain silent.

“ It’s an impossible situation, Johnnie.” Dylan’s expression and voice were as cold as the December weather. “After so much time together, what happens if the second Mark fails? We walk away with broken hearts or stay together as pseudo-mates and are miserable for the rest of our lives?”

“Give it time,” Abby said, pulling Johnnie away from the painful memories. “It’s only been two days since the majority party.”

“A Ferwyn’s majority isn’t an internal switch that’s flipped when we turn twenty-five.

It’s more a guideline with shifters than the set-in-stone date of other magical races.

” She took a deep breath and blew it out.

“I might have been capable of accepting a Ca’anam bond several weeks ago if not months. ”

“But Tucker couldn’t have known if you were ready without advancing the Dance to the last stage.”

“You said Samuel sensed you were his truemate before the first Mating Mark.”

“But he couldn’t be sure. No male can be that early in the Dance.” Abby pursed her lips. “No matter what Samuel claims he knew or didn’t know, he could have been wrong.”

“Uh huh.” Johnnie cocked her head and gave her friend the side-eye.

The higher the male’s dominance level, the more intensely they felt the rightness with their chosen female.

Who could be more certain a Mating would be successful than a Clan príoh—even without a second Mark to confirm it?

And Jacob’s wolf was nearly as strong as Samuel’s.

“Is stubbornness like flaunting how strong they are a thing with shifters or what?”

Johnnie opened her mouth and then shut it, promptly tongue-tied. It was totally a thing.

“Whatever,” Abby huffed. “What are your instincts telling you?”