Page 25 of Peacock Me Like a Hurricane (Rise of the Resistance #2)

TALIA

I suck in a nervous breath, feeling like I’m intruding as I knock on the door. The bird said that she was here avoiding the simpletons who seem to make her miserable. Hiking up the burden of the large cloisonné vase full of wildly colored tropical flowers, I press the doorbell again and wait.

Deli opens the door a crack, looking completely flummoxed. I wonder if she knew that there was a doorbell. “Um. Hi?”

My lips curve up as I take in her appearance. She’s much less decked out than she is in public. I can empathize with that as I’m not the type to be perfectly coiffed at home, either.

Messy suits her as well as fashionista; Taurus was right.

When the cat isn’t dressed to kill and vamping it up, she resembles an adorable college kid. She’s wearing one of his silks, tied at the waist with a pair of scandalously low-slung cutoffs. Sporting long, curly crimson pigtails and knee-high socks with Van Gogh’s ‘Starry Night’ on them, she looks approachable and comfy.

“Hi. So, um, Taurus said it would be okay if I stopped by. I realize you weren’t expecting a visitor, but...”

She blinks, studying the vase of flowers in my hands curiously. “It’s okay; come on in. I look terrible, but that’s because I wasn’t expecting anyone but the Big Bad.”

Opening the door, she reveals a staircase. I follow her up, looking around. The room she enters screams ‘Taurus’, but it also has an otherworldly aura that’s all her. The decor is elegant and expensive, yet there are traces of the fierce feline everywhere. Colorful, wild, eccentric, ethereal clothes, shoes, and items are strewn carelessly throughout the space. There’s a cabinet that exudes power I can’t identify, a bar with Taurus’ scotch but also a selection of wines, liquors and liqueurs that have to be hers, a large furry blanket that seems to be mov?—

What the fuck? !

A goddamned white tiger struts over to a crystal water bowl. Holy fucking shit biscuits, it’s walking around like it owns the place. Deli holds her hands out for the vase and I hand it to her, stunned mute as I continue watching the tiger trotting around. She doesn’t even pay the sedan sized animal a bit of attention as she looks at me with a warm smile.

“You’re welcome to visit.” She fusses with the vase as she settles it on the mantle and then flicks her hand in the air distractedly. The light classical music that was playing in the background shuts off and the candles strewn about the room suddenly snuff out.

Taurus also did not mention that she’s not just a feline shifter, but a witch or something. Isn’t that interesting? I love being unprepared. “I only stopped by for a moment, really. I don’t plan on intruding. I asked him to not be here so he’s probably out back, pacing a hole in your patio.”

Her laugh is soft and husky, her big blue eyes dancing with amusement. She practically melts into a huge armchair, gesturing for me to have a seat nearby. “That sounds about right.”

“Home warming gift,” I say, tilting my head at the flowers.

I’m not sure where to go with this, because all the surprises are throwing off my game. I touch the dagger strapped on my thigh nervously, unsure what I’ll do if she lobs any other additional information at me.

“Don’t be nervous. They’re beautiful because they feel like me.” The tiger pads over and sits by her legs, making Taurus’ new mate look like a new world version of an ancient queen.

Is she empathic, too? Jesus, Taurus, leave anything else out? Jackass.

“Well, we haven’t been formally introduced, but I have met you once or twice.”

“Thank you, Talia—truly.” She studies me for a moment and frowns. “I’m not trying to make you uncomfortable. Did the bird leave out a few pertinent details?”

I nod, sighing. “A few would be putting it kindly. I should have come sooner, then I wouldn’t be so far behind.”

“No worries. Rafe hasn’t been here, either. He’s introspective lately.” Her brow furrows. I see the concern for her mate written on her face plain as day. She’s an open book, and I don’t know if that’s because she trusts me, Taurus, or a little of both.

“I understand. Bad blood going on.” My expression is stormy as I think about Rhea. “It’s been difficult for all of us. That’s not why I’m here, though.”

She sighs. “I agree; it’s been sucky.”

A wine glass appears in her hand and then one on the table in front of me. They contain what smells like a nice cabernet. I can’t tell if that’s her magick or a piece of Taurus that fueled that little trick. He might be right to keep her from the powers that be. Our employers would be very interested in her skill set and I’m not sure it would be a good thing.

“There’s a lot of Taurus in this room—wood paneling, expensive taste, disappearing fixtures—but there’s an awful lot of you, too.”

“I’m infectious, I’ll admit. He’s been doing the work—or paying for it—but I like to leave my mark on a space.” Her eyes dance and I look over at the infamous bed, chuckling.

It’s not at all Taurus’ normal style, but it fits perfectly with my picture of him when he’s with her. “Well, he is Taurus. He enjoys having his conveniences.”

“Truer words, dear. I added some things I frequently need as well. Since I tend to leave a bit of a mess, I have Hex sneak in occasionally to do cleaning while we’re gone. I’ve been spoiled by his major domo routine at my house, I’m afraid.”

I look at her seriously, this glimpse of her personality making me see why he’s so enchanted. She’s almost the polar opposite of me: erratic, soft, emoting from every pore, and above all, head over heels for my larger-than-life mate. “He loves you very much.”

“I love him, too,” she smiles widely, her face lighting up. “I’m so very glad to have him.”

I believe her. She’s oozing with happiness and I feel the enormity of her emotions. I smile warmly, happy for them both. “I can tell because you glow. Er, sorry, I’m not purposely trying to read you, but it’s radiating off you.”

She laughs again. “I have that problem a lot. Everything about me is kind of huge. Not intentionally, it just is.”

“I understand that.” I tilt my head, watching her knead her toes into the tiger’s back.

The damned thing is purring! She’s like a fucking fairy tale, I swear.

“My primary reason for stopping by is to tell you that I’m glad that he found you. I’m equally glad that you found him. I think you’re good for him—in more ways than I can tell you. He might, if you ask, because he’s painfully honest about everything.”

Another broad beam and the room fills with a warmth that is, as she said, infectious. “He’s definitely good for me. I’m sure he’d love to list the ways for both of us if we’d let him.”

“I also wanted to ask you about something.”

Her head tilts as if she’s pondering. “Shoot.”

“I’m not one to mince words. Despite our long history of despising one another, Sari has approached me several times while Taurus has been occupied with you. I figured if he could extend a branch, I could try, so I humored her. However, lately, Wilde has been along for the ride and he’s posed a question.”

She jumps to attention as if I shot her—no longer lounging in the chair but straight as a steel bar. The surrounding air is filled with tension and… fear? I watch her struggle with herself, trying to figure out how to mask the discomfort that’s taking her over. “He has?”

I sigh. “Am I the only one feeling uncomfortable?”

“Um, period, or just here?” She fidgets, picking at her nails. The tiger sits up immediately, putting its head on her knee as if trying to ground her.

“Maybe a little of both. I feel like I invaded your space, but also, the question made you anxious.”

“It’s bound to feel weird because we don’t know one another well. I don’t mind you here, and I’m sure it will be easier with time.” Licking her lips, she draws in a slow breath. Everything in her body looks like it’s ready to explode. Her expression is flickering like she can’t get control of her emotions. “What-what did he ask you, Talia?”

“He asked if he could court me.”

The air in the room gets heavier and I feel a twinge of anger—white hot and raging—join the fear. A wave of emotions rolling off her nearly chokes me, and I watch as the candles flicker and the glass in her hand wavers. Something is very off with her and Wilde. I don’t know what it is, but for someone who is used to him seeing other people, this response is off the charts.

“He did, did he? Well, uh, if you want to, you can, but…” she stops, clearly searching for the right words. “There’s a lot going on since Rhea. Her betrayal is affecting all of us in different ways.” She shifts uncomfortably, and the tiger nudges her hand, getting her attention again.

I should change the topic before she gets upset. “I appreciate the welcome, Deli. The two of you are so wrapped up in each other right now that it doesn’t breed a lot of cocktail parties for the family. But when it’s time, I’d love to get together more often.” I smile, trying to bring us back to the light again before Taurus comes barging in to kill me.

“That’s true. However, I don’t mind the family dropping in, even if Mr. Grumpy Pants does. He needs to socialize more.”

“He’s been hurt. It will get better for him eventually.”

“Ain’t that the truth. It wasn’t a pleasant situation to come back to this world and get stuck in the middle of this shit. I hate that for him.”

“One reason I haven’t come over sooner is that I didn’t want what you’ve been told about me to affect your budding relationship with Taurus. And by budding, I mean full fricking bloom.” I give her a teasing smile and I feel the tension seep out of her. She’s relaxed now that Sari and Wilde are no longer being discussed.

“I’d like to say it isn’t always this insane, but that would only be partly true. I’ll tell you the same thing I tell him; I form my own opinions. I give everyone a chance until I can’t, much like our ex-family members.”

“You haven’t spoken to Rhea since…?”

“No. She is not willing to discuss her destructive behavior and I am no longer willing to be a player in her drama. Rafe was right to tell them to fuck off.”

“She hasn’t tried to contact me—only Taurus.”

“She won’t. Rhea doesn’t do confrontation and you’ll confront her. Thus, she hides.”

“Oh, damn it, Deli. I didn’t want to talk about her. I came to welcome you to my family and check out the pad.”

“It’s easy to get caught up in her theater. That’s why I had to remove myself.”

I feel the sizzle of her anger at our former friend. She’s serious. “I came to tell you how much you mean to him.”

“Well, I’m crazy about him, so we’re even.”

“I also want you to know something—and you’ve probably already figured it out—but the other night was hard. Taurus made a promise to you that he will never leave you. No matter how much you hurt him, he’ll stay as long as you’re honest. When he goes off like he did last night, you shouldn’t worry that he’s leaving you.”

She nods, but I think she’s still unsure. More people than just Rhea have hurt this woman, and there’s something she’s hiding. “I’ll admit, the Company meeting was messy, but I dealt with it. Taurus has to teach a couple months of knitting classes—which he will loathe—but he won’t go away.”

Her eyes shine with humor, but her expression is serious. “I’m glad. He worried me.”

“I’m still going to kick his ass for blocking me out.”

“I didn’t know he blocked you. I thought it was only me.”

“He hasn’t been able to block me for over a year—and he’s tried.”

“Huh. Odd that he could.”

“I assumed it was the level of will involved.” I shrug and she tilts her head, looking interested so I expound. “Ever try to do something that you don’t really want to do? You struggle, right? Maybe the reason you can’t, despite your effort, is your lack of desire to do it.”

Again, her nod doesn’t match her expression. She’s got a funny way of agreeing with things she doesn’t believe. Perhaps she doesn’t have a fully formed thought to share or perhaps she’s used to having to agree with everything everyone says to keep them happy. “When he’s tried before, some crumb of him didn’t really want to, so he couldn’t. We fight a lot, so it’s not like he hasn’t had plenty of chances.”

“Gee, I can’t imagine that. He’s so tranquil,” she mutters and I laugh.

“It’s the good kind of fight—no gut wrenching, just bleeding.” I wink and touch my dagger again. “Anyway, I wasn’t thrilled when I couldn’t reach him. But even then, sweets, I didn’t worry that he wasn’t going to be mine after. You did.”

Her hair cascades around her even with the ponytails. “It’s new and it’s been hard. I was raw and I didn’t know what to think. He ran, I got overloaded, and I didn’t know what to do because I knew it was my fault. My excuse—though true—sounded lame. I worried that he’d duck out of sight because he’s mentioned doing it several times lately. We’ve been betrayed a lot.”

There’s more to it than that and I wonder, not for the first time today, if she’s got deeper darks than Taurus knows about. He knows all my uglies from the past, but I’m not sure she’s ready to release her demons yet. “He has, but that’s not what you did. Hurt isn’t the same as betrayal. He may run when he’s hurt, but he’ll always come back. That’s why I’m here; I want to reassure you of that. I thought if I did, it might make you feel better. What I should have considered is that being with him makes you feel better, so this is kind of superfluous.”

She gives me a small smile as if she wants to say something but has decided against it. “I appreciate it, though. It does clarify things.”

“Okay, I also wanted to meet the woman who totally stole his heart.”

That earns me a blush, an adorably wrinkled nose, and the cutest response I’ve seen anyone ever have to Taurus. Yeah, I see what’s got his head spinning. “He loves you Deli. Enjoy him. Love him. We’ll talk again, I’m sure.”

“We will.”

Trying to make her feel less uneasy, I murmur, “I’m, um, not good with letting people inside, but I’d like to be friends one day.”

Her smile is bright. “I’d like that. Take all the time you need.”

“I’m glad I stopped by. If you reach out, you can find him. He’s ready to get back to you and he’s quite irritated that I’m still here. Expect a sulky clone in need of a smooch when he gets here.”

“Uh-oh. Pouty Taurus alert,” she giggles.

“He’s yelling at me mentally—such a potty mouth.” I smile and stand. “Deli, it was nice to finally meet you.”

“Thank you again for the flowers. It was nice meeting you. Come back anytime, no matter what His Grouchyness says.”

I snicker and nod, heading to the door with a wave. Sending a go-ahead message to my impatient mate, I smile to myself as I head for my car. She’s an interesting feline, that’s for sure.

Taurus and I are in for a hell of a ride.