Page 11 of Slaying With Sylphs (Haven Ever After #6)

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CONNALL

T he following afternoon, I run both hands through my unruly waves as I consider what Dirk told me. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it since he dropped the bomb on me. And then seeing him and Lou touch?

Goddess Alaya, I’m still processing the whole thing.

“Everything okay with you?” Richard’s eyes swirl green and amber with the color of his and his mate’s wolves. He sips a beer as he stares. Thank fuck Lola isn’t here to read my aura and tell me it’s red-hot again.

I stare deeply into his eyes, still fascinated by how Lola’s wolf can enter Richard’s mind and just…be there. So weird.

“Hey, Big Daddy,” I croon to his wolf. “How’s it going in there?” I’m pointedly ignoring his actual question.

“Fucking fine, Second,” the wolf’s tone laces through Richard’s as Richard grins. My pack alpha takes another sip of his beer, his expression going thoughtful. “You’re an amazing Second, and I’m goddess-blessed to have you by my side through all of this. But don’t forget that, where your duty is to me, I also have a duty to be a good partner to you. You seem distracted, and you might not want to talk about why that is. But I’ve got a better than good guess, and I’m here if you want to discuss it.”

I roll my shoulders, letting my head fall back. I told him once how I felt about Lou, how badly I wanted her and how determined I was not to shove my way between a happy couple. But?—

A knock echoes through my treehouse, and somehow, I know it’s Dirk before Richard even trots to the entryway and lets him in.

A bracing wind brushes past my cheeks, ruffling my hair as Dirk enters the room with a grin. Is he ever not grinning?

“Hello, boys,” he says in that same charming tone he uses on practically everyone. “I jest came to have a word with Connall, but I can come another time if yer busy.” I swear his blue eyes drop to my dick before he focuses on Richard.

Richard gives me a quizzical look. He knows how I feel about Lou, but I didn’t share Dirk’s bombshell. Dark eyes flick to Dirk and back to me. “I’m gonna head home. Lola’s cooking a late dinner.”

“Tell yer princess hi fer me,” Dirk says with a grin.

“Queen,” Richard corrects with a wicked grin. “I’ll tell my queen you said hello.”

They share a smile that looks secretive, and for the millionth time since they returned from rescuing Lola from being kidnapped by her father, it rankles. Dirk was the one to use his security clearance to get Richard through the series of security portals between here and Santa Alaya.

I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t even stop the king when he alpha-barked at me and dragged his daughter through Ever’s portal and away from her alpha.

“Stop,” Richard commands. “I can see your thought train headed off the tracks. There is no finer Second than you, and I’ve had a fair few in my life. I’ve said it once, and I’ll keep saying it. I need you, Connall. Lola needs you. We couldn’t run this pack without your contributions.”

I nod, but I can’t force myself to look at my pack alpha, truthful as his words may be.

As a therapist, I start picking apart my own behavior and reactions to what’s happening around me. I can tell myself all the logic in the world, but emotion can be hard to overcome. Drawing in a steadying breath, I finally look at my alpha. “Let me walk you out.”

He gives Dirk a quick nod as he rises and turns for the door. I walk him to it and hold it open.

“Good night, Second,” Richard murmurs.

“Night.”

When I swing the door closed behind him, I half expect to see Dirk right behind me, ready with a quippy comment. But he’s not there. When I return to the main living area, he’s seated on the sofa with a full glass of whiskey in one hand, sipping the amber liquid.

“Made yourself right at home, I see.” I cross the room and pour a whiskey for myself, sitting on a chair across from him. Nerves clang in my belly, knowing what he probably came here to discuss.

“I came to speak with yeh about Louanna,” Dirk says, “and what happened last night.”

Nerves spark and sputter in my chest.

Dirk’s eyes drop before traveling a leisurely path back up to my face. “Yeh rubbed her cheek, touched her.”

I set the whiskey down and lean forward, both elbows on my knees. “I’m not trying to step on your toes, Dirk. I’m s?—”

He continues with a sly smile, “Did yeh ever stop to ask yerself why Louanna and I were right there at Biergarten after you arrived?”

Suspicion wars with something else, something instinctual in my mind.

Pieces click together as I pick up what he’s saying. “You were following me?”

Dirk nods. “All the way from Hel Motel. Know what we saw, alpha?”

Confusion and horror fill me in equal measures. I jacked off in the woods, bellowing Lou’s name as I spilled hot seed into the dirt. Is he saying they saw that? Oh fuck. Goddess help me, I’m going to die of embarrassment.

Dirk sets his glass down and rounds the table, dropping to both knees at my feet. “Yes, we followed you. And I teased her while yeh touched yerself, alpha. We followed you because you belong to us. Yer our mate, Connall.”

I fly back in the seat, eyes wide as the sylph by my feet grins.

“That’s it,” he murmurs. “Let it sink in, Wolf. You belong to me, and I to you, and the both o’ us to her. Better to rip off the Band-Aid, as the humans love to say. I told yeh last night, but I’m here to reiterate how very serious I am.”

Blinking rapidly, I try to remember any time I could have picked up on this. I’ve always read Dirk’s smiles as somewhat victorious, considering he was already pursuing Lou. But maybe there was more, and I missed it?

“I took her on our first date tonight,” he says softly. “I invited you fer a reason, Connall.”

My heart flutters so fast in my chest, it feels like it’ll burst out and fly away. Hands trembling, I look at Dirk again.

He sits on his knees, rocked back onto his heels. Now, he leans forward and places a hand on either arm of my chair. “Yer shocked, alpha. I’ve been bidin’ my time with yeh, knowing yeh’ve not been with a male before. But that’s okay. I’m an excellent, excellent teacher.”

Heat flares through me. Oh my gods, he’s suggesting that he, that we, with Lou… My thoughts scatter onto the breeze as I struggle to wrap my mind around what he’s insinuating.

“How do you even imagine this working?” The words come out of my mouth like tumbling boulders, rough and sharp and clanging together as they crash downhill.

“Well, I shocked her with this news last night, too, and then she yelled at me for spying on yeh, as I do it quite a bit. Then she?—”

“Wait,” I bark. “Spying on me? You spy on me?”

Dirk shrugs. “I’m a hunter, Connall. I hunt things for work, and I hunt things I want for myself.”

I bristle, shooting forward until our faces nearly touch. “It’s a violation of my privacy, Dirk.”

His gaze goes thoughtful. “Hunters and elementals in general aren’t fussed about privacy, Connall. But if yeh ask me right now tae stop, I will.”

“Stop,” I command.

“Done.” His tone is assured as he remains on his knees in front of me. The dominant side of my nature rears up, my wolf pleased at seeing the slightly smaller male below us.

“I don’t believe you,” I snap, concerned and filled with horror. But heat flushes through me too, because the thought of him—of them—watching me jack off gets me fucking hot, and I didn’t know that until he said it just now.

Dirk drags in a slow, deep breath. “Gods, yeh smell good when yeh’re aroused, Wolf. Shall I call Louanna to come over so we can do something about it? I haven’t kissed her yet because I was waiting until we were all together.”

Oh goddess. Oh fuck. The mental images that slap me at the idea of Lou between us are lascivious and filthy.

“Speaking of which, to answer your question, I imagine us all dating together and separately. You and her, me and her, all of us together.” His focus intensifies. “You and me.”

Before I can say anything, he continues, “Imagine it, Wolf. Us on our knees before yeh, taking turns pleasing you. Her between us, taking us both. Gods, I can see it now.”

My chest heaves as I struggle to pull in enough breath for my lungs to function.

“Do you have questions for me?” Dirk’s voice is soft, thoughtful.

“How do you know?” my voice comes out as a whisper. “How could you possibly know? Wolf mating bonds are…”

“I’m not a wolf.”

“I know.”

“Touch me,” Dirk says, nodding at my hands. “And I’ll show yeh how I know yeh’re mine, just like I know Louanna is ours.”

Hands trembling, I lift one. Am I doing this? Am I touching a male sexually for the first time in my life? The idea of it isn’t as shocking as I imagined it to be. I lay awake last night thinking about it, and I’m coming around.

Dirk’s hand comes to mine, his fingers slightly cool to the touch.

Like the wind that brushes across my face when he enters a room.

Like the chilly breeze that follows me when I run, keeping me cool.

Oh, my fucking moons. It’s been him from the start.

Navy eyes stare deeply into mine as he draws my hand toward his chest, slipping my fingers under the straps that crisscross his muscles. Even his pecs are a little cool. I watch in shock as the lightning on his skin zips toward my hand. I try to jerk it away, but Dirk holds me there.

“Easy, Wolf,” he says quietly. “I won’t shock yeh.”

But from what little I know of elementals, his lightning is dangerous. Yet when it connects with my palm, all the blood in my body rushes to my dick, hardening it until it feels like it’ll break off.

“Fuck,” I grit out.

“We will,” Dirk says with a grin. “But I want to woo yeh before we get tae that, Wolf.”

I move my hand over his chest, fascinated by the way the lightning follows my touch. No shock, just that barest hint of electricity vibrating up my arm and pooling down low in my balls.

Pulling my hand away, I stare at Dirk in surprise. Running both hands through my hair, I sputter, “This is a shock, Dirk. I didn’t know, and I?—”

“Look like yeh’re about to run again,” he says quietly. “But this is your home , so I’ll make yeh this promise. I’ll give yeh space now, as I can see it’s needed. But I’m always around, Connall. Call me, and I’ll come. Call me, and I will be there. And as yeh asked me not tae spy anymore, I won’t without your knowledge. But jest know that, when I leave, and yeh touch yerself thinkin’ about us being with Louanna, I’ll be doin’ the same thing.”

A groan leaves my throat unbidden, my cheeks flaming hot as Dirk’s hands move to my knees. He beams at me as he licks his lips. “Or I could stay, Wolf, and do something about that beautiful erection. What do yeh think?”

“What would you do?” I croak out before I can even stop myself. I’m in shock. That must be what this is.

“Shall I show yeh,” he questions, “or simply tell yeh?”

“Tell me,” I manage, chest heaving as Dirk presses my knees outward and slips between them, his upper body brushing my inner thighs.

“I’d unzip yer jeans, Wolf, until that gorgeous cock and knot sprang free. And then I’d lean in like so—” he shifts forward, his mouth hovering just above my obviously hard dick, “—and I’d take yeh into my mouth, all the way to the back. I’d suck,” he says confidently, “and lick and stroke until yeh spilled yer seed down my throat.”

I’m going to combust, just explode right here into tiny Connall bits that someone else has to clean up. My cock throbs in my pants. It’s close, so close to his mouth, straining to get to that heat. Or would his mouth be cool?

“Allow me tae do it.” His eyes scan my face. He’s waiting for my consent, my approval.

“I’m surprised you don’t just do it, given how little you’ve cared for my permission in the past.” I attempt to look pissed about it, but the reality is I’m too oversensitized by this entire experience to be mad. Maybe I’ll be mad later.

He leans down, dragging his open mouth along my cock through my pants. “Don’t be upset, mate. I’m drawn to yeh in the deepest ways of my people. I could no sooner stop following yeh than I could stop following Louanna.”

I gasp as his mouth closes over the tip of my dick, biting through my jeans. My hips jerk, back arching as pleasure zings through me like an electrical storm.

“Fuck!” I cry out. My mind is going haywire, shooting off scattered thoughts.

Lou between us, head on my chest as Dirk fucks her.

Dirk on his knees in front of me, his head dipped between her thighs.

Making out with him. Right here. Right now.

My wolf shoves to the forefront of my consciousness as I let out a soft growl.

Dirk stares seductively up from my lap. “Whatever yer thinkin’, tell me, Connall.”

Even the way he says my name is like a hand fisting my dick. At my pause, he shifts upright and rolls his shoulders back, straightening his spine.

“I’ll tell yeh the same thing I told Louanna tonight when I dropped her off at the Annabelle Inn. I want yeh, Connall Blackwater, the same way I want our Louanna. And I cannae wait to have the both of yeh together. I know this is a bombshell, that you likely haven’t considered me in that way. But I’m askin’ yeh to consider it now.” His expression goes soft. “Yer everything I ever wished for in a partner. You and Louanna, yer my gifts, and I will treat yeh as such until the end of my days. And one day, when yeh move on from this earth, I’ll go with yeh.”

A million questions spring into my mind, but I can’t find my voice to utter a single one. I’m still planted in shock against the back of the chair with a dripping erection, staring at Dirk as he all but professes love.

“Good night, my sweet wolf.” He shifts to a stand. “Call me if yeh’re ready to voice the questions I see on the tip o’ yer tongue.”

And with that, he slaps the jewel in the center of his chest and disappears on a gust of chilly wind, leaving me with a tornado of thoughts and one hellsuva hard-on.

T he following morning, thoughts still tumble like rocks in my head as I walk up Sycamore Street from Shifter Hollow toward downtown Ever. I think I’m imagining Lou’s humming as she walks along, but when I round a bend in the road, she’s there, walking along with a bouquet of wildflowers in one hand.

At my footsteps, she turns, a bright smile faltering slightly as pink crawls across her cheeks and down her chest.

“Morning, Lou.” I’m painfully aware of her physical reaction to me. She doesn’t technically perfume like an omega of my people would, but her arousal is no less potent. Gods, the ideas Dirk planted in my head last night rush right back as my cheeks heat, probably matching hers in their intense shade.

“Umm, good morning,” she says, crossing her arms over her chest.

Does she know Dirk planned to come to my place last night? She flew through the forest with him. She watched me jack off and scream her name. Goddess Alaya, help me find the strength to not be weird about that.

The truth is, I find the idea of it all incredibly hot, now that the initial shock has worn off.

“So,” I manage, eyeing the bouquet, “where are you headed this early in the morning?”

Her awkward expression becomes a scowl as she drops one hand to pick at her elbow. “Oh, I’m just going over to Doc Slade’s for him to check on my thrall bites.”

My heart sinks, and without meaning to, I push her sleeve up enough to see the bites she received when she first arrived in Ever. She should be a thrall by now, but somehow, she’s not.

I run my fingers over the slight indentations from the thrall’s teeth. Lou holds still while I do it.

“You’re remarkable,” I murmur, even though I’m worried for her. Looking into her eyes, I force a smile even though I can’t understand how she managed to fight off the monsters and not become one. It’s well known that a thrall bite turns any monster into a thrall, the soul-sucking creatures who try to burrow into havens to turn monsters into more thralls.

Lou lets out a wry laugh. “I don’t know how remarkable it is, but I’m really fucking pleased not to have turned.” She smirks up at me. “I wouldn’t look great as a zombie.”

I force a laugh, but I’m still worried.

She cocks her head to the side, her arm still in my hands. “Do you want to come with me to see Doc Slade?”

“Yeah,” I manage. “I’d love to.” I want his take on this, because the mental vision of Lou getting sick makes me want to flip tables.

“Connall,” her sweet voice breaks through my thoughts, “you’re squeezing me kinda hard.”

“Oh, moons, sorry,” I blurt, dropping her arm.

“It’s okay.” She laughs. “I can see you about to get all alpha protector on me, but I’m fine, I swear.”

I shove my hands into my pockets to avoid touching her again.

“So…” she says, drawing out the O. “Dirk mentioned he might drop by to see you. Did he?”

Fuck. Oh fuck. Here we go.

I clear my throat. “He did.”

Her cheeks turn redder, if that’s even possible. “Oh, and did he, umm, say anything…interesting?” She clears her throat too, and the noise slaps me out of my shyness. This is getting absolutely ridiculous.

I straighten and nod. “He did, yeah. He reiterated that he believes the three of us to be mates. And he’s convinced of it because his lightning doesn’t shock me.”

She drops both hands to her sides, mouth open. “So he…did he make you touch him? He did that to me at Alkemi! And the lightning zinged toward my hand and, well, it kind of?—”

“Felt good?” I ask wryly.

She grabs her braid and starts twisting it around a finger absentmindedly, but her eyes are wide.

I step closer to tilt her face up to me. “It was a shock, and I lay awake all night thinking about it. At Biergarten, you asked me to consider it, and I am.”

Her voice is so soft when it comes out, I’m thankful for my extra-sensitive hearing. “And what do you think?”

This is it, my chance to tell the female I’ve been agonizing over that I want to see where it goes between us.

“I was surprised, Lou, but I’ve been wanting to ask you out for a long time. Since the moment I saw you, really.”

And there it is, my greatest secret.

Her mouth drops open, and she sinks naturally against me, my finger still under her chin. Whiskey-gold eyes flash with emotions so fast, it’s hard to catalog them all. But it’s a particular skill of mine, reading people.

“I wasn’t aware of his feelings about me. I thought we might be in sort of a love triangle situation, and I didn’t want that.” I keep my voice deep and low, an alpha instinct. “Allow me to take you both out tonight. We can talk about what this might look like, what the ground rules are. There’s been none of that and honestly, it’s needed. But like you said, we’ll try it and see what happens.”

“I—I can’t,” she sputters, sinking a dagger into my heart. At my look, she shakes her head. “Not because of this. Bellami the gnome asked for my help in the gnome village, and I’m doing that tonight at eight.”

My brows travel upward in shock. “The gnome village?”

“I know,” she exclaims. “I was so surprised.”

“It’s an honor to be invited,” I say. “Nobody in Shifter Hollow has ever been into the gnome village, not even Richard.”

She makes an impressed face as I drop my hand by my side. I itch with the need to put both hands on her and draw her to me. The need to wrap her safely and securely in my arms is nearly overwhelming.

“I’ve been meaning to ask you something else.” Lou’s soft smile returns. “Dirk has suggested this a bunch, so it’s probably just meant to be sexy because that’s all he thinks about, but I know you’ve been reticent to do therapy sessions with me. But…will you?”

I sigh, withdrawing my hands from my pockets to cross my arms over my chest. “Here’s the thing about therapy between us. It’s a conflict of interest, although I understand why both you and Dirk might believe I’m the right person for it.”

She nibbles at her lower lip. She must think I’m rejecting her request.

“I’ll do it,” I say quietly, “but let’s not call it therapy. Let’s just get together and talk. It’ll be a good chance to get to know one another better and to help give you some coping skills for what you’ve dealt with. We can take it easy. Let’s not put pressure on it. We could never have a true therapist and client relationship. Not if we’re dating.”

“I understand.” She straightens and rolls her shoulders. “I just…you’ve always seemed like such a rock to me. Confident and friendly, and I think I could talk to you about things I can’t talk to anyone else about.” Amber eyes move up to mine. “So I agree, let’s keep the expectations light.”

“Good idea,” I say. “I promise to be completely professional when we’re in therapy mode, Lou.” Even as I say it, I’m drawn to look at that long, gorgeous braid and the way her amber eyes flash in the early morning light.

Her exposed throat bobs, calling my attention to smooth, sun-kissed skin. “Is this what you mean by professional? Or is this more like date-mode Connall?”

A chuckle leaves my lips as I bend down to breathe just beneath her ear. Goosebumps cover her skin as one of her hands comes to my left side. Possession rages through me.

“It’ll be a fight for me not to be distracted by things I shouldn’t let distract me, Lou. Date-mode Connall is a little more forward, Lou, a little more aggressive. I’ve likely come across as quiet, even shy. I’ve been trying not to step on Dirk’s toes, and you seemed interested in him. We should try to keep date-mode Connall out of our sessions, if possible.”

“Agreed,” she whispers. “But if date-mode Connall happens to pay me a visit, I don’t think I’d be too upset.”

Fuck. This woman.

“We need to talk all together,” I reiterate. “We need ground rules for our sessions and dating in general. There’s nothing more important than having consent around what’s happening.” Her scent strengthens, imprinting on me, drawing me to her by a tether that’s as real and tangible as a leash.

Reaching out, I grip her throat softly, running the pad of my thumb up the elegant column. “We need those ground rules because, to be honest, it wouldn’t surprise me if Dirk showed up right now, or if he’s been here the whole time, although he promised not to spy on me anymore if I asked him not to, which I did.”

Lou’s eyes flash with indignation. “I told him spying on you was an uber-creepy move, and I’m just as bad. I went along with it when you, umm—” her eyes flash to mine, “—well, you know.”

“Yeah, I know,” I say with a grin, trying to dissipate the tension. Taking a step back, I release my hold on her. Wolves tend to go hard and fast when we believe we’ve identified our mates. It’s been a surprising twenty-four hours. I should probably take things a little more slowly.

I jerk my head toward downtown. “Shall we get to your appointment?”

Lou nods and turns to walk by my side, tucking her hands behind her back. But all that move does is highlight her soft-looking breasts.

“You and Dirk,” she mutters, elbowing me playfully in the side, “you must both be boob guys because it seems like you can’t look anywhere else.”

I laugh, because she’s right. Running both hands through my hair, I admit, “It’s not that I’m a boob man. I’m an all-the-things man, because they’re yours.”

She smirks up at me like the cat that caught the canary. “Are you a sweet talker, Connall? You gonna be my Romeo, writing love letters and whispering sweet nothings in my ear while Dirk cheers you on?”

Goddess, this woman. I’ve seen bits and pieces of Lou’s snarky, bratty side, and I fucking love it. Because what comes next is me teaching that pretty mouth a lesson. I want to put my hands all over her, to get rough, to spank and disrespect in the most respectful way possible.

Wolves in general love bratty, back-talking women.

“I’m generally romantic, yes, but that doesn’t make me any less alpha in other ways.” I give her a look I pray says what I’m thinking.

When she holds back a grin and nips her lower lip, I know she read between the lines. She doesn’t respond though, which, I suspect, is because this sexy playfulness is a new dynamic for us. I’ve been holding it back since I met her. And she’s been going through so much.

She falls quiet, and we walk in peaceful silence to Doc Slade’s. The dark elf waits by the front door, arms crossed as he leans against one of the porch posts. He gives me a quizzical look as I trail Lou up the walkway toward the front porch.

“Connall? Something wrong, son? Do you need an appointment?”

Lou loops an arm through mine. “Nope! He’s accompanying me today.”

Slade looks at me, the tips of his black lips curling into a smile. “Alright then, come on in, both of you.”

We follow him into one of the cottage’s small exam rooms. I hold my breath the entire time he examines Lou’s bites. But he confirms what she told me. They’re healing, and there’s no explanation for it. On the one hand, I’m relieved. But the fact that our brilliant doctor can’t explain why Lou’s fine is deeply concerning.

More than that, it scares the shit out of me.