Page 34 of Final Shift
“I'd rather wash my balls with a hornet's nest,” Garrett drawled.
“Well,” Caelan said dryly, “our meetings feel like that sometimes, so the pain level is about the same if you want to think about it and let me know.”
That got an amused snort out of Garrett. “You're still an asshole, Caelan.”
The Lord sighed. “Yeah. I'm well aware of how everyone views me right now.”
Garrett came up behind me so silently, I jerked in surprise. “Dammit, Garrett,” I hissed.
He flashed me a grin. “You're down about forty percent?”
Caelan's jaw tightened. “Forty seven. Mass exodus after the land lock.”
Garrett let out a low whistle. “Men or women?”
“I shouldn't be telling you any of this, asshole.”
Garrett shrugged. “Then don't.”
Caelan stared at his former Enforcer for a long moment. “All the female shifters left. Their mates and significant others followed. All the shifters under the age of twenty-five vacated. The rest left once they saw the writing on the wall.”
Garrett slowly shook his head. “Fuck man.”
“Yeah.” Caelan jerked his head toward the Keep. “Come inside. There's lemonade and lunch if you want it.”
“Your cook didn't leave?”
“Nah. For some reason, he still likes me.”
I looked at Garrett who watched Caelan's back for a beat. He nodded. “Safe enough,” he said under his breath when Caelan was far away enough. “I think, Miss Evie, you've beaten him down long and hard enough for him to finally realize what a raging dickhead he's been.”
“Umm,” I said. “I'm not sure if that's good?”
“It's excellent,” Garrett said as he started for the door.
Shaking my head, I glanced back to see Moira walking toward me. “Seems like everything went okay.”
I felt nonplussed. “I think so?” Nothing about this meeting was normal. Was Garrett right? Had I beaten Caelan down so much he just gave up and decided to think like a rational adult and realize very little of this had been my fault?
She snorted. “Are you going to remove your grip on his land?”
I slowly shook my head. “Right now, it's the only thing keeping him safe from Danu. But maybe I can allow him to leave his property.”
“Baby steps,” Moira mused. “I like it.”
Garrett turned and waited for us. “You two move like elderly people.”
“Piss off,” Moira said cheerily, linking our arms together as she smiled at him.
Garrett's eyes narrowed, but his lips twitched too.
The changing dynamic between these two had me a little worried. Both belonged to my “court” or whatever the hell I was supposed to have as the fae queen, and I planned to get rid of neither of them unless they wanted to be let go. Any complications arising between them had the potential to disrupt a good thing.
But…I stifled my sigh. They were two consenting adults, and if the tension beginning to simmer between them had any legs, I'd do well to keep my nose out of it. I'd gotten a mate and a husband out of my own drama.
No need to complicate theirs. They'd figure it out, for good or ill.
That's all I could ask for.
