I match his grin with a smirk. I can’t help it. His good mood is contagious. “You’ll have your work cut out for you.”
His eyes spark with excitement. “I do love a good challenge.”
Rook groans. Before he can say something snarky about Charlie flirting with me, Terrance jumps back into the conversation. “You will be drawn to one another. You won’t have to be in each other’s presence, but you may want to be. You’ll find peace and comfort in being near each other.”
I let out a sigh. “So we will have to live together, then?”
“Nora,” Terrance warns. I cringe. He’s switched into his stern lecturing voice. He’s going to lay down the law. “Just like with Illren, whether you meant to or not, you’ve made a commitment to Charlie. He is your mate, and that is for life. You can’t take this lightly. You need to do your best to accept him.”
Charlie holds his hand out to me. I feel bad for wanting to take it because it kind of feels like betraying my other guys, but part of me is curious about Charlie. I can’t help wondering what about him made my fey instincts kick in, or why I lost control of my power.
I slip my fingers into his waiting hand, and my face catches fire at the sly, almost cocky smile he gives me. “If you want,” he says, giving my hand a gentle squeeze, “I have a great apartment overlooking Mt. Elliott Park. It’s plenty big enough for two.”
“No,” Terrance growls at the same time Rook shouts, “Hell no!”
Charlie lets go of my hand and looks up, startled by their outbursts. They both glare at him. Terrance assumes his bouncer stance and says, “Nora stays in the den. It’s safer for her, and all the rest of her men are there. If you want to be near her, you will join her there, not the other way around.”
Charlie’s eyes grow painfully wide. “You want me to move in? To a troll’s den?”
“It’s more like the Island of Misfit Toys now than a troll’s den,” Rook grumbles.
I laugh. “That’s very true.”
As if he can’t comprehend the idea, Charlie looks around the room, then shakes his head. “But I’m solitary. I’ve been solitary since I was old enough to leave my parents.”
“Not anymore, you’re not,” Terrance says. “If you choose to stay in your own home because you need the space, fine. But being part of Nora’s harem makes you clan.”
“Clan,” Charlie repeats. He blinks several times, as if trying to wrap his head around the idea.
On the outside, I doubt the others can tell what Charlie’s thinking. It’s clear he’s shocked, but through our bond I feel his excitement.
Terrance stares him down, waiting for an answer on the living situation. He clears his throat and flicks a quick glance at Rook before cocking his brow at me, making the decision mine. I sigh. What am I going to do, refuse him? He’s my mate. “May as well join us. But fair warning, if you stir up trouble, Illren’s likely to run you through with his sword.”
Charlie flashes me a dazzling smile. “I’ll try to behave.”
Apparently Underworld is the place to spend New Year’s Eve if you’re of the supernatural variety. I’ve never seen the club busier. By the time we’re ready to leave, my feet hurt and my head is pounding.
I slip into the back seat of Terrance’s Cadillac before Rook can make me take shotgun. He’s much bigger, and I always feel guilty when he crams into the back just for me. “Tonight was brutal.” I groan. My joints pop and crack, voicing their complaints just as loudly. “I need some Advil, some chamomile tea, and a soak in a hot bath.” I lean my head back against the seat and let my eyes drift closed. “With bubbles. Yeah. I need bubbles.”
The two men in the front seats chuckle, and then the car falls quiet. I’m sure they’re both just as exhausted as I am. About halfway home, I finally break the silence. “Is he behind us?”
I crack my eyes open just in time to catch Terrance’s nod in the rearview mirror. “He’s back there.”
I sigh.
Charlie ended up going home after we bonded, and packed an overnight bag. We all decided it was best he stay the night in the den tonight so that we can explain what happened to the others and he can meet everyone as soon as possible. Can’t have him wandering around the den as a stranger. The guys would most likely kill first and ask questions later.
“I’m really sorry.”
I’m not sure why I keep apologizing. Terrance has told me repeatedly that it wasn’t my fault. Sure enough, he launches into another lecture. “Fey instincts are just that, Nora—instincts.”
“I get that, but did the instincts kick in because he’s my mate and we’re supposed to be together, or did they kick in because I lost control of my power and accidentally claimed him? Because it sure felt like the latter.”
Rook grunts and shifts in his seat so that he can see me over his shoulder. “If that’s the case, does that mean you’re going to start claiming mates every time you lose control of your power? How many more men am I going to have to share you with?”
“I think the real question,” Terrance says, “is why did you lose control of your power?”
Rook frowns. “Why even use it in the first place?”
“I—” My cheeks heat up. “He asked me to.”
Terrance’s eyes narrow, and Rook’s pop wide. “He asked you to?” Rook repeats.
I shrug, squirming under their scrutiny. “I guess it feels good—like true love—and the guy’s a cupid. He was curious.”
“So you did it?” Rook says, aghast.
He turns even more around in his chair, glowering at me like I’m a moron. I glare right back. I do feel like an idiot for causing the trouble, but I truly didn’t do it on purpose, and I don’t like the accusation in his tone.
“Of course I didn’t just do it!” I snap. “I’m not stupid.”
We pull up to the den and I jump out of the car, slamming my door. Rook scrambles out of the car behind me. “Nora, I didn’t say you were stupid.”
I throw the door open and stomp down the stairs. “I wouldn’t just use my song for the hell of it. Especially not in front of people. Not on purpose. I tried not to use it. But once the idea was planted in my head, I couldn’t resist. My body craved using the power, and my power craved being unleashed.”
When I reach the bottom of the stairs, Oliver is sitting on the couch, rubbing sleep from his eyes. His favorite Zelda hoodie is rumpled, and the side of his face is red as if he’s been passed out on the couch for a while. Damn, he’s adorable. “Everything okay?” he asks, sleepiness turning to concern as he takes in the tension between Rook and me.
I hang up my coat and sigh. “Fine. Sort of.” I hang my scarf and rub my aching head. “It’s complicated.”
Before I can go to Oliver, Rook pulls me to his chest. “I’m sorry,” he says, squeezing me tightly to him. “I know you wouldn’t risk yourself on purpose. I’m just having a hard time with this situation.”
“And I’m not?” I scoff, but I melt against his chest at the same time. “You’re not the one with a new mate.”