Piper (Queen's Birds of Prey #4) - Kathi S. Barton Page 0,63

branches she used had made the grain so well thought out that it was hard for him to pass the room without going in to rub his hands over the gleaming surface.

They had beds and chests of drawers too. Bryson had helped him pick out the perfect woods to build an oversized barn in the keep. There Grant was going to store the gardening equipment, as well as other things that were needed to keep the area clean. Also, they had an incredible looking pen for the sheep when it got too cold for them to be out in the weather.

Things were coming together much faster than he thought they would. The castle was perfect for the two of them. Grant loved their living room. It was cool throughout the castle. Very much unlike any other stone building he’d ever been in. And sharing it with Piper was as good as it got. Last night, they’d talked about having children.

“I want as many as you wish to have.” They both laughed. He started again. “I mean, whenever you want to start or stop, that will be the perfect amount of children for me.”

“I don’t know that I’d be a good mom. I don’t have any experience with children. Just the few that have joined our family. And they’re great. I’d hate to have the only pain in the ass children.” Grant had pointed out to her that he’d bet even her nieces and nephews were pains. “Not when I see them.”

“You see, that’s the point. They’re great around you because you’re the cool aunt. I’m the extraordinary uncle. We get to see them at their best.” She asked him if he thought he was that much of a big deal. “Yes. I do. And I’m going to keep on believing that right up until one of my kids breaks my heart. I know they will too. I certainly did my mom’s a few times. Kids are assholes.”

They laughed most of the night after that. Piper was someone that he wouldn’t have thought to be his mate. They were so well suited it boggled his mind sometimes. She and he, they were wonderful at working together as well.

He’d never put much stock in having a family, a mate. Grant had watched the others, members of New Town, as their families grew. Some of them even came back to live there after they finished up college, or whatever had them leaving. When Piper came into his life, Grant knew he’d been mostly shocked rather than standoffish, as Mercy had pointed out to him.

“Grant, can you come in here a minute?” He saved his document again. The way it was going today, he wasn’t going to get much done. Grant went to see where Piper was. She was in the living room, and he asked her what he could do. “Look out there and tell me that you see the same thing I am seeing.”

He didn’t see anything at first but went closer to the window. It took him several seconds to find what she meant. Grant stared at the creature for a good long time before he realized what he was looking at. She asked him what that was.

“Fae. I don’t know who it is, but I guess we can find out.” Piper asked him if he was sure. “Yes. I’ve never seen one in their natural state. Usually, they’re a lot like Mom and I are, human looking. Do you want to come with me to see what they want?”

“Yes. But just so you know, if there is any shit going down, I’m going to blast them to hell and back. I’ve had enough shit going on this week. I don’t want to fuck up the rest of my day.”

He laughed as he opened the door. Walking toward the tall fae, he waited until it turned towards him before he said anything. The need to submit was profound, and Grant felt himself fall to the ground and spread out so that the strong creature didn’t harm him. He watched as Piper did the same. Holy Christ, he thought, what the hell was going to happen to them now?

Chapter 9

Basil looked over the two he’d come to see. They were more beautiful than he’d been led to believe when he’d been told they were mated. Telling them to stand had the woman popping right up off the ground, but her mate, a fae such as he’d not seen in a long