Return to the Darkness - Ripley Proserpina Page 0,11

off the trailer in the first place.”

He blinked at me, and a second later, a smile cracked his lips. He grabbed me, forcing my chin up so he could kiss me. “I fucking love you, Lacey Madison.”

I loved him, too. Deciding to hammer the joke into the ground, I went on, “Such good luck.”

He groaned, and I let myself smile as I shut my eyes and leaned against him. We sat there for a moment, swaying gently as I thought about what I’d learned. The shapeshifter stuff? I wasn’t surprised by it. Erdirg had changed shapes, and so had Mara. But having a little bit of luck in my veins? That bit floored me.

But I’d take anything that could work in our favor.

Chapter 4

Thorn and I spent as much time cuddling as I did reading up on pouques. Or pookas. Or púcas. There were a lot of names for this thing that the guys thought was my ancestor.

I snorted as I read aloud, “‘Notions respecting it are very vague.’ Great. Have you happened to do an image search on this thing?” I asked Thorn. “I’m afraid I’m going to give birth to some Muppet-looking creature.”

He only shook his head and turned the page in the book he was reading. I glanced at the title. The World Guide to Gnomes, Fairies, Elves, and Other Little People.

“You’ve got to be shitting me,” I muttered, and when he glanced at me sharply, I indicated the book. “What year was that book written?”

Skimming to the front, he read, “Eighteen-eighty. And slow down, Judgey McJudgerton. This is a collection of folktales. Not an encyclopedia.”

“Oh.” Feeling duly chastened, I went back to my internet searching. “It’s just that this seems like such a waste of time.”

“More than half of research is ruling things out,” he mumbled. “For example, I can discount the part of this folktale that says pouques are known for jumping on people’s back. You haven’t done that since we were kids, and only when there was a scorpion skittering across the floor.”

“Ha-fucking-ha,” I deadpanned. The thing was, I knew what he meant. I knew that I wasn’t supposed to take every bit of information about these creatures literally. There would be things here that rang true, and things that didn’t.

“These stories were meant to explain things that frightened people. Or to give them a sense of security. Isn’t it nicer to believe that the shadow you see in a dark field at night is some benevolent creature?”

Yeah. I’d read something about pouques being guardians of the land. That was a nice thought. I’d rather be a guardian than a piggybacking goat-person.

He held up his hand. “Don’t. I know you’re about to make another goat joke. No more goats. You are mostly human. You know that. I can feel it.” He roamed his hand over my body, touching me everywhere, and stopping right over my right breast. I caught my breath. “Really, really human to me.”

I had trouble speaking, which he had to know because he lifted an eyebrow in a challenge. “Maybe I’m just a shapeshifter who has been plotting this whole time to steal your sperm. Ever think about that? Maybe I’m a sperm stealing monster?”

Thorn flipped me over, and I squealed as he pushed me down on the couch. “Then I give in. Willingly. Steal my sperm, Lacey. I give in. You win.”

I laughed, throwing my head back. “Don’t you think about tickling me. I know you are. I can see that gleam and…”

The door slammed open and then closed. Aaron stormed into the room, stopping abruptly when he saw us. We both looked up at him, and he laughed, a smile crossing his face. “Well, hello there, you two.”

Thorn glanced over his shoulder. “Join in or get out.”

I gasped. Um. It had only been one of them with me. Aaron took a step forward. “You okay with that, Lacey? What if I wanted to come and… play… with you and Thorn right now?”

Swallowing, I had to force myself to think. Clearly, Thorn was okay with it or he’d not have brought it up. He must think I’d be fine with it if he wasn’t questioning me about it. And the truth was if they were game, so was I.

“Are you two going to be… touching each other or just me?”

Thorn smiled down at me. “Just you, Lacey. Even if we had those feelings for each other, and we never have, I can tell you that these days every man currently