shouldn’t matter. Fionn was probably lying about who he was to get what he wanted. Or, even if he truly was her father, his goal must be to get the sword and nothing more.
Let it go, Andrea whispered to herself. The Fae told you what you wanted to hear so that you would do what he wished.
But part of her cried out, yearning to know the truth.
“Bloody hell,” Sean said. “What did you tell him?”
“That I wasn’t stupid enough to snatch the Sword of the Guardian and take it to him because he gave me a line about being my father.” Andrea turned around. Sean remained on the bed, face quiet. “But if I don’t take Fionn the sword, what if he convinces someone else to? That’s why I wondered what would happen if a Fae wielded the sword. What would it do?”
“In theory, nothing.”
“Then why would he want it?”
“The same reason Callum wanted it, most like. To wake Shifters’ fear of soul death. To make them wonder what a Fae would do with the sword. Just knowing that a Fae had it and we might never get it back would make Shifters crazy.”
Andrea made a noise of frustration. “I don’t know what to do.”
“That’s easy, love. Don’t give it to him.”
“But ... Oh, hell, Sean, what if he really is my father?”
“Would that make you give him the sword?”
“No, of course not. Even if Fionn is telling the truth about being my father, why would I trust him? I mean, he left my mother and never went back for her. Or me. He told me it was too dangerous, that he was hiding us from his enemies, who wouldn’t hesitate to kill us. But damn it, that could all be total bullshit. How would I know?”
“Do you want to cross into Faerie and find out?”
Andrea shuddered instinctively. She’d been raised to hate the Fae, the cruel people who’d bred Shifters to be their hunters and fighters. Faerie was a terrible place, so Shifters said. Cold and harsh, full of glittering Fae who would kill you in an instant, or worse—trap you and display you as a prize, maybe letting other Fae torture you for their pleasure.
“Not really.”
“I’d go with you.”
Andrea blinked. “What? You’ve got to be kidding me. Why?”
“You want to find out who you are, don’t you?”
Sean regarded her quietly while he made what was probably the most generous offer in Shifter history. A Feline volunteering to enter Faerie so his half-Lupine, half-Fae girlfriend could resolve her identity issues?
“Are you crazy?” she asked. “That’s way too dangerous. Then the Fae would have the sword and the Guardian.”
“I’d leave the sword with Liam for safekeeping.”
“And if they killed you? No, Sean, I couldn’t risk that.”
“I see you hurting, love,” he said calmly. “I don’t like that.”
“Now you’re acting like you can make everything all better.” She gave him the tiniest smile. “I’m not wrong about you being full of yourself, hairball.”
He came off the bed and to her, warming her with his strength and power. “I can make it better, little Lupine. I want to make everything better for you. I want to hold on to you and keep you from harm. I want to for the rest of my life.”
She shivered in excitement at the fierceness in his voice. “You can’t by taking me to Faerie. That’s crazy, Sean.”
“I’d rather take you than have you run off there by yourself.” He growled low in his throat, that mate protectiveness rearing again.
Andrea put her hands on her hips. “You’re going to start arguing with me again about me wanting to work at the bar, aren’t you?”
“’Tis dangerous. I’m not wrong about that.”
“We’ve been through this. I know it’s dangerous, but you can’t lock me away. You told me that I had the freedom to do what I wanted here, that I had freedom I didn’t have in my old Shiftertown. You can’t have it both ways.”
More growling, but his eyes stayed human blue, which meant he wasn’t as enraged as he’d been. Something had warmed between them, something that wouldn’t be undone. “Fine,” he said. “Work. Enjoy yourself.” His powerful hands went to her shoulders. “But no more dirty dancing with anyone but me.”
She smiled. “Jealous, were you?”
“You make my blood hot, sweetheart. I wanted to rip you away from him and break his neck.” He cupped her head in his hands, strong fingers on the back of her neck. “I want you so bad it’s fucking me up