Prince of Cats - Tasha Black Page 0,13

seemed much easier when he was trying to abduct her baby than it was now, when he was genuinely asking for help for the good of his people.

“Will you promise to protect me?” she asked.

“Are you offering me a bargain?” he asked, his bright eyes suddenly twinkling. “Didn’t your mother ever warn you not to bargain with the fae?”

“No,” Piper said. “She never did. And I don’t even know why I just asked for your promise, your promises clearly mean nothing.”

She clamped her mouth shut, hating herself for still resenting his disappearance almost two years ago.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” he demanded.

“Nothing,” she said, turning away.

“I know you keep going on and on about me stealing your son,” he said. “But you seem to conveniently forget that he’s my son, too.”

“That’s not what I meant,” she said. “And he might be biologically yours, but you haven’t been there. And that makes him mine.”

He studied her for a long moment.

“I see,” he said at last.

There was a strange moment of awkwardness between them.

“I need to find a place for him to rest,” Piper said, indicating the baby, who was asleep on her shoulder.

Killian nodded.

A moment later, she felt a strange sort of hush in the air.

She turned to find a blanket of golden leaves swirling as if caught in a tiny tornado. Except that there was no breeze at all.

Killian watched the leaves, enjoying her surprise.

His right index finger swirled and then made a smoothing motion.

The leaves rustled gently into place, so many layers they formed a bed.

Piper didn’t want to show she was impressed, she really didn’t. But it was too amazing not to investigate.

“Good enough in a pinch?” Killian asked.

She nodded, and gently lowered Kieran down to his leafy bower.

The little one whimpered once with a furrowed brow. But when Piper laid her hand on his belly, his forehead smoothed and he drifted off, looking contented.

“Thank you,” she said quietly to Killian.

He winced a little at that. She wasn’t sure why.

“He’s a good lad,” he said, gazing down at her son.

Their son.

She felt a pang in her chest.

It wasn’t that Kieran wasn’t enough. He was. But there had already been so many amazing moments when she wished she had someone to share her pride and wonder at this incredible boy.

“So, I broke a promise to you?” Killian asked, lowering himself to sit beside her.

“Not really,” she said, feeling embarrassed.

“You mean the night we were together,” he said gruffly.

They sat quietly for a long time, watching the fire crackle and dance.

“You’re right,” he said at last. “It did feel like a promise. It was a promise, or at least it would have been, if things were different.”

“Look, I just don’t do things like that,” she said. “That’s all. You don’t have to pretend it was a big deal for you, too.”

“You don’t do things like what?” he asked.

“You know,” she said. “I don’t sleep with guys I just met. Usually. But I know one-night stands are no big deal for a lot of people. You’re not supposed to make a big thing out of it.”

His eyes flashed and she couldn’t tell if it was with fury or recognition.

“If it were up to me,” he told her, his voice low, “I would have claimed you permanently that night.”

10

Killian

The woman, Piper, blinked up at him, unbelieving.

Instinct took over and Killian did the only thing he knew he shouldn’t.

He cupped her cheek with one hand and bent to kiss her.

After all he’d seen her do today, he knew he’d be lucky if she only cuffed him and didn’t sink a blade into him for such a transgression.

But instead, she kissed him back with a muted fury.

He groaned and fed on her mouth, trying to absorb everything about her - her soft mouth, her coconut scent, the tickle of her long hair against his hand.

She made a tiny whimpering sound and he pulled back regretfully.

But when he looked into her eyes, he only saw his own need reflected back.

“I want you so much,” he heard himself tell her. “I’ve missed you every hour.”

“Why did you leave?” she whispered, breaking his heart. “You didn’t even say good-bye.”

“I was afraid,” he admitted. “I was afraid I wouldn’t have the strength. I was afraid of what was between us. And I still am.”

“What’s between us?” she murmured, her eyes hazy with something like lust.

“Destiny,” he whispered. “It’s a binding of souls, the pull that mates a couple for life. You must feel it, too.”

Her eyes widened, but