Chapter Six

 

Vaughn narrowed his eyes on Eric when the sorcerer popped up on the front porch, just as he was arriving home. “What the hell did you take my mate for?”

“Because she’s in danger. I came to either ward your house, or take you to mine. She needs to be kept safe until the light fae can be persuaded that she’s not a threat to their people.”

Vaughn snorted. “Tulip wouldn’t hurt anyone. I may not have trusted her right away, but after spending time with her, I know she doesn’t have an evil bone in her body. I don’t care if she is at least half dark fae.”

“I’ve already reached out to the light fae. I’m not certain how they’ll respond. If they still demand we hand her over, then I’ll contact the council,” Eric said. “I have to agree that Tulip wouldn’t harm anyone.”

Vaughn waved at his house. “Should you ward the place even if I don’t bring her home just yet? Make sure no one meaning her harm could ever get in?”

“I can do that. But there’s something you should do first.”

“What?”

“Get rid of the shifter hiding inside.”

Vaughn growled and stomped up the steps, opening the door that he knew he’d locked, and sought out the female who was fast becoming a nuisance. He found her lounging in his bed, her clothes stripped from her body. Great. Now he’d have to burn the bedding before he could bring Tulip home.

He gripped the woman by the nape and hauled her, spitting and hissing at him, out of his bed. Damn cat shifters.

“I told you I wasn’t interested,” he told her as he neared the front door. “I’m mated. Either leave me the fuck alone or find a new pack.”

He threw her out onto the porch and tossed her clothes out after her. She bolted to her feet and charged him, but Eric held up a hand and murmured something, creating a barrier. She bounced off the unseen forcefield and landed on her ass again. Eric drew wards in the air around the doorway before entering and stopping beside Vaughn.

“You’re no longer welcome here,” Eric said.

“She was never welcome here.”

The woman gathered her clothes and stormed off, apparently not caring that she was bare assed in the middle of a decent neighborhood. Vaughn turned his back on the scene and looked around his place. Even though it smelled wrong, thanks to the cat bitch who wouldn’t take no for an answer, nothing seemed out of place. While Eric warded the house, Vaughn went to pack a bag in case they needed to be away from home for more than one day. He hated that he’d finally found Tulip only to possibly lose her. He’d go down fighting, and would die to protect her, but he hoped it wouldn’t come to that.

It took Eric over an hour to ward the place. Only the alphas, and those closest to Vaughn, would be welcome. Eric showed him how to allow other people entry into his home on a case-by-case basis. And once they left, the wards would block their re-entry. It seemed like a pain in the ass if they wanted to entertain company, but if it kept Tulip and their unborn child safe, then it would be worth it.

There was a cry outside and Vaughn went to open the front door. A fae sat on his ass looking dazed from bouncing off the newly installed wards. Already they were paying off. Vaughn growled softly as he looked the man over. Red hair. Green eyes. The longer he glared at the male, the more he realized there was something familiar about him.

“Vaughn, I believe you’ve just met your father-in-law,” Eric said.

“You’re Tulip’s father?” Vaughn asked as the fae rose to his feet, brushing himself off.

“I guess that depends on whether or not her mother was named Nightshade.”

“Now that we know the wards will hold, I can return Tulip here,” Eric said. “Keep your mate’s father entertained while I retrieve her. Probably should bring Deacon too.”

Vaughn nodded and stared at the fae on his porch.

“Your people want to kill my mate,” Vaughn said with a snarl.

“Did you ever wonder why she was still alive?”

“Because I stopped them that night.”

“No. Because one of the fae who came to kill her thought she looked familiar. She said I needed to come see Tulip for myself.” He smiled a little. “Nightshade gave our daughter a light fae name? I wonder why she never told me I had a daughter.”

“She died when Tulip was young. My mate has been alone a long time. She’s over three hundred years old, and she’s been alone most of her life. But she has me now, and soon we’ll have a child.”

The fae’s features brightened. “She’s expecting?”

“Yes.”

Vaughn scented his mate the moment she materialized behind him. He reached for her, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her tightly against his side. The fae stared at her in amazement and tried to move forward again, but the wards held.

“Do you know who I am?” the fae asked.

Tulip shook her head, but she studied the fae hard, looking for clues.

“My name is Cedar and I believe I’m your father. You’re Nightshade’s daughter, aren’t you,” the fae asked.

“Yes,” Tulip said. “If you’re my father, why did you never come for me?”

“Because I didn’t know you existed. I was with your mother for a few months and then I got called away for a war. When I came back years later, I couldn’t find your mother and heard rumors that she’d died. No one mentioned a child.”

“How can I believe you?” Tulip said. “I need proof you’re my father.”

“If you’ll reach through the door, I’ll show you,” the fae said.

Vaughn growled and his grip tightened on Tulip, but she looked up at him with pleading eyes. He moved them closer to the open doorway and let her stick her hand outside, but kept her anchored against him in case it was a trick. The fae reached out and placed his hand against Tulip’s. Fireworks shot into the air around their hands and Tulip gasped. Where the sparks fell, flower blossoms littered the ground.

“Daddy?” Tulip asked softly, tears shining in her eyes.

“I will do everything within my power to protect you,” Cedar said. “I’m sorry it’s taken so long for me to find you. If I had known, I would have come sooner.”

“Can we let him in?” Tulip asked. “Is there a way to let him in without letting in all other light fae?”

Eric did something with his hands and Cedar was allowed to cross the threshold. Tulip broke away from Vaughn and threw her arms around her dad, hugging him so tight the light fae looked uncomfortable for a moment, then he hugged his daughter back. Seeing them together, Vaughn couldn’t deny they were related. But would the fact they could now prove she was half-light fae be enough to save his mate?

“Can you speak with the others and call off the hunt for Tulip?” Vaughn asked.

“I can try to reason with them, but once they find out I was in love with a dark fae, my judgment will be called into question. I’m not certain they will care that she’s part light fae. I could take the matter to the high court, but without a king or queen, it’s chaos at the moment. Our military has taken over.”

“Then I’ll go see the council,” Eric said.

“You loved my mother?” Tulip asked.

“More than anything,” Cedar replied. “She was my entire world, but our love was forbidden. She was different from the other dark fae, kinder. You have her eyes.”

“She waited for you,” Tulip said. “I think she finally died of a broken heart when you never came back.”

“I was sent on several missions back to back,” Cedar said. “It was nearly twenty years before I heard that she had died. I didn’t much care what happened to me after that. But if I had heard even a rumor that Nightshade had had a baby, I’d have looked for you.”

Vaughn kissed the top of Tulip’s head and held out a hand to Cedar. “You’re welcome to stay with us, if you’d like. Get to know your daughter. I’m sure she’d like that.”

“I can help guard her,” Cedar offered. “I’m not as powerful as some of the light fae, but I can hold my own in a fight.”

“If I go with Eric to meet the council, would you watch over Tulip while we’re gone?” Vaughn asked. “The house is warded as you saw. Neither of you should leave until we return, hopefully, with good news.”

“I would be honored to stay with her.”

Vaughn looked at Tulip then back at her father. “As I mentioned earlier, she’s pregnant. You’ll be a grandfather before too long.”

Cedar stared at his daughter, love shining in his eyes, and Vaughn knew that his mate would be safe while he was gone. He kissed Tulip softly before nodding at Eric. The sorcerer placed a hand on his shoulder and a moment later they were in what looked like a courtroom, except the walls were glass and they were surrounded by plant life. Vaughn didn’t have any idea where they were, but he didn’t much care, as long as the council helped his mate.

Eric stood with his hands folded behind his back, his feet braced shoulder width apart. Vaughn mimicked him, not knowing the protocol for approaching the council. He’d heard of them, but had never met a council member before. His nose told him which of the members were wolf shifters. He tried to make eye contact with them, but no one had acknowledged their presence yet.

A fae looked up, a crown of flowers on top of her blonde locks. “Sorcerer, you wished to speak with us?”

“I have come on behalf of Tulip. Her father has claimed her and has proven she’s not fully dark fae.” Eric looked each member in the eyes. “I’ve come to ask that you remove the threat to her life. The light fae have asked her to be turned over to them dead or alive.”

“And if she is not fully dark fae, what is she?” one of the shifters asked.

“Tulip’s mother is Nightshade, a dark fae, but her father is Cedar, a light fae. Her magick is not purely dark or purely light, but a mixture of the two. In addition, she has been claimed by a member of the Ashton Grove pack.”

The shifter looked at Vaughn. “Would that be you?”

“Yes. I claimed Tulip as my mate, and furthermore, she’s carrying our child. I would ask that she be left to live in peace among my pack. They have accepted her.”

“The dark fae tried to wipe out the light fae line. They killed the royals,” one of the fae said. “Why should we forgive that?”

“Tulip had nothing to do with that,” Vaughn said. “She was imprisoned by the dark fae for trying to help your people. She tried to save the royal family and tried to intervene when Onyx came for my alpha’s mate. She was left to rot with no light, no food. Her wings were cut from her body.”

The fae did a slow blink and stared at one another.

“My mate has never harmed anyone,” Vaughn said. “She didn’t fight back when they imprisoned her, merely accepted her fate. She came to my pack for help and our alpha knew immediately she was meant to be a mate to one of our wolves. I was lucky enough to claim that title. Tulip is sweet and genuinely cares about people. One of the mates in our pack recently gave birth and Tulip eased her pain, not caring how much it drained her energy and magick. She’s selfless.”

“If you’ve truly claimed her, then her life force has been shortened by joining with yours.” The female fae folded her hands. “If that’s the case, and she’s pregnant, then I don’t believe she will be a threat any longer.”

“So, you’ll ask the light fae to remove the bounty on her? She’ll be left in peace to live amongst my

pack?” Vaughn asked.

“I believe that can be arranged.” The male fae looked at the other council members. “Do any of you object?”

There were murmurs, but everyone agreed to free Tulip.

The sorcerer thanked them for the audience and then took Vaughn back to the house. Tulip and her father were watching TV, both of them looking fascinated by the cooking show that was on. It still amazed him that she’d been around so long and still had never watched a TV before coming to his home. Their home.

He leaned against the living room doorway and watched them laugh and talk for a few minutes. It was clear that Tulip was happy to have her father in her life. Vaughn didn’t know how long the fae planned to stay in their home, but he would allow it. Anything that made Tulip laugh like that was welcome in his world. The sorcerer patted his shoulder and then blinked out of the room, probably to return to his home. Vaughn didn’t see Deacon anywhere and assumed the wolf had gone home.

Leaving Tulip and Cedar to talk a little more, Vaughn went to the kitchen to brew a pot of coffee. He looked out the kitchen window while he waited on the machine to percolate. As soon as he’d had some caffeine, he’d give Tulip the good news. For the moment, she was content, and that was more important. After the pot was finished brewing, he poured himself a cup and took a large swallow. Closing his eyes, he inhaled the scent of rich coffee and felt at peace for the time being. Now that his mate was safe, he could relax and enjoy being mated to an amazing woman.

Vaughn carried his cup into the living room. “Having a good time?”

They both startled and looked at him with wide eyes.

“When did you get home?” Tulip asked.

“A few minutes ago. You looked like you were having a nice time so I made some coffee and left the two of you alone a little longer. It sounds like you’re getting along.”

“Thank you for welcoming me into your home,” Cedar said. “Now that I’ve found my daughter, I plan to visit often.”

“What did the council say?” Tulip asked.

“It was determined that you aren’t a threat to the fae. No one should be hunting you any longer. I’m not certain how quickly that order will be passed though, so we should probably stay close to the house the rest of the day, just in case. I’m not sure how the fae communicate something like that.” Vaughn took another swallow of his coffee. “But we can order pizza and watch movies. Cedar, you’re still welcome to stay as long as you’d like.”

“I’ll stay for dinner and then I’ll return home, but I promise to visit often. And I’d like to come stay a few days when the baby is born.” Cedar reached over and took Tulip’s hand. “I missed out on your birth, but I plan to be here for each of my grandchildren.”

“Does Tulip have any siblings?” Vaughn asked.

“No. Nightshade was my true love and I’ve never paired with anyone else. Nightshade was the only female I’ve never used a protective spell with. I think I was always hoping she’d become pregnant, giving me a reason to fight for us to be together.”

“So, you’re going to be alone the rest of your life?” Tulip asked. “Mother wouldn’t have wanted that.”

“I know she wouldn’t, but I don’t want anyone else. Besides, I will now have you and your children, and their children. I can watch over the future generations for as long as I live.”

“I’ll go order the pizza. I’ll make sure one is a veggie since I know you prefer not to eat meat.” Vaughn stepped out of the room to return his cup to the kitchen and place their order. When he got back to the living room, Tulip was showing Cedar the movie collection. When they found his copy of Legend, they decided they wanted to see it. He only hoped nothing in it offended them.

He smiled as he thought about how much his life had changed. He’d known his mate wasn’t part of the pack, and had wondered if he would be alone for years to come, then Tulip had landed at his feet. Now he had two fae in his life, and a baby on the way. Life couldn’t have been sweeter.