Darci woke up to a delicious warmth enveloping her, but instinctively knew she was alone. Blaéz never slept for more than a few hours, not even on their honeymoon, it seemed. Eyes closed, she remained buried under the duvet for a few more minutes, listening to the sounds of the whining winds.

However, the tempting aroma of coffee drifting to her made her tummy rumble with hunger. She pushed away the covers, rolled off the bed and stood, wincing a little as her limbs protested, but considering the many ways Blaéz had loved her, well, she wasn’t surprised.

A quick shower later, and deciding not to change since she didn’t see the point with her insatiable mate, she pulled on panties and a thick terry robe. She shoved her feet into a furry pair of slippers and made her way to the kitchen, tying the belt on her dressing gown.

Blaéz stood by the breakfast counter wearing only sweats and pouring coffee, his attention on some ball game being played on the flatscreen in the lounge. Nope, her mate wasn’t very good in the cooking department, but he made coffee.

He frowned when he saw her. “I was going to bring this to you.”

She smiled and leaned against the counter, the wood stove at the back wall warming the kitchen. “Thank you. I was up anyway and wanted to see this place during the day.”

He set the mug near her hand, pushed a basket of muffins towards her, then leaned across the counter and kissed her long, slow, and deep.

“Eat. Get your strength back. You’ll need it...” His heated gaze trailed over her face, and warmth rushed to her cheeks. Getting the reaction he obviously wanted from her, he straightened. “You have a few minutes, enjoy looking around. I’m going to get more wood, I thought that thing was stacked.” He nodded to the fireplace. “Be back in a bit.”

He grabbed his t-shirt from the counter and pulled it on before disappearing out through the kitchen door.

Darci selected a poppyseed muffin and took a bite. As she ate the cake, she glanced out the window at the white landscape as more snow fell. The faint whining winds continued.

Hoping Blaéz wouldn’t take too long, she picked up her mug and wandered to the couch opposite the stone hearth. The fire crackled and sputtered, taking away the quietness. Several magazines were on the coffee table—all the latest issues—along with a note on top.

When you need a break from the sexy times.

She snorted in laughter. The girls had all signed their names. They’d probably sent the magazines with Hedori because the fridge had been well stocked, too.

A sharp knock resounded. The only people she knew who’d come up here would be Michael or Hedori because Blaéz had threatened the others with loss of limb if they interrupted.

Shaking her head wryly, she set her mug down and went to answer.

She opened the door. Her smile froze, shock spilling through her. It had nothing to do with the freezing weather.

The Morrigan, wearing in a navy, hooded cloak, stood there in all her terrifying glory.

Before Darci could open her mouth or telepath Blaéz, she said, “Don’t call him.”

Instinctively, she understood that the goddess wouldn’t harm her. Still, she eyed her suspiciously. “What do you want?”

“We need to talk.” The Morrigan swept inside like the great queen she was, stopping near the small bar. She pushed back the hood of her flowing cloak, revealing her long, ebony mane. Her piercing gaze held Darci’s. “He lives for you alone. But you are a liability. It is time to change that.”

Her stomach churned in apprehension. “What do you mean?He’ll be here any minute.”

The threat rolled off The Morrigan as she glided closer. “Indeed. But I fear those logs are a tad difficult to hack in this weather. It gives us some time.”

In pure survival reflex, Darci stepped back, her knees hitting the couch. Memories flooded her of her first encounter with The Morrigan when she’d revealed the painful truth; that Darci was nothing more than a receptacle who housed her son’s soul. And after, she’d left a transference disc behind, one that held Darci’s death sentence. No… Please, please don’t let this be a repeat of that time.

“I know he wedded you in the human way.” A fleeting darkness glimmered in her eyes, before it disappeared. “And I cannot make up or give back all that my son has lost in his life…” She hesitated. Darci had never seen The Morrigan this uncertain. “He will never forgive me for what I’ve done, but this, I can do for him. It’s my gift to you both.”

Huh? Warily, Darci watched her. “I’m not sure I understand.”

“You will soon.” In a flash, she moved, slipping a hand inside Darci’s robe, her palm pressed flat on her chest.

“Wh-what are you doing?” Darci grabbed the goddess’ wrist, her heart careening like a ping-pong ball, seconds from crashing through her ribs.

“This will hurt.” Those cobalt blue eyes so like Blaéz’s held hers. “Don’t cry out. He will come, and it won’t end well. This is my…”

Darci barely heard her as a burn spread through her chest, stealing her breath. No! She clawed at the goddess’s hold, trying to break free. But The Morrigan easily held her hands away, the heat morphing to blistering flames and incinerating her insides. Unable to withstand the sheer agony, Darci screamed—the sound a thin, piercing wail of impossible anguish.

In the distance, a door crashed open. A terrifying roar reverberated through the room. “Get the fuck away from her!”

“This has to be done…” were the last words Darci heard as darkness hauled her into a churning miasma of fiery colors before tossing her into a void of nothingness.

* * *

His heart shuddering in terror, Blaéz flung The Morrigan aside with his mind and grabbed Darci as she collapsed. Her chest rose and fell in jerky movements, her features contorted in agony. The terry robe slipped off one shoulder, revealing a red imprint on the curve of her breast, the mark glowing as if it were on fire.

Dread slicing through him, he laid her on the couch and placed his palm over the burn, letting his healing powers flow into her. The transcendent, restorative energy spread over her wound…and fizzled out.

No—fuck no! The fury roiling through him crashed in his head. He moved in a blur, mind-slamming The Morrigan back against the wooden wall.

“What the hell have you done?” he snarled, stopping a hair’s breadth from her. “When will this shit ever end? Finnén hunting us like godsdamn criminals! Now you’re here! Don’t you get it? She’s my mate, my life—the only person I love and want. And you’re after her again. Just leave us the fuck alone—”

The Morrigan’s eyes darkened, her features paler than usual. “I failed you so many times, I only wanted to help.”

Breathing hard, he stepped back. “I don’t want your help—”

The front door flew open like a storm had blasted inside. A huge male entered.

“The human world, brrr, still so cold,” the stranger grumbled, dusting the snow off his fair hair and long, brown leather coat. With a wave of his hand, he shut the door. The next instant, the snow feathering his hair and clothes disappeared.

He strolled across to them, sharp gray eyes arrowing in on Blaéz. The Morrigan’s mouth tightened, but the male didn’t pay her any notice. He stopped a foot away from them. Power rolled off him, briefly pinging Blaéz’s psyche with little pinpricks.

“So, this is him, Morri?” he asked. “The one whose birth you hid from me?”

Blaéz stepped back, keeping Darci’s unconscious form safe behind him. Her erratic breathing and heartbeat had eased somewhat, reassuring him. He narrowed his eyes at the newest intruder.

“Judging by your killing expression, I’m guessing she hasn’t told you anything as usual,” the stranger said, glancing briefly at The Morrigan. “Typical, my love. Hmm… Is this her?” He nodded at Darci lying on the couch. “The female you asked this favor for?”

“You have one second to start explaining,” Blaéz said coldly, his fingers balling, ready to kill this trespasser.

The male scratched his clean-shaven jaw, seeming unfazed by the threat. His eyes glowed with satisfaction. “I am Dagda, your sire. Your máthair asked me for a boon. Obviously, I was curious since it comes at a cost—a decade of her time spent with me…” He stroked The Morrigan’s cheek, looking into her eyes as he continued speaking to Blaéz. “Which, unfortunately, she detests very much because it means a quiet time, minus her wars.”

Blaéz stared at the male who claimed to be his father. Yeah, right. He had to be suspended in a dream. Maybe he hadn’t gotten up this afternoon and was still trapped in a nightmare and shit was about to land any moment now.

A soft moan dragged Blaéz out of his stupor of disbelief. He cut Darci a quick look as she sat up and winced. His attention snapping back to the interlopers, he reached out and helped her to her feet. Darci stiffened and pressed into him.

“What’s going on?” she whispered.

Blaéz put his arm around her and brushed a kiss to the top of her head. It’s what I’m trying to find out, he telepathed in response. He slashed a cold stare at The Morrigan. “What did you do to my mate?”

“All will be as it should.”

Blaéz ground his teeth at her cryptic counter. She glided toward them, her expression calm. “May I?” she asked Darci, who eyed her cautiously.

“No!” Blaéz bit out, stepping back.

After a second, Darci patted his abs. “It’s okay.” She nodded, and the goddess eased the robe away a little from her chest. “All is good.”

Blaéz frowned. Instead of the glowing burn on Darci’s chest, imprinted there now were curling twin flames that met in the center on the slightly reddened skin.

His gaze snapped back to them. “What is the meaning of this?”

Dagda was all-powerful. The god could look into the past, reanimate life if he so chose, and do a whole bunch of other things Blaéz hadn’t cared to hear about back then. He’d been too steeped in shit with Finnén always dogging his heels.

The Morrigan stared at him for an endlessly long second, then said, “Longevity.”

“Eternal life,” Dagda clarified.

“You love her,” she said quietly. “But she is mortal. I wanted you to have your happiness and not fear for her.”

“I’m glad I could help with this,” Dagda added. “Even though I’m still mighty upset that your máthair kept you a secret from me. However, what you have become pleases me greatly, my son. I care little that you no longer dwell at the pantheon. You are a male of worth, and you’ve proven it time and again. Indeed, I’ve taken a look into the Orb of Memories to find out everything since learning of your existence. You ever have need of me, call, and I shall be here.”

Blaéz stood there reeling in shock. Dagda’s attention shifted to Darci. His gaze softened. “For all that you’ve done and given up, my dear, eternal life is yours, with my blessing. Your shared soul…” He glanced back at Blaéz and shook his golden head as if in amazement. “It is a unique phenomenon that you have created, my son, one only pure love could bring to pass.”

Then he smiled. “May you both soon present me with a grandbabe to spoil. Now, we shall depart and leave you to enjoy this honeymoon.” Dagda glanced at the goddess, his expression back to inscrutable. “So, you’ve finally punished our first born? I deem it quite appropriate, though I would have added another century. Come, Morri, we have much to do, while you try to convince me why I shouldn’t be angry with you for your subterfuge of hiding our younger son…” They vanished in a shimmer of silvery-blue sparks.

Blaéz stared at the spot where The Morrigan and Dagda—hell, his sire—had stood a moment ago.

“Wow, that was…unexpected.” Darci’s voice broke the silence. “What’s going on with them?” she asked curiously.

“From what I heard eons ago, The Morrigan is Dagda’s destined mate, but he’d already fallen in love with another. So he claimed them both, but The Morrigan chose to live away from him.”

“I feel sorry for her. I could never share you. Ever,” she said quietly.

“You’ll never have to.” Blaéz touched her curly hair in awe.

Her lips curved in a soft smile as she stepped away from him. She pushed the gown off her shoulder, her attention back on the darkening symbol on the curve of her left breast. “This thing looks like I got a tattoo and it still hurts…”

Blaéz simply stared at her. He no longer had to fear her mortality taking her from him. His heart compressed like a huge fist had taken hold of it. “You will never leave me now, a leannan.”

Her brow creasing, she glanced at him. “What?”

He lowered his head and pressed his lips to the reddened flesh of the brand. He licked it slowly. Tenderly. A relieved breath escaped her. She grasped his head, her fingers tunneling through his hair. “That feels so good… It doesn’t hurt so much—what do you mean I won’t leave you?” she reiterated. “You told me that after you first shared your soul with me.”

He straightened and nodded, gliding his thumb over the now healed skin of the twin flames. “My sire, it seems, brokered the gift of immortality to The Morrigan, and she bequeathed it to you. It means if you are ever mortally injured—a fatal accident, shot, stabbed in the heart…anything—you won’t die from it.”

She stared blankly at him an endlessly long second. Then at the incandescent smile that lit her face, he wanted to find The Morrigan and thank her.

“Immortal,” she whispered. “Your mother mentioned something about trying to do the right thing—eeek,” she squealed as he swept her off her feet and into his arms. “Blaéz, what are you doing?”

Christ, he was so fucking happy. “After that awful moment of thinking she was attacking you, I find I need comforting.”

A smile trembled on her lips. “Really?”

“Absolutely,” he drawled as he headed for their bedroom. But her tormenting fingers stroking his nape stirred his blood. “Besides, I have to fulfill my promise of keeping you in bed. So, being soothed…indeed, it will help a lot.”

Laughter fell out of her. “You’re so full of crap—” He narrowed his eyes, and she hastily amended, “Er, sexy talk.”

“Too late. There will be retribution for disrespecting your mate...” Amusement spread through him at her scowl. “Hmm…ropes, bedframes, and you at my mercy. It’s going to be a perfect two fucking weeks.”

Blaéz claimed her mouth in a deeply carnal kiss, his tongue letting her know exactly what he planned to do with his cock in a few minutes. Her ire vanished, and she sighed, kissing him back.

As for the ropes, the possibilities grew. He loved besting her in the most sensual ways possible. It was always about her. Only her.

Thank you for reading For You, I Will, and I hope you’ve enjoyed it as much as I did writing it. And if you did, I would love if you’d consider leaving a review. Even a few words would do and is much appreciated. ♥ GLH