Goddess of the Grove

Chapter One

Korey O'Caha propped his feet up on the wooden table in front of him. His black biker boots needed a shining. He was normally good about his appearance, but he had other things on his mind as of late. Or rather, a special someone. He'd get to the boots later. For now, he'd enjoy the view at the pub. He put his hands behind his head as he watched the delicious sight before him. He ignored the heavy weight of his cousin's stare, focusing instead on Gigi—one of the waitresses at the pub.

She was a vision he could get lost in for all eternity if he wasn't careful. Already, he'd given up his once-wicked ways simply to be near her—and what a lovely sight she was. The pants she wore were dark and stopped just below her knees. He'd heard his cousin Coyle's wife, Deri, call them capris but he wasn't sure if that was the right term or not. The top Gigi had on was sinfully tight, molding to her every curve. It had thin straps holding it up and was tied in the front. One pull of material, one jerk, and she'd be exposed to him. What he wouldn't give to hold her bare breasts in his hands, to palm them and knead them as he tasted of her mouth.

At five-foot–six, the beauty was shorter than women he normally gravitated to and was a bit shapelier than the others as well. Prior to her entering his life, Korey had a tendency to go for tall and skinny, wanna-be-supermodel types. He'd thought they were the only types for him. Gigi changed his perception of what the ideal woman was. In truth, she blew his preset notions out of the water.

Mmm, lush breasts. Handfuls. Enough to spill over his hands were he to reach forward and grab them. Different but in a guid way.

It was hard to hold it together and resist touching her in ways he shouldn't. He wasn't the type of guy to take what a woman wasn't willing to give. No matter how much he wanted her, he wouldn't stoop to that level. He hunted men for less.

Never hurts to just look, he thought, his gaze raking over her ever so slowly.

His cock hardened at the thought of having Gigi naked and beneath him. There would be no greater paradise, of that he was sure. His erotic dreams of the two of them naked and intertwined gave him tiny teasing glimpses of her bounty, leaving him wanting the real thing. Of course, Korey had been skirting the issue of his feelings for her from day one. Mostly because he had yet to actually come to terms with how deep his emotions ran in regards to Gigi. Each year near her had been sweet torture. He was going on four years of longing, of wanting to touch her, taste her, simply be near her.

Och, the woman has me tied in knots and I've nae even kissed her.

The pub, filled with oversized tables and chairs, and a bar made for taller men, was lit by electric sconces lining the walls. There was a time, Korey could remember well, when they used candles to illuminate the places they frequented. He could also remember what life was like before coming to the States. While he missed his homeland, he was honor-bound to serve out the wishes of the elders. He'd disliked the area greatly upon first arriving several centuries back, but it had grown on him. Part of the druids' power came from nature and he missed certain things from home—fields of heather, lunar-like landscapes coated in moss and grass, and groves full of sacred trees with rivers running past them.

Soft music played in the background of the seaside pub, a sharp contrast to the pounding storm outside. Severe thunderstorms had come over the area earlier in the day, when none had been predicted. A sure sign of trouble on the horizon. Other, less obvious signals of something being off had cropped up. Korey and his cousin had decided to remain close to the pub, knowing its lure for other supernaturals was great. It was a paranormal hotspot, a natural spring of power, so to speak. So far, all had been quiet in regard to supernatural activity but he had a feeling that was about to change.

As he listened to the music playing, Korey had little doubt Gigi was behind several of the song selections. She seemed drawn to anything with a Celtic flare. He smiled, wishing her attraction extended to him as well. After all, he was as Celtic as they came. He slid his finger over the table, absently playing in a pool of condensation from his glass as he wondered how wet Gigi's cunt would be. His finger twitched and his eyelids fluttered shut long enough for him to think upon his dreams, where Gigi was always moist and ready for him.

The clanging of bottles brought Korey's attention from his lust-filled dreams. He scanned the pub for Gigi, finding her at a nearby table, emptying a tray of used glasses before heading back into the thick of the pub's crowd. Her long, dark brown hair hung to the tops of her breasts. She wore her hair straight today, versus the loose waves it was normally in. Only last night he'd dreamt of running his hands through it, while he pressed his cock deep into her body, taking her from behind, screwing her hard and fast as he shouted her name. He jerked slightly, his cock threatening to erupt at the memory of fucking Gigi in his dreams.

They had started off as random dreams, within days of her arrival into his life, years ago. The dreams had progressed to the point he knew whenever he closed his eyes, he would dream of her in one way or another. Of course, he was a bit more partial to the thoughts of having her sucking his cock while he guided her mouth over him, but the ones where he stood with her in a grove, simply admiring the scenery were nice too. They afforded him the opportunity to be with her and Korey was no fool. He welcomed any chance he had to be near Gigi—awake or asleep.

He couldn't tear his gaze away from her as she headed towards his table. The sway of her hips was spellbinding. It was easy to imagine her riding him, using the same sashaying technique.

His cousin, and the pub's owner, Coyle O'Caha, snickered as he ran a hand through his dark hair. His slate grey eyes held a devilish look. He wore a T-shirt with a rock band on the front, one Korey wasn't aware his cousin even liked. In fact, the more Korey glanced at his cousin, the more he realized the shirt was his. He would have commented but Coyle spoke first. "Pick your jaw up or she may figure out yer infatuated with her. 'Tis a secret I know you hold dear to yer heart. Though I'm nae sure why you bother. The fact yer tongue practically wags whenever she's near is a dead giveaway."

Korey cast an amused look at Coyle. "I'm nae infatuated with anyone. Unlike you, cousin."

"Och, of course I'm infatuated with my wife. I worship the ground she walks upon." A wicked gleam came to his eyes as he took a swig of his beer. "Would that I be home paying homage to her now instead of here with yer sorry arse. She's a might sight better than yer ugly mug."

It was true. Coyle really did worship his wife, Deri. She was home with their toddler, Coyle Junior, or CJ for short. Deri was also expecting their second child. At six months along, she had that rosy glow so many pregnant women held. Coyle doted on her to the point Deri had begged Korey to take his cousin with him and get him out of the house for a while, giving her a much needed break. She was a natural-born witch, and prior to a creative bit of interference on the part of Korey, she and his cousin had refused to acknowledge their feelings towards one another.

Each time Korey played with Coyle's son, he knew his decision to intervene had been the right one. CJ took after the O'Caha men, his hair dark and his temper short. He had his mother's green eyes and Coyle liked to blame the boy's stubborn streak on his wife for that reason alone. Everyone knew better.

The men in his family had short fuses. Plain and simple.

A little piece of Korey was jealous his cousin had been first to find happiness. Yes, he was happy for him but it did get lonely, wondering if he too would ever find fulfillment. He wasn't opposed to the idea of the sound of tiny feet scuttling about his home and the knowledge that the woman he loved was there each time he stepped through the door. There was a time in his long life when the idea of settling down with any woman was laughable. He'd bedded his way through more villages than he cared to remember. He had mellowed slightly over the years and, once Gigi had come on the scene, his bad boy days dwindled to distant memories.

A sexy blonde walked by, thrusting her chest out and doing her best to grab their attention. Coyle either didn't see her or didn't care. He made no move to look. Korey let his gaze follow her, willing himself to want her. It would make his life easier if he did. He could take her out back, sink deep into her and fuck away his obsession with Gigi.

The woman lifted a glass to him from across the pub, as if to toast. Korey did the same, trying to imagine her naked and beneath him. When only thoughts of Gigi filled his head, he groaned and looked away, breaking eye contact with the blonde.

It was easy for him to understand his cousin's actions in regards to Deri. Both he and Coyle had been alive for over seven hundred years. They were immortal druid sorcerers whose purpose was to serve the side of good by any means they could. Coyle taught fledgling witches the craft and Korey handled matters of the paranormal that arose in the area. Meaning, he killed bad things when they misbehaved. Destiny said he and the others like him had a soulmate somewhere in the world. It had taken Coyle seven centuries to find his, and he wasn't about to let her go.

The idea of being alone for another seven hundred years left Korey's gut in a coiled knot and a lump forming in his throat. Having no one hadn't really bothered him prior to meeting Gigi. It was the sight of her face that put foolish notions of forever in his head. Coyle's claiming of Deri had been what pushed Korey over the edge of reason. From the moment he saw the promise of finding that special someone was indeed true, and not invented to give false hopes, he couldn't help but wish with all his might Gigi was whom the gods had selected for him.

He snorted. I'm nae worthy of her.

His gaze went to the blonde who'd been flirting with him earlier. She turned, as if sensing the weight of his stare. She stuck a pouty lip out and batted her lashes. Yes, she'd fuck him, of that he had no doubt. He also knew it wasn't her he wanted to pin to the wall. It was Gigi.

"You two want another round?" Gigi asked, startling him.

Korey's groin heated as the object of his desire spoke softly to him. He wanted to find the words to answer her question, if only he could remember what it was she asked. So far, he was only able to figure out she smelled amazing, like jasmine and roses with a touch of apples, and wore the faintest hint of lip gloss on her full lips. He could easily picture those lips wrapped around his cock, taking him deep in her mouth.

As he stared at her front-tied shirt, he thought of accidentally knocking his beer over to get her to move closer. He could then accidentally take hold of the thin material and unwrap her blessings. The only thing stopping him was the fact the rest of the patrons would be gifted as well.

He would not share.

Coyle kicked the leg of his chair, causing Korey to yank his feet off the table and sit upright. "W-what?"

Laughing, Coyle shook his head. "No, Gigi. What my tongue-tied cousin is trying to say is, no, we're guid."

Tongue-tied?

Korey attempted to argue the point but was distracted when Gigi leaned over, the side of her breast brushing his shoulder, making his cock twitch. The amused look on Coyle's face made Korey want to slap him out of his chair. It wouldn't be the first time such a thing had happened, nor would it be the last. Gigi picked then to put her hand on Korey's shoulder, saving his cousin from an ugly fate. Her very touch calmed him. Always had and, he hoped, it always would.

"Kor, you want anything?"

I want you.

For a moment, all Korey could hear was the beating of his heart. He wouldn't have been the least bit shocked to see the organ burst free of his chest. It wasn't as if his magik couldn't cause something that absurd to happen. Hell, his cock was on the verge of breaking loose, why not the rest of him? Whenever she was around anything was possible.

He swallowed dryly, focusing on Gigi and the question she'd asked. "No, and I can get my own. You do nae need to be waiting on me hand and foot, Gigi."

Though, I wouldnae turn you down should you offer to spend the night pleasing me.

Thankfully, his inner thoughts remained hidden. Making an even bigger fool of himself in front of his cousin wasn't how Korey wanted to spend the remainder of his evening. He'd be hard-pressed to get Coyle to stop teasing him as it was.

Gigi gave his shoulder a squeeze. "You know, Kor, you should really lay off the weights. I think you're harder than the table." She tapped the table with her free hand for emphasis.

If she only knew how hard he truly was, she'd run screaming from the pub. All he wanted to do was spread her out before him and sink his cock into her glorious depths. Taking her would be heavenly, of that he was sure. So many nights he'd pictured her spread out below him as he pumped his cock to release. It was Gigi's face he saw when his orgasm struck and it was her body he wanted to find comfort in tonight.

Tonight? Pfft, more like every night.

Gigi slid her hand down his arm and lifted his black T-shirt sleeve. He wanted her caress to dip further, venture into bedroom territory but Korey knew enough to relish her touch regardless.

She ran her finger over one of his many Celtic and druid tattoos and fire shot through his body. As she traced the one meaning eternal, he stared into her blue eyes and longed to tell her the truth about who he was.

I'm an immortal druid sorcerer, lass, and I cannae think of going a day without you.

The words never left his mouth.

Gigi's soft smile was hypnotic. "Are we still on for tomorrow night?"

"Aye." He stared, transfixed by her sheer presence.

Coyle's chuckle pulled Korey from his stupor. "Now what would you and my cousin be planning for tomorrow?"

Korey gulped, not wanting Coyle to learn the lengths to which he'd go to spend time with Gigi.

Gigi grinned. "Friday night is movie night for us. You didn't know?" She stroked the back of Korey's neck, as if petting him. He was fine with that. "Korey and I have spent almost every Friday night for the past two years either going to see a movie or watching one at my place."

"You do nae say." Coyle's amused look equaled one thing—he was planning to embarrass Korey.

Korey stiffened.

"What is the movie of choice this week?"

Gigi ran her fingers into Korey's hair, causing him to temporarily forget his manly, warrior ways were about to be called into question. "Whatever I want to see. I try to get him to pick but he always leaves it up to me. This week we're renting a new release. One I've been wanting to see about a girl who tries to make it big in New York."

Coyle's lips trembled. "So, Korey likes chick flicks?"

Gigi rolled her eyes playfully and bent, pressing a chaste kiss to Korey's cheek. "No, he doesn't, but he still comes each and every week to keep me company. And if you, Coyle O'Caha, dare to make fun of him about it, I'll call your wife and tell her how much you think the idea of a man spending time doing things a woman likes is hilarious."

Coyle paled. "Och, now do nae be hasty, Gigi. I never said I thought it was funny. I just…umm…so, the girl tries to make it big in New York? Sounds fascinating. Might rent that one myself."

It was Korey's turn to laugh.

Gigi gave a slight wave to a patron across the pub and Korey reached up, taking her hand in his. Even he was shocked at the move. He was even more surprised to find himself drawing her onto his lap. She felt as if she'd been made to fit him perfectly.

Gigi giggled. "Korey, what are you doing?"

I'm getting ready to fuck you.

His thoughts sobered him instantly, but he didn't release his hold on Gigi. She felt too good, too right in his arms. As she put her arms around his neck, his cock fought against his jeans, wanting to be free.

Gasping, Gigi froze. "Umm, Kor?"

He had little doubt she could feel how much he wanted her. Touching her chin, he directed her gaze to his. "Aye?"

She wiggled, making him groan. "N-nothing."

"Will the two of you need to be gettin' a room?" Coyle asked, taking a drink of his beer and winking at Korey.

One can only hope.

They stayed like that for what seemed like forever. Korey closed his eyes and pulled Gigi's head down, causing their foreheads to touch. He exhaled slowly, doing his best to control the raging need rushing through him. He waited for Gigi to yell, to push away from him, anything to show she didn't share his feelings. The moment her warm, tender lips pressed against his, he jerked, nearly dumping her from his lap.

Laughing, Gigi hopped to her feet and shook her head. "Looks as though I can still knock their socks off, huh?"

"Verra smooth," Coyle said, grinning from ear to ear.

Chapter Two

The door to the pub opened and the lightning outside acted as a backdrop for the tall, ominous figure filling the frame. Instantly Korey sensed danger, as did Coyle. They pushed to their feet and Korey tugged Gigi behind him, readying himself for a possible attack. It was rare but not completely unheard of for a supernatural attack to occur with human witnesses. Granted, it was considered bad form, but so was going rogue and killing humans. Sadly, it happened. It was his job to clean up the mess whenever it did.

Gigi ignored his attempt at keeping her safe. She picked up the tray with their empty bottles on it and headed to the kitchen. The figure in the doorway stiffened and Korey sensed power rolling off the man. Korey and Coyle immediately drew upon their magik, preparing to fight if need be. So in tune with one another, they needed almost no words to pass between them. They'd fought enough battles together over the centuries to anticipate the other's moves and they could recognize the other's power in the blink of an eye.

The man stepped in farther. His eyes were so dark they looked to be as black as his short hair. Silver earrings lined each ear and tattoos covered his neck and the exposed portions of his arms. The second Korey spotted the man's markings, he drew upon more of his magik. The newcomer's symbols indicated he was into some serious magik. The oppressive feeling in the air meant only one thing—the magik was dark.

"Hey, Kor, you sure you don't want another—" Gigi's words died on her lips and Korey turned to see her eyes widen with something akin to fright.

"Georgia," the man said, his voice deep.

Gigi dropped the tray and the bottles hit the floor, breaking upon contact. Her gaze snapped to Korey before landing back on the man in the doorway.

"Can I help you, stranger?" Coyle asked, his tone warning.

The corners of the man's mouth drew upwards. "Just here looking for someone."

Korey stood tall, puffing out his chest. He shouldn't feel threatened by the man, yet he did. It wasn't even a fear of being bested in battle that consumed him, it was something else. The urge to glance at Gigi was great. He held back. Was it fear of losing her?

"We've no one named Georgia here." Coyle kept his magik high. It pressed alongside Korey's, forming a nice barrier between the man and Gigi, should he attempt a mystical attack of any kind.

"Funny—" The man stared past Korey to Gigi. "—I seem to have found her. Though she's nae giving me much in the way of a greeting."

Gigi cleared her throat. "Umm, sorry, Parth, I'm just shocked to see you. I thought you…umm…I thought…"

Parth grinned. "Dead? Yeah, the rumors have been circulating. Tell me—" He took another step in. "—are the ones about you being married true? What did yer ma tell me his name was?" He rubbed his chin. "Oh, yes, Korey."

Coyle's eyes widened and he looked as shocked as Korey felt. Korey had met Gigi's mother on more than one occasion. She knew they weren't married. Why would she tell a stranger such a thing?

A shiver of understanding slid up his spine. Because she knows I can protect her daughter.

"I'm Korey and, aye, Gigi and I are wed. Are you here to wish us yer best?"

Gigi drew in a sharp breath and rushed to his side. "No, Korey, don't—"

Korey twisted and pulled her into his arms. She fit flawlessly against him. "Do nae be shy, lil' one, tell me who yer friend is."

Parth clenched his fists. "Better yet, Georgia, you can tell me why yer husband dinnae seem to recognize yer name."

Korey held Gigi close, ignoring the fact she was trying to break away from him. He could feel her fear of the man and he'd be dammed if he let harm befall her. Cool, protective energy enveloped him and he was unsure of its source. He knew enough to know it wasn't his cousin's and Korey highly doubted the guy in the doorway gave a rat's arse about soothing his temper.

"Do I nae get even a hug from you, Georgia?" Parth's gaze was hard. "Seems to me, there was a time in our lives, you were all too willing to embrace me."

Jealousy flared in Korey. How could Gigi align herself with a man such as Parth, one who practiced the dark arts? Did she know? No. She couldn't have. If she had then she would understand and know what Korey truly was. Since she'd never once uttered a word about magik, he found it hard to believe Gigi knew it existed.

Parth whispered a spell in an ancient language few still knew and a rush of dark power moved over the pub, coating the patrons. Korey recognized it for what it was—a spell to halt time in the minds of humans. Magiks would still move and think freely during it. As Coyle stiffened, making no comment about the spell, Korey knew his cousin was thinking the same thing he was—let's see what this asshole has up his sleeve. GIGI BLINKED, shocked to see a man she'd long thought dead standing in the entrance of the pub. Parth looked harder than he had before. Gone was the smile he once wore, replaced with a deep-set knowledge of what it was like to walk on the darker side of existence. There had been a time in her life she'd followed Parth blindly, believing they had a future together. That time had passed.

Glancing around the pub, she noticed no one other than Parth was moving. "What have you done?"

"Made it so we can speak in private, Georgia." He put his hand out to her but she didn't leave the safety of Korey's embrace. "I'll nae hurt you, lass. You know as much."

"Do I?" She shook her head as she noted the number of tattoos covering his body. Gigi knew what the symbols meant. She also remembered a time he wore only ones representing good.

Parth stepped closer and raked his gaze over her. "Yer even more beautiful than I remember. Married life agrees with you."

Fearing for Korey's safety, Gigi slid out of his hold and ran her hand down his muscular arm. "Don't hurt him, Parth. Please. He's a good man and he doesn't know about things like us."

Parth tipped his head back and laughed. "Things like us? They do nae know yer real name or what you truly are? You tied yerself to a man based on lies, Georgia. Yet you would fault me for what I did to be with you."

"What you did was wrong. You took power from a source of darkness for personal gain."

"Personal gain?" He slammed his fist into his chest. The sound made her wince. "I took it to be with you. To have the power to free you from the ties holding you to the Otherworld. You dinnae ask to be born to yer parents…to be next in the line for their power…and to see you being punished for merely existing was too much."

She couldn't help but go to him. He was right to a point. He had taken on dark magik in order to free her from a binding spell holding her in the Otherworld. She'd spent the equivalent of hundreds of human years locked away, but it had felt like only a year or so to her. Time moved differently between realms and when one was trapped between them, all rationality went out the window. All that remained was the fact time had indeed passed rapidly while she was prisoner—at least for everyone but Gigi. "Thank you again for coming for me, Parth."

"It was my duty as a druid sorcerer, Georgia. And it was—" His body stiffened, as if he were apprehensive. "—my duty as the man who loved you."

She covered her mouth, fighting her emotions.

"You stood before yer uncle, demanding he leave our immortality intact and nae—"

Gigi's chest tightened at the memory of it all. "Parth, he wanted to wipe all of you from the face of the earth. The little ones he…he was going to kill the…"

Parth caressed her cheek. "I know, lass. I was there. I remember how yer uncle threatened the lives of the children born to be immortal sorcerers. I'll never forget you barging into that village, putting yer power over its residents and shouting with all yer might how you wouldnae allow harm to come to them."

A small laugh tore free of her as she thought of the little boy with hair as dark as night creeping from his family's home to stand near her side. He'd tugged on her dress and given her a handful of freshly picked flowers.

Parth's gentle touch brought Gigi out of her memories of the night. In reality it had been over seven hundred years ago. For her, it had been less than ten years. Ten short years ago she'd encased the residents of the village in a protective spell and paid dearly for her actions—two years trapped between realms and eight living with the knowledge she escaped, but only barely.

"Had I known giving you flowers would win yer hand in marriage, I would have done so myself." Parth glanced towards Korey. "Though, I lacked the same boyish charms then."

"Did Norval hurt them?" She'd been taken, her powers bound and her life forfeited before she'd set foot out of the village. Gigi had spent almost all of her time locked away worrying her uncle had still managed to find a way to destroy the children of the druids.

"No." Parth crossed his arms over his powerful chest. "Yer uncle couldnae touch any of the druids in the village. They nae only carried their immortality but that of a goddess as well. 'Tis why Norval was able to take you without incident. You had weakened yerself to protect them."

A gasp caught Gigi's attention. She glanced at Korey but he didn't appear to have moved. "Do you know what became of the villagers?"

Parth cleared his throat as his body stiffened. "Aye. They upheld their sworn promise to protect nature, the magik, train others in the craft and fight evil. They grew, fighting the battle while you lay beaten, broken and near death in a cell nae fit for an animal, let alone a person. And I do nae want to hear about how you were only there for two years because I saw the condition yer uncle left you in, two minutes was too long, Georgia."

She winced. "Gigi. Please call me Gigi."

"Tell me how it is you came by the name first."

She snickered. "The little boy who gave me the flowers was thinking it when he heard you call my name. I unknowingly tapped into his thoughts long enough to pick up on it. I don't think he could pronounce my name. I liked his version better, so when I was free, I used it."

"This boy—" Parth's heated gaze remained on Korey. "—meant a lot to you. Why?"

"I wondered that often enough myself. Maybe he was destined to do great things for our kind, Parth. Maybe he was to father a child who was pivotal to our… umm…the side of good staying ahead all these years."

Parth rubbed his chin. "I am nae working for the enemy, Gigi. I possess their powers but I do nae believe in their cause. I remain close to them, reporting my findings to others, to help our side stay ahead of them. I was too new to the power when we last met to control it fully. You did what had to be done, Gigi. There can be no fault in that."

"That may be the case, Parth, but it doesn't make what happened hurt less. I watched you kill an innocent with your bare hands before turning on bystanders." She shook her head. "I was powerless to stop you. I tried. I did, Parth."

"Shhh, Gigi. You did stop me from killing so many more. The moment my hands wrapped around yer neck, I woke from what felt like a dream. I couldnae hurt you and by putting yerself between me and the innocents, you saved the rest of them."

"Why have you come?" Defeat, guilt and a sense of what if came over her.

Parth sighed. "To assure yer well. The dark ones have learned Norval stripped you of yer powers and that yer free. They're nae always the quickest to catch onto things, Gigi. You know how they are…how it is for immortals. We blink and it seems a human year has passed."

He was right and she knew it.

"They seek to make an example of you to show what happens to an unguarded female of good." He cast a speculative glance at Korey. "Yer mother told me you live as a human now. I dinnae believe her and I feared this husband she spoke of would nae be equipped to protect you from the dark ones."

Gigi covered her mouth at the thought of Korey being attacked because of her. "Ohmygods, Parth, I have to go! I can't lead them to these people. Coyle and Korey are great men. And Deri is my best…oh gods, Deri and CJ. I can't let anything happen to them."

Taking her by the wrists, Parth shushed her once more before turning her arms so her palms faced up. As he ran his fingers over her bare skin, she knew his concerns and tipped her head to avoid meeting his gaze. "I can't take it back, Parth."

"No, you mean you willnae."

"To do so would mean those I put under my protection would be subject to my uncle's wrath once more."

"They are nae children anymore, Gigi. They are grown men who are hundreds of years older than you. You spent their lives trapped in a place where time did not move at the same pace, being subjected to torture and ridicule for choosing humans over yer own kind. They are more than capable of protecting themselves now. They are no longer wee bairns with freshly picked flowers, Gigi. I cannae protect you from all of the dark ones when they find you. No one can. You must be able to protect yerself."

She stilled. "Do any of the ones under my protection have young children or grandchildren…whatever?"

Parth looked towards Coyle. "Aye."

"Then my answer is firm. I will not renounce my protection of them."

He growled. "You will die! If nae by the hands of the enemy then from old age or human sickness. Is that what you want? You have barely lived, Gigi. You have not seen yer thirtieth year yet and yer willing to sacrifice all for men who have seen hundreds of years."

She swallowed hard. "No. I sacrifice all for the children who have hundreds of years before them, Parth. They will carry on as their fathers and mothers have done, protecting the innocents from evil. My life is my own. Thank you for coming to warn me. I'll leave immediately to prevent harm befalling the O'Caha family."

"Are you nae part of the family, Gigi? Are you nae married to one of the O'Caha men?"

It was on the tip of her tongue to deny that she was. To tell Parth the truth. Gigi held back. "I would miss him greatly, Parth. But I can't put his life in jeopardy."

His smile was forced. "Yer brogue is gone."

She nodded. "Much about me has changed."

Parth was silent a moment. "Do you love him?"

She stared back at Korey. Thoughts of all the times he'd made her laugh over the last few years and the number of occasions he'd sat with her when she wasn't feeling well filled her mind. Their Friday night ritual was just one of the many things they now did together. She actually went to him more than she did Deri, whom she considered to be her best friend. The notion of leaving Korey and never seeing him again made her stomach clench and her eyes sting as tears threatened to fall.

"Yes, I do. I love how amazingly sweet he is, even though he thinks he's an arrogant lady's man. He's not. I love how much his family means to him. How he'd do anything for any of them. I love the way he looks at me and doesn't see a goddess to be feared but rather a woman, an equal. And I love how in touch with his heritage he is. I even love the fact he's covered his body in symbols of our kind, though I'm damn happy he's not one of us. But mostly, I love Korey because he makes me feel whole. From the moment I walked in out of the pouring rain, needing a job, he's been a pillar of support for me. I only wish I could have offered him the same in return."

Gigi wiped the tears from her face, sure she'd just seen Korey move. "Make them forget meeting me, Parth. Wipe every one of their minds clear of me."

Parth growled as he looked towards the ceiling. "Shit. They're calling me again. If I ignore the dark ones' summons, they will search for me. I'll return soon and wipe the O'Cahas' memory of you, lass. Make yer peace with them in the meantime." He disappeared, taking his spell with him, allowing the hustle and bustle of the pub to return.