Shifted, page 18
I chuckled and nodded. “Don’t stop, please.”
I literally melted into his hands with eyes closed. Everybody went silent for a while as Maverick healed my headache. A few moments later, they started making jokes again, and laughter erupted around the table.
I could feel eyes on me, but I wasn’t that curious to look. I was just glad that Maverick had confirmed to Brooke that my headache was real, and that Chase didn’t crush my heart the way she’d initially thought.
“So you can feel that I’m not faking this?” I asked Maverick.
“Aye, headaches have a certain touch to them. Tis like the pain has a certain beacon.” I love how he pronounced some words. “I hadn’t felt this sort of beacon in a long time, and I’m with Brooke. Tis stone is not daein its job.”
I laughed. “The king’s handing out fake presents?”
“Aye, I dinnae ken.”
Drake was extremely quiet for my taste, but then again, he was the silent, broody type and not the flirty big mouth bad boy like his brother.
“It’s eight-thirty, Brooke,” the guy next to me said.
“So,” she chirped back.
“You don’t think it’s time to go back to the playpen?”
Laughter escaped my lips as Brooke used a string of colorful language again. “I’m not a baby, Jacob. I’m so over it.”
I grabbed Maverick’s hands as he shook from laughter, moving away from the pulse in my head. A few moments later, Maverick took his hands away. “Okay, Soph, how’re ye feelin’?”
I opened my eyes and looked at Maverick. There was no ache or a pulse. “Your hands are pure magic, Maverick. Thank you.”
“Aye, my hands ‘re ‘ere for yer pleasure anytime, sweetheart.” He winked.
Laughter broke out as heat flushed to my cheeks.
“Okay, it just sounds wrong around a bar table,” I chirped.
“Another drink, Sophie?” Emile asked through chuckles.
“Yes, where are the cat-ears?” I joked and looked back at the bar. For all I know, that could be my bond.
“Cat-ears?” Brooke asked.
“Yes, when they change, they have ears that look like cat-ears.”
Emile turned to Drake with a soft smile on his lip. “I see it now too.”
“See what, Emile?” My gaze shifted to his, and his eyebrow raised slightly.
“Stop eavesdropping, Soph,” Maverick scolded. “I told ye tis bad form.”
“I wasn’t eavesdropping. The guy sits right there, and I wasn’t eavesdropping that night either. Gossiping is just as bad.”
“Father Matthew ain’t a blatherer.”
I smiled at the word ‘blather.’ “Well, they mentioned my name.”
“He mentioned your name that night?” Drake asked his first question.
“Yes, he did,” I answered Drake.
“What did they speak about?” He was so severe.
I bent over the table to move closer to him. “Nothing for your cat-ears.”
His face fell as his one brown eye and one green eye stared straight into my soul.
“Naw, what did they say, lass?” Maverick asked.
“It’s poor form to blather.”
Maverick stared at me with a slight twitch at the corner of his lips.
“So, Sophie, please tell us, how did Drake rescue you?” Parvati changed the subject, and I was so grateful to the girl. But then my bare ass filled my mind, and I put my drink to my lips as Drake shook with laughter.
“Shut up,” I said to him with a slight quirk at my lips and flaming cheeks.
“I’m still waiting for a thank you,” Drake said as he burst out laughing again.
“Are we missin’ somethin’ ‘ere?” Maverick asked.
“No,” I said to Maverick, trying to dispel the heat from my cheeks. “A thank you.” A smirk tugged on my lips. “For ripping me away from my parents? For dumping me into a world filled with strange creatures, or wait, saving me from a life I might not even get to see, because if this thing around my neck can’t even dampen my headaches. Thank you for that, Drake. I’m so grateful.” I smiled, hoping my sarcasm wouldn’t appear rude.
More laughter erupted at the look on Drake’s face. “Oh, you are such a drama queen. You don’t need to die young. You just need to find your griffin.”
“Your brother, yeah, I know he’s not busy taking a dump in the toilet.”
Parvati screamed with laughter.
“So, no, the bond needs to form naturally, and Chase Evans, I’m afraid, is not good enough for Sophie Emerson.”
Brooke whooped. “You saw the light, my friend.”
“Oh, I always see the light. I can smell bullshit a mile away.”
Everyone gasped.
“I’m nobody’s property, Drake. So whatever you and Mrs. Beatty are planning. You can’t force a fated-bond.”
The table applauded as Drake just flipped them off. “You and Chase are the same.”
A cuss slipped out of my lips, and Maverick shook with silent laughter. “We are nothing alike. That I can promise you. Your brother cannot commit to anything longer than a week.”
“You have not even been here a week..” His entire face frowned, making him look stupid hot again.
“I’ve seen enough, and I hear all the lies. I don’t need to be at Earwyn for a week.”
“She’s a shield.” Most of the guys yelled.
“Awesome, then I don’t even need a griffin, so you did your job. Trying to push innocent spirit faes on a griffin like your brother, shame on you,” I scolded him playfully, and a smile finally appeared on his face.
“Yeah, I’m not so sure about that innocent part anymore,” said the guy with long silky black hair and warm ochre skin color sitting next to me.
I pushed my hand toward him. “Hi, I’m Sophie. I’m a Spirit fae and one of Earwyn’s newest citizens.”
He laughed. “Jacob. I’m a Wind fae, and I help to find lost ones like yourself.”
“Nice meeting you, Jacob. See,” I looked at Drake, “it’s as easy as that, not your caveman, barbaric style of throwing ladies over your shoulder.”
Drake threw his head back and laughed again. I knew what was playing off in his mind. He probably took so long to get to me, because he was cracking himself against a tree because of my bare ass.
“Stop laughing. It was that or die.”
“Die? I was there to rescue you, not kill you.”
“Yeah, drama fae, remember.”
More laughter erupted as I chuckled with them.
“Why do I get a feeling you didn’t tell us everything that happened that day, Drake?” Jacob asked him.
“Oh, it’s going to hail,” I said dramatically, looking at the roof.
“Haha, besides, I didn’t steal you away. You were stone cold on the bed. If you actually gave me a chance, I would’ve introduced myself like a normal person.”
I chuckled with closed lips. “Still, I thought you were trying to kidnap me when I woke up.”
Drake laughed. “For my sexual pleasures.”
Everyone laughed.
“I didn’t say that.”
“Oh, the sex traffic comment said a lot, Soph.”
“That is what you thought?” Jacob asked.
“The guy looked suspicious,” I answered Jacob, and then looked back at Drake. “And now you want to push me onto your brother? Seriously, I don’t need that type of petty. I can find my own griffin. Thank you.”
“Ye eavesdrop on another conversation, Soph?” Maverick asked in a serious tone. Still, the curve on his lip gave him away.
“I just walk in on these conversations; believe me, if I had a little bell that could tell people where I was, I would put that around my neck.”
More laughter erupted as the realization dawned on Drake which conversation I overheard. “You can try to fight it. I know you are his Spirit fae.”
“Go play.” I sounded disgusted at the mere fact, but my curved lips kept giving me away at just how much fun I was having. “And for that, I will show you I’m not.”
“Oh c’mon, don’t be like that?” Drake begged. “You are not even giving my brother a chance to show you who he really is.”
“Okay, I think you had way too many beers to drink.” I took his beer away, and he grabbed it back from me.
“Chase is a wee of a lavvy heid,” Maverick said, and I love his Scottish words.
“You can’t force the bond. Look at my lips. No.”
“You don’t have to like him?” Drake answered in the similar tone.
“Yes, I do. I read up on fated bonds today for your information.”
“You read up on bonds. Why?”
“Because since I got dumped in this world, everyone keeps telling me about the bond. Yeah, that crap is not me, sorry.”
“It’s not like that at all,” Brooke said, sitting next to Xander, leaning over the table to look at me.
“Not for you, but I will probably kill the griffin I will be ending up with. Especially if it’s this lavvy heid’s brother.”
Maverick chuckled, holding his hand up for me to slap.
“No.” I shook my head at Drake as I touched Mav’s hand. Drake stared at me, then I gasped. “But since we are on the note of fated bonds, you can help me with something.”
“Now you want my help?”
“Yes, you are the only phoenix griffin here.”
Drake sighed.
I chuckled. “It’s not so bad. I promise. I tried to find out the reason in the griffin’s chapter, but they didn’t mention it. However, they mentioned it in the phoenix griffin chapter.”
“What?” His eyebrows furrowed.
“Why does a phoenix griffin have a pull toward Spirit faes?”
He closed his eyes as everyone went into a fit of hysterics. He opened his eyes and scolded me with a glare.
“I didn’t say that. The book does.”
“Then why are you asking me?”
“What is another word for idiot?” I looked at Maverick.
“Gowk, Roaster or Rocket.” He rolled his r’s again.
“Because some gowk ripped the pages that explained that part from the book.”
“Then how did you even get to the part that phoenix griffins have a pull toward Spirit faes? Which is crap, by the way.”
“I’m quoting now, ‘Phoenix griffins are pulled to Spirit Faes because’,” I said, emphasized with a pause, “And the next page started on an entire different chapter. Page upon page have been ripped out completely, and it’s been driving me insane ever since.”
He smiled as he took a sip of his beer, taking his time to swallow it. “Okay, I guess I have another page to tear out.”
Everyone burst out laughing as I stared at him. “You are the gowk that tore out the pages. Why?”
“Because it’s embarrassing. It’s not even a cool reason. I saved future phoenix griffins from serious humiliation.”
“Oh, now it’s humiliating. A few seconds ago you said it was crap,” I said in a severe tone and looked at Brooke, who struggled to breathe. That was how hard she laughed and looked back at Drake. “You had to rip out the part of the phoenix too?”
“No, that wasn’t me. That was another idiot.”
I smiled. “I really wanted to know the rest because, like I said, that sentence is driving me insane.”
“No,” he replied. “I’ll take it to my grave.”
I grunted. “Fine, I’ll find another copy whose pages are still intact.”
Drake smiled. “Oh, please, go ahead.” He cheers me with his beer.
I gasped and looked at Maverick. “No, there has to be another copy?”
“I dinnae ken at Earwyn, maybe on Concordia.”
Drake laughed out loud at the slack look on my face. “C’mon. That part you read should be enough.”
“It’s not. The book emphasizes phoenix griffins too, but I still need to be convinced,” I teased.
“Because we are that great. I saved your life. I don’t care what you say.”
“Oh, and that part about you not lying?” I retaliated. I really enjoyed our bantering.
“We don’t lie.”
“Pfft, tell me something more believable. I heard the lies when you tried to explain what I was.”
“I told you I didn’t know.”
“Not that part, the part when I asked you how you knew I was different. You know what Drake told me?” I looked at Maverick.
He smiled and stared at me. “I dinnae ken, Sophie, enlighten us, please.”
“He told me, wait for it. That you guys have people stationed all over the world,” I moved my hands around to put more emphasis on the world part, “listening into stumble on cases like mine.”
Maverick closed his eyes. He opened them and smiled at Drake. “Ye Gowk.”
“Okay, so I told a small fib,” Drake defended himself. “I couldn’t tell you that a fairy saw it. You would think I’m raving mad.”
“Why did you think I tried to get away from you? I thought you were mad.”
Cali came back, and her eyes grew slightly as she saw me sitting close to Maverick and speaking to Drake. She went back to her seat.
“Ye told her tha’?” Maverick asked.
“Yes, she wouldn’t believe me if I told her about Alpheus.”
“News flash, she dinnae believe ye at all. Ye might ‘ve started with Twinkle toe. Lucky I was there to save the day.” Maverick winked at Drake.
Drake cussed.
“Yeah, your bedside manners weren’t that great either.” I looked at Mav. “Do you know how hard the ground was?”
“Ye’re a sturdy lass, Soph,” Mav said.
“And you can vanish, seriously. Why didn’t you just fly to wherever Mav was waiting?”
“It doesn’t work while I’m flying,” Drake replied.
“Okay, I’m going to find a book on projection next. Unless you tore that book apart, too?” I raised my eyebrows at Drake.
He shook his head.
I looked at Maverick. “By the way, what does Alpheus sound like when he speaks to you?”
“Holy crap, lass, ye did a lot of readin’.”
“No, she had me. Thank you, Brooke,” Brooke interrupted.
“Ye told her I speak to the twinkle toes?” Maverick asked Brooke.
“Yes, it’s a cool gift. Own up to it,” Brooke said and smiled at Maverick.
“That is a cool gift.” I seconded that.
“Thank ye, Soph.” Maverick smiled.
“I can vanish?”
“Pfft, apparently not while you are flying. That would’ve been impressive.” My lips spread into a smile while he kept staring at me.
He cussed. “You are one of those faes?”
“I’m a Spirit fae, Drake. I’m rare. So you bet I’m one of those faes.”
Chase finally exited the bathroom, and a smile adorned his face as I spoke with his brother.
“What the hell happened to you? A few minutes ago, you looked like you were going to fall asleep.”
“Maverick gave me some of his healin’.”
Everyone laughed.
“What? It’s the truth.”
“It’s the way you said it, Soph.” Brooke smiled as she shook her head.
“You have dirty minds.” I scolded her and Parvati playfully.
I looked at Chase again, who planted his butt on top of the table, blocking Maverick from me, and just staring down at me.
I frowned at him. “I’m in a conversation here. Get up.” I pulled his hand and thanked heavens; the guy moved on his own accord as he looked sturdy. Chase looked just as dumbfounded as Cali.
I was nobody’s second choice or property, and I hoped that the Evans brothers had learned that tonight
19
DRAKE
The night flew by way too fast. Soph was driving me crazy and not in a bad way.
“Don’t you dare tell them.” She pointed her finger in my face.
I kept laughing, as they all wanted to know. “She has a beautiful round ass and that gown, oh man, revealed so much.”
The words slipped out of my mouth and within seconds red flushed her cheeks.
“You are douche. Thanks for that.”
Everyone cracked themselves.
“I wasn’t thinking about the damn hospital gown, okay? It was life or death. My ass wouldn’t matter much if I was six feet under the ground,” she retaliated.
Maverick took a huge breath and looked at me, probably thinking why I didn’t grab her.
“Don’t look at me like that. She can be glad it was me and not you’re perverted- self chasing her.”
Maverick laughed again as her eyes flickered to me, staring this time.
I shrugged. “We are even now.”
Cali and Nikki got up as Chase tapped at his watch. “It’s ten thirty.”
“So?” Brooke waved at them.
I knew my brother was starting to change his mind, but a part of me was also admitting how stupid it was to push him on her.
Our gaze met and she shook her head unapologetically at me again.
“No.”
Maverick, Jacob and Emile chuckled.
I clicked my tongue. “You are so stubborn, and they say we are stubborn. My brother is not like that.”
“Pfft, whatever,” Sophie said and took another sip of her drink. My eyes kept moving to Xander. I hated that I was falling for this fucking Spirit Fae. The pull didn’t feel the way the book explained it either. It wasn’t the same pull as I felt toward Mavis. This was different.
Sophie got up and looked at Brooke, pointing at the loo as I spoke to Emile, while sipping on my beer. She disappeared.
I got a text on my phone and Xander raised his eyes. My gaze flickered to the phone in his hands.
I fished out my phone and looked at the text under the table.
Should we leave her here?
Fuck. My lips curved and I looked at him.
His eyebrows rose, looking for an answer and I nodded. He leaned in closer to Brooke to whisper to her.
“What about Sophie?” she asked.
“Trust me. She will be fine.”
I didn’t dare look at Brooke, put all my attention on Jake as he quarreled with Mav about who knows what.
