Shades Of Green (4 page)

A day ago that had seemed like a wonderful life. Why did it seem cold and empty now?

Thal glanced at Gaige. He was a beautiful man, really. He was very tall, nearly a giant. His black hair touched his shoulders and his sky-blue eyes shone brightly with the remnants of laughter. Broad shoulders tapered down to a well-defined waistline and narrow hips. Bending, he gathered more pine needles up in his kilt. Lifting the material well above his knees, he showed off his powerful-looking thighs and large calves. He
was
a nicely put together man, with his flexing biceps and almost too-handsome face.

Something within her stirred at the sight of him. Thal wasn’t sure what it was she felt, but something told her that the man could walk out of her life that moment and she would still never be the same again.

“You feel it, don’t you?” Thul moved up beside her.

“Feel what?” Thal almost hit her cousin. She wanted to, and that was a fact. What was it about Thul that made Thal want to resort to violence when she found her staring at Gaige?

“That strange pull the shifters have to those they would call mate.” Thul grabbed an armload of pine needles and spread them out over the ground. “Your sister told me about it before she left. She said it was unlike anything she ever felt before. Suddenly, our world wasn’t enough for her. Orpia claimed that once they made her theirs, she no longer wanted to stay in the woods alone. That having a child and raising it alone no longer appealed to her.” She shrugged. “I don’t know what she meant by that. I still don’t.” Thun canted her head toward Gaige. “I’ve followed him around the glade hoping to feel something special. I
want
to feel something special. Yet, when he looks at me, he doesn’t see
me,
he sees a diminutive woman who he must protect.” She sighed. “He sees you, though.”

“Of course he does. She’s his mate.” Thal’s mother wrapped her arm around Thul. “It’s time for bed, dear.”

“Yes, Aunt Kalysis.” Thul let the older woman lead her away.

A cool breeze came off the river, sending a chill through Thal. She shivered and jumped when two large hands gingerly picked her up off the ground.

“Ye might be too small tae claim, little lass, but you’re still the woman the fates declared my mate. I’ll protect ye the best that I can. I’ll also do my best tae keep ye warm, if you’ll allow it.”

“Set me down, Gaige.” Thal wriggled in his hands.

“As ye wish, lass.”

Thal had no idea why the man sounded so disappointed. She would have thought he’d have been disappointed in having someone so small for a mate. Though Thal was certain he
was
disheartened over finding that the top of his mate’s head didn’t even come to his knee when she stood in front of him, he seemed genuinely upset when he thought she didn’t want him to touch her.

“I swear, if you make me regret this, I’ll take my knife to you.” Closing her eyes, Thal concentrated on making herself larger. She would never be as big as he was. However, she was certain that she could grow large enough to be mate to Gaige and his cousin.

The air whooshed out of her lungs as two strong arms wrapped around her, picked her up and twirled her in a circle.

“Bless the bloody stars! Ye
are
big enough tae be our mate after all.”

Kiran swam upstream, heading north to the castle where the nymphs he carried would be warm and safe for the night. He tried not to think about how chilly it would get as the night grew older.

The thought of his mate cold and frightened nearly sent him back to join Gaige. The only thing that kept him heading toward the castle was knowing that if he didn’t, the world would die and his mate with it.

“How long before we reach your kin, bear?” Larin asked as they continued up the river.

Does the daft leprechaun expect the bear tae talk?
Kiran answered with a low growl and the little man grunted.

“I didn’t think about ya being a bear and unable ta talk.” Larin shifted on Kiran’s back. “Come on, little miss, ya won’t be fallin’ on your head on my watch.”

It had become obvious that the nymphs needed rest over an hour ago. However, Kiran was loath to stop, knowing that the Ogres were about looking for them. Since he’d never seen an ogre before, he had no idea how fast the beasts could travel. He’d just as soon keep as much distance between them and him as possible.

If his calculations were correct, they only had another thirty minutes in the water and thirty more on land at a hurried pace before they reached home—if he could keep up that pace without overheating. Kiran hoped they would be lucky and run into one of his kin making rounds before he killed himself.

While he didn’t mind the thought of dying to protect his mate and her people, he would rather not.

“Ian, grab that one before she falls and hurts herself.” Liam grunted again as Kiran felt him pull another up from sliding down his side. “I swear on the king’s crown, if ye let one o’ these little girls fall, I’ll kick your sorry ass from here ta the white cliffs and back, ya sorry nit.”

“I’m doing the best I can. I’m tired, too,” Ian complained.

“If we manage ta pull this off, you’ll live ta be thousands of years older. Do ya know what that means, ya daft bastard?”

“Yeah, I know what it means,” Ian answered with the resignation of one who must have heard the argument repeatedly. “It means I’ll have plenty of time ta sleep when this is done.” He sighed and shifted position, his feet tapping Kiran’s side.

I’m not a bloody horse, ye infuriating pain in my ass.

What felt like hours, but was likely only thirty or so minutes later, Kiran climbed from the river. Exhausted after swimming upstream for the last several hours, he lowered himself to his belly for a moment. When he felt the others stirring, he stood again. The last thing he wanted was for them to slow him down more.

“Um...excuse me, Mr. Bear.” It was one of the nymphs. He wasn’t sure, but he thought it was the older one who had been talking to Thal in the glade.

Kiran kept walking. They had to reach the castle before he could rest, and he feared that if he stopped, he might collapse on the spot. The best thing was to just keep moving forward.

Concentrating on setting one foot in front of the other, he almost missed it when the woman screamed, “If you don’t set us down, we’ll pee on your back, you stubborn bear!”

Stopping immediately, Kiran lowered himself to the ground and waited for his passengers to climb down. He didn’t watch where they went. Frankly, he didn’t care where they went. Too damned tired to care, Kiran shifted into his human form and lay on the ground, panting.

“What in the world are ye doing transporting nymphs and leprechauns over the countryside, cousin?”

Opening his eyes, Kiran looked up into Tavis Gregor’s stupid grinning face and smiled with relief.

“I’m bringing my mate’s kin in tae the safety of the castle.”

“Your what?” Tavis’s baffled expression was almost worth the long trek with no rest.

“Ye heard me right. My mate.” He added in a lower tone. “Though, I dinnae have any idea how in the hell we’re going tae claim her.”

“And here I thought
I
had all of the bad luck. You and Gaige hae a nymph as a mate. I cannae wait tae hear what the other have tae say about that!”

Kiran wanted little more than to close his eyes and sleep. However, at the moment, he would give his fortune to punch his cousin square in the nose.

“They won’t say a bloody thing about it, if they know what’s good for them. I might be too tired tae kick your sorry ass tonight, Tavis, but I’ll be rested and ready in the morning. Now help me get them tae the castle. I hae a story tae tell everyone.”

“God, you’re beautiful.” Gaige stared at Thal, barely able to keep his mouth from hanging open. He clenched his hands into fists at his sides as he stared at her full breasts, barely covered by the low-cut top she wore. Thal had been right to get irate when he’d suggested her breasts were anything less than perfect.

Swallowing thickly, he licked his lips, imagining how it would feel to take one of the rosy tips in his mouth and suckle it like a babe. Would the tip even be rosy?

“Thank you.” She blushed, the deep shade of pink making her more beautiful than he ever thought possible.

He wanted to strip her and find out if she was that same shade of pink all over, or if it was just limited to her chest and cheeks. The air grew warm and thick around him. His body began to overheat all over again.

“I have tae go for another swim, lass.” Reaching out, he grasped her shoulders, bent and pressed a quick kiss to her smooth forehead. “Dinnae wander from the campsite. I dinnae want tae lose ye now that I’ve found ye.” He turned and headed toward the river, then stopping, he turned back. “I am glad we found ye, lass. Even before ye showed me this size, I was glad. It’s always good tae know the fates haven’t forsaken ye.”

With a smile, he turned, ran to the river and dove in. The cold water brought his temperature down. His hopes rose with every degree his inner temperature dropped. He had a mate, and her name was Thal.

After about ten minutes, he ended his swim and headed for the bank. After letting his body air dry, Gaige sought out Thal. She lay on a large pile of pine needles, asleep. The goose bumps on her arms proved she was cold. Unlike the other nymphs, she slept alone. Was it because she’d shifted her size and grown larger to show him she could be his mate in all ways?

Like the other nymphs, she was exhausted. Though the dark circles beneath her eyes didn’t detract from her beauty, they were there, just the same. She needed her rest. They all did. Unfortunately, there was no rest for the weary. Tomorrow would be the first long, hard day of many.

Taking off his kilt, he covered her with it, hoping to give her at least some small comfort. Glancing around the glade, he listened with his exceptional hearing. There was no one close to their little glade, and he needed sleep as much as the rest of them.

Lowering himself to the pile of pine needles, he scooted up behind Thal, pulled the kilt over them both and pulled his mate’s chilled body against him with a smile. If she complained in the morning, he would remind her of how cold she had been. With no small amount of luck, that would keep her from using her knife on him.

“What are you doing in my bed?” Thal frowned at him.

“This isn’t your bed.”

“I beg your pardon. I claimed this while you were swimming.” She stubbornly lifted her chin.

“Perhaps.” Gaige nodded. “However, I’m sure ye noticed that I made this pile of leaves while ye were still eighteen inches tall.” He pointed to a small rectangle of needles near the others. “That was
yours.
” He patted the pile of leaves under him. “
This
is my bed, and since ye made yourself at home on it while ye had a perfectly good resting place of your own, I thought ye might be wanting to share my warmth, so I obliged.”

“Why you, you—”

“What? Heathen, usurper...beast?” He grinned when she sputtered. Apparently, she’d been about to use one of those descriptors.

Leaning forward, he pressed a quick kiss to her opened lips and then sprang from the bed before she could use the knife she still had stuck in her belt.

He eyed the thing curiously. It had grown with her. What other kind of magic did the nymph have, and was she aware she possessed it?

Standing, he wrapped his kilt around his bare ass and turned to the others who were still sleeping. “Wake up, everyone. It’s time tae go.”

The others stirred and sat up, some of them rubbing their eyes. Others blinked sleepily, their hair standing on end. It was endearing to see them all looking just less than perfect. Thal’s hair seem to fall into place as thought she’d had a brush and a mirror stuck in her belt with her knife. Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that he’d held her through the night and she hadn’t tossed and turned much.

The nymphs stood, pushing their makeshift cots toward the base of the trees. They then lifted their arms into the air, tilted their faces to the sun and shifted their shapes into that of full-grown human women.

As with all females the world round, the nymphs came in all shapes and sizes. Tall, short, curvy and thin, they covered the entire spectrum in size, shape and color. Gaige watched entranced as the nymphs bloomed in front of him.

God, I love women.

Turning, he faced his mate with a smile. “I dinnae think I could ever grow tired of that sight.”

“
Men!
” Thal stuck her chin in the air. “You’re always making promises you don’t intend to keep.” Leveling her gaze, she narrowed her eyes. “I might not have been around men much, but I’ve heard about your kind, you—you fickle male.” She waved her arm, obviously agitated. “You and those like you are the reason nymphs don’t take mates.”

“Nymphs don’t take mates?” Gaige’s heart leapt to his throat and, he wasn’t sure, but he thought it stopped beating for a moment. “What do ye mean, nymphs don’t mate?”

Gaige glanced around the glade for a place to sit. He felt sick. Were the fates punishing Kiran and him for something, after all? If so, what could it be? Both of them had always done their best to be good men and good members of their clan. What could they possibly have done to deserve such torture?

Ignoring him, Thal moved to join the other who had already spread their magic throughout the glade. Hundreds of shades of green sprang up around them. The grass and leaves, ivy and even the pine needles were a brighter shade. The moss on the trees grew thick and bright before his eyes. Though he’d seen the results of their labor many times, he’d never been this close while the nymphs worked their magic. He could watch them do this every day for a hundred years and never grow tired of the beauty they spread upon the Earth.

“Nymphs don’t stay with men. We share ourselves with males, as we see fit. We stay only until we grow heavy with child.” She lifted her chin higher, as though he had studied her and found her lacking. “And after the babe is born, we leave with the female child and leave any male offspring with the father to raise as he will.”