Bonus Short – Carlyle and Song

I’m so happy you’re here!

Thank you so much for reading BLOOD SKYE. As a token of my appreciation for loving the the Skye Druids as much as I do, here is an EXCLUSIVE bonus short!

Carlyle gently laid the manilla envelope on the bed. Song hadn’t taken her eyes off it since he’d told her that Saber had tracked down her family in China. “You never have to open it. But I wanted you to have the option.”

“If Saber found them, then so could London.” She yanked her gaze from the envelope to Carlyle. “They’ll have someone watching them.”

“Maybe. Maybe not. We’ll defeat all our enemies. Then we can go visit your family.”

He sounded so sure. But that was Carlyle’s way. He believed in putting voice to what he wanted, and that saying the words gave them greater meaning. Therefore making certain that what he desired happened.

The mattress sank as he sat beside her. “Or we never have to meet them. Whatever makes you happy.”

Song looked at the envelope again. “I want to know. I used to make up family members in my head, inventing all kinds of reasons for why they hadn’t come to look for my sister and me.” She bit her lip and shook her head. “I don’t know.”

“This was meant to be a gift, not something to make life difficult. I shouldn’t have done it without talking to you first.”

She gazed into his turquoise eyes and smiled, her heart so full of love it nearly burst. “No. I’m glad you did. I’ve never had anyone want to do something like this for me. It’s just…” She hesitated, trying to find the words to describe her turmoil. “I’m scared. What if they aren’t anything like I’ve imagined? What if they don’t like me? What if they reject me?”

“First,” he said, pulling her against him and winding his arms around her. “They will love you. And if they don’t, I’ll give them a piece of my mind.”

She smiled and looked up at him. “You would?”

“Absolutely,” he stated firmly. “I won’t allow anyone to hurt you like that again.”

“You wouldn’t be able to stop them.”

He quirked a brow. “Have I mentioned that I’m a fire walker?”

“Stop,” she said with a laugh.

Carlyle chuckled and tucked her against him once more. “In all seriousness, I suspect they’ve been looking for you and your parents for a long time. If your parents left China to protect you, they may not have told anyone where they were going.”

“You really think they would have cut off all communication like that?”

His chest expanded as he drew in a breath. “I’ve imagined what I would do if I had a child with special gifts others might covet. I’d walk away from my friends and family to protect the kid.”

An image of Carlyle holding a baby flashed in her head, and a longing Song had never felt before filled her.

“I would do anything to protect my family.” He kissed the top of her head. “Anything. So, yes, I think your parents might have disappeared to hide you. If you doubt that, remember what Shi endured and survived to stay near you.”

Song nodded slowly. “Do you…do you think you might want children? Not now, of course, but someday?” she hurried to add.

He leaned back and gently grasped her by the shoulders. “I’d like that very much.”

“Really?” she asked excitedly, unable to hide her smile.

He chuckled and ran his thumb across her cheek. “Really.”

“Then we’d better get Skye cleaned up and our enemies back in line.” There was an odd look in his eyes that made her frown. “What is it?”

“I like to see you happy and smiling. You deserve a lifetime of those things. I wish I could erase everything that happened since you met Thomas.”

Song took his hand in hers. “I don’t. If any of that changed, I wouldn’t be who I am. And I wouldn’t be with you now. The past can’t be changed or altered. I’ve accepted that. And because of you, I’ve left it behind to start fresh.”

“You’re right.” The corners of his mouth curved down briefly. “I can’t change who sired me, but I can decide what side of the fight I’m on.”

“We move forward together.”

He shot her a sexy smile. “Together.” He jerked his chin to the manilla envelope. “Shall I put that away?”

Song took it before he could. “The old me would’ve said ‘yes.’ But I’m the new me,” she said and unsealed it.

If you’ve enjoyed BLOOD SKYE, be sure to find out what’s happening in the Dark Universe with the Dragon King series and the Elven Kingdoms series!