Undeniable (The Druids Book 1) by S. A. Archer, S. Ravynheart Read Free Book Online Page B

community or hack into the server.” He ran the fingers of both hands through his hair and then pulled as if that might release the tension in his scalp from having stared for so hard, for so long. The tension had his whole body aching and it was only now that he was moving that he realized it.
    Riley glanced back, just as Kieran took one of the other kitchen chairs and pulled it up half behind his. Kieran’s long legs angled, one alongside of Riley’s right leg, and the other straddled around behind so his foot rested on the crossbar of Riley’s chair. Kieran wrapped his arms around the back of the chair, and Riley at the same time, and then leaned in to rest his chin on Riley’s shoulder. He looked at the screen as if he might be able to figure out what it was that had Riley so worked up. “I heard about you guys, and those werewolves. I’m not happy about the idea of my druid putting himself into danger like that.”
    Riley leaned back so that his cheek rested against the side of Kieran’s head. He loved how casually affectionate his patron was with him, how touchy-feely he could be. Riley placed his hand on Kieran’s bare knee, just below the bottom hem of his soccer shorts. Kieran had great legs; muscular, defined, and well-tanned from the time in the sun. Riley’s fingers gently scratched back and forth along the thigh muscle as he glanced back at Kieran. Joe kept reminding him not to fall in love with his patron, and that was something Riley couldn’t quite comprehend. Of the four Sidhe that had touched him in his life, he’d fallen in love with three of them. Even Lugh, who’d only given him the Touch one time, and that was probably more about getting information from Riley than actual compassion. Even though it had felt very much like compassion at the time. “It’s the druid’s job to protect their patron,” Riley said.
    “Who told you that?” Kieran drew away enough to try and get a better look into Riley’s eyes. “I don’t remember that being a part of the vows; that you’re supposed to take a sword for me. You are to be the sword at my side, not the sword acting out on his own.”
    “You and the other Sidhe have enough to do without having to fight every little skirmish. The werewolves, vampires, they’re always going to be trouble. We can stop them; Joe, London, and I. You have bigger fish to fry. Besides, you’re supposed to be deep into studying or something, aren’t you?”
    “Oh, Lugh’s beating my butt every day, but that’s not going to change anytime soon. He’s been Champion for, like, ten thousand years. I have had that job for less than a month. It’s gonna take a lot more training, but that doesn’t mean that I’m going to shirk responsibility to my druid.” Kieran glided his fingers up under Riley’s hair and fisted, giving his head a playful tug. “Are you hearing what I’m saying? I want you to call me next time something’s going on.”
    “We totally had it handled. I promise you, if it gets bad enough, I’ll call you.” And even as he said it, Riley wasn’t sure that it was true. Anything that he couldn’t handle might be too much of a danger to Kieran. When it came right down to it, it was more important for him to protect Kieran, than to put him at risk. Maybe he did love him. Or maybe this was just the way it was for a patron that he respected and needed. Human lives were short, just a blink of an eye in the lives of the Sidhe. It just seemed like protecting Kieran meant protecting something bigger than himself. Protecting the future, and the future of the fey. Kieran had just admitted that he had a long way to go before he would be prepared to take up the role of Champion, and be able to fight all the battles that the fey would need of him. It would be ridiculous for him to get taken out by a bunch of drooling werewolves.
    Not while Riley could do anything about it.

Chapter Eleven

    It had been one of those nights where London just wanted to go