Chapter Seven
Several days had passed since Tulip had learned of her freedom, but she had yet to leave the house. Vaughn had gone to the store an hour ago and she hated being in the house alone. Her father had returned to the fae realm the same night he’d appeared in her life and she hadn’t heard from him since. It worried her, but she reasoned that time felt like it passed differently in the fae realm. He probably hadn’t realized that days had gone by since she’d heard from him.
The wards on the house not only protected her, but kept her from communicating with other fae. She’d accept the protection though, even if it meant she couldn’t speak to her father or get a message to him. It was a small price to pay. The doorbell rang and she crept close to the front door, trying to peer out the curtain. Fae. Acting braver than she felt, she opened the door, but made sure to stay inside the house, where she was safe.
“What do you want?” Tulip asked.
“My name is Thistle,” the woman said. “I came to let you know that your father is being banned from the fae realm. Your mate told the council that Cedar is your father, and I know he did it to save you, but now they know he slept with a dark fae. It’s considered treason.”
“They’re only banishing him, and not executing him?” Tulip asked to clarify.
“He’s being evicted from the realm later today. I’m not sure where they’ll drop him in the human realm. His powers aren’t being stripped, not completely, but he will have less power than he does now. They don’t want to leave him completely defenseless, but he won’t be able to transport himself back to the fae realm.”
“If you see him, please tell him that he’s welcome here. Vaughn and I will be happy to help him assimilate to life amongst humans and other paranormals.”
Thistle nodded. “I’ll get a message to him. There’s one other thing.”
“What? He’s not been hurt, has he?”
“No, nothing like that. I was actually hoping your pack might accept another fae. I’ve grown tired of life in the fae realm and would like to make my home here. I’ve met all the light fae and my mate isn’t among them. You found yours in a wolf pack. I hoped that maybe mine might be here too,” Thistle said.
“It’s not up to me to accept someone into the pack. You’d have to speak with one of the alphas.”
“I’ll reach out to them. Thank you, Tulip. I’ll make sure your father knows he’s welcome here. I can’t promise he’ll show immediately. He may be embarrassed over being cast out. You know how male fae can be.”
Tulip nodded. “Thank you for coming here.”
“I hope to see you soon.”
Thistle’s magick swirled around her and she vanished off the porch. Just as Tulip was going to close the door, she saw Vaughn’s truck pull into the driveway. Leaving the safety of the house for the first time in days, she went to help him unload the groceries. It felt wonderful being in the sun again and she breathed in the fresh air.
“Was that a fae that just disappeared?” Vaughn asked as he gathered some bags from the backseat of the truck.
“She wants to live with the pack. And she gave me news of my father. He’s being cast out.”
“Because of what I said?” Vaughn asked. “I never meant to get him into trouble. I only wanted to save you and our child.”
“I don’t blame you for what happened, and I doubt he does either.”
“He’s welcome here, if he needs a place to stay. There are four bedrooms on the second floor. Only one has furniture in it right now, but he’s welcome to it. I thought we’d make one of the other rooms a nursery.”
“Thistle said she’d let my father know he’s welcome here. I didn’t think you would mind him staying with us for a little while. At least, until he gets adjusted to life in this realm.”
“Not at all. He’s family.” Vaughn smiled. “Now, let’s get the groceries put away and we can make sure the guest room is ready for him. I’ll go get anything he might need in the bathroom up there. Do fae shave?”
“Yes. Although, they usually use magical blades. I’m not sure if he’ll be allowed to bring one with him or not.”
“I’ll stock anything in there I think he might need. I’m sure he’ll use magick for a lot of things, but if he wants to do things the human or wolf way, he’ll have the items ready.”
They finished putting the groceries away and went upstairs. Tulip stripped the bedding from the bed and carried it downstairs to wash while Vaughn went through the bathroom and made sure there were towels and such up there. When the guest bedroom and bath were finished, Tulip stepped outside and tried to reach out to her father. There was a tingle down her arms and a hint of magick in the air as she called to him. Her back was on fire where her wings had once been.
She searched the area, in hopes her father would come, but everything was still and calm. The only smell of magick in the air was her own. She felt Vaughn’s presence a moment before he placed his hands on her shoulders. His touch was comforting. Tulip turned and snuggled against his chest, wrapping her arms around his waist. Knowing her father was being cast out made her worry for him. They’d talked a lot the day he’d stayed with her, and she’d learned a lot about him. He was an older fae, but he still had a long time left to live. Would being in the human realm kill him?
“You’re worried,” Vaughn said.
“It’s been a long time since he spent time in this realm, for more than a day or two anyway. He’s old, Vaughn, even by fae standards. What if being cast out kills him? I just got him and I’m not prepared to lose him already.”
“I’m not going anywhere,” Cedar said from behind her. “I may be old, but I’m not dying anytime soon.”
