Free Protecting Shaylee (The Fae Guard Book 1) by Elle Christensen Page B

statement.
    To my surprise, Aden lets out a small chuckle, but he doesn’t keel over in hysterical laughter and make me feel like a child. He just uncrosses his arms and tugs on my hand, beginning to walk toward the large building. I tug my hand to get it free, but he tightens his grip and winks at me. I let out a loud sigh of frustration. He just looks ahead of him with a grin. Something inside me warms at the sight of his confident smile. Stupid dimple. I quickly stomp it down. Arrogant ass.
    “We are not so different from humans. We’ve adapted with the times like any other generation; modern styles of clothing, and the same technologies of the human realm. The difference is—we have magic. But, magic drains you and its better saved for when it’s truly needed. So, things like using electricity, rather than magic, to light a room because it’s effortless.” His grin turns mischievous. “That doesn’t mean I don’t get lazy and use my magic to flip a light switch from time to time. But, you get the point. We’ll talk about the unicorns later.”
    He throws the last sentence in so nonchalantly that I almost miss it. “Wait—we’ll talk about—” I’m cut off because we’ve reached the large glass doors of the structure and he pulls me inside. We’re in what I suppose is the lobby, of sorts, but it looks like a giant living room. The center of the room is sunken down about three steps and is lined by brown, leather couches and a couple of recliners. Even from the door, I can see that the leather is soft and comfortable. The décor is all muted tones: creams and rich shades of brown. The walls are covered with landscapes. I stifle a laugh when I see that the portraits all depict the kind of world I’d imagined we would step into. Sparkly sunshine, green hills, and mountains with waterfalls, peppered with creatures of fairy folklore. The back wall is entirely floor to ceiling window, only broken apart by a giant stone fireplace with a massive flat screen TV, mounted above it. The whole room is welcoming and peaceful.
    Aden has stepped to my left where the room breaks off into an alcove that feeds into a long hallway. Nestled in the alcove is a desk, behind which sits a perky, young woman with shoulder-length, white-blonde hair, and beautiful green eyes. Shocker. Aden lets go of my hand and strides over to her. She jumps up from her seat and runs around the desk to throw herself into his arms. She’s petite and Aden easily lifts her up in a big bear hug. A low burn churns my stomach and my fists clench at my side. I stay back, not wanting to interrupt their moment, and tell myself that I don’t want to get close enough to pull her off of my man by her hair . No. Not my man! Ugh.
    When Aden finally puts her down, he whispers something in her ear and she turns curious, but friendly, eyes on me. He motions me forward and I start in their direction, watching as her smile widens the closer I get. I finally come to a stop in front of them, and stand awkwardly, not sure what to do now. A million questions run through my head, things I have given up the right to ask, but find myself desperate to know, none-the-less. Has he dated her? Slept with her? Is she the one he replaced me with?
    My musings are interrupted when she grabs my hand and pulls me in for a hug. Surprised, I am thrown off balance and tumble into the embrace. She smells like cinnamon, and her arms are warm and comforting. I feel myself softening toward her, struggling to remember why I’d been upset.
    “Shaylee, it’s so great to finally meet you! Aden has talked about you so much over the years, I feel like I already know you.” My eyes fly to Aden, gauging his reaction. His face is sporting a lazy grin, and he winks at me. His wink makes my toes curl. The pixie releases me and steps back, keeping my hands in hers. “I’m Laila, Aden’s sister.” The rest of my anxiety melts away, replaced by profound relief. Sister. His freaking