Free Artistic Vision by Dana Marie Bell Page A

waved as he took his leave. What the fuck was wrong with her? She’d wanted to gag at the feel of Tristan’s mouth on her, his breath so close it stirred the fine hairs of her arm. Out of the corner of her eye she glimpsed Etienne leaving the restaurant. She’d wait about fifteen minutes before following him out. They couldn’t be seen together, not now that she’d hooked their fish.
    Besides, there was still pie left on her plate.
     
    Shane followed his father into the tack room and grabbed one of the leather harnesses that needed repairing. His father could move from one edge of his property to another in the blink of an eye, but Sean Dunne loved horses and rode them simply for the joy of it.
    “Why haven’t you Claimed her yet?”
    Shane studied the harness and gathered what he’d need to repair it. “She’s skittish.”
    “Then you need to break her in.”
    He shot his father a look before turning the harness in his hands. “She needs a gentle touch.”
    “She needs to be ridden.”
    Shane choked on thin air. “I am not discussing this with you.”
    Sean Dunne frowned. “Why not?” The man could have easily been a model; at four-hundred-and-twenty-five years of age his Seeming still had the looks of a twenty-seven year old human, a gift from his bonding his Sidhe mate. His true appearance was even more stunning. When Sean Dunne allowed his inner leprechaun to show, those sapphire eyes glowed with power. His skin would show the brown whorls of his earthy heritage and his dark hair would grow, landing at shoulder length. The strength of the earth itself flowed in Shane’s father, and there was no one he admired more.
    But he still wasn’t discussing his sex life with the man. “Leave it be, Da.”
    “No. Not until you tell me why.”
    “Because you’re my father.”
    Sean snorted in disgust. “Please. Like I don’t know what that thing between your legs is begging you to do.”
    “Da!” Leave it to an earth sprite to get…earthy. Shane pointed the tool he was using at his father and scowled. “Don’t make me call Ma.”
    Sean grinned, completely unrepentant. “You need her. She needs you. Get her ass tipsy and topple her, boy.”
    Shane was horrified. This was getting worse and worse. “Is that the advice you gave Leo?”
    “Nope.”
    “Why not?”
    His father shot him a knowing look. “Because he’s not you.” Sean dropped the tack back on the scarred work table and took Shane’s face between his hands. “Leo is like your mother. Gentle, with a core of strength none can deny. Moira is more like me, willing to fight with all her strength for what’s right but able to turn around and admit when she’s wrong. And you?”
    Shane took a deep breath at the look on his father’s face. “What about me?”
    “You’re the best of us both.” His father leaned forward and whispered in his ear. “But don’t tell your sister I said that. I don’t think I could handle the puppy eyes.”
    Shane closed his eyes and swallowed. “Thanks, Da.”
    Sean released him and Shane opened his eyes. “She needs you, Shane. She needs us .”
    “I know.” Shane leaned against the table. “Her life before us was cold.” He allowed the vision that had driven him to create Akane dance behind his eyes. “No room to fly, no place to be free.”
    Sean scowled, the part that made him such an incredible father ready to defend his son’s mate against all comers. “Her mother didn’t abuse her, did she?”
    Shane shook his head. “No, not really. She tried her best, but can anyone truly understand the needs of a young dragon but another dragon?” He’d slipped back into his mother’s native language, speaking to his father in the Sidhe tongue as they often did when trading secrets. “Her father died to keep the Seer safe, sacrificing himself so she could escape with an infant Akane.” Shane swallowed. He could only imagine the Seer’s devastation as she’d fled, knowing her mate’s fate, and her