Free Layla Nash - A Valentine's Chase (City Shifters: the Pride) by Unknown Page B

handle the stress, I was damn well going to the registrar's office on Monday morning, broken foot and work be damned. But if Rafe wanted me to be his wife or something, to be barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen... Those weren't plans I could be part of. "What if he asks me to —"
    "No man will coerce you into doing anything you don't want to do, Meadow." His expression grew fierce. "Not only because Rafe is not that kind of man and I would never have introduced you to him a second time if I believed he had anything but noble intentions, but because you are powerful beyond measure. Not because you're a muse, but because you're you. You're a strong woman, a confident and educated woman, and you can hold your ground against any pathetic man-child who dares try to pressure you. Remember that. Hold on to that."
    I blinked and cleared my throat, flushing at the sudden surge of emotion. I hadn't felt strong in a very long time. I hadn't felt powerful beyond measure. But because he believed it, because of his confidence, a seed of conviction planted itself in my heart. I wasn't the scared kid anymore; I wasn't the crazy girl. I was Meadow. A muse. Powerful beyond measure. "I will. I'll try very hard to, I mean. But what does Rafe want from me?"
    Smith sighed, swirling the liquor in his glass and watching the play of light through it. "My dear, that is mostly a conversation you should have with him. But I would offer that he wants a partner. He wants the other half of his soul to be with him, to be happy and fulfilled and content. To be loved. He is a good man, if a little rough around the edges, and he works hard to keep his pack in order. He is a good friend and fights hard to protect those weaker than him. He even puts up with his insufferable sister."
    I smiled, thinking for a moment of the tattooed and pierced woman who didn't give a shit about walking between Smith and Rafe to get to me. Who'd given orders in the middle of a bar fight with a pack of wolves and then joined in the melee. Fatigue weighed me down and my leg ached more, with a deep burn that distracted me from all the unbelievable things Smith could tell me and the understated grandeur of his living room. "But I'm not a shifter. How can I possibly be those things for him?"
    "It is not unheard of, though it is rare for a fae to be the true mate of a shifter. Benedict Chase, the brother of Ruby's mate, is a lion shifter. His mate is a gorgon, part medusa. And they make... quite a pair." From the way he ended that statement, I knew there was a great deal more to the story. And the gorgon sounded like a world of trouble. Smith sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "She has given me a little trouble, but she is not yet aware of who and what I am. So we shall keep it that way, yes?"
    The foreign twist to his words made me raise my eyebrows, but I nodded. "Of course. I won't say anything."
    "I did not think you would." Smith took a deep breath and put aside his empty glass. "You will meet Eloise eventually, and you will recognize her. You'll feel a kinship with anyone with a significant amount of fae blood, regardless of what kind of fae. And regardless of whether they know they're fae. Be careful of that, because you do not want to reveal to someone that magic exists, or that they're not human, if they do not already know it."
    I frowned and yawned again, rubbing at the skin near the cast as it itched and tingled. "I know what the reverse feels like, so don't worry."
    "Well, as a muse you will inspire people. They may feel as if you are kindred without knowing why. Guard yourself well. Muses are known for inspiration and influence, but you can do it without thinking and it will drain you near to death." He eased to his feet and went to a wood panel on the wall, hitting a series of points on it until the whole thing swung open. I sat up and tried to keep my jaw from hitting the floor as three bookshelves were revealed behind the panel. Smith picked out one, a slim