Free rogue shifter 05 - caught between by gayle parness

whispering from what seemed like far away.
    "...him back to his mistress. If I wait, then she'll stop me." That was Garrett.
    "She's fine. She overextended herself and fainted, It's perfectly normal. This should be her decision." I recognized Kellie's voice, and was instantly grateful for her level head.
    Garrett's tone changed to worried. "I should never have asked her to call Marie. I'm partly to blame."
    "You're wrong. Marie wanted this. She was doing it for her as much as you."
    "Garrett, she's waking up." I suddenly noticed Liam sitting in a chair by my bed, holding my hand. There was a sweet warm buzz where our two hands met, so he must have been sending me some of his own healing magic. I was in a slightly awkward position, since my feet were propped up on pillows keeping them higher than my head.
    I scooted and tried to sit up, but he put a hand on my shoulder and shook his head, so obediently, I lay back down. Liam was a fae healer, and I wasn't about to take any chances with little Charlie's health.
    "You should be able to rise in a few minutes."
    I nodded, still feeling exasperated and embarrassed by my ridiculous fainting spell. "Thanks, Liam."
    Garrett replaced Liam half a second later, smiling sweetly and teasing me. "As we know, patience is not her greatest strength." He knelt by the bed and brushed my hair away from my face. "Are you alright, my love?"
    "I think so. I'm just a little weak."
    Liam gestured for Kellie to join him. "We'll get you something to eat." She winked at me impishly and then they both melted into the lines. I guess she figured Garrett and I could use some alone time.
    We stared at each other for a few moments, too many emotions rattling around in our hearts to speak. I smiled and patted the bed. In a blur his shoes were off and he was stretched out beside me, his face only a few inches from mine, but our bodies still not touching.
    Instead, I allowed myself a few seconds of breathing in his scent and getting lost in his blue eyes, two of my favorite activities. I angled my body toward his and asked, "Are you alright?"
    "Seeing Marie again, speaking to her, was incredible. I'm still somewhat dazed by the whole encounter.
    "Garrett, I know you're angry with me."
    He laughed. "Angry? I'm so in love with you that I can't even find words. Thank you for not allowing my fear to keep you from trusting your instincts."
    "You can't even find the French words?" I joked.
    "Not even in French. Or Italian, or Latin, or Greek, or even Chinese."
    "You don't speak all those languages." At least I was pretty sure he didn't.
    "No, but they don't have the right words either." He hesitantly touched a strand of my hair, still drinking in my eyes the way I did his. "I'm sorry that you were weakened by summoning Marie."
    My eyebrows shot up. "Summoning?"
    "Would you call it something else?"
    I thought about it for a moment. "I guess not, but it makes me feel more demony." He laughed softly, his eyes crinkling up the way I loved. "Did I fall on the floor? I don't seem to have a bump on my head." I patted it carefully.
    "No, Isaiah jumped in and picked you up before your knees hit the floor. Then he handed you to me. He's in his room watching TV, I assume. He hasn't even asked how you are." His eyes glistened with anger directed toward our demon houseguest.
    "He was the one who wanted you to talk to her, although I'm not sure why."
    "I haven't been able to puzzle it out either."
    I thought about the brief conversation that I'd overheard between him and Kellie. "Garrett, I'm not as foolish as you think. Isaiah likes to play at being civilized, but I know that he's nothing like us. And my grandmother is even more dangerous. I dream about her sometimes. It's never anything good."
    His brow knitted with worry. "You should tell me..."
    I laughed gently. "You'll protect me even from the monsters that haunt my dreams, sir knight?" I saw him wince and felt instantly guilty. "I'm sorry. I won't call you that. I didn't