Disclaimer: I do not own the Fever Series, they belong to Karen Marie Moning.

Chapter 8:

Mac awoke with a start. Her pulse was racing as she tried to piece together her dream. She had twisted and turned the entire night, not able to fully gain the rest that her body needed. Instead that dream had haunted her. Her thoughts kept on returning to that figure. They seemed so alike. She wondered at who was lingering her dream. Did a room such as that even exist in the white palace? Sweat covered her forehead as she suddenly felt constricted and hot in the tiny, enclosed room. No windows to ease her fear and only a closed door to keep her company. Mac looked at the darkness in the room and felt that the other side of the bed had been cold for some time meaning that Barrons had left a while ago. She looked at the cloak and immediately jolted up when the time kept flashing twelve. He had unhooked it! Mac had never thought that Barrons would be so adamant about her not working that he'd take away her morning alarm system.

Just on cue, the door opened to reveal Jericho Barrons in top style as usual. "Good morning," he said in a warm voice as he examined her petite body through an eagle's eyes.

Mac got up on her knees and let the blankets slide away as she faced her big, tall bully. "You unhooked it!" She pointed an accusing finger in his direction hoping that for once he'd not feign innocence.

"I have no idea what your talking about." He shrugged and raised a sardonic eyebrow as he took in her small frame trying to stand to full height. A smile tugged at his lips as he looked at her trying to be imposing as though she could ever truly take him on.

"Don't you try that with me Jericho Barrons." She yelled as she tried to make sense from this twisted man.

"Is this how you're going to act like with our child when they are born?" He asked, crouching to her stomach level he whispered slightly, "It's better for you to stay in there! Otherwise you'll end up like your father right now."

"Jericho!" Mac yelled in frustration. This was not working, in fact it was having the opposite effect on him.

"Ah yes my beautiful Mac. I have learned now that there is only one way to truly 'get off the hook'." He whispered gruffly before taking her lips with his.

Ryodan walked along the streets of Dublin, liking the way humans began to trust in the old ways and return to previous lives. He was walking along the temple bar district when he saw the hair of a familiar girl in one of the pub windows. He began to make his way to the pub when he saw a man seated beside her.

Dani threw her head back and laughed freely. She looked beautiful with her hair hanging freely and her eyes lighting up with humour and mischief. He wondered why she never laughed like this around him as she did with that other—man. Ryodan noticed the way he found difficulty in thinking to find her with another man when the only thought that occurred to him was, Mine.

Ryodan walked into the pub noticing how Dani was laughing the one moment then serious the next. Of course she'd notice him right when he entered. Ryodan detoured through the aisle and purposely stopped at Dani's table. "Ah, Dani. I never thought that we'd meet here…like this."

The man beside her shuffled awkwardly, noticing the difference of strength and waves of animosity rolling off Ryodan.

Dani rolled her eyes at the obvious display of possession, "Hunter, I'd like you to meet Ryodan. Ryodan, Hunter." She spoke tightly. What did he think he was doing here. When she was free, she was going to kill this man for constantly messing up and appearing in her life.

"Ugh, Dani I'd better go, I have to get to…..work." Hunter got up and left as quickly as he'd seated when they'd met just a little while earlier.

"Well, well, well, hasn't our little Dani grown up?" Ryodan muttered as he slid beside her.

"What do you want?" Dani sighed as she flopped back in her seat, no longer in the flirting mood that she was in when Hunter was here.

"What did you see in that bozo anyway?" Ryodan asked as he saw her grab her duffel bag and edge towards the other side of the booth.

"What I saw in him was a lot more than what I see in you." Dani muttered under her breath, just high enough that Ryodan caught it. His jaw flexed as he tried to keep his anger intact. Dani was about to leave when Ryodan's hand caught hers and she was pulled back in her seat, hard.

"I don't think so." Ryodan said darkly as his fingers enclosed around her hand like a iron grip.

"What are you doing? Where are we going?" Dani muttered as he began to pull her through the pub and out the door, into the small streets of Dublin.

He pulled her closer to him and wrapped his arm around her waist.

In the old area of what used to be known as a dark zone, a young man walked through the streets with his hands in his pockets and sunglasses hiding his eyes. His shoulder length blond hair blew in the wind as he searched the streets for the name he was looking. Unknowingly he had caught the attention of all the women around him as they stood in place and open- mouthed gaped at his tall, handsome profile. He smiled to the first women he saw and finally found the building he'd been searching for.

His sunglasses slid off to reveal a pair of emerald green eyes. He looked at the sign: Barrons Books and Baubles. He'd found the location, now all he had to find was her.

And sure enough as he looked through the plane glass window he saw a young woman stand with a smile on her face as she greeted the customers in the line-up for check out. He stood there gazing at her until he saw her tense, she knew that she was a being watched, he thought to himself and immediately walked away. He'd found what he'd been looking for at long last. Now it didn't hurt to wait just a few days because in reality he'd waited years.

The Unseelie King stood in the center of the bedroom watching his beautiful wife slumber. It had been too long, he thought as he gazed at her beauty, her innocence, her gentleness. She was kept from him all these years but he'd finally found her again. He'd finally gotten his queen. His wife. His love.

She stirred from her slumber as if aware of her husband's adoration. A smile slowly curved on her face as she gazed at him the way he gazed at her. "What are you doing so early in the morning?" She asked in a soft voice.

"Waiting for my wife to wake up." He said quietly as he dipped his head down to steal a kiss from his full, willing lips.

"Now that I'm awake what are you up too?" She asked laughingly as he nuzzled her neck.

He fell back onto the bed with ease, "I don't think we should go to the court today at all, do you?"

The queen looked at him and pondered for a moment with a faraway look in her eyes. "We need to go in case V-Cruce comes there today."

The look in king's eyes hardened as he thought of his youngest prince. "He wants it. I can feel the power drawing him to Mackayla."

"What can we do to do stop him?" The queen asked as she looked towards her husband once more. She refused to think of all the time he'd taken from them. She'd refused to think of all the bad he'd done to them. It was finally over and she could fully move on with her husband. With the love of her eternal life.

"We can't do anything, he's become just as powerful as me." A faint smile tugged at the king's lips, "But I don't think we should be that worried for our dear young Mackayla."

The queen looked at him quizzically, "What do you mean?"

The king pulled her close as they nestled deeper into the bed, "There's a certain man who'd never let the world harm her. And he has more power than even I."

"Ah, yes, the ever present Jericho Barrons. He is a good match for our little princess, isn't he?"

"Perfect." The king replied.

Jericho Barrons was a careful man. A quick but quiet man. It was stupidity to try and steal away from him. He was a man not to be trifled with.

Barrons stood outside the bookstore, scanning the abandoned street through the dense night that surrounded him. It was the day. Today that stupid fairy would come, and when he did, Barrons and his pack would be ready. Ready to do whatever it took.

A husky laugh picked up from where the 'dead zone' used to lay, "My, my well if it isn't the great Jericho Barrons." Cruce's figure came into view. His wings outstretched gloriously on his back. He looked around; spotting the team that welcomed him. "What a pity, did Mac choose to stay inside?"

"I'm afraid it's just going to be you and me." Jericho replied quietly.

A/N: Enjoy.