Read elemental 01 - whirlwind for Free Online Page A

restless and decide to read in the living room while he waited for their return. If it hadn’t been for Lorene’s perfect calm, and the fact the wind had died down a few minutes after Dylan had walked through the front door, Aiden would have gone to see how his brother was faring. He had perfect confidence in his brother’s ability to convince almost anyone to cooperate and calm down. He had been capable of that very feat with Aiden for years, arbitrating arguments between Aiden and his other brothers, and suppressing the temper that raged more intensely in Aiden’s psyche as his fire-aligned elemental traits intensified. Aiden had only gradually learned to calm himself down, to focus on completing tasks instead of leaping from one to another. “Fools rush in where angels fear to tread” his mother had told him time and again when one of his impulsive actions had resulted in trouble.
     
    ***
    When Dylan and Aira returned, Aiden noticed his younger brother had worked the usual magic on the woman. She was much calmer, and when she apologized immediately, Aiden sensed it was time for them to discuss matters. He resumed his seat at the table, and watched Aira grapple with her lingering resentment at having to accommodate himself and his brother for an indefinite period. It will be good incentive for her to find a mate, Aiden thought, as the younger woman accepted the stipulations her grandmother set. He and his brother would get paid for their services protecting Aira, with the added benefit of having a place to stay and very few expenses. When their Nana had asked the favor of them, there had been no way to refuse it. They both owed Nana far too much and, as the center of the family, they couldn’t turn her down without facing pressure from their parents.
    So Aiden and Dylan had flown out overnight and followed the directions to the house in the middle of the woods, without any real expectation of payment or a clear idea of what they were actually going to be doing to help. When the situation became clear, Aiden was relieved to discover Aira’s grandmother fully intended to finance their time protecting her granddaughter.
    “It’s not going to make you rich, but my first husband was an Earth elemental.” She said with a faint smile. “He left me in very good financial standing. My second husband was a brilliant air elemental, and did quite well for us as well. I can afford to give you fair wages for your time.”
    They would be driving down with Aira at the end of her stay at her grandmother’s and remaining with her to ensure her safety at all times until she found a mate who could protect and stabilize her.
    Aiden had been considered an unstable elemental since he was a teenager. He had much better control over his abilities than he initially had. There had been a great deal of discussion on the subject of him finding a mate when he came closer to the birthday when he would receive his full abilities. His own Nana had repeatedly suggested that he find a good earth-aligned woman and let himself be grounded by her influence. Aiden had hated the idea from the moment it was mentioned, and rejected it so continuously that everyone had given up. He knew there were still murmurs about his unstable tendencies among the ruling elite, but as long as he served a function among the elementals they wouldn’t push too hard. He’d had mostly satisfying relationships with women, although the lifestyle he led with his brother meant he never kept a relationship for very long. He knew he had a habit of pushing women away when they got too close. In addition to his lack of desire to “settle down,” he didn’t like the idea of anyone other than his brother being close to him emotionally.
    Shortly after everything was settled, Lorene asked Aira to show Aiden around the property, since she had already shown Dylan that courtesy. Aiden had little interest in gardening, but he was content to have the opportunity of talking to Aira