Chapter Twenty-Eight
Lochan
I can ’ t tear my eyes away from Brigid as she descends, wreathed in shadows that seem to caress her skin, then become one with her. Fuck, she ’ s magnificent. The pull of our mate bond pulses through me, drawing me to the woman. But the writhing darkness surrounding her grates. Shadow magic is the only thing I ’ ve sworn to hate forever.
Brigid ’ s feet touch the ground, and the shadows cling to her like a second skin. My fists clench as I notice the crowd ’ s reaction - faces twisted in disgust, bodies leaning away. Whispers of “ abomination” reach my ears, making me bristle.
Part of me wants to walk over to her right now, to stand between Brigid and their hateful stares. To tell them all to go fuck themselves. But I stay rooted in place. It ’ s just the mate bond. It has to be. That ’ s the only thing that could make me betray my family ’ s memory by getting involved with someone with shadow magic.
She doesn ’ t need my protection, anyway. That much is obvious from the way she holds herself, chin raised defiantly. She ’ s at her best when she ’ s like this, giving as good as she gets.
She doesn ’ t think she ’ s strong.
I know that she is.
I drag a hand down my face, cursing under my breath. How can I be so drawn to something I ’ ve spent my life fighting against? The mate bond is constantly there. It won ’ t leave me alone, urging me to go to her. To claim her.
But I can ’ t. I won ’ t. No matter how much my fucking cock aches for her, I can ’ t.
So I stand here, torn and conflicted, watching as Brigid faces down a mob of hostility, with no one by her side. I crack the knuckles on first one hand, then the other.
As I ’ m watching her, I spot Marius slinking over. Fucking hell. Of course, that snake would make his move now, when she ’ s vulnerable. I see her posture stiffen. Marius leans in closer, his lips nearly brushing her ear. My nails dig into my palms.
“ Get the fuck away from her,” I growl under my breath.
But I don ’ t move. I can ’ t. She ’ s not really mine to protect. And even if she was, she ’ d probably tell me to piss off if I tried.
Still, every muscle in my body screams at me to intervene. To rip Marius away from her and pound his smug face into the ground. The mate bond makes itself bloody known, demanding action.
I take a step forward, then catch myself.
A hand lands on my shoulder, startling me. I twist around, ready to clock whoever touched me, only to find Dean Fiona ’ s grin inches from my face.
“ Well,” she chirps. “ Somebody ’ s looking awfully tense. Trouble, loverboy?”
I jerk away from her touch, scowling. “ What the fuck do you want?”
She tsks. “ Language.”
You ’ ve got to be kidding me. I cross my arms and stare at her.
“ Oh, come on now. Don ’ t be such a grump.” Her gaze slides past me, landing on Brigid. “ Though I can see why you might be a tad out of sorts.”
My jaw works. “ I don ’ t know what you ’ re talking about.”
“ No?” Fiona ’ s eyebrows shoot up in mock surprise. “ So you weren ’ t just about to charge over there and rescue her from Marius? My mistake.”
“ I wasn ’ t— “
“ Save it, boy,” she cuts me off, patting my arm. “ Your eyes haven ’ t left her since she stepped off that platform. You ’ re not fooling anyone, least of all me.”
I glare at her. “ You don ’ t know shit about me or what I ’ m thinking.”
Fiona just smiles, a knowing glint in her eye. “ Oh, I think I know more than you realize.”
“ That so? Then you should know I don ’ t play games, Dean.” I spit the title like a curse.
Fiona ’ s smile doesn ’ t falter, but her eyes harden. “ Careful now, Lochan. I may be new to this position, but I am not new to this world. It would be wise to remember who I am.”
“ You mean like Brigid ’ s friend?” I jeer.
Her expression tightens for a split second before smoothing out. “ I did what was necessary to protect her. You, of all people, will come to understand that.”
“ Bullshit,” I growl. “ You manipulated her. Pretended to be some harmless librarian when you ’ re—” I gesture at her, at a loss for words. Whatever the hell she is.
Fiona leans in, her voice quiet but threatening. “ I am many things, Lochan. But harmless isn ’ t one of them. Neither is stupid. So let ’ s cut the crap, shall we? You ’ re drawn to her, whether you like it or not. The question is, what are you going to do about it?”
“ Nothing. There ’ s nothing to do.”
She sighs, shaking her head. “ For someone so observant, you can be remarkably blind.” Her gaze flicks back to Brigid. “ She needs you, whether either of you realize it yet.”
I follow her gaze, my chest tightening as I watch Brigid. I can still see small tendrils of shadows near her feet and hands, hungry and alive.
It makes my skin crawl.
“ She doesn ’ t need me,” I say, my eyes on Brigid. “ She needs someone who doesn ’ t hate her kind.”
Fiona ’ s laugh is sharp, cutting through the air between us. “ Her kind? You mean someone with power? Someone who scares you?”
“ Fuck off,” I snarl, turning to face her fully.
“ I know you ’ re terrified of what she represents. Of what she could become.”
I want to strike out, to shut her up, but I can ’ t. Because deep down, I know she ’ s right.
“ She ’ s dangerous,” I mutter, more to myself than to Fiona.
“ So are you,” Fiona counters. She steps closer, her voice dropping to a whisper. “ Brigid is worth fighting for, Lochan. Don ’ t let your fear cost you something extraordinary.”
With that, she turns and walks away, leaving me standing there, her words echoing in my head. I look back at Brigid, watching as she talks with Marius. The shadows around her have faded, but I can still sense their presence.
“ Worth fighting for,” I mutter, tasting the bitterness on my tongue.
But what the fuck does Fiona know? She ’ s been lying to Brigid this whole time, pretending to be her friend while manipulating her. How can I trust anything that comes out of her mouth?
I watch Fiona ’ s retreating form, her white hair bobbing through the crowd. There ’ s something off about her, beyond the obvious deception.
My gaze drifts back to Brigid. For a moment, I can almost forget the shadows that clung to her. Almost.
The mate bond tugs at me.
I take a step forward, then stop. What the hell am I doing? She ’ s everything I ’ ve been taught to hate, to fear. And yet...
“ Fuck,” I mutter, turning away. I need to clear my head, to get away from all of this.
I can feel Brigid ’ s presence like a weight.
Worth fighting for. But at what cost?
Marius leans in close, whispering something in her ear. Jealousy flares hot in my gut, surprising me with its magnitude. I want to march over there, to rip him away from her. To declare her mine.
“ Fuck,” I growl, shaking my head. “ She ’ s not mine. She can ’ t be.”
But the mate bond disagrees, pulling at me with an urge I can ’ t ignore. It ’ s like a living thing, clawing at my insides, demanding I acknowledge it.
Brigid glances up, her eyes meeting mine across the distance. For a moment, the world falls away. It ’ s just us, locked in a silent battle of wills. I feel exposed, like she can see right through me, like she knows what I ’ m thinking.
My hands clench into fists. I want to go to her. I want to run. The conflict tears at me.
And in the end, I turn away from her, like a fucking coward.