Chapter 27 #2
The worst part was that I was already starting to feel better. Less cold. Some of the aches were slowly fading. I fucking hated it. The lack of physical pain just made the hole in my chest feel infinitely worse.
“Your mate is fine,” Aries said. “No, I’m not following him, but I do have people checking up on him. One of my bartenders got a coffee at the coffee shop your mate works at. Apparently, he looks like shit, but he’s unharmed.”
I took another sip.
Slowly, ever so slowly, I started to welcome the nausea that hit me with each sip. It was different from pain, but uncomfortable enough for me to focus on.
“I had him give Finn my card. In case your mate wants someone… neutral to talk to.”
I snarled.
I didn’t want Finn to fucking talk with Aries. I wanted him to talk to me.
“Tsk.” Aries shook his head at me, his blue eyes glinting with mischief. “Is that the way you treat someone who’s trying to fix your problems?”
If only I were sure he was fixing my problems.
“I guess you don’t want to know that Finn agreed to check in every morning and evening, after all.”
Baring my teeth at him, I did my best to keep my composure.
“By the way, your mate has interesting ideas about keeping himself safe.”
I blinked and looked up at the older vampire. “He does?”
Aries’s laugh tinkled through the room. A carefree, bright, and grating-as-fuck sound.
“Oh yeah. He’s quite creative. And very feisty. He even asked me if he should bother acquiring holy water to create his very own brand of vampire pepper spray. Or holy-water spray, I guess.”
Somewhere next to me, Bennie started giggling. “He could definitely turn that into a business for some weirdos.”
Aries nodded. “While yes, I’m sure he could make money off of that idea on the internet, I regrettably had to inform him that holy water doesn’t hurt vampires at all.”
I knew that.
There really wasn’t much that did hurt us outside of sunlight and decapitation.
Granted, a stake to the heart was enough to take us out momentarily, but unless the object—stake, knife, pencil, didn’t really matter as long as it was used with enough force—stayed where it was, we’d recover.
It was a slow and rather painful recovery, but yeah.
Taking off our heads and burning the remains was the way to go.
Aries topped up my glass for the second time, and I obediently drank from it again.
I was really feeling better physically, and I hated it so much.
Where was a fledgling I could rip apart when I needed one?
“I also agreed to meet up with him tomorrow to check in,” he said nonchalantly, like it wasn’t a big deal. But it was. It was enough of a big deal for me to shatter the glass in my hand and jump at…
My phone rang.
Which was surprising in and of itself because the only person who called me was Bennie, and he was currently busy trying to hold me back so I couldn’t effectively threaten Aries.
Who, by the way, was just standing there, a decanter full of blood in his hand, cackling like the lunatic I was slowly figuring out he was.
No.
I turned my direction away from Aries, my claws and fangs retreating, as I desperately tried reaching my phone in my pocket in time.
This was Finn’s ringtone.
“Yes? Finn?” I asked as I hit the green button to accept the call. “Are you okay?”
Did he want to talk? Now? It was past eleven.
I furrowed my brow. This was not Finn’s usual time to be out and about, but I could hear footsteps echoing through the line. He was outside. And walking.
“Eric?”
“Yes. Are you okay?”
I heard him huff. “I’m perfectly fine. But let’s talk about you.”
“About me?”
“Yes!” Finn spat, and I flinched. “What about the fact that I asked you to give me fucking space, huh? What about the fact that I explicitly said you couldn’t keep stalking me, but there you are, hiding in the fucking shadows.
I know you’re there. Just because you don’t answer when I call out your name doesn’t mean I don’t fucking know you’re there.
I do. I can feel your eyes on me. So stop being a fucking coward and an asshole and come out so I can face you.
Got it? I am so mad right now. I thought you’d gotten the memo. But three days and you’re back at it?”
My blood ran cold, and I turned my head to Bennie and Aries. They were both standing next to me, Aries with his phone in hand.
“Finn,” I tried interrupting him, but he wasn’t done with his tirade.
“Ask him where he is,” Aries said.
“I swear to you, Eric. This is not how you respect my wishes.”
“Finn!” I said, more urgently. “I swear I’m not following you.”
The footsteps stopped. Fuck. “Keep moving,” I barked. “Wherever you are, don’t stop walking. Find an open store, okay?”
“You really aren’t following me?” The footsteps picked up again at a fast pace. Finn’s breathing picked up too. He was running. Good.
“No, I’m not.”
“He really isn’t,” Bennie yelled. “We’re with Aries. Where are you?”
“I was out with friends at a pub. It was quiz night. I’m on my way home. I thought you were following me again. Fuck. It really isn’t you? No kidding or anything? I swear I…”
“I’m not following you. I swear. I told you I can’t lie to you. I’m not lying. Tell me where you are, sweetheart.”
“I… Oh, fucking fuck,” Finn swore. “I was at the Red Shamrock. My Uber canceled on me, and I thought I’d just walk home. It’s not that far, and I thought I could use a bit of fresh—”
His voice broke off, a faint “oof” audible through the line. I heard the dull sound of something heavy hitting the street. I couldn’t hear his breaths anymore!
“Finn?” I shouted, icy fear taking hold of me. “Finn!”
Did he fall?
A crunching noise.
A low huff.
Something heavy, dragging over asphalt.
Then the line went dead.
“FUCK!” I screamed, about to hurl the fucking phone against the glass wall, but Aries was gripping my hand.
“Calm down, youngling.”
How could he be so composed? Rational?
Hadn’t he heard what I’d heard?
Someone had been following my mate. Someone who’d attacked him.
Oh god. I hadn’t been able to hear him breathing.
“Eric!”
I needed to find him.
Right now.
“He’s not gonna calm down, is he?” I heard Bennie say with a sigh. His voice sounded far away.
“His mate is in danger, and the bond still isn’t in place. So… our best bet is to just roll with it.” A hand clamped down on my shoulder, claws digging into my skin. “Come on. My car is waiting for us out back. Let’s find your mate together, okay?”