9. Chapter 9 #2
“I’m going to kill her,” Rune promised, every word saturated with venom.
“Noah?” Taking his mate by the shoulders, he pulled him around until they stood toe to toe. “It’s okay. I’m going to get your brother back.”
“What? No! What if—?”
“Do you trust me?”
His lips pressed together into a thin line, and his shoulders sagged. “That’s not fair.”
Maybe not, but it was the only card he had left to play. “Do you trust me?”
“You know I do.”
“Then give me the bottle.”
He hesitated, his knuckles white as he clutched the glass vial. “I hate this.”
“I know you do. Now give me the bottle.”
With a resigned huff, he slapped it into Finn’s palm and looked away. “I really fucking hate this.”
“Hey.” Gripping his chin gently, he turned him back, hating the tears that glistened off his lashes. “Everything is going to be okay.”
“You don’t know that.”
Since he couldn’t refute that, he dipped his head and brought their lips together in a brief but blistering kiss. “Wait here.”
“If you get yourself killed, I’m going to murder you.”
There was a lot to unpack in that statement, starting with the fact that not a damn word of it made sense. “When I get back, we’re going to have to work on your threats.”
Then he kissed him again to cut off his protests before squaring his shoulders and marching down the pier.
“Finn!” Karleigh sang. “I knew you wouldn’t leave me. Everyone told me you were gone, but I knew better. That’s why I waited for you.”
“Karleigh, let him go.”
“Do not let me go,” Keegan argued, his face pale with fear and panic as he stared down at the water.
“Where were you?” she asked, the first signs of suspicion creeping into her expression. “I couldn’t feel you.”
Finn gritted his teeth, swallowing back the bile that rose in his esophagus. He hated lying, especially about something like this, but he had promised to return his mate’s brother safely.
“I went to get this,” he answered, holding up the bottle for her to see.
Her eyes narrowed, and thin lines marred her brow. “What is it?”
“Noah is my mate.”
“No!” she screeched, her arm dipping, taking Keegan closer to the surface of the river.
A chorus of gasps echoed behind him, punctuated by a lone growl. He pushed them away and swallowed thickly.
“Noah is my mate, but this can change that.” Flying by the seat of his pants, he had no idea what he was saying. He just knew that Keegan’s very existence rested on him convincing her. “I went to get this so I can forget him, so you and me can be together.”
“Can…can it really do that?”
“Yes,” he lied. He didn’t feel great about the deception, but this couldn’t happen again. Karleigh couldn’t be allowed to hurt anyone else. “Let him go, and I’ll show you.”
Her gaze flickered to Keegan, and she tilted her head, almost as if she had forgotten he was still there. “He looks like the other one.”
“They’re brothers. Family.”
“Why should I give him back?”
“Because you don’t really want to hurt him.”
Karleigh looked at him, her mask cracking, revealing the monster beneath. “But I kind of do.”
Okay, he could play this game. “If you hurt him, I’ll throw this—” He shook the glass bottle in her direction. “—into the river, and you’ll be alone. Forever.”
Yep, that got her attention. “You’ll really be mine?”
“Let him go.”
“Hmm, okay.” She shrugged, a girlish giggle bubbling from her lips as she slung her arm forward, tossing Keegan onto the dock at Finn’s feet. “There you go.”
“Are you okay?” Finn asked, helping him to stand.
“Finn, don’t do this. She’s fucking crazy.”
“Go on,” he said, urging him toward the other end of the pier. “Calm down your mate before he breaks something.”
“No, listen to me. You can come with me. You don’t have to do this.”
“Keegan, go. Now.”
He looked reluctant, almost defiant, but after another heartbeat, he shook his head and jogged away, hurry toward the group gathered on the bank.
With Keegan safe and his promise fulfilled, Finn turned his attention back to Karleigh. “It’s just you and me now.” He crept closer, watching her for any sudden movements. “All you have to do is drink this, and we can be together. Just like you want.”
“Just one sip?”
“Just one sip,” he confirmed, holding the bottle out to her.
She stared at it, tilting her head one way, then the other, the movements jerky and robotic.
“Okay,” she finally agreed, but she didn’t reach for it. Instead, she stared up at him, her blue eyes burning with challenge. “You first.”
He had anticipated her reaction. Like Noah had pointed out, she wasn’t stupid.
Nodding, he popped the cork and tossed it to the side. With his hand hiding the bottle from view, he pressed his thumb over the opening to create a seal, careful that not even a single drop of liquid would touch his lips. Then he tilted it to his mouth, tilting his head back to really sell it.
He even remembered to pretend to swallow.
“Alright,” he said, holding the vial out again. “Your turn.”
“How do you feel she asked?”
“Good. A little warm.” He searched for another adjective. “Excited.”
“And what about Noah?”
“Who?” The lie tasted bitter on his tongue, but he knew he’d made the right decision when she smiled and reached for the bottle.
He expected a moment of reluctance. A heartbeat of uncertainty. A part of him braced for her to stop at the last second and pour the river water out onto the dock like a Bond villain.
Instead, she tossed it back without hesitation, swallowing half the contents in one go.
Finn held his breath, every muscle in his body tense, prepared to fight if necessary. “How do you feel?” he asked, echoing the question back to her. “Do you know who I am?”
“I…I think…” She frowned, her eyebrows drawn together in concentration. “I’m sorry. Should I?”
Exhaling in relief, he glanced over his shoulder and nodded at Orrin. In an instant, the elf flashed to Karleigh’s side, wrapping a supportive arm around her shoulders as he led her away.
“Who are you?”
“It’s okay,” Orrin told her. “I’m here to help you.”
“Okay,” she agreed easily. “Do…do you know who I am?”
Orrin glanced up at Finn, silent communication passing between them. Neither of them felt good about erasing someone’s entire history, but it had to be done.
And now, the nightmare was finally over.