Chapter One #2
Now, she was back. When Rowan had contacted Bastien and their family to tell them that he’d found Celeste and had rescued her from Parrish, Bastien had been afraid.
He still was. Rowan had reassured him that Celeste was okay, but Bastien wouldn’t believe it until he saw her.
Besides, even if she was okay physically, he knew that she wouldn’t be emotionally.
Her mate was a monster, and she was bound to him.
That was bound to leave bruises, both on her body and her soul.
That was something Bastien and the rest of their family could deal with. First, though, they needed to get Celeste back. Bastien hadn’t thought it possible, but here he was, headed toward a tiny village he’d never heard of before.
“You have to let us know as soon as you see her,” his mom insisted. “I thought I’d lost her. I need to know that she’s okay.”
“You heard Rowan. He says she’s fine.”
“And I’m grateful that he called us to let us know. I don’t know that man, though. I know you, and you know your sister. You’ll be able to tell me if she really is fine.”
“Mom, you know that she actually isn’t. She won’t be for a long time.”
His mother sighed. “I realize that. After what her mate did to her, it’s going to take her a long time to heal. She can heal, though. Once she’s back with us, she’ll be better.”
“You know she might not want to come back.”
“She will.”
Bastien didn’t insist. He understood where his mother was coming from, but Celeste was an adult.
She’d made her own decision when she’d left with Parrish, and she’d continue making her own decisions when it came to all of this.
If she decided she wanted to stay in the village, then she would.
Hell, knowing her, that was exactly what she was planning.
She might want to see their family and let them all take care of her for a little bit, but she’d always been independent.
She’d always wanted to see what the world had to offer, and she wouldn’t get that by going home.
Considering how small the village seemed to be, she wouldn’t get that there either.
This seemed like a good place for her to heal, though, or at least to heal as much as was possible given the circumstances.
Whatever she needed, Bastien would go along with it, and he knew that eventually, so would their parents.
All they’d ever wanted was for their children to be happy, which was why they’d allowed Celeste to leave with Parrish, even though Parrish was a Kudlak.
Bastien’s every instinct had screamed at him to keep his sister as far away from Parrish as he could, but it hadn’t been his place.
Besides, the law was against it. No one could interfere with a mate bond, including the families of the people involved.
The only thing they’d been able to do was sit back and watch as Celeste left.
When she had, they hadn’t heard from her for years. Bastien had known that something was wrong, but what could he do? There was no way for any of them to find Celeste. She hadn’t contacted them. She still hadn’t.
But he knew where she was now. In fact, she was so close to Bastien that he was tempted to hang up and just rush ahead.
He didn’t, because he knew that his mother would freak out.
She was worried about Parrish wanting Celeste back.
Rowan had said that Parrish wasn’t dead, which, as far as Bastien was concerned, was a very big problem.
It was a problem he was willing to take care of, though, and from the way Rowan had spoken, he suspected he wasn’t the only one feeling that way.
“I’ll tell her that she’s welcome to come back home,” Bastien told his mother.
He needed to hang up. The phone call was distracting him, and if there was one thing he knew about Parrish, it was that the Kudlak was patient.
He wouldn’t let Celeste go just because it was what Celeste wanted.
Rowan hadn’t gone into details, but Bastien suspected it was because he hadn’t wanted to hurt his parents.
There had to be more than what Rowan had told them, and Bastien was going to find out what that was.
He needed to know if he wanted to protect Celeste.
He wanted to know everything, but he agreed that it was for the best if his parents didn’t find out.
They should focus on Celeste. Bastien could focus on Parrish and making sure he could never hurt anyone ever again, especially his sister.
“You do that, and you call me as soon as you’re with her. She wants to talk to us.”
“I’ll do what I can, but you know Parrish is still around here.”
“And I know that you’ll take care of him.”
There was a note of finality in Bastien’s mother’s voice that Bastien agreed with.
She knew what he was planning, and she agreed with it.
Bastien would’ve done it even without that, but he was glad to have his family’s support.
He didn’t know what the clan would do, and he couldn’t do this on his own.
“I will,” he promised.
It took him a few more minutes to get his mother to hang up, and when she did, he sucked in a breath as he slid his phone into his pocket.
He stared at what he could see of the village.
From where he was, it didn’t look like much, even with the people he could see moving around.
These villages rarely looked like much, though.
Bastien’s certainly hadn’t. But this village was surrounded by shields and highly protected by magic.
Even though it looked like anyone could waltz in, there was no way that was the case.
But he’d been told where to go. He hiked his backpack higher on his shoulder and headed toward what seemed to be the village’s entrance after leaving his car hidden between the trees in case they didn’t want it inside.
It was set away from the village itself, and there was a guard standing there, looking bored.
The man straightened his back as soon as he heard Bastien coming closer, though, and by the time Bastien was close enough, the man was staring him down.
“My name is Bastien,” he told him. “Rowan and Clay are expecting me.”
The guard nodded. “Wait here.”
Bastien was pretty sure he didn’t have a choice, even if he’d tried to get into the village.
The shields wouldn’t let him. He didn’t have to try to be sure of that, and he wasn’t about to make these people think he was an enemy.
As much as he yearned to get to his sister, he was going to have to wait until the guard and Rowan were ready for him to go in.
Hopefully, that wouldn’t be long. His sister was in there somewhere, hurt and alone, and it was all Parrish’s fault.
Bastien was going to make sure the Kudlak paid for everything he’d done to Celeste.
And he’d do it on his own if he had to.
* * * *
“THERE’S A GUY AT THE entrance of the village,” the guard declared as soon as he stepped into the room.
Celeste’s eyes widened. “That’s my brother.”
“He says his name is Bastien,” the guard added.
Celeste looked completely different now. She was smiling widely, and it was a stark difference from the tired, beaten-down woman she’d been until a few seconds ago. Dermot told himself not to find it odd. Of course she was happy that her brother was here. It didn’t mean she’d been faking.
She might have been. Dermot would keep an eye on her, just like he’d decided to do.
Hopefully, she’d be gone from the village soon, but he knew that no matter how much he hoped for that, it wouldn’t happen.
He was pretty sure that Rowan and Clay would want to use her against Parrish, which was a good plan, even though Dermot didn’t like it.
If it meant getting rid of Parrish permanently, though, he was willing to deal with Celeste for a little while longer.
It meant he’d have to deal with her brother, too, but Dermot was a strong Vila.
He had his magic on his side, while Bastien was just a Krsnik.
Yes, he could shift into an animal, and he was strong and no doubt capable and trained, but that didn’t mean he’d win in a fight with Dermot.
Not that Dermot was planning on fighting him. He was pretty sure that Rowan would kick him out of the clan if he tried that, and for now, he didn’t have a reason to fight anyone.
For now.
Clay got to his feet. “That’s good. I’ll go and warn Rowan.”
“I’ll go talk to Bastien,” Dermot said before anyone could volunteer. Someone would have to take down the shield to let Bastien in, and why not Dermot?
Clay grimaced a little, a sure sign that he knew that Dermot wasn’t going to be nice. He looked around the room, then pointed at Tamsin, who was also getting to his feet. “Take him with you. You, too, Jimmy.”
Dermot glared. “I’m more than capable of keeping the village safe from one Krsnik.”
“I never said you weren’t. My job is to keep you safe, too, though. We don’t know who’s lurking out there. Maybe Parrish is waiting for someone to be let into the village to follow them in. I want you to be prepared, just in case, and not to have to face that alone.”
It was a good explanation, even though Dermot was pretty sure it was a lie. He continued glaring on his way out, muttering as he walked past Clay.
“He thinks I need a babysitter,” he told Tamsin as they stepped out of the house.
Hamlin chuckled, and Dermot stared at him until he looked like he’d rather be anywhere but there. Good. Dermot wanted him to leave.
But Tamsin wasn’t that easily deterred. “Well, don’t you?” he asked.