Chapter Six
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THE WALK BACK TO THE village felt a bit like a funeral march. They’d gone into this with two main goals—to get Celeste back and to kill Parrish. They hadn’t managed to do either of those things. They had Rose, but that was a meager consolation considering everything.
She hadn’t wanted to work for Parrish. She’d been forced to, and now she was sobbing, terrified that something had happened to her son.
They hadn’t managed to get the entire story out of her yet because she was crying so hard, but it was clear that she hadn’t been involved because she believed in Parrish.
Just like it was clear that Parrish had done this because he enjoyed hunting people.
He wanted Bastien and Rowan to see him and to know that he was as strong as ever.
He wanted to taunt them, for them to know he was out there, still alive, when he really should be dead.
It was hard even for Dermot to accept, and he couldn’t imagine how much harder this had to be for Rowan and Bastien.
At least Rowan had his mate to go back to, but what did Bastien have?
Dermot cleared his throat. He supposed that Bastien had him. It unfortunately didn’t do him a lot of good right now. Dermot had failed both Celeste and Bastien. He still wasn’t quite sure what Parrish would have done, but it wouldn’t have been good.
The problem was Parrish.
“Everyone, go home,” Rowan said. “We’ll regroup tomorrow and find another way to do this.”
“Parrish took Celeste,” Bastien said. “There’s no way to know what they’re doing right now.”
“Not for sure, but I know Parrish. I’ve been dealing with him for a very long time.
He’s having fun, and he wants to destroy me, and probably you, too.
He won’t move on until he gets what he wants, and you and I are both here in the village.
He’s not going to take Celeste far away.
He’s going to want to stay here, use her again and again, and kill us, possibly through her. ”
“She won’t help him willingly.”
“I never said she would. Unfortunately, I don’t think there’s a lot she can do about that.
We’ll get her back, though. I promise. Parrish isn’t going to kill her, and he’s not going to leave the area.
We just have to find out where he is and prepare better.
” He looked around. “We’ll need more people.
I will not let Parrish get away with this again.
But for now, everyone should go and get some rest.”
Rowan looked as exhausted as Bastien. There was nothing Dermot could do about that for Rowan, and Rowan wouldn’t want him to anyway.
He had his mate, who would take care of him.
That meant that Dermot could take care of Bastien if Bastien agreed to it.
Dermot wasn’t sure he would. In the end, he was part of the reason Bastien had lost his sister again.
Celeste was in danger, and Dermot felt responsible.
If Bastien told him to fuck off, he wouldn’t even get angry. He’d understand.
“Are you going to go to your room?” he asked, knowing that was the last thing Bastien wanted. As much as he appreciated Rowan and Clay letting him and Celeste stay with them, Bastien had to want some privacy, especially tonight.
“Do I have a choice? It’s not like there’s a hotel in the village. If there was, I’d be staying there instead of with Rowan and Clay.”
Dermot felt like he was going to die, but he still managed to get the words out.
“You could come and stay with me. For the night, I mean. You don’t have to stay permanently, although I know that you’re going to want to stick around until Celeste is free, and we don’t know how long that’s going to take. ”
Bastien cocked his head. “Are you asking me to move in with you until we get my sister back?”
“I’m asking you to consider spending the night at my place.
We don’t have to do anything. You can sleep in my bed or on the couch, whichever you’re more comfortable with.
And in the morning, you can go back to Rowan and Clay’s house and sit with them and find a way to get your sister back.
I just don’t think you should spend the night alone. ”
Bastien grimaced. “Spending the night alone actually feels like the best idea. I don’t want to talk about Celeste and what’s going on.”
Dermot’s stomach dropped. “All right.”
“But you’re not just anyone. You’re my mate, and spending the night with you sounds like an even better idea.”
The emotional whiplash was going to kill Dermot. “Yeah?”
Bastien nodded. “We have to talk, and I think that’s the best way for me not to obsess over Celeste.
Like you said, we don’t have to do anything or even share a bed.
We can just talk and see where we both are.
I’m not sure I can make any kind of decision right now, not with Celeste being with Parrish. ”
“We can talk,” Dermot confirmed.
The people around them had started drifting away.
The enforcers were talking to Rowan and Clay, who’d come out of the house only seconds after they’d arrived and looked relieved but sad.
Dermot had no doubt that Clay would try to talk to Bastien tomorrow, or maybe even tonight if they stuck around.
That wasn’t what Bastien wanted, though, so Dermot reached for his arm and gently pulled. “Let’s go.”
He started to let go of Bastien, but Bastien reached out, catching his hand. There was a moment of hesitation in which they stared at each other, then Bastien linked their fingers together and lowered their hands. He didn’t let go.
It was ridiculous. Dermot was an adult. He’d held hands with many people over the years, both in a non-romantic way and in a very romantic way.
No one had made him feel flustered like Bastien, but then, no one had been his mate, not before Bastien.
He might not know what to do with any of this, but he wanted Bastien, and his magic agreed.
The two of them were supposed to be together.
That was why he wanted to hold Bastien’s hand.
It was why Dermot never wanted to let go, even though he was conflicted and worried and even a little wary.
Hopefully, that was where the talking would help.
He pulled Bastien along, and Bastien came easily.
The village was silent except for their group, but everyone’s voices softened first, then completely disappeared.
Dermot knew that if he looked back, he’d still be able to see them standing in front of Rowan and Clay’s house, but he didn’t.
He’d have enough time to deal with all of that tomorrow.
For now, his priority was Bastien, and he wanted to get away from all of this.
“The house isn’t big,” he told Bastien. “I’m sure you expected that. No house here is big.”
“I’ve seen it from the outside. It looks nice,” Bastien told him.
He still sounded casual in a way that made it obvious he was trying very hard, and if that was how Bastien wanted to play this, Dermot was all right with that.
They did have to talk about Celeste and what was going to be done about her, but not tonight.
In fact, they didn’t even have to talk about their relationship tonight, but it was what Bastien wanted, and Dermot wanted to give that to him.
“It is nice,” Dermot confirmed. “I’m still working on it, especially the yard, but it’s coming along.
” And maybe, one day, it would become Bastien’s home, too.
That was way too far ahead for Dermot to focus on, but he couldn’t help but wonder and maybe dream.
As long as things with Celeste went the right way, Dermot was sure that he and Bastien could build themselves a future here. First, though, Dermot had to be honest.
“I’m really sorry about what happened with Celeste.
I realize I played a part in it, and I don’t know how you’ll ever be able to forgive me, but I was wrong not to trust her and you.
I was also wrong to trust Rose. None of this would’ve happened if I’d trusted the right people and if I hadn’t let my past impact my present.
I’m really sorry about all of this.” Dermot hoped that Bastien would be able to forgive him, but he wasn’t sure he had the right to ask for that.
* * * *
BASTIEN WAS ACTUALLY glad he wouldn’t have to go back to Rowan and Clay’s house tonight.
As grateful as he was to the two men, he needed some time to process what had happened, and doing so while they were sleeping in the next room—or doing other things that Bastien didn’t want to think about—wouldn’t be the best idea.
He was sure they would be happy to have the house to themselves for at least one evening, maybe more, depending on how tonight would go.
Even after what happened with Celeste, Bastien had high hopes for his relationship with Dermot, maybe even more so than he had before.
Dermot had apologized. He’d admitted he’d been wrong, both about Rose and Celeste, although Bastien wasn’t sure he had been entirely wrong about Rose.
She did need a home and a place where she could be safe.
Maybe the village could be that for her eventually.
She probably wouldn’t come without her son, though, which was understandable.
Bastien didn’t have children, but he could imagine what it was like.
It had been enough for him not to know where his sister was for so long.
So maybe Dermot hadn’t been completely wrong, and since he’d apologized, maybe it was time for Bastien to do the same. He wasn’t sure he wanted to do so in the middle of the street while they were walking, though, so he waited until they reached Dermot’s small house.