Chapter 44 #2
“Where did you see her?” I ask, excited to finally have something to go off.
“In an alley, two streets down. She put something under a dumpster before sneaking away.” Her voice grows stronger, anger lacing it with steel. “I thought she was stashing contraband, but it was a soul crystal.”
My pulse picks up. “When did this happen?” I ask, hoping the crystal is still there.
“A week ago, now.”
Some of my enthusiasm deflates, and I give Sin a slight shrug. “It’s a long shot, but we should check if she’s come back for it.”
His own expression is dubious, but he nods, regardless.
A hissing cackle draws our attention back to the woman. “The crystal is long gone.”
“How do you know? Did you see her come back?” Sin clarifies. Instead of his usual gruff voice, he speaks to her with a gentle, almost comforting tone. It makes my heart warm.
She spits on the ground. “Because I smashed it, that’s how. But don’t you worry. I may be old, but I’m not dead.”
Her eyes meet ours, and there’s a sharpness behind them that wasn’t there before, even as her breaths come in staggered hisses. “I tracked her scent. She works at the Rusty Dagger, one block over. Look for a younger woman with long red hair and fangs.”
My brow lifts, amazed to have gotten so lucky. “Thank you, that is incredibly helpful. Are you sure we can’t help you?”
“No one can help me, dear,” she coughs again, and I frown, not convinced. Her expression turns pleading. “Just find them. Find my mate.”
Sin nods, and even after we’ve given our thanks, I keep looking over my shoulder, worrying that she needs help. “I think we should at least let someone know. She sounded sick.”
Dismayed, I watch as the older woman doubles over, almost falling off the bench from a coughing fit. No one slows or even looks her way.
Sin sighs but doesn’t slow his stride. His hand rests firmly against my lower back. “We can’t help her. When a shifter’s mate dies, they follow them in death soon after. Any attempt to slow her death would be a grievous insult. She would think you’re trying to keep her from her mate,” he explains.
“That’s… heartbreaking,” I respond. We turn a corner, and I lose sight of her.
“It’s the only thing that makes sense,” he answers simply.
Jarred by his answer, I snap my head up to look at him. But he isn’t looking at me; his eyes are fixed ahead.
He’s still talking about the shifters, right?
“So, what’s the plan? Do we find the woman and confront her?” I ask, ready to change the subject, just in case this is a segue into talking about my shattered soul.
While I’ve loved having an afternoon that isn’t riddled with mortal danger, it’s made it harder to ignore the way things inside of me feel… off.
Any physical side effects of a shattered soul are easy enough to write off as exhaustion. But my mind is starting to feel weird, too – like my intrusive thoughts are suddenly growing louder.
It’s too bad the Beast Realm doesn’t have internet. This really seems like a WebMD problem.
“Let’s see what we’re dealing with first,” he hedges. A dark look flashes across his face when he turns to look at me, and his eyes narrow slightly as they scan my body.
I try to swallow, but my mouth feels dry.
He knows.
There are structurally integral things crumbling within me, and he knows.
“Kitten,” he warns.
“I’m not letting you die for me,” I whisper harshly.
A low growl escapes him. “I’m not asking you to. I’m asking you to let me die with you.”
Does he think that’s somehow better?
I tear my gaze away, not wanting to feel like he’s peering inside my soul. Sin has lived for thousands of years. He’ll be okay when I’m gone. If anything, this will give him a chance to find someone more worthy.
Someone he can love.
Something ugly and twisted coils inside of me, and I shove it away. Things will be easier for him if he accepts the inevitable.
“Do you really want to spend our time arguing? Wouldn’t you rather enjoy whatever time we have left?” I manage a small smile as I say it.
Red light ripples through his tattoos, and his hand shifts to grip my waist. Before I realize what he’s doing, he’s apparated us twenty feet away, into a deserted alley.
We’re behind a stack of crates, hiding us from the view of the street.
Rough brick catches on my hair as he cages me against the wall. His glare burns into me.
“What I would rather,” his voice is low, but the word comes out with a bite, “is for my mate to fucking live.”
Lifting my chin, I glare right back. “I want the same thing. I won’t let you sacrifice yourself. We don’t even know how much time your soul would buy me. It could be days.”
Sin’s glare only darkens. “My soul. My choice. You’re taking that from me.”
Pain flares in my chest, and his eyes flicker there. His teeth grind together, and he takes a steadying breath before he meets my gaze once more.
“I can’t do it, kitten. I’ve tried to be patient, to give you time to decide on your own.
But I can’t stand here and watch you slowly kill yourself.
” His voice roughens. “I don’t care if you fucking hate me for it.
When we walk out of this alley, I’m fighting for you with everything I am.
You knew our bond was for eternity, and you don’t get to fucking back out now.
” His eyes flare with something possessive and wild.
“Mine,” he growls, and stone crumbles on either side of me as his fingers dig into the brick.
My body hums over the way he claims me, even as I hiss back, “I never agreed to let you break yourself for me. It’s never going to happen.”
His determined gaze drags over me. “Challenge accepted, kitten. Before I’m through, you’ll be begging to claim me.”
I arch a brow at his confidence. “Not if I have you begging to fuck me first,” I bluff, easily ducking under his arm and striding back toward the sidewalk. “Now, don’t we have a mission to finish? Let’s go find the Rusty Dagger.”
I don’t make it another step before Sin tugs me back against him. His beard lightly scrapes against the sensitive skin next to my ear, making my legs wobble.
“That’s it on the other side of the street. Our target entered while you were staring over your shoulder at the elderly shifter.”
“What? Why are we wasting time here? Let’s go!” I exclaim with renewed urgency.
Evidently, Sin does not feel the same urgency, since he doesn’t release me.
Shocking.
“First, this isn’t wasting time. You’re my priority, always.
Second, the club is highly warded, and it isn’t open yet.
I could break the wards, but I suggest we wait for it to open and enter as guests.
She could be meeting with other Harvesters.
Her shift has likely just begun, so she’ll be here for a while.
” His voice is gruff, but it never comes across as domineering.
I relax a bit at his plan. “Okay, so what do we do until then?”
He kisses the top of my head. “We set up a watch around the club and get ready.”
“Uhm, this is as ready as I’m going to get,” I answer with a nod at my fighting leathers.
He chuckles. “We need to blend in, kitten.”
Still watching the building, I spot a man with massive black wings entering. His black, full-body latex suit leaves nothing to the imagination, and I think that’s a mask in his hand.
Oh.
Ohhh.
My cheeks heat before I turn and catch Sin’s amused expression. He’s going to have way too much fun toying with me tonight.
Taking a breath, I shove back my embarrassment. It doesn’t matter that my earlier seduction attempt failed miserably. If Sin wants to ramp up his efforts, then I’m going to beat him at his own game.
I’m not inexperienced. I read smut, I mentally hype myself up.
It totally counts.
“Great, I have just the thing. Let’s get going,” I finally answer, lying through my teeth.
Sin arches a brow, and I know he can see through my bravado.
I only catch the briefest glimpse of his wicked smirk before his grip around me tightens, and the ground beneath our feet disappears.