20. Chapter 20 #2
“Of course!” She bustles over to me and takes my hands, squeezing them. “You just focus on finding that poor dear.”
Imogen nudges Rodney. “I’ll search around the place where he transformed. Just in case he’s still around.”
“I’ll go with you. The TTA said where that was, right?” Rodney asks. “Text us the address if you’ve got it.”
“It was in town, around the pub where you first met him,” I tell them.
Rodney smiles. “We got this, Lo. That big hunky puppy of yours will be back before you can say ‘I do!’”
Gratitude swells in my chest. I have the best friends and family a witch could ask for.
“You’re still marrying that thing?” Derek’s disbelieving voice pops a pin in all my warm, fuzzy feelings.
I spin around to face him. “His name is Gunnar! And if he’ll have me, then yes. I love him. We’re fated for each other, Der. He’s going to be a part of my life.”
Derek drops his arms from where he’d folded them over his chest, shaking his head. “How can you even stand to kiss him when he’s just like the bastard who attacked you!”
Rodney snaps, “Believe it or not, an entire group of people shouldn’t be blamed for the actions of one guy! I’ve heard of plenty of witches who’ve done fucked-up shit, but you aren’t calling all witches arseholes, are you?”
Derek curls his lip. “What, you calling me a bigot or something?”
“You kinda are, Der,” Imogen says coolly.
He scoffs. “I’m not a fucking bigot! It’s not racist to be afraid of ulfhednar; it’s common fucking sense! They’re violent, savage! That pagan crap they believe in tells them to kill and—”
“Shut up!” I snap, unable to hear another word. I genuinely cannot believe someone I’ve called a close friend, even a lover at one point, is this ignorant. “If you’re not going to help, then just leave.”
We’ve been friends for a long time, but I’ve got no issue cutting him out of my life now that he’s shown his true colors.
Derek shakes his head as if we’ve all lost it. “I thought you were smarter than this, Lo.” He storms out the door, and I have to fight not to slam it behind him. That hateful tirade made my blood boil.
Imogen nudges me. “Did you see his arm?”
“No. What about it?”
Eyes narrowing, she rushes out the door. “Derek, wait!”
Rodney gives me a confused look but dashes after his sister.
Out in the driveway, Imogen is confronting Derek by his car. “Show me your arm,” she demands.
“The fuck? No!” He hugs his left arm to his chest. There’s a patch of blood blooming through his sweater.
Imogen grabs his arm and wrenches the sleeve up.
My stomach turns over. Bandages unravel toward the ground, swaying in the wind. There on his arm is an enormous bite mark. I touch my own arm, feeling the indentations of rows of sharp fangs.
“Who did it?” I ask faintly. I know who left those marks on his skin. Goddess. Derek wouldn’t have. Surely he’s not that cruel—
Derek tugs his sleeve down. “I ran into your pet wolf in town. He lost his shit and attacked me! Completely unprovoked.”
I shake my head. “Bullshit.” I don’t believe a word he says.
Gunnar would never do something like that.
That’s not who he is. There’s no time to get into this, but oh, I want to.
“I’m going to find him. He’ll tell me exactly what went down and I swear, Derek, if you were in any way responsible, that’s it. ”
“You’re full of it, Lo. You’d really choose some guy you barely know over me when we’ve known each other for ages?”
“I know him—”
“Oh, please! I’m calling it, here and now. You lied to our faces this whole time, didn’t you?”
“Shut the hell up,” Rodney snaps. “Arlo wouldn’t—”
“What did that wolf promise you, Lo? Huh? That’s the only way I could see you ever letting one of those monsters touch you again!”
“He’s not a monster!” I snap, my hands in fists so I don’t start whaling on this git. “What did you do? He wouldn’t have attacked you without reason.”
Derek sneers. “I didn’t have to do anything but taunt him a little. He got up in my face, and I used my magic to defend myself. Then he lost his shit and attacked me!”
Imogen’s mouth falls open. “You used magic? Were there humans around?”
“Yes, but I put up a look-away ward, so—”
“You fucking idiot, Derek!” Rodney snaps.
Derek folds his arms. “Go ahead and blame me. I did what anyone would have done.”
“There’s bound to be witnesses,” I say, more to myself so I can keep calm. “The Council will see the truth, and you’ll be out of a job.”
“You’ll be the ones who see the truth! We can’t live in peace with those monsters.” Derek looks at me in disgust, then turns away and slams the car door once he’s inside.
“What a prick!” Imogen turns to me and squeezes my shoulders. “Don’t listen to him. It’s obvious how you two feel about each other.”
I wet my lips, uncomfortably aware that Derek was right.
“Are we going?” Behind us, Mum and Dad make their way across the lawn. “Come on, the sooner we go, the sooner we can celebrate the wedding!”
Will there even be a wedding? Even if we rescue Gunnar, I don’t know if he’ll want to be with me at all. My family and friends deserve the truth.
I force myself to look up at them. “There’s something I need to tell you but I want you to remember this: It may have started as a lie, but if it ends, then it’s ending with the truth.”
Their concerned looks make my stomach churn. Here goes…
“I lied to you. All of you.”
Nan frowns. “What in Freya’s name—”
“Gunnar and I aren’t engaged. Not really.”
Mum and Dad share a bewildered look. Mum laughs. “What are you saying? Of course you are!”
“No, we’re not!” Sighing, I run a shaky hand through my hair.
“Nan, you know I needed that flower to make my potion. I thought the only way you would give it to me was if you trusted a wolf shifter, so…” The guilt claws into me, making it difficult to continue when I realize just how bad this really sounds.
Nan takes a step back. “So you lied to us about your relationship with Gunnar?” Tears dampen her eyes. “All of it was a lie?”
Mum shakes her head. “No. No, that can’t be true. My goddess, the way you acted with each other! I haven’t seen you so happy in years!”
“And what did Gunnar get out of all of this, then?” Dad asks. He’s the only one who doesn’t appear upset, more curious than anything.
I fiddle with the ring on my finger. Gunnar’s ring. A lump thickens my throat. “He lost his mate and child. He’s refused to take another all these years and without a mate, he’ll go berserk.”
Dad nods slowly, running a hand down his jaw. “So he needed that potion, too.”
“How could you lie to us?” The betrayal in Mum’s voice makes me hang my head in shame. Mum throws up her hands and paces across the lawn. “We were so happy for you! Shocked, yes, but happy! I invited the whole family! What in the goddess’s name are we going to tell them?”
Dad laughs, and she scowls at him. “Well, if they’re liars, they’re bloody good ones.”
“This isn’t funny, Bill!”
Dad sets his hands on his hips. “You expect us to believe all that was a lie? Come on now, we aren’t stupid.”
There’s a smile on his face that threatens to fill me with hope. “We did lie about some things. How we met, our engagement story, little details. But the rest of it…” I swallow hard. “I love him so much, Dad.”
Mum slumps with a quiet sob. “Thank the goddess…”
Nan smiles, a hand to her heart.
“And he loves you, too,” Dad says.
Tears sting my eyes. Goddess, I’d do anything for him to be right. “I don’t know…”
Dad scoffs. “Oh, cut the bullshit, Lo. That man didn’t leave your side after you were injured. Now, dry your eyes and let’s go find him.”
“You’ll help?”
Mum sighs exasperatedly. “Of course we will! Bill, our son is in love!” She throws her arms around Dad, who smiles softly at her.
Nan rubs my shoulder. “Leave the potion to me, dear. You go and find your wolf. Bring him back soon, you hear?”
“I will,” I say, the promise filling me with determination.
I love Gunnar Erikson. All I want is to be with him, to make him happy every single day.
If he’ll have me, and goddess, I pray he will, then I will be the luckiest, happiest man alive.
But first, I’ve got to find him, and I won’t rest until I do.