Chapter 22
Chapter Twenty-Two
Karsyn
My body hums with such renewal of energy, everything far brighter than it was before in such a way I know I’ve become whole in a way I’d yet to do, even after my visit from the goddesses.
With my hand in Corbin’s, he guides me out of the meadow and toward the clubhouse.
It’s not far, yet all the same, it’s a good way away, and neither of us speaks.
Not that we need to. The silence is just as comforting as being in his arms and making love.
His strength speaks for itself. When he’s close, I know deep in my soul that I no longer have to fear anything. He’ll protect me.
But in protecting me, I must protect him as well. Together, we keep each other safe.
During my near-death, before Harmony brought me back, I saw what was coming.
What needed to be done. Though the aftermath of every action might change this as well.
The future is always changing, not with just my choices but those of each and every witch, shifter, human alike, it’s never guaranteed.
I simply see what direction we’re heading and hope for the best outcome.
My mate is going to need me to be able to handle what we’ll walk into when we get to the clubhouse.
He’ll also need me for his club members.
I’ve seen what is to come for them and who will find mates and who will find death.
I wish I could keep that from happening, but only they will be able to do so.
Today, though, is a day of miracles and death alike.
We have so much to overcome, but one thing at a time.
To protect Sage, a woman must die. I saw this.
Ironic as it were, and it would be hard for anyone to believe, as she is born to full shifters, she is not the woman’s daughter.
How the gods are forever messing with fate.
Sage’s and even Jazmine’s gifts come from the fact another conceived them and placed them within women who were not the mates of Corbin or Cyrus.
The truth of both girls is that they are born of oracles.
It’s something that no one is ever to know the truth of, but knowing this now, I cannot and will not keep this from Corbin.
He has the right to know. To protect his daughter, he needs the truth.
Just as we step out of the forest surrounding the clubhouse, Corbin scoops me in his arms.
“What are you doing?” I gasp and wrap my arms around his neck while staring at him in surprise.
“Carrying you the rest of the way,” he declares.
“I can walk, Corbin,” I protest, thinking he didn’t need to hold me while he did this. “I’m fine.”
“I know you are, Syn, but I’m not letting you walk across rocks barefoot.” I clamp my mouth shut at those simple words because he also wasn’t done speaking. “Plus, I needed to distract you from your damn thoughts before I don’t bother with questions and simply kill the bitch instead,” he growls.
Which means he knew exactly what I was thinking about and what I’d seen in my near death. I really need to learn to shield my thoughts from him so it doesn’t hit him all at once when I need to tell him something and want to do it verbally and not in thought.
Corbin stops and looks down at me. “You shield your thoughts from me, and I’ll tan your ass, Karsyn. I don’t give a shit how you communicate with me so long as you do.”
“Okay,” I murmur, feeling my heart flutter and my stomach tighten.
“Good,” he grumbles and starts walking once more. “We’ll keep that secret between us about Sage. No one is to know the truth. When the time’s right, we’ll tell her.”
I nodded in answer because there wasn’t anything else I could say. Not in the time we have considering the door opens and several of Corbin’s brothers rush out of the clubhouse. Cyrus, Big Daddy, and Daniel with them.
“Where’s Sage?” I ask upon seeing Big Daddy. She was supposed to be with him. I hope she’s not here. Not with what’s about to happen.
“She’s at Corbin’s house with Jazmine, several of Cyrus’s men are there watching over them.
The shifters you had placed on them are inside waiting orders,” Big Daddy answers, moving in close, eyes on me.
“You, Karsyn, are a pain in the ass. Swear to fuckin’ God you’ll do what my sons couldn’t succeed in doing. ”
“What?” I furrow a brow and look up at Corbin, then back to the man. “I don’t understand what you mean.” I really didn’t.
“You’ll be the death of me,” he explains.
“Oh, um, no, I don’t want to be that,” I state hastily, making those around us chuckle.
“Syn, he doesn’t mean it literally,” Corbin says while still chuckling.
“Oh,” I draw out, still not understanding, but I’ll take my mate’s word for it. “Can we get this all done with? I’m kinda hungry and would like a cup of tea.”
“We’ll get you both first thing,” Corbin answers and looks to his brothers. “You got her?”
“We do,” Salem answers, nodding. “She’s right now tied up in the middle of the room alongside Saddle.”
“Saddle didn’t want anything to do with this,” I blurt out before I can stop myself from defending the doxy. No matter my opinion of her, I don’t want to see her in trouble if it can be helped.
“Wanna explain, Karsyn?” Corbin asks, moving once again toward the doors.
“She was blackmailed. Ask her, and she’ll speak the truth.
It was in what I saw, Corbin. She didn’t want to be disloyal and help Hummer, but it was no choice.
It was either help her do what she demanded, or her sister would be killed.
” Again, I press my fingers to his cheek, close my eyes, and show him, yet again, the truth I’d seen.
“Right,” he growls, steps into the building, and slowly sets me on my feet.
“This will not stop her from being punished, but I won’t kill her.
” I breathe out a sigh of relief at this and nod.
Corbin strokes my cheek and takes my hand.
“First, we’ll get you your tea and Daniel,” he calls my dad’s name, “you put an order in at Raider’s Hook. Get her something to eat.”
“Got it,” Daniel states and pulls his phone out.
“Calamari, steak, garlic mash, fresh snaps, and the she-crab soup,” he mutters out what has become my favorite thing to eat.
They’ve gotten it for me a couple times now, and each time, I’ve enjoyed it more and more.
The way the calamari is battered and fried tastes amazing with the sauce they send with it.
Corbin guides me to the bar and helps me onto a stool, seeming to ignore the two women sitting in the middle of the room tied up. A steaming mug is placed on the bar top, and I glance up to see Justice putting it down for me.
“Thank you,” I murmur.
“Least I can do for what you did,” Justice remarks, nodding and looking up at Corbin. “You know it, but she needs to know that we’re all indebted to her, and nothing will ever repay what she did for us.”
“Please . . . don’t.” My throat thickens at his words and the meaning behind them.
“Syn, whether you like it or not, it’s the way of our world, and your sacrifice for them doesn’t go unnoticed. They’ll die for you if they have to now. More so now than they would before,” Corbin explains and kisses my temple. “Now sit and drink your tea while I handle business.”
Swallowing past the thickness forming, I nod and look to the woman sitting next to Saddle to find her glaring at me, seeing the hatred in her eyes.
The truth is there in her eyes as to why she came back.
Me. She found out Corbin had found his fated mate, and she refused to allow him to have his happiness because he wouldn’t take her as his mate.
This is what greed and envy do to a person. It’s the conflict of themselves that they must endure, and the price to be paid is what kills them all.
It should bother me that this woman is about to meet her end, but it doesn’t. Because of her jealousy, she chose this course for herself, knowing she might get caught, even if she didn’t want to admit it was a possibility.
Lifting the mug to my lips, I spin my seat around in order to keep eyes on my mate, to give him my strength, without actually giving it to him.
“Baby,” Corbin’s voice filters in my head. “You keep it up, I’m fuckin’ you again right here.”
Oh. That’s not something I want him to do in front of others, but I do want him inside me again.
“Karsyn,” Corbin growls, this time out loud, casting a knowing smirk at me.
“Sorry,” I whisper and take another sip of the hot black tea, tasting the sweet honey Justice put in it. Surprised he even knew how I took my tea.
I focus on Corbin as he switches his attention to that of the women in question. My gaze roams over him and a thrill washes over me as his claws emerge from his fingertips.
“I warned you a long time ago, Hummer, you were no longer welcome in Redwich. What made you think you could come here and I wouldn’t find out?” Corbin demands, flexing his fingers.
“I’ve nothing to say to you,” she spits out, and I stiffen as something comes to me. I glance across the space to where Cyrus stands with Harmony at his side. Her gaze meets mine, and she nods in agreement that she senses it too.
“Corbin,” I utter, coming off the seat and setting my mug down. Moving quickly, I grip his arm and slide my hand down to wrap my fingers around his. “You need to let me handle this.”
I don’t want to, but it can’t be him who kills. Not this time. Corbin’s gaze meets mine, and he nods, releasing my hand to tuck me into his side.
Turning my attention to Hummer, I meet her gaze and reach inside, chanting words that will force the woman to explain herself. Once she does, her heart will stop.
“What are you doing to me?” Hummer screams, withering in her seat.
“Killing you,” Harmony answers for me. ”She’s ensuring your death is a message to anyone else who dares come after you.”
I stop chanting, blink, and slouch into Corbin’s large frame. “Speak the truth, and it will set you free.”
“What did you do, baby?” Corbin utters at my ear.
“Sending a message as she’s not alone,” I answer.
“She’s connected to another. She’s the bait used for more than one purpose.
” Leaning forward, I stare into the woman’s eyes to see through them to the one controlling her.
“She’s no longer yours to use. Your time to toy with us is over.
Come and see to what you want done. Do so without the games you love to use. Trickery is beneath you, Red Cap.”
Tension fills the room, and a gasp escapes Harmony.
Hummer’s gaze narrows, and she laughs manically.
“You are smarter and more powerful than I thought you to be, Karsyn,” the voice filters through, sending a shiver down my spine, and Hummer looks in Harmony’s direction.
“I’ll see you soon, my precious bride. You shall be where you rightfully belong soon enough. ”
The words barely leave Hummer’s lips before blood spittles from her mouth, and her eyes glaze over in death.
“The hell just happened here?” Cyrus demands.
“Nothing that you didn’t already know was coming,” Harmony answers, face pale and looking ready to pass out.
Corbin pulls me away from the body and looks to Saddle, allowing his brother to handle his mate. “You fuck us over again, I’ll have your head on a spike, you hear me?”
“Y-ye-yes, Corbin,” Saddle stammers and looks to me. “I’m sorry. I just wanted to protect my sister.”
“And that is the only reason you still live,” Corbin growls, tightening his hold around my waist. “We’re going home. Daniel can bring the food to the house.”
I suck in a breath because I’d yet to be at his house, but I know once I step through the doors, it’ll be home. I’ll have finally found a place to call my home. Though wherever Corbin is, I’ll always have a home.