by Skye Jones
“Still hurts like a bitch where your lover boy unloaded a fuckton of poison into me.”
“I’m sorry it still gives you trouble.”
“Trouble?” Aiden spoke up. “It’s still poisoning him! A bit more than trouble.”
Oh, fuck. Rhyn would lose his shit if he kept seeing Steffan in pain. One more guilt nail in his coffin. Unless… Callum’s brain whirred as he thought about it. Rhyn put the poison there. Maybe he could reverse the magic? He’d heard such tales from his grandmother when young. But she’d passed to Neffee a long time ago. They needed to talk with someone who held great medicinal and magical knowledge. Rhiannon. The Warder of Steffan’s clan, or Robert’s clan, as it was more accurately known, should know. Fuck, the woman was ancient and powerful as anything.
If Rhyn did manage to save Steffan from the poison, he might see it as a way of letting go of some of his guilt over what he’d done. Callum computed all the ways it could go wrong, but the idea also held great possibility. Rhyn had his mojo back; Lilly had seen to it. Now, he needed the guilt, if not gone, at least muted somewhat, and then he’d start to truly live once more. If Lilly came back to them, they’d hopefully find their own version of happy ever after.
“What’s Rhiannon’s number?”
Steffan frowned. “Why?”
“Because we might be able to do something about that leg of yours.”
Steffan glanced from him to his leg and back again. He shook his head. “Doubt it. Been in there for centuries.”
“Honey,” Mia interrupted. “It’s worth a try.”
Steffan pulled his phone up and tapped at the screen. Then he read a number out, which Callum memorized easily.
“I’m going to talk to her. Let you know what she says.”
He headed out of the room without waiting for any answers and strode across the grass toward their small cottage. He hit the door almost at a run. “Rhyn! Hey, Rhyn!”
His beloved male came out of the living room. “What? Is it Lilly?”
“No. I’ve got an idea.”
“Oh, crap. Whenever you have an idea, it always seems to make things worse.”
Callum ignored him and pushed on. “I’m sorry for what I said. I honestly didn’t mean to hurt you. But…it made me think. You can’t bring Steffan’s mate and bonded male back. And he and Nathan can’t bring your bonded male back. You both took something from one another, and it can’t be undone. But maybe the poison eating away at him can. My grandmother used to talk to me about it. To say how the one who placed the poison can take it away, but it’s powerful magic. Maybe, with help, you can do it?”
Hope flickered in Rhyn’s beautiful eyes. “This would mean a great deal to me. I’d feel as if I’d done a small thing to right the many wrongs I committed under the witch’s spell.”
“I asked for Rhiannon of the Welsh clan’s number. If anyone knows, she will.”
Rhyndor shifted his weight from one foot to the other a few times. “Fuck it. Call her. Put it on speaker.”
“We’ll speak to Rhiannon, and then we go get our girl, agreed?”
Rhyn nodded.
Heart pounding, Callum dialed the number. Rhiannon loved Steffan dearly, Callum knew as much, and he hoped she didn’t tell them to go to hell.
It rang so long, he went to go hang up, when she answered. He remembered her voice, despite them not speaking for decades.
“Rhiannon. This is Callum, of the Scottish Clan. Nathan’s cousin.”
Her sharp intake of breath traveled clearly down the phone. “Callum, we thought you were dead. You disappeared. Where are you?”
“I’m back home. It’s a long, long story, and right now, I need your advice. But first, I need to tell you something, and I need you to hear me out.”
“Okay.” Her wary tone belied her words.
“I’m back at the Scottish clan, with Rhyndor.” This time she swore, low and nasty. “He’s here with me, and Steffan and his mates are here too.”
“What?” She fair screeched the word, and he smiled at her losing her cool. The woman rarely did.
“Yep, we’re all here. The males have come to an…agreement. They’ve put their differences to one side and—”
“I’m sorry, young man.” Rhiannon’s icy tone brought him up cold. “But I find this hard to believe. Steffan will never forgive the male you speak of.”
“Rhi,” Rhyndor spoke, and there was nothing but silence from the other end of the phone. “It’s true. It’s a long story, as Callum says. But when I did those things, I was under Celine’s enchantment. I wasn’t in control of what I did. I’ve spent decades trying to atone for it, in my own way. Steffan knows it all. I want to help make right what I can. I want to get the poison out of his leg. Callum says there may be a way.”
“Rhyndor. I never thought to speak to you again. I’ve hated you a long time…but if what you say is true, then two great warriors have lost much at the hands of this witch. There is a way to help Steffan, but it puts you in danger. You must take the poison back into your own body. Because it is your poison, it won’t be as powerful in your system. You have a chance to defeat it once and for all, but you do take a risk. Because if you can’t, if you’re not strong enough, the poison will grow within and make you weak.”
“No, forget it.” Callum went to hang up the call, but Rhyndor snatched the phone from him and began to walk and talk.
“What do I have to do?”
“It involves invoking great magic. Not all of it good. You risk alerting Celine, too, if she picks up on the dark arts involved.”
“That’s okay. I owe the bitch. I want to know where she is. Before she enchanted me, I think she killed my mate-to-be, knowing it would make me weakened to her magic. She killed my future mate, enchanted me, and her actions led to the death of my bonded male at the hands of Nathan. She can come for me. I’m ready for her.”
“No, you’re not.” Callum cursed himself for ever thinking of this. He faced losing Rhyndor and Lilly now. And he didn’t want to live without either of them. Despite having only known the female a few days, she’d seeped her way into his soul.
“I can tell you how to perform the magic. You must say the rites exactly as I tell you and use the exact herbs, too. Perform the ceremony, and once it is over, you change into your dragon form. Then, using your claw, you reopen the wound and ask to take the poison back into yourself. Finally, you seal it with your dragon’s fire. The first three days are critical. You’ll find out then if you can easily fight off your own poison. Do you have an email address?” She laughed. “How strange it seems. Emailing you centuries-old magic. But still, it’s the most time-efficient way to do it.”
They exchanged the pertinent information, Callum pacing, his stomach roiling. As soon as Rhyndor hung up the phone, Callum began to speak.
“You can’t do this. It’s too dangerous. We’ve finally found our mate and have a chance at happiness, and you’re willing to blow it to save Steffan?”
“Yes.” Rhyndor put his hand on his arm. “It’s the right thing to do, Callum. The only thing to do. I can at least go some way toward making this right. I won’t ever be free until I do.”
Callum sighed. Fuck his life. A day ago, he’d believed everything was finally in his grasp, but he’d overplayed his hand and not considered the whims of others. Lilly wanted to run back to the douchebag she fancied herself in love with, and Rhyn wanted to fall on his sword. And he couldn’t stop either of them.
“What about Lilly?”
Rhyndor hitched up a shoulder in a lazy shrug. “We go get her back, of course. Did you think I’d leave her in the clutches of that spoiled little shit? We go get our girl and bring her back, and then I make this right with Steffan.”
“You make it sound so easy.”
“It is easy. You have to believe in it, is all.”
“So…we go speak to Steffan and then book a flight to New York?”
Rhyndor nodded, and Callum sent up a prayer to the gods that t
hey had not started down a path to Rhyndor’s destruction.
Chapter Eight
Lilly had only been home two days, but already it seemed as if she’d never been away. Her time at the dragon clan and all the crazy things that happened began to feel as insubstantial as a dream. She yawned and stared at her reflection. She’d been awfully tired these last couple of days and supposed it must be jet lag. She looked tired, too, which didn’t bode well for the party she’d be attending later with Missy. A party she dreaded as she’d need to face Zach and sort things out between them once and for all.
Applying another dab of under eye concealer, she narrowed her eyes. A horn sounded outside, and she glanced out of her window to see Missy pulling up in her Mercedes. Time to go. She spritzed some Chanel on her wrists and fluffed her hair a little, and then she tottered out of her room. God, the heels took some getting used to after ages wearing her comfies at the clan.
Tomorrow, she’d be back at the shelter, and she found herself more excited at seeing her furry friends than she was for Zach. A sad state of affairs when she thought back to how much she’d cared for him once upon a time.
“Bye, Mom. See you later.” Her mother strode out of the living area, her sensible shoes clacking on the tiled floor.
“Oh, darling. You look lovely. Have a wonderful time.” Her mother air-kissed her cheek and headed off to the kitchen. Probably to get her father’s evening meal sorted. He’d been late in last night as usual.
Lilly got into the car and nearly choked on Missy’s overpowering perfume. She looked at her friend and stared for a few seconds. Her lips were different. Bigger, much bigger.
“Babe, what did you do?”
Missy laughed. “Oh, I got some filler. Do you like?” She pouted. “Blow job lips. Maybe I’ll get me a guy I deserve, finally.”
Lilly thought it sad that Missy believed she needed to inject a load of chemicals into her lips to find true love, but she didn’t say anything. She’d never have to do anything like that to make Rhyndor or Callum like her. But then, she reminded herself, Callum only wanted her to help Rhyndor. He talked about Zach using her, but he’d proved to be no better.
Missy pulled out smoothly onto the quiet road and drove sedately, every now and again popping her gum. As they sailed down the road, Lilly happened to glance to the side and gasped. They glided past a parked sedan, and inside, visible despite the dark interior of the car, was her father. Her father and another woman. Kissing.
She wanted to be sick. Reaching her hands out, she braced herself against the dashboard.
“What’s wrong?” Missy shot her a concerned glance.
“I think…no, I know, I’ve just seen my dad kissing someone. Oh, fuck. What if Mom and Dad are going to get a divorce?” She blinked back tears.
Missy didn’t say anything for a short while, but then she sighed and drummed her fingers on the steering wheel. “Hon, I love you. But you’re so naïve. Your dad has been playing around on your mom for years. As does my dad with my mom. They aren’t going to get divorced. Why should they? It’s what these guys do. They have the trophy wives at home, the perfect kids, and then their bits on the side. The wives don’t say anything…ever. I mean, they’re more like pets, aren’t they, than wives? Kept in their gilded cages. Tons of money but not much else. Think about it. My mom has a better degree than my dad. But she gave up work when she had me and my brother and never went back. She spent her time at playdates and mommy lunches. And if she and Dad ever do split up, she’ll be well-rewarded. It’s the unspoken rules. They get to have fun too. Mom had a blazing affair with her tennis coach, and he’s hot as fuck. It’s the way people like us live.”
“Why?” Lilly didn’t get it. Who’d choose such a life? Her head spun, and the nausea rose further. She’d often suspected her father of infidelity and knew her parents’ marriage wasn’t all warmth and deep love, but seeing the evidence shocked her. And the woman he’d been kissing looked so young.
“Why? Who cares? It’s the way it is. These guys work hard. They earn a fuckton of money. The women go to the best colleges, have a short-lived career, and pack it all in when they find the guy to keep them in the lifestyle they want.”
“So, you’ve been to college, and now you’re going to work your ass off, to what? Live with some guy you expect to cheat on you? Why bother with the whole college part?”
One of the reasons Lilly herself hadn’t gone to college yet, much to her parents’ dismay, was that she didn’t know what she wanted from her life. Not really.
Missy shook her head. “Firstly, I didn’t say I was going to do any of that. But my point still stands. You’re naïve. Why get the degree? Because these women need the degree, the pedigree, to have gone to the right school to fit in. Otherwise, pretty as they may be, they’ll be the one getting kissed on a dark street in a parked car. It’s the way things are among our set. You know this. You’ve lived with us long enough. We’re the upper crust of the upper crust. Different rules apply, baby.”
Lilly turned to her friend in astonishment. “Are you going to follow this well-trodden path?”
Missy shrugged. “I haven’t decided what I’m going to do. I mean, it’s not all bad. But then again, I’d quite like to do my own thing. Although, look at my mom. She plays tennis, golf, swims, goes to the spa, has a riot with her friends. It’s hardly a bad life. And if you do get with Zach, it will be your life, too. You will do the charity thing like your mom. Look amazing. Have great friends, beautiful holidays, everything you could ask for.”
“Except love.”
Missy nibbled on her lip. “You’ll have love. Your kids will love you, your friends will love you, and Zach will love you, in his own way. Don’t go confusing romantic love with the foundations you build a family and a successful life on.” She sighed. “I’m not saying you should opt for the gilded cage scenario. I’m just saying you need to be aware of what you’re getting into. And then choose wisely.”
Lilly’s phone beeped, and she glanced at it, expecting to see something from Zach, but she didn’t recognize the number. She brought the long message up, and her heart flipped violently.
Hey, Princess. Callum here. I wanted to know you’re okay. You’re a naughty girl running off like you did, worried us sick. But I get it. It all got a bit too much, and you needed to bug out for a while. Not that I want to add to your emotional overload, but I need to tell you something. You matter to me. You matter as much as Rhyndor. I didn’t make it obvious, and I regret it now. You’re important to me, Princess. C.
Holy shit! He did care. She already believed Rhyndor would lay down his damn life for her. He’d do almost anything for her, but she hadn’t let herself think about anything with the guys as she’d assumed Callum only wanted her for Rhyndor, and eventually, it would lead to all sorts of problems. Not that she wanted to be with them. Of course not. The notion was purely ridiculous. She’d only known them days. Yes, she missed them. But they’d shared some intense times. Now, she needed to get her head on straight and decide what to do with her life. And for the first time, she felt terror when she thought of the future, because she couldn’t map it. No way would she be with Zach in some sort of horrible corporate marriage. But without him, who was she? Who would she become?
It seemed so damned ironic. She had two sets of men wanting her, but neither offered her a realistic future. One future was too cold, too clinical. The other too crazy, too impetuous. And she began to understand that if she wanted to be happy, she needed to make her own future. Do something she loved, and that was helping animals. Her parents had enough money to help with shelter start-up costs, and she’d never asked them for anything. She wasn’t stupid, and with some study, she was sure she could figure out the legal ins and outs of setting up a charity. Excitement filled her as, for the first time, a plan, an idea for the future, formed.
“I’m sorry if I’ve upset you.” Missy’s voice broke into her reverie. “You know me. I can be blunt. But this is the sort of life w
e live in our social circle. And it’s a good one in many ways. You’ll have a husband who earns a ton of money at a Wall Street firm or a hotshot law firm. You’ll earn some good money yourself in the early years, then you’ll have kids, and you get to spend time enjoying them when they’re young. And you’ll live a lifestyle most can only dream of—and without having to work fourteen-hour days for it. I mean, my parents are well-off, but they will hopefully live a long time. This might sound cold, but either I work for it or marry it, unless I want to wait until I’m maybe in my sixties to inherit it. Same goes for you. Or…we walk away from it and do our own thing. We’d still be comfortable. I hardly see either of our parents letting us starve.”
“I get what you’re saying, and you’ve not offended me. You’ve helped clarify things for me. I don’t care about the money, and I do care about love. I want it all. I want the fantasy, and for me, the fantasy always included love. Real, true love. Not some sort of affection with monetary-strings-attached kind of a deal. I want a guy who’d lay his life down for me.” Oh, shit. She really did. And she hadn’t understood as much until that moment.
Missy laughed. “Honey, you ain’t ever going to find a man like you’re describing. They don’t exist.”
“Not true. You remember the article!” She referred to a story in the newspaper a few years ago, about a local man who’d laid his life down for his fiancée. The woman in question had been charged by a bear, and he’d distracted it, screaming for her to run. The article showed his picture, and he’d been handsome as sin. For the longest time, they’d both declared they’d never settle for anything less.
Not wanting to talk anymore, Lilly turned to stare out of the window as the night passed by. Once they pulled into the driveway of Zach’s family mansion, the nerves were fluttering like crazy. This night would be make-or-break for them, and her heart leaned way more toward break. Despite everything he’d done to her over the years, it still took courage for her to end it completely because, in other ways, he’d been her anchor. The person she’d thought she felt safe with. Now, she realized much of those feelings were mere wishful thinking. She intended to have a good long talk with him.