Release Me (Storm Lords Book 3)

by Nina Croft

  “Tell Killian to get the helicopter ready. I’m going to her.”

  Chapter 24

  It was dark by the time they reached Haven. The drive had taken over six hours. At least it had given Rachel some time to process everything she’d learned.

  The whole reincarnation thing. The logical part of her mind told her that it couldn’t happen. That it was just a mixture of dreams and made-up memories, cobbled together. But she knew that wasn’t the case. It was real. She’d lived those lives.

  She’d spent most of the journey staring out of the window, going over the things she had seen while in Professor Kauffman’s office. At the time, that first life, and death, had been so dominating, overshadowing all the other later lifetimes. Now, they were coming back to her. Some had been peaceful, if not happy. She’d had children in several of them. Perhaps their children’s children… still lived, and she could look them up. That would take some explaining. Other lives had been not so happy. She’d been persecuted as a witch, had died on the ducking stool, already terrified of water. Not a highlight. She’d drowned on a shipwreck while being transported to Australia. She’d been a countess and a peasant, she’d worked in a saloon in Texas and been the wife of a Roman centurion.

  So many lifetimes. She could write her memoirs. It would take forever.

  Jacob was asleep with his head on her lap on the back seat as they drew up outside Papi’s house. The place was in darkness, but he must have heard the vehicle approaching. A lamp went on in his bedroom as Dawson turned off the engine.

  “Home sweet home,” he muttered, switching on the internal lights in the car.

  She squeezed Jacob’s shoulder and felt the tension run through his body as he came awake. He blinked and pushed himself up. “Are we home?”

  “We are, sweetheart.”

  She already missed Finn with a fierce ache in her heart. She wouldn’t wait. As soon as she was sure Jacob was settled, she’d go straight back with Dawson. She’d told him she wanted to leave soon, and he’d given her a strange look, then said he would take her back tomorrow. He needed some sleep. She hadn’t wanted to wait, but she couldn’t force him to take her tonight.

  She sat for a moment, unable to make herself get out of the car. Something inside her was screaming that she needed to get back to Finn. That tomorrow would be too late. If she could drive herself, she would have taken the car and left Dawson behind. Unfortunately, she didn’t think she would get much farther than the end of the drive. It was stupid anyway. Nothing was going to happen before tomorrow.

  She looked out at the familiar surroundings of Haven, and it occurred to her that this life was the first where she had been truly happy. The others had all been haunted by memories of that first. But this one, here in the mountains and forests, she’d found peace from the memories. She’d felt safe for the first time in…she didn’t really know. But hundreds, maybe even thousands, of years.

  Was that because Finn had been there, in the background, watching over her? She’d thought of her golden wolf as a guardian angel. Had she somehow always known?

  The front door opened, and Papi came out carrying a lamp. He was so familiar that she had to swallow the lump in her throat. Hard to believe it was less than four days since they’d left. It seemed like a lifetime ago. Lots of lifetimes.

  Jacob let out a squeal and slid off the seat. She reached across, opened the door for him, and he jumped out and raced up the wooden steps.

  Papi put down the lamp, held out his arms, and Jacob ran into them. He hugged him, looking over Jacob’s shoulder to the car. She forced herself to move and climb out. Her legs were stiff after the long drive as she climbed the stairs. Papi lowered Jacob to the floor and opened his arms. She stepped into them and was enveloped in his comforting embrace. “You’re back, child.” He stepped away to look at her, his eyes widening a little at her form-fitting jeans and T-shirt, but he didn’t mention the clothes. He was probably saving his comments for a sermon on Sunday. “I wasn’t sure I would see you again.”

  “This is my home, Papi.”

  He smiled. “We always knew you didn’t belong here. But we were happy that you spent time with us. You were a gift from God.” He looked between the two of them. “You’ve come to say good-bye.”

  As he said the words, she knew they were true. This was no longer her home. Her home was wherever Finn was. This time, when he told her he loved her, she would say the words in return. She wouldn’t hold back. This was a second chance.

  She looked to Jacob. “Why don’t you go to bed, sweetheart, and I’ll be up in a little while.”

  He nodded, stuck his thumb in his mouth, and hugged his wolf.

  She waited until he’d disappeared and turned back to Papi. “It’s complicated,” she said.

  He nodded to the car. “Is your young man not coming in?”

  She looked at the car. The inside was in darkness, and it was only possible to see a figure sitting in the driver’s seat. She supposed she needed to offer Dawson a bed. He could hardly sit in the car all night.

  “It’s not Finn. It’s a…friend who offered to drive me back.” Though she had a feeling that Dawson wasn’t her friend. At the same time, she sensed that his feelings for her weren’t personal. Just that she was mixed up in his business and he didn’t like it, and he could do nothing about it—which he liked even less. He was a powerful man, a leader, but for some reason, he had to give way before Finn, and that didn’t make him happy.

  “Is he staying?”

  “Just for the night, Papi. Tomorrow, he will drive me back.”

  “You’re leaving so soon?”

  “I need to. I can’t explain it, but there something I have to do, and I know it makes no sense, but I have a feeling that time is running out. I hope you’ll keep Jacob with you.”

  “You don’t think he’s safe with you?”

  “Truth. I don’t know. But I know he’s safe here.” At that moment, something moved at the edge of the forest. The headlights were still on from the car, lighting up the area surrounding the house, and she could make out the figure of a tall man stepping out of the shadows of the trees. He strode toward the house. She didn’t recognize him, but at the same time she had a sense that she’d seen him before. As he came to a halt at the bottom of the steps, she looked down into his eyes. Golden. Wolf’s eyes.

  Papi moved closer to her as though he could protect her, but she patted his arm. “There’s no danger here,” she said. If she was right, this man had been watching over her all her life. She presumed at Finn’s orders, though maybe that had changed. She looked beyond him and saw them waiting at the tree line. Wolves. Many of them, their eyes glowing in the darkness, all focused on the house.

  As she made her way down the steps, the car door opened, and Dawson stepped out. He moved around the car and stopped a few feet from the other man. “Brandon.”

  That was the name of the man Finn had spoken to on the phone at lunch the first day in DC. The alpha of the local werewolf pack. Who’d apparently been looking out for her since she moved here over twenty years ago. He didn’t look old enough. He had chestnut brown hair and golden eyes. A thin, handsome face. Maybe her age—presumably werewolves aged differently than ordinary people.

  He nodded. “Dawson. What the hell are you doing here? This is not your territory.”

  Dawson grinned. “Just doing the lady a favor.” Then the grin faded. “I take it you’ve heard the news.”

  Brandon cast her a look and a frown. “You’ve made sure everyone has heard the news. I’ve been taking calls all afternoon.”

  “They all know you’re the closest to him. That maybe he’ll listen to you.”

  “Not on this. There’s only one person he’ll listen to on this subject.” He waved a hand across at Rachel. “And bringing her here isn’t going to change things. What the hell were you thinking? You do not want to make Finn your enemy.”

  “Are you fucking crazy? It’s not going to matter whether he’s my e
nemy or my best fucking buddy. If he gets his fucking way, I’ll be dead. As will you. Not to mention Finn, himself. I heard the fucking deal. None of us come out of this. Except her. And I, for one, am not happy about that. Not one little bit.”

  “There’s nothing we can do.”

  “So we just sit around and wait to die?”

  Her head was spinning. What were they talking about? Who was going to die? And what did she have to do with any of it? It sounded as though Finn had made a deal with someone. But who? And for what?

  A hand touched her arm. Papi. “What’s going on, Rachel? Should I ring the bell?”

  She had no clue. But the bell wasn’t going to help. The bell would call the others from the settlement. Wake them from their beds. They’d no doubt come running to protect their pastor. Believing God was on their side. And would smite down the unholy. She had a suspicion that werewolves would fall squarely into that category, and she didn’t think the Elders would have much hope against a pack of wolves. She shook her head. “I don’t know what’s happening, Papi. But no, don’t ring the bell. I don’t think we’re in danger.” Not from these two men anyway. She didn’t think they would touch her physically, however unhappy they were with her existence. She turned her attention to where they were still squaring off, focusing on Dawson, who she sensed was the bigger threat. “We’re not in danger are we, Mr. Dawson?”

  He glanced at her and scowled. Then the tension drained from him. “I vowed to protect you, and I can’t break that vow. So, no, you’re in no physical danger from me. But know, if I could, I would kill you where you stand.” Brandon growled low in his throat, and Dawson whirled on him. “I took an earlier vow to protect my people. Now I’m to just stand by while we all die?”

  “Just explain,” she said. “You keep saying that it’s my choice. But I have no idea what you’re talking about. Just tell me, and if I can, I’ll…” She gave a helpless shrug. Without knowing, she had no clue what she could do. Back in DC, Dawson had asked her what her life was worth. She’d never thought of it before. But she had no idea how her life could save theirs. It made no sense.

  Brandon stepped forward. “We can’t explain. It’s not our place, and, besides, we don’t know all the pieces. But Finn will be here soon—”

  “He’s coming?”

  “You thought he wouldn’t?” He shook his head. “You have no clue, do you?”

  How was she supposed to have a clue when no one would tell her anything?

  Agh!

  “I know he loved me long ago. In another life.” What she didn’t know was if he still loved her. Or whether he was motivated by some sort of guilt. Because she had died. And her son had died. So far, in this life, he hadn’t actually said he loved her. And she wouldn’t hold him to her by guilt. But if he just said the words, she knew she was his forever.

  “Rachel?” That was her Papi, his tone shocked. What she was saying went against everything he believed in. Everything they lived by here at Haven.

  “It’s true, Papi. Long ago. He loved me. And he was an angel.”

  Brandon hissed in his breath. “I’d heard rumors of where the Storm Lords came from, but no one really knew. One of those rumors were that they were fallen angels.” He gave a short laugh that held no humor. “I discounted it—there was one thing I was sure of: Finn was no angel.”

  A fallen angel? She had a feeling he hadn’t fallen, he’d been pushed. An echo of his scream that day rang through her head. What had he done? And he was on his way. He was coming for her. Would she find out the answers? Find if his actions were guilt or love?

  Could love last so many lives?

  Almost as if she had conjured him up, she heard the whir of a helicopter in the distance and saw the lights as the craft rose above the mountain behind them and came in to land.

  ***

  The house was lit up and Finn could make out the small group of figures as the helicopter hovered above the meadow. His gaze homed in on Rachel, and his heart squeezed. Hours. They had mere hours left. She was staring up at the helicopter but was too far away for him to read her expression.

  He took in the rest of the group, making a swift threat analysis. Her grandfather. Dawson, who should be getting his fucking ass kicked for this. Luckily for him, Finn had more important things to do with whatever time he had remaining. And Brandon, standing between Rachel and Dawson. Always the protector. He believed Brandon had come to care about Rachel almost as much as Finn.

  As the helicopter touched down, he leaped out of the open door and ran toward her as his feet hit the ground. And she was running to him. They crashed into each other, and she was in his arms, and he was kissing her. And she was kissing him back, her hands gripping his shoulders as though she would never let him go. Finally, they ran out of air, and, reluctantly, he raised his head.

  “I thought I would never see you again,” he said.

  She smiled and reached up and touched his face. Warmth flowed over him from her touch. “I was coming back. I just had to make sure that Jacob was safe.”

  “You remembered?”

  “Most of it.” She searched his face. Clearly, she didn’t hate him—and a heavy weight lifted from his soul—but he could see the questions in her eyes. Soon, he would answer those questions, and he would give her a choice. “I remembered you were an angel. You loved me. They took you from me and I died. And they killed my son.”

  “I’m sorry. It was my fault.”

  “Why? What did you do? Why did they hate us so much?”

  He glanced behind her to where the others still waited. Killian had joined them. He would keep them away. He knew what Finn planned to do. “Can you walk with me? There are things you need to know. I’ll tell you everything, but I want to be alone with you.”

  She glanced over her shoulder at the others but nodded. She slipped her hand through his arm, and he led her away toward the forest. Eyes gleamed from the cover of the trees but vanished as they passed. Beneath the trees it was dark, the stars blanked out, but he led her unerringly, weaving between the trunks. He knew where he wanted to go. Eventually, they came out onto the sandy beach that led down to a deep pool in the river. Out here in the open, the stars were bright. Off in the distance a wolf howled, and another answered. They sounded melancholy. Brandon had told him that the news was out. Not the details, because they didn’t know. Just that Rachel held their fate in her hands, and by this time tomorrow they might all be dead.

  She’d stopped at the edge of the trees, now he tugged on her hand and pulled her out into the starlight.

  “I used to come here a lot,” she said. “Though I was scared to go too close to the water.”

  “I know. Brandon told me.” He smiled. “Brandon used to tell me everything about you. He knew I could never hear enough.”

  She gave him a strange look. “It’s weird, I’ve always been terrified of water, but I’d dare myself to lie on the bank and watch the slow drift of the current. It made me think of time passing.”

  “Sit,” he said.

  And she sank onto the soft golden sand and looked up at him.

  Briefly, he thought about making love to her again, before they had this conversation, because afterward… Well, he had no clue what would happen, but he had an odd feeling that she wouldn’t be in the mood, and it broke something inside him to think they might never make love again. But he also knew that to touch her now would be a form of deception. So he sat down a little distance away, leaned his back against a boulder and considered how to start this conversation.

  “Tell me, please,” she said when he remained silent.

  “I’m sorry. I thought we could have forever. Now I can only offer you the truth and no happy ending.”

  “Tell me everything.”

  “You remember who you are, how we met?”

  She nodded.

  “You know I was an angel. We were a band of brothers, Torr was our leader—he was an archangel. We spent much of our time on Earth—we had the job
of investigating any…unnatural activity.”

  “Unnatural?” She sat with her arms wrapped around her legs, her chin resting on her knees.

  “Usually demon-related. Anyway, Torr met Soraya and fell in love. We spent less and less time home—more on Earth.”

  “By home, you mean Heaven?”

  “Yes. The others fell in love and found wives. I despaired of finding anyone, and then you returned, and I knew straight away.”

  “Love at first sight?” She sounded skeptical.

  “You were everything I’d ever dreamed about. But you were also…damaged. I knew you’d been hurt. If your first husband hadn’t been dead, I would have killed him. And I knew you had prior claims on your love. That Marcus would always come first with you. At the same time, I was aware you had feelings for me.”

  “I took you for my husband.”

  “It was the happiest day of my life, and we had a year together. And each day, I loved you more.” He hesitated. He was coming to the hard part.

  “What happened?”

  “Torr and Soraya had been together for about ten years. She was growing older. He was thinking of ways he could keep her with him. By that point, the idea of losing her to death just wasn’t an option. Things came to a head when Killian’s wife, Fabia, became ill. Even Soraya could do nothing to save her. There was a meeting and…” He took a deep breath. “We decided to steal the Elixir of Life and give it to our wives. That would give them eternal life and we would never have been parted.”

  She frowned. “But you were attacked before that happened. Did someone find out you were going to steal it?”

  “We did steal it and the theft was discovered. That’s why we were moving that night. Once you had all taken the Elixir, it wasn’t safe to stay. We needed to find a new place to live.”

  “But I didn’t take the Elixir.”

  He blew out his breath. “Yes, you did.”

  “I…” He could almost see her mind turning the facts over in her head. “The wine you gave me that night. I remember it tasted…different. And afterward I felt so…alive. That was the Elixir?”