As we ride into the town I realize that I will need local currency first and foremost so that means I will have to find somewhere that I can sell one of the jewels. I scan the businesses that we pass but wouldn’t you know it, there are no big signs saying “Sell your jewels here”. I spot a mercantile store and decide it might as well be a place to start.
“Mr. Lancaster, if you wouldn’t mind, I believe that is where I would like to dismount,” I say pointing to the store.
“Oh, are you sure? I would be happy to accompany you to your relations’ residence to be sure of your safety.” He glances around with a sniff of disdain. “This is a shipbuilding town and there are many rough characters about.”
I pat the arm around my waist. “I will be perfectly fine but I do so appreciate your concern for my wellbeing as well as the assistance you gave me today. The store is fine, please.”
“As you wish, Miss Kelly.” He says with clear disappointment in his tone.
He helps me down from his horse and deposits my bag at my feet and then takes my hand.
“Miss Kelly, it was a pleasure making your acquaintance and it’s my fondest wish that we might meet again.”
I give him a dazzling smile and squeeze his fingers. “I hope so too. Good day, Mr. Lancaster.”
He hesitates another moment but finally nods and releases my hand and tips his head. “Miss Kelly.”
I watch him mount back up and I offer him a small wave and then pick up my bag and turn away hoping I won’t ever see him again. I enter the small store that has every type of goods for sale, from fabric, dry foods, and even tools. I head to the counter where a tall man stands with an apron around his waist and greet him.
“Good day, sir. I’m hoping you can point me in the right direction. My family has just arrived in town and we are looking for reputable lodging.” I ask first, hoping he will be nice, and then I can ask about selling the jewels.
He looks me up and down, sniffs with a slight smirk, and shakes his head.
“I really wouldn’t know. Try down at the docks. There’s always work of a certain nature to be found there.”
I’m stunned for a beat at what he’s implying but clench my teeth and place a fake little smile on my face.
“That would be relevant if I asked where to find work but I didn’t, did I? I asked, where to find reputable lodgings.”
He gives me another sneering look. “As I said, I really wouldn’t know.”
I breathe through my nose and nod keeping that fake little smile on my lips. “Thank you…you fucking piece of shit. Good day!”
I stomp out of the store leaving him slack-jawed, dodge a man pushing a cart full of barrels and stand looking in each direction. God, I’m so screwed. As I try and stay out of the way of people streaming by, I feel tears prick at my eyes. This isn’t how it was supposed to be. It’s not fair. I’m starting to think that I might not have a choice. That I might have to…to shoot myself so I can go home and learn to live without them for good. Why on earth did I think I could do this? I’m a woman alone in the seventeen hundreds in the middle of a war that’s just going to get more and more dangerous. My hand goes down to pat the gun strapped to my thigh under my skirt as the first tear falls. I’ll need to find somewhere quiet. Somewhere private.
I turn my head to search and the crowd parts and I catch a quick glimpse of a face that stills my breath before the crowd shifts again and it’s gone. Another tear falls as the ache intensifies. I want them so bad that I’m now imagining…there he is. Finn, it can’t be but Cade steps up beside him and I’m choking out a sob as we stare at each other across the distance. The heavy bag thumps against me as I stumble that way and a shoulder bumps into me sending me sideways so I lose sight of them, causing me to cry out. I push away from the building I landed against and make it three more steps and then they are there in front of me. Oh God, they look exactly the same. My wolves, my loves. They stare at me like they’re seeing a ghost and I lift a hand to reach for them and then they have me against them, in their arms.
“Lass, by all that’s holy, how is this possible?” Finn breathes into my hair as I sob against his chest.
“I don’t bloody care as long as you’re real.” Cade chokes out as his hands sweep up my arms as he presses against my back.
Home. This is home. This is where I belong. In any time, in any place, home is with them.
Eden
They pull me along, one on each side. They fire question after question at me but I can barely catch my breath to answer when my throat is so thick with emotions. They’re here!
I finally manage to gasp out, “Sebastian? Luca?”
Finn shifts his grasp from my arm to my waist. “Aye, we’re taking you to them, lass. Dinnae fret, they’re just down the way, an’ what a corker this will be for them, yeah? I canna believe you’re alive!” He pulls me to a stop and grasps my face with both hands as Cade slides in behind me to press close to my back again. “I canna wait. Brace yourself, lass.”
And then his lips are on mine in a deep kiss that has my toes curling and my heart exploding with all the love I’ve been missing over the last month. People move around us but it’s just the three of us in our own little bubble of love. I feel heat blooming in the space between my neck and shoulder as the faint marks where he bit me throb in time with my heart. Cade spins me to face him and then his lips slide over mine softly as he looks deep into my eyes and I see his sea-blue eyes turn to gold before he deepens the kiss with so much intensity that I feel my knees go weak and I’m forced to clutch at the rough fabric of his woven shirt to stay upright. The matching bite mark blooms to life and my whole body lights up as the two marks sing with the bond between us.
When he pulls away it’s to rest his forehead against mine and his gold eyes fade back to blue-green. “You canna leave us again, Eden. We barely survived losing you the last time.”
The tears well up again. “I never want to let you go.” I breathe and then he’s wrapping his arms around me again with Finn completing the circle behind me. We stand like that, an island of love as the sea of people pass around us until someone jostles us as they go by and then they’re back to pulling me along. We reach a tavern and they pull me through the door. Finn, who’s in front of me, steps to the side and my eyes search the dim crowded room until they land on my men. I feel a smile of joy spread across my face but it dies to a frown when I see Sebastian and Luca glaring at each other. They haven’t seen us so I take the time to study them for a few moments.
Sebastian looks so different. He no longer has the elegant air of the Lord of the Manor. His clothes are rougher, more suited to a working man, and his hair is longer and ties at the back with a leather thong. He’s still as beautiful as the last time I saw him but he looks tired even with the angry scowl on his face. But it’s Luca that I hardly recognize. He has a hint of cruelness to his glare and a slight sneer to his lips. I’ve never seen him look this way before. All the softness and sadness that used to mark his features has been burned away and replaced by the ice that Sebastian used to wear like armor.
