Chapter Five
Ahearn
I watched from the large plate glass window of the manor dining room as a courier handed Bari the letter detailing the separation settlement that my father had assured me was more than fair. Even from the distance I could see his balance wobble as he dropped hard into a wrought iron patio chair, distress evident in every line of his body.
I squashed a kernel of sympathy in my chest, reminding myself that the only way for the Omega to have imposed himself into my life was through deceit and trickery, proof positive that Bari deserved no sympathy from me.
Closing the heavy drapes with a flourish, I turned back into the room, intent on blocking the dramatic scene unfolding a few hundred yards away from my mind.
When Galen approached me later that day, he was stiff with anger.
“How could you do this?” he demanded. “How could you simply throw him away after so many good years together?”
When I would have pointed out that I knew of no such years, the dragon who had been my stalwart companion for years interrupted me.
“There is proof throughout the entire house of the life that you’ve led together,” he all but snarled, waving his arm at a carefully placed mosaic of photographs on the wall opposite the sofa. “Right down to the ring on your damned finger,” he continued. “The ring that you yourself welded with flame from your breath to be sure it could never be removed.”
I glanced down at the blood-red metal circle on my left hand.
“Or do you blame him for that, as well? Do you believe yourself so weak that an Omega half your size was able to forcibly add a permanent decoration to your body against your will?”
When I didn’t have an answer, Galen shook his head, his anger seeming to dissolve into sadness.
“I’ve served you since you were born,” he reminded me. “My family has been in service to the Walsh clan for centuries even before that.” He pulled a ring from his pocket and placed it carefully on the table before me. “When your husband leaves in the morning, I go as well. You may be willing to callously cast him aside in his time of need, but I will not be a party to the unnecessary cruelty.”
I gasped at the sight of the signet ring carrying my family crest rocking gently on the table. “You can’t do that!”
“Of course, I can,” Galen said firmly. “My service, the service of all in my line has been born of respect and love, not ownership or indebtment. When the family line no longer represents ideals I wish to be associated with, I have an obligation to my honor to part from it.” His face softened slightly. “I will miss you, Ahearn. I can only hope that you will right this egregious wrong you are committing before irreparable damage is done.”
I watched in silent astonishment as the older man strode away from me, his back rigid and determination in every step. I could scarce believe that of everyone in my life, Bari had been able to convince the man who’d watched over me from the time I’d hatched to side with him as well.
Rising to pour a healthy splash of whiskey into a small glass, I crossed to study the photos that Galen had eluded to. There was no doubt that they spanned over many years. There were pictures of us in what appeared to be far away tropical locations, photos of us posing in gardens, and many that seemed to be candid shots that had caught us by surprise. The one thing that the images had in common was that we were touching in all of them. Whether it was Bari’s hand in mine, my arm around his waist, or our lips pressed together in a heated kiss, we were always touching.
In the center of the pattern was a large photo, slightly yellowed with the passing of time. We’d both aged in the years after we’d stood before a religious man dressed in matching tuxedos, our hands clasped as we gazed upon one another adoringly.
Shaking my head in disgust, I drained the contents of my glass in a single swallow. Granted, I didn’t know what witchcraft Bari had used to enchant me, but clearly it had been at work for many, many years. That only proved how lucky I was to finally break free.
Forcing Bari from my thoughts, I focused instead on the loss of my valet and jack-of-all-services. I knew a contract existed -had for many decades, of course- but I didn’t know if Galen could actually sever our tie by returning the family ring and walking away.
Groaning at the thought of having to bring yet another complication to my father, I sat behind the antique wooden desk and reached for the telephone. The conversation was certainly going to be an unpleasant one, but I may as well get it out of the way early so I could continue on with my drinking.For what I was assuming was the first time in many, many years, I was suddenly assuaged with the overwhelming desire to get completely foxed.
