Chapter 8: Chapter Eight

Colin.

After more time spent in a bottle than I would like to admit, I slump down on the worn wooden table in the kitchen. While I listen to the crackling of the fire, I hear footsteps and I know it will be Finn who has found me.

“Brother,” he says, slapping his hand down on my back. “You can’t do this to yourself. I will take you to the club where we dropped her and see if we can find her. I’m fairly sure Mel and I are on her contact forms and they will provide me with the information.”

Nodding at him, I look up at my brother with glossy eyes.

“But from the looks of it, you’re going to need to sleep off all of that first.” His words sober me some and I realize what a fool I have been and that this mess is my doing.

“Do you think she will forgive me?” I slur my words.

“I don’t know, Colin. You have hurt us all this past year and I think you need to forgive yourself and accept yourself before you can ask forgiveness from any of us.” Pulling out the chair across from me he sits and crosses his arms over his chest. “Why are you here? Really?” His anger shocks me, but honestly, it shouldn’t. I should have expected this after what I’ve done to him.

“Are you thinking of coming here and trying to step up and take over as Alpha?” Again, his words shock me, as I have never once considered embracing this damned curse.

“Och, fuck no!” I growl at him and the sound of my anger fills the room. “You know damned well even if I wanted to, I couldn’t. I can’t shift like you can, Finn. The phases of the moon control me. I’m here for Sam and to take her home.” Finn nods at me once.

“You need to prepare yourself for the genuine possibility that she won’t be going home with you.” Wincing back at his words, I scowl at him.

“She will. End of discussion.” Watching him raise his eyebrows at my words, I stand and leave the room, heading to find a bed to sleep off the booze and hopefully start tomorrow clear-minded.

***

Melody.

When Finn comes back to our room after speaking with Colin, I can tell it didn’t go well.

“It went that well, huh?” I ask him as he settles onto the bed next to me.

“Are you on the list of contacts for Sam at the club?” I nod in response to his question. “Do you think you can call and ask where she is and if they have a contact number for her?”

“Finn,” I start, taking a deep breath and preparing to tell him no, “that is not a good idea. If she wanted to be with Colin, she would be. We can’t force her into this.”

Reaching across the bed and patting the back of his hand, I smile weakly at him. “You really want me to find out? If you do, I will. But I don’t think we should tell Colin. It’s not a good idea. Nothing good can come of him busting into another man’s home and claiming Sam as his own.”

“You never know,” Finn says and shrugs at me, “I think it sounds kind of romantic.”

Letting out a tremendous sigh, I cross the room to the round table sitting in front of the fireplace. When I reach for my phone, I drop my head. Still unsure if this is the right thing to do. I call the club and ask to speak with Tom.

“Tom? Hi, this is Melody Caomhanach. I’m the contact for Sam Marshall.” Listening to Tom’s response, I nod to Finn as he steps towards me impatiently.

“Yes, I need to know if you can give me the name and the address of the purchaser from the auction.” I pause and listen again. “No, no. There is no emergency. We just have a family member who showed up here from the states and we need to get in contact with Sam and let her know, ASAP.”

I push Finn away from me, as he has stepped up and is trying to listen in to the phone call. When Tom’s voice comes back on the line, I put my cell on speakerphone so I can open the notes app and type down the information he gives me.

“Okay, Mrs. Caomhanach. I have a phone number here for Alec. Sorry, I can’t give you an address or last name, as those would break our privacy policy to give out. But you can reach out to Mr. Alec and request to speak with Sam or have him pass on a message to her.”

Jerking my head up at Finn, my eyes go wide. I mouth the name back to him as I see the same question in his eyes.

“Thank you, Tom. I really appreciate it.” As I disconnect the call, I look at Finn one more time. “Alec? Do you think it is possible?”

“She is here. She is here on the keep. I know it. The way he spoke about her on Christmas and to Donnie and me after. Alec has her at the cottage.” He paces the room for a minute, then turns to me. “Fuck! Mel, what are we going to do?”

***

Sam.

After we arrived back at the cottage, I made us a dinner that was edible. Alec and I sat down at the small kitchen table to eat and simply enjoy each other’s company. I learned he was from Maine originally and that he spent some time in Tennessee, but he traveled around a lot, attending boarding schools when he was younger.

I tell him about growing up in Southern Maryland and meeting Melody and Summer. How we all ended up here this past year and my plans to stay with them in Kildare for a while.

I’m careful to leave out any supernatural information from our conversation, as these are not my secrets to tell. The last thing I want to do is convince this man, whom I am immensely drawn to, that I’m crazy, and I believe in vampires and werewolves. After I clear the dishes and we head to the leather sofa, we settle in front of the fire. I lay back on the pillows, my feet in Alec’s lap as he rubs the soles of them.

When I open my eyes, he is looking at me, a small smile on his face. “Thank you for being here, kitten.” His hand runs up my leg over the top of my leggings and settles softly on my thigh. “I can’t imagine a better way to start the New Year.”

“Me either.” I yawn sleepily at him and stretch on the couch.

“Do you want to head to bed?” His words stir something in me, even though I know that is not what he meant by them. Alec has remained sweet and gentlemanly throughout our first day together and I can’t imagine him trying to change that now.

“Not yet. I want to just lie here in front of the fire a while longer.” I yawn again and he chuckles at my response.

“Come on.” He pulls my ankle and scoots me down onto his lap. As he stands with me in his arms, he turns toward the bedroom. “I’ll build you a fire and you can lie curled in bed in front of a warm fire then.”

“Okay,” I concede, nuzzling into his shoulder and letting sleep overtake me. As he sets me down on the bed and pulls back the covers, I’m already half asleep.

When I feel the bed dip and he slips under the blankets behind me, his arm wraps around my waist and pulls me to him. “Goodnight, kitten,” he purrs in my ear.

“Mmm, goodnight.” I get the words out just as I fall asleep in Alec’s bed.