Chapter 19

Edmund.

I make my way through the keep looking for my dad and uncles. Finally, I find them in the front study on the far end of the great hall.

“We need to check out the car. Something isn’t right. Rae says her brakes weren’t working.” I rush out the words as soon as I enter the room, all of them turn to look at me.

“Slow down there, son,” Donnie tells me as he stands and comes to meet me at the door. “Start over.”

“I asked Rae about the accident.” I head to the empty seat at the table on the far side of the room. “She told me she was on her phone, but that she did see the tree. She tried to stop but the breaks weren’t working.”

“Well, that’s strange,” Alec says as he looks between the rest of us.

“I think someone may have done something to the car. I don’t have any proof, but I have someone in mind who might be trying to hurt Rae.”

“Our breakfast guest?” My dad asks and I nod once at him. “You’re going to have to take care of that problem if it keeps poking around here, sooner or later she is going to find out things we need to keep secret.”

I run my tongue across my teeth, as I think about the implications of his statement. I had hoped to avoid this, still hope to avoid it. I don’t think we’re to that point yet.

“I don’t think we’re at that point yet,” Uncle Donnie says, his words mirror my thoughts.

“I agree with him, but can you all head out to the car and see if you can get any answers? I am going to move Rae down to my apartment.”

“Do you really think that is a good idea?” Uncle Donnie asks and steps toward me. I raise my eyebrows at him, waiting for him to go on with a reason as to why it’s not.

“Do you have a reason why it wouldn’t be?” I ask him, standing my ground.

“Well, no. But can we get this out in the open?” Donnie asks.

“I thought it was already clear, back at the accident.”

“So, she is your mate? Rae is your mate?” my dad asks me, patting me on the shoulder.

“Is that so hard to believe?” I ask the three men as they all stand staring at me.

“Well, it’s just... I…” Donnie looks to the other two for help finishing his thought.

“We didn’t picture the two of you as a couple is all,” my dad finishes for him and my uncles nod in unison.

“Well, neither did we. But the magic is what it is. She wants to keep it quiet for now, so if you all could not tell everyone—"

“Then do you really think it is best to be toting her off to your place and staking your claim?” Uncle Donnie interrupts me.

“I think I’ll do what I damn well please with my mate, and to be honest I think it would be easier if everyone knew, so secrets be damned. I’m just telling you what she asked me to.” I shrug, my anger with being questioned rolls off of me.

“Okay, then.” Uncle Donnie’s words settle around the room and we all just nod at each other.

“Okay, then. You are going to check out the car?” I point at them, lifting my eyebrows, and they nod back at me. “I’m going to get Rae settled.” I point over my shoulder, then turn to leave the study.

* * *

Edmund I can smell her the moment I enter my apartment, I know Carley is here. The place reeks of her. When I don’t see her in the living room or the kitchen I make my way down the hall, through the open door at the end I can see her lying in my bed, naked.

“Fuck,” I mutter the word under my breath, and she shifts on the bed, sleepy-eyed she looks up at me.

“Eddie, I’m so sorry. I heard about the accident.” I stop dead in my tracks, just as I suspected. She had to be involved, there is no way she could have heard anything about any accident and made it here by now. She knows because she is responsible.

“Carley,” I try to keep my voice calm and not yell at her, “you need to get dressed and you need to leave.”

I watch as she sits up in the bed and crawls to the end of it, I’ll never be able to get the smell of her off of my sheets, I’ll have to trash them and get new ones. I roll my eyes at the added work. It looks like I won’t be bringing Rae home tonight after all.

“Eddie,” she coos my name as she continues to crawl toward me. “It’s okay. I’m here. I can make it all better for you.”

“There is nothing for you to make better, Carley.” I look around the room for her clothes and spot them in a pile next to the bed. I grab them, tossing them to her. “Get dressed and get out. Who let you in here?” I feel the blood rushing to my face and my eyes burn, I squeeze them closed, hiding the glow in them that the anger is causing. Slowly, I take a deep breath in through my nose, trying to calm myself. Now is not the time, this is not the place. I just need her out of my house.

“What? I… I don’t understand. I thought you loved me, Edmund! Thought you wanted to be with me!” She stands, pushing her leg into her pants. I need her out, now.

“Why on earth would you think that, Carley? I have done nothing but tell you the exact opposite.” I storm from the room back down the hall and stand in the living room, waiting for her to come out of my bedroom fully dressed and ready to leave.

“Eddie, I don’t understand.” She chases after me as she slips her shirt over her head. “Don’t you love me?”

I take hold of her arm and drag her from the apartment, up the stairs, and into to the great hall. The entire way she is digging in her heels, trying to get traction on the stone floor.

“Eddie... Eddie, please don’t do this.” Her hands on me make my skin crawl, I want nothing more than to have her out of my house.

When I make it to the door of the study, I knock, and then swing it open. My father and Alec are still inside.

“Can one of you handle taking this back to town for me? I’m sure she will tell you where her car is parked. I see their eyes widen in realization at who is standing in the doorway next to me and when she sends them a small smile and wave, I realize how delusional she truly is.

“I’ll take her,” my dad says as he stands from his desk and makes his way toward us in the doorway. “Carley, right?”

“Yep! And you’re Eddie’s dad, Finn. We’ve met before.” Her chipper voice baffles me and I just shrug. I don’t know how to handle this. Clearly, I am going to have to figure something out soon.

I drop my hand from her arm, happy to no longer be touching her, and head for the stairs, back up to see Rae. I will deal with cleaning the apartment tomorrow. Now, I just want to curl up and hold Rae in my arms and know she is safe.

“Bye, baby!” I hear Carley’s voice and turn back to her and my father.

“You need to stop. You need to leave and not come back. I am not with you, Carley. I am with Rae. I don’t know what you did, or how to prove it yet, but once I get the proof that you’re responsible for what happened here today, I’m going to make you pay for it.” I grind my teeth together at the last part. Fists clenched at my side, I focus on steadying my breathing.

“Walk away, Edmund.” My dad nods at me, I know from the look on his face what mine looks like. The struggle to maintain my control is a battle I am quickly losing.

“What the hell?” I hear Carley’s voice as I turn from her, closing my eyes, but I know it is too late. They were right when they told me that if she kept hanging around here she would find out things that were best kept secret.

“Let’s go, Carley. Tell me, where did you leave your car?” I hear my dad’s voice as I cross the hall toward the stairs.

* * *

Rae.

I shift in the bed when I hear the bedroom door open, looking over I see Edmund come into the room, but I can tell instantly he is upset. He was gone a lot longer than I expected him to be and I shift myself on the bed, my sore legs are difficult to move, but I make my way to the edge of the bed regardless.

“Whoa, what are you doing? No trying to get up.” Edmund takes a few large steps toward me and then is by my side, laying me back down on the pillows.

“Stop it. I’m not a baby. I’m hurt, but I can move. My legs are fine, just sore.” I brush my knuckles over his cheek trying to reassure him, but just needing to touch him.

“Rae, I need to tell you something.” Edmund’s low voice cracks and I am startled by the emotion in it.

“What’s going on?” I can hear the shakiness in my voice, his has me on edge.

“Carley is here.” When he drops the bomb on me the room spins.

“Here, in the keep?” I try to get clarification because what he is saying doesn’t make any sense to me.

“Here, in my apartment. Well, she was. My dad is taking her back to town now.” I watch as he sits on the edge of the bed next to me, smoothing out the blankets around my legs and resting his hand on top of them. The weight of his hand on my thigh comforts me and I sigh.

“What are we going to do? She sent me those pictures… she showed up here.” I shrug.

“I’m pretty sure she cut the brakes on your car.”

“What?” I sit bolt upright in bed and the movement makes my head spin. I put my hand on my forehead and lay back down.

“Are you all right?” I nod at Edmund’s question, squeezing my eyes closed against the building nausea.

“Moved too fast.” I steady my breathing. “Cut the brakes on my car?” I ask him, as I lay back on the pillows, still not opening my eyes again.

“I can’t prove it, I don’t even have proof that they were cut. Your dad is checking on that now, but I have a suspicion. She knew about the accident, which she couldn’t have unless she was somehow involved.”

Nodding, I move, opening my eyes slowly. The bright light in the room hurts my eyes and my head, and I regret trying to get up earlier, and moving so quickly when he told me about Carley. I really do feel like I was hit by a truck.

“Come here.” Edmund stands and moves around to the opposite side of the bed, slipping under the covers he pulls me to him across the sheets and I snuggle my head onto his shoulder.

“I thought we were going to your place tonight?” I question him as I run my hand up and down his arm, my fingertips lightly trailing over his skin.

“My place reeks of whore. We are staying here until I get it cleaned. She was naked, in my bed, Rae.”

“You had a naked whore in your bed and you’re just now telling me this?” I try to keep my voice light and my tone teasing, but the idea of her being naked in his bed has me seeing red.

“I wanted to give my dad time to get her out of the house, so you didn’t muster the strength to go down there and rip her head off.”

“I would have.”

“I know. That is why I waited to tell you.” Edmund kisses the top of my head, then takes hold of my hand. “What’s this?” he asks as he runs his finger over the ring on my finger and I smile.

“I thought you would recognize it, considering you bought it.”

“I did. I just want to know what it is doing here.” Lifting my hand to his lips he kisses the ring gently and I smile again, a sleepy smile that is interrupted by a massive yawn.

“I put it on while you were gone, dealing with the naked whore in your bed.” My voice is matter of fact, and I hold back the giggle. Snorting finally as it slips from my lips.

“There is only room for one naked woman in my bed, and that is you, kitten.” Edmund nuzzles his face into my neck and I sigh. Letting the exhaustion from the day take over, my eyes drift slowly closed. “I love you, Rae.”

My eyes fly open again and I look into Edmund's, they’re glowing a deep amber and I know what it means for him to have told me this. I feel the magic between us and I smile up at him. “I almost lost you today.” His voice breaks and I see a tear slip down his cheek. “I can’t lose you, Rae.”

“You’re not going to, Edmund.” My hand rests on his cheek and I run my thumb over his lips, then follow with my lips, kissing him softly. “I love you too,” I tell him, laying my head back down on the pillow and letting sleep take me over.