Sliding his scotch on the rocks over, she leaned against the counter and studied his appearance. Dark bruises under his eyes. Hair in disarray, he’d not combed the normally glossy locks. Didn’t look like he’d shaved in days. His normally vibrant aura was fading, dulling, getting dingy.
She was truly worried.
“Hey, hon. What’s going on with you?”
He drew in a slow breath, his shoulders rising and falling. A smile graced his lips, but never made it anywhere near his eyes. “Drained. Don’t worry about me.”
Easier said than done. As soon as Toryn showed up, she planned to pull him aside for a talk. Seeing their friend in this pit of despair tore her apart. She knew what needed to happen, but was afraid of Toryn’s response. She’d risk it. There was only one solution—to find the spell and break it with sexual release.
What if Toryn is too eager? What if he wants Scotty more? What if I do something and he thinks I want Scotty more?
Round and round, her head spun through the possibilities, though she knew her fears were unfounded. Toryn was a sensual creature, always had been. She was nearly positive he would enjoy a night with Scotty as much as she would. But would their friendship change? Would her bond with Toryn change? The rampant thoughts were enough to make her dizzy.
Shaking off the million and one questions, she redirected the conversation, hoping tomorrow night wouldn’t be too late. “What about the gig tomorrow? Are you still going to play?”
He nodded. “I won’t let the guys down.” He winked, but there was no humor in it. “Or you.” The flirting done out of old habit, with no play behind the words. His eyes didn’t even take their normal jaunt down to her cleavage when she leaned over to better look him in the eyes. Scotty always looked.
He was worse off than she initially suspected. She had a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. Tomorrow might be too late.
Isa hoped she had figured out the problem and how to fix it. Not just the bond, but also prevent anyone from putting him back in that position. A way to give Scotty back his freedom, and his life.
Someone hopped onto the stool at the end of the counter. Isa didn’t want to leave Scotty alone, but she couldn’t ignore the customer either.
With a sigh, she mentally ran through her plan one more time. Based on Scotty’s appearance, she was going to have to move it up to that evening. First, convince Toryn she had a solution to the whole problem, not only Scotty’s failing health. Second, convince Scotty he could be free. She had no clue which conversation would be hardest.
* * * *
Thank the abyss, Isa finally moved down the bar to help someone else. Scotty wasn’t lying when he said he was drained. He’d let himself go too far to heal through sex alone, and frankly, he didn’t want to. He was tired of a game he couldn’t win.
When he finally realized how superficial his supposed love was, and how broken the tainted mate bond was, he began to yearn for the real thing.
Over a hundred years of hiding from the woman who bound his body and soul to hers yet he was still in the same damned prison. Thanks to his mate, the bitch, he couldn’t settle into love and have the happily ever after he craved.
No price was too large to be released from Saressa’s bonds, save one, being bound to another. And there was the crux to his problem. Without Saressa’s death, he was destined to an unending stream of meaningless sex that led him down the waterfall of depression.
He was nearly at rock bottom. Or so he hoped. Maybe he could fade into the abyss and finally be free.
Scotty gulped down his drink and threw down a ten before leaving his seat and striding for the door.
Toryn caught his shoulders and frowned deeply. His vibrant blue eyes were dark with concern “Dude, we need to talk.”
“Not now. I have to get out of here.”
He shook his head. “You can’t keep blowing me off.”
“Tomorrow, after the show. Okay?”
“Fine.” Toryn sucked in a breath “You better listen to me when we talk.”
He nodded. At the rate his energy was fading, tomorrow would be his last night. That was the goal. Death waited within reach. His death welcome, because every time he tried to end Saressa’s life, she fucked him stupid and put him through worse torment by making him do things he despised.
Through their vile bond, she had the power to humiliate him. She violated who he was, and tore apart any shred of dignity he had, to punish his disobedience. After a century of hiding, if she got her hands on him again, she would make him wish he were truly dead.
Toryn’s concerned warning snapped him back to the present, “Take care of yourself.”
Scotty dipped his head, declining to give an answer. He slipped past Toryn, onto the street, and into the fresh air. The breeze eased his tight skin. The woods beckoned, he needed a night at Isa’s cabin. He almost went back inside but decided calling would be better.
He grabbed his cell phone and dialed Isa.
She answered after the second ring. “Scotty, you okay?” her voice was full of hesitancy.
Shit, he felt like a bastard. Worrying her was almost enough to send him back on a path to fucking himself healthy, but he’d given up on ever being free of the pit of disgust that came with random sex partners he couldn’t form a real connection with.
“Yeah, I just need some peace tonight. Mind if I use the cabin?”
“Not at all. As long as you need it.”
“Thanks. I’ll see you tomorrow night.” He hung up before she could answer, and walked to his car that he’d left parked at the office.
Chapter 5
Unusually quiet, Isa sat staring out the passenger window, brooding. Her entire demeanor reminded him of the night she’d convinced him to get her awakening started. His experience with the coming of knowledge had been a nightmare and he wanted to save her from the horror he’d endured. She convinced him hers would be different, that what they had was real, and he was a much better choice over the alternative. She was right.
He parked and, without a word, she hurried inside.
What’s going on in her head?
Toryn followed, then shut the door and stood there a moment. When he finally turned, after taking a deep breath, he found Isa staring at him with concern etched into her beautiful face.
Frustrated, she blurted out, “Scotty doesn’t have much time left.”
Toryn knew how to bring his health back, but couldn’t bring himself to ask her. If she chose the seductive solution, he would help her save their friend any way he could, but it wasn’t an easy subject to broach.
Illogical, he wanted to be greedy and keep Isa all to himself. Trust wasn’t an issue, he knew she cared deeply for her friends, and if she could help, she would. Plus, he honestly enjoyed sharing women in the past. But Isa was different. She was his everything and the only person he ever wanted for the rest of his life. Still, if she wanted to experiment, he was fairly confident he could be on board with the right person. Scotty, if they could convince him, was at the top of that list.
Toryn took in a deep breath and answered, “No, he’s truly unwell.”
Nervousness poured off her as she bit her lip, her head tilting as she wrung her hands. Then she blurted out a hasty stream of words. “Scotty’s deterioration is because of his lack of sex for the last six months?”
He nodded slowly.
“Because of his bond to Saressa?”
“That is the root of the problem, yes.”
Her brow pinched and she walked to the window. The tension in the room became so thick he could cut it with a sword.
Unsure what to do, or say, he came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist. Whatever her decision, he would support it, but he refused to influence her. It would tear him apart to stand by and watch Scotty die before him, but Isa was more important.
Her voice held a tremble. “If I had found a way to break Saressa’s bond to Scotty, but it involved sex, with me, what would you say?”
<
br /> A tendril of hope twisted through him, but he kept his tone and expression neutral. “You need to make that decision. Not me.”
She spun around and glared at him. “First, I’m not having sex with anyone without you. Second, if you’re involved, you get a say too. Third, I’m not totally sure what I think, and need reassurance this isn’t the worst plan in the world.”
A chuckle escaped as Toryn relaxed. He loved the fire in her eyes. How her determination flared strongest when she was the most unsure. “There are a few things to consider. Scotty isn’t into men, but I’m happy to share you with him for a night. He’s my closest friend here on Earth, and if you’re up for it, I am too. However, I’m not positive we can convince him unless you’re one hundred percent sure you can break his bond. He’s tired of sex without a connection. I can’t say I blame him.”
“I can break it.”
“Tell me how.” He only asked because he needed to be sure this wasn’t a temporary bandage until the next time Scotty gave up.
“I had this dream the other night.” She looked up at the ceiling, shoving her hands into her pockets. When she met his gaze she shrugged. “Saressa and Scotty aren’t bound the way we are. It looks similar, feels the same to him, but she forced it with magic. It’s more like how she bound Alenathos, but instead of using a necklace, the catalyst was sex. When he tried to leave, she paralyzed him and twisted his thoughts around to make him think he was having sex with Jayde.”
Toryn nodded. He often wondered what happened because he had always assumed Scotty would mate his first love. Scotty originally attempted to court her the way her mother insisted. Then, out of the blue, one night he refused to talk about Jayde, refused to be anywhere near her because he’d found his mate.
Isa’s hands clenched into fists. “I know how she did it, and I’m nearly positive I can completely break the bond. I also think I can prevent Saressa, or anyone else, from forming the same artificial bond again without binding him to me. And really, I don’t want anyone else bound to me, so that wouldn’t happen.”
If she could do it, there was honestly hope. “I think he’d appreciate that.”
“Okay, but how do you feel about all this?”
He closed the distance and encircled her waist with his hands. “I have an amazing woman willing to pull our friend out of the pit of depression he’s drowning in. He’s one lucky son-of-a-bitch because he’s going to get you for a night—”
“And you,” she finished for him.
Toryn’s head tipped from side-to-side. “If you insist, I’ll be involved, but you’re going to have to focus on him. I’ll focus on you. If I get hands-on with him, he’s going to stop everything.”
Her brow arched, humor dancing through her eyes. “And you know this how?”
He couldn’t hide the grimace. “Saressa put him into situations with multiple men, many times. He had no control, as if he were a puppet. She did it as punishment when she realized how much he hated being with a man.”
Isa’s face scrunched up. “Will this work then?”
“It has to. He’s running out of time. We’ve shared women in the past.” Toryn shrugged. “I know what he will and won’t do. This can work, if he’s not set on death.”
She pushed him back, her eyes narrowed. “That’s really not comforting. I preferred my ignorance on that topic.”
He sighed. “I had to convince him to take care of his needs. It was the best way I could think of. He kept sending the women away that I brought him. With me there, he had no more argument. It happened twice.”
“Hopefully, this won’t be the same.”
Toryn pulled her against his body and kissed her hard. Pulling back, he promised, “Being with you is different, no matter the circumstances. You don’t compare to any other person. You’re all I want and need. That you are willing to help one of my closest friends in a way only you can, reinforces how special you are and how lucky I am to call you mine.”
“Always yours, even if we fix Scotty. And I’m not sure I could do this without you. The act would feel like a betrayal, no matter how okay you are with it.”
He smiled. “Then it’s a good thing I know where his hang-ups are and how to avoid them.”
She took in a breath and smiled. “I know where he’s at.”
His brow arched. “Where is that?”
“The cabin. He asked if he could spend some time there.”
Toryn winced. “He wants to be closer to nature. He’s declining rapidly. If we do this, it has to be tonight.”
“What are we waiting for?” She grabbed his hand and dragged him to the door. “You driving?”
“You bet, Princess.”
Chapter 6
Scotty stood outside, listening to the irregular patter of raindrops in the trees. The storm raged around him. Lightning flashing, thunder rolling, while broken tears fell down his face.
One image haunted his memories. Hated as she was, he could picture no one else. Saressa’s dazzling green eyes sparkled with obsession, her red mane flowing around her as she walked toward him not wearing a single stitch of clothing.
“Go away!” he screamed, even though no one was there to hear him.
“Scotty? It’s me!” a familiar, worry-filled voice shouted back. Not Saressa’s cold, steely one.
The image morphed. Glittering emerald eyes filled with worry locked on his. He blinked and saw Isadora running for him. Her long black hair soaking wet. Leather pants caressing her shapely legs, and a shimmering silver tank covered her tiny waist and lush breasts.
“Isa?” he asked, standing up as she closed the distance. “What are you doing here? Where’s Toryn?”
She threw her arms around him. “Come inside. Please. I can fix everything.”
He shook his head. “No one can fix my problem. Let me fade away.”
“I can release you, Scotty. Please, come inside,” she pleaded.
Hope sparked, but didn’t light. Still, she was soaked and he couldn’t imagine why she was here, of all places.
She shivered in his arms, and he drew her closer, offering what warmth he could. He looked up at the sky and saw the lightning flash, striking a tree twenty feet away.
“Shit, you need to be inside.” The storm didn’t help his state of mind anyway.
Twining her fingers in his, she pulled him toward the cabin and through the back door.
When he stepped inside, he found Toryn leaning against the front entrance. One leg crossed over the other, his hands in his pockets as he looked Scotty’s way through thick, black lashes.
“I don’t understand,” Scotty said, looking from Toryn, to Isa, and back. Then it hit him. “She’s yours. You can’t expect her to fuck me, and me to be fine!”
Isa caught his jaw and pulled his face to hers. She peered into his eyes, and he nearly got lost there. Similar to Saressa’s, but filled with compassion and desire, not greed and hate. Her expression was such a strange combination from her, he’d never expected that much emotion directed at him, least of all from Toryn’s mate.
She pressed closer and took his hands in hers. “You’re letting yourself deteriorate. I can’t allow it.”
Scotty’s mouth fell open but no words emerged.
Toryn added, “Hear her out, Endiscott. She can do more than mend your body.”
Her brow set in determination. “I can break Saressa’s hold over you. Even make it so she can never rebind you. I can free you.”
“I won’t be bound again. Never bound again. It’s not worth it. I hate myself every time I let a woman into my bed, knowing that if there was a spark present, it would be instantly squelched because of this sickening bond.”
She flinched.
He rushed to explain, “It’s not that I don’t trust you. I do. But I can’t have you. Not truly. My heart can’t take being shut away from the one I’m bound to.”
“Oh. How about if my solution will leave you completely unbound to anyone?”
“If—but tha
t’s not a possibility.”
“It is.” One corner of her mouth jerked up. “Can you handle a hot night with me and,” she nodded back to Toryn, “him if he keeps his hands on me and not you?”
With a frustrated sigh he pulled his hands away and ran them through his tangled hair as he stepped back from her. “Isadora, I don’t see how that will possibly help. You broke Alenathos’ bond to Saressa by binding him to you. Bind me to you, and I’m in the same damned boat I’m in now. I’ll be desperate for you when I can’t truly have you. Granted, you are much kinder than her, but my heart will never survive.”
Crossing her arms over her chest, she glared up at him. “You won’t be bound to me or Toryn, and you certainly won’t be bound to that cunt. I figured out what Saressa did to create the bond. I know how to eradicate it, and prevent the same from happening again.”
Her confidence ignited hope, but his current situation still dampened it. Regardless, his cock thickened, hardening in response. “Shit, Isa, don’t toy with me. How can you possibly know that?”
“Same way I know what my uncle did to so many. I saw it. Felt it. Even saw her thoughts. I can fix this.”
His chest heaved as his eyes drifted over her. Her nipples were tight peaks straining against her thin top, her eyes dilated with desire, and goosebumps covered her arms.
Need for someone other than Saressa pumped through him for the first time in months. He wanted to throw Isa to the ground and bury himself in her.
Remembering Toryn, his gaze snapped to his oldest friend. “Did you know she planned this?”
He nodded, and met his scrutiny full on. “She wanted to make sure I was okay with this first. I would do anything to bring you back to us and prevent Saressa from standing in the way of your life. Even if it means I walk out that door and come back when she’s done.”
Isa flinched but nodded. The fear in her eyes killed that prospect immediately.
Scotty had always desired Isa. She was every man’s fantasy rolled into one. No denying he wanted a night with her. However, she was completely and totally head-over-heels in love with Toryn. Leaving Toryn out would damage his friendship with Isa and he wasn’t willing to do that, even for his own freedom or comfort. Besides, Toryn and Scotty had shared women before—meaningless women neither had a true connection to.
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