Chapter 15

Larkin

Technology was something I'd been forced to acclimate to since being captured by the Assembly. I'd learned about cameras and electricity, modern advancements in the form of ways they could torture us.

Modes of transportation hadn't been a foreign subject to me either, but my knowledge of them had been when I'd been free. Although my family hadn't owned anything but wagons and horses, preferring to stay away from civilization and be isolated in the protection of the woods, the vehicle I was currently in was something that could only be envisioned in a dream.

After leaving Ireland days before, we'd taken a train to get to an airstrip. There had been what Odhran called a private jet—which was a rather frightening experience. It had only been him and me, the two pilots, and a flight attendant aboard, but it had been such a shock to my system that I felt anxious the entire time.

And so Odhran made them land as soon as we entered Scotland so we could drive the rest of the way. I couldn't say I was upset we'd be making the rest of the trek thisway, because with it just being the two of us, my anxiety had diminished.

The car we were in didn't resemble anything I could have ever envisioned in my wildest dreams. It could have doubled as someone's home for as large and comfortable as it was, with animal hide on the seats and warm air blowing right in front of me. There was even music coming from little black boxes—speakers, Odhran called them—that filled the interior with pleasant noise.

Once we landed in Scotland, there had been two large dark vehicles, ones Odhran said were called SUVs. There had been four males standing beside the vehicles, and Odhran kept his hand firmly in mine as we walked toward them.

The males had been huge, imposing. Lycans. They looked at me with an expression of shock and respect but didn't say a word to me and didn't touch me. And I knew Odhran wouldn't have allowed them to do either regardless.

Although I'd never told him, it was painfully clear by how I reacted and how I was taking everything that being around strangers wasn't going to be comfortable for me at this time.

I rested my head back on the seat and looked over at him. The lights from what he called the dashboard illuminated his stark features. He still had dark circles under his eyes, still had the sharp features on his face and the hollowed cheekbones as if he wasn't eating enough. And I knew it was because of me.

I'd woken up more times than I cared to admit from the nightmares. I'd been trapped, held down, knives cutting into me, evil laughter filling my head as they hurt me over and over again. The dreams had been so real. So real that I'd woken up screaming and crying.

And the only thing that made it all bearable was Odhran, holding me, telling me everything would be okay.

I didn't know how long we'd been driving—several hours at least—but I didn't mind. I liked the quiet that this trip provided, the time I could be in my mate's presence.

I was nervous for when we reached our destination, afraid of what I would find and how much things had changed. It had already been a shock to me as I'd seen all the technological advances.

So much change.

In my heart, I knew I wouldn't find my parents alive and well and waiting for me. They'd been advanced in age before I'd been taken, and so much time had passed. It broke my heart, but I'd come to terms with it long ago that I'd never see them again.

I thought back to all I'd seen on our journey here. Houses that seemed to reach the sky were everywhere. The flashing lights were intense, and the cars were fast and noisy. I missed the isolation the forest afforded, the cottage shared with my family, which was probably no longer standing, but it had always made me feel content and safe.

Odhran slowed as we entered a small town, and I felt a little more at ease, as we were no longer surrounded by the hectic city life but more laid-back, old-school surroundings. Things felt a bit more familiar here, as if technology and modern times hadn't touched the village.

There were cobblestone pathways, quaint storefronts with glowing lights hanging along the cropping of the roof. Patrons sat at little bistro tables as the sun started to set, mugs in front of them, smiles on their faces as if they had no idea the true horrors the world offered.

My stomach took that moment to growl, and I heard a soft laugh come from Odhran. I felt my face heat as I glanced over at him and smiled shyly.

"I was going tae ask my lass if she was hungry, but it looks like I donna have tae."

He reached over and took my hand, bringing my fingers to his mouth and kissing each one of my knuckles.

He kept hold of my hand as he drove for a couple more minutes before pulling the behemoth vehicle onto a small road and coming to a stop in front of a tiny café.

There were lights hanging along the front window that reminded me of the bobbles my mother used to hang on the tree during the festive seasons. And the soft yellow glow that came from the inside illuminated the small courtyard that had a few café tables and some flowering trees sitting out front.

"We don't have to stop if we're close to your home." I glanced over at him and saw he was looking down at where our hands were entwined.

He ran his thumb over the back of my knuckles, almost mesmerized by the sight. "We're still a few hours from home."

Home.I liked hearing him say that. He glanced up at me, and I could see so many emotions filtering across his face.

But the one that was most evident was hope. It made my own happiness grow, beating down the ugliness that tried to stay at the forefront of my emotions.

"And I wasn't about tae let my girl go hungry."

I felt my cheeks heat even more at the endearment. I couldn't lie; I'd never tire of him calling me such sweet things. His girl.

He was out of the SUV and rounding the front of the vehicle before I even had my hand on the handle. He opened the door for me and held his palm out. I slipped mine into his much larger one, loving how his fingers engulfed mine.

We walked into the little café, and I marveled at how quaint it was, how it reminded me so much of days gone by. There wasn't anything flashy or modern about it. It had the aesthetics of making me feel as if I were in my mother's kitchen, watching her prepare meals for the family.

When I focused on the present once more, I listened to the deep rumble of Odhran's voice as he spoke in Gaelic to the older woman who stood at a podium. She had age lines around her eyes and mouth, and a warmth in her eyes that told me she loved and had been loved heavily in all her years.

She led us to a table in the back, one that was isolated and private. And I knew without having to ask that Odhran specifically requested something just like this.

"I like this place. It feels… like how things used to be." I didn't know if he knew what I meant, but his smile and the way he reached across the table to take my hand in his told me maybe he did.

"I thought ye may like it. I saw it in passing years ago. I knew once ye were back in my life I wanted tae bring ye here," he said in a deep voice.

And just like that, he had me blushing.

We stared into each other's eyes, and for a second, I could envision that all the horrible things had never happened to us. I felt my shoulders relax, and just as I smiled back, a loud crash sounded behind me.

I was so startled I jumped, and a shocked cry left me.

This low growl left Odhran as he tightened his hand on mine and glanced over my shoulder at where the noise came from.

I felt my face heat further that the pots and pans falling to the floor scared me that much. His eyes flashed blue, and some of my embarrassment faded.

"So protective, even when your mate freaks out over nothing." I tried to make light of the situation, using a teasing tone, chuckling a little, because I was more embarrassed than anything else. But the serious look on his face had me sobering, and the feel of his thumb moving back and forth over my hand had me swallowing roughly.

"I should've been more considerate." He furrowed his brow and looked down at the table, then glanced around at the restaurant. "I can have them package up our dinner, and we can go if ye're uncomfortable?—"

"I'm fine." I cut him off before he could say anything else, and then waited until he looked back at me. "This is just a very new experience. Although going places isn't new, it's been a very long time, so I'm jumpy. But I know I'm safe with you."

His brows lowered even more, and I saw his throat work as he swallowed, his focus on where he was touching the back of my hand.

"Ye shouldn't feel safe with me though," he said in a hushed voice, so low I almost didn't hear him clearly. "I let ye down once?—"

I placed my free hand on top of his, sandwiching his much bigger palm between mine. "Odhran." I waited until he looked up at me, but he took long seconds, and the expression on his face told me he was fighting with himself, living with this turmoil, because he couldn't forgive himself over what had happened. "Oh, Odhran," I whispered.

We'd both been living in our own personal hells, it seemed.

"What happened is not your fault." His rumble of protest had me shaking my head, stopping him, because I knew he'd try to argue with me. "It's not your fault, and it's not mine. Because sometimes things just happen. We can't control every aspect of our lives. I'm a firm believer in fate. You have to be as well in order to know that I am yours and you are mine."

He licked his lips slowly, and his eyes flashed blue. I knew he understood what I meant, that he felt it too. We were fated to be together, and because of that, he had to know we didn't control our destiny.

For long moments, neither of us said anything, the heavy weight of my words hanging between us. And then he cleared his throat, brought my hand to his mouth, and kissed each one of my knuckles again.

"If fate hadn't given ye tae me as my mate, I would've made ye mine regardless."

My heart lurched in my chest at his words, at the sincerity, the bone-deep genuine tone. He meant what he said, and I felt the exact same way.

The strange atmosphere that we found ourselves in faded away as a young man came to the table to take our order. We were given menus, and I looked at all the selections. For so long, I had my choices taken away, so I almost felt uncomfortable in a way, picking the simplest thing like my meal.

How sad was it that even picking what I wanted to eat had now become a gift?

The authentic Scottish cuisine was something I'd never had, and so I ordered a couple of different items, much to Odhran's excitement and clear pleasure.

I ordered the salmon and a small sampling of mussels and oysters. As an appetizer, I ordered a soup called Cullen Skink, which the young man taking our order took great pride in explaining was a thick Scottish soup made of potatoes, onions, and finnan haddie, making the dish authentic.

I was speechless as I listened to Odhran order an array of dishes that could've easily fed a small village, but then again, he was a large male, big and strong, and needed a lot to fuel his powerful body. And I liked that he was eating so much, that he'd fill in those cheeks, that he didn't have to worry about me, because I, too, would be eating better than I ever had before.

We ate and laughed, talked about our lives, things we'd done as children, and the memories we had. We steered clear of any conversation that had to do with after I'd been taken. It was safer that way. It was better, because it gave us a chance to focus on the positive.

After we'd eaten our fill, Odhran ordered coffee and shortbread. There was an array of flavors, chocolate and caramel, even a delicate rosewater. It was served with raspberry preserves and local honey.

When we left and were back in the SUV, my belly full, my body relaxed, and my mind clear of anything that wasn't wonderfully positive, I felt myself become lethargic in the best of ways.

He covered me up with his jacket as soon as we'd gotten in the vehicle, and I settled back in the leather and felt the warm air coming from the vents blowing over me, the soft music coming from the speakers lulling me into relaxation.

I was looking at him as my eyes became heavy, marveling at how we were actually here, together.

It was his image I stared at as I drifted off to sleep, and I hoped the demons in my mind stayed in the dark recesses to give me a semblance of peace.