Bound by Forever (True Immortality 3)

Niamh didn’t know what to do with that.

She just knew she needed to start trusting him.

Even if she was just a job.

Conall helped Kiyo to his feet and then held out a hand to her. She took it, letting the alpha pull her up. “Because of you, Thea trusted me. And Rose trusted Fionn. We owe you for that.”

“You didn’t owe me.” She shook her head. “But if you did, the debt is paid. I’m sorry, Conall.”

“Dinnae be sorry. My debt to you will never be repaid.”

Niamh felt a pang of envy. She wondered what it was like to be loved as Conall loved Thea.

“And better the witch than you or I.” His piercing gray eyes turned cold with determination, and Niamh realized he’d compartmentalized what happened. This was an alpha who allowed himself only a moment to grieve before moving on.

And he was right.

He’d done what he had to, to protect them.

Niamh held out a hand to him to shake. As soon as he settled his large hand in hers, energy shot from him and into her. Images slammed into her mind, forcing her head back in a jolt of sharp pain.

“Niamh!” She heard Kiyo yell but the images took over.

Warmth flooded through the pain as emotions, beautiful emotions of adoration and protection and laughter, filled her. Years of happiness and family and safety and inclusion. Thousands of days of love that if bottled could change the world for the better.

Quite abruptly, they stopped. Her eyes flew open and she found Conall holding tight to her hand while Kiyo’s front was pressed against her back as he held on to her.

“Are you okay?” he asked gruffly, his breath hot on her ear.

She shivered at the feel and scent of him surrounding her but nodded, her eyes locked on Conall’s.

“Congratulations,” she offered.

Conall frowned.

She squeezed his hand. “Thea’s pregnant.”

His expression hardened. “You saw?”

Niamh gave him a soft smile. “I saw. I saw much.” Tears of happiness for Thea filled her eyes. “You have a beautiful future to look forward to, Alpha MacLennan. Such a beautiful future as I’ve never seen before.”

Kiyo’s hold on her eased as Conall’s features slackened with surprise … and then gratitude.12The car, to both Kiyo’s and Conall’s surprise, was still there when they left the building with Niamh. She’d cleaned up the apartment and discarded Meghan’s body as she had the man at the airport in Moscow.

Kiyo didn’t know how to react to what had happened. For now, he was focused on getting the hell out of Paris.

They drove to the airport in silence. Niamh huddled in the back of the car and quickly fell asleep as Conall drove northwest.

“You did the right thing,” Conall said, his voice low so as not to wake her.

“What?”

“Telling her the truth about your immortality.”

Kiyo wasn’t sure. He wasn’t sure about anything at the moment.

“It’s a story I’d be interested in hearing one day.”

Kiyo smirked. It wasn’t a story he was interested in telling.

Conall seemed to understand his silence and didn’t take offense. “So, where to now?”

“I need to call Bran. Let him and Fionn know I have Niamh. They’ll probably organize safe passage to wherever we need to go next.”

“You’re following her visions?”

“Yeah. But they seem to be all over the place. It doesn’t make sense. Some are about what they’ve always been about—the other fae-borne and protecting the gate. It seems that since her brother died, the visions have gotten interrupted by others that have led her on this vigilante path. It doesn’t make sense to me.”

Conall frowned. “No, it doesnae sound right.” He glanced in his rearview at Niamh. Kiyo turned to follow the male’s gaze, his chest tightening at the sight of her asleep. Exhausted. It took a lot to bring her down. She was wrecked inside.

The job of protecting her, not from others but from herself, felt impossible.

It frustrated him beyond bearing.

And he didn’t understand the intensity of the feeling.

“You can do this,” Conall said.

Kiyo frowned.

The alpha flicked him a look before turning back to the road. “You know this is bigger than just protecting one fae woman.”

Unfortunately, yes.

“But you can do it, Kiyo. Keep her trust, help her. No matter what you have to sacrifice to do it.”

Conall’s words brought silence to the car as Kiyo pondered exactly what they might mean … and dreaded the possibilities.

Thankfully, it wasn’t a long drive. After waking Niamh, they dropped off the rental and made their way to departures. Conall bought his ticket to Edinburgh, where he’d get a connecting flight to Inverness.

“You call again if you need me,” the alpha said, holding out his hand to Kiyo.

Kiyo shook it and found himself saying, “I admired and respected Caelan and Lennox very much. I was sorry to hear of their passing.”

Emotion flickered across Conall’s face before he cleared it and gave Kiyo a slight nod of thanks.